Cities are impressive sights, Aaron thought to himself, as he walked down the street, wearing a dark brown trench-coat and a grey scarf protecting himself from the cool morning wind - not that he actually needed them, it just felt nice to be warm.<br/><br/>The tall, red-haired man gazed at all and everything, eyes looking back into his vast memories as nostalgic feelings rushed over his mind. Last time he had been in that location, the biggest construction there was a wooden church. Now they had brick buildings, steel and concrete apartment buildings, even subway rails underground.<br/><br/>The beautiful forest nearby was, unfortunately, almost gone, restrained to a miserable patch of carbon-dioxide covered, dying trees they called a 'park'. But still, the city was worth it.<br/><br/>Crafty little things those humans were, he had always admired them for that, they tried to compensate their short lifespans through all means possible. Some left 'legacies' behind, comprised of all sorts of things, from family to constructions, like the ones all around the city - many had plaques dedicating them to their builder's memories. Others studied, and researched: Aaron still remembered when the flu was actually something to be concerned about, and still giggled upon realizing that a thing that had once killed millions could now be solved with shots, pills and soup.<br/><br/>On the other hand, some humans payed for what they wanted. For other people to it for them, mostly. Those who could afford it, did it with straight, cold cash. Others, with not so much for resources, but with enough guts and dumbness, stole it and proceeded with the payments for others.<br/><br/>However, those who didn't had either the money or the guts, but were lucky enough to have the right knowledge... Those came to Aaron.<br/><br/>For centuries, they had came for him. At first they were just hunters, bringing gold and whiskey for him, and the carcasses of quails for his wolves, praying for the prey to be plenty, so their families could withstand another winter.<br/><br/>But once humanity invented firearms, and that thing called Christianity took over the old religions, Aaron had to turn crafty himself, in order to survive.<br/><br/>From time to time, he walked among men as one of them. First he was a Roman trader, exchanging slaves, women, and land for gold, wine and meat. Then a High Master of the Knights Templar, offering guidance and strategies from the clergy to the peasantry. Through all history, he had taken many names, and continued on doing his work: wealth and wishes coming true in exchange of money, drink and food, and as long as they kept on coming, the wealth would never end.<br/><br/>But if humankind had a flaw, it was how cocky they became once the tides were in their favor. Every now and then, after Aaron had offered them everything, and still had more to give, they would stop paying his tributes. And it wasn't like he charged more than they could pay: his current facade, a dog shelter, took donations as little as 25 Euros a month.<br/><br/>His wolves had to eat, but still, he warned the deadbeats. Once. If they didn't restored the payments, the wolves would eat one way or another, even if from their flesh.<br/><br/>Aaron now walked not much far from one of them, but his mind was focused on an entire different thing - he was there to collect from another 'philanthropist', as they liked to call themselves, late on his tributes.<br/><br/>He had just stopped to buy a newspaper at the stand when a familiar scent invaded his keen nostrils.<br/><br/>It was flushed skin and a feminine and delicate, yet artificial, body spray. Soap and roses. Virginal purity and baked goods.<br/><br/>The wolves had encountered that scent before, therefore, Aaron also knew of it.<br/><br/>With a warm smile and the mesmerizing eyes of a predator, Aaron turned to the young girl in red and examined her from head to toe, full of interest.<br/><br/>"A little rosebud selling roses, that's a rare sight to see..." he spoke to her, almost purring with a soft and tender voice, "Are you for sale too?"<br/><br/>He kept his face serious for a second, but soon cracked into a giggle.<br/><br/>"I'm just joking... It's just that... I believe we've met each other already, didn't we?" he reached for his wallet in the trench-coat's pocket, "Anyway... How much for the whole basket?"