The End of Eternity

Working Around a Clock

Claw stuck out his nose from under a bed.

"Are they gone?" The word about his abilities had traveled faster than light. In a few days, half the city was talking about an inteligent talking monster, he was a celebrity now. A year ago, they would have burned him alive, but in the light of the recent changes, the city population's prejudices were dying one by one.

"Hm, they are. You can crawl out." Mei did not know, how he had managed to squeeze in there, but she was looking forward to see his struggle to free himself from the bed's grasp.

"Horrendous, everyone sticks to me like I am some kind of an attraction. And guess whose fault it is." With these words, she pushed the nearly unstuck Claw deeper under the bed.

"You witch."

"Oh, the lovely times you could not speak."

"You are an evil witch with unwashed grey hair, how ..eh ...ehw" Davena took a piece of wood and pushed it into his mouth.

"Here dog, have a toy."

"Can you play with someone else's bed?" Mei glared at them.

"Ehw . . but I am a victim here!" Claw had finally managed to spit out the piece of wood.

"Oh, our poor, poor puppy." A door opened wide, a familiar figure of their squad leader standing before them.

"We have a new mission.What are you doing here?"

"Torturing animals and disrupting my sleep." Mei was the first to respond. The next second she flew in the direction of Davena, because enraged Claw had stood up regardless of being under her bed sending Mei and the bed flying. Davena unconsciously cought Mei in her arms, both of them ending in an awkward position.

"Oh girls, I did not know about your sexual orientation."Claw laughed at them, showing his magnificent teeth, preventing Saul from scolding him for his actions.

"All right, I say it once more. We have a mission and this time, it is a real one." Saul repeated his words. "I have my doubts you deserve it. our spiderslayer have created quite a reputation for us."

"I am sure our famous slayer will improve his reputation."

"You can laugh at me, but the last laugh will be mine. " Claw was leaving the room with his tail held high in the air, a majestic red wolf in his full glory.

"Hey slayer, I can see your.. . "

"Don't even say it, I will kill you." He lowered his tail to correct his mistake.

Saul silently watched the situation. They seemed to get along well. At first, he had been worried about Davena, but she looked better now. Still, he was aware she had lost too many comrades to be all right in such a short period of time, it could be just a facade. They needed time, all of them. Right now, The Academy desperatelyneeded some heroes among its ranks to show off the benefits it had brought to the society. The people were starting to perceive it as a band of thieves, but he did not want to rush.

"Come on you two, it is a local mission, nothing difficult."

"Duty calls, what is the assignment?" Mei looked eager to jump into action.

"I will explain it on our way."

They arrived at their destination shortly, it was an inn, one of many inns located in the central part of the city. Saul explained their task, they had received this assignment thanks to their four-legged member. Not a long time ago, a strange plant had appeared in the city, the locals called it Black Lily. The flower had black petals and an eloquent yellow stalk, the reason it had been spreading through the city's inns was its strong narcotic effects on human brain. It was a new popular drug and Velius wanted to identify its source.