Book II Chapter 36: Time is Ticking
Cathedral of a Thousand Roses
Laps-du-Ment, Chimre
Dr. Nefirian Dreamscar was in a bit of a mood.
The Anshedoctor sat before a grand window, his eyes glued to the newspaper he held within his clawed fingertips.
Curling his lip, he snorted derisively.
"Fool chimaera. Fools, every last one of them! Oil will prove useful, but what is the purpose in throwing so many lives away to get at it? Neutralize the danger first... what is the Rajii thinking?"
A sudden rapping upon his door drew his attention; still lost in his irritation, he barked a swift "in, in!" before returning to the news. The sound of soft, padded feet thudding heavily across the parlor floor caught his ear.
His Cronois were a House of guardian leupaks of the highest order; they served as a sturdy and efficient police force throughout Laps and the surrounding areas, in addition to his palace and grounds.
Resembling powerfully-built golems made of bronze and steel with faces like clocks, they were surprisingly more swift and flexible than appearances would have one believe-- the beauty of leupaks as servants was that they were horrendously versatile in both form and function.
For the most part, however, they stuck to observing the populace, ensuring no suspicious persons entered his home, and doing the usual patrol routine.
One coming to give him a personal report meant something was going on.
Scowling, he folded his newspaper and sat it atop his great belly. "You have news, Aranthrates?"
"Yes, milord." The leupak's voice was deep and resonating, like a brass bell. "We've recieved reports of a forest fire northeast of here, in Vales-Temps. The Lion also adds that he has the body of a Flarion that he managed to snatch and kill before the flock escaped."
The room fell instantly, utterly, torturously silent; perhaps if a tiny spider had crept across the wall at that very instant, its footsteps would've echoed like giant's feet.
"Ready my rapier and my carriage, and send the Silvermanes to patrol Vales-Temps in its entirety, please," he spoke at last, after taking a slow, deep breath and closing his eyes.
"At once, milord."
This could mean several things, without a doubt-- none of them were scenarios he favored.
He adjusted his monocle before peeling himself out of his plush chair and onto his feet with a soft, serpentine hiss, leaving the room with Cronois Aranthrates in tow, the hands of the metallic leupak's face slowly tick-tick-ticking away as the seconds passed.
Yes, Dr. Nefirian Dreamscar was in a very foul mood, and it wasn't going to get any better any time soon.
Next Chapter: Book II Chapter XXXVII
Category: Book II | Story
