Santino reholstered his revolver “Ok, my name I guess you caught, the short alcoholic is Ronald, the monster you're afraid of has a too-long name. We all call her Anna.” Ronald lifts the dirty bowler hat that places it on his head just to lift it in greeting, then wrestles the bottle back and empties it, Anna curls a lock of her midnight black hair smiling when Santino calls her a monster and blows me a kiss. I smile at both of them “Afraid is a heavy word, let's say weary, when once you're wanted for dinner by a wolf you tend to go around the next one even if it is full.” Anna tilt's her head almost coquettishly “And you are sure I'm full for tonight?” I smiled back equally sweetly “I saw a starving wolf, destroying it was easy. Ah, who knows maybe I made a mistake once and killed fed one too.” I saw I hit the nerve. Due to their...peculiarities, Lamias replenished very, very slowly. Loss of one might be centuries of work down the drain. NOW I saw the eyes, in that brief flash of anger, catlike elongated pupils of a predator. The natural darkness of her eyes made her “pass” even in light darkness, but once tempers flare sufficiently...

Tension was cut by Santino's raspy laughter “Still fond of him Anna? But, yeah our Mr. Firehand is certainly something.” He leaned forward “This is the play kid, we are planning something, something big, actually so big that it took me 5 years just to find these two. But we need more. Unfortunately, separating the wheat from the chaff is time-consuming, as you may imagine. So we find 4-6 talented individuals and give them the job we think will sufficiently prove them. They can keep proceeds AND join us as equals. Questions?”

I must admit that he so offhandedly assumed all three of them are better than me grated on my pride something fierce. But ten bucks in my pocket and the prospect of two jobs in the line, something I rarely had trumped pride. “Questions? Yeah, a few.” Hundred I added silently “How many of these trial runs you already had?” Santino nodded as he approved of the inquiry “Yours will be fifth, hopefully last.” I pressed “How many survivors from those four previous runs?” Ronald burped and grunted “Bloody one.” I pride myself on my composure but my eyes betrayed something as Anna laughed, not chuckled, not smiled, genuinely laughed. I could hear the mirth in her voice. “Did you expect Cakewalk to be considered my equal puppy?” I reigned in my emotions and without looking at any of them activated Aether Clockwire

The mood in the room shifted instantly, Aether Clockwire is not something sophisticated, or hard to learn to use, just a few ever use it since it's basically self destruct mechanism. All of Aether in the user's blood ignite at once making a nice explosion. It is usually the last act of defiance and the one using it is at the end of the rope already, so it could be compared to a stick of dynamite. However, a few times when users activated it at the peak of their reserves, ohhhhh that was another beast completely. It depends on the user of course. Not counting Ronald I was the weakest of the bunch definitely, but the last time I used Arts was a few weeks back when I enchanted a portion of my ammo and that regenerated a while back. When I go *boom* I expect the city sign might remain intact. Too bad there will be no more city.

Anna might escape, might, and everything else will be simply evaporated. I too, unfortunately, but there is always a price to making a point. “If you really did your recon you would know that very little actually can anger me. On the top of that list is being underestimated...repeatedly.” I look each of the three in the eyes. Roland looked at me for a second then produced a large soapstone pipe loaded it and nodded toward the top. I couldn't help but smile weaving a small amount of Aether and lighting his pipe he made himself more comfortable and puffed away, he had no hand to play and resigned himself like a death row inmate with a last cigarette. Santino was ironically the coolest of them all, not moving even a muscle on his face. Anna's wiry muscles tensed and she couldn't help but quickly glance toward the window. If my death didn't automatically trigger the explosion, to this day I think that long slender arms would rip my head off the shoulders and throw it through the window. Also, that look wasn't her contemplating escape which surprised me somewhat, since it indicated a stronger bond with her companions than I believed Lamias could form with mortals. I knew a lot less than now. She actually was calculating whether could she fit both of us through the window before throwing me as far as she could. maybe fortunately for me, she calculated odds weren't the most favorable for her. I spoke again. “Do we understand each other?”

Surprisingly Santino smiled “Crystal.” he glanced toward Anna “It would appear your “Puppy” has quite a bite, I'd appreciate it if you stopped teasing him” Anna was the closest to pouting I saw her until and since “I will take it under consideration.” Santino looked at me and raised eyebrows. I stopped the spell. This was a moment of truth, now they could kill me for sure, I maybe might hurt some of them but die I would. Instead, Santino pulled a pouch from the front pocket of his jacket and placed it on the table “Hundred dollars in gold coins, half incentive, half something to keep you out of trouble until the day after tomorrow. You'll meet us at Devil Springs at sundown.” I couldn't help but frown “Why there?” Still quite obviously not too happy with me Anne answered “Because nosy Humans usually stay away from there after sundown.” “Yes.” I conceded “But for a good reason.” She gave me one last cold look “Don't come if you're scared.” she was gone then, a slight breeze in front of me and a smell of lilies that followed told my senses that she just went between me and Santino and throw herself through the half-opened window. Right above Ronald's left shoulder, without me seeing even blur, yeah I had to admit she wasn't just a rank above my league, I would struggle to touch her league even if someone gave me a boost.

Santino glanced toward the window. “Don't worry about her, she just didn't use for Humans to bite back, even metaphorically. It's good for her to remember we're more than cattle or pets from time to time. See you.” Despite his age, he moved with grace. I imagined he was another Human that bit back watching him exit. Next thing I did not expect. While I was talking with Santino Ronald finished his pipe and considerately emptied ashes out the window then as Santino was at the exit stood in front of me and offered me his hand, and I returned a handshake almost mechanically in my surprise, but his grin was wide and genuine. “Well, it's good all of us survived the first meeting and for what it's worth I hope you survive the trial. You seem like the good drinking buddy.” He again tilted his Bowler Hat and exited after Santino, closing doors behind him.

I sat in my room alone again, like the last half hour did not happen. But the hefty leather pouch on the table across me begged the difference. I dragged the chair forward without standing up until I was able to reach and pick it up. Few people appreciate the real weight of gold, because few people ever had the privilege of holding enough of it in their hand. Let me tell you how heavy it is, in this unassuming pouch of deerskin was 100 coins of 1 dollar in gold. If I were to use it as the sap and slam someone over the head with it with some conviction, I reckon there would be little of his head left. And conviction or not, strength was not one of the qualities I'd brag about. That's what many thieves and robbers forget.