Slimantha walked into Bill’s Diner. Her black shoes lightly tapped upon the diner’s wooden floor. She smiled, her beautiful brown eyes sparkling. Soon, the time of cheese sandwich would be upon her. Soon, she would have her cheese sandwich. She stopped walking and shifted her weight from side to side, a dreamy look on her face. Somehow, she could already taste the impending cheese sandwich.

Samuel the Hero From Another World entered the diner after Slimantha. He stepped in and then held the door open for Mimi and Black. Mimi’s golden eyes met his blue eyes as she entered. She flashed him a lovely smile. The long locks of her luxurious golden hair swayed as she walked by him.

“Thanks,” Black said. A smiled flashed across her face. She gave him a little nod as she passed by him.

“You’re welcome,” Samuel said. He smiled back at Black and then shut the door. He walked deeper into the diner.

“You know?” Slimantha said as Samuel, Mimi, and Black stepped up to her. “It would have been totes cool if we walked in here to find this place manned by ducks. The ducks did say they would help, but …” She glanced about and then pouted. “I don’t see any ducks. One out of three. Bad help.”

A caw drew her beautiful brown eyes to the wooden counter. A lone crow sat perched next to a silver bell upon the counter. She brought her right hand to her chin, her eyes on the crow. “Maybe that crow is actually a duck,” she said. The crow then cawed again. “No, its definitely not a duck.” She lowered her right hand and sighed.

“Hello there, Doc Sabbatical,” Mimi said, stepping up to a tall ivory-skinned man sitting at one of the diner’s tables. The man’s hair was short and white, and his eyes were blue. He wore a white lab coat over a white long-sleeved shirt. His pants and shoes were both also white. “How have you been?”

Doc Sabbatical, Bleakfyre’s healer, put his ham sandwich down onto his plate. His blue eyes went to Mimi, Bleakfyre’s mayor. “Hi there, Mimi,” he said. “I’ve been good. Was just enjoying a sandwich.” He gestured at his sandwich. Then he glanced at the crow on the counter. “Something’s up with the crows though. You should probably do something about that. You are the mayor after all.”

Mimi puffed her cheeks out and planted her hands on her shapely hips. “Trust me. I am already working on the crow thing.” Then her expression softened, and she smiled. “Have you met the hero?”

“Hero?” Doc Sabbatical brought his right hand to his chin. “I don’t think I’ve met this hero you speak of.” He lowered his right hand.

“I’ll introduce you.” Mimi smiled. “One moment please.” She pulled the hero in question over to Doc Sabbatical’s table. “This is Samuel the Hero From Another World. He is Bleakfyre’s hero.”

Samuel blinked. His blue eyes met Doc Sabbatical’s blue eyes. He blinked again. “H-Hi. I’m Samuel the Hero From Another World.” He held out his right hand.

Doc Sabbatical’s blue eyes went to Samuel’s outstretched hand. Then he reached out with his own right hand and gave Samuel a firm handshake. “I’m Doc Sabbatical the Healer. You can call me Doc Sabbatical.” Doc Sabbatical withdrew his hand. His blue eyes went up to Samuel’s face. “By the way, you’re dying.”

“W-What?!” Samuel froze, his face going pale. Doc Sabbatical then yelped as a certain golden woman bonked him.

“Stop messing with the hero,” Mimi said, her golden eyes on Doc Sabbatical. She crossed her arms. “We already have enough on our plate with the crow thing.”

“I see,” Doc Sabbatical said. His blue eyes went back to Samuel. “Sorry about that. I was just messing with you.” He gave a bit of a laugh and then turned back to his ham sandwich. He picked it up and took a bite.

A certain flame spirit, Bill, walked out of the kitchen and glanced about. “You guys want anything?” he called out. He headed behind the counter. He gave the crow on the counter’s top a glance before looking at Slimantha. “I’m guessing you want a cheese sandwich, don’t you?”

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Slimantha stepped up to the counter, and the crow glanced at her. Her beautiful brown eyes went to the man made of flame on the other side of the counter. She smiled. “How did you know I want a cheese sandwich?” she said.

“Because you always want a cheese sandwich,” Bill deadpanned. “Seriously, why don’t you try something else for a change?” He placed his right flaming palm on his flaming face for a moment. Then the crow on the counter cawed. His flaming eyes went back to the crow. “And seriously, why is there a crow on my counter? So annoying.” The crow glared at him, and he sweatdropped. The sweatdrop bubbled away as it ran down his right flaming cheek.

“But cheese sandwiches are the perfect food.” Slimantha leaned over the counter, her beautiful brown eyes sparkling. “They have bread and cheese. They are the perfect food.” She straightened back up and smiled. “I’ll take two.”

Black stepped up to the counter, her black cat tail swishing. “I’ll have a milkshake,” she said. She brought her right hand to her chin, and then her lovely brown eyes lit up. “Let’s go with chocolate.” Her tail swished.

“I’ll have some chocolates,” Mimi said, stepping up to the wooden counter. She pulled a certain hero, Samuel, along with her. She smiled a lovely smile and then glanced at Samuel. “You want anything? The chocolate fountain cake is to die for.” She pressed up against Samuel, the contact making Samuel blush. Her face was right next to his face, almost close enough for their noses to touch. “It is to die for.”

“I-I’m good,” Samuel said, pushing away from the curvaceous golden woman. He looked at Bill. “Nothing for me.”

“Nothing? How adventurous?” Bill said, sarcasm dripping from his voice. “Let me go get those orders.” He disappeared back into the kitchen.

Slimantha blinked. Her beautiful brown eyes went to the large fancy window. Her gaze settled on the fancy bird bath beyond the window. Water spurted up from the center of the bird bath. For now, two crows sat in the bird bath. The two crows watched her. She blinked again.

Bill re-emerged from the kitchen, this time holding a tray of food. He stepped behind the wooden counter and set the tray down upon the counter’s top. Then he took a bowl of bird seed from the tray and placed it in front of the crow on the counter. The crow cawed, and then he handed the two cheese sandwiches to Slimantha.

“Thanks,” Slimantha said. She placed one of the two cheese sandwiches into the left pocket of her brown pants and then took a bite of the other. She chewed, the cheesy goodness flooding her mouth. She swallowed.

Black accepted her chocolate milkshake and smiled. Her black feline tail swished behind her. She brought the glass up. Her lips latched onto the straw. She took a drink. She smiled.

Mimi accepted a small red bag of chocolates. A smile flashed across the golden woman’s face. She shifted her weight from side to side as she fished a chocolate out of the bag. She popped it into her mouth and chewed. She swallowed. “These chocolates are to die for,” she said. She shifted her weight onto her right leg.

“Glad you girls are enjoying your food,” Bill said, pride evident in his voice. He glanced at Samuel. “Bet you wish you ordered something, don’t you?” He gave a laugh and then glanced at the crow pecking at the bowl of bird seed. His eyes went back to Slimantha and her group. “Actually, don’t worry about paying. It is on the house. Just do something about the crows.” He sweatdropped again as the crow on the counter gave him another glare. Once more, the drop of sweat bubbled away as it ran down his right flaming cheek.

Slimantha took another bite of her cheese sandwich. She chewed and then swallowed. Her beautiful brown eyes went to Samuel. “Have you seen the garden yet?” she said. She gave Samuel a lovely smile and then took another bite of her cheese sandwich.

“I don’t think so?” Samuel said, his blue eyes meeting with Slimantha’s brown eyes. He gave her a smile back.

“Let’s go then. I’ll show it to you.” Slimantha took another bite of her cheese sandwich. She did not have much left of that sandwich at this point. Well, she did have the other cheese sandwich in her left pocket.

Mimi pouted. “Well, I guess going to the garden is fine,” she said. She then popped another chocolate into her mouth. She chewed the chocolate and then swallowed. “I mean we don’t actually know where Latril is, so we might as well check the garden anyway.”

“Just wait a moment, guys,” Black said. She took another drink of her chocolate milkshake. “Let me finish this thing first.” She took yet another drink of her milkshake. “I just have a bit left.” She latched her lips back onto the straw. Outside of the window, more crows gathered at the bird bath, bringing the number of crows in the bird bath up to five.