Chapter 1: A bolt from the blue
The morning in the quiet town of Tardis was particularly sunny. The sun rays penetrated nearly the entire city, making it seem even more lively than usual.
Early in the morning, the shops were already open, and all the merchants were eager to attract as many potential customers as possible.
"Fish! Fresh fish! From the sea!"
"Buy handcrafted fabrics!"
"Vegetables and fruit! Fresh and inexpensive!"
As usual, there were groups of stray dogs near the shops, taking advantage of the opportunity to snatch a sausage or a fish fillet.
A burly butcher noticed one of the dogs sneaking up on an entire pig's carcass and raised a sharp cleaver. The dog, oblivious to the shout or raised axe, sank its teeth into the deliciously smelling meat.
“You bastard!” The butcher, choosing not to use a cutting instrument, kicked the animal with all his might, sending it flying away from the store, right under the feet of bystanders. The dog wailed in pain and hastened to crawl away from the ever-moving people, ears flattened.
Wiping his hands on the bloodstained apron, the butcher gave the animal a disapproving look and turned to the counter. In front of him was a young woman in her late twenties, wearing a light shawl to cover her blond braids.
'How can I help you?' The butcher gave a friendly smile, despite his rather somber appearance. Even the question from his lips sounded somehow... not very polite.
Wrinkling her nose, the woman scanned the variety of meats laid out before her. "Half a kilogram of the finest chicken liver," she said somewhat coldly. "Why did you hit the dog? To my knowledge, the poor creature was not guilty."
The butcher, after weighing the desired item, said uncertainly: "This bastard, y’know, came close to the meat, almost ate a whole pig's head…”
The customer's eyes flashed unpleasantly. Taking a wrapped chicken liver from the butcher, she said in a barely audible voice, "When the time comes, you will receive credit for everything. Have a pleasant day!" The lady finished calmly, as if she had not said anything that sounded like a clear threat previously.
Putting the product in a tidy wicker basket, she went to other stores and, suddenly, after a few steps, disappeared! The lady simply disappeared into thin air with a gentle pop! The butcher rubbed his eyes, trying to understand what had just occurred.