Lord of the Lies

Immediately after breakfast, Vogir strolls over to Lord Rician’s manor house. After a brief discussion with the guards, he’s allowed entry.

He’s kept waiting in the outer hall for a good fifteen minutes before an elderly clerk comes down to see him.

‘What do you want?’ the old man inquires rudely.

Vogir bites his tongue before responding.

‘I was hired by your master to rescue his daughter. I failed but was able to track a young, blue dragon back here. Your town is in danger.’

The old clerk opens his mouth to speak but Vogir hushes him with a raised hand.

‘Just tell Lord Rician. He’ll want to know’.

The grey-haired clerk hurries off and Vogir finds himself waiting again.

After another fifteen-minute wait, the clerk returns and gestures Vogir to follow him.

They travel past several rooms, several locked doors and several armed guards. Finally they come to a grand set of double doors.

The clerk knocks and after a moment, a serious voice answers ‘Enter!’

Walking a few steps behind the clerk, Vogir stops in front of Lord Rician’s huge, ornamental desk.

He doesn’t look up.

The clerk leans down and they share a quick, whispered conversation. The clerk leaves in silence but it’s still minutes before Lord Rician speaks.

‘My daughter is safe; no thanks to you. You and your mercenary friends failed and as such I owe you nothing. What do you want?’

His face set in an even expression, Vogir responds. ‘I’m glad your daughter is safe. We managed to break into the black tower and kill every Black-cloak present but your daughter wasn’t there…’

Lord Rician remains stone-faced.

‘And?’ he sighs.

‘But we did find a dragon.’

Vogir stifles a smile as he senses Lord Rician stiffen in his chair.

‘It escaped but I managed to track it to the outskirts of Fewham’.

Lord Rician finally raises his face to Vogirs.

‘I’ve heard nothing of any dragon’.

Vogir knows that Lord Rician is lying and more importantly he now knows that he was right about everything: Sybille and the dragon are one in the same.

‘Don’t worry though. I’ll find it and, when I do, I plan to kill it’.

Vogir hears Lord Rician’s chair scrape back behind him as he strides from the room. With his face hidden from Lord Rician’s view; Vogir releases his smile.