173 - “Planning in the Shadows” - Tonklyn - A Tale of Heroes

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Tonklyn cut off another thin sliver of the medium rare venison steak on the plate before him. He held it up and examined it in the room’s oculus light. It was perfectly browned and seared, delicately seasoned and drizzled with an tangy berry sauce. He tasted it and savored the richness. Maybe you don’t have to be the King to live like one...

The last few weeks had brought significant changes, since the treasure horde had been found. It had been initially difficult to convince Kirraxal to begin using the gold to strengthen his reign. The dragon had wanted to keep it all close. He began to see, however, the comforts and influence that money can bring. Being the descendant of a demigod and the focus of religious devotion is a wonderful thing, but it only gets you so far. Eventually, some people will have to be paid. 

He took another bite and sighed. ...Like a chef! And servants.

He sat in his chambers, at a table surrounded by books and scrolls. One, most prominently placed where he could see it as he dined, was a very large book, with pages almost as large as a man lying and spreading his arms and legs wide. This one had been found among the gold and relics in the horde. Its pages were of thick heavy fabric and were filled with large glyphs of dragonscript. It was clearly not intended for the use of humans.

On top of one if its open pages lay one of the books that Tonklyn had brought back from the cathedral’s catacombs. This one was also large, at least for a human, but still much smaller than the dragonkind tome. It contained much of the lore and history that the humans had gathered on the dragons, and was helping him to translate and understand the other writings in the horde’s collection.

Kirraxal had demanded that Tonklyn read the great tomes of dragon history to him, but it had been slow, as Tonklyn struggled with the interpretations. As a result, there were still many gaps in the timelines. They were gradually getting through the reigns of the original Dragon Kings. Tonklyn, particularly, wanted to know what it was that caused their eventual decline. How was it that the humans were able to overcome them after so many years of domination?

Kirraxal also learned as they read, grasping the meanings of some of the glyphs quickly. He didn’t, however, have much patience for reading.

A distant bell chime rang, loud and deep. It rang again. Nor, it seems, does he have patience for much else, either.

Tonklyn dropped the fork and stood. He closed and hefted the smaller human-made tome and shifted it into position under his arm. He carefully adjusted his robes, strode into the hallway, and continued up the stairs. As he walked, the bell tolled a third time.

“Yes, yes, I hear it! I’m on my way!” he muttered. Creator’s mercy!

He came to the top of the stairs, rounded a corner, and stepped into Kirraxal’s great chamber. He immediately bowed to his knee, as was his new protocol. “Your Majesty.” Two servants in drab brown robes on either side of the entrance bowed as well, first to Tonklyn, then more deeply to Kirraxal.

The dragon was lying on his bed, with his head snaked upward and his hind legs and tail curled around. The bed was a massive and deep mattress of ornate quiltworks on a stone dais, whose edges were now gilt with polished gold and silver. Ornate chandeliers of oculus stones hung above and would be easily able to light the room like a high noon sun, but Kirraxal always kept them glowing dimly. A large wooden table had been set next to him and an immense scroll was partly unrolled across it.

Has he been reading? This is different.

Kirraxal snorted and harsh smoke wafted across the table. “Have you found anything, or are you just hiding and eating down there?”

“Even your majesty requires sustenance.” I really don’t like talking like this.

“Yes, well, you humans seem to think that getting bigger means a bigger prize.”

Tonklyn breathed deep and steeled himself for a moment, convincing himself to not respond. “I have found some references to this Giatrace Dragonfriend, as you requested. I believe that this is his elvish name. There are a few mentions in human lore, from the time of elder DragonKings, to someone named Heathrax. I gather that at the time, there were some of the dragons that disapproved of the rule of the King, calling him oppressive and a tyrant. They advocated a more... shall we say, interactive rule with the subjects of Wynne. This Heathrax could have been one of the humans they interacted with.”

“Mmm,” The dragon turned his head to look at Tonklyn. “If his descendants still live, they could make it difficult to rouse any dragons remaining in the mountains. We will need those dragons as vassals to overtake the high elves in Emberfire.”

“Your Majesty is beginning to think more strategically, I see.”

“And you are continuing to speak disrespectfully, I see,” Kirraxal snarled. “I still don’t like the waiting. It makes me tense. But, yes, I am seeing some sense in it.”

“Once we find them, many will fly with you with promises of fiefdoms and power. I think that in the spring, things will move much more swiftly. The Khelnar that have infested the forest of Umbramire will be rousing again, and we will be able to manipulate them to harass the wood elves. The dissent and confusion that we are brewing up in Twynne Rivers will also be ripe. Yes. After the winter, it will be the time to strike.”

"Very well. We will be prepared." Kirraxal rolled fully onto his belly and raised his chest quarters. He turned his focus back to his scroll. "Come over here. Can you interpret any of these glyphs?"

Tonklyn hurried over and looked. He had to step up onto the bed dais to see the unrolled sheet and its markings. Some looked familiar, but they seemed to be written with a unique hand. The letters were less rounded and more... harsh. "This one is for 'human', but it's not shaped quite like most other writings. It's also right next to these glyphs meaning 'dragon'. This one has elements of other glyphs. Part reminds me of 'life', or 'blood' or maybe both. This part around it is a distortion of 'death'."

"Very good. I am correct, then. I am flying on the right wing."

Oh! By The Creator! Tonklyn’s eyes grew wide and he hissed in a sharp breath. Or The Destroyer, more likely! Tonklyn's voice became hushed. "This is shadow magic, isn't it? This is deep, deep shadow magic. This is playing with the dead."

"The ancient Kings were wise, weren't they, human?" The dragon spoke with a hint of malice, "I will learn their secrets."

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This continues the story of the heroes in Wynne, in Twynne Rivers, in the world of The Hero's Tale, Family Friendly RPGs. Here's more info on The Hero's Tale, and family friendly RPGing. If you like this story, support us at our Patreon!
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