Waning 14; Autumn – A Princes DecisionAlfrick fondled through his piles of organised mess. Stacks of letters and agreements sent for him to sign as the oldest of the dragon – elven treatise gambit, where he must act as go between for the two races. His younger siblings doing something infinitely more important like being lords of cities or towns, marrying elven beauties or becoming apostate to the house Aurix.
He eventually reaches the bottom. The large heavy set linen sheet mistaken by many as a table cloth: his father’s decree.
The decree which sent the eldest son of the Aurix Elven to a remote wasteland: the most pivotal position; Out of the way.
Alfrick’s sickness had led his father to cast him out, though not officially. The rot in his lungs which makes him unable to maintain physical activity for long comes from his father’s line – a draconic disease. Something that must be kept hidden to maintain his family’s divine mask.
He ripped the sheet out from under the pile scattering papers across the floor. The strange human calligraphy signed with a huge draconic print, woven together by magic to make it legible to all men. And un-erasable. The words are clear to him as it would be to any.
“I hereby declare that I shall invest my ninety-sixth child as a knight of the realm and commander of men: To protect the land where he was born and to honour the realms of his mother – Aurix Ureathar, Lord God Emperor of all He surveys, Guardian Arcane of the Lands Voreledar and Master of all mortal and Dragon within it’s boundaries.”
The dismal was almost shorter than his father’s title. It didn’t help that he was numbered instead of named but then his father treated all of his half breed children like that. They were all mortal, and of no capital – but of plenty strategic value.
He threw the large cloth sheet to the ground. His father was a wyrm and that was that.
Alfrick meticulously redisorganised his belongings. He hated his hording instinct; every letter must be kept in its right place. But it had to look… arcane. If it was tidy then it looked unnatural.
He placed a single clawed hand atop the letters on his desk. Contained within them were gifts from lands afar that he had received when travelling to gatherings or meetings. The top letter was open; he had received this when he last visited home. His father maintained a ritual where he would deign to grant one of his scales to a champion of the realm or a noble lord on his day of aging. Apparently Alfrick’s brother Eruthar was to be the recipient but that year he had betrayed the kingdom taking a holy artefact and fleeing to a neighbouring country.
Alfrick discovered on the day that the honour was meant for him. It was a surprise. Eruthar’s absence told all though and Alfrick had kept his tongue.
Alfrick put it back in its resting place. He had no need for more chicanery.
There was a loud slam on the door.
“What is it that my door must suffer for?”
Gallen enters, flushed and gasping,
“Uxa has challenged you sir! He says you must pass leadership to him or he will desert the fort!”
Alfrick’s heart falters. He knows Uxa’s strength – the four sentinels were to be feared and Uxa was the first born.
“I will meet him, but what is his reasoning?”
Gallen lets Alfrick pass and follows him from his room,
“He claims that you are a poor leader and allow the undeserving honours. That you favour a beast over men – a beast without respect for the Dragon kind.”
Alfrick quickens his pace.
“That Orc can’t make any friends can he. If this is as childish as that I will deal with it in moments.”
***
Uxa sat poised atop the wall stearing down into the courtyard. Such regal posture was his preference.
Alfrick stood beneath him staring up. His heart beat erratic and troublesome; Uxa could freeze him alive from where he sat, hopefully honour would bind him to his parlay.
“Uxa! One of the four sentinels, children of Lendys, guardian of the realm! You have called me out, I demand an answer.”
Swathes of scintillating draconic role from Uxa’s maw,
“Cease with the cattle speak Son of Aurix. Use the language of the lords of the land; this is no conversation for your mortal soldiers.”
Uxa releases a draconic howl shattering icicles hanging from the wall edge, untranslatable as an Orc’s bloody howl.
“You have given a lesser mortal rank, you have granted a maggot more than it’s due! What have you to say for yourself?”
“I judge him by his actions not by his race! He is an exemplary soldier and an asset to the fort! You are deluded by your arrogance Uxa, you may be a born agent of the great Arbiter but that does not make your opinions correct or just! You are here to defend these walls without question and that is what you will do!”
Uxa’s frill stands on end; he raises rigid indignation in his eyes.
“You
dare declare my judgement to be false!
ME a revered child of Lendys! I was born with the right to Judge and I deem you
unfit, a snivelling wyrmling gathering an army of rats. You have no respect.”
Uxa beats his wings and takes to the sky,
“I have judged you for the last time, and a decision has been made. I will no longer serve under you worthless son of Aurix the Liar! I will cast you out and do what I must to restore the balance to this worthless pit of whelps.”
Alfrick stared as Uxa disappeared from sight. If he intended to depose Alfrick he would need support and a suitable Lord to replace him and Alfrick knew none would take this thankless job. Perhaps Uxa’s temperament had been stretched too far, maybe he would return nose upturned and ignorant to the distress he caused. Maybe.
***
Three days after Uxa’s disappearance Alfrick seeks assistance from the second oldest Child of Lendys. Mirss the patient; known for his temperance in making decisions and waiting till all facts were known, quite the opposite of Uxa’s rampant self righteousness.
The top of Mirss’ tower is filled with shaped ice sculptures. A hobby of the dragons, one that Alfrick finds disconcerting.
“Hail Mirss, I hope I have not interrupted your sculpting.”
Mirss bears his smooth head around from behind a sculpture of a noble steed.
“No Alfrick, it is no trouble. I am sorry for my brother’s rashness. He has no appreciation for mortal beauty like your father.”
Alfrick paused for a moment,
“Um, yes… Regardless I need you to go and recover Uxa. He has not returned and I fear he may have taken this tantrum to an extreme. Would you go talk some sense into him?”
A reptilian laugh escapes Mirss’ mouth.
“Fear not brave Lord, I have no fault with your leadership order me and I shall do as you command. I will restore the balance if you command me, in the name of Lendys of course.”
Bolstered by Mirss’ confidence in him, Alfrick tightens his expression.
“Then go Mirss child of Lendys, bring back your brother so that he may learn his place in this fort. As Lendys so wishes.”
“Of course my Prince.”
Mirss erupts into the sky carving a billowing cone in the fog, flying with mighty sweeps of his wings to recover his wayward brother.