Chapter One Hundred and Forty-one. Dragon.

Chapter One Hundred and Forty-one. Dragon.

Huron had carefully prepared himself for this meeting.

One of the perks of being the head of the Church was that he was able to request the attention of the King both quickly and easily. One of the drawbacks of being the Head of the Church was that he was the one who had to interact with the King.

Ericka, the Seneschal, approached him, welcoming him with a smile, a habit from her past before she'd become a Draconian. What ought to have been warm and welcoming was somewhat less so on her draconic features.

"Huron," she greeted him warmly, "as always, it's a pleasure to see you."

"And you," Huron replied, taking one of her scaled hands in his own, "I take it you've been well?" he asked.

"Busy more than anything," she laughed, "we're starting to see an exodus of the commoners from the city, so I've been dealing with the Noble Houses who are in a panic, worried about their tax revenue."

"Events outpace us all," Huron replied, "but Vi'Radia will always light the path," he paused and delivered a smile of his own, "even for the Nobles."

"So, what brings you to the palace today?" Ericka asked.

"I have news for the king," Huron said, his tone serious.

Ericka frowned for a moment, looking pensive. "I'll need a little time to pull him away from a project," she shook her head, "you've my apologies, but I suspect it will take me the better part of an hour."

Huron shrugged his shoulders, then said, "This information, while not of immediate importance, has long-term implications that will need to be considered as quickly as possible."

Ericka nodded. "Soonest started then," she replied and strode away.

Kallan Garvades was frustrated.

All the Noble houses had needed to do was to keep their avarice within reason. He didn't expect them to serve him selflessly, as lovely as that would have been, but by flame and claw, he had expected them to be competent.

"So," he began, allowing a hint of flame to touch his tone, "am I to understand that you've taxed the commoners under your auspices so heavily, for so long, that at the first hint of an opportunity to escape your clutches, they've all left?"

Lady Dayson managed to maintain her composure, despite the King's harsh statement and fiery tone.

Kallan thought that she was either showing a great deal of self-control or, alternatively, she was mentally incompetent.

He shifted, his scales whispering as they rubbed together. He rarely interacted with his Nobles in his true form, finding that the weaker members were too terrified to think properly. Today, he wanted to deliver a little terror. Not one, not two, but four Noble houses had failed to render unto him his taxes, each citing an excuse centered on the flood of commoners leaving Harbordeep.

He looked down at Elinata Dayson.

"You have failed me, and in doing so, you have failed my city, and my Kingdom," his voice rumbled, "you have taken liberties with my generous nature and raised my taxes to increase the size of your own hoard," he snorted, and a twenty-foot long jet of fire splashed across the wall. "You've driven those who serve me, through you, out of the city, and now you come to me, short of my tax, and further," he growled as his tail swished, "stating that you've not maintained the sewers and waterways?"

"Your Majesty," Lady Dayson's voice trembled, "the unfaithful commoners have fled their lawful service, abandoning their tasks," she shook her head, "I beg of you, give us leave to seek out these traitorous wretches who have scorned the generous remuneration we provide for their work, and we will bring them back in chains!"

Kellan reared up, extending his wings to brace himself against the walls for balance. "Still, you shift the blame for your failures unto the backs of those you have abused," he roared. He fought for control. His nature demanded that he incinerate the worthless noble before him. "No!" his voice was loud, "Did you think I was unaware of the conditions my citizens labored under?"

He lowered his head to look her in the eyes. Or as close he could, as with his head on the floor, his eyes were seven feet above it, and she was only six feet tall.

"I have considered your actions and was inclined to cast your house down," he rumbled and smiled wickedly as her face paled.

"However, as other, more loyal houses are needed to take advantage of the massive profits I expect to see soon, I have a more elegant solution," Kellan's grin widened.

Huron grimaced. House Dayson would decline rapidly now. He shook his head and shelved his thoughts on the political climate of Harbordeep.

"I have some interesting news, your Majesty," Huron began.

"Good news or bad news?" The Dragon asked.

"That remains to be seen," Huron replied.

The King gestured for him to continue.

"Over a year ago, a strange man was found near Holmstead," Huron began, "he was human, level zero, and under a child's protection." Huron took a deep breath, "the man came to our world from another universe entirely, one without mana or skills. He joined the local Adventurers Guild and has stood against multiple waves. He has stated that mana will awaken in his universe in just over a year and a half, which will cause a massive tide, killing all the people on his world, as they are all level zero."

The King motioned for him to continue, his expression showing interest.

"The man, Robert Whitman, has concocted a plan to save his people by bringing them to our world until the tide has fallen," Huron said, "and to that end, he has constructed a Dungeon and an Adventurers Guild far to the west of Holmstead."

"He does know that Greenwold encompasses the entirety of the continent, does he not?" the King asked with a frown.

"He didn't," Huron admitted, "although I advised him of such and further explained that he would have to pay his tax to your Majesty, which he didn't object to."

The King appeared to be mollified and gestured for him to go on.

"The..." Huron searched for the right word, "opportunity here lies in that his world is rather heavily populated, and Bob is seeking to shelter as many of them as he is able."

"More people delving means more crystals," the King mused, his expression brightening, "and I'm sure you've offered the aid of the Church," he paused as Huron confirmed that with a nod, "so I have to ask, just how many people is he attempting to save?"

"Over seven billion, your Majesty," Huron replied calmly.

"Did you say seven billion, Huron? With a B?" The King asked incredulously.

"Yes," Huron confirmed, "although he did express his belief that he was unlikely to convince so many people to leave their homes."

"What, precisely is his plan?" The King asked.

Huron explained.

Bob was googling local gaming shops, having found little success with the D&D Forums. Almost all of the topics involving players looking for a group, or a group looking for players, referred to games conducted online.

Shaking his head, Bob closed his laptop and slid out of the booth, pausing to leave a tip on the table before abandoning Denny's for the morning. The phone call from Detective Hanson that morning had caught him unaware. He'd thought that having proven he was who he claimed to be, and further that the investigation which had charged Amber with his death having absolved him of wrongdoing, that he'd be left alone.

He didn't know what the Dean wanted, but if a pair of lawyers accompanied her, it likely wasn't anything to his benefit. Moreover, even if it was something that she perceived as being to his benefit, he was unlikely to care as his circumstances had changed, and his priorities had radically shifted.

Bob walked the two blocks to the bus stop and sat down to wait. He was nervous but eager for Sunday night. He'd gotten Dave's address, and he planned to scout the area this afternoon, checking for likely places where he could portal to. Then he planned to take the bus to the beach and go swimming. He'd spent most of his life in LA, and he'd never gone swimming in the ocean.

After that, he planned to drop a portal to the woods behind that shipping dock in Washington. He remembered a series of huge boulders halfway up the mountain, and he couldn't imagine they'd been moved. He would portal there, climb to the top and enjoy the sunset with Monroe, then spend the next morning playing with his buddy in the woods. He'd slaughter some monsters, gather some mana crystals, and then he'd go see the D&D group, hopefully recruiting them to his cause.

The bus pulled up with a hiss of air. Bob slid his bus pass from earlier that morning through the reader and took his seat.

He settled into his seat, pulling out his cell phone and opening the Kindle app. He let his worries fade away as he slid into an imaginary world.