26. Confrontation #2
“You would never be organised enough to fight back. Face it, the world shall be ours!” The Dragon Lord stretched his magnificent wings, dwarfing every other being in the room.
Fred’s heart and mind were racing. There was no way he could make a good decision right now.
The more the Dragon Lord said, the more convinced he was that he mustn’t return.
The idea of his father working with the Dragon Lord disgusted him.
He knew how little his father cared for anyone, so a different race on a different planet stood no chance of clemency.
But right now, he could see no way forward.
All he could think to do was play for time.
“If you want me to return, some things will have to change,” he started. “For a start, you would have to grant me control of your armies.”
Fred watched his father carefully. He expected him to scoff at the very idea, so was surprised to see his father slowly nod.
“Yes, I should give you more responsibility,” he acknowledged. “I have kept you young for far too long.”
“But if I was in charge, things would change,” Fred added. “I would stop our soldiers from abusing their power.”
“And how, exactly, would you do that?” his father laughed. “I’m happy for you to take some control, but you can’t suddenly change everything. Anyway, we can discuss the details when you get back home.”
“No!” Fred felt his anger rise again. “I will not be returning until I know our Kingdom can become somewhere I am proud to rule! And I won’t be returning without Cara and Shandy by my side!”
His father shook his head and rolled his eyes.
“And I was starting to think you had changed,” he mumbled, “but you still think with your cock more than your brain! You cannot take home two short-lived, alien wives! Your children would be abominations!”
Fred’s father’s words shook through him.
“No child of mine would be an abomination,” he snarled. “They would be a product of pure love. Not that you would understand that!”
“Now you sound like your mother,” his father said, grimacing. “Love is nothing more than a lie told to bind people long enough to make babies. And you haven’t even done that yet!”
Anger pulsed through every fibre of Fred’s being.
He forced himself to stay still. The urge to smash his fist into his smug father’s face made his muscles twitch.
But to take that leap was to lose. He wanted to run to Cara’s side, but they were far too outnumbered for him to be able to take her with him.
He needed more time. He needed a plan.
“I’m bored of this now! Guards! Take him!” the Dragon Lord’s voice boomed.
Landing that first punch was pure pleasure.
Sending the first guard flying, nose broken, to land in a heap by the wall, sent thrills right through him.
The first line of guards continued to try to take Fred by force, and he sent each of them flying with brute strength.
They skidded across the ground, knocking their fellow fighters flying, or flew up into the air before coming crashing down on the heads of their colleagues.
When the next wave of guards came for him, hands aflame, he shot a ring of magic through their legs that sent them all screaming to the ground.
“That’s for Cara!” Fred roared, his eyes flickering around the room to spot where the next attack would come from.
“Take him alive!” he heard his father’s voice above the chaos, and two dragons swooped in to try to grab him.
Fred spread his fingers and shot bolts of energy into their wings, sending them straight to the ground.
“Run!” Bob screamed behind him, and out of the corner of his eye he saw Bob, Chester and Foxy bolt for the great, brass doors.
Another pair of dragons spotted their attempted escape, and dove down on Foxy, lifting her up, wriggling and screaming, towards the high, domed roof.
“Halt!” the Dragon Lord roared. “Enough!”
His minions stopped where they were, as if a switch had been flipped, then stepped back into their original positions. Trickles of blood streaked the marble-tiled floor. Some of Fred’s victims remained motionless, while others attempted to pull themselves back upright, but failed.
“Well, well, well…” Fred’s father laughed. “Did Earth give you a backbone then? Was this what you needed to become worthy of my name?”
Disgust rose in Fred’s throat and he spat in his father’s direction.
“That’s what I think of your name. Our name. You’ve never loved me. You just want a tool, a malleable, governable tool, and that will never be me! Release the girls and let us leave. You won’t be getting what you want from me!”
“You’d like my men to ‘release’ the fox girl then too, would you?” the Dragon Lord chuckled.
“No!” Fred shouted, as the two dragon guards holding her sneered down at him.
“Let’s not be hasty,” Bob said, stepping forward.
“Harm a hair on Foxy’s head and the whole of magical London will be after your blood!
Instead, how about we give Fred time to think things over.
When we walked in here, we had no idea of the stakes, whereas you knew what you were willing to offer.
Give us time to work out a counter offer. ”
Fred felt his anger bubble back up. He didn’t want to keep talking and he didn’t want Bob taking control. But with Foxy’s life in the balance, he knew Bob had a point.
“I’ll give you until this time tomorrow,” his father said, calmly.
“Then you can try to bargain with me again. If you fail to turn up, I will have the dragons hurt both of your friends here. I’m sure they’ll be able to think up something utterly horrific to do to them.
Until then, I have other matters to deal with. ”
His father waved his arm and the portal shimmered out of existence.
“Tomorrow it is then!” the Dragon Lord’s jubilant voice filled the air. “Either you come here this time tomorrow, or I leave the fate of these two lovely ladies up to my guards! The choice is yours.”
“I can’t believe you’ve sunk this low!” Bob spat out. “I used to respect and trust you.”
“I was always biding my time, playing nice, waiting. I long to stretch my wings and soar above the cowering masses.”
To Fred’s surprise the magnificent red dragon shrunk in on himself, transforming into a pillar of flames, before reforming into a tall, dark-haired human in a long leather jacket.
“You!” Fred gasped.
“Yes! I watched you fall through that portal and land in that silly pose. Then I helped you get back on your feet. Dina danced with you under my orders.”
“What were you doing in my bar in the first place?” Bob growled.
“Can I, a member of the public, not frequent your bar?” The Dragon Lord raised his eyebrows. “Now, now Bob… I thought you were more hospitable.”
“But why then? Don’t tell me you just happened to be passing!” Bob replied.
“I shan’t insult your intelligence, my diminutive friend.
My scryers had long spoken of a great, blundering hero, ready and willing to shatter our fragile peace.
That day their predictions had become more intense, brighter, so that even I could see them floating in the Crystal Ball.
I saw you, Bob my friend, and this lumbering idiot, so I shrunk myself into my seldom-seen human form and sought your pitiful lair.
I brought the incomparable Dina with me that night, for beauty is the best counter for brawn.
Then, the next day, I confirmed my suspicions when I watched you and Shandy indulging in a very intimate mind merge.
And while the tale has been longer in the telling than I could ever have predicted, I am so very excited for the denouement.
Tomorrow I shall finally take the first steps towards holding the power that should always have been mine. ”
As he spoke, the Dragon Lord paced in front of them. Fred felt echoes of his own frustration in the dragon man’s voice. A creature of his power, left lurking in the shadows, was a constant threat, however impressive his entourage.
“How did you make the connection with my father?” Fred mused. “You found me, but how did you know who I was?”
“I didn’t know to start with, but it seems your Portal rather gave you away.
Once your father found where you had entered in his realm, he was able to use his magical advisors to trace your path here.
You never had a chance.” The Dragon Lord smiled, tilting his head.
“I was lucky though. You fell into my lap, and tomorrow my dominion begins.”
“We will be back tomorrow,” Fred answered, resisting the urge to argue, and locking eyes with Cara, hoping she would believe him.
“Dina, escort our visitors from the premises,” the Dragon Lord ordered, waving an arm dismissively.
Turning his back on Cara felt so wrong, but there was nothing else Fred could think to try in the moment.
Seeing her near-naked and bound, her hair fanned out on the floor, her face streaked with days-old make-up, his hatred for the Dragon Lord bubbled through his veins like lava.
His father wanted him alive, but he knew neither he nor the Dragon Lord cared whether Cara lived or died.
Tomorrow, I will end this. Tomorrow I will show the Dragon Lord and my father that they cannot play games with me and get away with it!