The Dragon Knight Prophecy

1-17 A sign of love

 The estate was a modest house just west of the city of Kingsbridge. It was chosen because of its remoteness and because it was on the road to Calathen. It was an unusual place to meet, but the circumstances called for unusual measures. The house belonged to an ally who decided to be out for the day along with all his family and staff. This left the estate empty of everyone but the Father Abbot and the mysterious figure who answered his call.

The woman who came was dressed in black from head to toe. Nothing of her appearance was exposed except for piercing green eyes that stared from a slit in her mask. Aside from that, her only telltale feature was a red stone ring on her left hand and several knives lashed to a hip. She appeared out of the shadows as the Father Abbot sipped his wine before the fire.

"You understand what I am asking of you?" he asked as the woman stood silently. This matter needed to be handled quickly before Gersius found someplace to hide.

"I am well aware of your desires," she replied in a sultry voice. "Fear not. My men are good at what they do, and my spies are already in place. This Gersius will be located and brought to me before the moon rises on the fourth day."

"And you are certain you can handle the second part?" the Father Abbot asked while swirling his glass. "I want the dragon alive."

"A dangerous task to be sure," the woman replied. "I can bring you the dragon, but the price will be high."

"I assure you we can pay your price but remember, do not kill Gersius until he has given you the name. Then get rid of him and bring the dragon to me," he said.

The woman was silent as those green eyes studied the man before her. There was a sense of danger in the room, but finally, she spoke and asked her question.

"A great deal of trouble and money to capture a dragon, especially when you already have one. Perhaps you can tell me what my spies cannot. So why do you need another dragon?"

"Your spies should be careful where they look," the Father Abbot replied with a hint of irritation. "As for my motivations, that is something I am not at liberty to share. I do hope that won't be a problem?"

The woman laughed as her green eyes sparkled in the light. "All I care about is your money and the agreement for after this is done. However, in my experience, it pays to know why somebody is hiring me. Since you are a holy man, I will take you at your word, for now. Rest assured, I will find your missing knight and his pet dragon."

"Good," the Father Abbot said before draining the last of his wine. "The advance you wanted was delivered last night as per your instructions."

"Then our words are done. I will join the hunt and bring you the prize," the woman replied and turned around before pausing in the firelight. "Oh, one more thing. I can't promise there won't be casualties among your faithful. If Gersius runs to help, I might have to eliminate them."

"If they are helping Gersius, they are hardly faithful," the Father Abbot replied. "Do whatever you have to, but make sure the dragon is brought back."

She nodded in a slight bow and silently walked away, leaving the Father Abbot to watch her go. He hated using services like hers, but her methods were well tested and proven to work. Even more, he needed the task done away from prying eyes and without the order of Astikar being alerted. Until he could lay the foundation of Gersius's betrayal, it was best to keep the brothers from being involved. Her price had been high, but with it came a web of shadows that even Gersius would find it hard to avoid.

As she vanished into the darkness, he set his glass aside and returned to stare at the fire.

"Gersius, your days grow short."