23.12
"Right, thank you." Looking at my clipboard, scribbling down further to-dos and crossing off the ones i've either already sorted out or have delegated to another knight.
"Avi?" my ears prick up as i turn my head, expecting a soilder asking another self explanatory question, only to see a bandaged scaly 7 foot man.
"What are you doing?"
"Maldress! What are you doing up?"
"Youre doing my job..." he says, a hint of sadness glimmers in his eye. It catches me by surprise.
"I didnt know if you would be okay." he hesitates. "Yeah Juinper just over there"
"Youre doing MY job." he says again.
"Im sorry maldress. Here." i give him the notepad. He hits it to the ground.
"Im not weak-" his eyes flutter before he falters towards the floor. Instinctively i rush forward to catch him but he throws the arm that isnt supporting himself towards me and shouts.
"Im not weak!" sparks of fire forming from the back of this throat.
"Okay." i say stepping back and signalling others to do the same. "Maldress.."
"Im the chief. I am!" flames start to emerge.
"And a good one at that!" i shout back at him. His angry expression morphs into a disappointed one. "Maldress?" i say, daring to step closer.
"They got the key." his eyes prick. "They got the key!" tears well.
"Hey, hey" i pull him into a side hug and he crumbles in my arms. "What key?"
"The one carrie took. The one that unlocks the dragon." my heart skips a beat as his shaking body sobs more.
"I wasnt good enough. I couldnt stop them. Im not good enough avi. I never had been i never will be. You all are so strong and capable and im here faking, pretending i know what my next move is and pretending to be entirely confident and you werent here and we werent expecting it and they got the key."
"Thats not your fault." i grab him by the soldiers and make him look at me. "No one couldve known they were coming, youre the greatest chief the sven realms has seen."
"Im not.." he weakly says before drifting off into another bought of deep sleep.
Jonad appears behind me and spawns two massive mage hands, lifting him through the castle gates with more ease than 4 foot soldiers wouldve. I let out a deep sigh and pick up the discarded clip board and cross off 'check on maldress'.
"Lets get maccsun up and running before the years end guys!" i shout, hustling the soldiers around me.
