Paracosm

A Snake in the Grass

Dolag

"Someone told her," Dextro says.
Dolag stands at the stone table, a map of Paracosm has been carved into it "but who?".
Dextro shrugs "how am I meant to know?".
"Perhaps she had her men watching us and had soldiers on standby," Dolag says "the accusation you just made can be dangerous".

"Dolag....there is no way she could've predicted this," he sighs "if we're not careful then worse could happen, if someone is telling her our plans she will always be a step ahead of us".

Dolag thinks for a moment, she recounts all of her interactions with everyone "she knows I'm with child".
"What?" He looks up at her.
"At first I just presumed she knew what it was like to bear a child but there is no way she could've known, not without knowing me well," Dolag says "I'm only beginning to show, I know time moves faster in Paracosm but not that fast".
  "Who did you tell?".
"Just you," Dolag feels her heart sink "and...Cormac".

Dextro shakes his head "no, he wouldn't betray you".

"Everyone on the Mainland knew I was taking control of the Fire Island and my dragons were grown within days of taking the town. Cormac said they would've seen my dragons but my brothers fly low unless I've told them otherwise," she explains "Cormac is the only soldier of my father's army to survive, he was always by my father's side so why wasn't he there when my father was murdered? Annalise knew our plans with the Bunker People. She knows I'm carrying a child. Yes anyone could've told her about the bunker but the rest...only Cormac knew".

"So what do we do?" Dextro asks.
Dolag rubs her head "I'll send a raven to Maon and Sliabh, warn them. Have you seen Cormac since your arrival back?".
"No, actually I haven't".
"I need you to look for him," Dolag says.
"He'll recognise me".
"No," Dolag walks over to him "I need you to go undercover".

Dolag takes off his mask, she watches as the wires retract into his head. His eyes are two different colours, one blue the other brown, his pupils are an odd shape. His slight beard covers the scarring on his face.
"Can you see me?" She looks at his eyes, they're not blinking or reacting.
"Yes," he smiles.
"Keep the mask, for your own protection," she says.
"It feels nice to not have that thing on my face," he rubs a hand down his face.
"It's nice to see your face reacting, instead of all the shrugging," Dolag laughs.
Dextro cups her face and kisses her.

Maon

"Dolag has sent yet another raven," Carmen throws the letter on Maon's desk.
Maon frowns as he opens the letter "we need to call a meeting".

Maon waits for the last of his most trusted men to sit at the table. Magda is the last to join, she sits across from him and Carmen.

"I've called this meeting as I received a letter from Dolag Cole today," he begins "she suspects her advisor of treason. She believes he is the one that told Annalise of the bunker opening, among other things".
"Other things?" Carmen frowns.
  "She did not specify".

  "She cannot accuse someone of treason without good reasoning," Carmen says.
"But isn't accusing her most trusted advisor enough of a reason?" Magda speaks up "she obviously has thought hard about this".
"She is probably just paranoid," Carmen shrugs.

"That is one thing Dolag Cole is not," Maon says "I need all of you to think about your conversations with Cormac so we can relay further information to Dolag, she has also sent a raven to Sliabh for the same reason".

"He was there during the attack," one of Maon's men says.
"Yes but I did not see him fight," another says.

"He took cover with me by the mountain," Maon tries to think back "but I did not see him during the fight".

"So what is her plan with this 'traitor' then?" Carmen asks.
"She's sending one of her men after him," he says "look we just need to send whatever information we can and we need to think of what could have been said to Annalise".

"Magda," Maon calls after her as the meeting ends "I want you to go to the Fire Island".
"Why?" She frowns.
"We need the people of the bunker to trust us," he says "I would send your other friends...but they are...useless".
"Okay," she shrugs and leaves the tent.

  Maon sits back down at his table, he reads over Dolag's letter for the hundredth time. He rubs a hand down his face and sighs.
It'd be a lot easier if his father was here, he always knew what to do. But everything seemed more content back then, perhaps he made a mistake siding with Dolag.

He always feels weak when he thinks like that. He knows change needs to happen and the Bunker was going to open but his heart wants nothing more than to be left alone, for all of his people to be left alone.

"Brother," Carmen comes into the tent.
  "What is it, sister?".
"I think we are threading on a thin line," Carmen says.
Maon has always felt like his mind was connected to his sister's. Whatever she thinks, he feels and whatever he thinks, she feels.

"I know, sister, but if we are not careful we will all die," Maon says.
Carmen shrugs "sign a peace offering to Annalise".
Maon laughs "do you really think she would respect that? If I did that I'd be betraying Sliabh and Dolag, that girl would burn us all".

"So you're afraid of Dolag?" Carmen frowns.
  "No".
"Well it is either that or you are in love with her," she chuckles.
"Neither," Maon says "she has fire-breathing creatures, three now, I would rather take my chances against foot soldiers. But it also feels like the right thing to do, like this is what Father wants me to do".
"I hope you are right, brother," she gets up.