A Pet for the Dragons

94.

RADROX

"Is that really you, you red bastard?" Nezag laughed deeply, "I can't believe my eyes... or ears," He added with a hint of darkness as soon as he saw me.

"I've been summoned," I told him, but he knew. I could tell that he knew everything. He was the ears of this place— one of the reasons I always managed to keep in touch with him even after returning from the war. Nezag's ears never listened wrong. I believed that was his power.

"So I've heard," Nezag smiled, but it never reached his eyes. Even after all these years, he didn't seem to let go of his cunningness. Only, it seemed to have grown. I could tell what was going through his head already.

He knew why I came to meet him, and he was already deciding on the price I'd have to pay for the information.

"I looked for you at the Helm's watch for the past two days. Have you stopped visiting it?" I asked, closing the door behind me. After searching for information for days, I'd finally found him alone in one of the studies of the grand library at the Cardinal House. There couldn't be a better opportunity than this.

Nezag smiled at me. The scar on his face stretched the same way mine did.

"I knew you'd be looking for me," Nezag smiled, and this was the first time his smile seemed real.

"Then you must know why I'm here," I decided to get straight to the point. There was no point beating around the bush. Nezag's eyes gleamed at my words. He'd been waiting for this. "Name your price,"

Nezag barked a laugh at me.

"Half a tone of freshly mined snow dust," I named the price. "That should be enough for the information I seek from you,"

"Keep your dust," Nesag barked. "Those things don't interest me."

"Then what is it that you want?" I asked, pinning him with my gaze. Nezag smiled and continued to smoke from his long pipe while he leaned back in his chair and scanned me from head to toe.

"Tell me about the human you took as your pet," Nezag demanded. I cocked an eyebrow at him.

"A question for a question," I proposed.

"Very well," Nezag agreed quickly, and it surprised me. He quickly lit a pipe for me and offered me a seat by the window. This was a much better deal, but I couldn't help but feel wary of him. I needed to be careful with my words around him.

"How did you know that we took a human?" I asked him right away. Nezag smiled slyly.

"I can tell you Callath was the one who reported this first, but I'm seeking honest answers in return," Nezag replied. I pressed my lips in a thin line.

"Was it not Callath?" I asked. Nezag didn't respond and continued to smoke his pipe. I sighed deeply.

"A deal was made, and she failed to fulfil it," I replied as crisply as possible. He nodded, taking a long drag from his pipe.

"The golden prince saw it," Nezag replied, and I straightened up. Nezag chuckled. "Yes, the son Empress bore from Riddron, the mad. He's said to be the last in her brood,"

"What do you mean by he saw it?" I asked.

"He can have visions... powerful ones," Nezag blew smoke, and I stiffened even more.

"How are you sure?" I asked, and Nezag smiled. It was my turn. I sighed deeply.

"Where did you get that human?" Nezag asked.

"At the abandoned port of Kersas in the realm above," I answered curtly. His eyes gleamed. I could tell that he wanted to know all sorts of things. That was fine by me as long as he was willing to give some answers in return.

"The Cardinal Mage has been unnaturally busy with the prince. He spends days locked away in his tower with the prince to shape his potent powers. It's draining the young prince. He's not growing as a normal kid should,"

"Interesting..." I muttered, taking it all in. I wanted to ask exactly how much the price saw in his vision, but it was his turn to ask the question.

"Let's say I fancy myself a human pet. How shall I acquire one?" Nezag asked. I clenched my jaw and glared at him. I couldn't tell if he was merely joking or if he meant it. Whatever it was, I had to keep my cool. I still needed to get more information out of him.

"You can talk to the witches of the Weddard. They could arrange something for you," I said. Not that I was sure they'd be able to do something of that sort, but at the moment, my answer seemed to satisfy Nezag. That was all that mattered at the moment. "How much did the prince see?" I asked.

"That, I don't know, but he saw enough for the Empress the three of you back. You certainly must know who it could be about," Nezag suggested.

"The Empress is still after Ivret so she could finally have the power of all four houses under the crown?" I asked. I'd been speculating this for a while. If this were the case, then there would be a huge mess. All three of us had marked Arika. It couldn't be reversed. And even if it could be, Ivret didn't want to be with the Empress.

"That's what everyone's speculating. The news of Ivret's return has caused some stir among the nobles. He's the last of the House Dugney. A lot depends on him," Nezag said bleakly.

"He gave up his titles," I reminded him.

"It's not about titles, you know that. It's about the magic he carries. The Empress is after that," Nezag said darkly, sowing more uncertainty in my mind.

~

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