Entropy's Servant

Chapter 32 - Drakonids and elves

"What'd you say?!", the individual known as the leader of the drakonids exclaimed, slamming his red scaly hands on the wooden table he was sitting at as he stood up. The table creaked precariously under the impact.

He was hastily restrained by two frail-looking, decidedly androgynous people from either side who, despite their flimsy forms, proved quite strong as they kept the much bulkier drakonid in place. Their pointy ears marked them as elves. They ushered a few calming words into his ears, though how much he was affected by them was questionable.

The drakonid's wings fluttered in what appeared to be frustration as he sat back down, the chair made of a simple stump seemingly not pleased with his weight.

"I believe you heard very well what I said", the elf who sat face-to-face with him said, a business-like smile on her face. Unlike most elves, her gender was easily discernible from the two bulges on her chest. "As we have made a protection pact with the treants living in that area, we cannot allow you fire-elemented brutes to pass through it, for fear of their safety."

"Like I said", the drakonid said, slamming the table once more, "stop it with the damn insults already!"

"I am simply calling things as I see them. It is your freedom to be offended by this, or simply to ignore it", she answered, her smile unwavering.

The source of her confidence was a mystery, as she did not possess any skills sufficiently practical to use in combat. Regardless, wherever she was drawing it from, it appeared to be an infinitely deep well.

It might've been comical how angry her declaration made the drakonid--so angry it was almost as if you could see the vein bulging from his forehead, like in a manga--if he hadn't had the power to burn down the entire building--that is, glorified treehouse--the group of people was in with a single well-placed firebreath.

"You...", he grumbled, the beginnings of a roar welling up in his throat as he glared at the elf in front of him. His mouth, lined with probably unnecessarily sharp teeth, distorted as his facial expression grew in intensity.

"Now, now", the elf said, still displaying that business-like smile, "if your goal is to disprove me, then such behaviour would do you no favours, would it?"

"Kh", the drakonid grunted, but he let the roar dissipate and unclenched his teeth. It seemed that, despite the generally fiery disposition of drakonids, he was striving to prove himself a worthy negotiator.

He did not forget to flap his wings intimidatingly as he stood up and turned around.

"Oh?", the elf said, tilting her head as her smile seemed to widen the tiniest bit. "Where are you going?"

"I can't decide how to deal with your bullshit alone", he said as he turned his head to look at the elf and tilted it up, "so I'm going to go get the Council over here. I do hope you don't mind."

Both parties knew it was akin to a child, in a fight with another child, running to get its father. Neither party felt a particular desire to mention this, however.

"Oh my?", the elf said, faking surprise in an impressively realistic way, "Could it be you don't have full authority over the drakonids?"

"Of course not", he said, shaking his head as he turned away again, "no one can rule a whole species alone. You of all people should know that, right? Miss Elven Council Vice-President."

For the first time during the negotiations, the elf's smile broke, and it was almost like you could see the cracks running across her face, like an old, neglected mirror, stored in some grandma's attic and only discovered years after her death. The other elves in the room quickly looked away--no one wants to see that.