The King's Gamma (#Wattys2024)

Eight

Four years. Four God damned years before Beta Nathanial Connor finally announced his return. I had spoken to him a few times over the phone, but I failed to divulge the fact that I was a hybrid to him. I hoped that this would at least give me a chance to get to know him little before he could decide whether he wanted a half breed or not.

I was still hated by most of the wolves. Some were my friends and the rest treated me as though I barely existed. I had dropped out of the run for Gamma, something about me being more of a danger to others than anything else.

I was now the King's adviser in legal matters and disputes and if needed I joined the tracker corps.

I was, however, busy in the Elven Empire, escorted by several male and female warriors to ensure that the elves who still saw my saving of their King as 'boorish and unladylike', did not try anything. After four years and two out of five requests fulfilled, you'd think they would be more welcoming.

"Advisor King, our King is waiting for you in the conference Hall."

His own advisor walked me towards the conference room where we would be discussing the latest happenings in all three kingdoms.

I sat down at the table, seeing the King of the elves and a dragon general with his own company. He could not recognise me as half Draconian since I'd been around wolves long enough for me to give off mostly a wolf's scent.

I watched delighted as they brought in food as soon as I was seated. I dug in much to the grievance of the elves and the disgust of the dragon general and his two underlings.

I finished most of the food, as my appetite had grown some in the past few years. I opened the documents before me, my eyes scanning over the content quickly.

"You can throw this down the drain." I said simply.

"You insolent wolf!" the dragon general banged on the table, the tremors spilling fluids from the glasses.

Having known me far longer, the elf King looked towards me. "Care to elaborate, Advisor King?"

"Though this contract does adhere to most laws in all three of our kinds, the law of races, however, cancel out sub-clause B on page five and paragraph seven on page eleven. The clause states that the elves will allow for the dragons to occupy the northern lands whenever they wish. However, the Northern lands contain ancient burial sites long forgotten, thus marking it as a sacred land. The Law of Races, Book Nine, Chapter Ten, Paragraph Thirty Three, Clause D states that any and all lands deemed sacred are to be praised and uninhabited for as long as the site is imbued with the souls of the dead."

I took a sip of my drink.

"As for page eleven, paragraph seven, the elves seek permission to to have dragon forged weapons. Though this is fine with both races, the dragons will be forced by the law of races to produce weapons for not only the elves but every other race that they have an alliance with as Book twenty seven, chapter two, clause three states that as per Draconian law what counts for one counts for all, should dragons agree to a clause in contract with one alliance, they will be forced by law to agree to the same clause with every other alliance."

I ripped the contract to pieces. "I for one do not want to see ogres with Draconian weapons and armors." I threw the shredded pieces into the trash bin near me,  looking at the contemplation the dragons now had in their eyes. "I recommend you choose another plot of land for the dragons." I pointed towards the elves. "And you can still give the elves weapons and armor, under certain circumstances. You can ask your Emperor to send out an imperial edict that the Elven King can purchase whatever he desires from the dragons under the proclamation that whatever he chooses to make with it to be his business alone."