Chapter 1

Under the advise of Marshall, Solly was set down for an interview in my office while a Messenger was dispatched for Drakescape Library. An ancient library where the spellwords practiced sword craft and spent hours reading from large books all day.

Marshall and I listened to Solly’s account of how he “discovered” the girl on street as he was beginning his beat for the night. He thought it was a unusual event and wanted me to look at the girl…whom he thought was dead at the time because he knew of my fascination with strange mystery cases.

I studied Solly in silence as he finished his story about how he found the body and knew one thing for certain…he couldn’t lie to save his own ass from being fired or hung. Solly was a simple man with a reliable temperament and honest heart and mind. So there had to be one other explanation.

“Solly…are you drunk…again on duty?” I asked making sure not to add any emotion whether anger or annoyance to my voice.

Solly went stark white pale though at the accusation and looked like he might cry. “A kin’na tells you Doc. I was just beginning my beat for the night when I found her just laying on the street with the moon light shinning on her. You can’ta believe I would behold’en to be such an ass. I know ya feelings on drinking on the king’s time. I ain’t ta do it.”

Marshal and I flinched back away from him instantly.

Solly looked at us in shock. “What?!”

“You never said anything about Moonlight shinning on her.” Marshall said in a mild growing alarming voice.

Solly frowned opened his mouth and then put a hand to his mouth and stared at me in shock. “Shit! Great Draco’s balls does that mean?!” He spoke the word like a curse.

I nodded slapping the table with the palm of my hand. “Hell and damnation. The moonlight shined on her before you passed her. Didn’t it? I told you a hundred times you damned fool to run away from their strange dirty tricks. You found a pretty naked female on the road and you just thought to merrily bring her to the morgue for me to see. Don’t you know what this means?”

Solly shook his head. “I kin’na betray you Doc. I’m loyal.”

“I know that you damned fool. You’ve been enchanted by the pagan fairies. The damned fairies are setting their sights to invade our town.”

Solly’s eyes rolled into the back of his head and he promptly slid from his chair and passed out on the floor at our feet. I looked at Marshall who was looking down at his cup cold coffee.

I cleared my throat. “I apologize for my dramatics. I have frieghtened our friend Solly.”

Marshall shook his head. “Nothing to be sorry about Doc. We’ve gotten lazy. What can we expect?”

I shook my head. “I don’t know yet. We have to get the girl awake and then figure out how to get her out of here. No telling though. This might simple be a kidnapping gone wrong. If it is then it will be a simple problem to solve. I might be wrong. First time for everything.”

Marshall glared at me.. “Who are you trying to fool? What kind of power could we be up against?”

“I don’t know. The late King didn’t leave much detail on fairy enemies in his diaries. Only one personal mention of some fairy spinster obsessed with becoming the next queen of Drakescape. But, he did give detail entries on Dracoian warlords using faries as a means of Distraction for a challenge and conquer gambit.”

Marshall stared at me. “What if the current king wasn’t able to win a conquest match? Would the town be given to the challenger by default?”

I shrugged but I couldn’t help a grin of satisfaction. “Good thing we have no current king or ruler then. His Majesty Draco Dracoian Foxx was the last and only ruler of drakescape we have no need for such now. No king to defeat no city state to conquar.”

Marshall sighed eying me with a level stare not many would dare to do in current times. “We have to have some type of leadership here sense we ran off the Dracos in the war and Draco is…departed. I thought you said you would take care of that matter Doc.”

I was beginning to get annoyed myself because I had forgotten that I had told him I would handle the matter. “The laws here are few and simple enough. To keep the public peace and the guardsmen honest. Leadership flows from the guardsmen. Our chief leader being Captain Hawks, your second then Solly and myself.” I said thinking on my feet and trying at the same keep the task of leadership pushed as far away from myself as I could manage it.

Marshall smiled. “Neither Hawk or myself are interested in government bullshit. So you want to leave it to chance that good old Solly is up to the task of Supreme leader of Drakescape when or if a conflict arises?”

I looked down at Solly who was spread out on the floor in a dead faint.. I sighed. “I concede to your point. Perhaps we can arrange a city committee of resident business owners and professionals tradesmen to be privileged in city state and immigration matters on a short term agreement of course.”

Marshall nodded his head. “That seems reasonable enough. You plan on leading this committee?”

I stiffened at the notion and hopeful note in his voice. “Absolutely not. I have my work here to keep my mind busy and provide me my bread and butter. I have no such needs of a role. You however have a-“

“-But you are a professional, Doc. The best kind in the city and you were a guardsmen. We would need a guardsmen in the committee to speak for us at least on a part time basis.” Marshall countered with a grin. I was cornered again.

“Damnation, fine.
I’ll get it set up by the end of my shift.. Where the bloody hell are those damned librarians.” I asked.

Marshall looked at his pocket time piece. “I sent a scout out to the library to fetch em a little over thirty minutes ago. They should be around any time now. Not much of a walk from the library to city guards station and walk down to the morgue. But, I expect they’re researching a bit a solution for the problem.” He paused a few seconds in thought.

“Doc?!” Marshall said looking around my office.

I frowned at his tone and study of my office. “Yes?”

Marshall smiled. “If I chipped in a coin or two too hire a chit to organize your office and help you with setting up the committee a bit. You’d be okay with it? Just for my peace of mind that you won’t be over run with everything.”

I grimanced shaking my head. “No. I’ll hire an assistant out on my own coin. I can manage it if you think I need it done. I’ll see to it but that is all.”

Warm Regards

Guardiandogg