Natalia raised her eyebrows at the last part. "And you really didn't question this?"
"I did not know anything about it," said Lien. "Father tried to keep the whole thing as quiet as possible. He did not want to needlessly worry the villagers. I only knew that a magician named Arthur was staying with us, and that he could help the situation."
"But he didn't, did he?"
---
When Arthur emerged from his room, he told everyone that the venture had been successful. He had contacted the dragon, and knew what the monster wanted.
"Everyday," said the magician, "we must send a girl into the mountains to be fed to it. That is the only way to keep it satisfied. If we do not, it will come down and kill everyone in this village!"
Naturally, the villagers were not happy to hear this. Francis, with all possible tact, asked what proof Arthur possibly had that that was what the dragon wanted. Or, for that matter, what proof there was that Arthur was a magician at all!
Arthur scowled and shouted warnings of dire consequences that would arise, should they not listen to his wisdom. With each word that passed his lips, clouds gathered overhead. Lightning ripped across the sky. Thunder deafened them all.
When he saw how the villagers all cowered before him, Arthur smiled. With a wave of his hands, the storm stilled and the sky cleared. All was peaceful, for the time being.
"And that," he said, "is proof of my might. None can rival me. Let it never be said that my magic produced an incorrect solution."
---
"Lies," said Natalia.
"You mean from the magician?" asked Toris.
"Of course I do. He may or may not have had actual magical powers, but he certainly was lying about how strong he was. If he were as powerful and immortal as he claimed, why not fight the dragon himself?" The fortune teller glared at Toris. "Also, why are you still here? Go away?"
"I wondered the same thing," said Lien. "About the magician, I mean. I tried to get other people to agree with me, but they were all afraid."
"What were they afraid of?" asked Toris, not noticing or not minding the venomous looks Natalia shot at him.
"He said that while he wielded infinite power, the dragon was an immovable creature. If they fought, all the surrounding land would be destroyed in the battle. Our village would be flattened."
Natalia decided that trying to get rid of Toris was a wasted effort. She focused on the fortune-telling again. "And what was Arthur getting out of this arrangement?"
"Power," said Lien. "He convinced everyone, my father included, that he was the only one who knew which girls would please the dragon. The first sacrifice has not even been chosen, and already he has been bribed with good food and many valuables from families who do not want their daughters chosen."
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Immortalia: Story The First - Lien And The Dragon (C)
(Anonymous) 2012-12-11 03:12 am (UTC)(link)"I did not know anything about it," said Lien. "Father tried to keep the whole thing as quiet as possible. He did not want to needlessly worry the villagers. I only knew that a magician named Arthur was staying with us, and that he could help the situation."
"But he didn't, did he?"
---
When Arthur emerged from his room, he told everyone that the venture had been successful. He had contacted the dragon, and knew what the monster wanted.
"Everyday," said the magician, "we must send a girl into the mountains to be fed to it. That is the only way to keep it satisfied. If we do not, it will come down and kill everyone in this village!"
Naturally, the villagers were not happy to hear this. Francis, with all possible tact, asked what proof Arthur possibly had that that was what the dragon wanted. Or, for that matter, what proof there was that Arthur was a magician at all!
Arthur scowled and shouted warnings of dire consequences that would arise, should they not listen to his wisdom. With each word that passed his lips, clouds gathered overhead. Lightning ripped across the sky. Thunder deafened them all.
When he saw how the villagers all cowered before him, Arthur smiled. With a wave of his hands, the storm stilled and the sky cleared. All was peaceful, for the time being.
"And that," he said, "is proof of my might. None can rival me. Let it never be said that my magic produced an incorrect solution."
---
"Lies," said Natalia.
"You mean from the magician?" asked Toris.
"Of course I do. He may or may not have had actual magical powers, but he certainly was lying about how strong he was. If he were as powerful and immortal as he claimed, why not fight the dragon himself?" The fortune teller glared at Toris. "Also, why are you still here? Go away?"
"I wondered the same thing," said Lien. "About the magician, I mean. I tried to get other people to agree with me, but they were all afraid."
"What were they afraid of?" asked Toris, not noticing or not minding the venomous looks Natalia shot at him.
"He said that while he wielded infinite power, the dragon was an immovable creature. If they fought, all the surrounding land would be destroyed in the battle. Our village would be flattened."
Natalia decided that trying to get rid of Toris was a wasted effort. She focused on the fortune-telling again. "And what was Arthur getting out of this arrangement?"
"Power," said Lien. "He convinced everyone, my father included, that he was the only one who knew which girls would please the dragon. The first sacrifice has not even been chosen, and already he has been bribed with good food and many valuables from families who do not want their daughters chosen."