Kip nervously played with the Dark Lord’s trinkets As he sat at the desk in the study. He picked up one marble and watched as it transferred force to another. The marbles in the middle merely a conduit for the force provided.

  Kip sighed and leaned back into his chair, staring up at the ceiling. He covered his face with his hands and thought about Zeke.

  Zeke had challenged him to a fight three weeks ago. Zeke and Kip agreed to postpone it until Zeke was done healing. With some magic buffs and some serious bedrest, Zeke was finally on the mend. Kip picked up two balls and let them go. Two balls on the other side burst out and the click clack of the two balls as slowly the external force subdued.

  “My actions have consequences.” Kip said silently to himself. He looked over labyrinth incident reports. There were three intruder parties that made it past the labyrinth exit. They had all made it past Blademan’s vibrations. Whether it was a party of rogues, or someone had cast a Soft Step spell. In the final case, someone had tripped escaping Blademan. Luckily that person broke their neck on the fall down. Other than that, Blademan had killed up to 10 intruders who made it to the boss level and seriously maimed 8 more.

  “Good work.” Thought Kip as he looked over the numbers. There was an art form to dungeon management that Kip was learning. But with only three parties making it to the other floor, these were good numbers. Admittedly it was off-season, but he was happy that he could at least show something about his decision.

  “Kip?” Said Jasssper, “You ten o'clock isss here.”

  “Thank you, Jasssper,” Kip said, “Can you send them in?”

  “No, sire. You’ll have to sssee him in the throne room as he’s too big.”

  “Ah, right.”

  Zeke had healed enough that it was time to have an uncomfortable conversation. Kip walked out to the throne room, its high ceilings and large double doors perfect for meeting with larger creatures. Zeke was sitting on the steps of the throne room. He stood up in Kip’s presence.

  “Hey, buddy.”

  “Hey, Zeke,” Kip put a smile on his face. They both stood there, awkwardly waiting for the awkwardness to settle.

  “You want to sit on the throne and start talking?” Zeke asked.

  “I’ll sit on the steps with you.”

  Kip did so. The difference in size was laughable. Kip hadn’t grown much since he first met Zeke, and Zeke had sprouted considerably. They both stared out. When one tried to sneak a glance, the other did too. Their eyes met, they both sweated out an awkward smile and more silence.

  “So…” After some time Kip interjected.

  “I’m not happy with how this is going down,” Zeke said.

  “I know.”

  “I want what you want. I want everyone in the domain to be secure.”

  “I know.”

  “And happy. And protected.”

  “I know, Zeke.”

  “And… it’s not that I don’t love you, Kip. And… if you were stronger… It’s not about all of us bailing the Dark Lord out. It’s about the Dark Lord protecting us. And I think Davorin didn’t get that. I don’t think that dink Blademan wants that… but I’ve got a better shot. But it’s like I said a while ago. You’re just a little guy.”

  “I know.”

  “But then I think about how we met. How it’s my job to protect people like you… and… the path to doing that makes it impossible. Becoming the dark lord doesn’t seem like it’s worth it especially if it means we wouldn’t be buddies.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “So I decided to retract it.”

  “Retract?”

  “It’s settled. I retract my challenge. I’m sorry I got mad at you, buddy. It was just thought because… I had to come in and help you, but that was a freak accident and I don’t blame you at all for acting how you did. The plan was to take that guy two for one, anyway.”

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

  “Stop… Stop.. Zeke. Please,” Kip said as he waved his hand.

  “Really, Kip, I’m sorry!”

  “I’m not mad!”

  “You’re not?”

  “No, lord, I thought you were still mad at me.” Kip said, “I’m happy you retracted it. Thank you and I care about our friendship as well.”

  “Oh thank the lord,” Zeke felt like a weight had been lifted. He grabbed his horns and started sniffling, “The truth is… The truth is I didn’t want to crush you buddy. It’s my job to protect you and the idea of taking you down was just too much. I woulda thwomped you. And nobody would have wanted to see that,” Zeke covered his hands in his head and Kip could hear sniffling.

  “I’m not sure if it’s a guarantee you would have thwomped me.”

  “I woulda! I woulda thwomped you good. You’re tiny, Kip. You’re meant to be protected. That’s okay! That’s your role. You’ll be able to think about the smaller guys. But you need the sheepdogs to help keep out the wolves. That’s my job.”

  Kip reached over and patted Zeke on the knee.

  “Zeke.” Kip said.

  “What?”

  “I accept your challenge.”

  “I rescinded it.”

  “I reject your rescission.”

  “I appeal.”

  “Appeal denied.”

  “Why?”

  “You’re treating me like Davorin did but in reverse. You’re treating me with kid gloves. I’m not a kid. And if you thwomp me in your challenge, then that is your right. You think you can do a better job of this than I can? Don’t let your own bitter ego stop you. After all, I might win.”

  Zeke let out a throaty laugh before sniffling and snorting back his mucus. He wiped his nose and said, “Yeah, Kip. Maybe you might.”

  “Don’t think so?”

  Zeke wiped the snot with his bracers, “I’m not a betting man, Kip.”

  Kip shook his head, growing angrier, “Still with the kid gloves. You know what I think?”

  “I thought you just told me what you think.”

  “I think you were just mad I told you what to do.”

  “When? At the fight?”

  “Of course at the fight. You wanted to be the big man and walk away and I wanted to protect those burrowlings.”

  “You wanted to protect them?” Zeke prodded, taking on an extra inquisitive affect as if to mirror Kip’s own words back at him, “Ooooh. See, I thought it had something to do with the quest you were given. The one that our system coughed up. Yeah, something tells me that had more to do with it. What ability did you gain? Or was it loot?”

  “It was a two for one,” Kip said, “But what would leaving have done? Saved your own hide.”

  “Not leaving certainly didn’t.” Said Zeke.

  The energy had changed. They now looked at the other as if each owed the other something. They had come in more tense than when they had left it. Zeke let out a deep inhale, “You want the challenge to continue.”

  “I do.”

  “I still don’t want to crush you.”

  Kip looked at Zeke, Jasssper!” he cried.

  Jasssper slithered in, “Yesss sire?”

  “Who’s this guy? He’s like a lizard with no legs.”

  “Very asstute, minotaur.”

  “I asked Jasssper to research more of the cases behind the succession clause. Specifically article 4. How they’re moderated, the rules attached.

  “It can’t be something where there is a massive disparity. If there is, it can be sent to tribunal. Say you both went into a weight lifting contest, that would easily be struck down. That’s why the more complex and less straightforward the better. Something like a fight is a blurrier, although there's a chance Kip could have called a tribunal for Davorin’s proposition.”

  “Okay.” Zeke said, “So we’ll come up with something that takes more than just strength. Something that takes more. Hmm…” Zeke looked at the kobold. Then turned away, “I don’t know.”

  “Just say it.” Kip said, “Tell me what you’re thinking. I’m eager to work with you here.”

  “Tag?” Zeke asked, “Person who’s it is toast.”

  “Sire,” Jasssper whispered in Kip’s ear, “He’s much bigger than you. That’s more to tag. Meanwhile, there’s only so much area he can tag with you. This is a success!”

  Kip said as the color drained from his face, “Take it back?”

  “To the very beginning.” Zeke said as he reached his hand out, “Oh! But that’s not all!” Zeke said, “This is, after all, about who’s the best in charge. This should be a team game of tag. My guys against your guys. What do you say?”

  “My… guys?”

  Zeke crooked his head, “Sure. You and your new snake friend. Whoever else you can round up. That boar you like so much. Maybe the witch? Let’s say a team of four? What do you say?”

  “Okay.” Kip said, “Okay, I accept.” Kip reached his hand out, it was completely engulfed by the minotaur’s hand.

  “Who are your ‘guys?’” Asked Kip.

  Zeke’s smile suddenly went from soft and friendly, to in a second, menacing. “Oh, I can’t wait for you to meet him.”

  And with that, Zeke walked away, leaving Kip sitting on the steps of an empty throne room, possibly down one good friend.

  One week prior, outside of the Dark Lord’s domain, there was a small crowd of generals talking strategy. In their dusty tent, they had a young recruit fetching them their lunch order that the private chef was set to make. Some wanted their omelets runny, some with mushrooms and some without. They were all discussing the muckety muck that went on in maintaining an army, as well as who forgot their wife’s birthday the most.

  “Who is wrapping at our tent’s door?!” Asked one whose bald head somehow led the way to two glorious white mutton chops.

  “It is one of the lieutenants. Told he has top of the line news that couldn’t reach any other ear but ours. Send him in,” said another with a glorious slicked back sandy hair, soulful blue eyes, and a beard that covered his eternal frown.

  The hooded figure came in. He closed the tent behind him and looked at the young recruit still taking orders. Eventually one of the generals closed rolled his eyes and shooed the boy away.

  The boy left the tent, and the hooded man revealed himself, “Gentlemen,” Said Anton, “I have some very interesting news about who is… supposedly, leading the Dark Lord’s Domain. It seems we may have a… very exploitable vulnerability.”

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