Lord Vaylor was stood motionless, gazing at the giant portrait in front of him. In it, his own father was standing diligently, elegantly dressed in black and accompanied by his steely son who stood a foot shorter than him. Out of the centuries he had lived, not a day went by where Vaylor hadn't spent a moment thinking about what they were like.
Everything I do, I do for you father
Turning away from the portrait, he sauntered towards an oblong mirror. A mannequin was standing just beside it, tastelessly wearing Vaylor's dragon armour. Vaylor tousled his hair lightly, patted away at his long black tailcoat, and then glared at the mirror without so much as a smile on his face.
''What're you thinking about, Vay?''
Vaylor turned back and found his wife staring at him from the rose-pink canopy bed that she was hanging off of. It was his wife's favourite colour, and he had chosen it himself. She had picked her dressing grown herself, however, and it served to match with the very same furniture that she slept on. She revealed a cigarette, lit it up, and began poisoning her lungs with the smoke.
''You know I don't like it when you smoke in here. I thought I told you that.''
''You tell me many things, dear. It all sounds like honey through my ears.'' She said, studying him.
Vaylor scoffed. ''You're very coquettish today, eh?''
''You love it.'' Mei smiled, removing the blankets to tease him even further.
''I'd love it if you stopped smoking.'' He said, walking towards her. He reached for the cigarette but Mei quickly pulled her arm back, flung the other over his shoulder, and brought her face close to his.
''Answer me first. Tell me what you're thinking about.''
Vaylor sighed, turning his head so his eyes could dart to some random section of his chambers. But Mei placed one hand on his cheek and brought his head back to face her.
"It's nothing, really. I—"
A sudden kiss had swallowed up his words, and brought a paroxysm of emotions that all inundated him. Overcome with them, Vaylor lightly pushed Mei back down onto the bed and began hovering over her. He didn't even care to note the cigarette burning on their sheets.
He plastered her neck with kisses, and her silent moans had brought his hand inbetween her thighs—he wanted her to be just a bit louder.
"W-wait!" Mei blurted out, her breath coming out ragged. "You almost distracted me. Don't avoid the question, tell me what's wrong."
Vaylor sighed and then moved to lay down beside her. Mei rolled over and flung herself on top of him, where she studied his face as the Lord found the words to reply with.
"It's my father, that's all. And my brother. Ha, isn't it strange how I'm thinking about two people that I've never met?"
"Strange? I don't believe so, my love. I still think about the father I lost back in Lin Ti."
"Yes but you knew him, didn't you?"
"Pfft, as much as any daughter may know their absent and neglectful father." She chuckled, stroking Vaylor's hair. "The man would rather see blood than see his daughter. He'd rather carry the sword than carry his kin. It doesn't come as a surprise that he died by it."
"I wish my father died the same way." Vaylor admitted, pondering on that for a moment.
Mei kissed him lightly and pushed aside a streak of red hair. "That's foolish, Vaylor. Your father did the right thing, consider the time he was in. The Great Reset! They would've executed him anyway, and your entire family if he fought back against the empire. Be thankful to him for the air you breathe."
"I understand all of that, dear. But still, to surrender so easily like that. He could've escaped!"
"Escaped and gone where? My love, those damnable dragon tamers would've chased him to the ends of the earth. Don't let your anger cloud your judgement."
"You're right, to remain so enraged over this is foolish." Vaylor sighed. "It won't be long now, the Great Reset is in two years. The ideologies my father died for, I will enforce them. I will pay the dragon tamers in kind, all twelve of those treacherous families."
There was a sharp knock on the door of their chambers, heralding one of the servants.
"Who is it!?" Mei called out, kicking the cigarette off of the bed.
"It's me, Lord Vaylor."
"Ah, Claymore. Come in." Vaylor said, rising from the bed.
Claymore walked into the room briskly. He was without his blazer today, only accompanied by a white shirt, black pants, and a bow-tie.
"What is it, Claymore?" Vaylor said.
"You've received a call, my lord."
"A call?" Vaylor said, raising his brow. "From who?"
"The king, my lord."
"Oh? What does the king want." Mei inquired, laying listlessly on the bed.
"He demands Lord Vaylor's presence at the Bryteburn palace."
"Ah, then that can only mean one thing." Vaylor groaned, bringing his palm to his face.
"Looks like you're back on border patrol," Mei laughed.
"It is as my lady says, my lord." Claymore confirmed, trying his best to hide his own amusement. "The scheduled paladins are all gathered there—well, all but one."
"And who is that one?" Vaylor scowled
"Who else could it be?" Mei cut in. "It's obviously that child—what was his name? Rannel?"
"Aye, Rannel Bryteburn." Claymore said.
"That damned brat! How on earth was that indolent fool elected to be the leader of the paladins? The king has gone mad."
"He's a nepobaby!" Mei exclaimed, rolling her eyes and adopting a tone that said, 'isn't it obvious?!'
"Aye, that much is true. But you'd think a supposedly honourable house would think twice about electing their idiot son. So, Claymore, I'm to go fetch this boy?"
"Along with your armour." Claymore nodded.
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go."
"Me? Go where? I must collect the young master, my lord."
"Ah, I forgot about him." Vaylor said.
Mei scoffed. "Did you really? I don't believe that."
"Eh? What are you trying to say?" Vaylor said, his eyes narrowing.
"Well," Mei shrugged. "I'm only saying what me and Claymore have been thinking for the past week now. You're growing attached to that boy."
"What!? Nonsense! You don't believe that do you, Claymore?"
"I believe what the eyes see." Claymore smiled, though a hint of panic worked itself through the lines on his forehead.
"I could drink to that." Mei laughed.
Vaylor grumbled, reluctantly kissed his wife one last time, snatched his armour from the hide of the mannequin, and hurried out of the room.
Utter nonsense
These thoughts persisted as he left his home, even when the two jet-black wings had sprouted out of his back.
When he took to the skies, he thought back bitterly on what Mei had said.
The boy is only a piece in a larger conflict. He means nothing to me, Mei and Claymore are foolish to think otherwise.
Vaylor continued soaring through the sky, stopping just above a giant penthouse. He descended slowly onto the second floor, and looked at the giant glass windows in front of him.
Behind them, Vaylor found a myriad of truanting students all laying around listlessly. Some of them were half-naked, others were fully clothed, and every single one had been inebriated by some mysterious concoction.
Vaylor looked through all the dross and found his target sleeping peacefully, snoring away as happy dreams danced about in his head.
Rannel Bryteburn had a bead of snot trickling down his upper lip. His grey mop of curly hair was visibly wet, doubtless he had thrown a drink over his own head. His white shirt was half-buttoned, revealing the pale canvas of skin on his upper body, and his black pants were unzipped, crudely revealing a pair of blue underwear.
Vaylor tapped at the glass and watched it shatter into a thousand tiny pieces. The sound had forced some of the students awake, many of whom were college and university students.
That explains all the drugs.
There were half-empty bottles of Hennessy, brandy, vodka, and tubs where various concoctions had been mixed. The glass tables—that filled most of the capacious space—had been bestrewn with strange white powder.
"L-lord Vaylor!" One of the students croaked, backing away from the observing Lord. "W-we didn't—"
"Save your excuses for someone who cares," Vaylor said, waving him off with an steel hand. With that same hand, he grabbed Rannel by his hair, pulled him from under a heap of naked bodies, and brought him to his feet. Vaylor slapped the boy awake.
"H-huh?! Who dares strike me!? Reveal your—"
"Aye, it's me."
"Lord Vaylor! I didn't know you came to party!"
"This looks less like a party and more like a homeless shelter. All you're missing are the needles."
"Woahahaha!" Rannel beamed, almost choking on his own air. "What can I say? We party hard!"
"And now you'll listen hard you fool." Vaylor said, slapping him harshly.
"Hey! What the he—"
"Shut up!" Vaylor demanded. "Do you have any clue as to how much I've had to clean up after you? Two years ago I had to fight arduously to sweep a blanket over a scandal because you decided to stab someone in a drunken rage!"
"The man pissed me off!" Rannel complained, his words slurring.
"That man, was a leal bannerman of the Flamesworths—dragon tamers like your own family you ignorant bastard!"
"Bastard!? My parents are married!"
"You're worrying about the wrong thing!"
"Don't call me something I'm not!"
"Are you a fool?!"
"No!"
"I beg to differ! You have obligations, duties! You swore an oath under the king to follow them dutifully! And yet here you are, imbibing and allowing yourself to slip into stupor."
"Screw the king! And screw you, Vaylor! My family are rulers! What are yours, you half-assed dragon tamer!?"
In a moment of silence, Rannel had finally realised what he said. His mismatched eyes—grey on the left, and crimson on the right—widened with fear and apprehension.
"What did you just say?" Vaylor hissed.
"Forgive me. I-it's the drink, Lord Vaylor. I didn't mean anything by it."
Vaylor pressed his palm against his mouth and slammed the boy against a wall. A flood of cries escaped the boys mouth, but Vaylor's steel palm swallowed them all. He had every mind to inflict the most egregious violence in order to compensate the slight.
But, looking around, a myriad of panicked eyes found his own. Vaylor thought better of it, and begrudgingly let the boy go. "I need not another word out of you. Simply do as you are told. We are to go to your families palace, we are to gather with the paladins who have been scheduled to undergo border control. Yes, you were scheduled too you fool, did you not receive the schools email? No, don't answer that, not another word! I know you have your armour stowed away somewhere in your fathers penthouse. Go fetch it. Now."
Rannel nodded, and then sprinted out of the room with his heart in his guts.