YANORA: Nevertheless, we must have your forces at home, else there may be no home to go to.

GUDIK: God, I’ll lose as many just trying to withdraw as taking the whole kingdom.  There’s already two Draconian armies on the way to raise this siege. They’ll never let me just walk away ...

IPOLA: They actually may want to join you.

GUDIK: Fat chance of that!

IPOLA: Yet, they may.  Because you know something that the Draconian Church would very much like to know, and that may make all the difference in the world to them.  

GUDIK: Oh, Really,

IPOLA: Something that fulfills their own prophecies.

GUDIK:  And what is that?

IPOLA: Shuach has awakened the Dragons.

GUDIK: (pause) Pull the other one!

A LITTLE BIT LATER …

CU on GUDIK, his brows knitting.

GUDIK: So … the Urtts.


TETHIK: Yes.

GUDIK: Maldik.

YANORA: Yes.

GUDIK: Bloody Deeps … I mean I knew he was an ass, but this is an absolute masterpiece of idiocy.

TETHIK: To say the very least.

IPOLA: Will you leave this war now, and come home, my lord?

YANORA: Proceed, darling. I’m going to sit and have a drink, if no one minds.

THERIK: Your Majesty - I must protest! This … this illusion may be some Draconian trick.

GUDIK: Therik.


THERIK: The Church does not approve of this magick, I am sure. Some power may be trying to deceive you ...

GUDIK: Therik.

THERIK: My lord, I must -

GUDIK: And you just did. Well done. Now kindly shut up.

GUDIK: Believe me, no one can counterfeit my mother, not like this. This is her, in all her insufferable glory.

YANORA: Oh, I love you too, sweet boy.

GUDIK: (pours a wine for himself.) All right, Tethik. Let us hear it. And for your sake this had better be absolutely everything you say it is.

YANORA: You would already know that if you’d taken the ring I offered you when you left, darling.

GUDIK: I travelled two thousand miles to get away from you, Mother. I wasn’t about to take a trinket along with me that lets you nag me from Normos, criticizing every bloody little mistake I make, driving me insane ...

YANORA: And would it be “nagging” to point out that that was, itself, a mistake that could bring down the whole kingdom?

GUDIK: Oh Thrasu’s arsehole, Mother!

THERIK: Your Majesty!

GUDIK: I’ll confess later.

YANORA: As if anything makes a dent in your brain, anyway. You’re solid as a rock, completely direct and literal. Anything bothers you, you just chop it out of your way.

GUDIK: I suppose you’d have me weave webs and deceits like you, then? If I have an enemy I deal with them in the open!

YANORA: Yes, just like your father. And you have all his other faults, as well.

GUDIK: Oh, so now we’re cataloging faults, are we? Shall we open the Tome-sized book of your faults and start reciting, Mother?


YANORA: I’m sure it would be amusing, but we haven’t the time.

GUDIK: It would take an age to get through, wouldn’t it?

TETHIK: Gudik, your Majesties! If I may, perhaps I could answer Gudik’s quite reasonable question and explain the reason for all this time, effort and use of magick.

IPOLA: Of us all I think you can probably explain it best, my friend.

YANORA: Ipola? What is it?

IPOLA: Tethik’s finally got there, Yanora.

YANORA: I see. Best finish dressing, then. Don’t want to scandalize the children.
Ah, Gudik, my little cherub.

GUDIK: Mother.

YANORA: My how sour you look, sweeting. What, siege engines not up to snuff? I do wish you’d listened to Mummy about that.

YANORA: (Sees Thann) Oh, and just *look* who’s here. So this is the one they chose to murder Gudik?

IPOLA: Indeed, I wonder whose idea it was?

YANORA: How very ironic.

THANN: What does that mean? How do you know who I am?

YANORA: (dismissively) The same way I know a great many things, lamb. But never mind.

GUDIK: Will someone tell me what this whole shit show is about? What’s so important that all three of you have to come here, interrupt my perfectly enjoyable little war -

THERIK: “Holy crusade,” your Majesty …

GUDIK: Damn right! It’s a goddamn holy war with the blessing of the goddamn church! And I need to be getting on with it, so what is this magickal hernia for?

Next RegularUpdate on Wednesday – But …

Sorry kids.  I am working on a largish crowd scene for page 1052.  It will probably not be ready until tomorrow at earliest. However, for my Patreon patrons, there is a scene with our lovers that takes care of one of my little loose threads.  Alas, I got tired of being clever so there’s no attempt to hide their nudity, so I had to put it on the Patreon site.  Don’t worry, though.  It’s not necessary to enjoy the next regular page. But it’s just one of the things I add every week to reward those who help Zona out. 🙂 Enjoy!   Warmest regards, JED