Short Story 1: Langlicia and Versi

This story takes place shortly after the party's return from the events that led Langlicia to take the Oath of the Dragonlord and bond with the copper/shadow dragon Zyphara.

"Well I hope you're quite pleased with yourself, Versi."

Back on the Ultros, Langlicia was waiting in Versi's room, her dark clothes and hair blending naturally into the shadows behind the door, keeping her unseen until the door was closed. Versi was expecting to see her, though perhaps not as soon as this, seeking out a private moment to talk. Rather than allow the door to close normally, Langlicia gave it an extra push so that it would slam shut.

"Langlicia, it's good to hear your voice again." Versi responded, flatly and calmly, as she always does.

"I'm sure I don't have to tell you what's happened. You've weaved your little spell and further tightened the leash that holds me here."

"Your choices are your own. No one can change that."

"Oh, no, OF COURSE NOT." The bombastic sarcasm of Langlicia's voice filled the room. "All you do is 'speak the truth' . . . and set things in motion like reuniting me with one of my greatest failures. After all this time, in all the world, it just happens to be THAT particular dragon that I encounter, because . . . why WOULDN'T it be?" Langlicia lowered her voice to a serious tone and continued, "And now here I am, atoning, having gone and bound myself to her because I was unable to free her from her torture decades ago and unable to abide seeing her have to continue to endure it now."

"Do you regret your choice?"

"What?!? Never. That poor creature had been captured, bound, forsaken, forgotten, . . . corrupted even, having never done anything to deserve such a fate. I set her free from all of that, and I would do it again."

"Then why are you here?"

"You know bloody damn well why I'm here. Thanks to you, I'm tied to yet another damnable OATH that restrains my actions. I DO NOT approve of being meddled with by your words and you KNOW this. You could have just left well enough alone and said nothing, but didn't. I already have a life's purpose that I need to pursue and fulfill, and I can't have you side-tracking me from it with these extraneous tethers. You can claim that all of it is for the greater good all you want, but I for one am not convinced. I truly fear that one day your meddling will run afoul of the Great Mother's will, and when that day comes I hope to be far, far away from you, . . . assuming my increasingly numerous chains will allow it."

"And one day you will understand that I could never defy the will of the Great Mother."

Langlicia spit out a curse in Slyvan upon hearing another prophecy pass Versi's lips and reopened the door. "You just don't know when to quit, do you?!?" she exclaimed and left the room, slamming the door a second time behind her.

In the silence that followed, Versi whispered, ". . . especially where you are concerned."