Gossips and Threats

Kingdom of Bluewood, Imperial Capital

Loud laughter and music could be heard from the inside castle. Currently, a grand ball was underway and hundreds of nobles and their guests mingled around, drinking and feasting. The Emperor sat on his throne with a small smile on his face while he watched the nobility under him dance and drink.

His mood was good as he had just gotten reports of a successfully autumn campaign waged by the Rock. The speed of advance into the Kingdom of Mecca had far surpassed his expectations and that made him very happy.

He looked at the fat and wasteful nobles who only know how to leech and spend all their time in depravity and his good mood slowly faded away. Suddenly he felt disgusted and left the ballroom, heading towards his private study.

He sat down next to the fireplace and the eunuch poured a glass of wine for him as he brooded over the problem of the nobles yet he needed their influence and wealth to support his campaign to conquer the whole continent.

Finishing the glass of wine, he walked towards his bedroom and smiled at the girl shyly covering herself on the bed waiting for him. His smile grew wider as he saddled the girl and felt her throbbing veins filled with vibrant life force only the virgin youngsters have. And he enjoyed himself before feasting on the energy of the girl.

-----

The Colony, City Hall

A strange spectacle appeared today at the City Hall. People looked with confusion and humor at the two dragons leaning against the side of the municipal building with one of the dragons in his reddish blue scales having his head inside one of the windows.

Princess Sherene slapped a sheet of documents against Blue Thunder's face as he poked his head around in her office. "Can you stop that!"

"Tell me what happened!" Blue Thunder begged, giving Sherene his best puppy eyes look. "Did the Captain challenge him to a duel? Was there bloodshed?"

"Stop!" The Princess sat down on her chair and covered her face in despair. "You big fat... lizard! Why are you so gossipy!"

"But its juicy news!" Blue Thunder grinned. "I exercise my right for free speech! Now tell meeeee!!!"

"No!" Sherene stood up and placed her hands on her hips and glared at Blue Thunder who pleaded more. "Go away!"

"But everyone is curious!" Blue Thunder pushed her with his snort. "Come on! Share share please?"

"Arghhhh..." Sherene gave up and sat on her desk glaring at the insistent dragon. "Alright! Here's what happened then..."

-----

Rastraz sat outside and leaned in closer to listen to the conversation between the Princess and Blue Thunder. She quickly straightened up when she thought Blue Thunder had noticed her but returned to eavesdropping on the conversation while blushing. "Oooo..."

-----

"Aww..." Blue Thunder sighed, "So touching! You must be joyous that the Captain cares so much about you!"

Sherene looked at the dragon and didn't know whether to laugh or cry or be angry. In the end, she admitted, "Yes, it made me felt very touch and happy."

"Hehehe," Blue Thunder giggled. "So did you two make out later on?"

"W- What?!" Sherene yelped. "Blue! Now, that's crossing the line!"

"Whoops! Sorry!" Blue Thunder stuck his tongue out. "Hehehe, but we are all happy for you two! It's so romantic!"

"How about you and Rastraz?" Sherene quickly changed the topic. "Are you two... together?"

"Me and her!?" Blue Thunder jerked in surprise and his massive head nearly cracked the window frame. "Oh sorry! Anyway... no way she likes me!"

"How do you know?" Sherene asked curiously. "I always see you two running around together and up to mischief."

"I'm under orders to accompany her!" Blue Thunder quickly replied. "She still doesn't know the... erm proper manners!"

"Heh," Sherene winked at Blue Thunder. "Reallllyyyyy....?"

Blue Thunder gulped and lowered his voice, "Well, I admit that she got pretty eyes and very glossy scales... but... she's too fierce..."

"I like a girl who's nice and sweet," Blue Thunder whispered. "You know like those in the dramas who wait for you to come home with a nice home cooked meal and gives you a massage after a hard day's work."

Sherene shook her head at the dragon. "I think you need to stop watching so many shows. It's like a bad influence on you!"

"Oh no!" Blue Thunder quickly defended his dramas. "You should join us too! We are just starting season 1 of Game of Thrones! I heard there are dragons inside!"

Sherene laughed and said, "I think you should look at properly at Rastraz, she's might be fierce but she's very nice once you know her."

"Blah," Blue Thunder stuck his tongue out, "She's fierce, rude, loud, steals my share of food and has a princess complex!"

Suddenly Blue Thunder's face changed, his eyes bugled out and his mouth snapped shut while his whole body trembled. "What is it?" Sherene asked in concern as she saw something was not right with Blue Thunder.

"Ahhhh..." A drop of tear formed in Blue Thunder's eye and he blinked rapidly. "Its... nothing... I.. got to go! Nice... chatting with you!" With that, he quickly pulled his head out of the window and scored a few scratches against the wall and window frame.

Sherene quickly went to the window and looked out and she laughed as she saw Rastraz had her teeth sunk into the meaty part of Blue Thunder's tail with she muttered something like, "Sa- I loud? I rude? HMM!?"

"Sorry!!!" Blue Thunder tried to extract his tail from her mouth but she clung on tightly. The people around them laughed at the couple fighting in public while giving way for the two dragons antics on the street.

"Hey! You two!" A black uniformed police officer walked up to them and yelled, "Stop disturbing the public! You want me to slap you two with a fine? If you wanna have a lover's quarrel go do it someplace private! Don't damage public property!"

"Sorry Officer!" Blue Thunder quickly apologized before turning to Rastraz. "Will you please calm down? I treat you to cheese fries as an apology? Ok?"

"Hmmph!" Rastraz finally released her bite on Blue Thunder before she stormed up in a huff, spreading her wings out and flying off towards the direction of a Burger Shack with Blue Thunder giving another apology to the police officer before giving a sad wave of good bye to the laughing Princess and flying off after Rastraz.

"My... my pay..."

-----

Kingdom of Bluewood, Imperial Capital

The Emperor stood up naked and pulled a bell. A small army of eunuchs came into his room and dressed him up while a couple of eunuchs removed the dried up husk off the bed before wrapping it up and removing it to be disposed of.

He ate a hearty breakfast before entering the gathering hall where his ministers awaked his arrival. His ministers bowed and saluted him as he sat down on his throne. Nodding, Emperor Varacen ordered them to begin their reports.

"Monster wave at ...."

"Famine at several ...."

"Popularity at all time high ..."

The reports went on and on, before the final Minister said, "My Emperor, we have conquered almost two thirds of all tamed land in the New World. Your population is growing weary of war, will my Emperor end his campaign soon?"

"My popularity is high is due to the successes of the army!" Emperor Varacen said. "If I recall the army back, where will the people get their cheap labor of slaves from?"

"Will your businesses be able to get all those goods to sell that were brought back by the army?" Varacen continued. "Will the amount of taxes you collect be enough?"

"Will those areas having famine be able to survive if resources were not taken from conquered lands?" As Varacen spoke his voice grew louder and louder. "Without war, will there be fertile lands for our people to grow food?"

"NO!" Varacen roared. "The army will only stop when this whole land is ours! Than will our people prosper!"

"But my Emperor, the demands of supporting the army are straining the treasury..." The sweating Minister said. "We might not be able to sustain another year in war!"

"If that is the case," Varacen smiled, "All the nobles will generously donate to the cause!"

His ministers looked at each other in panic and started to protest. "Enough!" Varacen cut their protests away.

"You can afford to party but can't afford to donate to the Kingdom?" Varacen frowned. "Maybe I should do an internal investigation of corruption..."

The Ministers all paled and they quickly kneeled and bowed, "My Emperor, we will be willing to donate generously to the conquest of the whole New World!"

"Ahahahahaa! Good! Good!"

-----

The Colony, Burger Shack

Fleet Master Dijon, Megan, and Akron each carried a tray of food and sat down together. After dinner yesterday, they decided to eat here again as they can't forget the taste of the exotic "bur-girls".

"Why no one has ever thought to place meat and sauce between two bread buns?" Megan asked as she bit into her burger. She tried something new, ordering a fish fillet burger, which the fillet was coated with something and deep fried till golden brown and paired with a slightly tangy and sour sauce.

"If we bring this idea back to the Isles," Akron suddenly said. "We can create something similar and it will do very well as a business."

Both Dijon and Megan looked at each other and nodded, their merchant minds agreeing. "But the food recipe?"

"Let's see if we can meet with the owner of this place and see if he is willing to sell to us," Akron said seriously. "There are so many interesting business ideas here!"

"Hey!" Kaga and Billy suddenly appeared next to them. "You guys really like this!" Both of them smiled at the trio. "Wait for us! We will go order some food too!"

"Do you think those two girls know the owner?" Dijon asked as they watched the two girls queuing up to make an order.

"We can ask them later," Megan crumbled up the wrapped into a ball before sipping her fizzy drink.

Not long the two girls returned with a tray each and they joined the trio from the Isles. "Say," Megan asked. "Do you girls know the owner here?"

"Owner?" Billy repeated. "I'm not sure who the boss is but I heard that it's one of the hooman's business."

"A hooman's business?" The trio looked at each other and frowned. If it was a local, it will be easier for them to discuss a deal, but with a hooman, most likely the deal will be harder to close.

"Yup," Kaga said while nipping away at her burger. "These food recipes are all food from the hoomans."

The three Islanders looked even more surprised, "Not only are they knowledgable in warfare, construction, magic artifacts, and even food recipes? What else are by the hoomans?" Megan asked in surprise.

"Well, the farming and mining techniques and equipment are all taught by them too," Kaga said. "They have a massive school that teaches almost everything here."

"A school?" The Islanders looked at each other, "Are they blessed by the gods of knowledge?"

"Maybe," Kaga said nonchalantly. "I am saving up some money so I can take some courses I have interest in at the Academy of Science and Magic."

"Can you bring us to this 'Academy of Science and Magic. to see?" Megan asked.

"Okay, sure!" Kaga nodded, before whipping out a black looking device the size of her palm.

"Hey, Lest?" Kaga spoke to the strange device. "Can you come to pick us up at Burger Shack in half an hour's time? Okay, thanks!"

"What is that?" The trio looked curiously at the black device on Kaga's hand. "Why are you talking to it?"

"Oh, this?" Kaga grinned with pride and held it up and showing it off.

"This is a personal communicator!"