DAN THE LION

"Some pretty-faced diplomat from the human's Three Kingdoms." Bell did not think much of the man. Still, I suppose if even Bell called him a pretty face, he had to at least be a certain level of handsome.

In Bell's opinion, this man's only redemption was the pup he produced with our daughter - our newest addition to all the grandchildren we now had - Arthur Kingsley Lion.

"Lion?" That threw me off. A wolf named Lion.

"The human's name." Bell sniffed, "Just ignore it. Art's a Kingsley Black Wolf."

Actually, it sounded weird even for a human name.

102X - It seemed like we had passed more than one X... the X's really flew by with interesting conversation.

"Tell me the story about Dan the Lion." I pulled a strand of Bell's magic to cast.

Bell looked at me like I made him eat something sour, but then he proceeded to tell me an amazing tale about a human wildcard.

The human was once a boy picked up along the road by a passing general carriage. The general was escaping a lost war, and they needed a few extra temporary hands to fetch wood and water for the journey.

Temporary because they had no intention of feeding or sheltering the rift rafts. They'd simply use them as free labor and discard them along the way. That was how it was.

But this particular boy proved to be a clever child and was quick to follow instructions. He was also a quick witted child, avoiding the tasks and soldiers who were cruel, and making himself useful to the other soldiers to earn more tasks and sometimes an extra scrap of food.

At the end of their journey, he was the only child still alive. The general noted the boy's resilience and took him in permanently as his personal slave.

He was named Dan, for the dandelions by the roadway.

"Then... If there were buttercups by the roadway, would he be called Butt?" I asked. Would this story be called Butt the Cup instead of Dan the Lion?

Bell laughed, "I wished you thought of that when we met him."

Apparently, I had thought Dandelion was a wonderful name when I met my new son-in-law, and was disappointed that he was only Dan Lion.

Anyway, Dan was a quick witted and sharp little human boy. He taught himself to read and write while working in the general's office. Later on, it was Dan's strategies and political manipulations that tide his master safely onto the throne.

At the King's coronation, Dan was set free and given the position as the King's personal advisor.

Dan took on the name Dan Lion and later served as Prime Minister for a few years, unifying the three warring human kingdoms under his King's rule. Dan was credited for his work among the commoners - in fact, it was his good work among the people that quelled a few revolts against the Royal House.

He was a key member of the King's Court and a strong advocate for both the Royal Family to the people, as well as the people to the Royal Family.

Over time, Dan's fame and popularity among the humans grew. Conversely, he noticed that the King's attitude towards him had changed.

Because Dan was smart like that, he quickly retired from public duties, and volunteered to take on the risky task of trying to establish diplomatic relations with the Lycan packs around their kingdom.

"There is a time for everything under the sun, a time to wage war and a time to make peace." He had told his king, "A time to love and a time to hate, a time to linger and a time to depart."

If the king had noticed Dan's personal inflection on their friendship, he did not show it. It was ultimately the best way to put some distance between himself and the kingdom he had helped raise.

Since Dan was one of the very few humans that the Alpha Wolves were willing to negotiate with, it was impossible for the King to refuse the offer, and once Dan's diplomatic trips proved to bring more benefits and pose less threat to his throne, the King found it in his heart to call Dan his old friend again.

Humans... Their hearts were like the rise and fall of the tide.

Dan Lion's diplomatic relations with the wolves grew rather influential. Dan was a master diplomat after all and he quickly made powerful lycan allies.

Dan's secret was his ability to see through the heart of those he met. Since his survival as a child was dependent on his ability to read the room and quickly latch on the mood and motives of those over him, entering the wolves' den did not faze him.

He also quickly understood that a wolf's heart was not naturally treacherous and there would always be the ones who were surprisingly gracious in spite of his slave bands, poor origins, and human affiliation. He just had to find the right wolf to gain access to the right Lycan circles.

After that, as long as he knew to show respect where it was due and prove his ability to deliver on his word, the negotiation tables would be opened to him.

However, one could not be too successful in the human realm without stirring up envy, and it was not long after the King announced a banquet to celebrate Dan's contribution to the Three Kingdoms that his royal advisors made sure it came to the King's ears how it was entirely possible for Dan Lion, friend of the wolves, to defect to the lycan side. How could the court trust a man who spent most of his days among wolves?

This King, he was no fool, he knew his advisors were more likely to betray him than Dan Lion, BUT he had not survived the wars and become King of the Three Kingdoms because of Dan's advice alone. This shrewd King was very proud of the fact that he was particularly gifted in putting talent to good use - as he had done with his old friend Dan.

It came to the King's attention that Dan might be used for quite a new purpose. He was now a great hero among the humans and a trusted liaison to the wolves. No matter how capable a man was, he was only as useful as he was controllable.

So while Dan Lion was abroad on his diplomatic work to improve relations with the lycan, increase safe trade routes, and in general bring prosperity to the people of the Three Kingdoms, the King and his royal advisors hatched a plot to use their people's hero for one last time.

The King threw a huge banquet to celebrate Dan Lion's achievements and everyone from the lowliest peasant to the greatest noble came to toast the king's old friend and Three Kingdom's founding hero.

And then the trap was sprung, right at the height of the feast, someone would boast of Dan Lion's current achievements among the lycan packs, "Why, he is the legendary wolf whisperer! Even alphas are polite to him."

"Old friend, tell me your secret." The King would put his arm around Dan, "Those Alpha wolves are arrogant and unruly, most won't even give me the time of the day!"

Dan had been on high alert all night. He knew… he knew there must be something afoot, for why would the King honor anyone more than himself?

Dan was no fool, but he had been away from court too long to know exactly what was hiding under the grass. He could only accept the toast - whatever it should be - because he knew he would not survive the forfeit.

After all these years, Dan Lion was still walking the thin line to save his wretched life. He was tired. All he ever wanted was food and a roof over his head. Now he lived in the palace, ate food from the King's table, had his arms covered in costly silks and jeweled bangles, each awarded to him to honor his many services to his kingdom.

Of all the nobles and advisors in the King's Court, Dan Lion had the most number of bangles. Yet they could not cover the slave bands burned under them.

He was no longer a desperate boy running away as his home town burned. He was no longer a slave.

So why was he still dancing in the minefields?

"They respond politely because of the King whom I represent." He answered in all his usual tact.

The King laughed and nodded, "You are too modest, Old friend."

And then Dan was informed about trouble with the current trade arrangement.

"Oh?" Dan had no choice but to take the bait, "What troubles you my King?"

"It would be reassuring if we could somehow form some kind of relations with Moon Bell." The King said.

"But it's impossible, Your Majesty." One of the royal advisors piped up on cue, "The wolves there are blue demons and are elusive like vapor. All their political dealings with humans can only be made through the Snow Moon Kingdom or the Silver Mountain Pack."

Dan had a bad feeling about the direction of this conversation.

"It would surely lead to death." Another advisor said.

They all looked to him, and Dan understood it was his turn to speak.

"Even if it cost my life, please send me, my King." He said.

Of course he would had much rather said, "Please give me some time to investigate the situation and make a report of the viable options to rectify this problem."

But Dan knew this dance, he knew this script, he understood what the King had already planned for him.

Dan must now make the dangerous journey across the continent, and risk his life to gain Moon Bell's cooperation.

Off the top of his head, Dan was sure it was impossible. From what he had gathered from the wolves around him, The Alpha Henri was a recluse. The territory beyond Gate City was off limits to outsiders.

But that was alright. No one expected him to succeed. In fact, if he did not die in the Green Packlands, the King would make sure he met his untimely end the moment he stepped out.

His time was up. From the first day he was picked up along the road, he had seen how his Master ruthlessly used and discarded his pieces.

And suddenly, the puzzling pieces fell into place. The King was preparing for war, and the death of the people's hero would be the perfect excuse.

How ironic. Perhaps his dream for world peace was just a fool's errand.

"I will depart tomorrow morning for Snow Moon Kingdom." Dan promised, "Although the progress would not be straightforward, I promise to find an inroad to Moon Bell before Winter."

"Ah, hearing this I feel relieved." The King patted him on his should, "I will miss our drinks together, my old friend."

Dan lifted his goblet towards the king, "Then let us drink like it's our last night together, my King."

Because this would be his last night. Dan could not be sure he would survive the Green Packlands, but he would take his chances with the Blue Demons of the dark and wild lands of Moon Bell than return.

"To a peaceful future!" The King stood up and toasted, dragging Dan to his feet, he firmly squeezed his shoulder, "This man will establish peace between the lycans and humans for at least a hundred years!"

The entire hall cheered.

If Dan had not known better, he would've panicked at the prospect of letting everyone down. But this impossible mission wasn't meant to be successful.

He just had to go out, fail, die, and the King would take it from there and lead his army out against the lycans.

The lycans had grown too powerful lately, and Dan understood his King's thoughts too well to believe that the King would not take the opportunity to cull them down.

Dan was tired, but at that moment he realized he still wanted to live.

"I will not fail you, my King." Dan promised solemnly.

It would take at least three months to find a viable inroad to Moon Bell (and this was an optimistic estimate), after which he would drag on through the winter for as long as the King's patience would allow. Winter was not a good time for war, so it was likely he would be able to seek out avenues for another three months.

He would need a real invitation into the Green Packlands by then. If not, he would have to make calculated risks and pick from whatever options he had on hand to enter.

Once he gained entry, he was likely to be able to hold the fort in the name of diplomatic relation building for up to another year. As long as he was able to appear to be making progress on the news, the King would have to maintain his position.

That is if he did not die trying.

He was sure, the King would give him impossible cards to negotiate with. In case of the smallest chance of him successfully gaining audience with Alpha Henri, he must be set up to fail. Once the negotiations fall through, that would be when the curtains of his life fell too.

This was not the first time Dan was forced to face his curtain. But he was always clever, and sometimes, he had been lucky too. He would need a miracle to pull through this one though.

Still, he had one and a half years more. When the general's carriage stopped in front of him, maybe the soldiers saw expandable help to pick firewood and haul water, but Dan had saw his one chance to survive. Perhaps this was his chance to break away and disappear into a peaceful hidden existence. He had fantasized so many nights while traveling about staging his death and leaving the Three Kingdoms. Such wild dreams! Perhaps it was time to revisit them. Perhaps the Green Packlands was far enough, surely it was the only place the Three Kingdoms had no foothold in.