Tales of the Lorekeepers 01 - Rise of the Red Dragon

know I can’t tell you. If I want it to come true, I have to keep it a secret.”
    “All right. Then how about you cut the cake?”
    “We’d better hurry with the dessert, Sam,” said his dad. “I have a surprise for you, and we have to get going.”
    “Where to?”
    “Well son, your mother and I wanted to get you a nice present for your birthday and as a reward for the good grades you’ve been getting lately. Since we don’t share your vast knowledge of medieval items and role-playing games, we decided to give you two hundred dollars instead, to spend in any store you want … though I’m pretty sure I know which one you’ll choose.”
    Samuel could hardly believe what he had just heard. “Really? Any store I want? Can we go to the Gryphon’s Lair at the mall?”
    “That’s where I figured you’d want to go. We’ll pick up Lucian on the way. I already told his parents, and he’s waiting for us.”
    “Sounds good to me.”
    Samuel quickly carved three pieces out of the shield-shaped cake and handed two of them to his parents. Shortly afterward, he and his dad were on their way to pick up his best friend Lucian for a shopping spree in the only store Samuel deemed worthy of getting his two hundred dollars.

    The Gryphon’s Lair was the largest and most popular store for role-playing games in the region. Along with a seemingly endless variety of board games and figurines, it had everything needed to personify any hero or villain, from plastic swords to real armor, including velvet capes and leather boots.
    Samuel and Lucian visited the store religiously every week, searching for new arrivals and marveling at the craftsmanship of the swords and shields. They would spend hours trying out knight’s outfits, bombarding the employees with questions about new and upcoming games, and reading comic books and encyclopedias on monsters and wizards. They rarely bought anything, since the prices were high, but tonight was different. Tonight Samuel had money to spend.
    “I got the replicas section!” called out Lucian as soon they set foot in the store. Before Samuel could reply, his friend had disappeared behind a shelf filled with plastic daggers.
    The two boys had grown up together, living next door to one another practically all their lives. Lucian had been the one who first got interested in role-playing games. Of course, that did little to help with his popularity at school, which was already at a minimum because of his weight and his unruly red hair. However, Lucian did not pay much attention to the opinions of others and Samuel would not have changed his friend for all of King Arthur’s gold. As for himself, he could have easily hung out with the jocks and football players, but he was simply not interested in such things. Reliving battles of ancient legends and playing heroes to save the world was much more fun than risking a concussion every five minutes. It did not make him popular with the ladies, but he figured he would have all the time in the world to rectify the situation once he had grown up.
    “Check this out!” yelled Lucian, holding up a black cape with a golden trim. “I’ve never seen this one before. It looks amazing.”
    “It does, but I think I’ll pass.”
    “Why? You do remember we have a cosplay event this coming weekend, don’t you? Your thief could use an accessory like this.”
    “The trim would give me away immediately. It has to be completely black if I want to use my cloaking ability.”
    “I still think it looks cool.”
    “Let’s keep looking. I’m probably going to go as a common warrior this time anyway.”
    Lucian and Samuel had recently discovered a nearby campsite that was being used as a venue for cosplay events once a month. One of the most fascinating aspects of cosplay was hunting down items and finding the right equipment or the perfect gear to suit your character. The participants were usually well versed in medieval history, and every detail was scrutinized to ensure the highest degree of realism. Even the symbols on a piece of armor were carefully chosen to represent the era and country of origin of the character.
    Samuel kept looking at the merchandise, carefully inspecting every object and studying every book cover. He finally stopped in the figurines section, which had everything from small-scale replicas of knights and goblins to larger statuettes of dragons, some almost two feet high. Most of the items were gray or white, ready to be painted