Tales of the Lorekeepers 01 - Rise of the Red Dragon

that’s why my sister is not with me.”
    “By all the demons of hell!” cried the now horrified Malloy. “What sort of family is this? Are you people mad?”
    “Actually, they are, but don’t worry. I am perfectly sane.”
    “I hope so. What about your parents? How did they react to the news?”
    Samuel thought he would have to make up stories for the rest of the night. He had to find a diversion and change the subject.
    “Of course, you realize I could not go back to them after such a tragedy. Can you imagine how much they would have grounded … I mean, scolded me? No, I decided to leave everything behind and join the army. But enough about me. I’m starving. I haven’t eaten all day. Is there any way I could find some bread or anything at all to eat?”
    Malloy was still staring at his feet in shock at the story he had just heard. He looked up slowly.
    “There are a few cooks dispersed around the camp. Actually, there’s one close by, over there. I think I just lost my appetite, though.”
    “And how does this work exactly?” asked Samuel “Is there anything to pay, because I only have … never mind, I don’t have anything to pay for food.”
    Malloy looked at him with an incredulous look on his face.
    “Are you serious? Of course the food is free, that’s the whole point of following this king of ours. You get food and clothing. Everything you see belongs to everyone. Wait, don’t tell me you joined for the actual battles?”
    “No, of course not!” answered Samuel.
    Without waiting one more second, he got up and walked in the direction the warrior had indicated. All around him, men of different ages and sizes were sitting together around fires, enjoying their meals. Some of them looked like farmers, fighting for their lands, while others exhibited the scars of many battles. They were probably mercenaries or professional warriors, always looking for the next fight.
    Samuel had always imagined that the camaraderie that was said to exist in camps like this one was a literary invention, popularized by authors of fantasy books and movie directors looking to give some depth to their characters. However, now that he found himself in a genuine legion of warriors, getting ready for a cold night inside an authentic camp, he could see that the bonds linking these men together were more than the fruit of a fertile imagination. They did not fight for a paycheck, but rather for their survival. Without any lands to live on, without any grass to feed their livestock, they simply would not exist.
    Not far from where he had been sitting, he saw another fire, with a gigantic cauldron resting on top of it. Samuel could feel his stomach growling in anticipation of the coming meal. He hesitated for a moment. Could he truly just walk over there and grab whatever he wanted? Was it really that simple?
    He peeked over his shoulder. Malloy was still sitting on the log, looking at Samuel. He gestured to the young boy to keep going, and Samuel did so. He tried to look nonchalant, hoping to hide as best he could the fear of being called a thief. When he was within five paces of the bonfire, a tall man suddenly appeared in front of him, blocking his way.
    “Where do you think you’re going?” asked the colossus, who looked to be in his early thirties. He was a mountain of muscles, covered in hair and gleaming with foul-smelling sweat. Behind him, strapped to his back, a huge war hammer was partially visible.
    “I said, where are you going, you worthless scum?”
    Samuel could not even look the man in the eyes. “I’m … I’m only looking for a meal,” he stammered.
    “Are you, now?”
    Behind the enormous brute, two more warriors now stood up, apparently hoping their leader would do something violently unpleasant to Samuel.
    “Look here, boys, this fool thought he could come here and steal our food.”
    “The sneaky thief!” said one of the two followers.
    Samuel thought about using the same tactic that had worked earlier to defy the big man. But his plan had only worked on Malloy because the warrior had been toying with Samuel all along. This guy, however, was not joking.
    “Look,” said Samuel, “apparently there was a mistake. I was told I could get something to eat over here. Apparently, I was misinformed.”
    “I would say so,” answered the colossal brute.
    “I’ll be on my way. Sorry to have bothered you.”
    Samuel wanted to turn and run as quickly as he could. Unfortunately, the mammoth in