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The rubble of the buildings they had destroyed laid smoking all around them and the townsfolk stood rooted in horror, unable to run away. Lyria went to each of the dragons in turn, offering praise and a heartfelt thanks that made their great spiked tails twitch with pride. Lyria looked over the smoldering ruins of the town, he knew that this would make every other city in Abriciel tremble before they dared to cross him.
Kur finally trooped into the city once the men and women had been sent in a scatter across the country to spread the word. The old dragon had not wanted to face the dead look in their faces. He did not want to face a gloating Lyria either but he knew he had no choice. His fate was tied to the man now. "You have your city now." He told the finely clothed man as he made his way across the city's courtyard. He could not bring himself to look at his fellow dragons either, the smug self-satisfaction that they often had on their faces after these slaughters.
"And a fine show your friends made of taking it to." Lyria said with a gleeful grin. The only thing that saddens me is you stayed on the ground. All the others tell me that you are far and away the best of them."
"Which is why I fight only when the field is even." Kur rumbled a bit more crossly than he intended.
Lyria caught the slight but recovered his composure swiftly. "Such nobility, it is a shame that few others share your code of honor."
Kur shrugged his massive head at this, brushing off the duplicitous compliment, "Where are we going now?"
"Now we move on Abriciel." Lyria spoke with a malicious light in his eyes.
"The capitol?"
"Why not? We're strong enough now to take the city. Imagine, all we will be able to do when we are in power. Word is going to spread quickly about what we did here today, and that is going to have the whole country trembling with fear. The country is ours for the taking."
"No." Kur shuddered at the thought of Lyria's bloody coup. He spoke faster than he had intended, instantly betraying his terror and disgust at the thought of violently taking Abriciel. "We should go home first, rest, and see if they don't capitulate to our demands without more bloodshed." He added hurriedly, hoping that Lyria would mistake his earlier tone for weariness.
The flash of utter hatred that whipped across Lyria's face came and went so quickly that Kur was not sure he had really seen it. It had been the look a man deranged, a demon beast. When Lyria went on it was in the same sweet voice that had seduced the dragons into siding with him all those long months before. "Of course, how silly of me, pushing all of you on like beasts of burden. You must be tired. Perhaps you are right, Abriciel may sue for peace without us having to pitch even one more battle. Forgive me, the excitement of the moment got the better of me."
Kur did not believe Lyria for one second, but he played along with the madman as they spoke to the others. He even bowed when Lyria praised him loudly. The other dragons cheered their leader exuberantly, completely in love with him.