Silence fell over the chamber. A single, unknown dragon, armed with supernatural power of elements, now existed somewhere in the world most likely. Nomad's jaw was open, and Gypsum stared at the maps on the wall.
What have I done? Vireo thought. This wasn't supposed to happen. He just wanted to create a diversion, a mystery to keep them busy. He didn't want to invent a demon that would send the entire kingdom into a paranoid frenzy.
"How would we even find such a thief?" Gypsum finally stammered. "They could be anywhere. Anyone. They could look like a simple farmer, a merchant..."
"We send spies to all the kingdoms!" Nomad growled, slamming a claw on the table. "We interrogate everyone. We find them and we rip their powers from them!"
"And how do you propose we do that, Nomad?" Queen Ephedra snapped, her voice cutting and cold. "How do you interrogate a dragon who can boil your blood with a thought? How do you sneak up on a thief who might be able to hear a whisper from a league away? Brute force is useless here."
The plan was impossible. A hunt for a single, super-powered individual among the over hundred thousand dragons who live on the continent, who might not even know the extent of their own power yet.
Vireo felt his mother's eyes on him. He didn't dare look at her. King Sotol, who had been listening to the panicked exchange finally spoke. "Ephedra is right. Force is not the answer. We'll have to bargain with them if they really do exist."
"Bribe them?" Gypsum asked.
"Precisely," the King confirmed. He looked around the table at his shocked agents. "This thief, whoever they are, did not seek us out. They took the power and they hid. This suggests they are not yet ready to challenge anyone. They may be frightened or uncertain. But every dragon has desires."
Queen Ephedra caught on immediately. "We could offer them gold and money, but we must also offer them what anyone would want: recognition, and a kingdom."
The scale of the offer was breathtaking.
"We will put out the word," King Sotol declared, eyeing the room. "Through channels both official and shadowed. We are not hunting a thief. We are seeking an ally. We will make an offer that nobody could refuse, that being land from our territory if necessary. All we ask in return is an alliance."
Vireo had to admit, it was a great and terrifying strategy. They would turn their greatest threat into their greatest weapon pretty much.
"Now as for finding this dragon," Sotol continued, "I believe the sensor gems will glow when you are near someone using their abilities, though I could be wrong. So," he waved his talon. "I will order the faction of The Glow of The Sun to work with the royal guard in finding the perpetrator. Whether they're in Ventifact, or another nation. I choose everyone in this room as diplomats plus a few others, and the other 124 dragons in this faction will watch for domestic suspects."
Vireo, quite literally, had never even considered the fact of being a diplomat.
"You are all dismissed," King Sotol commanded, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Your assignments will be delivered to you by dawn. Do not fail me."
They bowed and filed out of the chamber. Vireo walked on unsteady legs, keeping his head down, and avoiding his mother's gaze. He could feel it on him.
As they flew from the palace, everything felt strange. Every dragon he saw was could be a potential suspect, or a potential victim of the paranoia he had made. The old sand dragon selling dried dates, the young dragoness haggling over a clay pot, the guards patrolling the walls—could one of them be the "thief"? It was an absurd thought.
When they landed, Xylia finally spoke. "You were reckless. You spoke out of turn and created a scenario far more complex and dangerous than a simple search."
Vireo braced himself for rage, or a punishment.
"It was also," she continued. "Brilliant. You gave them an enemy they can chase, and a solution they can control. They see you now. Not just as my son, but as a mind to be reckoned with." She stepped closer. "That is why they chose you to be a diplomat."
Vireo stared at her, confused. "I still don't get it. I don't even know anything about negotiating with other kingdoms."
"I'm sure you're capable," Xylia said to him. "No one will see you as a threat. They will see you as the quiet son of a Ventifact agent, tagging along. They will speak freely around you. They will underestimate you. Do you see now? Do you see why the king and queen wanted you to be a Diplomat?"
"Yeah, but... where?" he stammered. "Where am I supposed to go?"
"Your assignment will be delivered in the morning," she said, turning to go into the house. "For now, rest."
Vireo didn't rest. He lay on his sleeping mat, staring into the darkness. He was going to be sent in some probably dangerous nation trying to find a phantom that might not even exist. It was crazy. All too crazy.
Vireo's sleep was black and dreamless, as if the night was over in an instant. The world came back in a rush of stinging pain from his arm. He rolled over on his mat, hissing as the movement pulled at his barely-healed cut.
He didn't have to wait long. Just as the sun began to cast long shadows across the floor, a sharp knock came at the door. Xylia opened the door to reveal a royal messenger in polished bronze armor, holding a sealed scroll.
"For the agent Vireo," the messenger said, his voice flat and formal.
Xylia took the scroll and handed it to Vireo without a word. His claws trembled as he broke the wax seal. The script inside was elegant and sharp.
By Order of Their Majesties, King Sotol and Queen Ephedra,
You are hereby assigned as Diplomatic Envoy to the Kingdom of Inselberg. You will travel with a Royal Guard escort, and Captain Caracara. Your stated purpose is to renew trade agreements. Your true mission is to observe. Listen for any muttering of a dragon with newfound abilities. Depart at midday from the Western Gate.
Inselberg. The other great sand dragon kingdom. Their rivals, in a way.
"Inselberg is a nest of spies and back-stabbers," Xylia said, having read the scroll over his shoulder. "But they are also proud. They love to gossip, to brag about their strength and the such." She looked at him, her blue eyes intense. "They will see you as a child. Let them. Let them forget you are there while you listen to every word."
Vireo just nodded, the scroll feeling unusually heavy in his claws. He had a few hours. A few hours before he had to leave, maybe for weeks. There was only one thing he had to do. He flew to Peyote's house and landed softly at the front door. He knocked three times. Peyote flung the door open, his face alight with a huge grin.
"Vireo! You're just in time! I was about to show Leafy a new trick!"
Peyote led him to his room. Leafy was out of her cage, and now perched on Peyote's shoulder. On the floor were three berries: one red, one blue, and one yellow.
"Okay, Leafy," Peyote said, pointing with a claw. "Bring me the blue one."
Leafy's dark eyes darted from the berries to Peyote. Then, with a little hop, she scrambled down his arm, trotted over to the berries, ignored the red and yellow ones, and picked up the blue one. She then scampered back and held it up to Peyote with a proud little chirp.
"See!?" Peyote beamed. "She gets it! She knows her colors. And she learned them like instantly! Isn't she the smartest thing ever?"
"She is," Vireo said, a genuine smile touching his face for the first time all day. The sight was so simple, so good. And really impressive. He felt a pang in his chest.
"So, what's up?" Peyote asked, tossing the berry back to Leafy, who caught it happily. "Wanna go to the market? Or go to the fields and wrestle?"
Vireo took a deep breath. "I can't. I... I have to go away for a while."
Peyote's grin faded. "Away? Away where?"
"It's... my mom," Vireo began, the lie tasting like ash in his mouth. "She's making me go on a long, boring trip. Some family business thing. It's going to be awful."
Peyote wrinkled his snout. "For how long?"
"I don't know. A few weeks, maybe? It's going to be the most boring trip in the history of the world," Vireo said, trying to sound as miserable as possible.
Peyote looked genuinely disappointed. "Aww, man. That stinks. Well, at least you'll get to see what their city looks like." He then brightened a little. "You have to bring me back a souvenir! Like one of their weird spiky cactuses!"
"I'll try," Vireo promised.