Prologue: Tiran

Tiran Umber never liked his uncle. Well, the first one, Uncle Max Umber, was okay. He was a professor at the academy Tiran was attending. The second uncle, Randal Umber, however, and all the relatives who shuffled in behind him, his personal lackeys, were no better. Now, Randall sneered faintly as he faced him.

“How are your parents these days, Tiran?” Randall asked. He lifted a glass of wine, and the chatter around several of the tables quieted as people leaned in to listen to what Tiran said. Whenever it came to these high-end gatherings, people hoped for a scene or some sort of scandal.

Max Umber took hold of his own wine goblet.

“Why do you even bother talking to him, Randall? You only try to rile him up.”

“None of your business,” Randall told Max as he continued to keep his eyes on Tiran. “I heard they’re going away on a trip in a few days. Business is booming, as they say. Are you going with them?”

“Depends,” Tiran said. “Are you?” In his head, he remembered the last time he saw his parents interact with Randall. His father ended up cautioning Tiran, telling him to stay calm and not let the man goad him because he was just looking for an excuse to cause conflict, all under the thin veneer of respect and politeness that these little circles demanded, a sense of decorum while everyone secretly wished for more drama.

Tiran’s father said Randall was trouble but that they were working on a way to cleanly excise him from the family once and for all.

However, that appeared difficult to do since Randall and his father had been business partners for years until Randall started to run the business into the ground.

Randall sneered. “It seems your father is less and less willing to do business with me these days. Can’t think why.”

“Maybe,” Tiran said, feeling his irritation rise to the surface, “it might have something to do with your embezzlement of funds from the business.”

“I did no such thing,” Randall said, sneering. “I put the funds to good use.”

“Paying insanely high prices for products that could be bought for a lot less? I call that misuse of funds.”

“Quality products,” Randall replied coolly. “I’ve said it over and over. It’s not my fault that everyone assumes the worst of me.” He sipped his wine, avoiding Max’s eyes. “You were one of the biggest accusers, as I recall.”

Max glared at him. “I’m sure you’re an upstanding member of society. I look forward to interacting with you again…later.” He gripped Tiran’s shoulder and gently steered him away from Randall, who made no move to continue the conversation.

“You need to be wary of him, Tiran,” Max warned his nephew. “He sees you as weak and vulnerable.”

Tiran hissed. “I hate him. Dad said he was embezzling funds and causing people to quit; he’s been turning members of the family against us and trying to make out that he’s the good guy in all this when he’s clearly not.”

“He’s a slimy dragon, that’s for sure.” Max steered him into a corner. “Just be careful with that one. As I’m sure your father said, try to minimize your interactions with him. He has the sympathy of many, and your father’s side of the chessboard is still a little light, so keep your head down and focus on your studies. If you wish to take over the business someday, that’s up to you – but if you do, you should be more prepared than you are right now. Stay calm. That’s all we can ask for in the end.”

Tiran nodded, but still, a sinking, dark sensation swam through him at the thought of his parents being tied to such a person as Randall for any longer. A part of him didn’t see why they couldn’t just take flight, start anew, and build things up again in a place where they had everything to gain.

It would be better than watching his uncle Randall make the rounds, speaking to people, smiling in an almost serpentine way, with no warmth behind those eyes.

At least he’d be heading back to Dreadmor Academy tomorrow. Away from all these family politics, drama, and shifting alliances and whoever provided the most expensive wine at the gathering.

Maybe he’d be the first one to take flight from everyone in the end.