An Elegant Solution

Minestus
Darn. Another crop of heroes. How inconvenient. I could just transform into my natural form and quite literally blow them away, but that would not be an elegant solution to the challenge, would it? Besides, there is the matter of how Astra broke her bonds. Someone is using magic. Checkers? No magical tradition - Gliders refuse to recognize magic for what it is even when they are caught in it. Lord Fred? Unlikely - typical knight and lord - very straightforward, very physical. Astra? I could not have ensnared her the way I did if she had one whit of magical ability. No, one or more of these nine new intruders - or perhaps a hidden master? - has to have done this. I know a veiled challenge when I see one. Very well.

Except for the Aqualarian amongst them, I would say that they are all strangers to the Shrecken. The two humans do not look like anyone from lands that I have seen. And the elves - there are no elves near the Shreken. The nearest elves that I know of are far to the South and West, but none of these would quite fit in there. Could they be Easterners? Possibly. Never seen elves there, but that would fit in with the unprecedented appearance of the Glider - something may be brewing. I might have to pay the East a visit once this group is dispatched.

Ah, Minestus, it is all speculation. Kind of fun to hear the little elf prattle on about how I should fear her race. What did she say she was? Whatever. They all have a short lifespan, compared to me. I will be devastating kingdoms yet unfounded and sunning myself on islands yet unformed when your race is not even a memory! Oh, well, act suitably impressed, and try to find the real leader.

This could be as good as the Gartenheimer Expedition, if things break right. Twenty-one heroes come in, thinking that this would just be like rounding up a larger version of a bull and slaughtering it. Three miserable men stuggle out, scarred by the experience. Oh, and how pompous they were. The higher they claimed their morality to be, the more fun it was to watch them fall. I was not using the Belboz persona at the time, but I managed through my disguise of the time, though selective telling of unpleasant truths, innuendo, and initiating some well-timed misfortunes, to probe for the weak spots in that group. And they never traced it all back to me! An elegant solution to the problem. The envy, the deceit, and the betrayal amongst these 'chivalric' and 'courtly' gentlemen was a marvel to behold. Yes, destroying them all would be too crude. Probing for their weaknesses and watching their horror as they understand that they have betrayed their false and inflated ideals, that is entertainment fit for the great Minestus! Or perhaps I should use this little group of twelve in the Big Project.

But how should I proceed? Fall in with the group, and offer help? Or depart, and perform my manipulations from afar? What weaknesses can I exploit?

1. "I see you at least know how to boast. Why did you experienced dragonslayers pick this particular dragon to slay?"
2. "You have a most odd way of ingratiating yourselves with us lowly natives. Where do you all hail from?"
3. "Well, I would be interested. Thirteen is my lucky number. Let us break bread, and talk further about how you plan to attack the dragon, and I will see if I can help."
4. by silently communicating to Astra. "Has the calvary arrived from Aqualaria? If you do not want to be cleaning and catagorizing the body parts of your twin for the next year, don't you dare tell them who I really am."

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