“Look, you’ve essentially kidnapped me and enlisted me in a war that I have no damn stake in. I think the least you could do is throw me a bone.”

The king seemed bemused. A half smile spread across his face, lifting one rosy cheek. David’s statement hung in the air. Leeuw’s large fingers tapped silently against the side of his throne.

“What is this bone throwing thing? Some idiom from your world?”

David scratched his chin and let out a slight awkward laugh,

“Yeah, what I mean is-”

“Support. Compensation.” Leeuw’s face was slack. His two dark eyes were deep pits gazing and searching. Evaluating. There had already been too much silence for David’s taste. He needed to reel them in, sell this to them. He felt a bit insulted about that, after all he didn’t ask to be here, they forced him. Just as they would force him to fight.

“Er. Sort of, I want a partnership. A voice. I have things I could share, things from my world even. And I’d want protection. The ability to live freely once this is done.”

“Power and protection then.” The king and the moment both were unmoving. The air was thick with Eric’s presence, the weight of his quiet. David looked around the room. His eyes settled briefly on Maria until he realized she was staring back at him, he quickly looked back to the king. Leeuw nodded his head towards one of the older men to his side as he said:

“We were prepared to compensate and prepare you, of course. In terms of position, peerage is possible. What could you offer? What position would suit you?”

Finally, David smiled. He took the bait.

“I want to have some land of my own, and I want you to really consider my ideas. I have plenty of things I can offer: for one, double-entry bookkeeping. It’s a method of using two ledgers to track expenditures. I can discuss the details later, but it would allow you to detect fraud. Another, the aqueduct, is an example of engineering that would help develop your water supply, hell I want basic plumbing just for my own comfort.”

“Are you an engineer? An odd profession for a hero.” Leeuw was wearing that same half smile. David was wary of it. It seemed not quite mocking, but there was a strange enjoyment in those eyes.

“No. But in my world we do general education, for everyone, even commoners. Another thing I could help you develop. I can do more than fight.” David said defensively. The king seemed somewhat off balance, surprise flitted across his face and he didn’t respond. The fingers dancing along the edge of his iron seat settled finally. David thought, ah that got him - I bet they’d never think of educating commoners. Leeuw looked up and met his eyes, and seemed to have made a decision.

“Very well, help us fight and I’ll make sure you have a say. Thank you, hero.”

“You’re welcome, king.”

David thought it had gone well, he now had access to books, a training yard and instructors as well as money. Eric seems open to letting me change some things too, and letting me have some land. I could make my own country if I play my cards right! Now he just had to investigate how difficult the demon threat would be to repel.

When he returned to his room he found history books, books on the local language, stratagems of war and even what seemed to be a book on magic. Luckily the language books wouldn’t be needed, either everything here was in english or he had some kind of magical ability to translate. David strongly suspected the latter. On top of the pile of books was a note signed by William that read “if these aren’t enough just ask, or you can access the library on the third floor - west wing”. The books were clearly crafted by hand, the writing of whoever had transcribed them was clear but couldn’t compare to the printed text he was used to. David picked up one book, a strange history book, and marvelled at its weight, the dusty leathery smell of it. Well, looks like I’ve got a long night set out for me here. Might as well start with something fun. He picked up one of the matches lying next to the oil lamp at the side of his bed and lit the torch. The light flickered against the walls, illuminating the stone in ways no electric light ever would. He sighed, opened the book titled simply “Magic - Novice” and thought it may as well be called magic for dummies. Ah well, let’s begin...

“He’s an idiot.” Maria said. No one moved or said anything until Leeuw started to laugh in a slow and quiet way that built into a cackle, she continued,

“Double-entry bookkeeping and the aqueduct? Obviously invented long ago. He negotiated with all his cards on the table while having done no research on either this country or the bloody way anyone lives here. The Eastern Block would eat him alive. He better damn well fight better than he negotiates, he’s decades out of date at least in terms of what he can offer us. He got nothing but some vague promises from you.”

Leeuw stroked his long white beard, running his fingers through the tangles, feeling the familiar tug as they caught at the more rough patches. He leaned back into the discomfort of his iron throne. This meeting had been hard. David, foolish as he may be, was right in one respect: he had been kidnapped to fight a war he had no part in. Summoning an otherworlder to save them was a failure. One that chewed at him. It was his failure. His gravelly voice rang out,

“He is a kidnapped child. Scared, foolish, dangerous. But… he will be strong, they always are.”

“It’s his strength we need. I’m sorry, mine has failed us.” William said. Leeuw smiled at his old friend,

“You haven’t failed. No demon king has ever been defeated without a hero. It’s the way. It’s simply our job to deal with the fallout.” And for this one, it seems, there will be plenty. William was an accomplished fighter, and an old one. Anyone who had lasted that many years on the battlefield was a monster. But even with people like him, it hadn’t been enough. They had been pushed back year after year. Each summer the demons tore up their land and crept closer to the capital, pushing back the southern border. Each year the harvests were less and the cost of the war cut deeper into every citizen. Crops had been razed, and the war had been bloody and expensive. Starvation, and exhaustion had been as much their enemies as the demons. The suffering, Leeuw thought, the suffering - it could not continue. He steeled himself once more. He would use this hero. He would save his people.

“So, what’s the plan?” Maria asked.

“We wait. We support him. For now, we let him think his ideas have merit. I don’t want him side-tracked attempting to reform the kingdom while our people and crops still burn. We do what we’ve always done: what it takes to win the war.” A wane exhausted smile filled Leeuw’s face, his lips reluctantly falling into place to form the tired shape, but his eyes passionately burned.