Leiv watched the transition of dusk to night fall from the estate’s elaborate porch. With his brawny arms folded against his chest, he leaned against a stone column and allowed his thoughts to drift. More than a thousand acres of livestock-occupied pasture had become Leiv’s responsibility, a duty delegated to him by Master Drakenstone. With his employer out of the state to pursue matters of the heart, Leiv temporarily became the indisputable lord of all he currently surveyed. The fields, the orchards, and every head of cattle grazing the expansive grounds relied on him. Such was the case whether Saul Drakenstone was present or not, and had been true for the past 35 years since Leiv’s father had died and passed the torch to him. As the first son of the first son, he continued their familial oath of duty as the seventh generation to serve the Drakenstone family. While many dragons did consider their retainers to be pets, Saul never treated him like a slave, nor did the ancient wyrm lay unreasonable expectations.
