“Just to make sure –I win, I get all my winnings so far and I go home.”
“That is correct,” the king replied. “But if you lose, you lose everything except peace in the Zone. You will never see your home again.”
A sly smile curled the corners of Sordyr’s lips. He liked these odds. “I accept.”
The king flicked his hands at the guards by the far door. “Bring him in.”
Heads turned as the doors opened and a dwarf not yet into middle age sauntered in. His thick auburn beard reached his belly and his eyes were bright with confidence. His name, a whisper at first, gained in sound until it became a chant.
“Hakon. Hakon. Hakon.”
The dwarf stopped several paces before the throne and did a sweeping bow. “Greetings, King Vestar Silvercoat.”
“Well met Hakon Helgason. We have patiently w
