NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8: Jesse Sterling
The interrogation process was long and arduous but it was worth it. Because they had retrieved all the information needed.
The corruption of the Seas ran far deeper than Lukas had expected. These Dragonborn did not care about its people, they did not care about Linemall. They were just worried about their own personal gain, drunk on power without anyone to keep them in check.
The Seas and its people, his people, had suffered for years on end because there was nobody powerful enough to stop them.
Lukas had seen how Marshall Sterling had treated that wyvern, how long had they been collecting these "payment fees"? How long had this been going on for? How long had his people been mistreated?
This currency, this coin was not one that even the Lady Kaitlyn had seen before. The Seas had always relied on a barter system but now it was this coin that controlled the market. Whoever had introduced it would have influence over the Seas' economy, influence that they could not control.
There was much to discuss but Lukas had had a long day.
That night, Lukas found himself reading through the interrogation reports in the kitchen, trying to wrap his head around all of it. Laid out before the Lordling was an entire feast of food that the chefs of the palace had cooked out for him. He ate ravenously, pausing in between bites to study the reports more closely.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the door slowly push open.
Lukas thought he had made it clear that he had not wanted anyone to enter the kitchen as he ate.
To his surprise, Lukas saw a young Dragonborn sneaking into the kitchen. He watched with great amusement as the boy looked out the door one last time, to make sure the coast was clear before closing the door behind him.
Lukas would have been mad if it had been anyone else but it was just a boy who wanted some more food in his belly.
"You're not supposed to be here." Lukas remarked before taking another bite into his meal.
The boy flinched, shock apparent on his face as he finally met Lukas' eyes.
For a split moment, Lukas could see the boy thinking about what the right move was here. He looked like he was around six years old but Lukas himself looked twenty and he was going on three hundred. You never knew when it came to dragons.
"It's quite alright, young one. You've done no wrong. Here, eat." Lukas shoved a plate towards him, gesturing to him to come forward to take it.
Relief flashed on the young boy's face and the kid gave him a sheepish grin before diving into the plate of food he has just been offered. "What's your name? Mine's Jesse! Jesse Sterling!" The kid introduced himself between mouthfuls of food.
Lukas stopped, tilting his head to the side and setting his report down. Lukas could barely believe his ears. Sterling? Jesse Sterling?
"Is that so? You're a Sterling? You don't look like your brothers at all." Lukas commented.
He had seen a lot of Sterlings in the last few hours, all of them now holed up in different cells where they would spend the night in the prisons of the Royal Palace. Marshall and his siblings all had a very distinct crow-like look. They had sharp noses and almost beady-like eyes, with dirty blonde hair. This kid, on the other hand, had brown hair and wide eyes.
This kid looked charming, even a little sweet.
Lukas could never have guessed that this would be the youngest brother of the Sterlings.
"Yeah! How do you know my brothers? Do you know where they are? They said they'd get me some food but…they never came back. That's why I snuck into the kitchen, I was starving!" The concern in his voice was heart-wrenching and Jesse even stopped eating; waiting earnestly for a response, clearly worried sick about his brothers.
"Oh, didn't you hear? They got rounded up, a whole bunch of the Dragonborn did earlier today. We catch bad people doing bad things. Don't worry though, if your brothers are innocent, they'll be set free soon." Lukas told the little Dragonborn, enjoying this interaction immensely.
For just a brief moment, Lukas saw anger flash across the boy's face but instantly his expression turned into what looked to be a genuine display of concern for his family.
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This kid was really something else, Lukas thought to himself. But he would let this play out a little longer.
"My brothers aren't bad people! I'm sure there's been some kind of mistake! Who are you? How do you know all this?" The way he asked Lukas made it seem like it was just an innocent question, born out of curiosity.
But Lukas knew better.
Jesse Sterling wanted answers. And Lukas was more than happy to give them to him.
"Oh me? My name is Lukas Drakos. It's a pleasure to meet you, Jesse Sterling." The boy's expression faded, replaced by one of understanding.
Jesse was quiet now, setting the plate down on the table. He didn't say a word, his expression one of shock and realization.
All of a sudden, the young boy didn't seem hungry anymore.
"In fact, right here, are the investigative reports from the interrogation of all 54 dragonborn that were apprehended today on suspicion of corruption and extortion." Lukas set down his plate, tapping on the reports laid out in front of him.
Jesse continued to stare at him, watching him in complete silence.
"Of course, they were all pretty adamant about keeping their mouths shut. It took a while but they eventually cracked. And they all had the exact same story. We checked and we checked again because honestly I couldn't really believe what I was hearing. All of this was intentional. It was deliberate. It was...organized. And you know the craziest thing about it, Jesse? They all said…that you were the brains behind the operation."
The innocent facade had disappeared. Jesse was no longer even trying to hide it, the young dragonborn knew there was hardly a point in lying at this point yet he continued to stay silent, his eyes locked onto Lukas.
There was a deep anger within those eyes.
It was his eyes that betrayed him, eyes that made his hyperintelligence clear; almost unnervingly so.
"Damn it. DAMN IT! BLOODY BASTARDS! Why couldn't they have just kept their mouths shut!?" The boy screamed with irritation, smashing the plate to the ground; shattering it into pieces.
Jesse took in a deep breath, eyes closed with his head raised to the ceiling.
A few seconds was all the young dragonborn needed to compose himself.
"So what is it that you want? Do you wish to rule now? Do you wish to take your brother's place?" The boy inquired, his voice calm and collected.
Lukas inhaled sharply. He might just be dealing with a sociopath.
"I want you to answer that question, Jesse. What is it that you want? You're not poor, you don't need the money. Why do all this? You're smart. So why this? Why do this when you could have done so much for Linemall? For the Seas?"
Jesse scoffed, an eyebrow raised in his direction. "For Linemall? What has Linemall done for me? What has it done for House Sterling? Don't act like you're doing this for the sake of your people, bastard boy. You want power. So do I. And what you do not realize is that money is power, Drakos. Not with House Drakos, not anymore."
Lukas did not show it but deep down, Jesse's question struck harder than he'd like to admit.
Was he himself just hungry for power? Just like he had been in his past life, searching for purpose through strength and domination? Was he really doing all this for the Seas of Linemall, was he really doing it for the draconic kind?
Lukas honestly was not sure.
"Then enlighten me, where has the power gone?"
"The Kraken's coin is the future. And thus, the power lies with him. He will soon have control over the Seas. And I doubt he's going to stop there. It's only a matter of time before he's the one in control of all of Linemall. I hate to be the one to break it to you but the Age of Dragons is long over. We were just too caught up in the glory and fame. It's time to move on. Lord Rodan is dead. I don't want his brother to die too."
Lukas stopped and then he saw it. He saw through the veil of deception, through this shield that Jesse had put up not because he'd wanted to but because he'd had to. At the end of the day, Jesse Sterling was still just a kid. And forcing the boy to submit through force was not going to work, not like it had with Marshall Sterling.
"I'm not gonna die and Rodan's not dead. I know he isn't. And I will find him. We will find him. But I need to make sure my people are safe. Rodan would have wanted the same. Don't you agree? So help me. And I promise you. The power will return to House Drakos. But that can only happen, if their people stand behind them." Lukas' voice softened now, more genuine than ever.
"I..." There was confusion in the boy's eyes. Jesse wasn't expecting a plea of support from the Lordling. Lukas Drakos was nothing like Marshall had described him to be, a savage with brutish overwhelming strength that could not be reasoned with.
Could Lukas really be telling the truth? Could he truly be the one to bring peace back to the Seas?
"I will be taking my leave now."
Lukas let Jesse leave, nodding as the boy did just that. There was no point in holding him here. What would Lukas get out of imprisoning Jesse against his will? That would just end up turning Jesse and the rest of the Sterlings against him for good.
But Lukas did know one thing for certain though. It was time to pay the Kraken a visit.