"There’s a new cult forming in the hinterlands."
Aurelius sat coiled behind his throne, his avatar seated upon it. The man who stood and spoke before him was Paul. Paul ran one of the dragon king’s numerous networks of informants. He was tall and skeletal, with beige skin and flat black hair.
"What kind of cult?" asked Aurelius. "I thought all those rubes worshiped their ancestors."
"That’s true, by and large," said Paul, "but I’ve heard from multiple sources that a giant has been wandering the fringes of the kingdom, healing the sick and preaching about his god Ur, who supposedly created the world. A couple of reliable informants even claim to have seen him heal."
Aurelius looked down from his throne. "Who is this giant?"
"His name is Zebulun."
"Zebulun! From the village of Koh?"
"Yeah," said Paul, "That sounds right. I think one of my guys mentioned that."
The dragon and his image stared off into space. "So the man who refused to be my general is starting a new religion in my kingdom. What are the tenets of this novel faith?"
"Apparently," said Paul, "it’s just one rule: love others as yourself."
The dragon and his avatar laughed. "That’s touching. And from an ex-soldier, no less. That’s all? No prayers or fasting or rituals?"
"Apparently not."
"He won’t get far with a religion like that," said Aurelius. "The rubes need ritual to keep them happy. This cult sounds harmless enough."
"There’s something else," said Paul. "The giant’s also been telling people that a new kingdom is coming into being. The Kingdom of Ur, he calls it. Says it’s being forged as we speak."
The serpent gave him a blank stare with its unblinking eyes. "That," he said, "is less harmless."
Paul grinned. "You want one of my people to settle him?"
The dragon thought for a moment. "No," he said. "If he really does have the power to heal — which I doubt — we need to know how he does it so we can use it."
"Should I have sorcerers spread the rumor that he’s a madman?"
Aurelius looked off into space. "No," he said, after a time. "Spread the rumor that he’s a trickster. He fools people into thinking he’s a healer and a prophet, so he can take their money — and that he takes advantage of women who convert to his faith. The rubes who have met him won’t believe it, but those who hear about him second-hand will be conditioned to think he’s a fraud."
Paul smiled his smug, superior smile. "Alright! I’ll set the wheels in motion."