The old man sipped his drink slowly, knowing that it could be his last if he made a single mistake in his calculations. Regardless of the outcome of the long overdue dual, an unbeatable true sovereign would only need to place a crown upon their head before climbing the stairs to the throne of Zania.
His eyes never left the window as he watched the sunset not knowing if he would see it rise again.
*cough*
The pain of another eye breaking gripped him bringing the total down to nine and bringing the jaws of the dragon closer to his neck.
The smell of the old worn wood of the tavern, the taste of his cup, he took it all in trying to engrave it all into his memory. Perhaps if he had time he would visit a bed where legs spread for coin as he was unable to recall the feeling of a woman's touch, taste, or smell.
*Crack*
*Crack*
Pain racked his body as two more eyes shattered at the same time.