Deltora Quest AU where Dain, Fallow, and 3-19 are all just not quite loyal to the Shadow Lord, because existence is a Curse and this is the only way that can get revenge on him.
If Dain spends a bit to long monologuing when he should be going after Lief and Doom (who survived the Shadow Lands, and therefore should immediately be threat #1) when he’s only been efficient before- well, he’s just declaring his love for his Master.
If Fallow is busy with Lumin when he should be interrogating the prisoners, well, that’s not really unexpected. If he tells the Shadow Lord that he doesn’t think Jarred’s son is on the quest (because that’s clearly Endon, there were portraits of him, for f*cks sake), well, he’s not lying (and it’s not like the Shadow Lord asked if he thought the man was Endon).
If 3-19 just happens to not look under the covers of a cage that clearly shouldn’t be there, if he hesitates to convert the King of Deltora- that’s to be expect of a failure like him. (If he slips and leaves food scraps by the bars, if he looks in the wrong place when hunting for resistance members, well, he’s just getting used to his new form.)
Incompetence is difficult when a master demands perfection, but they make it work.
…Look, I just can’t believe that they were all that stupid, alright?!




















