The Royal Road

By day, Weston Davies designs mascots for Sanderson Designs and avoids the new productivity consultant, Sidney Romero, who has been hired to ensure maximum efficiency. In the evenings, Weston writes. Fantasy, detective stories, science fiction—he’s tried it all, and he isn't very good. All his attempts are riddled with clichés, and his characters become mouthpieces for scathing commentary on overused literary stereotypes. Though fantastical dreams that inspire his stories haunt his nights, Weston can’t put words to paper without cringing. Worse, Weston’s work has begun to invade his sleep. Everybody in the office thinks Sidney is strange, quiet, and out to destroy the company. But in Weston’s dreams, Sidney is a mysterious dragon, a street-smart law enforcer, and a rebellious agent of the future government. While Weston reluctantly gets to know Sidney better in the real world, he struggles to reconcile him with the Sidney of his subconscious. What are his dreams telling him? Is Sidney being wrongly vilified? And what if Sidney recommends Weston’s boss fire him? Weston must learn to pick through the clues his dreams are giving him, or he will never understand Sidney’s role in his life—professional or otherwise.