Path of The Dragon Mage (Nomad): 74. Exit (Patreon)

Note: Two chapters today! 

"I have a question," Roan said. "If I'm understanding this right, they've protected this nest for how many years? And now they're just going to let you give them anyway to anyone who can afford them?"

Roan, Gwen, an Starella could not understand the Guardians, but it seemed the Guardians could understand human speech just fine.

Granite shifted his great weight from side to side. "Eggs must... be hatched. Now they sit and sit. They do not rot... this is true. But neither... do they grow."

Corvus translated this for the others. "It's either that or let them sit for another few centuries." He glanced at Granite. "The original idea was to keep them out of the monarch's hands and out of the Royal nesting grounds. Isn't that right?"

Granite nodded.

Corvus continued. "It's not a perfect system, but better than letting them linger down here. If Daffodil succeeded and the ratkin won the siege, they would have discovered this place. Then Daffodil would have access to the nest. This way, the eggs can be given to those who have the Path--"

"And who can afford it," Gwen added grumpily.

"Those who are willing to work for it," Corvus told her. He could see where this was going. Gwen had never been a fan of the noble class, who had money enough to buy anything... including the employment of people willing to run the dungeon for them. "They have to have the Path to hatch the egg," he repeated. "Do you think many of the nobles will give up their elemental powers?"

The question had been aimed at Gwen, but it was Starella who answered. "No."

"You just did," Gwen said.

"I was born of the highest station. I have nothing to prove. The nobles wage constant wars among each other for superiority. Corvus, you remember?"

"Yes, and I wish I didn't." As the prince who was in constant disfavor, some nobles got the idea of making points with his father by slighting him in public. It was nothing overt, but in the world of court politics and intrigue... it meant everything. He shook his head. "I can't imagine any giving up their Elemental Talents for a chance at a dragon egg. To them, elemental talent is power and... well, it's technically illegal to own a Royal dragon egg. Every noble wants to be in good station with the king. "

Gwen relaxed. "That's okay, then."

Soon, other nest guardians started arriving with different eggs in their claws -- known favorites they'd watched over their entire lives. At Granite's urging, they placed them on the store's countertop to be scanned and added to the inventory.

The whole process has the air of a ritual.

This was an entire hidden society of a subterrain dragon species. One with its own rules and culture. His heart ached at the thought of what the Royal dragons must have once had before they left this kingdom.

Feral dragons didn't have a community, being more solitary creatures. But they did have intelligence. yet most people saw them as animals.

Another wrong he had to find time to right. He should start a list.

As the eggs were added to the store, one by one, younger nest guardians crept out of hidden crevices. All were under level ten and had overly large heads and eyes of young creatures. Some were as small as puppies.

One tumbled clumsily off its perch to stop at Gwen's feet. She picked it up and it squeaked at her, butting its craggy head against her shoulder before flapping its stunted wings in a clear demand to be let back down again.

"No," Corvus said, laughing. "You can't keep it."

"That's fine. I already got two pets. I don't need a third."

"Who's the second?"

She batted her eyes at him.

"If you two are done," Roan said pointedly, "we should look into getting out of here soon. I don't know how long we've been down here but considering them I don’t think it'll be a good idea if someone sends a search party."

Corvus agreed. "First, we're getting CloudStrike some essences."

Roan stared. "You weren't kidding?"

"Not about that," Corvus said. "Take my tickets. If I know Charm, she'll want me to run the dungeon and oversee me pick them out for her."

Thinking of his dragon brought a pang close to loneliness to his heart. They hadn't been separated for so long since the day she hatched. He hoped she was managing okay.

Roan stared at him for a moment then clapped his hands together. "I know better than to looks a gift horse in the mouth. Let's do it."

In the end, they bought three types of essences. There were dozens to choose from and none had explanations of the spell's they'd provide a horse. So it was mostly guesswork.

Essence of Rebirth.

Essence of Light

Essence of Defense

The last was the easy choice. Roan was a defender and so he wanted something similar for his mare.

The hope was that rebirth would provide a healing aspect to fix her damaged foot, and light would, in Roan's words "Provide lightness. You know, like flying."

Corvus wasn't certain about that, but his friend would not be talked out of it.

Once Roan was loaded up with the glowing orbs -- which looked like seven points of light in his hands. Two of the light, two of rebirth and a full five of defense -- they were ready to go.

Corvus turned to Granite. "Is there an exit out that we can take?"

He remembered the open pit he'd seen one of the nest guardians climb out of but none of them had wings to reach the top and he wasn't trusting Starella's gravity skill any time soon.

"This way," Granite said. "Though... it will take work."

The outside tunnel was blocked by debris. But the nest guardians, as well as Roan who boosted that his strength was level twenty-one without additional attribute points, helped to clear it. Soon, they'd opened up a hole large enough for all to slip past.

The tunnel beyond was aged and damp, but solid.

Granite accompanied as far as until they saw a slice of light from the setting sun. He stopped and gestured with a shrug of his wings. "The light."

"It's uncomfortable?" Corvus asked.

Granite blinked his large eyes. "Yes."

"We will manage from here. I'll return as soon as I can to work on the command runes." He intended to put in a good deal of research in the library of book's he'd picked up from under the orphanage. He'd taken sketches of the ring of runs and planned to do research and experimentation of his own.

... Just as soon as he had a spare moment.

"We will wait. We will... prepare the dungeon," Granite said and backed away with a bob of his head.

The group walked on. The moment Corvus stepped into the light of the fading day, whatever invisible barrier that had blocked him and Charm held no more substance. In an instant, he was aware of her, and she to him.

Where were you?!

So much for hoping Charm hadn't noticed.

Is everything okay? he asked instead of directly asking.

Of course it is. You were gone eight hours. I could not have possibly destroyed the entire city in eight hours... though I was on the verge of sending Perry after you with a troop of guards, she admitted.

He smiled. "I'm fine," he said aloud. "We're all fine."

I will be the judge of that. Stay there. I will come and retrieve you myself.

He looked around. "This is going to be interesting."

The tunnel had led to a culvert used for runoff for the city's yearly monsoon rains. That had opened into what used to be a street. Now, it was chocked with explosive jungle growth. There were large lumps on either side he assumed used to be buildings. Even if he had known this part of the city well -- and he didn't -- it would have been unrecognizable.

Roan casually reached up and grabbed a red fruit was swinging off the end of a low branch. He broke it open with easy strength and discovered soft, citrusy flesh inside. "Wow. An apple orange. Anyone want some?"

"How do you know that's not poisonous?" Starella asked uneasily.

"I have a few purging runes in my first aid kit," Corvus said.

Roan shrugged and bit into the fruit. He chewed and groaned. "This is to die for, but I got no poison message. Here, Princess, have a taste." He pulled off a section of the fruit and handed it to her.

She took it, her cheeks going slightly pink.

Gwen stepped to Corvus's side. "I'm not sure I like whatever's going on between the two of them," she said softly.

In answer, Corvus bumped his shoulder against hers.

Charm found them with uncanny accuracy and announced herself by crashing through the thick canopy of branches with the grace of a cannonball through... a canopy of branches.

She looked a bit like a cannonball, too. Burnished silver metal covered her softer belly, throat, and over her wings where she'd tucked them close to her body. As she landed, the metal melted into the copper tracing between her pearlescent scales.

Only rigorous palace training kept him from having to pick his jaw off the floor. "How?"

She preened, standing up to her full height. In the shadowy jungle, she seemed to generate a light of her own. A reminder that he’d fed her a lot of sun and silver moon essences as a hatchling.

"I ordered a bounty on the location of every Queen rat the soldiers found, then looted their bodies for essences. My metal bonding is at intermediate twenty-five."

Then before he could process that she dipped her head and looked very closely at Corvus. Just one of her golden eyes was as large as his spread hands. "You don't seem to be bleeding," she admitted. "But you’ve had an adventure."

"I have. I'm also surprised you didn't try to break through to the dungeon when you noticed you couldn't hear me," he said and then added, quieter. "Thank you for trusting me to take care of myself."

"Though I couldn't hear your mind, I could tell you were alive," she sniffed.

He smiled and rested his hands on top of the soft skin at the tip of her muzzle. A short time ago, she had nearly torn the city apart when he'd gotten a tattoo. It was a mark of how much she had matured.

Charm snorted, following his thoughts easily. Then her brilliant gaze shifted to see Starella and her egg she held in the crook of her arm.

"I see you have retrieved your egg."

"Yes, and I intend to hatch it, too," Starella replied challengingly.

"Good. I could use a brother."

"Be careful what you wish for," Corvus said with a smile. As he did, he pictured the nest down below.

Charm inhaled a sharp breath. "Many more eggs -- and all are fertile? This is excellent." She looked down at Corvus with pride. "I knew I chose you for a reason."

"Wasn't it me who chose your egg?"

"You can think that," she said cryptically. Then she crouched. "Let us return to the tower. I want to show you how well I did managing the city."