Dawn of the Last Dragon Rider - Chapter 022 - A Whole New World (Patreon)

Six days on the road with a man who would not share the truth about how one's father had died had made Kaen very grouchy. By the time they could see Ebonmount in the distance, they had not talked much, and the times around the fire at night were not much more than grunts.

Hess had left Kaen alone, figuring that he would outgrow the anger and hurt and eventually realize he could not break an agreement like his.  He wanted to tell Kaen so much, but his oath prevented it.  Even though he wanted to tell Kaen, his lifestone would not allow him to.

Kaen and Pammon had spent each night curled up next to each other.  They had moved miles into the woods and found a place where they could be together.  Pammon always brought a deer or boar for them to butcher and eat.  Whatever they did not cook, he gladly finished for them.

Kaen seemed content only when he wedged himself against Pammon’s scales and slept.

The city's massive walls came into view as they reached the edge of the forest.  The once thick and often overgrown forest turned into a well-managed and trimmed tree farming area.  Farms started appearing on the outskirts of the area, cleared of trees.  Guards patrolled the roads, and the rare cart they had seen the first few days of travel turned into a steady stream of carts headed along the well-traveled road.

Houses were rare at first, and then more and more houses started to appear across the land until small groups of homes and buildings that were clustered together became common and larger.

The fields were full of workers, and kids laughed and played when they were not helping the work.

All of this, which stood on a scale grander than anything Kaen had ever seen before, meant nothing when compared to the actual city of Ebonmount.

When the walls came into view, Kaen stopped and stared at the city as the sun illuminated the towers and walls.  The wind blew across the field, making his brown hair move and twist, almost seeming to push him toward the city whose name came from the mountains themselves.

Ebonmount had been the name for as long as anyone could remember.  A massive battle had taken place here thousands of years ago, and the mountain was split down the middle on the north side.  What had once been a valley trapped within a bowl was now a place of trade due to the amount of metal in the mountains and the trees and fertile farmland inside it.  Only dragons or other flying creatures had been able to make it over the high mountains and live here with the animals that ran free.  The stories that had been passed down about dragons living here seemed plausible to Kaen since he knew there was a reason the land was so fertile.  All that dragon crap would have made the soil fertile beyond belief.

When the mountains had been split, dwarves had first moved here and started work, commissioned by the human kings of old.  They cut into the mountainside and crafted roads and houses built directly on the side of the mountain.  A huge solid stone wall was cut from the base of the mountain in one section.  For over four miles, a solid wall that was fifty feet high and forty feet thick ran from the base of the mountain, enclosing the city they built behind it.  The only opening was the main gate in the middle of the wall.  It provided a yet-to-be-beaten barrier for any army that had at one point dreamed of taking this place for themselves.

No war had been fought here in over five hundred years, and the city had become a place of economic growth and prosperity.  It served as a major hub for the adventures guild for this kingdom.  There was always a need that could only be met by the gifted men and women of the guild here.

On a dirt road surrounded by fields, workers, caravans, and Hess, Kaen saw the place he would now call home for the first time.

“It’s… How do they…”

Kaen fumbled for words for a few moments and turned when he heard Hess chuckling.

“It’s ok.  I was unable to fathom what I saw the first time I arrived.  It was actually harder on me because I came through the mountain pass.  I had thought the pass was impressive until I saw the city walls.”

Kaen nodded and shook his head in disbelief.

“How far away are we?”

Hess moved closer to Kaen and pointed to a group of buildings outside the wall that were nothing more than specks in the distance.

“We are a good two hours from there.  Even walking on a road, it will take us a while before we reach a place to stay and eat.  Tomorrow we will go inside the actual wall and arrive at the guild.”

“We aren’t going in today?”

Hess shook his head no.

“I need to see if someone still owns a place in the outer city.  If they do, it will be better in the city's outer ring than inside.  The cost of living inside the walls can only have increased since I was here many years ago.  While I am not poor, I would find myself having to join other parties and leave you alone if we stay inside the city walls for any length of time.”

Money.  It was not something Kaen had thought about or considered the need for.  Everything they had had been bartered or earned.  He had a pouch of silver coins, but he had no clue how much food and a place to live cost out here.

Turning, he saw how far away the forest was and realized staying out there and returning to the city was not going to be an option.

“How long will I be away from Pammon,” Kaen asked as he leaned closer to Hess.

“I told you to make sure you said goodbye this morning,” Hess sighed.  “It may be a week before you can see him again.  Depending on what rank you get and the quests we can take will determine how soon we can go and see him.  For now, talk with him how you two do, remind him to stay safe and out of sight, and focus on what is going to happen tomorrow.”

Hess started walking a little faster, and Kaen became frustrated again.  He had not been paying much attention this morning when Hess instructed him to make sure they said goodbye.  He had not considered how long it might be before he saw Pammon again.  Knowing they would be apart that long, a piece of him felt like it was missing.

Pammon… I just found out I may not be able to see you for about a week.  I am sorry I did not realize it would be so long.  Will you be ok?

I will be fine.  You may not be because you are still upset with Hess.  Stop pouting and be the man you claim to be.  We will do much harder things than not seeing each other for a week.  I will be content to hunt and eat till my belly almost bursts.  Do not worry about me.

Kaen started to reply and stopped.  Damn, his dragon knew where to hit him.  He was upset with Hess, but Pammon was right.  He was not acting like the man he said he wanted to be.

Thank you, Pammon.  I needed that reminder.

Pammon was laughing, and Kaen knew it.

I will always tell you when you act like a fool.  Thankfully you put up with me when I was hardheaded and acted like an eggling.

Kaen burst out laughing, and a few people on the road near them turned to see what he was laughing about.  He had not realized he had stopped walking, and Hess was now a good thirty yards ahead of him.

You were hard-headed.  Thank you for reminding me of that.

Running down the road, Kaen reached Hess and punched him on his arm.

Hess turned and saw Kaen smiling at him.

“Sorry, I have been acting like an eggling.”

Hess squinted his eyebrows for a moment and then broke out in laughter, drawing the attention of those around them as Kaen had a moment ago.

“I do not think I could have said that better.  Glad to see your friend has helped you see the truth of that.”

Kaen laughed and nodded.

“Sometimes we all act like one, don’t we?”

Grabbing Kaen in a headlock, Hess ran his knuckles against Kaen’s head for a moment before letting him go.

“Yes.  Yes, we do.”

Kaen had been awestruck at how many houses and shops were packed against each other in the outer part of Ebonmount.  They had not yet reached the main section, but the roads had gone from a hard, dirt-packed one to stone roads three carts wide.  Each stone was perfectly flat, and all the corners and edges were flush against each other.  The roads ran straight and square, forming a perfectly laid out city section.

“Magic,” Hess said with a chuckle.  “They use magic to make the stones and keep them from wearing down.  Most stones would break down quickly, but these will last years before they need to be replaced.  There is a team that keeps the roads in shape and clean.”

Hess pointed to a cart that had a horse and three men working it.  Whenever a horse or another animal defecated on the road, the men would run out, collect it, and throw it into the back of the cart.  Kaen had not paid attention to any of the other carts that looked just like that one until now.  Every few blocks was a group just like that.

“Sewers,” Hess said as he pointed to the grates that were inset occasionally along the stone roads.  “They take water and waste and run it to a special location way off to the east of the city.  There some who are gifted with magic help to remove the bad stuff from the water and find a use for it again.”

Everywhere they went, Hess pointed out different aspects of the city.  Hess told him what each of the signs meant and answered every question he could that Kaen asked.

Kaen had no idea that there were so many different shops that all sold the same thing, apparently.  They had passed multiple weapon shops, countless bakeries, healing and potion shops, churches, temples, bars, inns, and more.  It was staggering to think there were this many businesses that somehow functioned and stayed open.

“What are those?” Kaen asked as he pointed down a street at some large signs outside of a warehouse-looking building.

“Those are training schools,” Hess said with a chuckle. “Those who can afford it and need extra training with weapon skills can find a few scattered around here.  Most of those who visit them are individuals with lifestones that are trying to get good enough to pass the adventurers test.  Sometimes those who pass the test still come here for some one-on-one training with the master of the school if they have enough money.”

Hess paused, glanced at the street corner before them, and then turned right.

“Sorry, I was trying to make sure I remembered the way.  Anyways when one is an adventurer, mastering one's skill is the difference between life and death.  You should know that better than anyone.  You know the difference between having archery at 19 and 20.”

Kaen nodded as he walked next to Hess.  He wondered if one of those schools could help him improve.  The real question would be if the price were worth it.

Miles of wandering through the town finally ended when Hess stopped at a corner, wrung his hand, and made a weird face.

“Why are we stopping?” Kaen asked as he looked around.  “You lost?”

Hess shook his head and sighed.

“No.  Up there is where we are headed.”

Kaen looked to where Hess started to point and saw a sign for an Inn.

“The Fluffy Ignot?”