Dawn of the Last Dragon Rider - Chapter 027 - One Road Leads to the Guild Hall (Patreon)

The light came on before the sun was up.

Kaen was not sure if he had slept much at all.  He was excited about this morning more than he realized.

You need to calm yourself, you are making me anxious from how fast your heart is beating.

Kaen laughed to himself.

Sorry Pammon, I am just so nervous and excited about today.  It has been the only thing I have dreamt about for so long.  How have you been?

Bored. You know I miss your scratches and when you are close.  I understand the need for me to stay away, but it is not easy.  I have to stay further away and closer to the mountains. There are more people and adventurers out in these woods than back home.  I am easily a day away from you flying.

Are there that many people out in the woods?

There are groups of four to twelve sometimes out here.  They are often gathering stuff in the woods closer to the town.  I fly high up and in the sun so they cannot see me when I scout. I am getting bigger, though.  I need to keep flying every day as long as possible so you can ride with me.

Well, I will do my best and let you know once I know what rank I get!

Pammon laughed, and Kaen knew it after he made that comment.

You know I do not care what rank you are.  I care that you are safe and that we grow stronger together.  If you need my strength, just ask, and I shall give it.

Thank you, Pammon, but I hope I do not need that kind of help today.

Breakfast had been half a chicken, four soft rolls, some milk, and a few pieces of fresh fruit.  Beatrice was the one to serve him this morning, and she was a little tamer this morning.  Kaen was not certain if she had acted how she did yesterday for show or if she had been told who he was and not to push herself upon him.

“Good luck today,” Beatrice said as she cleaned off his table.  “We all cannot wait to hear how things go today!”

“Thank you,” Kaen replied as he finished the last bit of the milk in his glass.  It was extremely cold even though it was not the time of year when most people could get milk this cold.  He knew it must mean magic of some kind was achieving this.

As he stood up, he saw Hess coming from out of Sulenda’s office, and he was smiling.  He watched as Hess made his way through the few patrons that were up this early and eating.  Most acknowledged Hess with a slight bow or waved hand.  Then, Kaen noticed no one had really talked to him this morning besides Beatrice.

“Why are they not talking to me,” Kaen asked when Hess got next to him.

“People believe it is bad luck to wish you a good day or even acknowledge you on the first day of your testing.  Most will be better tomorrow, but there are strange beliefs about the adventurer test.”

“Do you believe in this thing?”

Hess laughed and shook his head no as he pulled his gold token out of his shirt and let it hang outside of it.

“If I did, I would not be talking to you,” Hess joked.  “I believe you are either ready for the test or not.  Someone wishing you good luck or ignoring you, I don’t believe, will help.  I actually believe the opposite.  It puts some people in a bad state of mind and makes the test harder.  Perhaps it was done to help weed out the chaff that is not ready.”

Hess adjusted the backpack he was wearing and motioned to Kaen’s bow.

“Put it on your back, and let’s go.  It is a good walk, and I want to be at the gate first thing.”

Kaen reached down and felt the power of the bow flow through him.  It was not just the magic it infused him with that made him enjoy carrying it, but also that his dad had made it for him.

The sun was just starting to rise on the other side of the mountains, and the sky took on an amazing orange color in the clouds.  As they walked north out of the inn, Kaen instinctively turned and looked in the direction he knew Pammon was.  He could sense him hunting already.  A week without seeing him seemed impossible to imagine, but Kaen was thankful that he knew Pammon longed for him also.

The streets were empty compared to when they came into town yesterday.  There were wagons filled with goods needing to be transported that moved slowly and steadily.  People were setting out signs and preparing the outside of their shops.  With fewer people on the street and the sidewalks, Kaen marveled at how much work people did do to attract customers.

They passed one shop that had rugs for sale, and though it seemed a bad decision, the sidewalk outside their shop was covered by six different rugs.  Each rug was of a different thickness and material.  One felt like he was walking on wool, and another felt like he was squishing almost on something wet.

“What is up with these rugs?” Kaen asked after they passed the shop and the man who had been watching Hess as he walked by.  When an adventurer of Hess’s level passed by and people saw his token, they all believed he could easily buy anything in their shop.  “Why would people want something that feels like those?”

Hess chuckled and motioned backward with his head, never slowing the stride he had.

“There are lots of reasons why someone would want a rug like those.  You might never know how amazing that soft rug feels on your bare feet.  Once you do, then you will gladly consider purchasing one.  After a long day on the road or working a standing job, that brief moment brings a relief that is hard to describe.”

“Well, what about the squishy one?”

“Good for jobs that require you to stand behind a counter or a desk.  It will help relieve the stress in your legs and joints.  There are actually some armors that feature something like that.  Useful against blunt weapons.”

Kaen glanced back at the shop and shook his head in disbelief.

“How long will it be before I know everything like you do,” Kaen joked.

“Trust me, Kaen, if you are smart and obey my wisdom, you will surpass me in knowledge of the world before you know it.  Your special friend, and you will see things I can only dream of.”

Kaen walked in silence next to Hess as he thought about those words.  Would Pammon one day be big enough to carry Hess and Kaen both through the sky?  He could only imagine what Pammon saw as he soared above Ebonmount.

A good hour passed, and they were almost to the gate as the sun broke over the surface of the mountain.  The sunlight gleaming off the top of the stone keeps and walls made Kaen cover his eyes as he tried to gaze at them.

“You will go blind staring, so stop,” Hess ordered him as he put his hand on Kaen’s head and pointed it down.  “You are going to need your vision for today's exam, so do not glance up at the sun unless absolutely necessary.  Also, close your mouth and stop acting like a country fool that has never seen a woman with all her teeth.”

Kaen laughed but still checked to make sure his mouth was indeed closed.  He could not help the staring.

Coaches with elaborate woodwork and gold and silver would occasionally roll past them from the gates.  Teams of horses that appeared in perfect health and size worked in harmony as a man or woman wearing clothes better than any he had ever worn kept the team moving all while calling out at those who might get in their way.

Occasionally a curtain would not cover the windows of the carriage, and he could see a man or a woman dressed in ornate clothes and with perfect hair or makeup.  Hess had told him that many nobles, other rich merchants, and more lived inside the walls of Ebonmount.  They played dangerous games to get adventurers to work for them and help their causes.  Knowing the right ones to align with was a problem too many adventurers failed to appreciate.  They became bonded like Hess was to Kaen and unable to break that bond without terrible consequences.

Soon they passed through the gate that Kaen swore was wider than three of their houses side by side.  As they approached it, a guard came toward them, checking the flow of traffic this early in the morning.  When he noticed the token on Hess’s chest, he simply nodded his head in acknowledgment and moved back to his post.

“That’s it?” Kaen whispered as they walked.  “He didn’t check anything else!”

Hess chuckled and nodded.

“They might stop a wood or copper adventurer if they really wanted to, but one with a gold rank can come and go as they please unless the city has declared a special state of emergency.”

Before Kaen could ask another question, Hess shushed him and pointed up ahead.

“Now, pay attention to where we go.  You will be tested on directions, and the city is different than the forest.  Figure out landmarks, shops, and other things that will help you find your way.  Be certain what you remember cannot move around like a sale cart or something else.”

Kaen grunted as he tried to pay attention to where Hess was leading him.  He was conflicted, wanting to stare at the huge buildings that beckoned him to come inside.  Massive signs and decorations were everywhere, tempting those new to the city like himself to come and spend their hard-earned money inside.  Men and women who were dressed in clean, pressed outfits harkened to him and Hess to come to see their wares or try the food and drink they had.

His senses were being assaulted.  The sounds of music, people calling out for him, the smell of something amazing cooking, or even the smell of a forest after a rainstorm found its way to his nose.  Signs here changed colors sometimes or shimmered in the light.  One had an image that featured people dancing.

Kaen put his hand to his temple and groaned.

“We are barely two streets in, and I can barely focus on what you want me to do!” Kaen protested.  “Everywhere I look, I see something I want to stare at in amazement.  That shop back there has the best-smelling bread I have ever smelled in my life!  The woman over there would make Beatrice look ugly, and it feels like my heart wants me to go and see what she is selling!  Tell me I am not going insane, but it feels like my mind is waging war against my heart and senses!"

Hess nodded and stopped for a moment. He turned around and faced Kaen.

"Close your eyes and pinch your nose and just listen to the sound of my voice.”

Kaen felt like a fool, but he trusted Hess and did just that.  Closing his eyes and pinching his nose, he stood there in the street. He could still hear the people calling out and offering services and things to buy, yet he was straining to hear Hess’s voice.

Cocking his head Kaen struggled to hear it.  He knew Hess was talking, but it felt weird.  He wanted to open his eyes, but he knew Hess would get upset for doing so until he was told to.

“Kaen, focus on me.  Focus on my voice.”

There!  The sound of Hess’s voice could barely be heard over all the noise around him.  It sounded like Hess was a field away it was so faint.  He strained his ears and started to ignore all the other things calling for his attention.

“Kaen, listen to me.  Listen only to me.  When you can hear me clearly, nod your head.”

The voice was stronger, but it was still muddled.  Still being drowned out like someone shouting into the wind.

He forced himself to breathe slowly and calm down.  He focused on what he wanted to hear more than anything else.  Hess.  The man who raised him.

His heart and lifestone surged again.  They beat together like they always did when what would happen next did.

[ Charm Resistance Skill Acquired ]

[ Charm Resistance Skill Increased x5]

[ Wisdom increased by 1 ]

“When you can hear me clearly nod your head.”

Kaen started nodding his head furiously.  He was smiling from ear to ear.

Hess was training him, and he had not realized it.