Dawn of the Last Dragon Rider - Chapter 061 - First Quest Part 3 (Patreon)

They are just a few minutes away from you two.  The three carts are spread out a bit, but two people are on each cart.  The rest of the people have stayed back in the camp, but it looks like they are preparing to move out.

“They will be here soon, three carts, two people in each.  Pammon says the others may be leaving the camp soon.”

Hess nodded as he checked the few lone bushes he had moved along the path.  He knew it would be a mess fighting in these woods, and not knowing who these people were or what skills or if they had lifestones made planning an attack difficult.

“Odds are the first wagon and the last will have the strongest people.  There will be at least one or two ranged people, and I will have to trust you with handling them.  As you engage the last, I will spring the trap on the first cart. Run if you need to, and call Pammon if you must.  This will not be an easy fight, I am afraid.”

Kaen grunted and saw the look of concern on Hess’s face.  Why were they still doing this quest if he felt it was this dangerous?

Hess started to move ahead from the spot he had created for Kaen.  Two shooting lanes between trees with only forty-five yards from the trail they would follow provided him with a few good options.  The bushes Hess had moved gave him a little more cover when he took that first shot.  None of the bandits should be worried about an attack here, but that did not mean they could expect things to go as planned.

Just as the sounds of horses and carts echoed through the woods, Pammon started to call out.

The carts are almost upon you, and someone has left the camp on a horse in the direction of the clearing you killed all those people.  They should reach it very quickly.

“Orc tits!” Kaen muttered quietly to himself.  This plan was going to get screwed quickly.

Be ready to help us. I’m not sure how these woods are going to treat you if I need you.

I told you I have been practicing chasing food.  I will be fine in these trees once I am in them.  I will begin my descent.

The first cart came into view through the trees and Kaen could make out the two men sitting on the front bench, lazily chatting as one handled the reigns.  Neither appeared to be paying any attention to the woods as they moved a cart stacked high with crates and a tarp over it between the trees.

How many people have they robbed?  Kaen was flustered to see what looked like a good seven or eight feet tall stack of stolen goods that ran the length of a twelve-foot-long cart.

As they got close enough that he could make out details like their hair color or the leather armor they both appeared to be wearing, the second cart started to appear through the trees.  Glancing at the second group for a moment, he turned his attention back to the first set.  They were both men, well developed, and he saw the shield and sword now on the cart of the man closest to him.  According to Hess, he was the one with the reigns, which most likely meant the other man had a bow or some sort of range attack.

A new voice joined the din of their traveling, and Kaen could now see the second set of bandits as they came into view.  One was a female wearing leather armor, holding the reigns, and the other was some guy in normal clothes, talking up a storm at his riding partner.

It appeared she was not interested in the conversation, as her eyes never seemed to move from the trail ahead of them.

When they got closer, Kaen realized neither of them had a weapon showing which might seem weird if not for Hess’s earlier explanation that often the weakest might end up in the middle.  That did not mean it was true, but there was a chance of it.

As the two carts rolled by, Kaen realized something was wrong with Hess’s plan.  The carts were too far apart.  If he sprung the trap he had planned, the third cart would not be in range, and they would not be bunched up like they had hoped.

This is not looking good, Pammon.  How far away are you?

It will be at least a minute.  I will come down faster.  The one who left for the other camp will be there about when I get to you.  I won’t be able to see them in a few moments.

Hess was right… this plan is about to go elf tits up…

Confusion of that statement reverberated through the bond.

I don’t understand what that means… but I also don’t think I need to.  Stay safe, I will protect you both if it goes badly.

Cursing to himself, Kaen pulled two arrows out, knowing what he needed to do.

Please… please work.  I can’t let Hess or Pammon get hurt.

Taking two deep breaths, Kaen willed his lifestone to help him.  This shot had to work.  The second cart would be out of position, and if it did not work, things would definitely go tits up.

Slowly rising to his feet, lifting the bow in the air, and preparing to release his shot, his lifestone pulsed gently.  Not a raging torrent it had early but just a small faint trickle of acknowledgment.  It was as if it knew how important this shot was and why it was important.

Kaen grinned as he moved the position of his bow just slightly to the right, turning it a hair to the left, the tips up just a fraction of space.  All those things happened because he felt his lifestone telling him or maybe showing him how to make the shot he needed.

The arrows flew between the trees. Death was in the air the moment his fingers had gently slid from the white bowstring.  He wanted to watch the arrows fly but knew he needed to prepare for his next targets, who were slowly coming up the trail.

As he pulled an arrow from his quiver, the sound in the woods from the man who had not stopped talking abruptly ended.  No screams or shouts had come from either of them.

[ Archery Skill Increased ]

“Thank you,” Kaen whispered as he took another small breath.  There was so much he didn’t understand about lifestones, but he hoped to know why his acted differently than Hess or everyone else in time.

Looking at the second cart, Kaen saw the damage he had caused.  Both the man and the woman were dead, arrows protruding from their skulls.  The woman had not even dropped the reigns, keeping the horses simply following the trail and the other cart.

Ten seconds later, shouting and screaming horses rang out through the woods from the first cart.

Kaen glanced at the second cart, seeing it starting to diverge some as the horses came up on the first cart that had stopped.

The third people from the third cart started yelling, and Kaen heard a whip cracking, sparking a neigh from the horses at the end of that strike.

Hess is moving toward the cart he stopped from the side. It does not appear they have seen him yet!

There was no time to worry about Hess.  He could handle two men on his own.  Kaen had to deal with the next two.

He saw the third cart coming quickly down the road, one man was standing holding a bow with an arrow ready to fire, scanning the woods and trying to see what the commotion was.

“Finn!  Bruce! What in blazes is going on!” the man with the bow shouted as they rumbled down the path.  “Trinity!  Someone!”

They were still too far for a clean shot, but Kaen knew they would be in range in just a few more seconds.  The second cart was almost at a stop now as the horses were running up against the backside of the cart.

“Somethings wrong!” the man with the bow declared loud enough for Kaen to hear over the noises of fighting now breaking out from the first cart.  “I’m getting Mel!”

The bowman jumped off the cart on the far side, disappearing from Kaen’s view.

Pammon one is running back to the camp to get help! Can you get him?

Glee… it had to be glee flooded through their bond.

Finally, something for me to do! Pammon declared as Kaen sensed him diving faster toward the trees.

“That poor guy,” Kaen whispered to the tree he was leaning against.  “I don’t envy him.”

The last cart continued coming, and Kaen could make out clearly the driver, who was holding the reigns in both hands as the horses thundered down the trail.  He appeared to be cursing to himself as his lips were moving, but no sound was coming out.

With the man distracted, Kaen released an arrow, aiming for his chest.  It flew true, and as Kaen watched it, waiting for it to pierce the man’s chest, it suddenly ricocheted in a different direction a few feet before striking the man.

The driver yanked on the reigns, his head snapping in Kaen's direction.

“Shite!” Kaen cursed out loud as he reached for another arrow, realizing he had been an idiot for standing still and watching. He moved behind the tree and tried to create distance from the driver of the cart.

Kaen heard the horses whinny from the reins on them getting jerked, and a few seconds after he had disappeared behind the tree, massive chunks of it exploded on the other side, flying in different directions, causing the tree to crack and pop.

Shard’s exploded from the tree, and the distance he had taken from it protected him from most of the wooden pieces that flew out, but a few still struck him, cutting his face and neck as he raised his arm trying to block them.

I need help, Pammon!

Kaen stumbled as he ran toward another tree a few yards behind, realizing how bad of a position he was in.  That man had not been cursing he had been casting some kind of shield spell, waiting to find out where any possible attackers might be.  This was much worse than fighting the goblins or orcs had been.  These people were smart!

Another explosion rocked the tree again, and the sound of it cracking and falling made Kaen glance back, thankful to see it was going to fall away from him and toward the south.

I am almost on the one running.  I can’t change direction!  Give me a minute, and I will be there!

Gulping, Kaen wiped the blood he felt flowing from his forehead with his shoulder as he ran.  He hoped he had a minute as this guy was way stronger than he had imagined possible.

Dodging behind the tree, he had been aiming for, Kaen kept moving, not being stupid enough to stay behind it lest the caster blew it up like the first.

He tried to run while glancing behind him, looking to see if the man was gaining on him or flanking him.  His vision was muddied from blood and sweat that poured down his forehead.  How bad did I get cut?

He saw the man moving to the north as he glanced back. The man held up his hands, and Kaen dove to the south, using the tree as a shield.  The ground he had been standing on erupted a second later from whatever attack the mage was using, tossing dirt, needles, and hidden rocks and roots up.  A two-foot hole was smoldering on the ground as Kaen rolled to his feet.

Turning to prepare a shot, he saw his arrow had broken from that move he had just made.

Another explosion rocketed the ground on his left, leaving another gaping wound in the earth and pelting him with more rocks and dirt.  The caster had attacked that side, perhaps hoping Kaen would have run without pausing.

A sense of success and excitement came from Pammon.

I’m on my way!

Kaen knew he had just taken out the runner, but he could also feel where Pammon was, and it seemed so far away at this moment.  His chest was pounding as he drew an arrow.

Slowly he backed up, keeping the tree between him and that caster.  He had not seen the man in those last few seconds, and Kaen wondered what he could be doing.  Was he approaching?  Waiting to see where Kaen might pop out from and attack?

The man’s spells seemed to be instant, and it bothered Kaen that he had not done any research on how magic worked.  It was hard to know how many spells a person could cast; this man seemed as strong as Luca.

Luca…

That name caused an eruption of emotions to explode within Kaen.  Luca had died for him because Luca believed that he would be great.  Dying here would mean the sacrifice of Luca was in vain, and Kaen would not allow that.

His lifestone began to pulse harder and stronger it throbbed within his chest.  A connection with Luca he had not known existed.

Kaen’s eyes ignored the blood that was blurring his vision.  No longer did the pain he had been ignoring even register.  He planted his feet, holding the bow steady.

He was done running.