Dawn of the Last Dragon Rider - Chapter 071 - Learning Things We Don't Know (Patreon)

We are going to be scouting the southwest mountains about four days from here.  Do you want to start heading that way?

I will, but let me finish with the boar I am eating.  I need to clear out a few more if I can.  It appears these piggies have been breeding with no one hunting them.  I have managed to kill about thirty or more in the last few days.

Is it that infested?  Kaen asked in shock.  We always killed them when we saw them back near Minoosh.  They always tore up the land.

I have probably seen well over a hundred, and they are getting closer to the farms and properties to the east.  You should tell Hess what I have seen and let him figure out what should be done.

Ok, but I can’t wait to see you tonight.  I have something to tell you later.

After sending that thought, Kaen felt the wave of wonder and interest flowing through the bond.

You cannot tell me now?

I would prefer to see your reaction when I tell you.  Nothing bad. I promise.

Pammon grumbled but stopped after a few seconds.  His frustration at being told to wait was evident.

You better not have done something stupid.

Kaen laughed at that statement by Pammon.

He was only a few blocks from the inn and knew Hess would be ready to go.

None of the quests were any that he wanted to really do, and most everything being offered right now were guaranteed weaker ones as the guild wanted to verify that no one was walking into a trap again.  Mandy had looked worn out, and he could only imagine the hours they were working as they prepared for the coming visit of the higher-ups.

“This seems like a waste of time,” Hess said with a grunt as he finished reading over the quest details.  “Are things that bad they are just giving us simple scouting reports?”

“I couldn’t take the other three they offered as all of them were cave-related or too close to people.  Rumor has it there has been an increase in goblin, hobgoblins, and orc activity like never before.  You remember what we found at Minoosh.”

Hess nodded as he handed back the quest sheet to Kaen.

“You are right, I guess something feels strange, though, for this to be the last quest we do before you join the others.  I had hoped for something better.”

Rolling his eyes, Kaen saw Hess grin.

“On a side note, did you ever get the jewelry we brought back identified?”

Hess nodded before walking over to where his horse was hitched.

“Let’s talk about that on the road.  I need to go before Sulenda asks me for more thoughts on your project.  I believe she wants me to retire and work for you.”

Kaen began to laugh as he thought about that.

“Work for me huh? I might be able to afford that.  Seven coppers a day?”

Settling himself in his saddle, Hess grunted and spat on the ground.

“I don’t know if I would get out of bed for seven coppers,” he answered with a frown.  “I would probably need at least a silver a day if I knew I had to deal with kids again.”

Both of them sat on their mounts, staring at each other and thinking about what Hess had just said.  A few seconds later, they both started laughing and got their horses moving.

“Was I that bad?”

“No, son, you were not.  I would gladly do it again.”

Kaen smiled and moved his horse next to Hess.

“Thanks, Dad.”

The farms were almost out of sight as they reached the treeline.  They had a few hours before they would have to take the split in the road otherwise, they would find themselves back in Minoosh, and Hess knew it was not time to return yet.

“Can we talk about the loot now?” Kaen begged again, having already asked twice before they reached where they were now.

“Fine,” Hess groaned as he glanced around, ensuring no one was near them.  The last cart had been a good fifteen minutes ago, and they saw the path ahead was empty.

“The truth is most of the items we found were nothing great.  Most of the rings were a plus one for strength or intelligence.  The ring that survived Pammon’s flame is still not being identified.  The man who does this for adventurers has said it is one of the highest he has seen in years and is hoping to have it finished in a week or two.”

“It’s that powerful?” interrupted Kaen as he leaned closer to Hess, intently listening.

Pushing Kaen back onto his horse, Hess nodded and grunted.

“Don’t fall off your horse, or I’ll never let you ride Pammon,” warned Hess.  “I don’t think he would appreciate that at all.”

Settling back in his saddle, Kaen started to give Hess the finger and stopped, lowering his hand back to his reins, and then sighed.

“Fine, forgive me if I’m a bit excited to learn about the loot from my first quest.  It’s not like it's a dream I have had for years.”

“I know,” Hess answered with a chuckle.  “If you would stop interrupting me, I could tell you the rest. The necklace from the mage you fought in the woods is a magic user's dream.  It adds three to wisdom and intelligence.  It will sell nicely as neither of us needs something like that.  There were two rings with two dexterity and one ring with two constitution. Both of those will come back to us when we return from this quest.”

Kaen sat there, fidgeting in his saddle, waiting to make sure Hess was done before speaking.

“That’s it?  No kick butt rings or necklaces?” Kaen asked with a groan.  “I thought there would be stuff better than what I had when I did my quest!”

“We discussed this the night I gave you that equipment for that quest.  You are lucky the man let me buy that pendant you still wear!” exclaimed Hess.  “A plus one ring is a good ring for most adventurers.  The items we won’t use will fetch a good price, and that necklace will probably bring in ten to fifteen gold!  That's over fifty years to earn enough gold for one necklace!  Most adventurers never get that kind of money to toss around until they hit the platinum rank.  I myself would struggle to purchase that item if it wasn’t for the years of adventuring I spent or the money I left in the bank to earn interest.”

Kaen let out a sigh, and he closed his eyes for a moment.

“I just thought that since they were so strong they would have better loot.”

“Hairy dwarf balls, Kaen!  How many times do I have to remind you that adventuring isn’t like you hear in the stories?  There aren’t magical swords everywhere or rings that add one hundred strength!  Most of the people you will adventure with would be excited for a ring that gives them one stat!”

A long moan left Hess’s lips after the smackdown he had just delivered finished.

“I’m not trying to be mean, but if you go walking into a group and expect stuff to show up like this, they are going to be a disappointment,” Hess explained after he caught his breath.  “Unless you fight people as we did, which could have easily taken out a party not prepared, finding any magical items is rare until one hits a gold or higher rank.  The stuff you see trickles down or comes from people who are crafting them and selling them.”

“You never explained how magical crafting works!” Kaen interjected when Hess paused a moment. “I have no idea how most of this stuff works because you wouldn’t share it when we lived in Minoosh, and there isn’t some book I can just read to know it all!”

Kaen jerked on his horse's reins a little harder than he wanted, causing it to almost come to a full stop.

Hess tugged gently on his horse and slowed it down.

“I know… I know it is my fault, and I keep forgetting that you haven’t gotten a clue as to how most of it works because you were able to skip so many ranks.”

“Well, why not tell me how it works now?  We got like six hours at least before we get somewhere we can find Pammon.”

Rubbing his face with his massive hand, Hess sighed as he nodded.

“Ok… let’s talk about magical item crafting first…”

Hess took a drink from the waterskin on his horse, his voice feeling tired after talking for about four hours.  He had tried to impart as much knowledge about how items were made, how magic worked for casters, the farming of resources and ingredients, and more.  It reminded him that they still needed to get those antlers from the massive buck Pammon had killed if an animal had not consumed them.

“I had not realized it took so much power for a ring to be enchanted with just a plus one stat,” Kaen said out loud as he thought about all the stuff Hess had just said.  “Three weeks or more from a person silver rank or higher just pouring energy into it?”

Hess nodded as he wiped his mouth, offering the water to Kaen, who waved it off.

“Years, son... Years if someone wants a plus three.  Whoever owned that necklace before the man you killed took it invested a lot of time and money for it.  No doubt it has an owner who still wants it back.”

“And you said Luca was strong enough to cast how many spells before going dry? Fifteen to twenty? Is that why his lightning spells seemed to fizzle out and barely send anything at the end?”

Hess nodded as he hooked his drink back onto his horse.

“For him to have enchanted Aubri and still be able to do what he did, his energy pool must have been pretty big.  Imagine it like Pammon and how he slowly grows in how long he can use his fire.  He is almost to what fifteen seconds?”

Kaen nodded yes.  It might be more now, but he had not asked in a while.  Pammon rarely spent time testing it since he always just knew how long it lasted.

“You still believe he would have beat me in a fight?”

Hess nodded and gave a slight shrug.

“Toe to toe in an arena without a doubt.  He would have finished you easily, just like your dad would have struggled against someone like Selmah.  Mages have a lot of power if they keep you at a distance.  Once that distance is erased, they can fall quickly, or if an archer shoots them before they know they are there.”

Muddling all that information over, Kaen was beginning to grasp how magic worked, and knowing that he could try to learn some was exciting.  Hess had told him that most magic users spent years working on developing the ability to cast spells but that with the way his lifestone seemed to work, he would succeed faster than the rest.

Pammon was waiting at the edge of the mountains and the woods, lying down near the trees to stay out of sight if someone or something came out there.  They were going to follow the treeline for a few days, as getting to the place they needed to scout was not going to be accessible any other way besides trudging through overgrown woods.

“He is excited,” Hess said with a chuckle.  “You tell him about the girl yet? What is her name again?”

Rolling his eyes, Kaen shook his head no.

“I wanted to tell him in person and have the harness with me when I did it.”

“Using your brain. I like it.  You two planning on flying tonight?”

The mischievous grin that Kaen had on for most of his teen years flashed across his face.

“Did you really need to ask?  You and I both know the only way I won’t have to listen to him whine tonight is if we go flying.”

Hess nodded and started to undo the bag that held the harness he had constructed for the two of them.

“You take it and get with him.  I’ll manage the horses so they don’t get spooked by his presence again.”

Kaen nodded and caught the bag after Hess tossed it to him.

“I guess this means you will take care of dinner also?”

“Of course, we both know my cooking is the best.”

Groaning, Kaen slipped down off his horse and brought his reins to Hess.

“Yes… We both know that to be a lie.”

Hess watched as Kaen took off, running toward Pammon, swinging the bag as he ran.  Knowing this was their last quest together for a while, he understood it was more than that.  It was time for Kaen to grow up and soon be on his own.  The pain of that realization hit him, and he felt his chest tighten up.

“Hoste, if you’re watching, I’ve done what I can.  Keep an eye on him for both of us if you would.”