Dawn of the Last Dragon Rider - Chapter 088 - Two Become One (Patreon)

Before Kaen could register those words, his lifestone engulfed him and Pammon both.  Energy neither had experienced before filled each of them to the point their skin and scales seemed to tingle as air rushed over them.

Neither spoke as Kaen slammed a handful of arrows into his quiver with one hand before grabbing his knife and cutting the rope around one of his feet.  Swapping hands, he cut the other and flung his knife over his shoulder, grabbing two more arrows and putting them in his mouth.

Go, I have you!

Pammon suddenly angled his wings, causing him to slow down, sending Kaen leaping up and running along his neck and jumping off his head towards the trees.

A beat of his wings and a slight change in his direction had him right behind Kaen, both claws gently caressing his body as he dove through the air.

Without hesitation, Kaen loaded both arrows into the bow, unaware of what his body was doing.  He just knew his lifestone was controlling him to do what needed to be done.

Twenty seconds!

——

Hess leaned against the tree as he watched the orc toss the warrior's trunk aside like a piece of trash.  He had eaten all of the appendages and the head, not trying to deal with the flesh inside the armor.

“Why?!” he shouted as the orc turned and smiled at him.  “Why come and invade us?”

Pausing, the orc picked his teeth with his finger, flicking a finger of the warrior from his teeth, and gave Hess a sinister grin.

“The dragon man paid well,” he answered, slowly walking along the edge of the trees.  “We get this land. He gets the rest.”

“Stioks?!” exclaimed Hess.  “He made a deal with you?”

The orc laughed as he scraped his nails across the tree trunks, leaving massive gouges that looked like a wild cat had used it as a scratching post.

“Me? No… the king, yes,” he answered, spitting on the ground as he slowly came.  “We are done hiding and dying.  We come for you all.”

The look of hate filled the orc’s eyes as he glared at Hess.  He stopped and turned as he saw the goblins and shamans looking inside the opening at the two of them.  They were making noise and licking their lips, wondering if there would be leftovers.

“Perhaps I should share…” he stated as he motioned to the others.  “They are hun…”

Each lesser creature cowered and shrieked when the sound of the dragon’s roar echoed through the woods and reached them.  They glanced at the sky, trying to see what might be above them.

The orc glared at Hess for a moment and then turned his eyes upward as he spun around, trying to see why that sound had rang out.  None of them could deny that was the roar of a dragon, but none of them expected one to be here.

The grove got quiet as they all looked at the orc, wondering what to do.  A few seconds later, he turned and looked at Hess and gave a shrug as he smiled.

“It matters not.”

Twenty seconds!

Hess’s eyes could not help themselves as they went wide from shock.  It was Pammon, and he was close if he could hear him.

The orc began to move toward him again; Hess knew he had to act fast.

“Wait!” he shouted, causing the orc to pause mid-stride, just about ten yards away. “If it’s Stioks, he will want to talk to me! I know things he will want to know!  Things about the dragon rider!”

A grin broke out over the orc’s face, and he turned his head upward and laughed, letting the sound of his voice echo in the circle of trees.

“He does not care about you,” the orc replied as he slowly lifted his massive metal sword and pointed it at Hess.  “What could a man like you offer him?”

As he began to open his mouth, a shape appeared above the trees, blocking out the light.  Two white tips were blazing beneath a bronze shape hanging in the sky.

“Kaen?” Hess muttered when he realized Kaen was hanging from Pammon’s claws, watching two lights streak down from the sky.

Power surged through him, and the amount almost made his body ache.  Pammon had caught him as he jumped, holding him just right so that he could still draw his bow without any impairment.

Neither was talking, yet they moved as one, completely focused on the same thing as Pammon began the descent, aiming for the small opening.

He knew that Pammon would come to a stop right above the opening.  He knew the second he was over the opening, he would fire.

The thought of Hess being a father to his own child and not being able to raise them made his lifestone feel like a volcano, eating away at everything but his one purpose.  To save families.

The moment came, and Pammon twisted his body, altered his wings, and froze midair above the opening of the trees.

Looking down in a second, Kaen saw a massive orc, one that appeared even larger than the one he and Pammon had killed with Luca’s help, just a few yards from Hess, holding out his sword at him.  Time slowed as he saw the opening in the trees and the pack of goblins and orcs just inside it.  He let the arrows go, knowing nothing would prevent him from saving Hess.

The second he saw those two white points headed in his direction, Hess dove to the ground, trying to get as small as possible.

Doing so left him unable to see the orc as it stared at the lights coming at him until one struck him in his head, penetrating into his skull, exploding in a dazzling bright white burst of light that sent a shockwave wave, making the trees sway backward, creaking and cracking as if they were about to split and break.

The second arrow reached the horde that was unprepared for the power that erupted inside their midsts.  The next ten yards of creatures vaporized in a flash of light as fire that burnt so pure turned them to ash before any of them could take a breath.

The trees around them were cut through and began to move and fall as they lost their base.

Faster than Kaen could watch his own hands move, two arrows fired from his bow, exploding on the side of the two falling trees, knocking them deep into the forest and onto more creatures trapped by the pressing of bodies, led by the belief of a show and a free meal.

Need to…

I know, hold on.

Kaen pulled another arrow and launched it and three more into the darkness of the woods, each one exploding and erupting into flames, setting the trees on fire.

Pammon had barely a few feet on each side of his wings as they descended into the trees, branches falling as he moved down amidst the trees and their limbs.

He saw the space he had and knew it would be a tight fit both ways, but right now, power like he had never felt flowed through him.  He knew that somehow it was supposed to be like this, that they shared power and that it made them both better.  Stronger and perhaps invincible.

Hess glanced up, looking at the sight above him.

Kaen was still suspended between Pammon’s talons, firing arrow after arrow at those evil creatures that had torn apart all those who had come with him.

Standing to his feet, he watched as Pammon finally deposited Kaen on the ground, unable to move as Kaen raced toward him and embraced him with both arms.

“Thank you,” Hess whispered as Kaen squeezed him tighter than he ever had. “Thank you for coming for me.”

“You idiot!” Kaen exclaimed as he cried against Hess’s shoulder.  “You cannot die on me!  You cannot die on Sulenda or your child!”

Hess embraced Kaen and squeezed him back using his stub and good arm.

“I had not planned on it going this way.  I’m sorry, son.”

Kaen nodded and moved back from Hess, looking at the stub of his arm.

“Is that…”

“No, it’s not now focus.  We need to finish the mission.  Can Pammon get both of us out of here?”

I can and don’t forget I can talk with you now.

Hess nodded and moved to where Pammon was, gently rubbing his rump as Pammon gazed into the woods, watching for anyone foolish enough to brave the flames that were still burning.

“Thank you, Pammon, for everything.  I would not be here without you.”

You are welcome.  Now stop talking and climb on.  We need to get out of here before the fire makes things worse.

“Let me help you,” Kaen declared as he moved to provide a boost for Hess.

Growling, Hess went to reach for Pammon’s neck and realized that without his hand, he couldn’t get a hold of Pammon’s neck.

“Fine, I’ll take the gosh damn help,” complained Hess as he waited for Kaen to give him a knee.

Hurry, you two, they are regrouping.

——

Riding front-to-back with Hess was not what Kaen had imagined at all.  Pammon struggled to get them straight up out of the circle, but the two trees that had been knocked down provided just enough room for it to work.

Kaen’s lifestone provided the strength for Pammon to carry them both far enough that they found the horses, still tied up, and set Hess down near them.

“I need to go and finish this before checking on the rest,” Kaen informed Hess as he checked the arrows still on Pammon.  “Hopefully, I can find the kegs quickly and take care of it before they return.”

“You’re going back?” Hess asked.  “Why risk it?”

When Kaen turned around, and Hess saw the tears that were coming down his face, he ran to Kaen and embraced him.

“How could you?” Kaen demanded as he cried again. “You knew she was pregnant, and you still risked your life, knowing what I went through!”

Trying to pat him on the back, Hess felt his stub hitting Kaen’s leather piece and held it up, looking at it.

He let out a sigh, pushed Kaen back, and gave him a hard stare.

“Someday, you will understand.  It won’t be today, but it is the same reason why you risk your life right now,” Hess answered as he fought back his own tears.  “Just like your father, just like me, someone must be willing to sacrifice their life so others can live.”

Unable to speak, Kaen wiped the tears from his face with his arm and began to turn around.

Hess grabbed him with his only hand and held him in place.

“Do not forget why you are doing what you do.  We all do this for the same reason.”

He is right and you know it.  Do not hold it against him for doing the same thing as you.  I have told you what you also just told him.  I will risk everything to save you because I do not want you to die either.

Kaen stood there between the two of them, realizing they were right but unable to let go of the hurt that still ached.

“Sacrifice… Being committed to something so much you are willing to sacrifice yourself,” Kaen whispered as the idea took root in his brain.

“What was that?” Hess asked as he heard Kaen mumble.

Centering himself, Kaen took a deep breath and let it out as he turned to face Hess.

“We are both committed to the task before us and willing to sacrifice ourselves for it.  Every adventurer today came here knowing they might die but were willing to do it because if we didn’t, everyone else would.”

Setting his hand on Hess’s arm, Kaen gave it a squeeze before freeing his arm.

“You have sacrificed enough.  Go home and join Sulenda.  Pammon and I will come to see you soon,” Kaen declared as he walked toward Pammon.  “I need to finish what we started, and I mean for them to know we will not run away.”

Opening his mouth to speak, Hess stopped when he saw Pammon shake his head no at him.

Right before Kaen and Pammon took flight, Hess waved and gave one last remark.

“When you come to Ebonmount, I will be there to sing a tale greater than any bard has ever told.  I will tell of the son and his dragon who saved his father so that his brother would not grow up alone.”

Kaen smiled, and a thrum emanated from Pammon.

See you soon, Dad.

As Pammon leaped into the air, still thrumming, Hess started to chuckle, and then it turned into laughter so hard he fell to his knees crying.  Tears, hidden behind a laugh, when the truth was his heart was so full and thankful it had no other way to express it.