Rise of the Last Dragon Rider - Chapter 007 - Catching up with Aldric (Patreon)

Once the courtyard had been cleared from anyone within listening distance, Kaen motioned for Pammon, who had been waiting to come closer.

“He has grown as well. In fact, if I am right, he has grown a lot in the last three or four months.”

Picking up his wine cup, Aldric took a small drink and motioned to Kaen.

“The floor is yours. Ask whatever it is you want.”

Ignoring his fear, Kaen closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and willed his lifestone into burning just a little bit.  Over the last two years, he had almost mastered it and found he could call upon it if his need were great enough in his mind.

“Tell me about my lifestone.”

Aldric chuckled and then began to laugh, harder and harder, till he had to set down his cup lest it spill from how much he was shaking.

When he finally stopped, he grinned and bobbed his head.

“Kaen, out of all the questions I had anticipated, that one was not at the top of the list, yet I know it is an important one,” he finally replied as he settled down.  “Tell me what you know first so I don’t repeat things or waste time.”

“I know it's one meant for children of kings.  One my father felt was important enough to risk his life for.  What is so special about it?”

The facade Aldric normally wore disappeared, and a different expression of acceptance and being real came across his being.

“You are just like him,” he stated as a partial grin appeared.  “Your father specifically asked for the lifestone you have because I have no children.  My wife died, and I found no one else I wished to sire with.  There is still time, but it is hard to find a woman who likes me for who I am and not what I command.”

He picked up his cup and took another drink, never letting his gaze leave Kaens.

“That lifestone costs more than simply gold.  It requires things I cannot share due to secrets only known to kings and a few crafters.  They are rare, rarer than you can imagine.  There is a reason for that,” he explained.  “A king's lifestone will allow you to live longer, draw men and women to your cause, and protect you against a variety of charms and other acts of magic meant to affect your mind.”

He paused and extended his wine cup toward Kaen.

“That does not mean it will protect you against things like poison or alcohol.”

Bobbing his head, Kaen smirked.

“I have found that out the hard way twice.”

“A good lesson to learn early in life,” Aldric informed him.  “You will grow stronger than those with a regular lifestone and advance slightly faster but nothing too far out of the ordinary.  Its biggest impact is in one like yourself.”

“My family bloodline?”

“Correct!” he exclaimed as he held up all ten fingers. “These fingers represent the number of generations I know your father told me about regarding your bloodline.  Your mother and him both come from something very rare, and it is not spoken of for a lot of reasons.”

“The speed of growth,” Kaen interrupted.

“Exactly,” Aldric said as he continued, unphased by the interruption.  “Once long ago, it was normal for bloodlines to be like yours.  Kingdoms were filled with them thousands of years ago.  That was until the danger of them outweighed the blessing they offered.  Wars were waged, and families were hunted down.  Dragon Riders were called in to help.”

“Dragon Riders?  Why would they help?”

Aldric closed his eyes and winced as he sighed.

“The records we keep, mention how a few dragon riders grew from lines like these.  Some became evil and saw it as a chance to seize power for them.  It was a messy war, and hundreds of thousands died.  It opened the way for the orcs, goblins, and some of the other creatures you hear about to reclaim lands they once had been driven out of and multiply.  Slowly, the world ate itself, dragons resisting men because of the power they desired.  Men were killing dragons for that slight or wanting the power their bodies offered.”

Pausing, Aldric looked at Pammon and pointed his finger at him.

“They would butcher Pammon up like an animal we gave him today, taking his organs, scales, bones, and more, all for the magical power they possess.”

A low growl came from Pammon as he listened to that description.

I would never allow anyone to harm you, Kaen stated to calm Pammon down.

There is no doubt about that.  I did not mean to growl. It was just something inside me that reacted to that thought and imagery.

“I mean no disrespect,” he offered as he shrugged and focused back on Kaen.  “I was simply stating the truth of what was taking place in those times.”

“Pammon said it was nothing personal, just a response to that statement.”

Glancing at the two of them, Aldric smiled and chuckled.

“What I wouldn’t have given for a friend like you, Pammon.  I won’t lie, as I boy, I often wished we still had relationships with dragons, but none of that has worked out in hundreds of years.”

Taking another drink, Aldric returned to his story.

“Imagine men and dragons fighting each other.  From what the records say, the magic it takes to bring down an adult dragon is mindboggling.  How they managed to cleave the mountains in Ebonmount is a testament to the power that men once wielded.”

“All so they could come after the dragons.  They did that so they could come here and hunt them.”

“My kingdom is built on a graveyard,” he admitted.  “I don’t know how many, but I do know it was once a safe place for dragons.  The mountains protected us.  Knowing that the goblins and orcs have tunneled through them tells me that they have been doing this for a while.  With no dragons patrolling the mountains, the barrier they once were is not what it once was.”

“We scouted them yesterday, and there were no signs of any orcs or goblins.  We did not go far into the swamps as there are things we would rather not fight if we could avoid.”

He nodded as he rubbed his chin and looked away for a moment.

“That information seems bad to hear.  We both know they have not abandoned this area.  Any idea which direction they may have gone?”

“We flew in from the west, and none were in the desert area that we saw.  East would be the only thing I could imagine unless they have traveled further south into the swamps.  I have no idea how far they extend.”

“Those go just as far south as our Kingdom does,” he answered, watching for Kaen’s reaction.  “Hiding in their home is something they can do, gathering far out of sight until they move.  Without someone watching that side all the time, there is no telling how quickly they could attack again.”

Rubbing his eyes with his fingers, Kaen moaned as he considered that truth.  If an army surged like that again at all seven points, or perhaps more if they had built other tunnels, how could they hope to stop them?

“Enough about that for now,” he stated, waving his hand as if dismissing the last few minutes completely.  “Your lifestone.  What does it mean for you?”

Aldric pulled a necklace from up underneath his shirt.

“I won’t begin to bore you with details but know that this necklace gives me more stats than almost any other items in the kingdom.  It is over a thousand years old and crafted during a time when this was not as legendary as it would be now.”

Putting it back, he pointed at Kaen and winked.

“Something tells me from what I know about your father and from how you look now that I would struggle in a fight against you.  Don’t get me wrong, I have some tricks and trump cards I keep very close, but with a dragon and what your father gave you, there will be a day when you become a legend in storybooks if you live long enough.”

“I don’t care about being a legend,” Kaen declared as he frowned.  “I want to prevent a child ever having to live how I did.  From losing their parent.  I want to protect families.”

“A noble task and belief, but difficult,” replied Aldric.  “I had spoken with Hess, and he told me of your desire.  He mentioned how you risked yourself and Pammon to save him from the belly of an orc.  This is why I will never try to sway you or make you bound to me.”

When his eyebrows rose and he sat back in his chair, Aldric chuckled.

“So he tried, that stupid fool tried, didn’t he?”

“I assume you are talking about Havannath?”

“I know what he did to Elies.  I was afraid he might try the same on you,” Aldric admitted.  “I hoped the lifestone would prevent that, and it seems it did.  I only wish I had been there to see that smug elf’s look when it failed.”

Kaen started laughing, and even Pammon began to thrum as Aldric’s voice took on a dark edge to it while he spoke.

“He tried, and I made him break the bond with Elies, or I would fly to Stioks and tell him that Roccnari was fair game for him, and I would not interfere.”

Bewilderment and glee fought for a place on Aldric’s face as he smiled and then shook his head.  He began to laugh and caught himself and suddenly stopped.

“Forgive me for acting like that.  I should not take joy in how you turned the tables on him.”

“You do not need to apologize to me for what you said or how you acted.  He was a pompous arse, and his daughter was much worse.  If it was not for Elies and Tharnok’s teaching, I doubt I would have stayed there long at all.”

Chuckling, he picked up his wine cup and realized it was empty.  As he poured him some more, Kaen asked a question.

“If I didn’t have the lifestone I have, would you have tried binding me?”

The pitcher flinched, spilling wine on the table before Aldric regained control and finished filling his cup.

He let out a small breath of air as he gazed at Kaen.

“Honestly, yes.  My back is against the wall, and I would prefer to say I would not have, but I cannot promise that.  Knowing who you are, knowing what you have inside you, and knowing what you will become is a scary thought.  You would be a powerful weapon if wielded by a person.”

Rubbing his thumb against his palm, Kaen mulled over what Aldric had just shared.

“I appreciate your honesty,” he finally replied.  “I know that was probably not easy.”

“You're wrong,” Adric stated.  “Lying is harder because I know the road it would take me down.  I have lived a long life and will be here for a while to come.  If I want my Kingdom to be what I tell people it means, I must be honest first.  Lying would go against what I say drives me.”

Mulling that over, Kaen saw the truth in that.  If he went against what he believed, then his lifestone would not work as he needed it to.  Only when he focused on what his goal was did it respond accordingly.

“Finish your milk,” joked Aldric as he saw Kaen thinking about what he said.  “We have a while to spend together today, and I don’t want it going bad on you.”