Rise of the Last Dragon Rider - Chapter 014 - A request of Pammon (Patreon)

Looking at his hand where they had cut it, it amazed Kaen how fast it had stopped bleeding.  Even before the salve was applied by Ava, it had started closing on its own.

Both of her parents had watched, shaking their heads and murmuring to themselves.

You know, if I had known they would look at me that way, I might have said no.

Pammon thrummed as he flew toward the guild hall.  He had laughed until Ava put that dagger in the gum of his mouth.  He still had not admitted how much it had hurt.

At least she said they would not need any more for a while.  I would hate to see you cry.

Slapping that scale he always abused, Kaen let out a chuckle as the wind whipped through his hair.

Well, I for one, am excited to see what they may be able to do.  Knowing they could create a potion that would heal you was worth it.

Walking around Herb’s office, Kaen noticed the subtle difference since Fiola had taken over.  More paintings and darker wood furniture now furnished his office.  A larger desk with more space to hold all the stacked paper dwarfed him when he sat behind it.  Three brown couches made of some type of hide sat in a ‘U’ shape with a small table in the middle.

“I am almost done if you will stop pacing,” Herb stated as he finished signing a few more pages.  “You can help yourself to any of the drinks on the table over there.  Just stay away from the ones with the orange colors on top.  I would hate to have you carried out of here.”

Ignoring the smile Herb was wearing, Kaen walked to a picture hanging on the wall.  It looked just like Fiola except somehow more… regal.  Herb had insisted on having it in his office.  A reminder, he said, of sacrifice and commitment to the job.  Unlike Hess, who still sometimes had issues with her and what had transpired, Kaen understood what she had done.

The scraping of the chair got his attention, and Kaen saw Herb as he stood up and stretched his back.

“I never appreciated all she endured for this job.  The long hours spent bent over a desk, forms, and things to sign.  So much paperwork.”

Kaen laughed as Herb motioned to the stacks all over his desk.

“Every day I come in, and more have appeared.  I didn’t know we had this much paper in our little kingdom.”

Herb walked to where Kaen was and stopped to stare at the picture.

“It looks just like her.  I think she would appreciate the small gesture.”

Bobbing his head, Herb sighed as he shrugged his shoulders.

“Only the spirits know where she is now.  I pray that I do justice for the office she left me,” he declared as he motioned toward the couch.  “Sit for a moment.  I need to ask a favor as Guild Master to Dragon Rider.”

Cocking his eyebrow, Kaen followed Herb as he moved toward the couch and sat down.

“I’m going to ask something, and you can tell me no.  Do not think you owe me.  I will gladly reimburse you or find some compensation.”

“Is this the honey you offer before you tell me there is a frog waiting to snatch me when I come close?”

“That is a great trap to remove pests.  The frog is patient,” he replied with a chuckle.  “No, I want to ask if you will fly two adventurers over the mountains to the south and scout the swamps and the land to the east.  Rumors from a few scouts mention that some orcs and goblins have been moving there lately.  I need to find out if that is true.”

“Moving since I got here a few weeks ago? We saw nothing when we flew around the edge of the swamp.”

Leaning back on the couch, Herb nodded as he crossed his arms.

“I have some solid intel that tells me they are moving from somewhere in Luthaelia back to their homeland.  If this is correct, that means we have found where they are currently at.”

Studying Herb’s face and how he sat there, Kaen realized there was something he had not shared yet.

“What is the part of this request you have not told me about  yet?”

Chuckling, Herb smirked as he leaned forward, resting an arm on his knee.

“I want you to take Selmah and Ava.  They would be your greatest allies in this adventure, and Selmah has been on that side of the mountain before.  She knows exactly what to look for and where.”

Scratching his face, Kaen felt his face get a little red.  Riding for days with Ava sounded great, but having Selmah there almost felt like they were being parented.  If Selmah was coming, why was Ava needed?

“What is wrong with Selmah?  Why send Ava?”

Sucking air in through his teeth, Herb grimaced as he massaged his eyes with a hand.

“Only a handful of people know of the damage she experienced the day you saved her life.  She was prepared to die and had burnt a large portion of the mana channels that ran through her body.  Even with the potion you gave her that kept her alive, she burnt out most of her magical ability.  Now, she is weaker than a silver token adventurer when it comes to mana.  Her knowledge is her greatest asset, and she is training Ava to learn everything she can.”

He paused as he pulled a mithril token from his pocket.

“She was due to earn this, but now I cannot give it to her.  Doing so would be a lie; I know she would not accept it.  The guild would also push back on it.  She doesn’t want to retire and is not ready to sit in a hall, teaching the next generation.”

Kaen understood that.  His talks with Bren had discussed how some adventurers were able to make the change from the field to the hall, but many could not.  That failure often resulted in their death and, sadly, sometimes others as well.

“I will take them with me if Pammon is willing.”

Herb nodded and closed his eyes.  Obviously waiting for Kaen to tell him the news sooner rather than later.

Herb wants to know if you would be willing to take Selmah, Ava, and me to the swamp over the mountains for a scouting mission.  He can’t offer it as a quest but would compensate us for doing so if we are willing.  I told him I would ask you since this all falls upon your back.

Literally, Pammon said with a hint of sarcasm.  Do you feel it is something we need to pursue?  Does he know we found nothing a few weeks ago?

He does.  Apparently, some intel came in recently that shows how they might be moving back to the swamp from Luthaelia. It would take us a day to fly there and maybe one more to scout before we fly back.  You can even tell me what you would want to ask for payment for the services.

I am willing, and you already know what I would want in return.

Chuckling, Kaen did.

“Pammon is willing to do the heavy lifting of this request for payment in different animals to eat,” Kaen informed Herb, who had opened his eyes when he chuckled.  “The exact amount and variety has yet to be determined, but I am sure he will give me a list when we return.”

Smiling, Herb bobbed his head and began to stand up.

“If I said I anticipated such a request and have already put in an order for a few exotic beasts from Tanulivar, I might sound presumptuous that I expected you two would be willing.”

Rising from the couch, Kaen nodded as he extended his hand to Herb.

“When do you want us to leave?”

“Tomorrow if you can.  It isn’t a lot of time, but I will have everything you need ready in the morning, and my hope is none of you will need to engage any creatures on this trip.”

Studying Herb’s stance and how relaxed he appeared, Kaen could tell this mission was just a scouting one.  Perhaps an easy scouting trip with Ava would be just what they needed to work out some of their recent problems.

“Tomorrow it is then.  Anything else?”

Herb shook his head no.

Kaen turned to leave.

“I’ll try to keep Pammon from breaking the guild's bank with his lunch order,” he joked as he walked toward the door.  “I have no idea how he keeps eating everything he does.”

He heard laughter coming from Herb’s office as the door shut.  Both of them were well aware of how much livestock Pammon was consuming.

“Tomorrow,” Hess muttered as he sat in the booth with Kaen.  “Seems a bit quick for a scouting trip, but perhaps I’m just the overprotective parent.”

Setting his cup down, Kaen nodded as he glanced around the room.  It had taken a good ten minutes to make his way in through the crowd gathered inside.  He had been on edge but tried to hide it.  He saw possible threats everywhere he looked, and it bothered him that he was so jumpy.  He had almost hurt someone who came at him from behind as he spun, seeing danger that wasn’t there.

“You look a little high-strung.  Settle down and relax. The guards out front are making sure everyone who comes in is known, and right now, I doubt anyone would attempt the same thing again.”

Kaen nodded, willing his leg to stop bouncing and keeping himself from scanning the room for the hundredth time.

“It’s hard.  I didn’t think it would be this hard,” he admitted with a grunt.  “The moment I started walking down the street from Bren’s place, I felt my heart take off.  Pammon almost didn’t let me leave when he realized how I acted.  Everyone came up, and it took more strength to smile and nod without keeping them an arm's length away.”

“I figured that is why you are wearing that sword.”

Glancing at the sword resting on the table, Kaen bobbed his head and let out a sigh.

“Tell me this is normal.”

The higher pitch than usual in Kaen’s voice told Hess volumes.

“Son, let me be honest.  I struggled when I got back.  Sure, I put on a smile and pretended to be okay, but Sulenda will tell you I cried many nights,” he stated as he held up his left arm. “While I am grateful to be alive, I know I am not the man I once was.  My days of adventuring are over.  If Herb would let me resign, I would, but we both know I need access to the guild, and staying on his injured list allows me access without having to deal with more paperwork.

“Training the kids at your academy has been a blessing.  It lets me use the skills I have and teach them to those who are willing to learn.  I don’t feel worthless.”

Pausing a second, Hess lowered his eyes, and a shudder ran through him.

“I don’t feel like less of a man,” he whispered. “It is hard seeing my left arm shrink and become weak.  If it wasn’t how amazing it feels when I wrap both arms around Callie, there are days I would consider trying to find healing, far worse than what Cale experienced.”

Shuddering, Kaen nodded.  He had inquired about that when he was in Roccnari, and the elf healers there had discussed how difficult and painful that would be.  All with no guarantee it would work and might require the loss of more of his arm.

“Forget all this,” Hess stated as he reached into his vest pocket and pulled out a ring.  “This is yours.  Consider it payment for many things, but mostly Pammon’s horns he gave me.”

As he slid it across the table, Kaen saw the bone ring with etching and marks on the outside of the ring.

“This is from those horns?  What does it do?”

Smirking, Hess gave him a wink as he pulled his hand back from it.

“At the time, I was an idiot and traded more than I should have to get it done sooner than later.  After our talk the other day with Herb, I realize now that it won’t be something you will use.  You have become far stronger than I had ever hoped and imagined, and we both know you aren’t done yet.”

With a slight sigh, he motioned to the ring Kaen now held in his hand.  He lowered his voice as he leaned across the table.

“It will give a bonus point to melee weapons and shields.  However, with where you stand now stat wise I think you would be better focusing on getting your numbers to that sixty range I believe you are closing in on.”

“Wow,” was all Kaen could say as he held the ring in his hand.  He knew such a ring would have cost a fortune and taken considerable time to make.  What had Hess traded to have this done?

“Perhaps you can use it as a prize for your students.  That ring would be a blessing to any of them at the academy,” Hess stated as he leaned back in the booth.  “Regardless, it is yours.”

“Thank you. I’ll make sure it is put to good use,” he replied, slipping it into a pouch on his hip.  Picking up his cup, he drained the last of his milk and then began to slide out from his seat after finishing it.

“I need to finish a few more things tonight before I prepare for tomorrow.  Give Callie love from me and Pammon?”

Snickering, Hess nodded and exited the booth as well.  They embraced and patted each other on the back three times before breaking the hug.

“Be safe, son.”

“I will Dad.”