Rise of the Last Dragon Rider - Chapter 019 - A last goodbye (Patreon)

Herb was tapping his fingers against the small table as they waited for Aldric to arrive.  The sun was finally starting to climb the peaks, and Kaen was trying not to sleep in the chair as he sat there.

Both Selmah and Ava had returned to their homes, and Pammon was off hunting.  It had taken less than four hours for them to return, a feat that impressed Herb and Kaen both.

“I still cannot believe how fast he did that,” Herb stated, continuing his assault on the table with his fingers.  “Four hours from bottom to tip.  That is a feat I could not begin to fathom.”

“The real truth is that we would not have time to react if a dragon used such a tactic against us.”

Grunting, Herb saw the truth in what Kaen had already realized.  They were not as safe as they once thought they were.

“Forgive me,” Aldric said as he waved both men to take their seats. “I was not expecting the message, and it took a minute for them to verify the truth.  I am intrigued and nervous for what it is I am about to hear.”

Kaen waited for him to sit down and then stood up, pointing at the map on the table with the seven caves they had sealed still marked.  He had sketched a few spots on the other side of the mountain where he felt the cave entrance might be for two of them.

“I already told Herb some of what I have found, and he has his people researching the magic I encountered, but let me tell you everything I know.”

When Kaen sat down, done with his report, Aldric just sat there, eyes closed as he slowly rubbed the ridge of his nose with a finger.

Neither Herb nor Kaen interrupted his thoughts.  Both of them had time already to think about what this meant.

“They say bad news comes in twos or fours.  I pray this is twos.”

“What’s the other bad news?”

Opening his eyes, Aldric grunted at Herb’s question and reached into his vest, pulling out a letter and handing it to Kaen.

“This came yesterday.  It bothered me greatly, but now…”

Kaen leaned over and took the letter from Aldric and saw that it was still folded and sealed.  The wax seal bore a dragon on it.  On the opposite side was his name.  The writing was shaky, letting him know that Elies himself had written it.

“Elies?  He sent a letter?”

“One to me and that for you.  I pray your letter has better news than mine.”

Realizing both of them were waiting for him to read it, Kaen broke the seal, watching it shimmer for a second before dissolving.

“That fool sealed it with magic,” he realized as he watched it melt away.

Opening it up, he saw lines of barely legible chicken scratch.  It must have taken Elies a long time to write this, knowing how badly his fingers worked.

****

Kaen

I sent Aldric a letter so he knows this part.

I have left with Tharnok on a trip to the land of the dragons.  My time is ending, and I pray I make it before I pass.  We needed to leave before Tharnok unleashed the anger and rage he had held in for over a century upon these elves.  Perhaps I should have let him.

Havannath is a fool.  He took advantage of me when he bound me.  A friendship I thought I had led me to being stupid one day and making a promise.  A promise that left me bound to him and unable to escape.  I fought it for a bit but realized it would hurt the world more if I tried to escape it.  In time, I grew used to my collar and believed I was free even when I knew I was not.

When you freed me, I had forgotten what the freedom to choose really felt like.  Any path I wanted was mine to take.  Sadly, I am too far gone to enjoy this, so now I have chosen to ask for the dragons to help you.  It has been almost two centuries since I have been there, and you will need to come at some point and present yourself to their council.  You will need allies like them for what is coming.  We both know you and Pammon alone cannot win…

I want you to know that if anyone can succeed, it is you.  You are the last of us.  You alone can forge a new path for this world.  Since the day I heard about you, I prayed a new day would dawn for dragon riders.  Every day I saw the effort you put into learning and growing stronger, I knew the spirits had chosen you two for a purpose.  You and Pammon are one soul even before the bonding.  You may rise to become the greatest dragon rider since the days of old.

Protect yourself.  Havannath has sent emmesaries to Stioks.  I have yet to tell Aldric this.  Havannath does not know I was aware, but I have old friends in the elven court.  Many are upset with him and Huethea for their attempt to bind you.  Had he succeeded, you would have been married to her.  I am thankful you somehow resisted what I could not.

If he does join an alliance with Stioks, I have people here who will seek you out.  Come and remove him and his daughter from the throne.  The elves will stand behind you and break away.  I cannot see how you will win in the coming days if you do not do this.

Remember what we talked about. Remember the lessons you learned.  Your ability to inspire others and your commitment to protecting them has taken root here, even though the king tries to pull them out.

Forgive me for not saying goodbye in person.  You deserve that, but time was limited. Even now, each word I write has required Tharnok’s strength.

Be safe, Kaen.  Trust Pammonn and free this world from the darkness that threatens it.

Elies

****

Kaen sat there stunned as he read the first letter once more.  When finished, he glanced up at Herb and Aldric, who were both watching him intently.

Ignoring their stares, he folded the top sheet and began to put it in his vest as he noticed the second sheet had a metal disc attached to it.

There were only a few lines on the second page.

****

Kaen

Present this page and that disc to the guild master, and they will give you access to my vault in the adventurers' guild hall.  There are only two things in there, but they are yours.  You will need them in the coming battle.

Elies

****

Plucking the disc from the paper, Kaen felt how light it was but also knew it was stronger than any metal he had held before.  On one side was a dragon, and on the other side was an image of a man.

Coughing, Herb leaned forward, and his voice was a bit higher than usual as he spoke.

“He gave you his vault…”

Nodding, Kaen leaned over and handed the paper to Herb, who quickly read it as his head bobbed.

“With that token alone, you can access the vault in any guild hall.  It is keyed to a specific vault, and most would not question your having it.  With this letter, they might even make you a new disc if you lost it.”

“How many vaults are there?”

Chuckling, Herb stood up and handed the letter back to Kaen.

“There are vaults for many things, none of which I can discuss.  Just know guild halls are warded, and it would take you and your dragon a long time to hope to breach most of the defenses.”

“Forget the vaults,” Aldric interrupted, his voice turning gruff.  “What did the first letter say?”

“He told me that he was headed to the land where the dragons live,” Kaen began as Herb started to talk and stopped as he shook his head at him.  “He mentioned that he would implore them for help but that at some point, I would need to come and present myself to them.”

Grunting in frustration, Aldric looked around and spotted the cups and pitcher on a table nearby.  He went and retrieved him one and brought back the pitcher, filling up Herb’s cup before sitting down and pouring him some.

“That is not good.  Why would Elies leave? Surely, he knows the odds are against him, and this weakens our position greatly.”

Ignoring Herb’s comment, Aldric drained his cup and filled it again.

“What are you not telling us,” he asked as he held the cup from his lips.  “I have spent a lifetime reading men, and I can tell you are hiding something.”

Kaen felt both of their gazes on him as he sat there in the chair, trying to remain calm.

Returning their gaze, he held his voice steady and did not waiver as he spoke.

“He did, which is why the letter was written to me and not you.  Somethings are kept between dragon riders and the obligation we have to protect the world.”

Aldric finally grunted and bobbed his head before setting his cup on the table.

“I will trust you then to tell me when I can assist with those things.  Do not forget I have been honest and entrusted the defense of my kingdom to you these last few years.  The rest of the world will fall based on us.  We stand alone, so they attempted to attack us two years ago.  That is why they are building an army in the mountain as we speak.”

“But what can we do?” Herb asked as he thumped the table, shaking the cups on it.  “Your troops and my adventurers are standing guard, but with the news Kaen has shared, they would be overrun in moments.  We could set up more charges and attempt to hold them off that way but how long would that slow them down?  Twenty thousand troops would march across our southern flanks, eating everything in their path!”

“We have defenses now!” Aldric shouted back, slapping the table with his hand and causing Herb’s cup to fall over and spill.  “We cannot stop them there!  We must defeat them here, pulling all the people in and fighting the fight we are prepared for!”

“And what if Kaen is gone when they come!” Herb fired back, pointing at Kaen and ignoring the wine spilling on the ground.  “We are weaker without him.”

Kaen noticed Aldric had lost his usual cool temperament and now had a vein in his forehead that throbbed like Hess’s used to when upset.

“Both of you stop!” Kaen barked as he saw the two men getting flustered at each other.

“What would you have done had I never found Pammon?  None of us would be here today!  We would be living in another land or dead.”

Both men snorted and huffed, turning their attention back to Kaen and acknowledging the truth he had spoken with silence.

“I am unsure when or if I will visit the dragon council.  For now, I must do many other things before that is even an idea I will entertain.  We must consider all options and figure out what magic they use to hide their presence.  I am certain the bandits Hess and I wiped out years ago are using the same magic to hide in the cave.  This points to not just Stioks being a part of this, but his kingdom must be engaged in it now.”

“That is why the guild hall there was shut down,” Herb stated as he interrupted Kaen.  “They no longer have adventurers there.  Some ended up here and only after swearing by the orb.”

Resisting the urge to shake, Kaen remembered that encounter when they found the mole.

“I will talk with my generals and advisors and see what they recommend,” Aldric declared as he stood up suddenly.  “I do not want to seem like I am storming off but I need to reach out to a few other kingdoms and see if I can acquire some help and possible troops.”

“Do not ask Roccnari,” Kaen declared with a sigh.  “Havannath is not thinking right and I would not trust him with any knowledge of our weakness right now.  Especially since Elies has left.  There is no clue what that elf might do.”

Kaen noticed how Aldric’s gaze shifted as he spoke.  His head slowly started to bob in agreement.

“You have grown in not just size but in understanding,” he admitted as he paused for a moment.  “I had not considered that Havannath might make some poor choices if he felt he had no other options.”

“I would not trust that king with anything.  A king who will force a dragon rider not just once but twice to be bound to them is dangerous.  It tells me that he cares more for his own hide than anyone else.”

“Very well,” Aldric finally declared as he considered Kaen’s opinion.  “I will inform you both on what I decide we can do.  Let me know what you two find out or decide.”

With that, he strode toward the door he had entered, walking with purpose.

After Aldric had left, Herb stood up and picked up his empty cup.

“Would you like to check Elies’s vault, or do you have something else that is pressing right now?”

Sighing, Kaen shook his head.

“Let’s see what is there so I can figure out what Elies thinks is so important I will need it.  Any idea what it might be?”

Laughing even though it felt wrong with their recent conversation, Herb smiled at him and shook his head no.

“I do not, but I will not lie. I am excited to find out.”