Rise of the Last Dragon Rider - Chapter 022 - The cost of potions (Patreon)

“I cannot promise these will work completely, but they should heal an injury for Pammon,” Lord Hured declared as he handed the two fist-size potions to Kaen.  Each of them was a black color, almost as if they were sucking the light out from around them. “Remember, he needs to break them in his mouth before swallowing them.  Do not worry about the glass. The notes I followed said they would dissolve without problems in his stomach.”

That does not look appealing to drink, Pammon stated as he gazed at the two potions Kaen was holding.  Perhaps you should try one first.

Chuckling, Kaen shook his head.

“Pammon wanted to know what would happen if someone besides a dragon tried to drink these.”

His voice rose as he barked out forced laughter.

“I would not try that as I think it would probably kill someone.  Dragon blood is slightly acidic and, if not treated properly, can cause damage.”

“I understand.  Don’t drink unless I want to die.”

Pammon snorted, and Lord Hurem and his wife laughed at the interaction they knew was happening behind their backs.

“Let’s move past this whole potion side of business and talk about other things if you would,” Bridgette said as she motioned to the table and chairs behind them.  “Ava will be here in a few, and I have some servants coming with snacks for all of us.  Pammon included.”

Licking his snout, Pammon flashed a toothy smile, which made Lady Hurem smile.

They had been sitting a few minutes when Ava came into the courtyard, dressed in a simple dress that still took Kaen’s breath away.  As she walked across the courtyard, he moved to her chair next to his and pulled it out for her.

“Thank you.”

He nodded and smiled as he saw her hair pulled back in a simple ponytail.  Her black hair was shiny and smelled like flowers that might be in a field during the springtime. No one commented on her face and the redness it still had, having endured the wind that abused it the entire time she rode on Pammon’s back.

Sitting down next to her, he smiled at her, ignoring her parents' grins.  She always looked good no matter what she wore, but the dark green dress she had on really seemed to suit her well.  It showed off her curves and reminded him why it was so hard to focus sometimes when she was around.

“Kaen?”

Realizing Lord Hurem was calling him, Kaen turned and saw her father motioning for the small bowl filled with fruit next to him.

“Mind passing that to me?”

Bobbing his head, he handed it to him, then turned his face in time to see Ava blush a little.

“Are you allowed to share what you learned while on the quest Ava accompanied you on?” Lady Hurem asked without waiting for any other conversation to start.

“Mom!”

Narrowing her eyes at Ava, she cut off the complaint before turning her smiling face back to Kaen.

“I’m not at liberty to share much, Lady Hurem…”

“Bridgette, please.”

Kaen heard the disdain in her voice for being called Lady Hurem by him.  He had forgotten how much she disliked it, believing it removed the familial bond she felt they shared.

“Forgive me, Bridgette,” he replied, glancing at her husband and noticing he was watching how this played out while eating an apple.  “We scouted out some areas as requested by the adventurers guild and reported our findings to them.  Right now, due to the nature of the mission, we aren’t really allowed to speak about it.  Perhaps, if you would like, I could ask Guild Master Herb if he could share some details with you.  No doubt you are asking so you can prepare for any potential need for more potions.”

A cough was heard coming from Lord Hurem, who appeared to have choked on the bite he had taken.

“No need,” she declared as if dismissing the need with a wave of her hand.  “I just wanted to make sure my daughter was safe.  She barely even mentioned how amazing the trip must have been, getting to fly with you and Pammon.”

A grunt came as Pammon looked back at them.  He was currently enjoying the fresh sheep carcasses that had been dropped off a minute before Ava had arrived.  Hearing his name had gotten his attention, but seeing there was no specific question, he returned to enjoying his snack.

“As you might have noticed, flying on a dragon is not always the easiest thing for a person.  The wind can be very fierce and cold.  When you consider the rain we flew into, it can quickly make a trip miserable.”

Nodding her head, she picked up her glass and took a drink.

“Did Father give you the potion he created for you yet?”

Glancing at Ava, he saw a smile on the corner of her lips facing him.  Hidden well from her mother’s watchful eyes.

“I had not yet given it to him,” Lord Hurem stated as he sat down his apple he had almost finished.  “I figured we would give it to him before he left.  After all, what better way to send him off than with a potion made just for him?”

Rolling her eyes at her father, Ava let a sigh escape and motioned at him.

“Father likes to be a little bit more dramatic than my mother sometimes.  The truth is he could not stop talking about it once he was able to fuse your blood successfully and Pammon’s together.  He eventually will be unable to resist and tell you that nothing like this has happened in probably over three hundred years.”

“Ava!” he exclaimed as he shot her a fearsome look before laughing a moment later.

“It sounds like you truly are a master in potion making.  I had heard Guild Master Herb sing your praises a few months back, and I can see it was not just mere words.”

Puffing his chest out, one might have thought Lord Hurem was part peacock as he shifted with his chest out and his shoulders back.

“Oh, I will never hear the end of that,” groaned Bridgette before taking another drink from her cup.

Kaen and Ava both laughed as the servants brought in trays of food.

“They like you,” she whispered as the two of them lounged against Pammon on the grass in the courtyard.

“I assumed that since she only asked me about seven times if I was ever going to consider joining the family,” teased Kaen, receiving a sharp elbow from Ava.

“Pammon, how do you put up with him and his big head?”

A thrum came from the massive body they leaned against, shaking them from the vibrations.  Pammon lifted his head and adjusted his neck till he was staring at both of them.

Tell her it is not easy, but thankfully, I am strong enough to support the weight of your head.

“Pammon says it’s not hard at all.”

Shaking his head, Pammon took in a deep breath, and Kaen knew what he was about to do.

“I lied!” he shouted.  “He said it’s a good thing he is so strong that my big head doesn’t bother him.”

Ava laughed as Pammon shifted his neck and snout, blowing out the air through his nostrils and coating a section of the courtyard with his flem.

“That is disgusting,” Kaen declared as he grimaced.  “Worse was he would have gotten that on both of us if he had done it.”

“I doubt that,” Ava replied as she leaned over and scratched a spot on Pammon’s chest where his front leg met with his body.  He trilled and moved it a little bit so she could get in between the scales at the joint.

“I don’t suppose I can ask you if I can come when you leave next?”

Shaking his head no, Kaen drew her in close to him and breathed her scent, doing his best to lock it in his mind.

“It is going to be a long and dangerous trip.  We are hunting for something to help with his growth.  We will need to find it first before we can actually engage it.  I’m hoping to be gone less than a week.”

“A week,” she said with a grunt.  “That seems like an awful long time to be gone.”

If she thinks a week is a long time, what will she do when you are gone for months at a time again?

Well, we will not tell her about that right now.  Let's just focus on the task at hand.  I don’t want her to think I don’t care, but there still is so much to do.

Glancing around the courtyard, Kaen saw that it was indeed empty except for the three of them.  Turning a little, he put his finger under her chin and lifted her face up toward his.

He bent over and kissed her, feeling her soft lips against his.  Her hand reached up behind his neck, and as she started to pull him tighter, Pammon shifted, rolling backward and sending the two of them to the grass.

His thrumming began, and Ava growled as she poked his hard scales.

Kaen couldn’t help but laugh as he lay on his back, looking up at his dragon, shaking his head from side to side.

“He did that on purpose!” she exclaimed as her face turned red.

“Yes, yes he did,” he declared, putting his hands behind his head, looking at her as she glared at Pammon.

“Why?”

“We aren’t old enough for that yet.  He says we can think about it in a few more decades.”

Climbing to her feet, Ava smoothed out her dress, pointed at Pammon’s snout, and shook her finger.

“If you keep that up, I might have to reconsider how many treats arrive at your place from me.  Rumor has it the king may only supply him with pigs since nothing else can keep up with his belly.”

She paused as she saw Pammon watching her, his eyelids not moving as those golden eyes stared down.

“Perhaps a cow might be hard to come by for a while.”

She doesn’t play fair, does she? Pammon asked as he shifted his body, tearing clumps of grass out as his weight and scales dug furrows in their manicured lawn.

No, I doubt that she does.  Besides, we need to prepare to leave soon.  I was just getting a goodbye kiss for the week.  Nothing else would have happened.

That is a lie, and you know it.  I can feel how you felt during that kiss. If you want to do that, do not do it next to me.  The last thing we need is for your passion to awaken something in me that should still be a long time away.

Erupting in laughter, Kaen couldn’t stop, holding his sides as both Pammon and Ava watched him shaking on the ground.

“Should I ask what is so funny?” Ava finally asked after a reasonable amount of time had passed.

“Pammon said we cannot do that when we are next to him.  Not because he doesn’t want us to enjoy ourselves but because doing so might make him want to seek out a female dragon.”

Kaen started to roll, sensing what was coming, but he was too slow, as Pammon’s tail flicked his side, sending him tumbling along the grass and into Pammon’s side.

“Mother of elf…” Kaen began to curse before remembering Ava was right there.

“You didn’t need to stop on my behalf.  I have been around enough adventurers to have heard my fair share of colorful language.”

Shaking his head, Kaen got up, massaging the side where Pammon’s tail had caught him.

“Maybe another day.  For now, I think this is a good time to call it a night.  Pammon and I must finish preparing a few things before we leave in the morning.”

Letting out a breath he had been holding in, Kaen moved over and winked at Pammon before giving another long kiss to Ava.

A snort broke their embrace, and both laughed when they saw Pammon’s snout just a few feet away.

“Is he always like this?” she asked while she laughed.

“Yes… yes, he is.”