Rise of the Last Dragon Rider - Chapter 043 - Planning for the future (Patreon)

“Are you sure I can’t give you a medal?” Aldric asked again, his face beaming with excitement.  “I mean, Herb and I have told you already how amazing it is you did what you did!”

Having not stopped his head from shaking side to side, Kaen rolled his eyes once more as he fidgeted with his mug.

“We don’t have time for that, and I don’t want that attention.  I’m sure Stioks and Juthom aren’t going to announce it to anyone.  There is no need to poke the dragon if word gets out that we are celebrating what I did.  Right now, I need to take advantage of the time this may have bought us.”

Herb started roaring with laughter, and Aldric just grinned.

“What is so funny?”

“When did you get so wise?” Herb finally replied after settling down.  “Where is that kid that stood before me just a few years ago, ready to rush head first into any challenge, believing he could overcome it all?”

Letting himself grin, Kaen shrugged as he pointed to the stack of papers they had discarded on the table after reading.

“This boy has learned through blood, sweat, and tears that real success doesn’t come from always beating one's head against it.  I still risk everything sometimes, but usually only if Pammon says I can.”

A chuckle came from Aldric as he thumbed the papers Kaen had pointed to.

“I owe you a lot for what you have done, Kaen.”

His voice had gone from playful and bantering a minute ago to his serious king voice.

“With the dwarves coming to help shore up our defense, I honestly believe we might have a chance.  I knew what we were doing would most likely fail, and it would be catastrophic when it did.  The kingdom needed a reason to not cower and waste away.  Your original plan gave us that.”

He paused, pointing at the map he and Elnidith had marked along the walls that needed more fortification.

“You improved on that plan.  Somehow, you found a person not only smart enough to help make it better but willing to move a portion of the dwarven people here.  You have summoned a small army; all it will cost me is some land, money, and jobs.  Things I would gladly give up if it means we have an actual chance of not losing everything.”

Kaen could see the glimmer of hope in Aldric’s eyes.  They almost seemed brighter, and his face was relaxed, not the usual hard stone feature where he clenched his jaws too much.

“I still need to ask forgiveness for offering up a portion of your kingdom without your consent.  It wasn’t my –”

“Nonsense,” he said, waving Kaen’s apology off.  “You did what a Dragon Rider should.  You made a decision based on what was best for the people.  All people.  Not only were we at risk, but so were those at Tanulivar.  Now, they have a place to defend and hope to start a new life here.  Will it be hard? Yes.  Will people complain about the weight of five thousand or more dwarves? Yes.  Will they accept it because it gives them a better chance of making it through what is coming?”

Kaen waited for the next word to come and watched as Aldric just sat there smiling.

“Yes,” Kaen finally said, watching the older man nod.

“Don’t forget the wood elves,” Herb chimed in.  “How long has it been since they were willing to stand with us?”

“Too long.  Way too long.”

That comment sparked something Kaen had forgotten to show, and he grabbed his pack off the ground and began pulling out rolls of leather.

Picking up the papers from the table strewn about, he stacked them neatly in a pile at the corner of the table and then began to unroll the leather maps he had drawn.

“These aren’t perfect, but I made them while we traveled.  A lot has changed since –”

“You made these?” gasped Herb as he looked over the leather maps Kaen was showing them.

Kaen nodded, turning his head to see Herb’s mouth hanging open as the shorter man scanned the crude drawings he had done.

“Incredible,” he murmured as his finger ran along the edges of some of the forests.  “Hundreds of years…”

“Goblin shite!”

Both men turned and looked at Aldric, whose unexpected cursing had caught them off guard.

“Excuse me?”

Shaking his head, a look of frustration on his face, Aldric winced as he turned his attention to Kaen.

“Sorry for cursing.  Not very kingly, I’m afraid.  Herb is a bad influence, as is Hess, but still.”

He pointed to the maps leading to Luthaelia that Kaen had skirted the edge of.

“All of our maps are way out of date.  I had tried sending teams out for a while, but they never returned, even with the adventurer guilds' help.  It was far too dangerous.”

He tapped three different spots before running his finger along the eastern edge.

“These changes are proof of just how much Stioks kingdom has been pushing into our area.  The changes in the forest line,” he said as he tapped closer to where the wood elves were, “the advancement to this section of the forest.  All this tells me our count on his forces is completely wrong.  In order to accomplish all this…”

He frowned as he looked up and saw both men staring at him.

Taking a breath and letting it out, Aldric forced a smile.

“Ignore that for now.  Let’s rejoice in the victory we have.  With your maps, the dwarves joining us, the news we have of the caves to the south, and how you managed to injure Juthom, there is much to celebrate.”

“About that,” Herb almost interrupted.  “The advisors say it must be a higher level spell than what you described.  There has to be a high-level caster or two that has somehow found a way to cast that spell and keep it going.  There were rumors of the guild hall in Luthaelia having seen magical development beyond what we have.”

Moving back to his chair, Herb sat down and intertwined his fingers across his chest.

“Stioks has been spending at least a decade channeling all the magical ability of his kingdom into magical gear and equipment.  Even with a barebones crew in Luthaelia, we heard reports of all casters being forced into his endeavors.”

Tsking his tongue for a moment, Herb began to chew on his lip.

“We already have seen what he has helped the orcs to create.  Suicide bombers are rigged with a device that only detonates when their wearer dies or they are caught up in another explosion.  Goblins and orcs shouldn’t have been able to develop that on their own.  If he provides them with magical gear and training, it will be something we have never faced before.”

Leaning against the table, Kaen considered what Herb was saying.

“How far behind are we? I mean in magical item creation and advancement.”

Shrugging his shoulders, Herb turned and looked at Alric with a questionable expression.

“Very far behind.  We have poured everything into the material for the wall and the roofs.”

Rubbing his eyes, Kaen nodded as he considered what all this meant.

“I think we should stop worrying about the roof tiles for now.  Do you agree?”

He saw both men nodding and crossed his arms.

“You have adventures collecting materials and supplies, right?”

Herb nodded.

“Give me your honest opinions.  Other than finishing up the two walls, the extra defenses that are going to be erected in the pass does anything else matter besides those?”

Aldric shook his head first, Herb just a few seconds after him.

“So what do we need to turn our attention to enchantment-wise?”

A snort came from Herb, who smirked.

“Definitely Hoste’s son.”

Grinning, Aldric nodded and sat back down in his seat.

“Do you want answers now or later?”

“I don’t care. I’m leaving in two days.  You two need to figure that part out.  I remember the people in Fiola’s party mentioning she had wands.  A dozen or so of those with the right spell could change the direction of a battle.  I have to believe that Stioks has considered that and has created or is creating some.  That kind of power is a trump card for the undefended.”

“I can draw up a list of ideas and share them with Aldric in the coming days.  What else, Dragon Rider Kaen?”

Rolling his eyes, Kaen almost gave Herb the middle finger but stopped himself.

“You two must ensure Sulenda has her request by this week.”

Aldric shifted in his chair.

“That will drain most of what we have created, and they are still taking a while to make.”

“Then focus the mages on that task for a while.  We need more lifestones.  Those fifty students are at the right age, and if we want them to progress how they must, they cannot wait any longer.”

“The results speak for themselves,” Herb chimed in.  “Those two pillars of your academy are shooting stars.  Their results are beyond anything anyone could expect.”

Kaen’s smile ran across his whole face.

Frederick and Phillip had already reached level ten in a melee weapon and shield.  Their physical stats were also growing as Finn enlisted Hess’s help in constructing a training area like the one he had used in Roccnari.  The other students were lagging behind, their bodies not able to adapt and grow from normal development.  It was time for a boost.

“I know you have them, and I know it will take most of what the town has, but if we are honest, a lifestone in the hands of a merchant or a noble will not mean as much compared to these children in a year or two.”

Kaen stood up, pulled out the talisman he wore around his neck, and gave it a tiny flick.

“Between their stats, skills, and all the gear I have in my father's vault, we can outfit a small team to help at the walls.  Imagine getting five or ten years before the enemy throws everything at us.  What kind of army could we have then.”

Both men nodded.  They could hear the excitement and hope in Kaen’s voice.  He had done something on a whim, knowing it might never last long enough, but now, the truth was there might be enough time.  If they could get one or two classes to sixteen or seventeen, those boys and girls would be assets far more significant than anything imaginable.

“Fine,” Aldric conceded.  “I will give all but two that I have in my castle.  If Herb does the same, we can give her ten more than she requested.  Any noble or merchant that wants to complain about this choice can talk to me personally.”

Herb chuckled and nodded that he would do likewise.

“Thank you.”

Both stood, sensing that Kaen was done by how he transitioned to his usual tone and stance.

“Anything we can get you for your trip?” Herb asked as he extended his hand.

Shaking it, Kaen nodded.

“I’ll take any information either of you have on the council of dragons and relationships with them.  I need to be as prepared as possible to deal with them.”

Herb’s face became a contortionist, shifting in every direction as the man considered what they might have on hand.

“Check in before you leave.  I’ll see what I can find, but it won't be much off the top of my head.”

Aldric’s hand appeared before Kaen, and he shook it, watching the older man smile.

“I’ll get my people scouring every bookshelf we have.  Anything we find is yours and will be dropped off at the adventurers' hall, so you don’t have to make multiple stops.”

“Perhaps you two could say a few prayers to the spirits for me,” Kaen joked as he motioned to Pammon, who was about to land on the other end of the courtyard.  “Dealing with Tharnok and my own dragon has been an adventurer.  Dealing with dragons that don’t like men and are most likely older than Tharnok is nothing I have ever imagined.”

“I’ll say multiple prayers,” Aldric replied, putting his hand on Kaen’s shoulder and squeezing it.  “Just know I have faith in you.  We all do.  For some reason, you and Pammon were brought together, and I have to believe it was for this moment.  Trust all that.”

Giving the best smile he could muster, Kaen tipped his head as he walked toward Pammon.

I can tell you are frustrated.  Where do you need to go?

Take me to the sky.  I need to be with you up there where I can clear my head.

Pammon thrummed as he waited for Kaen to climb on his back.

Spoken like a true dragon rider.