Rise of the Last Dragon Rider - Chapter 055 - Enjoying the fruits of the land (Patreon)

Kaen sat up when Amaranth finished talking.

What? What are you talking about?

The green dragon shook her head.

It’s late, and I am tired from flying for days.  Tomorrow, I will share the little I know.  For now, let me sleep.

Pammon started to stir, and Kaen could feel the frustration through their bond.

Let it go.  I’m not sure why she said that, but I believe part of it is to rile us up.  She enjoys it.

Yes, she does.  I can feel her laughing inside.  She will learn that I am not amused by these petty things.

Kaen couldn’t help the laugh he let escape as Pammon settled back down.

Go to sleep. I know you are just as tired as she is.  We will deal with what comes our way.

His dragon did what he always did, turning his neck and resting his snout against Kaen’s side.

Kaen reached over and put his hand on his partner’s nose and began to scratch it gently, smiling as a small trill sounded for a moment before it disappeared, lost to sleep that was long overdue.

Closing his eyes, Kaen thought about Elies and what he had said to him.

Tomorrow, he and Pammon would meet the Council of Dragons and hopefully find answers to their questions.

I have not seen a dragon eat as much as you have in a while.

Pammon grunted, ignoring the jab Amaranth made at him.

Stop wasting time and answer Kaen’s question.  What happened with the council and Tharnok?

Amaranth turned her head and watched the two fly next to her.  Both Pammon and Kaen had their eyes fixed on her, and she knew they would not drop it.

The council was not happy to see them.  I had been there, having returned from being ordered to heal a male injured in one of the disputes.  To say I was angry would be like saying the sky is blue.  I was furious, having been forced into being nothing more than a tool they use to keep their power.

When I arrived, Tharnok stood before the five, and his presence was intimidating.  When he spoke, the other five were not their usual selves, even as old and as powerful as they are.  They were…  restrained.

Amaranth thrummed loud enough that even Pammon and Kaen could hear her over the wind and distance.

His rider was basically gone.  The man smelled of rot, and I know not how he had survived his trip.  His voice was weak, and yet… She paused again for a moment.  It is like when you speak, Kaen.  There is a power that comes across it.  Something inside me hates it and respects it at the same time.  Yours is different than his, and part of that scares me even more.  The first time you spoke, it panicked me.  I knew that in my weakened state, I was no match for you.

Were you worried I would attack you?

I was chained to the ground, and my body was being torn apart by their hooks and spears.  At that moment, I was afraid even with my healing, I knew I was going to most likely die. Yet when you spoke, and I saw you move, I knew had you chosen to kill me, I could not have prevented it.  I doubt you know how that makes me feel as a dragon.  To know that a human has that kind of power.

Pammon thrummed, his laughter filling the sky around them, and Amaranth looked at him angrily.

Do you think that is funny?

Shaking his head, Pammon gave a stern glare back at her.

Do not underestimate the dragon he sits on if you think he is dangerous.

Kaen noticed Amaranth altered her flying a little bit, moving slightly away from Pammon and him at that statement.  Her look of anger was gone, replaced with one of worry.

Please continue.  We are no threat to those who do not seek us or those we protect harm.

Amaranth snorted and turned her gaze back toward the mountain she knew would come into view in a few hours.

Tharnok told them you two were coming, and they did not seem pleased.  They argued for a bit about how a dragon rider could have happened.  I couldn’t hear some of it, but it appeared they were not prepared for it to take place ever again.  As they fought amongst themselves, I saw Tharnok watching them, taking them in.

Finally, he spoke again, and for the first time ever, I saw the council afraid.  They winced at what he said.

Kaen and Pammon waited for what felt like forever as Amaranth remained silent. After a minute, she snorted as she flew, and Kaen saw her chest shaking. She was laughing again.

He told them that you two were more dangerous than he was if they made you angry.  He warned them that when you came, to not try and treat you two as they did every other dragon.  He then swore that they were not to bother him.  He would take his rider to his faction’s land and bury him there.

Pammon turned his neck, looking at Kaen with his golden eyes.

He could feel the confused sensation coming from his dragon’s thoughts.

Does Tharnok really believe that about us?

Kaen took a deep breath, letting the cold air, from how high up they were flying, fill his lungs before blowing it out.

You and I both know Tharnok was a demanding teacher.  He pushed us, yet after we resisted his command the first time, I noticed he was a little different.  Once we freed Elies of his bond to Havannath, we proved just how strong we are.

Scratching his beard, Kaen stared ahead for a moment.

We fought Juthom and Stioks and managed to hurt them and escape unharmed.  It cost Tharnok his rider’s life, and… Kaen paused, looking at the quiver on his side.  Seven arrows were all he had.  Specifically made to fight against a dragon.  If we had these when we fought Juthom… Perhaps I could have delivered a blow that would have won the war.

Snorting, Pammon faced forward, disbelief coming across their bond.

I doubt seven arrows would have made a difference.  We have not even had a chance to test them yet.

No, we haven’t, but you saw what I did with regular arrows.  These are not like those.

Kaen gave a gentle tap to the scale he always touched when flying.  He knew Pammon was just as scared as he was about fighting a dragon head-on.  They had gotten the jump on Juthom, which had allowed them to get away safely.  Had the roles been reversed…

Kaen felt eyes on him and glanced at Amaranth, who was watching them.

Sorry.  We were discussing things.

I could tell.  You and the other dragon rider were alike.  I offered my skill to Tharnok and tried to heal his rider of the sickness that plagued him.  Ultimately, I could only add a few days to his life. Had I been there years ago, I could have done more, but there was little left of the man who rode on that dragon's back.

Amaranth smiled as she turned her gaze back to where she was flying.

Tharnok told the council he would require my aid to ensure that Elies could make the trip to his faction's land.  They balked at first, but one of them said something, and they consented.  Again, I saw them afraid.  It's not something they have ever shown before.

How old are these dragons who sit on the council?

I do not know for sure, but every one of them is easily over four hundred years old.  There have been rumors of one being over six hundred years old, but that is hard to imagine.  They may not be strong like one thinks a dragon might be.  It isn’t some brute power behind them.

Kaen saw Amaranth shudder as she flew.

Over a hundred years ago, one of the council members, Valthor, had a member of her own faction try to rise up and take her position.  The male dragon was well over two hundred years old and felt his time had come.  Her breath melted the scales off him, it was told.  Even as strong as the stories speak of him, he died to her first attack.  Since then, no other council member has been challenged, and I doubt any will.

Kaen felt Pammon shifting under him as they flew.

How large is she compared to Tharnok?

She is at least a third bigger than Tharnok.

Kaen felt his heart skip a beat as he considered the size difference.  Tharnok had been at least a third bigger than Pammon the last time they had seen him.  If this Valthor was that much bigger than him…

So she is twice the size of us?

At least.  And yet their size difference seemed to mean nothing to them when facing him.  Even with all five there at the same time.

Kaen felt himself laugh.  Even as terrifying as that sounded, he remembered the first time Pammon, and he had met Tharnok face to face.  The fear of him had been overwhelming.

And yet he told them we were stronger.

The thrum of Amaranth could be heard again over the wind.  She laughed harder than she had last time.

I spoke with Tharnok after he traveled to his faction's land.  They had given him a wide berth, and he picked a spot he deemed worthy of his rider's final resting place.  I watched Elies, healing him as much as possible while Tharnok collected stones and used his talons to shape them.  He dug a grave, and we waited.

For a full day, Tharnok had said nothing to me other than to ask me to stop healing Elies.

As the moments passed and his rider drifted off, Tharnok told me about the land he was from.  He told me of the dream you and your dragon have.  He told me of the battle that was to take place.  In pity, I think he also told me the truth.  That I would never be anything but a tool for the council, and if I desired to be something more than that, I must flee, making the trip many tried, and now I have learned failed.

She turned silent again, and Kaen could sense something was different.  Watching her closely, Kaen saw the wind sweep a few clear drops from her silver eyes.

Your friend showed me more kindness in the few days I knew him than my own faction had in my entire life.  He told me to go when he knew Elies was taking his last breath.  He told me of what would happen once his rider actually died.  The rage that would overcome him.

Pammon let out a deep sigh, and Kaen reached over and rubbed the scale as always did.

What is it?

We both know what happens when the rider dies.  If Tharnok is in that grief and rage, do you really hope to be able to reach him?  He warned us about it.

Tsking his tongue against his teeth, Kaen tried to consider the truth of that question.  If Tharnok was consumed by the rage, could they hope to talk with him?  Was there a chance he would still be sane?

I’m willing to try, at least if you are.  There must be a part of him that hasn’t given over to the grief.

Doubt swept through the bond, telling Kaen his dragon didn’t feel so confident.

Turning his attention back to Amaranth, Kaen knew what he needed to ask.

How long ago was all this?

A little over two weeks.  I assume you know how bad he has become.  The council is at a loss, and Aethux, the faction leader and council member of Tharnok, cannot do anything about it.  Two younger male dragons were sent to try and deal with Tharnok, who has ravaged a wide area of land anytime someone comes near him.

Again, Kaen noticed the shudder she experienced even while flying.

How bad was it?

The rumor is neither male landed a hit before Tharnok killed them both.  Since then, a large portion of Aethux’s land has become a wasteland.  No one will risk flying near it, and the other dragons in the faction have been forced to stay closer to each other, creating conflict within the faction.  If something isn’t done soon, there is no telling how many more might die.

His heart broke, and Kaen felt Pammon reacting the same way.

You know what we must do.

I do.  When the time comes, if we cannot reach him, we will find out just how strong we are.