Fall of the Last Dragon Rider - 015 - Commitment (Patreon)

Ava had not been excited at the news of their departure, but she accepted it.

Kaen was different and not in the way she had come to dislike over the last year. His shoulder no longer slouched slightly when others weren’t around, and his attitude did not display the defeat he felt from his decisions.

Even though he was blind, he walked like a man with purpose and hope.

So when she kissed him goodbye, the pain she felt of being alone hurt less.  Not having her daughter with her and not having Kaen was excruciating but knowing her husband was acting like the man she had fallen in love with made all of her pain feel less.

We need to go and see your mother.  She told me to fetch her today.

“I can stay here until you get back,” Ava replied, wiping a few wet spots from her cheeks.

I will not leave you alone.  You are family and I will not abandon family.

Turning to look at the green dragon wrapped around the two eggs, Ava saw those massive eyes, green at the moment, staring at her.

“When did we become family?” Ava asked, a slight laughter escaping her lips.

Pammon reminded me of that, and I have been remiss to acknowledge it.  You have shared your husband, your home, and everything else with me.  I have never been treated so nicely by most of my kind, yet you did not attempt to make me feel like anything less than you.  I thought… Amaranth paused a moment, unwrapping herself from the eggs, and began moving toward Ava.  I thought that perhaps you might use Kaen to make me obey.  To force me to do things I might not want to do.  You never have.  Today, you reminded me of the woman that you are.  I might have bonded with you if I had known you as a hatchling.  I sense a kindred spirit in you.  That is why I will make you a promise.

Amaranth was now only a few yards from Ava. She lowered herself to the ground and slid her head along it until her snout was just a foot from her.

If you promise me to help both of our mates to act as the kings they are and love us as they should, I will treat you as if you were my rider.  If I hear it, I will always answer your call and defend you and yours as if they were my own egg.  Do we have a deal?

Ava stood there, not realizing for a moment that her mouth was open as she saw Amaranth approach her and the words that echoed in her mind.

Reaching out with her hand, Ava tried to hold it still as it trembled.  Tears rolled down her cheek as she put her hand against those green scales.

“I would be honored to consider you family and even more honored to call you a friend.”

Ava took her other hand and pulled out a necklace with two dragon teeth attached.  Smiling, she took her hand off Amaranth’s snout, moved her hand to the tooth she knew was from the green dragon, and pressed hard with it into her palm.  It began to bleed, and Ava then put the hand back on Amaranth’s scales.

“I promise to protect you just like I would Kaen or Pammon. I also promise to protect your eggs and those that come from it.”

Amaranth trilled, a green glow surrounding her as she poured power into her snout.  Ava’s hand on her snout glowed, as did the tooth on her necklace.

Wait… I am almost…

The glow got brighter around Ava’s hands and she stood there in shock at what she felt and witnessed.  Then the tooth she held dissolved, vanishing into nothing and Ava felt a presence in her mind grow.

We are bonded as much as we can be.  Pammon told me of this and you are worthy of what it costs.

You can hear me as Pammon does?

… I can feel you when we are this close.  Now, wipe those tears and let us go see your mother.  She made your husband promise to have you taken to her, and he was very clear about what he expected me to do.

Laughing and wiping her nose, Ava nodded.  She then suddenly threw both arms around Amaranth’s snout.

Thank you… Thank you more than I can say with words.

Your heart says them for you.  Now… let us go do what females must do.  Be strong and make sure those males do not screw up the world.

Ava burst into laughter and nodded.  She wiped a few more wet spots from her cheeks as she moved to where the saddles were kept.

-----

Kaen and Pammon had returned to his home and picked up some equipment to replace what he had lost.  His dragon-scale chest piece and leggings were fine, but the rest of his clothes had fallen apart from the spell that had touched him.

Outfitted for battle, Kaen set off, eye still wrapped like a blind man but without feeling defeated.  He knew that Pammon was right.  It was time for him to be the person he had been chosen by the world to be.

A King for dragons.

-----

Two days had passed with hard flying, and Kaen could see how bad the land below them had become.  The southwest part of the desert and the rotted wood area had spread further north, the infection of the land seemingly shifting more and more every day.

We should be at their camp soon, but why did no one tell me it was this bad?

They did multiple times, yet you ignored the reports.  You said it couldn’t be that bad and were so focused on things inside Ebonmount and your own mistakes.

A twinge of guilt made Kaen wince at Pammon’s words because he knew they had to be true.

I am sor–

Don’t be sorry, be different.  The people and I don’t need an apology. We need a leader who acts.  Be that leader.

Kaen rubbed the scale he had touched thousands of times and said nothing.  There was nothing to say, and he was here, doing what they both knew must be done.

-----

An hour later, Pammon felt his mind being reached out to.

Glynnis is head! They are fighting!

[ Flight Burst Activated ]

Kaen leaned forward, hugging his dragon's neck as Pammon took off without warning.  The moment Pammon spoke, Kaen knew what he was going to do.

What did she say? I cannot feel her or reach her.

Since she arrived, there have been nonstop battles. She says she has seen over twenty thousand kobolds.

That number seemed impossible, but Kaen knew it had to be true.  All the fighting they had done against the orcs and goblins had taught everyone how to count armies quickly.

I’m assuming there is more? I can feel it inside you.

There are very few towns left out here.  The report from Tioanoe is that there may be less than five thousand total people alive now.  The fighting and the lack of food have gotten to them as well.  Most children and older adults have fled toward the sea, hoping to find somewhere in that kingdom that might take them.  Or at least a place to rest.

That report burned inside Kaen.  Kaen knew he was to blame for getting this bad and blocked out the emotions that tried to bury him under an avalanche of guilt.  There was no place for those feelings.  He was here and now they would do what they could to help fight and save Tioanoe and her people.

Fly fast… we will bring death to those kobolds.

-----

[ Flight Burst Expired ]

Kaen felt like he was watching a massive group of ants as he looked down at the kobold army to the west.

I think there may be more than twenty thousand… Glynnis, how are you holding up?

If you two had not come today, I would have had to abandon these people.  There is little left I can give.  Sleeping has been almost impossible unless I fly away, and when I do the kobolds attack, killing everyone I leave behind.

Where is Tioanoe?

Pammon’s eyes shifted. The place he was looking at was so far away that even his vision couldn’t see it all.

She is there. I can tell where Glynnis is at and looking.

Let me see the armies again.  I want to consider something.

Pammon’s vision swept back to the tiny dots that moved slowly but steadily over the barren land.  A long line stretched from east to west as they pushed up and to the west, driving out anyone and anything they came across.

How long can you breathe fire if you leave nothing left with your widest fan?

Pammon thrummed, well aware of what Kaen was considering.

I can hold on for about a minute, a little longer if you share your power with me.  That would let me send out a stream about twenty yards wide.

And they are walking in a row, that is what?  One hundred yards or so wide?

About that… it is miles long, and it will probably work.

I cannot help Glynnis chimed in.  I have already exhausted the little I had today.  Every day, I have pushed myself till there was nothing left.  I even have a few holes in my wings and am hoping Amaranth can help heal them.

Stay close to Tioanoe and the others.  We are going to be there soon, but first, Pammon is going to teach these kobolds a lesson about his strength.

Pammon laughed, thrumming as he prepared to dive toward the ground.

Be ready to give me your power when I say so.  Part of me has missed not fighting like this in a while.

Kaen chuckled at that statement.  Memories of when Pammon and the other dragons had to stop their breath attacks on the orc army because they had brought in massive weapons designed to bring down Pammon and the others.  The first few days had been glorious. Pammon had easily taken out ten thousand troops with his breath attack.  The orcs had pulled back and regrouped.

When they saw the siege weapons coming out of the forest, both knew fighting would be different.

No siege weapons in their army?

There are no trees for them to use, and the land would have worn them out.  My greatest weakness is they have casters who have a weakening attack.  It feels like you are swimming through water.  Each time it was cast, the air above them looked like a cloud of smoke, and flying into it earned me the scars I have.  Now, I have to be careful where I attack, and they keep their casters with the strongest forces.

Kaen considered that knowledge, and it bothered him to hear that.

An attack designed to stop dragons?  Why would a kobold army have such a thing?

It is because Stioks must have a hand in helping them.  He doesn’t fear them because he uses spells like the ones we saw that day we fought.  If I had to guess, the attack the orcs used from their castle would most likely not affect him…  He is–

Teaching them how to stop us…

It would appear he has not kept his bargain at all.  For all these years, he has invested in this moment.  Today, we shall show them how ill-prepared they are for us.

Kaen grinned, rubbing his friend's neck as they dove toward the ground.

Today, you shall show the world once again just who you are, my friend.

Pammon thrummed as he dove from the sky.