Rise of the Last Dragon Rider - Chapter 044 - An unexpected trap

Most of the afternoon and evening were spent in the air, above the clouds forming, the rain coming as the season changed.

Dark clouds loomed to the east, a forbidding sign as they drifted over the mountains, absorbing water from the lake on the opposite side.

Tell me the truth.  You are afraid.

Kaen couldn’t hide the fear of what this journey would bring.  The trip itself was going to be long and hard.  The map he had from Elies, compared to the ones he had drawn, told him it would most likely be a week and a half of flying.  They would need to stop at the city on the edge of the Great Seas.  A kingdom most never engaged with outside of trade.

Golden Edge was far to the west of Roccnari, and they disliked the attitude of the elves, not that Kaen could argue against that point.  They were content to slowly grow and expand, eating into the miles of land and forests that separated them from the other kingdoms.

Since it was at least a solid day of flying to cover that distance, neither kingdom fought over that expanse, as Roccnari didn’t have the forces or will to fight.

We both know how long and hard this journey will be.  Most of it depends on you getting there and flying for days without rest unless we find an island or something else.  If you want to eat, you will have to try and find food in the sea, and we both know how well the last time you hunted in the water went.

Pammon’s snort was more of a reflex than a sense of hurt pride.

You try grasping at something tiny while water shoves up your snout and nose.

Kaen just laughed, rubbing the same scale as always as he smiled.

Tomorrow would be a hard day.  He had a lot to do, and saying goodbye to Ava would be rough.  Even Callie seemed to be growing like a weed, talking more and getting around quickly; it had only been two weeks.

Life was passing by so fast, yet he felt he was missing out on it.

Looking at the city below for the past few hours brought everything into perspective.

There was a world that he didn’t belong in.  He needed to stay somehow in both.  Each of the lives of the people on the ground was important to him.  Flying today reminded him that the lives down below would go on.  People would pass, and he would age slower, living longer, burying friends and family.

I’ll always be with you until your dying breath.

Laying against Pammon’s neck, Kaen hugged those hard scales.

I just really accepted the truth of all this.  Every day, we risk ourselves for a belief.  For a purpose.  My reason for all this hasn’t changed, but it feels heavier.  How long will the people love us and support us?  Will the next generation despise or envy us to the point of trying to take away what we have?  Are we really making a difference?

Pammon, as always, gave that hug that felt comforting through their bond.

You couldn’t live with yourself if you didn’t try.  I see how you light up when you engage with those students.  Your heart is happy when you play with Callie and your family.  I can see that.  I can feel it.  The truth is you are scared about returning.  What lies across the ocean is an unknown we are unprepared for.  Elies and Tharnok gave us as much information as they could in the time he had, but he trained us more to be fighters.  Perhaps he knew that was what we really needed to become.

Scratching those scales with his fingers, Pammon trilled as he flew.

I must say you are not an eggling anymore.  Tharnok really taught you how to be a wise dragon.

Flaring his head and neck back, Pammon tossed Kaen into his saddle.

I’m not the one who is scared.  You are ready for this.  We are prepared for this.  If anything, our moment with Juthom and Stioks proved that we can be a threat and we are not weak.

Then let’s go home.  I know you are hungry.  I have listened to your stomach growl for the last hour.

Thrumming, Pammon leaned forward, starting the descent as the setting sun glistened off his bronze scales.

Remember that when you see Ava tomorrow, no running off and doing certain things.  I don’t want to have to endure that again for a while.

Laughing, Kaen leaned back, letting the wind rush over him.

“Kaen!”

He glanced over and saw Lord Hurem shout as he dismounted from Pammon, doing his best not to ruin the grass they always seemed to destroy when they landed in their courtyard.

“It has been only a few weeks, but it still feels like it has been forever!”

When they finally drew close, Kaen extended his hand, only to be surprised as Lord Hurem took it. Then, he pulled Kaen close and gave him a small hug with three taps on his back.

“I’m sorry to hear that the potions we made for Pammon didn’t work as anticipated.  I have been working non-stop on a few others, and they will be brought up here before you leave.”

“It’s ok, you had said –”

“Nonsense! I can’t be responsible for not caring for you or your dragon when both of you mean so much to us.”

Kaen glanced at the man, who seemed way friendlier than usual.  His facial expressions, the hug.  It was all weird.

You are sticking your tongue down his daughter's throat, trying to taste what she had for dinner.  No doubt he is excited about hearing you do that again.

Kaen almost choked, holding back the laughter as Lord Hurem glanced at him before shifting his gaze to Pammon.

“He says do not trouble yourself with how the first batch worked.  A few animals will be more than enough to compensate for your concerns.”

Lord Hurem smiled and gave a slight bow before turning and snapping his fingers at a servant standing off to the side.

As if waiting for permission, teams of individuals brought in various animals, all butchered for Pammon.  Pigs, sheep, a cow, and something else Kaen couldn’t recognize.

“A treat for you!” the man stated as he saw Pammon eyeing the different carcasses.  “A bird that runs fast because it cannot fly.”

A chicken?

Pammon thrummed, saliva dripping from his mouth as he watched the servants set down the wooden boards they carried all the animals on.

If it is, we will need to get more of these so I can take revenge on the leader of them all back in Minoosh.

Smiling, Kaen laughed as he gave a slight bow.

“Pammon is very thankful for your gift and special treat.”

Motioning to the chairs around the table behind him, Lord Hurem waited for Kaen to sit before joining him.

“My wife and daughter will join us in a moment, but I need to ask you something before they do.”

Like a statue, Kaen didn’t allow his face to change, a slight smile on his lips as he gave a slow nod.

“My daughter told my wife the other night,” he whispered as he leaned in, “that you professed to my daughter that you love her.  Needless to say, my wife is ecstatic, and while we both have considered you a part of the family if you ever need to ask me specifically how to join the family, I will be happy to say yes.”

A low thrum came from Pammon as he swallowed the meal provided for him.

It appears someone has just stumbled into a trap.  Oh, how the mighty have fallen.

Shut it… what the heck am I going to do?

Pammon laughed louder, distracting Lord Hurem from Kaen as the man smiled and watched a whole side of beef slide down Pammon’s throat.

“I’m glad you like it!” he stated, ecstatic at the show.  “I can have more brought in a while if you need.”

Pammon thrummed louder, nodding as his tongue cleaned the outside of his snout.

Without hesitation, Lord Hurem turned to the same servant and nodded, and the man gave a quick bow before dashing off into a servant's door.

I have given you a moment to think.  Use those brains you spoke highly of the other day when talking with Herb and the king.

Swallowing, Kaen reached for the glass of water he saw and took a long, slow drink.  He saw that Lord Hurem had turned his attention back to him.

The man was almost giddy by how he smiled, bounced his leg under the table, and leaned forward.

Setting his cup down and breathing, Kaen straightened himself in his chair.

“I believe that time will come, but I have a few things to take care of first.  I’m sure your daughter informed you of my need to leave for a place across the sea?”

Lord Hurem nodded his head in excitement.

“Yes!” he said, louder than he had intended.  He leaned closer and then whispered, “Dragons!  Can you imagine?  A land filled with them!”

Kaen’s smile wasn’t very believable, but that was because the two of them obviously considered the situation a bit different.

“Yes, well, as you know, I cannot ask you that question until after I return.  Imagine how I would feel if I… “ Kaen paused, feeling Pammon’s eyes on him as he spoke. “If I made that commitment and something happened.  I could never bring myself to put her through the added or extra pain that might bring.”

A slight frown formed on the man’s face.

“You are saying you love her, and yet you are worried about how she might feel if you didn’t return after having professed that love?  I don’t want to be mean or sound disrespectful, but Kaen, you are missing out on what love is all about!”

The man stood up suddenly, almost tipping his chair over from the force.

“To be in love is a marvelous thing.  It shouldn’t be put off,” he explained as he began to pace before spinning on his heels to face Kaen while pointing a finger at him. “Just look at Hess and Sulenda!  They didn’t waste time with what had been or could be!  They gave themselves fully to each other, and now look at how happy they are, even with the injury he had sustained.”

Kaen began to open his mouth, but Lord Hurem shook his head and didn’t let him interrupt.

“Imagine if Hess had waited until you and Pammon were announced.  Would he have fought with the same zeal?  Would he have wanted to return that badly?”

Moving to stand over Kaen, Lord Hurem bent down, putting his arm on the table as he leaned in close.

“Would you have fought so hard if you didn’t know Sulenda was pregnant?  Could Hess have given himself like he has now had he waited till he returned, missing an arm?”

The stern gaze he was enduring, combined with the barrage of well-thought-out questions, left Kaen speechless.

“I –”

“Act, Kaen, act!  Tell me right now, do you want to marry my daughter?”

Kaen froze, caught between Lord Hurem's gaze and Pammon's gaze.  He wasn’t sure which one was harder to endure.

Tell him.  You and I both already know the answer.

Kaen swallowed, noticing his hands were sweaty as he wiped them on his pants.

“I do, but –”

“No buts! You have my permission.”

Kaen shook his head in disbelief as the man’s face softened immediately, going from a hard gaze to a soft, approachable look.  His lips were no longer drawn tight now. They were again pointed upward in the shape of a smile.  Those perfectly manicured eyebrows no longer fought for position over his nose but now lazily reclined above his eyes.

A hand appeared near his chest, and a small box rested on it.  Where it had come from, Kaen had yet to learn.

“Take it, Kaen.  Take it and marry my daughter tonight.”

A snort came from behind the man, and Lord Hurem turned and faced Pammon.

“I have done some reading Pammon about dragon riders and their dragons.  I know you are probably unhappy about what just happened, but let me ask you this question and then let you decide.  If you love Kaen and want him to be happy and give everything in his being to return here safe, why deny an anchor that will hold his heart firm when challenging moments come?  Why not let him declare his love, bind his heart, and do everything in his power as Hess did to return to the women he loved?  Would you, as his dragon, not do anything to protect your rider?  I ask because I also care about Kaen and want to help him return.  Just as I made those potions for you and him, I need him to come home.  We need him to come home.

“If that means tonight I ignore my wife's dreams of a wedding that would rival a king so that my daughter and the man she loves can be together for one night and use that moment to plant a seed in his heart that will make him fight with every fiber of his being to return here with you, then so be it.  I will endure countless years of a nagging wife whom I love to know that I can possibly fulfill the same desire you have for Kaen.  To see him safe every day he is alive.”

Kaen was stunned.  He felt every emotion Pammon was dealing with right now.  Rage didn’t come close to describing how he felt they had been lured and trapped.  Resentment at what this change would mean to the two of them.  Fear at their bond becoming weaker and having to share him with another. The realization that Lord Hurem was right.  Kaen would need all the willpower he had to endure what they might experience, and this small thing might be the edge their bond couldn’t provide.

A snort came again, followed by a long breath as Pammon moved across the grass until he was closer to Lord Hurem.  He slowly reached out with his head, just a foot from the man’s unflinching face.

Tell him I accept but that if he ever tries to control you through her, his life may end quicker than he may wish for.

You accept?  What do you mean you accept?

Pammon shifted his gaze to Kaen, and his lips curled slightly as a hug came through their bond.

Marry that poor girl.  I have been an eggling for trying to keep you two apart.  Lord Hurem is correct.  I would do anything to protect you and bring you back.  She will help with that.  Take the ring and begin your life with her.

Kaen rose from his seat, stumbling to where Pammon was, and put his hand out.

Pammon moved his snout over and pressed it against his rider's hand.

Thank you.  More than you know, thank you.

Pammon snorted, Kaen believed intentionally, getting some mucus on Lord Hurem’s clothes, eliciting a gasp of horror from him.

Take the ring.  Wait to ask till I return.  I need to do one thing before you do.

Moving back a few steps, Pammon smiled, watching as Lord Hurem tried to wipe the mucus off with his hands, having no luck.

Remember, wait for me to return and tell that man the mucus is a dragon tradition to welcome a new family member.

Kaen watched as Pammon took off into the morning sky, his thrumming filling the courtyard as he beat his wings quickly.

Turning to Lord Hurem, Kaen saw the man’s grimace as his hands were slimy and covered in snot.

“Dragons,” Kaen said with a shrug as he smiled.  “At least he said yes.”