Chapter 45 - Decisions for the Future

Hump awoke to chatter outside his tent. He couldn’t help but smile at the sound of familiar voices. Bud, Celaine, and Vamir had come to visit. He sat up and leant against the bedrest, putting his egg back into its basket. A minute later, his party entered. The three of them were out of their armour and in ordinary clothes. It was a bit odd seeing them like that. After travelling and fighting alongside them, he was used to seeing them armoured for battle or preparing for battle.

“You’re looking better,” Bud said, grinning. “You were turning blue when we brought you back here.”

Bud’s left arm was in a sling. He wore a pale blue tunic over dark trousers, and a leather belt around his waist. If not for the size of him he’d have looked like a merchant’s son or some minor noble. But only a trained warrior could have a build like his. Even here, he wore his sword at his hip.

Hump grinned back. “I’m feeling better. The healer told me things had been close. How’s the arm?”

Bud shrugged. “It was fractured but they fixed it up. There’s no pain anymore but apparently I need to keep it still for a week while the magic does its thing.”

“That’s healing magic for you,” Hump said. “It can hold a break in place and mend much of the damage, but mostly relies on the body’s own ability to heal to stitch itself back together.”

Bud waved a dismissive hand toward him. “They gave me the same breakdown. A bunch of fuss over nothing if you ask me. I can’t feel anything wrong with it.”

“That’s the point,” Celaine snapped. “Push it, and you’ll be feeling it alright.”

Hump laughed. “I take it you’ve had this conversation already.”

“Multiple times a day,” Celaine said. “He’s like a giant, overgrown baby.”

“How about you, Celaine?” Hump said, smiling. “I take it that your lack of crutches means your leg is fine.”

She nodded. “Just a nasty bruise. I’m all healed up now.”

“Good,” Hump said. She wore a forest green shirt and brown trousers. He frowned when he noticed Kassius’ dagger on her hip, the silver hilt and blood-red heartstones too distinct to miss. “Are you sure that’s safe?” he asked, nodding toward it.

“It’s as safe as any other unidentified magical artefact,” Vamir said, shrugging. “I’ve not been able to figure out what it does. We’ll need an identifier to figure that out, and I thought it better to wait and find someone outside of the encampment for the job. Until then, she’s not to use it.”

Celaine drew it from its sheath, holding up the fine curved blade for all to see. “‘A knife is only a tool,’” Celaine said, doing her best imitation of Vamir. “‘It is the wielder that decides its purpose.’”

“I do not sound like that,” Vamir said.

Celaine snorted, then turned back to Hump. “I thought I’d get you to have a look at it with your magic eye spell anyway when you’re feeling up for it, just to be safe. At least for now it’s not done anything strange.”

“Just don’t let it near any blood,” Hump said, recalling the feeling from the knife when he’d stabbed the Black Paladin. The hunger that stemmed from it, and the feeling of warmth that washed over him afterward. “At the very least, it must be able to somehow turn blood into essence.”

She nodded, sheathing the blade. “I shall try to resist stabbing anyone.”

Hump smiled. “Probably for the best. At least until it’s properly identified, after that you can stab away!”

Celaine narrowed her eyes and glared at him. “I can’t wait!”

Hump snorted. “How did everything else turn out in the end?”

“As well as can be hoped,” Bud said. “Five dungeoneers died in the core room, Alerai and another Chosen. Another two were so badly injured that they still haven’t woken up. They lost six more during the frontline attack.”

“Gods,” Hump said. “The guild won’t be happy. I don’t remember ever seeing so many losses on such a low tier dungeon.”

“It was hardly low tier, was it?” Celaine said. “An undead wolf dragon and a necromancer would have probably made them re-evaluate.”

“Probably. What about the villagers?”

Bud smiled softly. “All but four.”

Hump blinked. “That’s more than I thought.”

Bud nodded. “The gods were with us that day. After you and Celaine went down the hole, Vamir and I were able to hold the tunnel while the villagers ran. Gerard and his men came for us as soon as the villagers reached them. We were preparing to search for you when the Chosen arrived from the frontline.”

“Meera reached Oswald for us as promised,” Vamir said. “Once he’d heard Prince Kassius was trapped in the dungeon, he’d dispatched those that he could spare immediately.”

“He must have been over the moon to learn he was the necromancer,” Hump said dryly.

Bud and Celaine shared an awkward look.

“What?” Hump asked.

“It’s been swept under the rug,” Bud growled. “All the terror he caused. All the death. Nobody will know.”

“Officially, he died fighting the dragon,” Celaine said.

“He died a hero,” Bud spat. “It isn’t right.”

Hump paused. Covering up the atrocities of the rich and powerful was no new concept to him. “It’s for the best,” he said after a moment’s consideration. “Necromancer or not, the king probably wouldn’t be too happy with me if stories got out that I killed his nephew. And the Duke certainly wouldn’t let it slide, even if his son was a necromancer. I don’t need that kind of attention.”

“But he’s a murderer!” Bud said. “A heretic. One step away from a monster. He shouldn’t be remembered as a hero when he was the cause of everyone’s plight in the first place.”

“The world isn’t fair,” Hump said a little more harshly than he’d meant to. “It’s only a fairy tale because they hide the truth from all that haven’t experienced it themselves. You wanted a heroic adventure; this is as close as it gets. You rescued the villagers, defeated the undead dragon, thwarted the necromancer’s evil plan. Only when they tell the story, it will be Prince Kassius that saved the day, sacrificing his life in the process. His loyal Chosen fighting alongside him.”

Bud clenched his fist. “How can you accept that?”

“The gods never favoured me,” Hump said. “It was nice to fall into the hero’s tale for a while—to help people—but I’m not Chosen. People don’t want to hear stories of wizards. They want stories of princes and Chosen fighting alongside the gods. So that’s the tale the bards will tell.”

“And you’re okay with that?” Bud asked.

Hump shrugged. “How many hedge wizards walk away from a dungeon with a dragon egg? I’m not exactly hard done by.”

Bud paused, then nodded. “Good point.”

Hump took a nervous breath, remembering the presence of the shadowy figure that had come for Kassius’ body. The moment time froze, and the entire world seemed drained of life.

“I need to ask you all something,” Hump said. “This may sound strange, but there was someone else down there. In the final moments, before I passed out, time seemed to stop. A shadowy figure stepped out from a tear in the world. Did any of you…” he trailed off when he saw Vamir’s frown. “You didn’t see them?”

“You’re sure you saw someone?” Vamir asked. “You mentioned a figure before you passed out. I asked around, but not even Lantheer detected any presence of magic that powerful.”

Hump frowned. There was no way he could have imagined it. “He was there. He took Kassius. Gods, I don’t even think Kassius is dead.”

“What?” Bud snapped. “How could that be possible?”

“His heart was still beating,” Hump said. “Even covered in burns, his heartstone was healing him. And whatever… whoever it was that took his body had the power to stop time, I don’t think healing Kassius would be a problem.”

“But we were right next to you.” Bud frowned. “We would have seen something like that.”

“Was there any sign of his body?” Hump asked.

Silence.

Vamir sighed. “No. He was gone. As if burnt to smithereens.”

“There was no way I could have burnt through his armour,” Hump said. “It was enchanted. There would have been something left behind.”

“Kelisia’s mercy,” Bud said, leaning forward in his chair. “But why was Hump the only one who saw it?”

“I’m a wizard,” Hump said. “Kassius said we were more attuned to essence than most Chosen. Maybe that was it?” Even as he said the words, he didn’t believe them. He might have been better at sensing essence than Bud, but Lantheer would surely be more skilled.

“Or the power of the wolf dragon,” Celaine suggested.

“Maybe,” Hump said doubtfully. There were two other reasons that sounded more plausible to him though. The first was his spellbook, but so far it had never given him any sort of sight magic or immunity to powers. It seemed unlikely. Alternatively, he could only think of the imprint the wolf dragon had left on his soul. Death magic affected the soul, and perhaps Hump’s soul was no longer complete.

“We need to tell Overseer Oswald,” Bud said. “If he’s still alive, the kingdom needs to know. They need to be ready. I’ll have him pass the news back to my father, he will be able to pass it onto the right people.”

“Agreed,” Hump said.

Kassius had made his path clear. He wanted to be a god, and he was willing to sacrifice anything and everything in order to make it. What if that figure he’d seen was just a person? Someone that was walking the same path as Kassius. How many souls would he have had to have consumed to reach such strength.

“Oswald has sworn us all to secrecy on the whole thing,” Celaine said. “He wants to speak to you too, when you’re feeling up for it.”

“As soon as they let me leave,” Hump said. “The bastard stole my medallion!”

“It’s not all bad,” Celaine said. “The dungeon core has been claimed by the Adventurers’ Guild and the prize will be divvied up amongst all parties involved. Vamir has your share.”

Hump grinned. “Now that’s news that I like.” He lifted the basket from the table beside his bed and placed it on his lap. The egg pulsed with warmth, like a second heart. “Thanks for keeping your word. I… I don’t know how to explain it, but this egg—the dragon inside it—it feels like an extension of myself. I’m not sure I could let it go.”

“There’s a reason we’d have to kill you to break the bond,” Celaine said. “After all that happened, it was fate that it chose you. You gave its mother the chance for her vengeance. You avenged them both. This is how it should be.”

“I hope you’re right,” Hump said. “I really don’t want to be hunted down and killed by a bunch of dragon people.”

“I won’t let that happen,” Celaine said seriously. She plumped a large leather pouch onto his lap, with a shoulder strap. “I got this for you.

Hump looked at it with a raised eyebrow. “Is this a standard issue egg pouch from the dragon people?”

Celaine snorted. “I got it at the field tent. It’s meant for horse feed, but it will have to do. It’s a thank you for not ditching me when you could have. I shouldn’t have charged in like a reckless idiot.”

Hump stared at her, mouth open.

“What?” She frowned. She looked at the pouch. “Is there something wrong with it?”

“I just didn’t know you could admit to being wrong.”

“I’ve never been so proud!” Vamir said. He had a massive grin on his face as he watched.

“Well now you do,” she growled. “Happy?”

“Hard to say,” Hump said, stroking his chin and resisting the urge to smile. “What do you think, Bud? Obnoxious or timid?”

Bud shook his head and held his uninjured hand up in surrender. “You’re on your own for this one, my friend. I’ve already got one arm in a sling.”

“You are such an arse!” Celaine snapped at Hump, slapping his leg through the blanket.

Hump laughed. “I’m kidding. Thank you for this, I really didn’t want to be lugging around a basket from now on.” He took a nervous breath and turned to Vamir. “What happens now?”

Vamir sighed. “I’ll be blunt. Your bond with the egg makes my job difficult. We were here to find the missing wolf dragon. It would have been wonderful if she were still alive, but we had our suspicions when the pack returned without her. In the worst-case scenario, we were to bring back her heartstone so that she could be entombed. Obviously, now even that is impossible.”

“That wasn’t Hump’s fault,” Celaine interrupted. “He did what he had to, and he saved the egg. She would have wanted that.”

Vamir smiled softly. “Of course. Nobody will dispute that. But now that we know the egg exists, we need to take it back to where it belongs. To its pack. To the people that know how to care for it.”

“And if I say no?” Hump asked.

“You are soul bound to the egg,” Vamir said calmly. “That is fact. Where the egg goes, you go. I’m inclined to take you back with us.”

“No,” Celaine snapped. “This isn’t what we discussed. I see where this is going, and you can’t.”

“I said I’d help him, Celaine, and this is the only way I can,” Vamir said. “We can’t leave some kid hedge wizard with a dragon egg. If he’s lucky, only the egg will die. If he’s unlucky, he’ll be killed for it, and then gods know where it will end up.”

“It’s okay,” Hump said. “I don’t mind going with you.”

“You don’t understand,” Celaine said. “They’ll kill you.”

Hump frowned. “Okay. Let me rescind my previous statement. I do mind going with you.”

“Why would they kill him?” Bud asked. “As you said, Hump saved the egg. Surely he’s earned the right to keep it. They can’t just murder someone because they don’t like them.”

“He’s an outsider,” Celaine said. “They might not kill him outright, but they will make him prove himself. He would be forced to take the Dragon Keeper trials.”

“And these trials are dangerous?” Bud asked.

“He wouldn’t pass the first one,” Vamir said. “Celaine has yet to take it. I barely scraped through the second and have yet to challenge the final one.”

“Oh,” Hump said. “This is sounding more and more like a terrible option.”

“If I argue your case, I think I could buy you some time,” Vamir said.

“How much?” Hump asked.

“A year. If you’re lucky.”

“Couldn’t I run?” Hump said hopefully. “It’s a big world and hedge wizards have a habit of never being in one place for long. I’m a hard man to find.”

“I don’t recommend trying to run from people that ride dragons,” Vamir said. “And you don’t know the first thing about caring for a dragon egg. Let alone what to do when it hatches.”

“Then tell me,” Hump said. “Or I’ll figure it out on my own. I won’t walk to my death.”

Vamir sighed. “Wolf dragons are social creatures. Their minds are constantly linked with one another, sharing emotions and thoughts. That link begins in the egg. Without it’s pack, it’s your responsibility to fulfil that role.”

“What if I stay with him,” Celaine said abruptly. “I know how to care for the egg, and the hatchling when it hatches. Once it’s old enough to defend itself they wouldn’t dare to move against Hump.”

“You know the rules, Celaine,” Vamir growled. “You could be outcast for this.”

“Then go back and make sure I’m not,” Celaine said. “I’m not a child, and neither am I an idiot. I know the risk of staying, but I know for certain Hump won’t survive if he is forced to face the trials. So do you, Vamir.”

“It’s likely.” Vamir sighed. “If you’re willing to stay, I could justify leaving the egg behind.”

“I’m willing.”

“Excellent,” Bud said cheerfully. “The three of us make a good team. It would have been a shame to go our separate way so early.”

Hump raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”

Bud smiled. “I won’t abandon a friend in need. You have my sword.”

Hump didn’t know what to say. For so long it had been just him and his master. They’d had the occasional companion and party, but it was never someone they could trust completely. Everyone had an agenda. This was different. He cleared his throat and nodded. “Thank you. Thank you both. I… I’m not sure what I would have done without you.”

They both smiled at him.

“This is what you want to do then?” Vamir asked Hump.

Hump gulped. “If Celaine and Bud are alright with it, sure. I don’t exactly have much choice do I. Will this stop them coming after me?”

“Oh they’ll come,” Vamir said. “But I can buy you some time. It’s a long way home and nobody will know if I accidently take a few detours along the way. Eventually, they will want their dragon back. You won’t be able to run forever. The pack will be able to find you, and so will my people.”

“I’m screwed either way, aren’t I?” Hump grumbled.

“Not necessarily,” Vamir said. “Become strong enough to face the trials. When the time comes, don’t run. Face them, and prove you are worthy. If you can earn the title, it won’t matter that you’re an outsider. A Dragon Keeper is a Dragon Keeper.”

“I understand,” Hump said. He frowned, searching for the words to broach the subject. In the end, he decided to be blunt as well. “So… About my pay?”

Vamir looked at him hopelessly.

Hump grinned.