Chapter 47 - Departure

Part of being a hedge wizard was making do with what supplies you could find locally, and slowly building a collection. A place rarely had everything one needed, and the field station was no exception.

Hump skipped the essence elixirs this time and purchased the ingredients to make them himself instead. He would have plenty of time on the journey to brew them and it was barely a fifth of the price. He picked up a couple of healing potions and readymade salves just in case, but only for emergencies until he could get his own supplies together. The field station had a few specialist ingredients that weren’t typically found in normal herbalists, the rest was too expensive to be worth it. He’d need to stock up again in Bledsbury now that he had some coin, and there would be plenty of towns along the way on the trip to Fishers Lake.

Prancer was restless after a week at the encampment, but the Adventurers’ Guild had fed him well and taken him out for a run each day. Hump bought him a bag of apples to last him and the other horses for a few days. ‘There are certain things a man never skimps on,’ the old man would say. ‘A thick wool cloak, leather boots, and horses. Take good care of them, and they’ll take good care of you.’

Hump said his goodbyes before he left. Sanya and her Northmen had already left the encampment, but he was able to find Gerard. They’d lost one of their own when they had gone to help Vamir and Bud—Shar. She’d died fighting.

“It’s the job,” Gerard said. “Don’t feel bad about it.”

Hump nodded, then immediately felt ashamed that he had agreed so quickly. It was too easy to become desensitised to death when one saw it all the time. Shar had died fighting for his party and for the villagers, her sacrificed deserved to be remembered. To have an impact.

“What will you do now?” Hump asked.

“Overseer Oswald’s hired us for the trip north,” he said. “The Fallen Lands.”

They exchanged pleasantries, and then Hump shook his hand and went on his way.

When Hump returned to his party, they were readying up to leave the encampment. Their party was one of six following a guide back to Bledsbury. They took a different path this time, something Hump was glad of. He didn’t want to see the scorched forest again now that he knew what it stood for. The memories the dragon had shown him were seared into him as if they were his own. It might have only been a vision, but it felt real.

“So do dragons eat horses?” Bud asked.

“Wolf dragons,” Celaine corrected. “Too many people refer to them as if they are just a single species, but what you’re doing is the same thing as calling a razorclaw a cat. It’s factually true, but you look like a dumb arse.”

Hump laughed.

“Fine,” Bud said. “Do wolf dragons eat horses then?”

“What do you think?” Celaine asked. “They might be a lesser dragon, but they’re carnivores.”

“Poor Prancer,” Hump said, patting the horse’s neck. “I won’t let you be dragon food.”

“Wolf dragon food,” Bud interjected.

Hump smiled. “Oops. I won’t let you be wolf dragon food then. Other dragons though, nothing I can do about that.”

Prancer huffed and kicked at the ground. Hump chuckled again and sat back in his saddle, gazing up at the trees. The sun was out, the hills were warm and the forest full of life. It was a good day to be on the road. He remembered plummeting through a clear sky just like this; how small the trees had looked beneath him, like a field of broccoli. He craved for that thrill again. It called to him from the deepest part of himself, urging him to be out there again and amongst the pack. To give into his instincts and hunt. He wondered if that was the imprint on his soul talking or himself.

They mostly stuck to themselves as they rode. At first, Hump had enjoyed his small rise to fame. Everyone wanted to talk to him about the battle, about how he’d slain the dragon and claimed the egg before any Chosen could reach it. They asked about Prince Kassius and his valiant death, thanking the gods that they’d had a chance to walk alongside such a hero. Each time, it got a little bit more aggravating, until eventually Hump stopped answering questions. Dragon Slayer, they called him. And he hated it.

It was an easy first day. They still had to be on guard for any monsters that might be roaming the area. While the dungeon core was gone and would no longer be drawing monsters to this place, those that had already arrived would be looking for food. But at least for Hump’s group, there was no sign of danger along the way.

When they set up camp for the night, Hump found a quiet moment alone with Bud and told him what Priestess Luna had said about the damage to his soul. He mentioned that he was worried about the long-lasting effects of taking on the dragon soul, even for only a few moments.

It pained him to hide it from Celaine and Vamir, but they would know as clearly as he did what it meant. He was no longer whole. No longer fully human. If they found out, they might change their mind about letting him keep the egg, and that wasn’t something he was willing to risk, even if it did mean keeping it from his them. He’d seen the look on Vamir’s face in the dungeon, the temptation to sever the bond and take the egg. As much as Hump wanted to trust him, he didn’t want to push his luck.

“What type of effects?” Bud asked.

Hump shrugged. “I have an urge to fly.”

Bud snorted. “Well as long as you don’t go jumping off a cliff, I can’t see the harm in that.”

“Not that strong an urge as of yet,” Hump said, smiling. “There’s also this.” He turned and focused on the nearby campfire, pulling together a shred of will and essence, forming an image of a small flame in his mind. He pointed his staff, and whispered, “Spark.”

The flame soared. He’d hardly even had to try.

Bud looked taken aback. “I thought you said your fire affinity was weak?”

“I did,” Hump said. “I’m not even sure I could have pulled off something like that without an entire formation of runes. Now my fire affinity might be even stronger than my earth.”

“That’s amazing!” Bud said.

Hump nodded glumly.

“Is it not amazing?” Bud asked.

“I suppose it is,” Hump said, frowning. “But I can’t control it. That was just a minor cantrip, I’m not sure what would happen if I tried to use Essence Blast.”

“You’ve grown stronger,” Bud said. “It always takes time to get used to it. But it will come, with time and practice. And you’ll be better for it.”

Hump hesitated. What he was about to say went against everything Bud believed in. Hell, it went against his own world views too.

“You’re missing the point. I’m not just stronger. I’m changed. It’s hard to explain it, but for a moment, the dragon and I were one being. Our souls were merged. There’s a reason we don’t absorb power from heartstones, Bud. Gods, for all I know, this is the first step to become like Kassius.”

Bud frowned. “You’re not like Kassius.”

“Not yet,” Hump said. “But I could be. The soul is a fragile thing, and mine is now scarred.”

Bud went silent for a long agonising moment. “You’re a good person, Hump. You’re strong, and you want to help people. Kassius was evil. He was willing to sacrifice anything for his own purpose.”

“Even though it was just a single moment, part of her is now me. What if she took some part of me away too?”

“What if she did?” Bud asked. “Humans change all the time anyway.”

“And if I’m no longer fully human?” Hump asked.

Bud snorted. “You’re human, Hump. If you were a dragon, you wouldn’t be worrying. And you’d have scales.”

Hump grinned. “Good point.”

“From the way you’ve described it, it sounds a lot like my bond with Kelisia,” Bud said. “When we are Chosen, we are granted access to a piece of our god’s power. A point of connection that allows us to draw strength from them. And likewise, a piece of our soul is given to them, binding us together. I don’t think the dragon meant you any harm, do you?”

Hump shook his head. “Probably not. She just wanted to protect her egg.”

“Then maybe this was just another step toward that goal,” Bud said. “A parting gift to help you and her child along the way. Does that sound possible?”

It did. And Hump slept much easier that night thinking of it. If Bud was right, Hump couldn’t be happier to carry a part of her with him. And even if his soul wasn’t entirely human, being part wolf dragon didn’t sound half bad.

Vamir left them at the edge of Bledsbury. They’d known the moment was coming, and for Celaine’s sake, neither Hump nor Bud had brought it up.

“Thank you for what you’re doing,” Hump said.

“Not at all,” Vamir said. “I owe you this much at least. He had us beat if not for you. Few would dare attempt what you pulled off, let alone succeed.”

Hump smiled. Vamir was being modest about it, but Hump knew he was putting his neck on the line to give him a little more time to prepare for whatever trials he might have ahead of him.

“Take good care of them, Bud,” Vamir said to the knight. “I fear you might be the only sensible one around.”

“Of course,” Bud said. “Till when we next meet, Vamir. If you’re ever around these parts, you can find a bed and a meal waiting for you in Blackthorne.”

They shook hands, and then Vamir walked over to Celaine. “Well then,” he said to her. “This will be it for a while. Try not to be too reckless without me around,” he chuckled.

“I’ll be fine,” she said lightly.

“I know you will,” he said. “This is your first time in the world alone though. I have to be a little worried, don’t I?”

Celaine smiled and gave him a quick, awkward hug. Her cheeks were red. “I’ll be careful.”

“Good,” he smiled, and his smile quickly turned into a grin. “You’ve not given me a hug in years.”

“Do you have to be weird,” she grumbled, pulling away from him.

Vamir barked a laugh. “Right then. I’ll be seeing you. Don’t miss me too much.” He looked at Hump. “Remember what I said. Be ready. Listen to Celaine’s advice about your egg, even if she does rattle on. I know it might be hard, and you will be protective, but she knows what she’s talking about.”

Hump nodded. “I will.”

“Wonderful,” Vamir said brightly. “Then I bid you all farewell. Lookout for each other, don’t die, and don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

They watched him go as he rode toward the mountain road on the far side of the lake.

“Right then,” Celaine said, turning her horse back toward Bledsbury. “Shall we go?”

Hump grinned. “There’s a quick stop Bud and I need to make before we leave.”

“Where?” Celaine asked.

Hump looked at Bud and saw the same smug grin on the knight’s face looking back at him.

It wasn’t long until they were standing in front of the all too familiar small stone building with an Adventurers’ Guild sign hanging over its entrance. Hump took a deep breath and went inside. Once more, he strode up to the empty counter and slammed his hand down on the bell.

“I’ll be with you in a minute,” the receptionist called.

Hump put his elbow on the counter and leaned.

“What are we doing here?” Celaine asked.

“Registering for the guild, of course,” Hump said.

“And why do you look so smug about it?” she asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.

“Sorry to keep you…” the woman trailed off as she saw them. Her lips tightened. “Oh, it’s you boys again. I didn’t expect to see you back here. What do you want?”

Hump pulled out the old man’s medallion from around his neck and held it out for her. “I’d like to have my master’s medallion rebound to me, please.”

She let out a bored sigh. “Do you have the required writ of inheritance?” She glanced at Celaine, taking every care to look as pointedly down her nose as she could. “Or is this your journeyman guild member to vouch for you?”

Hump opened his pouch and pulled out three neatly bound letters. Two were the invitations from the Silver Spears and the White Peaks, while the third was a letter he’d asked for from Oswald. He laid each of them on the counter. “These should do it.”

“You didn’t have a will last week,” she said, folding her arms. “Now you expect me to believe you have three. Forgeries of such documents will land you in a cell.”

“Don’t worry,” Hump said. “These aren’t forgeries.”

She took Oswald’s letter first, stamped with his own seal, and blinked. She floundered under the desk for her glasses and put them on in a hurry, her eyes going wide as she read. “No. But I… I didn’t know,” she stammered, her entire face turning red.

Hump beamed at her. “That’s alright. I hope it’s all cleared up for you now!”

She paused for a second, then carefully placed the letters on the counter and fumbled through the drawers, pulling out the mirror reader from inside. “I’m so sorry for the inconvenience.” She turned the artefact around so that it was facing Hump. “If you would like to insert your medallion, I’ll have it rebound right away.”

“I’d like to sign the rest of my party up too,” Hump said.

She glanced between them, then nodded. “Of course.”

He placed the medallion in the mirror reader and the mirror swirled with inky black ripples, gathering into words. There, Hump read the name of his Master, Sethril Woodrow. The woman turned it back to her, inserting small blocks into spaces for the runes. And then just like that, it was done. She handed back the medallion. It’s previous icy cold bite now filled with warmth.

Hump put it over his neck and rested it comfortably against his chest.

“Welcome to the guild, Mister Woodrow,” she said. “Again, my sincerest apologies. I… I was just following the rules, of course. We must be careful about these things after all.”

Hump paused, it felt strange to hear his master’s name as his own. “Of course. Clearly we just misunderstood each other before.”

“At least everything is sorted now though, right,” Bud said, smiling.

The woman nodded gratefully. Then jumped into action. “Right, I’ll sign you both up right away. What’s your name, sir?”

“Robert,” Bud said. “Robert Blackthorne.”

She looked up at Bud, colour leaving her face. “Lord Robert Blackthorne?”

Bud nodded.

For the look of horror on her face, one might just think it was an undead wolf dragon that had shown up at the guildhall. Hump worked hard to keep his smirk from his face until she had signed Celaine up too and they were back outside.

“I can’t believe you both!” Celaine scolded. “What did that poor woman do to you?”

“Accused me of killing my master,” Hump said.

“Made fun of me for being broke,” Bud said.

“Okay, that’s pretty horrible,” she said. “But did you have to handle it like that?”

They both nodded.

Celaine rolled her eyes. “You both are such children. This is what you got Oswald’s writ for?”

Hump shrugged, smiling. “I’m sure it will have its uses. And we needed to sign up to the guild anyway.”

Celaine drew a deep breath. “Mother help me. I’ve made a terrible mistake.”

“Hey now,” Hump said. “The journey’s just begun. You’ll get used to it, I’m sure.”

Celaine glared at him, but soon her face broke out into a smile too. “It really has just begun, hasn’t it? I’ve never been on my own like this before. Without Vamir, my parents, or someone else watching over me.”

“Well Bud and I have been at it for a solid two weeks now,” Hump said. “We’ve only almost died a handful of times. So it’s been great so far.”

“To be fair though,” Bud said. “I received a blessing, and you received your dragon egg.”

“I kind of drew the short straw with Kassius’ dagger,” Celaine said. “Should we find an identifier here?”

“Probably best we wait till we’re a little further from the encampment,” Hump said. “The dagger’s fairly distinct and I don’t want to give anyone ideas.”

She nodded.

“Right,” Hump said. “I don’t know about you two, but I fancy myself a hot meal, an even hotter bath, and my first night indoors for over a month. Unless you still fancy sleeping down by the lake, Bud.”

“No,” Bud grinned. “One night of that was more than enough for me.” He let out a sigh. “It does feel good to have some coin in my pocket again.”

“Perfect,” Hump gave him his most innocent smile, and then spurred Prancer into motion. “You can pay. Don’t think I’ve forgotten about the coin you owe me.”

Bud floundered for words, exasperated, but that just made Hump laugh. Celaine laughed too. This was it. One last night at the inn and the journey would truly begin. For the first time in his life, his purse was full, his opportunities were mounting, and he had a party he could count on.