“Thank you,” Relam said graciously. “Khollo, please do not send your dragon to hunt yet. I would like to speak to the pair of you first.”
As Relam’s guard rode off, leading the king’s horse on a line, the two young leaders stood around the small ring of stone and ashes, waiting. Finally, Relam turned back to Khollo, smiling widely.
“It is an honor, Khollo and Kanin, to finally meet you properly, without political vultures hanging around. I await your story eagerly.” And with that, to Khollo’s immense surprise, Relam bowed low, then sat with a flourish on the ground.
Chapter 51
Khollo and Kanin exchanged stunned glances, then sat as well, Kanin lowering his great body to the ground carefully, so as not to shake the hillside too forcefully. Relam clasped his hands in his lap and watched Kanin, his eyes shining.
“All my life, I have hunted for tales of dragons and their riders,” Relam said quietly. “I regarded them as myth for the longest time, a fanciful dream that could never be real. Yet here you are, living proof of an ancient and forgotten legacy.”
“I had no idea that you were so interested in the Keepers, your majesty,” Khollo replied neutrally.
“Please, my name is Relam,” the young king said, waving a hand.
“Relam, then,” Khollo amended. He was liking the young king more and more every time he opened his mouth. “Would you care for something to eat? Kanin killed two deer this morning and was kind enough to let me have a part of one.”
“That would be most appreciated,” Relam agreed.
Khollo tossed him his belt knife, which the young king caught easily. “Help yourself,” Khollo said, grinning.
Relam grinned back and carved a greasy piece of venison from the haunch still suspended over the coals. He ripped the morsel apart with his bare hands, ignoring the grease that ran every which way, and took a large bite. His eyes widened in surprise and he quickly took a second enormous bite.
“That is very good,” he said, wiping his hands on the grass beside him. “Tender and flavorful. I may have to steal you for the royal kitchens, Khollo.”
“If you did, you would have to feed Kanin,” Khollo pointed out.
“Oh, that could be difficult,” Relam realized. “How much does – that is, how much do you eat, Kanin?”
Khollo relayed the question, which Kanin answered immediately. “He must eat every few days,” Khollo replied. “But if he fights or flies a lot he must eat sooner.”
“I was merely curious,” Relam said. “I have dreamed of this day for a long time. To meet a dragon! But, I suppose we had better get down to business.”
“Business?” Khollo asked idly, tearing up a few bits of grass and braiding them.
“Yes, yes, business,” Relam repeated. This time he said it with a tone of great disgust. “We have much to discuss.”
Khollo glanced down at the collection of streams below. Several wild hogs and a small herd of steers were beginning to gather at the banks. “Kanin, why don’t you hunt for Relam’s men while we talk?”
Of course.
Kanin spread his wings and took off, arrowing towards the herd. He flew silently, approaching with as much stealth as a massive dragon can muster.
“Remarkable,” Relam breathed. “I wish I had arrived in time to see the two of you fight yesterday.”
Kanin swooped low and scooped up a steer, which bellowed in fear and rage at the treatment. The dragon ignored the beast’s cries and flew lazily back up to the hilltop, making for where the soldiers had picketed their horses.
“No scattering the herd or chasing them down,” Relam observed. “Just a good, clean hunt.”
“Sometimes he will scatter them to make it interesting,” Khollo replied. He turned away from the sight of the flying dragon to look at Relam again. “You mentioned something about business that we needed to discuss?”
“Yes,” Relam said reluctantly. “Yes. First, I want to thank you for fighting in this war.”
“No need to thank me,” Khollo replied. “I would not be fulfilling my duty of being a Keeper if I did not fight. And to not fight would mean to abandon my friends as well.”
“I understand,” Relam agreed. “But we still have to make the choice to fight, and I thank you for making that choice. Will you continue to fight with us in this war?”
“Of course!” Khollo said immediately. He saw Relam relax fractionally, as though he had been expecting the Keepers to respond with an answer in the negative.
“I had hoped you would, but I know you carried yesterday’s battle, no small feat, and I heard rumors that Kanin was wounded . . . ”
“He was, but not badly,” Khollo assured the young king.
“I am glad to hear it,” Relam said. “But where do we go from here?”
“What do you mean?” Khollo asked, slightly confused
“You are heir to a legacy that used to rule the entire world as protectors,” Relam explained. “I am heir to a kingdom that rules the known world.” He paused. “We cannot both rule the world.”
Khollo nodded slowly. “I see the predicament, and understand. The thing is – ” He paused as Kanin landed, making it nearly impossible for the two young men to hear each other.
“The thing is,” Khollo continued as Kanin settled down. “Once the vertaga are beaten, there will be peace again with no one to make war on.”
“Yes.”
“And so, the Keepers will rarely if ever need to interfere on the continent.”
“On the continent? You mean the Keepers have a headquarters elsewhere? Are there . . . are there more of you?” Relam asked excitedly.
“We are the only ones,” Khollo replied. “But we have rediscovered the Keepers’ former stronghold, on an island.” He paused. “It is a long way from the continent and not easy to reach
