Broadswords - 31. The Plan

Broadswords

Chapter Thirty-One
The Plan

"Kep?" Jeno stopped in his tracks as Kep entered the small building. Kep was nervous, having been out of touch with his old friend for so many years. While their relationship didn't end on a horrible note, it wasn't as if it had been the most positive experience either. But he knew that he had changed enough to where he felt ready to see if their friendship could be patched.

"Hi, Jeno," he said softly. "I know this is out of the blue, but I was ready to—"

Before he could finish his sentence, he found himself enveloped in a hug. Jeno had wrapped his arms tightly around Kep's torso and pulled him close. He let the embrace linger for a moment before finally letting go. "Sorry, I know you've never really been one for personal contact, but it's… it's great to see you."

Kep smiled. "It's okay. I've gotten better about that. That's actually one of the reasons I wanted to see you." He felt silly as he spoke. At the same time, he was so glad that Jeno was being open to his visit that he didn't really care.

Jeno led them to a small table in the corner and poured them each a glass of wine. "This is incredible. You look great. You look happy." Jeno lifted his glass and Kep did the same, bringing them together in celebration of their reunion.

While he was happy, in a way, Kep didn't feel like he looked it. With everything that had been going on, he'd felt more stressed than he ever had in his life. But apparently he had been so closed off in his younger years that the happiness he did possess was evident regardless.

"Thanks. I am. I… I wanted to thank you. I've made some changes in my life, and a lot of it is because of what you said to me before we… well… the last time we saw each other. You told me that I couldn't hope to open a treasure chest if I didn't search for the key. That has always sat with me. I've worked on myself ever since then, to become a happier person. I've opened up to people, I've become more satisfied with my life. I've even bonded more with my brother. It's… it's thanks to you."

Jeno stared at Kep as he spoke, a smile forming on his face with each passing word. He appeared to be drinking in each word, chasing it with the wine in his glass. "I'm glad you were able to do that. Not for anyone else but yourself. You're a good man, Kep, and you deserve to be happy."

They filled each other in on their lives, going over everything that had happened since they'd last seen each other. Jeno was married now, to a woman he'd met in his years studying to become an apothecary. They had a son, Milo, who was just a year old. The building they were in, which had once been Jeno's childhood home, had been renovated into an apothecary shop. They were financially stable, but just enough to live comfortably. It reminded Kep of his own business, though it seemed like Jeno and his wife were doing a little bit better for themselves.

After Kep had detailed the newfound success that had struck Street Inn, he segued into the other reason for his visit. "I remember you always had a keen eye for weaponry, and I wanted to run something by you. I've befriended a man who has recently come into contact with an unusual dagger, and I'm afraid there's much more to it than meets the eye. I was hoping that maybe you could shed some light on it for me."

Kep was nervous, worried that his old friend would accuse him of rekindling their friendship solely for the purpose of getting information. And while that wasn't really the only reason he sought Jeno out, it definitely was a large factor. He felt a pang of guilt stab at his insides.

But if Jeno felt that way at all, he didn't show it on his face. He seemed intrigued. "I must admit, I haven't kept up on the subject as much as I would have liked. With the business and the baby and all, I don't have as much free time as I used to." After he spoke those words, Kep noticed how tired Jeno's eyes looked. The pang bit at his stomach again. Yet Jeno continued speaking. "But if there's any way I can help, I would be delighted."

Kep explained the dagger in as much detail as he could, describing its external features as well as what little he knew about the powers it held. He was sure Elan had mentioned the name of it at some point, but he couldn't recall. In any event, it didn't matter. Jeno's eyes widened, clearly well aware of what it was.

"That has to be a Sanguistis. Kep, those things are no joke. They're certainly against Jhirdyrian law, and I'm sure most of the other kingdoms, too. And with good reason. Many a man has lost his life using those. They're imbued with a very dark, ancient magic."

The feelings of guilt were quickly replaced with those of dread, and Kep swallowed hard. "Is there any coming back from it? If a person has used one, I mean."

Jeno placed his empty glass on the table, and fished a flask out of his jacket pocket. He poured the contents into the glass, a dull amber liquid, and drank it down in a single swallow. He made a face. "I mean… that's hard to say. I'm sure a lot of it depends on how long the wielder used it."

Not knowing exactly how long Elan had been at the will of the Sanguistis, Kep didn't know how to respond. But the look on Jeno's face spoke volumes. Certainly the outlook was grim. "I don't know, for sure. Perhaps several hours."

A grimace played at Jeno's face, intensifying the worried expression he already had. "I'm no expert, Kep, but I don't know that your friend has a very pleasant road ahead of him. If he's lucky, he'll survive, but there's no telling what kind of long term effects this will have on him."

The two sat in silence after that, not looking anywhere in particular. Kep knew that Jeno felt uncomfortable for being the bearer of what was likely very bad news. When they finally did break the silence, it was due to Kep announcing that he should go. They shared another hug, and Kep promised Jeno that he would visit again soon.

He was determined to keep that promise, but currently his main concern was for Elan's wellbeing.

It was almost a week later before Kep saw Elan again. He'd wanted to visit him, but he knew there was no point in trying. Last time he had approached the castle, he'd been laughed off. Further, the guards at the kingdom's gate hadn't seemed too keen on him. He didn't feel that the hassle was worth it. He would just get shut down again and would feel more dejected than if he didn't try it all. Plus, he knew they would find him when they needed him.

Which is exactly what happened. A pair of kingsmen entered Street Inn and casually asked him to accompany them to the castle. At least they didn't cause a scene; the last thing he needed was a disruption to the business. Sal, who had seemed out of sorts since the events in the cave, barely seemed to notice that Kep was leaving. Kep hoped that his brother could keep it together enough to run the inn on his own for a while.

After being questioned by the king and his two eldest sons for what seemed like an eternity, he was allowed visitation rights to Elan's room. He was thankful for the questioning to be over. It wasn't necessarily accusatory, but the royal family was nothing if not thorough. They asked him every question he could have fathomed, and several he couldn't, and he was just glad to be able to provide them with a smattering of information. Thankfully he had spoken to Jeno, or else he would have barely anything to give. If that had been the case, he imagined they wouldn't be likely to let him visit Elan.

But they did, and Kep was glad to see him awake. And alive, for that matter, considering the information he'd learned at Jeno's.

After that he visited daily, and watched as Elan slowly recovered and began to recuperate. His energy was increasing, and he was able to speak a little more each day. And the more he was able to speak, the more he threw ideas at Kep regarding the dragons, spitballing apparently whatever came to his mind.

It was his fourth day awake before Elan finally seemed to come up with a plan he felt somewhat comfortable with. He was talking faster than it seemed like his brain could manage, and Kep only understood about a third of what he'd said. Though he hadn't outright said anything to him, Kep had a feeling that the king was on him about getting the issue resolved immediately, before the rest of the kingdom caught wind of it. Regardless of the fact that he was ordered to bed rest.

"What?" Kep asked, settled into the bedside chair that had basically become his second home over the past few days.

"I can't believe I didn't put it together before!" Elan said excitedly. His throat had apparently healed quite significantly, as the sudden exclamation didn't appear to cause him any pain.

"What are you referring to?" Kep asked. He was nervous and curious at the same time. He knew they had less than two weeks left, if Elan's calculations were correct, before they reached the point where a plan wouldn't help them at all. If Elan was correct, the dragons would be able to fly out of the chasm by that time. And Kep feared that there could be the possibility Elan's timeframe was off.

Elan turned toward Kep, grabbing his wrist. "Feeding! How have they been feeding?"

"I… I don't know?" Kep stammered, sounding more like a question than he'd intended. In all honesty, the thought hadn't really crossed his mind.

Removing his hand from Kep's arm and moving it to his own head, Elan continued. "I just can't believe it never occurred to me. We know the mother hasn't been feeding them, because there haven't been any dragon sightings in Jhirdyr, right?"

Kep shook his head. Of course there hadn't. He didn't know where Elan was going with this, but his thoughts kept rolling. "And we know they don't have the capability to fend for themselves quite yet, since they can't get out of that hole, right?"

Kep nodded. It made sense. Elan still wasn't done. "They'd be lucky to be able to get hold of a rat or two down there, but that's not going to sate twelve newborn dragons, right?"

Kep shrugged. He was still not quite sure what conclusion the dragonslayer had come to, but he didn't want to interrupt him and potentially break the best train of thought he'd had in days.

"Do you really not see where I'm going with this?"

Swallowing, feeling a little slow, Kep shook his head again. "I don't, I'm sorry." He knew, of course, that Elan was onto something to do with the dragons obtaining food, but he still wasn't sure exactly why that mattered or how it would help them.

"If they aren't feeding by any of those methods, they must be getting fed somehow. Kep, infant dragons have an almost insatiable appetite. They need to feed far more often than adults. It has something to do with their chemical makeup; it's along the same reason their fire breathes hotter. Anyway, there's no way they would have survived this long without food. So they must be getting it. The only logical explanation I can come up with is that someone is bringing them nourishment."

It was starting to become a little clearer to Kep. "So you're saying, if we found out who was doing it…"

Elan's eyes sparkled. "If we found out who was keeping those suckers alive, we could potentially find out what kind of dragons they are. If I know that, chances are I'll know a surefire way to slay them. Depending on the breed, there might be a way to do it before they emerge."

"I can scope out the cave over the next few days, see if anyone comes around?" Kep offered.

The slayer nodded, hungry at the idea. Kep could tell Elan was certain they would make significant process with that information. "But you must be careful. You can't be caught. It would be wisest to stake yourself a decent distance away from the mouth of the cave, in the woods somewhere where someone heading to the cave mightn't notice you. Once you've seen them enter, then you can carefully make your way toward the cave. You must be careful not to be heard, either. One snapped twig and you'd be discovered instantly. Then, once at the entrance, you must listen astutely. The cave echoes quite significantly; anything they say should be audible enough for you to make out from outside."

"And if they don't say anything?" Kep asked. He didn't think it likely that anyone sneaking to a cave to secretly feed a slew of baby dragons would be very verbal, especially in providing clues as to what they were up to.

"Then you must memorize exactly what they look like, down to every blemish on their skin. The more detailed imagery, the easier it will be for the kingsmen to track them down. At that point, we can get any answers we need."

Though he wasn't sure it would work out quite the way Elan was hoping, Kep couldn't help but feel slightly calmed by the slayer's confidence. And he was beyond glad to be significantly involved in the plan. If he could help in any way, he would be elated. "I'll head out tomorrow."

"You've been such a big help in all of this, Kep. I couldn't have done this without you," Elan said.

"It's nothing," Kep said. Despite his words, he felt his cheeks getting warmer.

"You're the one that discovered the dragons! That alone set everything into motion. And now you're helping with the stakeout, which could lead us to finding out how and why someone is involved in this. And besides all of that, you're the one that rescued me from the cave."

The blush was full on, now, and Kep hadn't felt so recognized in his entire life. He shifted his gaze to the floor, trying to focus on the tips of his shoes. Instead, he found his mind lost in Elan's words.

He suddenly felt strong fingers run up his jawline, Elan's large hand cupping his face. His eyes darted back up instantly, connecting with Elan's. The slayer was studying his face intently. "Kep, you saved my life."

Before he knew what was happening, Elan was kissing him and he was kissing Elan back. It was a soft embrace, but deep, and Kep felt his heart begin to race. He didn't quite know how to react but he knew he didn't want to stop the kiss, so he didn't. However, it didn't last long, as the sound of the room's door being opened was heard and they broke apart.

Kep looked toward the entrance of the room to see an angularly-featured man with a long scar running diagonally down the upper portion of his face. To his right, Elan reacted as if they hadn't almost just been caught in an intimate situation. He seemed happy, even. "Daegon!"

So this was Daegon. He'd heard so much yet so little about him. The one that Birten may or may not have been in a relationship with. The one that he wasn't sure if he should be jealous of. Not that he had much room to talk anymore, since he had just been kissing another man. But regardless of the situation, if Daegon was back, Birten must be too. And though he hadn't quite had time to sort out how he felt about Elan, he knew that he couldn't wait to see Birten.