As the drakes approached, Karl realized that it was a pair of Overlords with ten Ascended Rank Drake Riders and mounts. They were all on the brink of reaching Commander Rank, and it seemed obvious why they were here.
The question that Karl had was, how did they even know? They must have found out nearly immediately if they had flown all this way on Drakes. Their nation didn’t border Golden Dragon Nation, they had to fly halfway across the continent to get here.
So, they hadn’t left this morning, that was certain.
They landed in an organized formation, and the Ascended Riders remained on their drakes while the two Overlords dismounted.
“Johann, Ahmad.” The leader of the Drake Riders greeted them.
“Kenichi. You’re a long way from home. Don’t you think the youngsters are a bit too new for such a long flight?” Johann replied.
The man known as Kenichi laughed, his long black hair fluttering in the wind as he turned back to his wing of drakes.
“Oh, I think they’re just about the right age for this vacation, don’t you?
Why don’t we sit down and have a drink while the children play? For old times sake.” The drake rider suggested with a sly wink.
That confirmed it. They knew that it was a stable, low Commander Rank dungeon. They had brought two full groups of Drake Riders who were about to reach Commander Rank, and just needed one last push to advance.
“This might go better than expected. They don’t know that the dungeon is stable.” Niall whispered in Karl’s ear.
Karl wasn’t sure how Niall knew that they weren’t aware, but most likely it was by their reaction. If they had known that it was stable and repeatable, they would likely have taken a different approach, he assumed.
Johann looked like he was considering something, then smiled.
“How about a small trade. This is a valuable resource, after all.” Johann offered.
The other Overlord came forward with a chest in his hands and set it on the ground in front of Ahmad.
The mage opened the lid with a gust of wind, and nodded with a small smile on his face.
“We can let both groups of five go through while we have an early breakfast. There are still some fresh baked goods and stew, I believe. Would you like to join us for breakfast?” Ahmad questioned, gesturing toward the Fort, where there were still a half dozen sealed containers of baked goods.
“I think it would be better if we ate near the beasts, they can be fickle.” Overlord Kenichi informed them.
Karl gave a low chuckle at the mention of fickle beasts, and the Dragon Rider gave him a curious look.
“The young Prince looks quite relaxed around the drakes. Is he perhaps an immigrant from our lovely island home?” Kenichi asked.
Johann shook his head. “Nope, a local. But the World Dragon blessed him with an affinity for beasts. Perhaps he could calm your drakes if they are feeling finicky?”
The Overlord laughed as his drake growled and sent a fireball into the sky.
[He’s just hungry.] Hawk informed Karl, rolling his eyes in annoyance.
[What do drakes like?] Karl asked.
[How should I know. Feed it a Giant leg or something.]
Karl laughed at the sleepy Hawk. That wasn’t actually a bad idea.
[Drakes like cold things. They overheat when they fly long distances because they use their fire magic to fly faster.] Remi added.
[How did you know that?]
[It’s in this book on beasts with Elemental Magic.] She replied proudly.
[Just how many library books did you borrow?]
[The sign said you could take up to four at a time.]
Karl thought about it, and then separated both legs from the knee down on a Commander Rank Ice Giant corpse and walked over to the hungry drakes.
“Here you go, friends. A nice cold treat after a long trip.”
Karl tossed the two Royal Rank drakes that the Overlords had flown in on each a leg, which they caught in their mouths before making a happy keening noise that was sure to wake the entire camp.
The rider known as Kenichi gave Karl a suspicious look, but Karl just smiled at the drakes and returned to his spot by Niall.
Ahmad cast a spell, and a container of mixed cookies floated out of the fort, along with a pressure cooker full of chicken and dumplings that was beginning to steam as it moved.
“Did you bring a table? If not, we can fetch one.” He suggested.
The second Overlord of the drake riders brought out a large blanket from his pack and spread it on the ground between them.
Ahmad put down the food, and the silent Overlord brought out dishes. The four Overlords took seats, then Kenichi motioned for Karl and Niall to join them.
“No need to stand guard during breakfast. Come and join us. One of the Commanders can show our children to the trial.” Kenichi insisted.
Karl turned his head slightly so he could see Colonel Valerie coming.
“It’s the Colonel. Or at least, she will get here first.” Karl spoke softly to Niall, so he didn’t interrupt their conversation.
“You can tell that?” The formerly silent Overlord asked, startled by Karl’s senses.
“Even if the wind wasn’t blowing her perfume my way, I can see her. My night vision is quite a bit better than before I awakened.” Karl joked.
“You do have a rather bestial affinity. To be able to see into nearly absolute darkness with a light in your eyes is an uncommon trait.”
Karl suspected that he might have given too much away, but the Overlord hadn’t mentioned that she was at the very edge of his peripheral vision and didn’t seem all that worked up about it. More like he was attempting to put Karl at ease with his presence by showing that he wasn’t a fan of simple tricks, being open and honest.
The Colonel stopped a few metres behind them, just into the light spell, and waited for someone to acknowledge her presence.
“Gentlemen, this is Colonel Valerie. As per our agreement, she will escort your two teams of Ascended Riders into the anomaly for one attempt each. I trust that they have brought sufficient healing potions if they don’t have a cleric with them?
It is a five-person limit, so two healers for the group would be best.” Johann informed them.
Kenichi nodded, then pushed his hair back out of his face in annoyance. He must have lost his hair tie at some point because it was obvious that he didn’t prefer to have it loose.
“Yes, we have clerics of the Dragon Gods with the trainees. Thank you for your assistance, Commander. We will be looking forward to good news.”
The ten young riders dismounted and followed Colonel Valerie into the building where the dungeon portal was. It was inevitable that they would find out that it was a stable dungeon portal, but with a bit of luck, there wouldn’t be a fight over it.
They had gotten what they came for, a trip for their trainees into the dungeon, and now they were about to gorge themselves on sweets.
That reminded Karl. “Be careful with the brownies. They’re made by the Nature Clerics.”
That made the two visitors laugh, though Karl did notice that Kenichi’s hand passed over the brownies. Technically, they were in hostile territory, and it wouldn’t be a good idea for the Drake Riders to get stoned right now.
No matter how funny the Green Dragon might find it.
