Here be Dragons!

Chapter 21

It is now 10 years later

"It still fits!" Kate smiled wide as Rick was dressed in his full combat gear that he hadn't had reason to wear in years.

"It's a little tight and I had to use a different notch, but for the most part, yes." Rick patted himself. His middle wasn't ribbed any longer like it had been when he was younger. Now he had a touch of a belly. He blamed it on Kate's cooking, not his lack of exercise.

Kate picked up her combat staff that she hadn't had a reason to use in years. "The opening ceremony should be starting soon. It's still under construction but it's opening." Kate really wanted to go see it.

Rick invited his new animal companion. "Come on, Dug, let's go see."

After Lulu had died of old age Rick had delayed getting another one. They didn't really go anywhere much and certainly didn't go on any adventures any longer so what did he need an animal companion for?

And losing another one had broken his heart. To be honest he feared what losing another would do to him. He really understood why Alexis had chosen a Macaw. Baby was anticipated living something close to 50 years. Alexis was likely ever going to have just the one animal companion while Rick was on his third.

Dug was four since Rick had waited so long plus to get one he had to travel to Calimport again to call for one. Yes he could have called for a Macaw, too. It was just that he feared that his animal companion would out live him.

They didn't really have to walk all that far. Down their hill, through the gate, and into the city. Then over to the middle gate and out. They walked past a few houses and in front of them was Aiden's Temple to Bahamut.

Not all of it was done. The front gate was done as were the obelisks out front. The park was done as was the Statue of Bahamut in the center. The school was done also. The temple had been completed first. What still had a few more months of work left to finish was the residence and the office.

"Aiden!" Kate saw her son standing out front greeting everyone. She got her hug in and kissed his cheek. "Hi, Amy!" Aiden had done well. Amy was lovely. "When's the bid day?" Kate asked her while placing a hand on her expanded belly since she was very pregnant.

"Should be any moment now. I hope." Amy was tired of being pregnant. She was ready to be a mommy.

"I feel your pain." Kate could relate since she had three kids.

"So how's the house coming?" Kate was curious.

"It's not!" Amy grumbled. "We came to the conclusion that we made a mistake. We didn't take into account having any priests or guards to stay and live. Our home is now a garrison part apartment."

"AIDEN!" Kate turned her wrath on her son.

"Amy brought it up. It's not my fault. …Besides we have designs for a home directly behind the Temple section. A door and maybe a corridor will connect the two. We just need to start construction. Until then we live in the same old house." Aiden had a plan so it wasn't that bad.

"Lucky for you." Kate decided not to remove his ass for him. "If you two need gold for the house just ask."

"Vassal of Bahamut!" Rick hugged his son tightly. He was so incredibly proud of him. His son was doing what he hadn't. Even if it was his and Kate's gold.

Aiden was now technically the same power as a Vassal as his father. Though he had started being a Vassal sooner than Rick had. It meant his being a true Cleric was less powerful than his being a Ranger. So overall he still had more power, but not by much.

"It feels good, Dad." Then Aiden leaned in closer. "We need to talk later." He had a problem and wasn't sure just what to do about it.

"Any time, son, any time." Rick hugged and patted his back yet again.

Rick and Kate walked inside to look the place over save for the house that was now going to be a garrison/apartment complex.

All of the trees, bushes, and even the grass were still very young. Unless Kate was mistaken all of the trees were going to be an assortment of fruit trees. Even most of the bushes as far as she could tell were going to produce something.

Right in the middle was a stone statue of Bahamut. It looked pretty good. The city just didn't have the people to build this place so almost all of them came from other cities to work on this place. They had shipped in sculptors to make this statue and carve others into walls around the complex.

There had been or still were since they hadn't looked lately, a lot of temporary quarters right behind the Temple to house them all. Them and their families. Having them here had been a boon to the city. They spent a lot of money in the city while working on this complex.

Then Dug started barking and Kate was just fast enough to see him blink away. "Babe." This was not what they needed. Dug saw something and decided to attack it.

However, she was proven wrong. "NANA!" Two year old Baylee had been trying to reach Kate when she had spotted her. Now she had Dug blinking all around her and barking at her since he was happy to see her.

"Baylee!" Kate walked over, scooped her up, and lavished kisses on her face. "Where's your mother?" Baylee didn't get a chance to point when suddenly she was being passed off to Rick.

"Hi, sweetheart." Kate stepped over and hugged Addison. "I still say she's the spitting image of her mother."

"She has her father's eyes," Addison noted.

"Speaking of which, where is Liam?" Kate didn't see him.

"Still inside the Temple staring at the platinum statue to Bahamut. Have you seen it yet?" Addison questioned her.

"Not yet. We haven't even seen all of the park yet but we'll get there. …So explain this Mystic Thruge to me again." Kate just wanted to make sure she got this right.

"I'm still a Sorcerer, however I'm also part Cleric of Bahamut. As I gain in strength I gain new spells in Sorcerer and Cleric. I don't gain other things but my spells keep getting stronger in both. The plan is to help out here as both Cleric and Sorcerer."

"And does Liam still have those two Dinosaurs?" It seemed like a strange animal to have but hey if he and Addison liked them she wasn't going to complain.

"We left them at home. They're probably ripping the place to pieces as we speak," Addison chuckled softly. "On a serious note, we all need to talk to you and Dad later. Your place, dinner. We'll bring all the produce." Addison went to take her daughter from her dad.

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Rick and Kate walked through the school that had more than one school room, however, it also had a large library that was presently empty of anything except shelves, tables, and chairs to sit on.

Now they were headed for the Temple itself. Just walking inside had both of their mouths hanging open. "WOW!" they managed to get out at the same time. They both walked slowly, going past a few other people that were here this morning. Eventually likely everyone in the city would be here at one point.

"It's gorgeous!" Kate couldn't believe what the artist had created or just how he had done it.

It was Bahamut in full Dragon form and totally coated in Platinum. He literally shone. Kate wasn't sure but she could swear the eyes followed her as she tried to get a good look from various angles. It was almost a little eerie.

"He was good!" Rick was next to Kate. "I swear it looks like he's looking right at you. Like he can see right into your soul." He knew it wasn't a spell. They hadn't applied any of the scrolls yet as far as he knew. Though they did have several for this place.

Suddenly there was something on Kate's shoulder. "Hi, Mom!" Baby announced herself and Alexis and her husband.

"Hi, Baby." Kate smiled wide and reached up so she could move to her hand.

"No Lulu." Kate wasn't sure but she still sounded sad.

"No, I'm afraid not, Baby. Lulu's gone. We have Dug." Kate turned to show her Dug.

"Baby still misses Lulu. I can't seem to get her to understand that Lulu is gone forever but she isn't interested in Dug." Alexis stepped up with her husband who has an arm around her.

Kate handed over Baby and hugged her daughter. "Hi, Elijah. I still love those wings!" They were large and silvery in color. Actually a fair amount of him was silver in color.

Hearing Dug growl had Elijah leaving Alexis so he could go try and make friends with a distrusting Blink dog yet again. He was betting it was his appearance.

"Your husband gets any more muscles and he's going to pop," Kate stated and was still watching Elijah trying to get Dug to like him with Rick's help.

"Yeah, doesn't he, though." Alexis was all smiles and it had Kate guessing that her daughter loved him partly for those muscles.

Kate stepped in closer and lowered her voice. "No children?" Addison had one and Aiden was about to have one.

"No, we're both thinking it's because Elijah's half Dragon. We just aren't compatible. It doesn't matter. I love him and he's totally loyal to me and Bahamut. Not from a lack of trying, though." They had sex pretty much daily or twice a day.

"I'm sorry, sweetie." Her first child was never going to know motherhood and that hurt.

"Don't be sorry, Mom. We're not unhappy. Besides, it makes our lives easier." Alexis wasn't sorry she wasn't pregnant. Maybe it was just going to take them longer for all they knew.

"Your place, dinner, we'll bring the meat." Alexis hugged her mother and felt Baby fly away.

"Hi, Dad." She had changed people to visit.

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"You know what's going on? Suddenly everyone is coming to us for dinner." Kate didn't get it.

Rick shook his head. "Elijah wouldn't say, just that Alexis was in charge and that Aiden was driving this visit."

"What are our children up to?" Kate didn't get it. Aiden was opening a Temple soon or was open. At least for people to see even if he didn't have priests, guards or anywhere for them to stay.

"Sounds like we're going to find out tonight." Rick thought all they had to do was wait. It left them time to walk around the rest of the Temple and loved all of it. A few scrolls later, a little construction, like a home to live in and it would be perfect.

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Kate and Addison did all the cooking. They didn't have a table big enough in this house so everyone save Baylee who had her own little table to eat on.

"Okay I can't take it, what's going on? Why is everyone here?" Kate couldn't take it any longer and actually stopped eating.

Just then Baby flew across to land on Kate. "Hi, Mom."

"Baby! Come back here and sit." Alexis called her back who did what she was told. "Here." She gave her something to keep her busy.

Kate saw all eyes move to Aiden so that was where Kate looked.

"I was cooking and left something on the stove for too long and this smoke started to rise. Then it turned into this head of a Dragon. That was when I screamed for Aiden." Amy turned to look at her husband.

Aiden picked up where Amy left off. "I thought the baby was coming and was stumbling all over myself. Then I smelled something burning and feared the house was burning down. That was when the head started talking."

"Bahamut himself." Rick was impressed. It had happened to him only once. The other times he had sent a messenger.

"Yes," Aiden began. "He spoke about he had a mission for me then this mist detached itself and turned into a scroll and was handed to me. It even had a seal of his symbol on it. When we looked back up again he was gone but the smoke was still there."

"My dinner was ruined and we ate out that night." Amy wasn't happy about that. For one the smoke stank up the house and another their dinner was ruined. Good gold down the drain. Not that it had cost them gold pieces to buy it all.

"This scroll here." Aiden took it out and held it up before putting it away.

Alexis picked it up from there. "Basically it's a map showing the river Olung that comes from lake L Luo. Just south of that is a mountain range called The Peaks of Flame. It's just over a week from here if all goes easily. Longer if the land's harder to travel through. It talks about a Yuan-ti fortress and an old Red Dragon named Ashardalon."

"Don't be angry. Alexis and Addison live right next door." Aiden didn't want his parents to think that they were hiding something from them.

"You want us to come with you," Rick said since that made sense to him.

However, all of them save for Amy shook their heads. "We want you to babysit Baylee and watch over Amy. She's about due and is going to need your help," Aiden explained. "Bahamut may want me or us to go, but I'm not leaving her behind with no support." He loved her too much to do something that stupid.

"Rick can still go. Amy can move in with me and I can watch Baylee. Then when the baby comes I can help her with that, too," Kate said.

"We think we can handle it, Mom." Alexis wasn't sure they needed to involve their parents.

"It's not open for debate. I'm going. Me and Dug," Rick stated and wasn't taking no for an answer. "So what's your plan?" He was assuming they had one already.

"The Temple isn't really ready yet so it will be locked up while the contractor keeps building. We'll worry about priests and guards after we get back."

Alexis laid out their itinerary. "We're leaving tomorrow for Calimport to purchase a few things. Then wait for the right ship to take us either back here or Mezro. Which ever one happens to show up first. We've accumulated a fair amount of gold. Nothing like you and Dad but we're not poor."

"Then when we come back Liam and I are going to take over the old house. We're going to need the space. …I'm pregnant again," Addison announced to her parents even if it wasn't new news to the others.

Kate brightened and handed her plate to Rick. She got up so she could hug her daughter. "The place is yours, sweetness. Rick can take 100 thousand of our gold to help you buy anything you need." Kate wanted everyone to come back and if spending gold would do that she would send even more.

They all knew better than to fight their mother. She was stubborn so they had little choice.

"We'll all go home with you and bring back everything you need, Amy. You can start staying here tonight. I can go to the old house to get our old bassinet for the baby tomorrow or we can just buy a new one," Kate said, smiling.

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Amy was still sleeping while Kate watched her husband put on his combat equipment. She still thought he was the most handsome man she'd ever met.

"Here are all my potions, take them with you." Kate handed them over. "Here's the Gold. Spend it all. Just make sure you remember everything. There may possibly be just over 100 thousand in it." Kate hadn't really counted each and every coin.

Kate looked him over and adjusted something because she was worried. "Just come back, Rick. Don't break my heart." Kate felt tears welling up.

"Bahamut will protect all of us. I haven't live this long just to die now. We have several years to go. Just take good care of our grandchildren." Rick bent down and kissed her like he might not ever again. "I love you."

"I love you too, babe. So very much. You are and have been my life." Kate kissed him and watched him and Dug leave. "Please, Bahamut."

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Rick was not amazed that this group knew just where to go in town to do some magic item shopping.

Rick emptied his quiver of all non-magical arrows and bough enough magical ones to fill it back up. Since he had given them 3 of his 6 Javelins of Lightning long ago he bought three more. He also got Dug his permanent Magic Fang-Greater so his bite was more dangerous.

He also got a really good look at Liam's Velociraptors again. While they both had the same spell he had just given Dug, they didn't have the same bandanna that Dug was wearing so he bought two of those for them.

They had their own tent the same as his and they all had magic sleeping bags so they didn't need that. However he also learned that Addison had scrolls that she could use that would create this mansion for them to live in overnight. She also had scrolls that could create a horse made out of smoke that could literally fly and were very fast. Since her father's presence on this trip was unexpected she needed to buy one to cover him.

They bought all the Neutralize Poison that they could lay their hands on along with a number of Restoration and Heal scrolls.

Rick learned that Liam didn't have a magic staff so he spent almost all the gold he had to buy him a Staff of the Woodlands. He found out that Kate had indeed given him a little more than 100 thousand. Which was a good thing since that staff cost him 101,250 thousand. It also meant he was done shopping on this trip.

His children and Elijah were a little more frugal and bought a number of smaller items that might come in useful.

Rick was looking forward to seeing what this group was actually capable of. The last time he'd seen them in action they were just kids. They weren't kids any longer.

Two of them were full Vassals of Bahamut like he was. From what he had learned from Kate, Addison was a walking full of arcane and divine spells in addition to whatever she was carrying. He saw a staff and was betting she still had several wands. Maybe even some new ones he knew nothing about.

He was grinning when he noticed everyone was wearing the same boots that he and Kate wore. This entire trip should be eye opening.

Alexis had a different bow now though she still had the same Scimitar. He also finally got a good look at this monstrous thing Elijah was carrying around. The whole thing was almost as tall as he was. He had it on his back under his backpack on a diagonal.

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Eventually everyone was in two different rooms in the same inn while they waited for a ship to take them back.

Rick asked to see this scroll so he could read it. It did indeed talk about what was there and it gave a location. However, it said nothing else. All he knew was that the word Fortress sounded ominous.

"Yuan-ti and a Red Dragon." He found that he was actually looking forward to killing yet another evil Dragon. It was the reason he had Resistance to Fire potions.

Rick talked them into spreading out and trying to find out all they could on The Peaks of Flame. Might as well know where they were going.