Chapter 18 - Captain Thorne

As the evening sun dipped below the horizon, Captain Thorne found a moment of solitude atop a crate in his designated covered wagon allocated for his use. His gaze was drawn to the flickering bonfire where his soldiers gathered, their voices blending into the background as he contemplated the finalized plans for their journey.

The meeting with the caravan master had gone remarkably well. Once the man learned about the special 'cargo' being escorted by the soldiers, he had proven quite reasonable and accommodating. The caravan master had made provisions to meet the captain's additional requirements, including the necessities to feed a growing juvenile dragon during a three-month journey.

Captain Thorne tried to prepare for the worst, recognizing the potential challenges, and had hired eight skilled hunters to assist in procuring fresh prey. Additionally, ten cattle had been purchased to ensure there was a backup food source in case the hunters' efforts fell short, although these had to be positioned much further ahead in the convoy to prevent their panic when exposed to the unfamiliar scent of dragons.

The dragon makes this so much more difficult. The captain couldn't help his complicated feelings about the juvenile dragon.

His platoon's primary responsibility was to guard the dragonboy and his dragon. Yet the dragon couldn't be near the other beasts that weren't used to dragon-scent. Like the horses trained over the past month. Which meant that his wagons were deployed at the ass-end of the caravan. Unpleasant. They'd be eating so much dust on this journey, the captain could already taste it...

Captain Thorne heaved a heavy sigh, leaning forward as his fingers drummed rhythmically on his knees. His mind circled a pressing matter that had occupied his thoughts since their departure.

The Green Sea.

A sprawling, ancient forest that dominated the southwestern region of the Empire. Beneath its colossal canopy, danger lurked at every turn, primarily in the form of wild beasts. This forest was notorious for monster attacks, especially at night. Captain Thorne believed that this was the chief reason the caravan master had been so accommodating. He hoped that the scent of a dragon would deter most of the local wildlife. The captain shared these hopes.

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But he couldn't dismiss the other imminent challenge: the scarcity of resupply points. Once they entered the Green Sea, they would only have two opportunities to restock. The first was a fort situated in a low mountain pass, about a week's journey from Sky City. The second was Forest Yard, a walled town located six weeks further into the forest. Then, if all went according to plan, they would need to endure another six weeks to reach Ollu City.

Maybe I should have bought a few more cows, the officer questioned himself. But it was too late to second-guess himself now, and he turned his thoughts to something else to ease his mind.

One such matter was the dragonboy and the evaluation report he had been tasked to write, a personal request from General Lukes. The captain found himself somewhat perplexed by the necessity of such a report.

The kid was a Wartorn, an orphan of war. A survivor of an enemy raid on one of the frontier towns. One selected by the Skyfort for having an especially fervent desire for revenge after losing his parents to one of Talon's adversaries. And the Empire taking them in and providing them an opportunity to achieve that desire created eternal gratefulness. All dragonrider trainees were given the last name of Wartorn, a reminder of their hardships. Their loyalty was fierce and unquestionable. Then add up the training they underwent, and you had a fiercely loyal and competent boy soldier, who was then paired with a dragon. They were the vital reason the Empire was as big as it was.

As such, Captain Thorne couldn't fathom why such a report was needed. It doesn't make sense. It's not like this kid's going to be any different. What specifically does the General want to know? The mystery deepened as to why they were being sent to the capital, but he had been explicitly warned not to question the boy about the mission. All he knew was that they were not to come to any harm.

With these thoughts swirling, Captain Thorne realized it was a dead end with no answers, and so he forced his mind to shift to another topic: the little black dragon.

Officially, they were traveling with the caravan, but the captain knew that in reality, they were all subject to the whims of the boy's scaly winged-terror. While the boy was a significant priority, at least he would obey orders. The dragon, on the other hand... It was an enigma, making every action it took a potential recipe for disaster.

Captain Thorne was meticulous in preparing for the worst on every mission, but this was the first time in decades that he felt so profoundly out of his depth. Anything the dragon did beyond simply remaining in the wagon sparked visions of undesirable outcomes, adding a layer of complexity to the journey that he had never encountered before.

The worst possible outcome he had come up with however, thoroughly scared him. What if it just...flies away? What do I do then?