The Bread was only slightly burnt.

"I am so sorry my dears! I just got so distracted."

Asgar attempted to wave away her concerns. "It is very much all right. Thank you for your hospitality."

"Well, aren't you sweet." she smiled fondly. "Now, where is Sol? I sent off a little while ago, didn't I?"

"Only a couple of minutes ago-"

There was a knock at the door.

"Well, that was unusually quick of him!" Sol's Mother spoke- who Asgar realized he did not know the name of nor had he introduced himself to her.

Call out, "Come in Sol! Do you need help?" She stepped towards the door and opened it, revealing not Sol. But Major, presently squatting down and towering above the doorway, despite his efforts.

"Is this the Kegan residence?" He rumbled, before spying the brothers at the table.

"My oh my, you're larger than the first two! And yes, It very much is. I'm Darcie Kegan. What can I do for you?"

"An innkeeper informed me that my young companions had been brought here by a gentleman named Sol. I'm Ursa Major. Ya can call me Major."

"Beatrice sent you? Lovely girl that one, but a bit too money-focused, but we all have our flaws. But I'm rude gossiping with you in the doorway. Please come in."

Major eyed the door, before clearing his voice and holding back a little mirth from his voice. "No disrespect, but I fear I'd break your doorway."

Her eyes widened for a moment, looking at the door, then looking back at him, then back to the door, and finally back to him again. "Yes, you are really big."

She took on a somewhat puzzled expression and tapped her foot thoughtfully.

"Ah!" she snapped her fingers. "You boys, you're big too. Pick up the table and bring it out here."

Major held up a hand. "Ma'am, you don't need to bother with me."

"Nonsense, I don't turn away guests. Is soup, alright? I was planning on some bread, and then meat buns when Sol's friend showed. But a mix of the three and I should have enough to get everyone nice and fed."

"Soup would be fine. And don't worry about sating me. Like I said, we can eat quite a bit."

"Is that a challenge?" Darcie looks at him with a cocksure grin and a fire in her eyes. "I'm quite certain I can feed you till you’re fit to burst."

Major opened his mouth, seemed to think better of it, contemplated for a bit longer. Then finally replied. "I'll be very pleased with your hospitality then, but I'll have to insist on paying you back if you're going to take the challenge of feeding an ogre."

"So, it is a challenge, then?"

"I suppose it is."

"Deal." She offered a hand up to the ogre, who gingerly took it and shook.

—-

The brothers carried the table through the door, followed by the chairs. Major sat down but didn't take a chair for fear of breaking it. The occasional passer-by would stare at the trio as a menagerie of cooking scents was unleashed from the door.

Darcie milled around her kitchen with manic enthusiasm, pulling Sol in to assist her upon his return. At one point, a guard approached, a mix of concern and curiosity written on his face. Only to have Darcie suddenly exit and begin to shoo him away.

As she cooked, Major and the brothers spoke.

"So, how'd this all happened?" Major asked.

Argus grimaced as Asgar answered. "It seems we were not welcome at the Inn, we scared away the Innkeeper's customers and hadn't realized. I feel foolish for not having noticed."

"Scared of ya? Why?"

"Apparently, our size, talons, teeth, and scales make us undesirable as patrons. Though I suspect, despite our best intentions, we weren't outstanding patrons even if we hadn't been so... 'scary'".

Major hummed. "I suppose drakon can be pretty scary if you're not familiar with them. But the same can be said about many types of humans. So I'm not sure that's such a good excuse."

The brothers shrugged half-heartedly in response.

"What ya gonna do about it?"

"What do you mean? What can we do?"

"Prove 'em wrong, prove that you're nothing for them to fear. What else?"

“Oh.” I hadn’t quite dawned on Argus till then that that was an option.

"It's what I did when I was younger, not all these scars I'm sporting are from fighting. I had some rough encounters back in the day. People are more friendly to folks with green skin around here but in other parts of the world. It can be just shy of a death sentence."

The brothers weren't terribly surprised, some of the scars weren’t the kind one got from battle. Many of them seemed too... odd to be from a fight.

"Besides, it seems to me you've gotten started. Making friends already?"

Asgar spoke up, "You mean Sol? He offered us a room when the Innkeeper wished to charge a gold for a room."

Major coughed, "A gold?!"

"I believe we truly cost her quite a bit of business and wished us off the premises more than she truly wished us to pay."

Major frowned. "I’m sorry, had I known you'd face such issues I would have stayed with you. At least it wasn't a total loss. Tell me more about him. His mother seems... very hospitable."

This time Argus spoke with a shrug. "He is... very kind, I think. But he's also the one who told us. And I feel kind of bothered by it."

Major shook his head. "Don't be silly, he did ya a kindness. No one else would have told ya, much less offered ya a place to stay."

Argus bit a sharp reply. "You... are right. But it bothers me still, even if unrelated to him."

"To be judged before ya can speak or act is rough, I know."

A thoughtful, if not exactly comfortable, silence fell over the empty table. Before finally, Asgar broke it.

"How did the meeting with the herbalist go, Major?"

"Anverth is as grumpy as ever but it does seem there is some stress on the town. Which might aid in explaining the short fuse on that Innkeeper of yers."

"What's causing it?"

"Lack of Caravans, all the caravans from the east have stopped. The rumor is that another route opened up somewhere."

"Who opened it?"

Major shrugged. "I doubt anyone opened anything, more likely some town down the way is holding up caravans."

"You mean robbing them?"

"More likely taxing them, for what little difference there is between the two. But enough of such talks. I got some paper." Major reached into a bag at his side, before producing a thick pile of papyrus before gingerly handing it to Asgar.

Asgar took it as if it were a holy relic. "Your recipes?"

Major nodded.

"We cannot thank you enough, Major."

"Ah, like I've said. Dontcha worry about it, better that someone knows them. Otherwise, they'll end with me at some point."

Darcie exited, calling out, "Alright! The food is done! Why don't you boys come in here and help Sol with carrying it?"

The brothers stood. They went into the house and with the aid of Sol, carried out a series of bowls full of soup. And a wooden tray of meat buns.

The new trio of Asgar, Argus, and Sol placed the bowls and tray before Major and Darcie, though Major received two bowls.

As they ate, Darcie broke the ambient dinner sounds and asked. "So, you three are passing through?"

Major rumbled back "I'll be staying for a little while and helping Anverth out. He agreed to try and keep the prices down if I helped him out."

"Old Anverth?" she smiled "He’s constantly been charging more lately. I was gonna go hit him with something for these ones." She pointed at the brothers, "But based on you going to work for him, I imagine you already made something for them?"

Major replied to her, "I made a few things. Their scales should be starting to heal back soon. though they'll need more red meat to do it any quicker than they have been."

"Is that how that works?"

"From my experience, drakon seems to heal scales better when they have red meat. Though I can't say I know why."

Argus nodded. "It's true, our healers put us on all-meat diets when we were young. It's half the fun of going out and getting hurt."

"Well that's very interesting, I guess that explains why those drakon sailors always bought so much dried meat for rations."

"You've traveled, then?" Major asked.

"Oh, yes, I've been everywhere. It was a part of my pilgrimage to Soltris. I've been all over. From Breachead to Fallport and most everywhere in-between too! You seem well-traveled too, Mr. Major. And your name sounds military. Did you serve with someone?"

"I was a Paladin, but I served more as a physician than a soldier. I followed more than a few armies, though."

"I did too! I was a healer before I passed down Soltris's favor to my boy, Sol. Maybe we were on the same battlefield at some point? Were you at Three Kings? Crow’s Siege? Dint's Fall? Toppling Hills?"

"All four and more, were you at all of those?"

"Wow, Yeah! I'm surprised I never ran into you!"

"I was with Herald at Three Kings, and again at Dint's Fall. And Arrived late to Crow’s Siege."

"Oh, that makes sense. I was following Walter's Forces at Three Kings. And then followed Dint when he got smashed. I can't say I was unhappy to see Walter go. He was rough with the healers and only paid heed to the letter of the treatise, never the intent. You know?"

Major nodded. "I hear Dint wasn't much better and denied healers access to the battlefield after the fighting."

She shrugged. "I never saw anything like that. But I heard the rumors. By the time I was following him, it was already mostly over. Who were you following at Toppling Hills?"

"I followed 'Both'."

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

"Both? How'd you managed that?"

"Not both, 'Both'. That was the orc war chief's name."

She slapped her forehead. "It really was 'Both'? I always thought I was mishearing Bath!"

"I wish he had been named Bath, perhaps he would have taken one to honor his name."

"You met him?"

"Once or twice, unfortunately. He was unpleasant."

She nodded. "He was, wasn't he? I was lucky to be from here, the green skin helped me blend in with his forces when we were healing, Even if it hasn't helped much elsewhere. and most of his troops couldn't tell I was a woman thanks to the full beard I was forced to grow since 'Both' kept us moving so fast I hardly had time to shave."

She took a moment to rub her brown, well-groomed sideburns.

"It was harder for folks not from Riverstead, or somewhere similar. Still, you followed him? I'm surprised we never ran into each other."

"Both kept me behind him, he wanted the 'best' healer with him at all times in case something happened. And I didn't stand out much with him, I wasn't the only green-skinned ogre on the field, or even following around him. Though I'm pretty sure that was just as much why he had me following him about as the healing I could supply. Still, it didn't lead to much of a difference in result for him."

"I heard the geomancers got him?"

"Yup, nearly got me too till I showed my mark of Ditrix. And even then, they kept me captive for a couple weeks."

Argus interrupted the difficult to follow conversation with a question. "The mark of Ditrix?"

"It's a mark of the Goddess Ditrix. She's the Goddess of peace. Most anyone who's following armies to help with their wounded or to help whoever they hurt in their marching, carries one. Even if they don't serve her directly or serve a different god altogether."

"Ah, I see. A symbol of who not to hurt could be useful. Fights can get somewhat confusing if the sides don't look distinctly different by default."

Argus nodded as if the idea had never occurred to him. Which, in fairness. It hadn't. The two tribes that had joined to make up the brother's tribe had naturally different appearances. Thus, any conflict had between the two before peace was struck had been rather straightforward and particularly small in number. And any other battles had happened with orcs and once or twice with giants. It provided them the same benefit of being easy to tell who was on your side and who wasn't.

Argus could not imagine the great battles with thousands of combatants that Major and Darcie were remembering. But instead, the smaller scale conflicts he had been only told about. Still, despite all this, he saw the merit in the concept.

"And if I might ask, Breachead? And Fallport? And Dint? And 'Geomancers'?"

The woman laughed and said, "Whoops, I appear to have been rude to...You. Speaking of, I must have forgotten it. What was your name again, dear?"

"I don't think we ever introduced ourselves. I am Argus, this is Asgar." Asgar waved and gave a soft 'Hello."

"Well, Argus and Asgar. A pleasure to meet you, as for your questions. Breachead is the second-largest city on the continent. And it's coastal, all the way to the east. However, it's much smaller than Hollow Mountain; I've been there too, actually!" She spoke with a grin.

"As for Fallport, it's a much smaller city to the west. Also coastal, it's in the name y'see. Fallport."

She hummed, thinking, and tapping her fingers on the table energetically.

"Dint was King, he was killed at 'Dint's Fall' by Herald, first of his name. Who rules over Breachead to this day."

She cocked her head to the side and ceased tapping the table.

"Finally, geomancy is the term used to describe mages who practice magic that controls or creates some type of earth. Its pretty catch-all though, cause the mage could work with everything from dirt, to stone, to metal. The ones at Toppling Hills mainly used earth. They threw a hill at Both, or so the rumors say." She looked at Major for confirmation.

Major nodded. "Not quite a full Hill, but near to. They turned their geomancers into catapults for all the destruction they weaved."

"There were a lot of crushing injuries." Darcie agreed.

"Ah," Argus spoke. "If I may ask, what is a 'Hollow Mountain'... also what is a continent?"

That question was met with wide looks from the table, even from Major.

"Ya'll don't know what a continent is?"

The brothers shook their heads.

"Well... a continent is what we're on, a big piece of land sprouting out of the sea, I suppose. But really big."

"How big?"

Major shrugged. "Just real big, I'm surprised ya don't know."

Argus looked mildly embarrassed. "Our tribe is... cloistered."

"Huh, well. As for your other question, Hollow Mountain is where the Weeping King rules. He's a storm giant I think I told ya about, got involved in a holy war. Don't know much more than that, though."

"Ah... I'm sorry, but what is a King?"

Dinner became more of a question and answer session- which resulted in cold soup and meat buns. Questions came with ease as Major and the family of two spoke and slowly educated the brothers to the best of their ability for the better part of two hours. Most of which was on the topic of kings, dukes, peasants, royalty, and other similar issues that confonfused the twins.

—-

"But why would you want to follow a leader simply because they were born? And continuously?" Argus asked.

"Mostly cause you're oathbound too. A Paladin of sorts, some royals ask that much of those that serve them. And ones that fail to make it or refuse are always at risk of being the first to getting pruned in the lean years. Mind you, even the ones who don't make Oaths before gods and men still make lesser ones to their kings."

Asgar spoke this time. "But two of the four kings you've spoken of have sounded terrible, and even the third sounds like an unrepentant servant of Junda, conquering whenever possible!"

Major nodded. "Many kings are terrible, just as many are good. But most are middling, and not worth anything of note one way or another." He took a moment to think and counted on his fingers. "Since I've last checked, there are more than 15 Kings or Queens on the continent. To speak nothing of the various warlords or the kingless royals who are just smaller versions of Kings."

"What kind of Oaths do they make?"

"The kings? Or the lords that follow them?"

"The kings make oaths? Both then."

Major thought. "Herald had made an Oath to protect his citizenry, and guard his realm against invaders. He swore to die before allowing anyone who claimed his protection lawfully to perish without there bein’ repercussions against those who committed the deed. It’s why he was involved in so many wars. But he was powerful, both as a king and a paladin. His line had a Dragon's blood in it. So he was particularly magically adept." He hummed. "Which on that topic is another way kings acquire their followers. I believe I've mentioned that humans- a label even I sorta fall under, can breed with most any sentient creature. This includes powerful ones, such as Dragons or Djinn. If a human can find some way of charmin’ such an entity. But the magical or martial advantages the descendents of such a pairing receive are usually capable of incredible things, they often wind up rulers in one way or another."

He finally added. "They also acquire power through Oaths, like the one you've both made. But they usually swear generations to the Oath, that even their descendants will keep it."

"That works?"

"Sorta. They grow in power for every new generation to carry the Oath. But they’re often broken. Holdin’ an Oath made by someone else is often tricky. And usually causes legacy Oaths to be pretty simple. For example, the Oath Herald inherited was simply "Protect the realm." He made his own Oath after receivin’ it."

This came as slightly less of a surprise to the brothers, as they were familiar with the concept of taking two Oaths, though, in their experience, they usually merged into one greater Oath.

—-

"Three thousand?" Asgar said with no small amount of awe.

Sol nodded and missed the awed expression on the drakons face entirely.

"Riverstead is a small town, but it's in a prominent position on the road and by a river, so it punches above its weight."

"Three thousand is small?"

"Well... Yes, most towns are at least eight thousand. Honestly, it's a security concern. But luckily, it's pretty cold up here, so the winters freeze out the nastiest things from traveling up here and picking a fight. As I understand it, the towns in cold areas can afford to be much smaller. Warm climate towns are even larger, though they have to deal with monsters or enemy forces."

"Eight thousand... then... How many are in Hollow Mountain? You said that it was the largest town on the 'continent.'" Asgar used the new word awkwardly.

"Not a town, city. Cities are much, much bigger than towns. Well, maybe the largest town and the smallest city probably aren't too far apart. But generally speaking, cities are much larger. The Hollow Mountain though?" He thought. "I'll say this first; I don’t know. They’re strangely open with their census. And even deliver them to other nations, I think it's a method of avoiding fights. They’re almost always at least five years out of date. The last one claimed they had a population of twenty-eight million."

Bewilderment struck Asgar with such force that he coughed, inhaling the piece of meat bun he was chewing and falling out of his chair.

—-

"He's choking!" Argus yelled, picking up his brother and slapping him on the back. Before suddenly remembering a grapple move that Major had taught him. Thus, he placed his arms around Asgar's waist, made a fist, and placed it above Asgar's stomach. Then using his other hand, pressed his fist upward and inward into Asgar. Who, with a few choked gasps, ejected the bit of meat that had been in his airway.

"Good work, Argus." Major spoke.

"Augh..."

"Are you okay, Asgar?" His brother asked while gently rubbing his back.

Asgar breathed deeply and slowly stood up.

"I think I am okay."

"Are you sure, dear?" Darcie hovered nearby, eyes full of worry.

Sol spoke up. "I'm so sorry, I didn't think the number would surprise you so much. It is the largest city on the continent. Probably the World. They might be exaggerating to aid the proposed threat level but not by much if traders who speak of it aren't lying."

"No... you're fine." Asgar waved away their concerns.

"But... twenty million... how many is that truly?"

Sol took a moment to think. "Well, if our town is 3000. That would be... ten... one hundred... one thousand... just a couple million shy of a thousand times the size of this town."

Asgar blankly stared at him and slowly sat down. His brother, who had been busy asking about the nature of kings only now heard the number and mimed his brother quite well.

"You can really tell their brothers when they do that," Major spoke.

"Sol, could you not have said that any other way." Darcie chastised.

He blinked. "What? How else could I have said it, mom?"

She searched for words for a moment before furrowing her brows and pondering.

Asgar coughed. "No, he's fine. It's just... that's so many! How is it even possible for that many people to be in one place?"

"It's true," Darcie spoke. "I've been there, it's massive. I haven't been inside the mountain. They don't let anyone in. But supposedly, it is hollow. And there's even more of the city inside." She continued, "It really is unassailable. Massive walls ring the entire mountain, and the houses and buildings are even built into it. It's the one of the World Wonders that most pilgrims go and look at. And I suspect the greatest. Everything outside the city is massive swaths of farmland, for miles really. Meats are costly there."

"How did they hollow out a mountain?" Argus asked, eyes full of wonder, and wandering away to a ridgeline that could be sited on the horizon.

"It's not the most prominent mountain I've ever seen, or even any more massive than the Leelow Summit that you are looking at now. And they probably used geomancers, though it’s probably not entirely hollow, or even mostly. I can't say for sure, they don't let people in. For all I know, it's not hollow at all. though someone would have outed a lie like that by now."

"How much smaller are other cities?"

"Much." Sol looked to his mother for confirmation.

"Sol's right, they are much, much smaller. They don't give out their census like Hollow Mountain does. But I'm pretty sure it's even the largest can't be more than a tenth then Hollow Mountain, and the smallest are much much smaller."

That number still boggled the brother's minds, before a thought made Argus's eyes widen.

"Then those armies you followed; how big were they?"

"Oh, nowhere near the size of cities. I think Herald led the most significant war force I've seen, two hundred thousand."

Major rumbled. "I've seen five hundred thousand. The Gayln civil war used many levies."

"You were involved with that mess, Major?" Darcie asked.

Major shook his head. "In a way, I didn't follow any armies, so much as I went in with a group of like-minded people, freed slaves, and warned towns of the comin’ drafts."

"How many died in wars like that?" Asgar spoke, interruptin’ the tangent.

That sobered the two healers, both had seen a lot of what war had to offer.

"Too many, it varies. But unless one side surrenders. never less than a tenth."

The conversation ground to a halt with that, as the brothers contemplated war.

—-

The conversation resumed sometime after, and to her credit. Darcie did manage to feed Major enough soup that he couldn't eat anymore.

Major excused himself after, saying. "Anverth agreed to lend me a room so long as I'm workin’ with him. So I'll be makin’ my way over there before it gets too dark."

Darcie spoke. "Please do come back later, maybe we can talk more stories about traveling? Who knows where else we could have crossed paths!"

"I think I'll take you up on that, ma'am."

"Darcie." she corrected, hardly before he had a chance to finish speaking.

"Of course, Darcie. How does tomorrow night sound? Perhaps I could take you out to the inn to eat? I'd hate to empty your food stocks again so soon."

"That sounds lovely."

He shook her hand, then stood up from his seat on the ground with a bit of a groan.

"Thank ya again for the food. I'll be seeing you tomorrow evenin’ then." He then bid the brothers and Sol a good night and wandered off.

"What a pleasant man." Darcie turned. "Now then, where to put the both of you? Oh, could you help take the table back in? Lovely."

She plucked up the now empty bowls and took them inside as the brothers moved her table and chairs back into the house.

"Now, where to put you? Sol, can you get the second blanket for them?"

Argus stepped in here. "Ma'am, while my brother and I appreciate your concern. We don't need a blanket. And we wouldn't want to tear it up in our sleep." He waved his taloned fingers in the air to present his point. That issue had come up over the weeks they'd spent with Major. And had ended with them using animal hides, which were more resistant to damage the brothers did.

"Ah..." She seemed to flounder a bit. "Well, you can use it for a pillow. Roll it up and lay your heads on it!" She reveled in her small triumph for figuring out a use for the blanket for brothers.

Argus hesitated, then nodded. "That would be appreciated."

With an agreement made, Sol left and got the blanket in question. Returning moments later rolled up to serve as a pillow for the brothers.

The brothers thanked their hosts, and after they left to their own beds. Laying down on the floor to finally sleep.

"Wait! I can't have you sleeping on the floor!" Darcie popped her head back in. To which the brother stifled groans. Before Argus sat up from his resting place.

"We are quite comfortable; drakon find wood flooring perfectly comfortable."

She narrowed her eyes at him. "The drakon I met used hammocks, though."

"I can't speak for blue I've never met. But white and silver are perfectly happy on floors."

"Well... alright. Goodnight then." she ducked her head back into her room as the brothers echo their own goodnights back, before laying back. And letting sleep take them.