The World Dragon's Heir - Chapter 516

Chapter 516: Might Be Goats
Dominic left as the conversations turned to suggestive offers to help the ladies get ‘warm and dry’, while he searched the sky for the next incoming airships from Axbridge.

They were already on the approach, but as they got closer, Dominic realized that they were not Axbridge airships at all. They were built and marked as Skiple Royal transports, the Skiple Nation’s transports for hire.

The Merchant’s Guild used some of them, Dominic remembered. But they didn’t cross toward Dagos, as they were a generation behind, and cumbersome in flight.

Normally, they would struggle in this sort of storm, but the winds were blowing hard out of the north, and they had been making exceptionally good time coming south.

“Dave, let’s go see what is going on. They might be from northeastern Axbridge. Or they might be from Skiple near the Dagos border. Given the chaos in Skiple, it might be pretty ladies, or a good fight.”

“Could it be goats?”

Dominic smiled at the troll. “It might be goats.”

The airships circled with a suspicious level of agility, and the two trolls lifted their shields, using the pretense of using them as umbrellas to get themselves ready.

Then they realized that they were actually great umbrellas, and began to celebrate.

The first airship was on final approach when the door opened, and a mage in black robes stepped out, floating to the ground under an umbrella of magic that was keeping the rain off him.

Prince Alex, the Second Prince of Cygnia, waved as Dominic came into sight.

“I see that you made new friends. Right proper sized Mountain Trolls, aren’t they?

I have brought you men for the event.

They’re not in great shape, we were on mobile rescue duties after the monster siege ended, evacuating the towns all along the Atherster River in Skiple. It’s being hit by the storms out of Dagos, and it’s all swampland to begin with.

But that’s not the important part. I’ve got over two hundred Noblemen, officers and noncommissioned sorts.

Do you have anywhere to put them?”

Dominic laughed. “At least someone thought to ask. But yes, we’ve been throwing up warehouses like mad, hoping to use them later. The boys can set camp in one. It’s got a magitech stove to cook on, and a privy with a single shower, but you’ll have to arrange everything else.”

The Prince shrugged. “Doesn’t bother me. I’ll stay at the house.”

“Indeed. Your suite at the Manor is available. Unfortunately, your beloved sister has given all the rooms but your own quarters to other Family members and Envoys.”

“Close enough for me. As long as the warehouse has plumbing, the men will figure it out. It’s better than most of the places they’ve been sent. They’ll be down soon, but I need a nap after trying to keep those relics under control all the way down here.

I’ve been awake for days.”

“Do you want me to send you straight to the house? Or will you stay until your men are settled?”

“I’m too tired to portal, I will stay to watch them and recover a bit. Hopefully, they can get properly landed. Those airships really are terrible. We should have purchased a Regiment’s worth of trucks instead of requisitioning these.

The price was right, though. They just wanted them out of the major storms, and I was certain that the worst would be over by the time we got here.

It’s still raining, but compared to Kinewen, this is nothing.

We passed over this morning, and it looks like a set of castles in a lake. There are refugees everywhere once you get away from the floodwaters.”

Dominic’s frown turned into a dismissive shrug. “Well, nothing that I can do about the weather, and I don’t have the people to do a rescue.

We’re mostly just hoping that Lympsbury doesn’t flood. It’s not on a major river, so that’s a good start. But it is much closer to the border than we are.”

Prince Alex shook his head. “It should be fine. They’re getting a lot of rain, but it will just be muddy to the point that they can’t go anywhere except by air.

They’re not going to have to evacuate the city like so many others.

Axbridge is just lucky that they’re so lightly populated in the northeast. They’re sending all sorts of people inland, but there are only a few more groups of Nobles coming this way that we heard on the radio.

They turned west to get away from the storms, while we chased the front edge of the Typhoon south.

The winds will hit you here, but the worst of the storm is already fading as the eye passes over land.”

The airships were down now, not at the docks but in the parking area, and the soldiers were unloading their own supplies in the rain, looking worn and exhausted.

“Right, let’s get them indoors and set up. The ladies might be frightened off if they see them like this.”

“Or they might be intrigued. It worked for you, didn’t it? As I recall, the first time that Princess Alexis saw you, you were covered in goblin blood.”

“And many times after that. However, I don’t believe that is the usual method for finding a good wife. Few are so hearty and firm of will as mine.”

The Prince rolled his eyes. “It seems both of the twins got the sort of husband that they wanted. Thorvald, son of Duke North in West Keria, is set to marry Josephine in the spring when the weather is good again.

She wanted a spring wedding, for better weather, and possibly so that she didn’t have to move away from her border posting before the war was over.

Regardless, she has been moved to Northia now, and she will be a guest of the West Kerian Crown until the wedding. But it was a good effort.”

Dominic clasped his hands in front of him. “We will pray for Thorvald. May his pranks not lead to his untimely demise before he might consummate his wedding.”