The three Dragons returned to the Ilagron Estate just in time for dinner.
They had stayed at the tavern for a little longer, with Lukas asking more questions about the pirate who clearly fit the description to a tee but they didn't get much more information.
It seemed like not much was known about him because he was just THAT elusive.
Just before they took their leave, Jerry had given them a warning similar to the one Velena had dropped on them last night.
"I suggest that you don't stay here for long. It might get a bit ugly fast come Sunday. It's lovely to see new folks but there's a reason why this village's become a ghost town. Stay safe out here, my friends. If you see any of those debt collectors, steer clear of them. They ain't good people."
Jerry was a good man. Lukas liked him a lot because he reminded him of his old coach, a jolly man as friendly as they come. He even offered them to travel with his family to Nozar Kingdom at the end of the week.
Lukas politely declined but promised to visit the tavern again before they left.
They had a lot to discuss. Even Jesse, someone who usually questioned everything, had to agree that the appearance of the Leviathan was more than just a coincidence. Not only did the descriptions of his abilities line up with what they knew Rodan was capable of, the dates of Rodan's disappearance and this pirate breaking out onto the scene seemed to line up as well.
The pirate that had been torturing the seas of Hiraeth was most likely Katrina's father. And they needed to bring him back to Linemall, without revealing their identities.
But with the entire Nozar Navy on Rodan's tail, how in the world were they supposed to get Rodan back without any hiccups?
Lukas wasn't even sure they'd be able to find him, let alone catch him. But he'd worry about that when he came to it. He had a feeling the Kraken could handle that, considering he knew exactly how to find Rodan. But that could wait.
He had a lot to think about and he needed to think about it fast.
He ordered Katrina to help Velena out with dinner while Jesse stayed within him in the room. He'd need the Head of the Merchant Guild for this one.
A plan was forming in his mind and it would need great consideration. He glanced at the grandfather clock and took note of the time. They had three hours before dinner time.
That was just enough time to figure everything out because if they could pull this off, there was a chance that they could get Rodan back and solve all of Linemall's money problems.
The hours passed by quickly and soon Katrina was calling them down for dinner. It was clear that she had taken a great liking to Velena Ilagron, perhaps because of how alike she was to her grandmother: the Lady Kaitlyn Drakos. They sat side by side, with Velena chuckling at something Katrina was telling her.
Jesse was still uncertain but he saw merit in Lukas' vision. The boy agreed that if they could pull it off, there was no doubt in his mind that he could bring economic prosperity to the Kingdom of Dragons like never seen before.
The only problem was how well the plan could actually be executed.
It relied on many factors that were out of their control which was the only problem a perfectionist like Jesse had with the plan.
One of those factors was whether or not Velena Ilagron would be on board.
They were about to find out as they walked down the staircase to the dining hall where all of the food had already been laid out for them.
On the table Lukas saw pan-seared squid rings laying atop a bed of spiced wild rice, garnished with chopped dill and fried garlic. To its side was a loaf of crusty saltbread, still warm from the oven which sat wrapped in a linen cloth. Velena had even made pickled kelp and preserved lemon slices, their tang cutting through the briny sweetness of the rest. The whole cottage smelled of rosemary, smoked paprika, and the ocean.
These Ilagron residents definitely knew how to fucking eat, that was for sure.
It was a damn lie when Velena told them that they shouldn't look forward to eating good food every night.
Lukas and Jesse thanked the two for preparing such a hearty meal before they all sat down at the table and dug in. However, as much as he'd like to simply sit there and enjoy the good food of Ilagron, he needed to get down to business.
"Velena. May I ask you something?"
The Countess raised an eyebrow, recognizing the change in Lukas' tone from a casual to a more serious one. "You may. I'm not sure if I can answer depending on what you want to ask me, however." Her eyes studied him but she did not have a single clue on what he might want to ask her.
"How much do you owe those debt collectors?" He asked and Jesse shot him an incredulous look. Lukas had told him he would handle the Countess of Ilagron but with how forward he was being, Jesse wasn't so sure.
Velena placed her fork down and clasped her hands together, her small smile fading into obscurity. The dinner table was silent for a long moment before someone spoke.
"I see that you've been talking to the locals. You understand that business has not been good. Which is why I required some help. Unfortunately the help was not enough. I made a bad choice, borrowed money from the wrong people. Still, I don't see why you would need to know the amount." She responded curtly, her body language heavily guarded now. She didn't know what Lukas was getting at but she did not like it for a second.
"I'd like to know the amount so I might be able to pay this debt off. That is why you told us to leave by the end of this week, no? Because those debt collectors are coming back for their money." Lukas had stopped eating as well. He had her attention. Now he just needed to gain her trust.
"I don't know who you spoke to but you only know half of it, young man. Even if you pay off my debt, which I doubt you have the money to do so, the Nozar Officials will arrive at this estate's doorsteps to claim this land as their own. Whatever you're planning, it's not going to work. You all seem like bright young children. You are better off taking your talents elsewhere. Ilagron's days are long over." She replied bluntly, picking up her fork again to signal that this conversation was over.
"And what if I said that you wouldn't have to worry about Nozar?" He knew he was pushing it but he had to be bold.
"Are you out of your damn mind? Your magic may be strong but you are talking about an entire kingdom! They have been wanting to take over Ilagron for decades now. And trust me, they will eat you alive. Do not put your life at risk! This is Nozar we're talking about boy and you are in over your head." She was livid.
He could tell he'd struck a nerve because for the first time, the Countess had lost her cool. She was almost glaring at him now.
"And on what grounds are the Nozar using to claim this village as their own?" Lukas asked, ignoring Velena's stern words of caution.
"They need no grounds. They're the bloody Nozar Kingdom. What army is Ilagron going to stop them with?" Velena scoffed.
"You don't need an army. You just need somebody strong enough backing Ilagron, no? To deter them from acting so boldly. Just a little nudge to keep them in line." Lukas grinned now, the confidence in his voice unshakeable.
Velena laughed, more amused than irritated now. "Allow me to entertain the idea, Lukas. Let's say you are strong enough to act as a deterrence for the strongest Kingdom in all of Hiraeth. Why in the world would somebody as strong as you fight for a village that you have no ties to?"
"Because I'm a businessman, Velena. As much as I'd like to tell you that I do this out of the kindness of my heart, I want to make money. And I think your family business will make me a very rich man. I help you, you help me." He replied, without missing a beat.
She had taken the bait. She wanted to know where all of this confidence was coming from. But the glimpse of interest that Lukas had seen faded as soon as it had arrived.
"I don't know if you've noticed but there is no family and there is clearly no business. It is a pointless endeavour. You're investing in what has already failed. And I cannot in good conscience agree to whatever it is you're trying to propose." Velena told Lukas with a sigh, her anger replaced with great sadness.
"And what if I told you that I could make it succeed? What if I could breathe life back into this village and bring it back to where it once was ten years ago?" Lukas pressed forward. She may have truly given up on all hope but Lukas was not a quitter.
"And how in the world do you think you're going to do that? No amount of strength is going to help with this." Velena had sat up straighter, flickers of interest flashing in her eyes.
"I'll do it by making the seas safe once again. You and all traders will no longer have to worry about the Leviathan. That is how strength will help us, Countess Velena. I will put an end to the greatest pirate Hiraeth has ever seen. Is that a proposal you can get behind?" Lukas glanced at Jesse who didn't hesitate to back him up.
"If I may," Jesse continued, his voice earnest. "Khaitish is a market that is untouched and ripe for the taking. I can bring ships here. Legitimate traders. Not just desperate smugglers and black-market buyers. Real business. And I'll manage the ledgers myself, no cut taken unless profit's made. You'll see growth in three months or less once the seas are safe again. That's a promise. We can bring back traders here and make it into an economic hub. A trading port that all will pass through."
"You all make it sound so easy," she spoke with a laugh but her voice was weary, "but do you know how many promises I've heard over the years? Do you know how many brilliant young men and women gave their all to Ilagron, only to be buried in shallow graves when the tides turned against them? Do you know how many widows I have gone to in the past year, children I have had to break the news to that their loved ones had perished at sea?"
"Ilagron wasn't just a village to me," her voice was hoarse now, threatening to crack under emotion. "It was my heart, my family, my past. I've lost friends. I've lost my family. I've had to bury my husband, my son and my grandchildren with my own hands. I can't bury anyone else."
Her eyes glistened in the reflection of the lamp's light.
"I'm grateful for your intentions. Truly. And maybe… maybe in another time, I would've welcomed them. But I don't want blood on my hands again. I don't want to risk more bright-eyed dreamers throwing their lives into the sea for a cause that has long since drowned."
She faced Lukas, her voice firm once more. "So no, Lukas. I cannot accept your proposal. It is not because I don't believe you but it is because I've already faced a lifetime of misfortune. And I refuse to invite any more into my home."
"Countess," Katrina interjected suddenly, her voice firm while still filled with warmth and understanding. "I know we have not been here long and I know I don't understand all that the village has been through. But I know for a fact that the people don't blame you for everything that has happened. They respect you more than anything and they want nothing but the best for you. You've held them together for years. We can help you. We can help this village together. So let us help you."
Velena's gaze lingered on Katrina. "You're a brave child, Katrina. Braver than most. But bravery does not bring back the dead. I don't want to see another child laid to rest in this soil."
She looked to Lukas now, her voice gentle; almost kind. "I don't want gold. I don't want power. I don't want to rebuild. I just want peace. And when my time comes… I want to look my family in the eye and tell them I didn't drag more souls into this pit. That I let it end with me."
She stepped back, the firelight casting her silhouette in warm gold. "So no. I thank you, truly. But my answer will have to be a no."
Velena gave them one last look, an almost maternal softness flickering behind the exhaustion in her eyes then turned before quietly leaving the room; dinner unfinished.
Lukas didn't have much of an appetite and neither did Katrina nor Jesse.
Her footsteps echoed down the hall, and then there was only the crackling of the hearth and the distant call of waves crashing against the cliffs below.
Lukas rose slowly, his chair creaking beneath him. He didn't say anything at first, simply staring at the door that Velena Ilagron had closed behind her, his expression unreadable.
"Where are you going?" Katrina asked.
He turned toward them, his eyes dark and steady. "Before we leave, I would like to ensure that the Countess finds peace in her final days. It's the least I can do for her. The two of you should stay here and keep watch while I'm gone."
Jesse frowned. "What do you mean?"
"I think I'm gonna pay those debt collectors a visit."