Chapter 42: Confusion
As Zaine and Fafnor came into the guild house to hand over the containing cubes with the goblins, they saw Zaine's family exiting it. As one, Gregory and Nathaniel rushed their brother. The three hugged each other tightly, as they broke into laughter.
"Zaine, you old dog, where have you been? Did you have interesting adventures?" Gregory asked, and Zaine flicked his brother's nose.
"I will have you know I went on a goblin capture quest," Zaine waved a cube in the air, and his two brothers gave out oh sounds.
"That is great. We have been cat sitting, dog walking, hamster minding," Nathaniel began to list with a scrunched-up nose.
"Well, you two need all the training in the world," Zaine told them teasingly, and then squeezed the life out of the two of them. "How about this, we can all go for an ice cream, once your quest is done for?"
Zaine looked to Fafnor, who nodded. The younger berserker then looked at his parents.
"They will be free in four hours," Johnny told him, and then his face softened. "How have you been, son?"
"Great, dad," Zaine said. No matter how many times he said this word, it still brought the same warm feeling in his stomach like the first time. To have a father again was great. He even sort of had a mother again.
Not that he was ever going to tell Filarion that he considered him a mother.
"We need to be off, Zaine," Fafnor said, and Zaine released his brothers.
"Hey, master, could I perhaps go with the two of them? I mean, if they just wait a bit, I can join them on the quest," Zaine asked hopefully. Fafnor regarded him for a long minute, and then nodded.
"You are still a part of the Leaf party. I don't see why not. I will be in the mead hall, if you need me. But first, we need to hand over the goblins," Fafnor then walked in the direction of the receptionist's desk.
"Well, be seeing you," Zaine waved at his brothers.
"Be seeing you?" Nathaniel asked, a grin on his face. "You are coming with us!"
"Smart ass," Zaine called over his shoulder, and he was given chuckles in response. When he reached Agatha's desk, he clutched the containing cube to himself.
Agatha smiled at him warmly, and then reached out for the cube.
"Will they be hurt in the work camps?" Zaine asked. It was a common practice to capture magical creatures and non-humans in general, who have broken the law, and sent them to work camps.
"They will get three meals a day, and a lunch break of an hour. Also, ten hours of downtime. Sort of like the prisoners in the camps," Agatha informed him, and he handed her the cube.
"And the families won't be broken apart?" Zaine asked again. They had captured a couple of goblin children. They had been just as nasty as their parents, but Zaine still felt bad about them.
"I don't really know. The goblins will be separated into different camps. But whether the families will be broken up is not up to us," Agatha reached out, and petted Zaine. "You have a good heart, to think about the well-being of goblins."
"I just... they should matter too," Zaine spoke, and the receptionist gave him a sad smile.
"Those that don't break the law matter a lot. But wild beasts like these don't have rights. That is true," Agatha then placed the two cubes in a transporting teleport, and they disappeared. "Here is your pay."
She handed them a heavy coin pouch, and Fafnor took it. Then, much to Zaine's surprise, he got half of it in another pouch, and handed that one to Zaine.
"You earned it. Treat your brothers to some ice cream. Get yourself something to remember the first time you overcame the bloodlust by," Fafnor said, and then turned around in the direction of the mead hall.
"Master, you did almost all the work. I can't take this money," Zaine ran after the dragon, determined to return the money. Fafnor just shrugged.
"Zaine, I know that now you have no need for money, but fair is fair. You can't live off your adoptive parents forever. Neither can your brothers. Get the money in your bank account. Lord Elathana made you one, did he not?" Fafnor asked, and Zaine nodded.
"But..." Zaine began to protest, but Fafnor huffed and closed the distance between them.
"If you feel like you don't need the entire pouch, go and buy me a present. Dragons love trinkets. But I won't accept the money," Fafnor then placed a hand on the back of Zaine's neck, and pulled him closer.
The first thought in Zaine's mind was that Fafnor's lips were soft. They were soft and impossibly gentle. It was a simple kiss. Not once did Fafnor's tongue begged him for entrance. But it was there, and it confused Zaine to no end.
When they broke apart, Fafnor's golden orbs were twinkling, and he stepped away from Zaine without another word. Zaine stood rooted to the spot, fingers going to his lips.
That was his first kiss. What did that mean? Was it a dragon oddity, that he didn't know about? Or, was it something more? A promise? Was Fafnor going to wait for Zaine to turn eighteen, or was he...
Zaine blushed when he caught himself thinking about such things. One thing was for certain. He couldn't imagine himself getting this flustered over a girl.
With shaky legs, he made it to his family. Tucking the coin pouch inside his belt, he placed a hand on Gregory's shoulder to steady himself.
"You look like you are about to faint," Gregory noted, and Zaine felt Filarion's gentle head on his forehead.
"You don't have a fever, but if you are sick, you can go home," Filarion said, and Zaine just shook his head.
"Dad, do you have books on dragons in the estate?" Zaine asked, and Filarion blinked at him.
"I do? Did Fafnor do something to you?" Filarion's voice turned dangerous then. Zaine was quick to shake his head.
"Nothing much. It is just that, he did so much to help, but I barely know anything about him," Zaine clarified, and then used his brother as a crutch.
The house-sitting job didn't go like the last time he had done a similar quest. Filarion had produced books in their respective fields, and they had all read. With the occasional disturbance caused by the cat that lived in the house, who couldn't decide if she liked Filarion's lap more, or Johnny's.
