Ladybug was a very recent legend that started a few months ago along the coastal Viking villages.
A strange phantom that has been appearing, dressed in a similar fashion as the red beetle that came in the spring, sparking her name. She's been the talk of trade routes, people swearing they saw her in their homes, taking their things, and disappearing in a moments notice. She can be so fast and be gone in an instant, many wonder if she was actually there.
They do insist that they have items missing. Small things like a knife, cheese, baked goods, sewing items, and such. No real treasures ever taken. Just small things that were easily misplaced.
Doubters reasoned those items that were missing had to be simply misplaced. And that Ladybug was just the latest wild tale that was going around. The latest horror story to scare people from traveling at night, to encourage them to lock their homes.
There was nothing to suggest that Ladybug was real.
Adrien had thought so too when he had first heard the tale of Ladybug, the red phantom that shadowed this coast.
A thief dressed as a ladybug? Capable of disappearing in a moment's notice? Taking small forgettable things?
It didn't seem possible.
It seemed downright silly.
Why would anyone dress as a ladybug? Especially a thief? A thief that had no evident interest in jewels or treasures like most thieves should? It was just silly, this tale of Ladybug. And the claims of her disappearing into thin air!
Amusing.
He and Chloe would laugh any time they heard of Ladybug.
How could someone like that exist?
There was no way.
Or at least, so he had thought, till he saw her himself, stealing from his home.
And had disappeared right in front of him.
Right under his hand.
Ladybug was real.
It was a fact that kept repeating in his head.
She was real, an actual physical being.
And she had disappeared right in front of him.
She was a mystery, she intriguing, terrifying, and exciting.
And much like the dragons, Adrien found he could not help his curiosity. He had to know about Ladybug, had to learn how she did that disappearing act, why did she steal small things? What were her purposes? Her goals? Did she only come during dragon raids?
If so why?
Dropping down from a small ledge, Adrien's fur boots rattled the worn log he had jumped down. He looked up through the trees, looking past moss bark and scattered sunbeams, trying to find anything unusual in this forest. With only the coast at their front, and a whole village between his home and sea; Adrien suspected that Ladybug had fled away into the closer woods.
Strategically, for a thief stealing from multiple villages, the forest was ideal. Most Vikings didn't go in with the wide range of dragons that have made their homes there. Most of these breeds were relatively small enough to easily working around the trees, making their presence all the harder to detect for a hunting party. And this forest was large enough to connect to all the villages along the coast.
Only thing Ladybug had to be aware of were the dragons here. Since her legend started a few months ago, Adrien had a fair guess that she's pretty familiar with how to get around these beasts.
Though it was a wonder how he could.
He had a shield and a baton with him, but how much help those would be depended on what dragon he came across.
And here, well, you never know. There were many breeds here, from all different classes. Shield and baton were one of the safest bets for him. Dragons reacted poorly to any sort of blade. He'd be less likely to be attacked with these items.
Though it'd be nice if he wasn't attacked at all.
Adrien sighed, eyeing the towering trees, trying to find anything that could suggest where the phantom thief could've gone.
But much like the stories, she moved like ghost, no trace of her to be found.
Though Adrien did play with the fact that he could've simply gone in the wrong direction. There were many paths in this forest. Ladybug could've gone anywhere. Be anywhere. She was one small human in one of the biggest forests in this area. She's a needle in a haystack. Near impossible to find.
He needed some way to get to her.
A sure fire way.
One that wouldn't leave him wandering aimlessly in the wildernes-
There was a hiss above.
Adrien stopped, looking up to see a familiar purple terror above him, glaring down with it's dark purple eyes. And around it's horn looked like a bracelet. A little red and black bracelet...
Ladybug.
This dragon had a connection to Ladybug.
Quirking a smile, Adrien called, "Hi little guy!"
Another hiss. This time the terror's light wings, almost white in color, spread out as it slammed it's dark claws down.
An aggressive move.
A threat to fire if he didn't move.
Moving quickly, Adrien brought out some jerky. The terrible terror went quiet, eyes locked on the slab of dried meat.
Adrien smiled. Terrors are easily bribed.
To add to it, Adrien held up the meat, waving it. "You hungry?"
The small dragon made a series of clicking chirps, it's nostrils flaring as it sniffed. Adrien watched as it's thin pupils grew large, the dragon's defense lowering. The dragon crawled down, stopping midway to sniff the air and eye him, before going down completely. It crept close to him, mouth open, a hungry gurgle bubbling past it's maw.
"That's it," Adrien eased, tempting the little dragon closer. "Maybe you can help me little guy. Do you know where Ladybug is?"
The terror stopped, tilting it's head as it eyed him. It made a chirping noise that sounded loosely like it was repeating Ladybug's name.
"Yes Ladybug," Adrien repeated excitedly, he waving the jerky, keeping the dragon's eyes locked on the meat. "You know where she is?"
The terror made a dragging, "Brrrrrrr," sound.
"I'll give you this if you guide me to Ladybug," Adrien promised with a slight song.
The small dragon rumbled, doing a little indecisive dance on it's claws, wings twitching. Then it gave a loud, growling chirp. Turning, it dashed away, ignoring Adrien's, "Hey!" behind it.
The terror stopped a ways, turning back to him and making a chirping call.
Beaming, Adrien hurried after the small dragon, adrenaline pumping through him.
This was it.
He was going to find Ladybug.
The first Viking to.
As he followed the terror, he spared fast glances at his surroundings, making note of every landmark they passed.
One of the larger trees were uprooted and had fallen to the ground, making a round wall of roots. Roots that had many eyes blink at him cautiously as he and the terror ran past. There was a small waterfall made of fallen rocks. An unnerving large old skeleton of what Adrien suspected to be a grapple grounder.
Suddenly the terror stopped, head up, looking very alert and alarmed. With a fearful sound, it turned and hurried down a crevice under a rock. Adrien stopped, frowning down at the little dragon. "Hey come on," he tried to tempt out, waving the jerky.
But the terror wouldn't come out. It just cowered under that came, shrinking down.
Adrien heard what the terror sensed.
There were heavy steps of an approaching dragon.
A very likely large dragon that wouldn't be easily swayed by jerky.
Adrien followed the small dragon's example, hurrying under that crevice and squeezing under it, wincing as his shield clunked against the roof loudly. He kept close enough to peer out and see what dragon this was.
One of the biggest monstrous nightmares he's ever seen prowled into view. It's scales were darker than night, with very faint purple stripes going along it's body, and it's eyes were an unnervingly bright green. The nightmare stopped, making an angry gurgle at it lifted it's snout, loudly sniffing the air and snorting.
Adrien tensed and pressed lower to the ground.
It smelled him.
With an angry rumble, the nightmare dipped it's snout to the ground, nostrils flaring as it sought the source of the human smell, creeping closer to the rock Adrien and the terror hid under. Heart pounding as he felt boiling hot breath blow into the crevice. The terror nervously press against him, Adrien acted quickly. Taking out the jerky, he tore off a chunk and threw it as far away from them as he could.
That maw lingered by the opening of the crevice, growling as lips curled up to show crooked teeth.
For a second, Adrien thought he was going to taste a nightmare's fire.
Only that dark maw moved away, going to that chunk of meat Adrien had tossed out. The nightmare easily licked up the small slab, rolling the dried meet up in it's mouth. Content, the nightmare moved on, heavy steps rattling the ground.
Adrien and the terror didn't creep out till they were sure they were safe from the large dragon. "That was close," Adrien commented, turning to the small dragon. Only to blink at the betrayed glare the terror gave him.
He held up the jerky, reassuring with a slight grumble, "There's plenty of jerky for you."
The terror gave an annoyed grumble, then stomped off, huffing and snapping it's jaws.
Rolling his eyes, Adrien got up and followed the beast. For a near half hour they prowled on till the terror stopped, plopped down, and turned to Adrien expectantly.
When he raised a brow at the dragon, the terror gave an argumentative chirp that sounded an awful like, "Food."
"No way," Adrien said, making sure the jerky was out of the dragon's reach. Pointing down to the dragon, Adrien stated, "The deal is you lead me to Ladybug, and then I give you this." He waved the jerky about, stressing the bargain.
The terror made a demanding whine, glaring at him as it's tail gave a light whack to the ground.
Sighing, Adrien moved past the dragon, declaring, "I guess I'll just keep this for myself…" he trailed as he pushed past some bushes, blinking at the clearing that was hidden behind them. A lived in clearing.
Adrien almost dropped the jerky in surprise.
Slowly, he crept in, looking over everything.
A large garden of herbs and flowers clustered around a sunny patch to the left.
There was a built stove set in the center, ash set on the bottom. Near it was a built shed, with a mobile roof leaning on it, one that could be moved to over the stove when cooking in the rain.
In the shed, Adrien found an assortment of items. Stone shelves full of all sorts of items that had to have come from villages, knives, pots, pans, sewing supplies, and many others. And set below the miscellaneous mass were dragon parts. Parts that looked worn, worn enough to have simply fall off the beasts. There were teeth, claws, scales, and horns. Near them seemed an assortment of made items with these lost parts.
There were knives made with teeth.
There were masks made with familiar red scales, masks that looked older than the one he had glimpsed on Ladybug. Earlier products, Adrien guessed.
He picked up a scaly glove made with claws sewn into the knuckles. Moving it around, he wondered what this could be used for.
Wide eyed with curiously and wonder, Adrien looked out past the shed, eyes locking on one of the larger trees in this forest, framing this clearing. This large tree had a hollow opening, easily big enough for a human to fit into, and it dipped down into the earth, making a snug warm den. One that a larger dragon would have a hard time getting into.
Adrien crawled down into that den, taking a fast peek around.
There was a home built bed with old blankets, half of them with burns and tears, a pile of books, piles of plain paper and charcoal, some of it already sketched on, and an odd pile of items set near the back. Those items looked burned and worn as well.
Adrien crept back out, eyes wide as he looked over this lair once more.
The terror sat at the clearing entrance, impatiently eyeballing him.
"This is Ladybug's home," Adrien whispered in awe.
He had found the home of the phantom thief.
But where was she-
An angry hiss sounded above him, and Adrien whipped around, stumbling back when he came face to face with furious blue eyes.
Those blue eyes started to glow and change, and the last thing Adrien knew was an angry murmur above him, and the brush of a small, warm maw taking the jerky out of his near limp hand.
Slowly the world came back to him as Adrien woke, his vision brightening as the black withdrew. Above him, looming trees seemed to shift and dance as his eyes struggled to focus. Adrien blinked, dazed and heavy from sleep. He groaned on the ground, closing his eyes and running a hand through his hair, trying to collect his bearings and wake.
Where was he…?
What happened?
He, the last thing he remembered…
Ladybug.
Adrien jerked up, stiff.
Only to wince when the world spun and vertigo pushed at his head a little too hard. Setting his head on his knees, he waited for the spell to past as he tried to remember what happened. It was all coming back.
He had found Ladybug's lair.
Her actual lair where she lived and hid and stashed everything she stole.
Deep in the woods, next to one of the larger trees.
That was her home and he had found it and…
And then…
A dragon.
There was a dragon there beside the terrible terror. Something… he didn't know the breed. He doesn't think he's ever seen such a dragon in raids. Or even in this area.
What was it?
What did it do?
He just remembered turning around, spotting a large ruby pink body, big blue eyes that flashed with white rings and….
That was it.
That was the last thing he remembered.
It didn't feel like he had gotten hit in the head. It had to be something to do with that dragon's eyes.
Looking up when the world was settled around him, Adrien saw that he was close to home.
He blinked, surprised.
He was dropped back close to home?
The dragon took him home?
...Ladybug took him home?
All the more curious and intrigued, Adrien got up and went back home, thoughts swirling at his discoveries today, the lingering mystery hanging off his shoulders, whispering possibilities into his ear.
He was going to go back.
He was going to get answers.
He could not rest till he knew.
But he needed to prepare first…
"Usually, when you're cooped up in the house after a trip to the woods, you're brewing stuff. Should I be worried about this?" Chloe asked, staring down at the table full of books Adrien had gathered on dragon breeds, books he rarely looked into since he rather rely on his own observations since these books just largely covered ways of killing these beasts.
Adrien has told the blonde time and time again that he's found the writers to be frustratingly closed minded. "Nothing on their evolution, why they can do that or have these traits, behaviors, temperament…"
The rants she heard from him could go on.
Adrien usually just avoided those books.
It was really odd to see him diving into them, flipping through the pages, eyeing the illustrations and descriptions recorded on dragons.
"I'm looking for a certain dragon," Adrien voiced.
Chloe gives a start, narrowing her eyes at the blond. "Did you see something?" she asked. "Something out of the ordinary?"
"I don't know," he told her. "Wasn't attacked, just might've seen something. Might have. Anyway, I'm just checking Chlo. It's nothing, really."
She eyed him, unconvinced. Then shrugged it off.
Adrien wasn't going to share if he didn't want too. He'll simply hide all behind a smile. "A small cluster of terrors was spotted coming here," she said, "any suggestions for traps?"
Adrien withdrew from the book, frowning thoughtfully. "Well," he uttered, "they're easily bribed-"
"We're not wasting anything on bribing dragons."
"Ok, I would go shiny," Adrien said. "They also love shinies."
"Thank you Adrihoney," Chloe bid, turning and prowling off.
He hummed, waving her away and continuing his search for a dragon that had the abilities of the one at Ladybug's lair.
Something that can stun with eyes alone.
And was fast.
And could move without making a sound.
Fear class would be looked at for stealth, only, most fear breeds were sea dragons. That was deep inland. And certainly wasn't a hideous zippleback.
That left mystery class, full of many strange dragons, some that have only been encountered once, some that are thought to be mere myths.
Only there were quite a few dragons to search through in mystery.
Not vocal dragons, using screeches and songs...
Something with eyes… there had to be something...
Adrien stopped from where he was flipping through, eyes caught on a word.
...hypnotize…
Adrien drew near, excitedly opening up to this page, eyeing what had to be one of the strangest dragons he's ever seen.
Changewing.
One of the hardest to find dragons in the world, capable of camouflaging, has acidic breath that can melt wood and rock, has the ability to hypnotize and stun it's prey.
That had to be the dragon.
A changewing in Ladybug's lair.
...Was it just one?
Adrien frowned, tilting his head as he read over the small description of this beast. According to this, the few changewings encountered were always in a group, a pride of these creatures, and hunted together.
Was there more than one?
He should prepare for the possibility.
He narrowed his eyes, reading over the weakness of this dragon. Only thing recorded was that this beast had softer scales than most dragons, could not camouflage if hurt, or was flying. And only the eyes will stay visible. Only thing this book had to offer was to take great care when in this dragon's presence. It sought to sneak up on prey, hypnotize or burn their prey with their acidic breath.
Well, Adrien pouted, that was going to be annoying. So he had to watch out for eyes while also avoid meeting those eyes, less the dragon hypnotize him again. One of many, most likely.
...Maybe he'll be lucky and they're easy to bribe like terrors?
Maybe?
Adrien hoped. He could certainly hope.
He looked over the strange dragon, the horns sticking out of it's cheeks, the needle thin eyes, the leaf like wings, the long streaming antennas coming out of it's head with looked like leaf buds. He wondered how Ladybug could get such beasts to work with her, fight at her side.
In general, how could she so easily live and thrive in a forest full of dragons?
Dragons barely tolerated humans.
And yet, that terrible terror seemed to live with her, and the changewing.
That monstrous nightmare looked to be a neighbor.
How could she so easily live these creatures and not get attacked?
Was it because she was living on her own? Outside a village full of Vikings? Maybe it was her approach to them? Maybe?
Adrien has noticed that out of everyone here in the village, he gets attacked the least. He's never been aggressive towards dragons, and usually, they in turn simply ignored him. Unless they were cranky. Or he had walked right into their territory. But for him to be attacked, it was uncommon compared to everyone else.
Maybe that was it.
Maybe it was her approach. She wasn't aggressive with them. And they tolerated her.
Or maybe she trained them, since that terrible terror had a little bracelet on it's horn. And dragons were animals, and animals were trainable, though some easier than others.
That would explain why the changewing was there to guard Ladybug's lair.
Ladybug likely trained it.
At least, that's what Adrien was suspecting.
He won't know till he got back there.
