Chapter 2: Pursued
A man was sitting in a cave with orbs in front of him, watching over Anveena, 'Or so we thought… until recently…' Kalec informs her. Then the hooded man raises his hand. 'The emantions came very near here. I was searching for their source when I was attack. I have no idea attacked me, but they must be after the same thing I am.' Kalec informs her as a small orb of magic in his claw hand then held the orb over the bigger one. 'Must recover it before-' he warns her, but as he tries to the smaller orb falls into the bigger one.
~8~8~8~
A twig was step on, getting Kalec's attention. "No! It's- unggh- too late! They're here!" he states as he and Anveena stood from their seats. "If I left, m-maybe they'll follow me! B-But I don't s-see another out-" he states but Anveena walks over to the hidden door, "Here! You can climb down through this! I'll help you!" she tells him with a smile.
He looks over at her, "I don't recall-" he tries to tell her, but she opens the door, anyway. Kalec just sighs at her "Never mind." he tells her as he walks over. Then the two retreat down tunnel and close the door behind them, then the front door was burst open and there the hunters stood. "Stand where you be! Anyone who doesn't will suffer for their foolishness! There be a dragon about, and I think someone here knows just where!" Harken shouts as the mother and father stood in front of him with smiles on their faces. He then growls and points his gun at them.
"Did you hear me?! Dragon! I'm hunting a dragon! Where is it?" he questions them, "A dragon hunter! My, how impressive!" said the father, "That must be tiring work! Would you like something to eat?" asks the mother. Harken just grits his teeth. "Where- The- Dragon?" he questions them again.
~8~8~8~
"W-What is this?" Kalec asks her as he pants, Anveena just held the lantern as she had Kalec lean against her with his arm on her shoulders. "An escape root! What else?" she asks him, "I s-suppose you n-need one with the undead scourge edging closer every day." he tells her, Anveena nods at him. "Oh, yes- that, too!" she tells him as they came to the end of the tunnel. "Here it is." she sat and then pushes the door open with an 'Oomph', she looks around seeing that the coast was clear, then steps out and helps Kalec.
But as she pulls him out of the tunnel Snree came up behind him, wrapping his arms around them, taking them by surprise. "Little rabbits trying to flee? Naughty, naughty! Harken wants to talk with you!" he said and Kalec grips a hold of the troll's hand, focusing his magic. "If he finds you alive-" Snree starts, but smelt something cooking. Then realizes that his hand was burning, he screams in pain, pulling away from then, shaking his burning hand. Kalec falls to his knees as he was exhausted. "Kalec!" Anveena calls out to him, going to his aid.
"Go, Anveena!" he orders her, but she grips his arm, pulling him up. "No! Not without you!" she protested and pulls his arm over her shoulders and pulls him away as Snree blew on his hand, trying to cool the burn. Then Groth appears next to him, seeing the two escape into the woods, "Harken! To the East!" he calls out.
"No, I don't want any food! I want-" Harken tries again, "Some tea?" the mother asks as Voll was eating the table cloth. Then Harken looks down at his orb, "East?! The dragon lies east, too!" he questions and then turn to the door. But looks back at Voll, "Spit that out and follow me!" he orders the troll. And they both took off, "Do come visit us again!" the father calls out as they were gone.
~8~8~8~
The two limp through the wood and Kalec looks up at Anveena, "Th-They'll catch us! Anveena! This isn't your problem-" he tries to get through her thick head, but she just looks down at him, "Hush! We will be all right!" she tells him as she was being very stubborn. She then pushes back a branch as the hunters followed after them.
Kalec just groans as he and Anveena stop. "This can go on like this. I've got to try something!" Kalec said to himself as he pulls his arm back. Then his eye narrow, "Stand back." he orders Anveena and she did so. Kalec then focuses all his energy and transformed into his true form and lets out a mighty roar. Anveena looks up at him in awe as the hunters heard him as well. Kalec then leans down, bring his face close to her. "Trust me." he said in his dragon voice. Then gently plucks her off the ground in his dragon hand and took off into air. Harken looks up as well, "In the sky!" he shouts out and say Kalec flying away.
"Came back here, Damn you!" Harken shouts with hatred then fires at them, missing them, but making Kalec roar and Anveena scream. "Blast!" he orders the two trolls and they fired at Kalec, he groans as he was haven't fully recovered from the first shot. "Kalec! Are you alright?" Anveena asks him, "N-No good… have- have to land again! Hold tight!" he tells her as he was now heading back down. Then broke through trees, "Kalec! The water!" Anveena shouts as he was heading straight for it. "C-Can't stop myself!" he shouts and they both scream as they plummeted tight into the lake.
~8~8~8~
"You hit the dragon?" Groth asks Harken as Voll was still eating that damn table cloth, "Don't know! I think I shook him up, though! He disappeared over those trees! There's a lake over there! I thought I heard a splash, but what-" Harken stops as he looks down at the crystal. Seeing that it was pointing in another direction. "Now what the devil was- the crystal! It's pointing north now! But the lake-" he said and looks up in the air.
"That was the dragon over us! The crystal's never steered us wrong! It's north we head… makes more sense than a lake!" Harken shouts and the hunter headed North, the girl from the shadows smirks to herself as he snaps her fingers, making a little flame appear and disappear as she snaps them again.
~8~8~8~
At the Lake, Anveena laid on the shore and then pops herself onto her elbows, coughing up water. She then pulls herself up and looks around, "K-Kalec?" she calls out. Looking for her lost dragon friend.