Chapter Seventeen: Qiilaan Kriik

The group walked for some time the morning light peeking through the treetops. Shyvana was next to Garett the two of them happily leading the group. They had decided that morning that their competition of sorts would be postponed until the afternoon. She looked beside her at the young man he had a smug look on his face as he hummed to himself his steps light and calculated. She could tell from his body language the fluid way he moved that he would be a skilled hunter, quiet and deadly. She turned her head to look at the rest of her companions and smirked Considerably less quiet bumbling about the forest, although I have a feeling just as deadly. Connors, Hart, Dagonett and Jarvan were following behind Shyvana having a hushed conversation, although Shyvana had little trouble hearing them thanks to her superior hearing. She rolled her eyes and turned around content to help Garett track the dragon. They had made little progress over the last few days the blood trail was all but gone and it seemed that there was considerably less damage in the area they were in. Shyvana took a deep breath smelling the air trying to pick up Nevonaar's scent. She frowned when all she could smell was her companions.

"You guys seriously need to bath more often" she said wrinkling up her nose

The men all stopped behind her and Garett turned to face Shyvana his eyebrow raised in confusion.

"Pardon" Jarvan asked blinking.

Shyvana snorted and crossed her arms across her chest "You heard me, all I can smell is the five of you. I can't pick up Nevonaar's scent. Seriously when was the last time you bathed?"

Dagonett and Connors looked at Shyvana then back at each other and boomed a hearty laugh in unison. Jarvan's face paled and he scratched the back of his head. Garett looked at Shyvana sheepishly and ducked his head smelling himself. Hart narrowed his eyes at the dragoness and scowled.

"Sorry to offend you, half beast. But it's not like you smell like roses yourself" Hart sneered at Shyvana anger blazing in his dark eyes.

Shyvana laughed and looked Hart right in the eyes her own glowing a vicious violet "Well unlike you mortal I don't stink of sweat as I lack the ability to perspire. I smell of smoke which is far more pleasant than body odor. Or do humans enjoy that particular scent"

Hart looked at Shyvana a stunned expression on his face but it was quickly replaced by anger and embarrassment.

"You little bitc" Hart began to yell but Jarvan cut him off silencing as he placed a hand on his massive shoulder.

Hart turned around defiance blazing in his eyes as he looked at his captain. Jarvan gave him a stern look and shook his head slowly. Hart sighed and snorted tugging his shoulder from Jarvan's grasp. Jarvan turned to Shyvana and looked at her a frown on his face.

"Shyvana just so you know for the future its impolite to insult people" Jarvan said crossing his arms.

Shyvana cocked her head to the side and looked around her at the expressions of her companions. "I was only stating a fact; I wasn't trying to be rude" she said innocently.

Dagonett walked up to Jarvan and threw his arm around the younger man's shoulders. "She is right though lads, we do stink worse than pigs in shit" he laughed.

Connors groaned and rubbed his large hand across his face shaking his head. Shyvana laughed and dismissed Dagonett with a wave of her hand.

"I wouldn't go that far Dagonett" she said covering her face with her hands hiding a smirk.

"Anyways, there's nothing we can do about it right now we are in the middle of the forest. we should be approaching a small Demacian farming village if my memories serves me right. Garett how far are we from Uwendale?" Jarvan said rolling his eyes at Shyvana and turning his head to focus on Garett.

Garett scratched his head ruffling his shaggy blonde hair, his face scrunched up in concentration "I'd say about a half a day, day at most now sir"

Jarvan nodded and gestured for the group to continue walking.

They walked in silence for some time Garett occasionally breaking the silence humming to himself. Shyvana rolled her eyes at the young man as he walked along in front of her stopping sporadically to look at a suspicious marking or blood pattern. Shyvana would assist him either confirming or denying the presence of a dragon when the markings were discovered. She learned that despite being half blind on his right side he was surprisingly alert and aware of his surroundings often spying the dragons trail before she did. He was a witty and smug young man but she enjoyed his companionship. The group eventually stopped to rest and Shyvana sat under the shade of a tree. She wasn't tired however she was extremely bored. She looked over at her companions each lying about having tossed their respective weapons off, they were relaxing. She snorted and got up approaching the group of lazy men. Jarvan was sitting with his back against a tree his lance sitting across his lap, as Shyvana approached her pried one eye open to look at the dragoness. Her hands were on her hips and she looked down at him a frown on her face. Her bangs were handing in front of her eyes and she exhaled blowing them out of the way.

"Do you need something dragoness" Dagonett said waving his hand in the air lazily.

Dagonett was lying down and he raised himself onto his elbows to look at the dragoness and smirked. She was standing before them giving him an annoyed glare. Dagonett started to laugh at her expression and body language.

"What's so funny" Shyvana asked clearly confused as to why the lieutenant was laughing at her.

"You, dragoness that's what's funny. The look your giving us, reminds me of when I was a boy and my mother gave me a scolding" Dagonett said grinning as he laid back down covering his eyes with one large forearm.

Shyvana snorted and rolled her eyes "Yes well as funny as I might look I'm getting impatient can we get moving already"

Dagonett moved his arm and peeked up at the dragoness with one eye and winked at her. Shyvana grinned back at him and growled the sound both feminine and demonic. Dagonett laughed and moved his hands behind his head and pretended to snore.

"Shyvana you realize that we have only have been sitting her for five minutes" Jarvan said resting his head against the tree closing his eyes exhaling.

Shyvana crossed her arms and cocked her head to the side steam billowing off her head. She looked up into the bright afternoon sky and sighed. "Perhaps but I don't get tired as you humans do so rest is pointless for me at this point."

Jarvan opened an eye and peeked at her. she was standing about ten feet away from him looking up at the sky the sunlight washing her in light. Her long hair was flowing around her and caught the sunlight giving it a healthy glow. Her pale skin and gleaming horns reflected the light and Jarvan had to squint his eyes. She looked radiant in the sunlight. He let his gaze linger on her starting at her long legs sweeping up to the top of her head, he had never noticed before but the dragoness had some sort of tribal red markings on her right upper arm and lower left thigh. She was wearing a grey fur vest that was fastened with bits of leather and a short leather skirt, she had no gauntlets but did wear fur greaves all in all her attire would be considered quite scandalous in Demacia. Jarvan closed his eyes and smiled smugly he didn't mind her appearance at all she was a bit rough around the edges but it made her interesting.

Shyvana turned her attention to Garett who was sitting across from Dagonett; he was inspecting his bow. She smiled to herself and approached him.

"Garett" she called getting his attention

He didn't look up at her but nodded his head "yes miss Shyvana"

"If I recall correctly we were supposed to have a competition of sorts" she said smiling down at the young man fire flickering in her eyes at the thought of a good hunt.

Garett stopped inspecting his bow and looked up at the dragoness and smirked "Alright miss Shyvana if you really insist on me beating you then I suppose I shall oblige".

Shyvana snorted and kneeled before him smiling devilishly "you have faced nothing like me"

Jarvan looked at the two of them and stood up cracking his back. Dagonett sat up and rubbed his eyes looking at Garett.

"You know she's a half dragon lad, I wouldn't be saying something you might regret" Dagonett said grinning at the ranger.

Garett and Shyvana stood up and he looked at Dagonett before waving his hand at him.

"I can take her" he said smiling arrogantly.

Jarvan rolled his eyes and picked up his lance "Alright go easy on him shy, let's get this over with quickly I want to make it to Uwendale before nightfall"

Shyvana looked at Jarvan and pouted crossing her arms mumbling to herself.

"Alright Shyvana how we going to do this" Garett said looking at the dragoness.

Shyvana shrugged "you say you are a better hunter than I. So prove it"

Garett looked around the wooded area they were currently in and frowned "There's nothing to hunt here"

Shyvana smiled pulling her full lips back to reveal long fangs. "There is always something to hunt in these forests perhaps you must look harder" she said gesturing to herself.

"Wait you want to me hunt you isn't that dangerous" Garett said confusion plastering his features.

Shyvana laughed the sound dark and dangerous as her draconian features began to surface.

"It is only dangerous if you can catch me" she said her voice changing from a human woman to something more sinister.

Jarvan looked between the two of them and chuckled. "There you go Garett if you can catch Shyvana you win, go luck with that"

Garett looked up at his captain and nodded and evil smile spreading on his face. The tiny scars across his lip turning white as his smile widened. "Okay Shyvana I accept the challenge, however no turning into a dragon and flying away"

Shyvana nodded as her eyes glowed and tiny scales burst from her skin. She brushed some violet hair from her face with her long talons and smiled as purple flames licked at her legs. "Oh don't worry I won't need to use my transformation to defeat you mortal" she teased him.

Jarvan shrugged and slapped Garett on the back.

"Get on with it then ya bunch of idiots" Dagonett said.

Shyvana nodded once and then took a deep breath digging her toes into the soft earth she turned and bolted away laughing. Garett watched as the dragoness started to disappear before he heard her bellow "Go ahead and use your weapon boy you'll never catch me". He exhaled and looked at Jarvan who was smiling shaking his head.

"Go" Jarvan with a flick of his head.

Garett laughed as he unfastened his bow from his back and began to run after the dragoness.

Shyvana was smiling to herself as she ran through the forest slashing at random trees with her long talons to confuse her pursuer. She wasn't afraid of him because she knew this was different that all the times she was chased as a young girl this was for fun and she was loving it. Garett was a cocky man always boasting about being the best ranger in Demacia and Shyvana wanted to teach him a lesson about being a real hunter. Catching a dragon was no easy task. She could feel the power coursing through her veins her flames pushing her faster and faster and he laughed. She hadn't felt this alive in ages she could hear him behind her and turned her head to look at him in the distance.

Garett could see the violet mass of Shyvana in front of him and smiled to himself. She was incredibly fast he'd give her that but she was over confident in herself or just doubted his abilities. Her trail was easy enough to follow thanks to her talon markings but they were sporadic and he had to quickly decipher her pattern to determine the direction she was running. He caught a glimpse of her and quickly drew and arrow from his quiver holding tightly to his bow he fired off a shot aimed for the dragoness as he ran.

The arrow whizzed through the air towards Shyvana and she turned her head and caught sight of it before it hit her. she lunged to the side and the arrow grazed her upper arm she hissed as it left a tiny wound blood trickling down onto her forearm. Clever, now he can track me using my blood. smarter than I thought.

Garett watched as the arrow sailed through the air towards Shyvana and hit her in the arm. She was clearly unfazed by the wound and kept running her skin turning a violet color as she summoned her strength. Garett sighed and ran past the arrow embedded in the earth after hitting the dragoness. She said I could use my weapon it's not like I'm cheating he thought to himself.

Shyvana was getting bored and hadn't heard Garett behind her for some time she turned to look for him but saw nothing she slowed and came to an abrupt stop. She inhaled deeply and listened to the sounds of the forest. she snapped her head around when she heard another arrow flying towards her she ducked and it pinged off her horn snapping. The pain was instant and Shyvana griped her horn in her hand and hissed her reptilian eyes searching the forest for Garett. He came crashing out of the woods and fired another arrow at her but she jumped out of the way landing on all fours.

"Caught yea" Garett said proudly lowering his bow to his side.

Shyvana looked at him and smiled growling the sound causing Garett's smile to falter

"Shyvana are you alright" he said his grip on his bow tightening and raising it ever so slightly.

Shyvana began to pace around Garett and she lunged at him. The ranger stumbling awkwardly out of the way. Shyvana landed on her side and rolled away springing to her feet. Garett fired a shot at the dragoness aiming at her shoulder not wanting to kill her but Shyvana's reflexes were lighting fast and she snatched the arrow from the air snapping it.

"Not only do you have to catch the prey you also have to kill it" Shyvana said blinking away her reptilian slits her skin fading to its normal pale color.

She smiled at Garett and dusted herself off walking up to him handing him the broken arrow "Remember that" she laughed as she trotted off towards the others.

Garett looked down at the arrow in his open palm and shuddered. He strapped his bow back in place and turned to follow the dragoness.

"so who won then" he asked catching up with her as they walked side by side.

Shyvana turned to look at him and shrugged "Well you did catch me but you didn't defeat me so I guess it's a tie. You are very good I underestimated your strength"

Garett smiled at the dragoness and stuck his hand out "Tie then"

Shyvana looked down at his hand and shook it.