H'aanit nocked yet another arrow and released it toward the dragon. Flames sparked across the surface of the projectile, threatening to completely consume it. The arrow managed to reach its target just before it could be destroyed though, and it slammed straight into the dragon's right wing. The beast tried to brush off the injury, but the flames left behind a massive burn that forced it to the ground. The dragon landed roughly on the snow below, letting out a cry of pain along the way.
Once it was grounded again, the dragon raised its other wing-the one that had remained unharmed throughout all of this-and bat at the air with as much force as it could stand. H'aanit couldn't quite figure out what the dragon was trying to accomplish until she heard a strangled cry from Tressa. The force of the wind was enough to push her back through the trees the travelers had come from, and the snowfall quickly obscured her from view once again.
Therion was quick to dash after Tressa though, using a small fireball in one hand to light the way forward. He would return to the battlefield with Tressa in tow as soon as he had found her. Leaving her alone for an extended period of time in the middle of such a dense forest filled with monsters was a horrible idea, and it was better to leave the other six members of the group to fight the dragon rather than having one extra set of hands but abandoning Tressa. H'aanit trusted Therion to be able to bring her back safely. She had no doubt he would find a solution to their current conundrum while she and the rest of the party did all they could to fell the beast before them.
Olberic jumped toward the dragon as soon as he could, and his blade gleamed in the minimal sunlight streaming in through the clouds above. He brought his sword down on the dragon's side, and the beast let out a mighty cry of pain. It tried to smack Olberic with its injured wing, but it couldn't summon enough strength or force to deal any significant damage. When the dragon realized the mistake it had made, it instead opted to raise one of its claws and slash at Olberic that way. The warrior raised his blade and gripped the other end of the sword with a gloved hand to try and deflect the attack, but the dragon pushed the advantage even so, forcing Olberic to grind his heels into the snow below.
Alfyn struck at the dragon from the other side, swinging his axe with all the force he could muster. It was dangerous for him to attack the dragon on the side where it still had a functioning wing, but it was worth the risk in his mind if he could save Olberic from danger. Sure enough, that was the distraction Olberic needed to escape the dragon's insistent attacks, but the beast turned its attention to Alfyn instead as it snarled with rage. The dragon's breath fogged up just in front of its face thanks to the frigid air it had come to call its home, and it reared its head back in preparation for what H'aanit knew would be another blast of fire.
Cyrus interrupted before the dragon could release the attack though. A column of light stopped the beast in its tracks when its snout was consumed by the attack seconds before it struck. Ophilia was quick to follow up with a pair of fiery attacks that greedily melted the snow beneath the dragon's feet. The flames did not consume the nearby plants luckily, though Cyrus constructed a barrier of solid ice to cover the herbs of grace even so. It was best to be safe rather than sorry, especially since this was the only place any of them knew an herb of grace could be found.
While the dragon was dazed from the combination of fire and light attacks, Alfyn and Olberic struck from opposite sides. The beast wouldn't be able to recover until it was able to get a grip on its lost vision again, and that left them with a few extra moments to attack. Primrose offered them a boost in strength from the Shadow Fan as well, though neither one of them was able to express their gratitude in the heat of the moment.
Primrose summoned a blast of light magic to try and keep the dragon dazed for as long as possible even when it made a few attempts to recover. That wouldn't be enough to keep it stunned forever, but it gave the group a few extra seconds, and H'aanit was willing to take that. She nocked another arrow and prepared to send it flying at her target-
But she was cut off by a pair of fiery blasts coming from somewhere behind her. When H'aanit turned, she saw Therion and Tressa standing at the entrance to the clearing once again. Tressa had snow in her hair and falling out of just about every fold in her outfit no doubt from her rough hit with the ground after being sent flying backward. Still, she had a bright smile on her face, refusing to let the dragon stop her so easily. Therion was noticeably less chipper about it, but H'aanit wouldn't have expected anything less from him. He was stony even on the best of days; it was just part of his personality.
Tressa reached for her bow where it was strapped to her back. She didn't use it as much as the Tempest Spear since her bow wasn't imbued with the power of the gods the way her lance was, but it was still helpful in times like these. If the dragon was weak to fire magic, then she would give it all the fire it could have ever wanted. She followed H'aanit's previous lead of sparking a flame and using it to set her arrow ablaze before releasing it.
That was enough to spur H'aanit into action once again, and she did the same as Tressa. The dragon was struck with two fiery arrows just before it recovered, and it let out a mighty roar before taking a few steps back closer to the edge of the cliff. It may not have been able to fly, but it still wanted to put as much distance in between itself and the travelers as possible. It knew how to survive the rocky cliffs of the Whitewood, so taking up this space could only act as an advantage to it.
Because of that added distance, the dragon was able to charge up a blast of fire just as it had been planning to do before Ophilia and Cyrus had distracted it. Luckily, Cyrus' icy shield held firm even as flames threatened to melt away at the barrier he had placed over the herbs of grace, but the fire gladly darted closer to the travelers as the dragon poured in even more power to the attack. Alfyn and Primrose covered for the group though, and they both fell into crouching positions before summoning the earth magic they had learned from Brand. A wall of rock appeared to keep the group safe from the onslaught of fire, and the flames crackled out ineffectively against the stone after a few seconds.
The dragon remained determined though, and it dashed toward the barrier with more speed than should have been possible for a creature of its size. Since the travelers weren't able to see the beast around the barrier of rock, they didn't know what it was planning until it was too late. The dragon raised one claw and slashed it against the wall, sending massive splinters of jagged stone in all directions before anyone had the chance to even think of responding.
Primrose let out a cry of shock as a piece of rock cut at her leg. It took all her effort to not completely buckle under the weight of her own body, and she hissed as she looked down at the injury. Her pant leg had been completely cut through without any sense of mercy, exposing her wounded skin to the air. Blood was starting to creep down her calf as well, though mercifully enough, no fragments of rock had embedded themselves in the wound directly. Even so, the strike was severe enough to keep her from being able to do much of anything, so she threw up her arms in an attempt to block herself from the rest of the debris of rock.
Cyrus and H'aanit were quick to react before anyone else could get hurt though, and they sent out blasts of lightning that smashed the rock on the spot. Instead of massive chunks of stone falling around the travelers, tiny pebbles rained from the sky. They still hurt a bit since there was so much weight behind them due to gravity, but it was better than it could have been. Primrose was the only one who had been significantly injured, though Ophilia also ended up with a bruise on her arm from a particularly large rock striking her before she could get out of the way. It was a wound that would heal with time, but until then, she winced and rubbed at her arm with her other hand.
The dragon was quick to narrow its sights in on Primrose after realizing she was vulnerable, but Olberic and Alfyn once again did what they could to distract the beast. They slashed at the wounds they had already created with their respective weapons, and Therion released a blast of fire to exacerbate the injury on Alfyn's side of the dragon. Between all of that and a column of light magic from Tressa, the travelers were able to distract the dragon long enough for Cyrus to swing an arm around Primrose's body and start to help her away. She still hobbled slightly since Cyrus wasn't strong enough to fully carry her, but it was better than forcing her to try and keep moving on her own.
H'aanit could see the dragon losing its energy as the rest of the travelers continued to lash out at it with as much force as they could muster. The wounds on either side of its body were just too much for it to handle, and soon enough, it would fall. If the dragon was allowed to keep thrashing though, then it was going to try and send someone over the edge of the cliff, and that was the last thing any of them could afford. They wouldn't be able to survive a fall from this height no matter how hard they tried. They were still only human, and no blessing from the gods could change something like that.
So H'aanit instead resolved to end the fight before the dragon had the chance to even try attacking the travelers again. She nocked an arrow on her bow and aimed for the dragon's head, but she found the beast was moving too much for her to get in a good shot. She needed some way to keep it immobilized so she could end this in one clean motion. H'aanit frowned at the thought, knowing she couldn't both keep the dragon trapped and kill it at once...
But luckily for her, Ophilia was more than happy to take care of the former goal of the two. She flicked her arm out, ignoring the pain that shot through her fingertips thanks to her bruise, and created vines that sprouted from the ground to restrain the dragon. The initial wave of greenery wasn't enough to keep the dragon trapped though, and Ophilia narrowed her eyes as she poured all the energy she had into the vines. If she concentrated enough, she would be able to keep the dragon down, though that was going to be much easier said than done.
Tressa noticed what Ophilia was trying to do, and she quickly joined in on the effort. Cyrus eased Primrose to the ground before he added his magic to the fray. Thanks to the combined strength of Ophilia, Cyrus, and Tressa, the dragon was frozen soon afterward, unable to escape from the vines that surrounded it. The beast still tried to escape, but it would find no mercy there as long as the travelers had something to say about it.
H'aanit knew this was her chance, so she lined up her shot once again, and when she was ready-
The arrow went flying-
And the dragon fell still.
For a long time, the travelers could do nothing but stare. What else could they do in response to something like that? The dragon had been defeated, and they were the ones who slayed it. Not only were dragons real, but they had managed to bring one to its death together. None of them dared to breathe out of fear that doing so would shatter the dream they had come to know so well since first laying eyes on the dragon.
It wasn't until after Ophilia, Cyrus, and Tressa allowed their vines to fall slack that the dragon collapsed into the snow. The ground trembled from the sheer force, but none of the travelers allowed that to bother them. Instead, they just kept staring down at the dragon's still body. There was nothing any of them could say about what they had just seen, but they all knew it was an experience they would remember for the rest of their lives.
H'aanit slowly but surely dropped her arms back to her sides. Her bow was left just a few inches above the snow, casting a shadow off to the side that showed H'aanit for what she was: a master hunter and a hero. She barely noticed that though, too caught up in the pounding of her own heart to think of the world around her. It had been a long time since she was given the chance to hunt a beast that challenged her so much. It was an honor, and beyond that, it was welcomed. H'aanit had followed in Z'aanta's footsteps once again.
She just wished he could have been there to seem her lay claim to her quarry.
"Is it done?" H'aanit murmured softly. She was the first one able to find the strength to speak, and she carefully secured her bow in its regular place on her back once more. She took a few steps forward, her shock still written all over her face. "Have I... Slain a dragon?"
"You did..." Tressa murmured. She stared down at her hands, finding them shaking, before she let out a dizzying laugh. She was clearly riding her adrenaline high, but she barely seemed to care at all. "Look at what we just did! We defeated a dragon!"
That was enough for the veil of silence over the travelers to shatter, and cheers rose up into the silence of the Whitewood. H'aanit was halfway worried about other beasts coming out of the darkness to ambush them upon hearing the noise, but she couldn't bring herself to care about that too much. She wanted to celebrate for a moment. She wanted to be happy, to enjoy everything she and her friends had accomplished. Gods above, this didn't feel real even though she knew it was. They had fought a dragon, a creature most people thought to be extinct, and they had won. That was hardly a feat anyone else could say they had accomplished...
None aside from Z'aanta, that was.
The reminder of her master was enough to pull H'aanit out of her trance. The pride in her chest remained, but it was joined with bittersweet remembrance of why she was here to begin with. The huntress sighed as she walked toward the small patch of herbs that grew stubbornly despite their snowy surroundings, and she crouched into the greenery carefully. She wasn't entirely sure how many Susanna would need her to pick, so she grabbed as many as her hands could carry while still leaving enough behind for the patch to continue thriving after she was gone. Once she was finished, H'aanit rose to her full height as she looked at the herbs in her hand, her chest tight with tension from a variety of different sources. "Now to leave this forest and-"
Before H'aanit had the chance to finish, Linde began to growl, and she darted away before sinking into a defensive stance near a few trees nearby. H'aanit perked up at the sound and approached the snow leopard. Linde had heard a few other monsters approaching, and that was the reason for her distress. Three snow wolves had made themselves known through the trees, and they stared at the fallen dragon where the beast rested atop the snow. Linde, however, continued to snarl at them, the sound so quiet it was almost impossible to hear above the wind.
"It's alright, Linde," H'aanit murmured to her partner, and the snow leopard quickly settled before falling back on her haunches. Her tail flicked a few times as H'aanit examined the wolves with a stoic frown. "The monsters are gathering here... The dragon that ruled this forest hath been slain. They will not attacken us... Not for a while yet."
That was hardly the soothing explanation the rest of the travelers had been hoping for, but none of them said anything in response, not wanting to potentially provoke the wolves into striking. Olberic sheathed his blade and picked Primrose up gladly, and she thanked him under her breath for the kind gesture. She wouldn't have been able to walk all the way back to Stillsnow even if she wanted to, and none of them wanted to stay in the area long enough for Alfyn to heal her leg properly as long as there were wolves and other monsters lurking around the corner. The travelers needed to return to Stillsnow and settle their concerns there.
"Comen, Linde," H'aanit murmured to her snow leopard to ensure Linde knew it was truly safe to leave. "Susanna will be awaiting word from us." She glanced down at the herbs in her hand, gripping them a bit tighter along the way. "Now that I have the herb, I can finally facen Redeye and saven Master from that dreadful curse." Somehow, saying it out loud made it feel even more real. H'aanit didn't know if she was strong enough to face Redeye quite yet, but before the day ended, she would have all the materials she needed, and that had to count for something. If it would help her to bring Z'aanta home, then it was worth it to her. Even if she wasn't prepared to fight Redeye yet, she was one step closer. She would save Z'aanta and bring him home in time. She could feel it.
Linde rose from her place in the snow and returned to H'aanit's side. She nuzzled her face into H'aanit's free hand, seeking affection desperately as soon as the battle ended. The huntress couldn't help but smile at that, and she began to stroke her partner behind the eras with her fingertips. Linde always knew instinctively when she was feeling anxious, and she knew how to fix the issue too. H'aanit didn't know what she would have done without the snow leopard, but she didn't want to entertain the idea either.
After all, there were far more important things to focus on at the moment, and it all started with returning to Susanna's side with the herb of grace.
The return journey through the Whitewood was much easier than the adventure out to find the herb. The path in the snow was familiar on the way back, and the travelers ran into no issues in returning to Stillsnow. Alaic was waiting for them when they returned, still just as statuesque and apathetic as ever. He looked as if he had barely moved since the travelers had departed, an impressive testament to his stubborn resolve regardless of circumstances.
Alaic finally allowed himself to move freely when he realized he was no longer alone, and he looked over at the travelers with an expression that seemed at least vaguely curious, though H'aanit couldn't precisely put a finger on the emotion in his eyes at the moment. She had always been better at reading beasts than people, and that rang true even now. "Found the herb, did you?" Alaic questioned.
H'aanit nodded, though she couldn't help her shock at the sight of Alaic still standing there in the same place he had been when the travelers first set off into the Whitewood. She raised an eyebrow in his direction, but he did not react, not that she expected him to. "Thou waited for us? Susanna only asked thee to showen us the way in," she pointed out. If Susanna had wanted Alaic to stay outside and wait for H'aanit, certainly she would have said so. If that was the case, then why had he remained there for so long?
Much to H'aanit's surprise, Alaic's posture took a turn for the defensive at that, and he crossed his arms over his chest. "I have my own mind. A man can tarry where he likes, can't he?" Alaic questioned.
H'aanit shook her head, not entirely certain of how she was meant to feel about his shift in demeanor. "Of course he can," she replied. She felt as if she should have said something more, but once again, she found him a mystery she couldn't quite unravel. Then again, she supposed, the investigative skills among the travelers had always been left to Cyrus, Alfyn, and Therion. H'aanit still understood beasts better than humans, and she doubted that would ever change, especially not with someone like Alaic.
Regardless of H'aanit's brief moment of confusion, Alaic didn't give her the chance to continue speaking. "Anyway, I'm done tarrying," he said somewhat hurriedly. "S'pose I'll go on ahead." That was when H'aanit finally realized just what he had been trying to hide. He didn't want her to know he had been worried about her. He knew the danger of the Whitewood better than anyone as someone who lived so close to it, so it was only natural the idea of sending a few foreign travelers into the trees wouldn't sit well with him.
H'aanit let out a small laugh at the revelation, though she didn't say anything about it openly. "I most appreciate your concern," she told Alaic simply, taking a small step toward him. That sparked a shift in his demeanor almost immediately, and his cheeks went red as he took a few steps backward. He stammered for a moment, desperately fumbling for words that would not come, before he shook his head and darted off toward the town once again. He moved with surprising speed for someone of his prominent bulk, and all H'aanit could bring herself to do was stare at his steadily retreating back.
For a long time, H'aanit just watched the place where she had last seen Alaic before he vanished amidst the falling snow. She shook her head and sighed before taking a step over to Linde. The snow leopard sat down beside H'aanit, gladly accepting the affection her partner offered her. "What a strange man," H'aanit whispered. She shook it off to the best of her ability though. After all, she needed to return to Susanna's home and deliver the herb of grace. Alaic's odd behavior mattered little in the grand scheme of her mission, and H'aanit didn't know if she would ever be able to understand it regardless. She might as well just leave it be.
"How charming..."
H'aanit glanced over to Primrose at the sound of her voice. The dancer was wearing a teasing smile, and her eyes gleamed with mischief. "What art thou snickering about, Primrose?" H'aanit questioned. The last thing she needed was to find she didn't understand her traveling companions after already realizing Alaic's behavior was well beyond her range of comprehension.
"That Alaic fellow," Primrose replied. "He surely fancies you."
"What?" H'aanit asked, her eyes going wide. That was the last thing she expected Primrose to say, and strangely enough, it made her feel even more nervous than fighting the dragon had. "Thou speakest nonsense. He treateth me as Susanna bade him: as a guest of her home."
Primrose remained unconvinced though. "Oh, trust me. I know men. The way he acted toward you... It wasn't anything like the way he acts towards the rest of us. He's barely spoken a word to anyone aside from you since we met him, and that's in spite of the fact that you sent Linde after him to scare him earlier. I don't think there's any other reason for his behavior aside him thinking you're charming and sweet."
H'aanit's cheeks went pink before she had the chance to stop it from happening. "B-But..." She knew she wouldn't be able to come up with any legitimate argument to what Primrose was saying though. The dancer was right about one thing: she did know the workings of men far better than H'aanit. The hunter had never bothered with trying to understand men or romance. It was a distraction from her work, and she wasn't one to let her concerns of others' thoughts of her get in the way of anything she did. Primrose had come to understand men incredibly well through her time in Sunshade, not that she talked about it much. She would know how to glean the truth from a situation like this even if H'aanit desperately wished that wasn't the case.
Primrose wasn't finished with teasing her though, and she nudged H'aanit with her shoulder. "Oh, gods bless, look at you blush," she taunted gently. "Tell me, H'aanit, what do you like in a man?"
H'aanit blinked rapidly at that, unable to find the words no matter how hard she tried. "I, er... I don't... That is... Um..." She could have sworn she felt the minutes getting longer as she considered what to say but ultimately came up short. Eventually, she pushed out a sigh. The one thing she valued above all else was strength. If she was going to settle down with anyone, they would need to be strong. There were many forms of strength, of course, but H'aanit found them all to be powerful qualities for a person to have.
With that in mind, H'aanit nodded to herself. "Someone strong," she concluded simply. "Stronger than me."
Primrose stared at her for a long time after she spoke before sighing and shaking her head. "Well, good luck with that. You might be searching for a long time... I don't think I've ever met anyone stronger than you. After all, you just dealt the killing blow to a beast of legend," she pointed out.
"I have never had the time for romance, Primrose," H'aanit protested. "Thou asketh me a question which I haven no answer to. How can I have preferences for that which I have never considered?"
That was enough to change Primrose's teasing demeanor slightly, and she nodded to herself. "I see... I suppose that makes sense. The hunt never waits, does it?"
"No," H'aanit confirmed. "Besides... Men have never piqued my interest. I wouldst even goen so far as to argue that thou's beauty captivates me far more than any man's appearance ever has."
Those words completely changed the tide of the conversation, and Primrose's cheeks dyed themselves bright pink on the spot. It took her a moment to recover, and in the meantime, she stammered much the same way H'aanit had a few seconds prior. "You're awfully smooth, aren't you?" Primrose asked softly. "And for the record, I find you attractive too."
H'aanit blinked a few times at that, and she couldn't help but wonder which one of them was more embarrassed than the other. At this point, it seemed like a rather close competition. H'aanit hadn't ever considered romance as a part of her future before, but she was confident that if she decided to take that step, it would need to be with someone she knew well and admired in equal measure. She had little interest in men the longer she thought about it, though H'aanit had no idea what to do with that information. She felt more from her playful banter with Primrose than she ever would with Alaic, not that she would ever admit it out loud.
Primrose was quick to move the conversation along after a few seconds of H'aanit staring at her, and she started off in the direction of Susanna's manor. "Come on, H'aanit. You need to deliver the herb of grace to Susanna, don't you?" she asked.
The huntress finally snapped out of her trance at that, and she nodded to Primrose before following the dancer back toward the manor. She hoped with everything she had that the rest of the travelers hadn't overheard her conversation with Primrose. There was something she would never hear the end of if someone like Tressa or Therion happened to listen in.
Luckily for H'aanit, the other members of the group had all walked off while H'aanit was distracted with Primrose, no doubt hoping to go inside somewhere and seek warmth after their battle out in the cold. It would spare H'aanit the embarrassment, so she was willing to take it as a victory. She sighed and shook her head as she continued the journey back to Susanna's side. Today had certainly been filled with unexpected twists.
H'aanit gladly pushed her conversation with Primrose out of her mind in favor of thinking about the battle against the dragon though. She had defeated a dragon. She had accomplished a feat that very few hunters could ever even dream of, and when she defeated Redeye, it would be her story to share with Z'aanta. H'aanit looked forward to that day with every piece of herself, but in the meantime, she knew what had to be done. Redeye was out there somewhere, and she would find the beast and finally lay him low.
For the sake of those she loved, she would win. She had no other choice, and she knew the truth well.
And there's the end of the boss fight! Woohoo!
I don't have all that much to say about this chapter honestly aside from the inclusion of the travel banter. Normally, the H'aanit and Primrose banter follows H'aanit and Olberic's conversation, but I decided to move Olberic's back a bit since it would make sense to postpone it even if that wouldn't work for the Primrose banter. That will instead be in the last segment of the chapter when the group is relaxing in Stillsnow. I haven't forgotten about it, I promise.
Now, let's get into the thick of it with the Primrose and H'aanit conversation. You can view it as romantic if you'd like, but I kept it vague on purpose. That could just be Primrose playfully flirting and H'aanit returning it with her shameless honesty. It could also be the two of them flirting with each other a little bit. That's for you to decide. I personally like the idea of the latter, but I'm a bit biased. What can I say? Gay rights.
Next week, we're going to return to Susanna's manor for the back half of H'aanit's chapter three. Until then, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Feedback is appreciated as always. Have a nice day, everyone!
-Digital