All Wings of Fire property belong to Tui T. Sutherland, I only own my OCs.
SirBobbo's notes: Heya.
Before anything, I just wanna mention... fifty-thousands words! HOLLLYYY SHIITTTTT.
Serious note, I NEVER planned it to take this long. But life kept getting in the way, my health dipped down repeatedly months back, and now I'm on a new treatment for my condition. Thankfully it's been effective since I haven't returned to the hospital since two months lmao. Because of my hospitals stays, my responsibilities piled up so I had to take care of them first, I only wrote bits and pieces of this story whenever I felt I had the energy to and time. I could have had pumped a chapter out three months ago, at the time it was 30K words but I started to have seconds thoughts and promptly nuked it. Restarting completely.
Against all odds, I managed to write a short novel.
I hope and pray this wait was worth it for you guys, I'm proud of this chapter, I feel like I've been improving with every chapter I make. But as always don't be shy to point out any flaws you noticed or things you simply didn't like about it, I only ask you to be polite about it.
Cya at the bottom, enjoy the chapter.
Dragonspit.
The working men of the village worked hard to follow their Lord's instructions, hoisting the dragon head onto a large wagon. Each shouting orders to one another, borderline yelling at each other for the smallest of things.
While they worked, their Lord was in the middle of preparing for his business trip.
Inside Caine's messy living, he organized crates filled with an assortment of items he planned to sell. One held dragon goods, given by said dragons themselves. Another had old scrolls from the deceased village elder, and lastly a Doctor Caine original.
Dragon's Spit.
It's a mouthwatering alcoholic beverage he made using a liquid found in a dragon's jaws, he coined it "Dragonspark."
At first glance, no one in their right minds would order something called Dragon Spit. But knowing humans, and being one himself. He knew the name Dragonspit would no doubt draw customers, wanting to satiate their curiosity at the odd beverage. If you were ever presented the opportunity to drink "spit" that came from a dragon, would you take a sip?
It took Caine a great amount of trial and error to perfect it, but he did in the end.
Stepping outside of home, he leaned his back against the wall. Crossing his arms as he saw in the distance the many men and few women helping to arrange the dragon head, their faces scrunching up in disgust.
The wagon shook and threatened to collapse under the heavy weight, but after a dozen attempts. The team finally managed to fit it on the wagon, cheering in victory. Everyone was exhausted, so they took their chance to leave except the few guards that fell flat on their backsides. Regaining their breath to resume their valiant guarding duties.
Caine exhaled, mentally preparing for his voyage. He never liked traveling for this very reason, and that was when vehicles existed; airplanes, cars, boats, helicopters and so on. His only form of travel here was using your feet, horses, and lastly carriages.
With this amount of physical and mental stress he was put on these past days, he returned to his old habit he long abandoned since his youth…
Smoking.
Reaching into his tattered lab coat pocket, he drew a cigar. Lifting it up to his lips, he used the lighter in his phone and lit the cigar. He inhaled the fumes of tobacco, promptly exhaling soon after.
He wasn't proud of it, but it made him feel good.
The Doctor heard the approaching thuds of people running to his direction, opening his eyes. He saw the small group of guards skid before him, each one exhausted from their heavy work and short run.
"Milord-we-finished-the–thing-OW!" The guard speaking had the back of his head smacked, his helmet fell forward covering his vision.
"Please forgive him…" The one who smacked the other said, standing tall and less exhausted compared to the others. "We are just… very tired…"
"I understand, please continue with your report."
The guard nodded, "we completed your task, the head is properly fixed upon the wagon. We've taken a short break, but soon we'll transfer the head into the barn until your departure, milord."
"Hm, good work. Resume your break, I want the head inside the barn quickly. I don't want the bugs to finish gobbling it up."
"As you wish, milord."
That interaction done, the guards turned. Walking back towards their resting grounds, with one slightly lagging behind. The young scout looked over his shoulder, his face scrunched up as he contemplated something. A mask covered the majority of his lower face, leaving only his eyes visible. His eyes dashed left to right, until he gave in and followed his squad.
Doctor Caine watched him inquisitively, but decided not to think much about it. Looking at the used cigar at his hand, he threw it on the ground, stomped it, and returned inside his home.
Time passed and it was midday, the same group of three sat around a small campfire, each holding a shish kebab of meat over the flame.
"There's hardly any meat…" muttered a guard, his face plump, lathered with sweat and disappointment.
"I know…" muttered the other, equally disappointed.
The youngest one sat silent, doing his best not to be seen by lowering his head. "Y-yeah guys, sucks…"
Immediately, both snapped their heads towards him.
"If it weren't for you we'd be eating like kings!" Yelled the plump one.
"Who taught you how to hunt!? You scared half of the animals away with your stupid whistle!"
"I'm sorry!" Wailed the younger one, raising his hands defensively.
"Don't care if you're sorry, I worked my fucking arse off today! Just so I can eat half a damn rabbit, fuck. Me!" The plump one intently scrutinized his rabbit meat shish kabob, as if expecting it to apologize for it being a rabbit.
"Ah ah, you forgot something…" the other one said, raising a small piece of…?
"Oh yeah," replied the plump man, raising a similar item. "Can't forget the frog leg I was so generously given," and that item turned out to be a charred piece of frog leg.
"You guys asked me to hunt, y-you know I'm not that good at it!" The young one spoke up in his defense.
"How do you expect to learn if we did everything for you? Come on, we can't keep babying you forever," the other one said, biting into his rabbit kabob.
The plump one chose to be silent, and instead gobbled up his rabbit kabob as well.
The young scout brung the kabob to his nose and sniffed it, lowering his mask he took a bite out of his own.
The trio ate in silence, until they eventually finished in a couple of minutes.
Standing up, the plump one stretched his back. "Ahhh…" he said in relief, now fixing the rest of his armor back on.
His partner followed suit, and of course the scout as well.
"Hey Drone," said the other one, fixing his helmet back on.
Wiping his lips, Drone replied. "Yes?"
"Go ask if the Lord has any new orders, then come back to help us finish taking the wagon."
"Can't the horses pull the wagon?"
He shook his head. "Nah, they're absolutely terrified of the ugly beast. Won't go near it even if treats are on the line, so we have to do it instead."
Drone fought the urge to groan, pushing an old wagon carrying something hundred times his weight and size was not an easy feat, and that's including the other working men in this village.
"Okay, I'll be there in a bit then," Drone said.
The plump one nodded and waved off Drone without a farewell, the other one following behind him.
With them off to resume their duties, Drone went on to fulfill his.
He walked with extra pep in his step, eager to have an excuse to personally visit the Lord. It was something he always wanted to do, but simply never had the opportunity to do so.
From the beginning, ever since he saw the grand spectacle Doctor Caine placed when taking this village. Drone secretly fantasized about what Caine had said regarding the dragons.
Yes, having the opportunity for his village to grow and prosper was cool and all, but killing dragons? Hell yeah.
Truthfully, killing dragons was a mere thought that passed by his mind since he was young. A "hey, it'd be pretty cool if I can do that" sort of thing. Even then, just speaking about the topic of killing dragons was strictly forbidden.
As the village of Kiddings followed a strict code that apparently ensured their survival, it's called the Dragon submission. In short, they'd submit themselves to the dragons. Worshiping them as gods, and every month they'd bathe themselves in livestock blood. Basically a baptism that uses blood instead of holy water, therefore labeling themselves as simple livestock to dragons.
The less of a threat you are, the less attention you will receive from dragons. Sounds dumb, many villagers would agree with that statement, but it's what kept them safe for years.
Arriving at the door, he knocked. His heart beating faster with each passing second.
However, Caine reignited those particular thoughts. Not only did his speech plant those seeds of wonder, but his act in killing a dragon with a single blow further grew them!
Drone wanted nothing more than to become a Dragonslayer. Why? Because it was cool as hell, and he was confident he'd win all the hearts of the women in the village.
And what's the best way to become a Dragonslayer?
The door creaked open, revealing a disheveled Caine. "Yes?"
Becoming an apprentice of one!
Drone froze at the door, lowering his mask to expose his awkward smile. "H-hi…" he said sheepishly, it was like running into your favorite celebrity.
Caine blinked. "Did you come to report something?"
Drone blinked in return, perking up as he remembered the real reason he came. "Oh! Y-yesnNo!" He mentally facepalmed, scratching his neck. "We just came from our break, milord. I came to ask if you had any other orders in mind for us to follow before we continue with our current ones?"
Humming in thought, Caine shook his head. "None, please continue your assignment." An unmistakable aroma of Tobacco wafted from his direction, but Drone could have cared less.
"Right!" Said Drone, his eyes gleaming in admiration of the Dragonslayer before him.
Caine shot him a weary smile, closing the door.
"Wait!" Said Drone, putting his foot forward. "I need to ask you something! M-milord…"
Ughhh… Doctor Caine groaned, his head throbbed in pain. He just wanted to resume his preparations and maybe take a nap when he was done. Caine had to force himself to listen to whatever Drone needed today, if he was to keep up his "he's actually a cool guy, not a lunatic" persona.
"Hmm…?"
Drone choked on his words. "I-erm…I-I want t-to ask-" Caine waited patiently, blinking in slow motion.
Ahhh kill me now! Drone internally begged, cringing in his failure to spit out his words. Locking in, he took a deep breath and finally spat out the words he intended to say. "CanIBeYourApprentice?!"
Caine blinked, and leaned forward a tad bit, confusion written all over his face. "What?"
Clearing his throat, Drone spoke much more confidentantly than before. "I-I wish to become your apprentice!" He said proudly, standing tall with his chest puffed out.
Blinking again, Caine pushed the door wide open. "You want to become my… apprentice?"
"Yes!" Reaffirmed Drone. "I would like to become a Dragonslayer, and slay them in one fell swoop, hya!" He made a diagonal slashing movement with his hands.
Caine's eyes sparkled a bit, he may have just found the future successor he was looking for. He failed with Flea, and he hasn't seen Daisy since. Without them in the picture, he could focus his energy on a singular impressional young man.
He could teach him anything; math, reading skills, craftsmanship and basic science.
But Dragonslaying? He could hardly call himself that, the only thing he did was pull a trigger, something even an infant could do.
Drone's eyes gleamed in anticipation, a nervous bead of sweat falling down his cheek.
If he were to reject his request, who knows how long before another promising individual wants to learn from him. Of course, it's not like he needs someone besides him, Caine is more than capable of doing things himself. Yet, he wanted insurance, should he die, he wanted someone to take his place and lead humanity to the direction he wanted to take them.
"Hmm…" Hummed Caine, deep in thought.
Drone wanted Dragonslaying lessons, something Caine can't actually offer.
"How about an entrance exam instead?" Offered Caine, holding a smile.
"A… what?"
"An entrance exam," Caine said. "I simply can't accept everyone who says they want to become a Dragonslayer," he fixed his posture and straightened his ruined lab coat. "You need to prove yourself to me."
Of course! Ahhh I should've seen that coming!
"Prove to me you have the strength, courage, intelligence and adaptability to become a Dragonslayer, and only then I will teach you."
"Yes! Milord!"
"Good," Caine smiled. "Are you ready to begin the exam?"
"Ready! Milord!"
Nodding, Caine stepped out of his doorway, allowing Drone to see inside his home. "Then your first task will be…" He gestured to the piles of rubbish inside his home, and the couple bags littered around the place. "Is to clean this mess."
"..."
"Already giving up?"
"N-no!" Drone said, bolting inside to begin his exam.
The Doctor let out a deep sigh of relief, after all, he did need someone to help tidy up his home.
And he CAN offer housekeeping tips, unlike tips to kill dragons. He just had to buy enough time to actually be able to teach him something about dragons, so for now, housekeeping and other chores will do to keep him occupied. Or in other words, his "entrance exam."
Child Distribution System.
"Disgusting, who taught you how to cook!?" Yelled an old lady, seated on her rocking chair in her living room, a wooden bowl sat on her lap filled with stew. She angrily waved the wet spoon in the air.
"You did…" Replied a woman, much younger than the old lady. She walked in from the kitchen, holding a bowl of her own, she took a seat on a shut chest beside the old lady.
"I did?" Pondered the old lady, raising her head to think. Only for her face to contort into a vicious scowl of disapproval, leaning towards the woman beside her. "Liar! If I did I wouldn't have the bowl of horseshit in front of me!"
There's no winning with her.
"You asked for food Woolly, so please eat it…" Replied the woman in a defeated tone, taking a sip of the stew with her spoon.
It's not that bad. She hummed in satisfaction.
"Exactly, so where is this food you're talking about?" Woolly tapped her fingers loudly against the armrest of the chair, pretending to look around for her food. "I don't see it anywhere!"
The woman resisted the urge to groan loudly, choosing to ignore her complaints.
"Hen, make me something else!" Demanded Woolly, pounding the armrest with her fist.
"Like what!?" Snapped Hen. "There's nothing else to make!" She placed her stew on the chest and angrily stood up, snatching the bowl from the old woman. "Feel free to starve in the meantime," Hen muttered, marching to the kitchen.
"Make something with meat, not those nasty vegetables," said Woolly out loud, waving the spoon once again in the air. "I hate vegetables…"
"There's not enough to go around in the village Woolly, it's what we have to work with," Hen poured the remaining stew back into the simmering pot, making sure to get all of the contents inside.
"Arghhh!" Groaned Woolly. "This entire village is going to shit!"
Hen rolled her eyes, placing the empty bowl with the other dirty dishes. Washing her hands, she walked back to the chest she used as a chair, taking a seat and finishing the rest of her stew.
"You can thank the new lord for that…"
"You said whut?"
Hen swallowed the stew she had in her mouth, and turned her head. "I said…" She paused. "You. Can. Thank. The. Newlordforthat!" Hen resumed slurping her stew.
"Ohhhh…" Muttered Woolly, nodding with a brow raised. "What was his name again?"
Hen sighed. "Lord Caine."
"W-who?"
"The man that killed your ex husband."
"O-ohhhhhh!" A smile grew on her face. "That stud? Hahaha I remember now!"
Gosh…
"Yeah, and do you remember the people he killed?"
"Psh, who cares!" Woolly waved her off. "This village was getting crowded anyways."
It was moments like these, Hen wonders why Woolly still lives and breathes.
She could never forget.
The fear, the anguish, the loss of her dear brother that day.
Oh it hurt Hen so much…
Child Distribution System.
Part Two.
Many many moons ago…
"I can't feel my legs anymore…" Whined a much younger Hen, trekking through the dense tall forest.
"That's what you get for being lazy," A voice quipped beside her, Hen instantly snapped her gaze to them.
"…"
"And fat."
A man with a bag on his hip broke into laughter, causing Hen's mood to droop even lower.
"Sis! H-hey, sh-she doesn't," he broke into a wheeze. "She doesn't mean it!" The little girl that sat on his shoulders smiled proudly, while Hen shot a look that could kill at her.
"See, even Rooster agrees," the little girl said.
"I never said that!"
"But you laughed-"
"Alpine!" he said sternly, before shooting a sheepish smile to his little sister walking beside him. "Sorry sis…"
Hen stuck her tongue out at him.
The sun shone through the crevices in the trees, glaring down at them. The breeze swooshed past them, giving a gentle relief of cold air on their skin. If you were to ignore the mosquitoes, ticks, rodents and other common nuisances you'd find in the forest. You could call it a good day.
A day so good, you could hunt.
Hen shivered at the thought of taking another life, clutching at her arms and rubbing them gingerly as she followed behind her older brother. She looked down at her attire, well it was actually her brother's. His pants were far too big for her, but unfortunately for her it was the only pants they had available for the job.
Her sandals weren't much to speak of, nor was her simple brown tunic. The only added accessories were her leather sleeves and gloves, and the necklace that was essential for her survival.
The necklace was made from simple string, with its pendant made of wood, carved into the shape of an eye.
The eye on a dragon.
Supposedly, it's a charm meant to protect the user from being noticed by dragons. According to the village elder at least.
It was crafted by her brother, the only blacksmith in the village, making him the only person qualified with making such a charm. With Rooster's skills, and the Elder's blessing, the charm was born and it gave everyone who wore it peace of mind.
There was a limited amount of these charms, as they were given solely to those who venture out of the village.
Such as now.
Rooster was given the task to hunt for the next dragon submission ceremony that happens every month; it involves killing a large animal that could supply them with enough blood. Not the prettiest of tasks, yet Rooster thought it'd be a perfect opportunity to teach his family a thing or two about hunting, and better, an opportunity for a family outing.
"Ughhh, how much longerrr!" Whined the little girl, eager for the slaughter. Her makeshift wings flapped behind her with every little movement she made.
"The valley is further up," Rooster said. "A little more, and we can do our…thing."
"Do what thing…?" Asked Hen, her curiosity peaked at her older brother's tone.
Alpine giggled like a school girl with a secret, followed by Rooster who stifled a laugh.
"We are just hunting, right…?"
"Yep," said Rooster, hopping over a root.
"Then what's so funny?"
Rooster exhaled. "What do you think?" He said, looking over his shoulder to flash a grin.
Alpine raised her head proudly. Her costume shone with the sunlight that creeped its way into the forest, with her makeshift wings made of vegetation and other simple materials. She also wore a helmet in the shape of a dragon, the mountain dragons specifically.
"I don't get it…" said Hen.
"Can I tell her?!" Asked Alpine, glowing with excitement.
"Nope!" Said Rooster.
She groaned dramatically, leaning her head back.
"Rule one of hunting!" He raised a finger. "Create an effective plan, such as…" he gestured behind him with a thumb.
Hen put two and two together. "She's your plan…" she murmured. "What! She's your plan?!" Hen exclaimed, while the little girl proudly puffed up her chest.
"She is the plan, heh, those goats won't know what hit 'em," his tone had a touch of sinister intent.
"Of course they won't know what hit 'em!" She waved a hand to the girl. "Cause they won't even feel it in the first place! Explain to me h-how she's your plan!" Hen spat, scowling at her.
"Well-"
"I bet she can't even lift a spear! Look at her arms, I could snap them in half!"
Rooster glanced at Hen. "Hen, watch what your saying-"
"Oh I bet you could, FATSO!" Insulted the girl, causing Hen to glow red in the cheeks. "You watch your mouth before I punt you to the moon-!"
Bonk!
"Oww…" Hen rubbed her head, grimacing in pain. The little girl saw this as an opportunity to laugh, so she raised a finger and-
"Wha-? No!-" the little girl was lifted off Rooster's shoulders and placed on the ground beside him. "You're walking," he said, with no room for argument.
Nonetheless, she looked for an argument.
"But it was HER fault-!"
Pow!
Whimpering in pain, she rubbed her head in similar fashion. A small dent now visibly in her dragon helm.
"Both of you, not a single word until we're up in the mountains, understood?" Rooster waited patiently, crossing his arms.
The girls looked at each other, with the smaller one sticking her tongue out at Hen. However, they both came to silent agreement of not wanting to piss off Rooster further, so they nodded towards him in understanding.
"Come on then," he moved aside, allowing them to walk in front of him.
So they did, in silence.
Still, in an effort to be petty. Hen nudged the little girl into trees, dropped random leaves and pebbles into the openings of her shirt to make her think a bug crawled into them, Hen made sure to let Alpine know she was still mad at her.
Alpine didn't go down without a fight, making Hen trip at any given opportunity, poking her with sharp twigs, and even pulling on Hen's long golden and red hair.
Neither of them wanted to back down.
And all of this happened while Rooster was watching them, since he really knew there was no stopping them, they had to let out their anger in one way or another. And it was better now, then during the actual hunting.
Rooster watched as Hen picked up a stray lizard off a tree, and when the little girl was distracted with concocting her own plan for revenge. Hen dropped it on her head, making the girl erupt into screams as the lizard scrambled over her body.
Fortunately, they had a ways to go until they made it to the hunting grounds. So he didn't need to worry about their prey running off at her screams, yet he still knew he should stop it…
But he didn't.
He watched as the two continued to mess with each other, wondering what caused this dynamic between the two.
He. Doesn't. Understand.
What can't they get along? Is a question that repeated in his mind dozens of times throughout the years, ever since he adopted Alpine as his own. They had this sort of rivalry between each other.
Always pranking each other, insulting, generally making their lives worse for no apparent reason.
It was tradition.
Admittedly, it did make the long treacherous trek more enjoyable for him. But there were a few times where he had to intervene, like stopping the little girl from making Hen trip while climbing up a steep hill.
When they arrived at their destination, high up the side of a mountain, they found a small river flowing down it, forming into a pond at the bottom.
Rooster crouched down, his eyes scanning the body of water below. Hen tried to imitate, but the glare of the sun made it difficult for her to see anything.
"Woah, that's a lot of sheep…" Muttered Alpine, squinting down below.
"Those are goats, sweetie," corrected Rooster.
"Are we gonna kill them?" Asked Hen, fixing her hair away from her face.
Rooster hummed in thought, debating the notion. He watched as the goats drank from the stream of water, they were large, healthy, and most importantly, containing vast amounts of blood within them. Judging by their size, he was sure he'd need all of the bags he brought with him to harvest and hold the blood.
"Looks like it," he stood up, glancing down at the little girl. "Come along, let's get you set up," he crouched down and picked up Alpine who happily let out a "Weee!", he laid her on his shoulders once again.
"Take this," Rooster passed Hen his bow, slinging it off his shoulder. Her eyes widened, nervously grasping it off his hands. "I-I don't know how to use one!" She awkwardly held the bow by its string.
"Heh, I'm not asking you to use it, just hold onto it for me, you got that?"
"Oh," she sheepishly scratched her neck with a soft chuckle. "Yeah, I got that…"
He huffed in amusement, stepping towards Hen and patting her head affectionately. She giggled at the display, all the while the little girl frowned in complete and utter displeasure…
Just as he was about to leave, the little girl said. "Oh, and keep your eyes peeled. Or else you might miss MY… AWESOME… PLAN-"
"Alpine!"
"-Sorry."
Shaking his head, he shot Hen a reassuring smile and swiftly descended down the mountain. His short form disappeared into the foliage, even hiding his long bright red beard.
Hen hid in relative silence, crouching low, furiously swiping away at her long hair that continued to fly into her face due to the wind.
Should've listened when Rooster told me to tie up my hair…
With nothing to do, she allowed her thoughts to overrun her mind. Ranging from "what plan?" To "They made a plan, without me…?"
This made her increasingly furious, how could he? How could her own brother formulate a plan without her? This was meant to be a family outing, but from the looks of it, she felt like she was "out" of the family.
I hate her! She pulled on the grass beneath her, angrily throwing it into the air, and the same air smacked her in the face with the grass she threw.
No matter what she did, life always seemed to push her back.
Every advance she made to her brother, wanting his attention, Alpine always seemed to shove her back, metaphorically and literally.
And now look at her.
High up in a mountain, hugging the dirt, fighting the wind around her.
While her beloved brother ventures down into the forest with that… girl. Doing who knows what, maybe they're making fun of her? Or are they making other plans without her?
Or worse…
What if they left her.
"They wouldn't…" she muttered, a frown on her face, her emotions growing within her. Hen continued to lie in silence, praying that he would come back.
He didn't…
Hen whimpered at the thoughts, her tears welling in her eyes. She couldn't handle the thought of her brother leaving her, that girl stealing him away from her.
Forever.
Grumbling, it was times like these where she wished something would happen, forcing Alpine to never talk to her brother again.
Whether that means she gets lost, adopted by another family in another village, or even loses the ability to speak.
She doesn't care, Hen just wants her brother back to herself, she'd go as far to say she wishes a dragon would gobble her up.
Hen shook her head, wiping the tears away from her face. No, that's too far…
Whatever that case may be, Hen surely wasn't about to give up, and lose the war of attention to Alpine.
"Hey, can I have that back?"
Hen's face dropped; and instinctively opened her mouth to scream, just for Rooster's hand to completely cover it. "Sshhh, you'll scare them away!" He said, lying down beside her.
"Mmfff…" she said, muffled.
"Hm?" Scanning her, he raised a brow. "Were you… crying…?"
She put her head down, refusing to meet his gaze.
Rooster felt his heart break in two, he didn't think leaving Hen alone would make her that afraid…
"Hen, I'm so sorry…" he whispered, glancing occasionally down below, expecting something. "I-I didn't mean to take so long, turns out Alpine isn't as good a climber as I thought she was, heheh…"
Hen remained silent, marinating in her shame and embarrassment, which Rooster was oblivious to.
Don't tell me it's that time of month… Thought Rooster.
Suddenly, a shadow steadily grew over the pond, quickly looming over everything within it.
Rooster used it as an opportunity to hopefully cheer up Hen, feeling his excitement grow, he said, "Hen, look!" He used a single finger to bring her chin up, and force her to look at what was going on.
Squinting, Hen's vision finally fixed itself, and she could start to make details out of the looming shadow, and as she did, her fight or flight response gradually kicked in…
The shadow was, colossal even, belonging to a giant. The head of the figure had point horns, protruding out of it like knives. Its wings were large, easily spreading over the pond like a cold blanket.
Even the goats knew something was wrong, each and everyone of them raising their head to look at the figure.
Standing up high in the trees, it became increasingly obvious who the shadow belonged to…
With a triumphant and proud smile, Alpine stood tall, her costume working wonders to spread fear among the poor goats below.
And as if it wasn't enough, reaching for something behind her, she pulled out a large horn.
"Look!" Rooster said, his eyes gleaming in wonder.
Oh my moons… Hen thought, not believing the sight before her, watching as Alpine raised the horn to her lips.
With a deep breath, Alpine followed up with that by blowing all the air in her lungs, into the horn. Immediately the entire area shook with a deep vibration, a loud roar echoing through the air.
All the goats squealed in terror, running up the mountain to get away from the presumed dragon in the forest.
Quickly, Hen passed the bow to Rooster. Who didn't waste time to equip it, and knock an arrow ready to fire. The goats hopped upwards the mountain, "baaaing" in fear.
Hen kept her head low, her adrenaline running rampant in her bloodstream, excited but all the same petrified at what was occurring around her. Her brother however, calmly aimed an arrow at a goat that hopped its way to their direction, and fired.
The goat fell, crying in pain before it tumbled down the mountain. It layed limp at the bottom, completely motionless. Hen didn't even have time to utter a "I'm sorry" or "poor thing" at the creature, due to her brother quickly putting another one down. And before you know it, he had successfully shot three goats down the mountain.
"YEAHHHH!" Bellowed Alpine, cheering triumphantly from the top of the tree. Waving her hands wildly in the air, holding a proud smile.
Rooster lifted himself off the ground, laughing maniacally. Hen was hesitant to rise up, still struggling to comprehend what happened. But when she did understand, she couldn't resist the short grin on her face.
"Bahaha! That was awesome Alpine!" He praised, shooting a thumbs up in her direction. Laughing, Alpine agreed, shooting a thumbs up of her own.
"D-did you hear how loud I was-" A strong vibration shook the ground, causing the trees to sway. Alpine quickly wrapped her arms around the bark, holding on as the tree swooshed from left to right.
"Rooster!" Cried Hen, pointing at Alpine who clung to the tree like a feline.
The remaining goats in the surrounding all looked back at the forest, observing it for a moment, just to scurry away once again. Disappearing high above the mountains, into the occasional cave entrance.
"Shit…" he muttered. "Stay where you are, I'm coming-"
"No, I got it!" Shouted Alpine, refusing to receive any help. "See!" The tree steadied itself, slowly.
Rooster grimaced, before glancing back down at Hen. "I-I'll handle the goats," said Hen. "Go help Alpine before she falls to her death, or something…"
"I WILL NOT," screeched Alpine, nervously climbing down the tree at a snail's pace.
How did she hear that…?
Rooster huffed, conflicted, he didn't want to leave Hen again considering she was crying when he did leave her prior, but he really wasn't confident with Alpine's ability to climb down safely.
Begrudgingly, he snagged one of the leather pouches off his belt, passing it to Hen. "Are you sure you can handle it?" He asked plainly.
She winced at what he was referring to, Hen already disliked hurting other creatures, so harvesting them for their blood is always something that she was never comfortable with. But it was a skill deemed necessary for all to learn in the village, and it was time to put it for use.
"Yeah…" She said, taking the pouch off his hands. "You have everything you need?" Rooster questioned, Hen patted her sides, exposing her tools; which consisted of a rope, a knife, and a funnel.
"Good, remember to-"
A deafening scream rang in the air, unmistakably belonging to Alpine. Rooster's and Hen's attention was immediately drawn to her, in fear that something tragic occurred.
"ARGHHH!" Roared Alpine, swatting at a furious bird that circled around her, swooping in to peck her body.
"Moons above, she's gonna kill me…" He muttered, exhaling in relief. Hen shared the same sentiment, however she secretly found it hilarious.
Taking action , Rooster began to descend down the mountain, careful to trip on uneven ground of the mountain.
Hen watched, and when Rooster arrived at the pond. She decided to take the same route he did, albeit slower and lacking much of his grace.
At the pond, she saw Rooster at the bottom of the tree, beckoning Alpine down. And by the sound of it, it was a struggle. Dozens of yells and screams by Alpine, followed by Rooster's own yells filled the air. Making Hen's daunting task in siphoning the blood from the mammal all the more intimidating.
Crouching down, she grimaced at the sight of the poor creature. It was white, fluffy, large and muscular, but most importantly, it was cute. If it weren't for the red leaking out of it, and the sad fact it was dead, Hen would've snuggled up to it happily.
She held her knife clenched in her fist, preparing to make a small slit in the goat's neck. Sweat began to dribble down her face as her shaky hands dawned closer and closer to the animal's jugular, her knife jittering in anticipation.
"Alpine! Don't do that, you're only gonna make it angrier!" Rooster bellowed behind her, his eyes wide in concern.
"But it's biting me! It WANTS to fight!" She swung her horn at the avian, missing entirely.
"ALPINE, get down, NOW."
Groaning, Hen shook her head. Doing her best to focus on her task, with her mind being set. She took a deep breath, steeling herself as her knife drew close to the flesh.
"I'm gonna blow it again!" Alpine drew the horn back to her mouth.
"N-no! Alpine, I'm right here! I'm right here baby, don't blow on it-AH!"
Another deep blare roared in the air, everything in the area vibrated violently. Hen dropped the knife, letting out a short scream as she covered her ears. Behind her, Rooster groaned in a similar pain to hers, covering his own set of ears.
Lacking a pair of hands, or any appendage to cover their ears, Alpine's assailant cawed in pain, falling to the ground like a sack of potatoes.
Lowering her horn, she couldn't help but laugh obnoxiously at her small triumph.
"Alpine!" Rooster bellowed from below. "Get your ass down now! Or I'll chop the tree down, with you in it!"
Clearly, he had enough of her antics. And Alpine quickly understood that, dropping her horn back at her side. "O-okay!" She stammered, now slowly working herself down the tree.
Hen rubbed her head gingerly, trying to fight off the headache that manifested after Alpine used the deafening horn.
Glancing back, Rooster saw Hen struggle to even keep her head up, and he was incredibly tempted to abandon Alpine high up on the tree, and to assist his little sister. What Alpine did was reckless, and he'd make sure to give her a stern talking to when back at the village.
Sighing, he looked back up with his hands on his hips. His eyes lazily scanned the tree, and Alpine's position. Watching her struggle to fit her costume past the tree's branches, he had to dodge to avoid the falling branches and the parts of her costume.
"Almost there Alpine, a little more…"
She whined, knowing full well she still had a ways to go. Climbing up trees was a breeze for her, climbing back down however was a daunting task, especially these types of trees in the forest.
They were tall and dark, hoarding all sorts of itchy vines and nasty insects. She didn't want to fall into a random spider web or bees nest.
Passing by a branch, Alpine took a small moment to rest, gazing below. Watching Rooster lean against the very tree, and Hen as she struggled to pull herself to do the task.
And then, she felt a strong hot breeze hit behind her.
Looking back, she saw an…
Eye.
It was bigger than her, gleaming purple in comparison to the dark forest around her.
Alpine blinked.
Then it was gone.
Looking back down, she saw Rooster stare absentmindedly at his sister, who now successfully managed to puncture the goat, and now fought against the hot pour of blood, forcing it into the funnel and into the bag.
Everything was… Fine.
Rooster was calm, Hen was none the wiser. If there was something out in the forest, surely one of them would have noticed, especially Rooster.
Shrugging it off, she resumed her climb downward.
Branches snapped up above Rooster, signs that Alpine was still making her move. Thus, Rooster didn't need to look up to know she was still there, or atleast alive.
Rooster watched in silence as Hen finished filling up a single bag, and he hummed in satisfaction. A large contrast to Hen, who instead of fighting the current blood, fought the urge to cry.
Slowly, the shadow of the forest loomed over the open pond area.
Hm, must be getting late… Rooster thought, yawning again.
Wait.
The shadow looked… familiar… Instead of the recognizable shape of the trees, it looked oddly similar to Alpine's costume.
Don't tell me…
Stepping out from under the tree, Rooster looked up, fully preparing to scold Alpine. He thought that she may have been preparing to use the horn again, or simply tried to strike fear into poor Hen below in another one of her pranks.
"… What the…"
He couldn't have been more wrong.
Sensing a presence behind her, Alpine looked up. Her eyes doubling in size, letting out a sharp scream before she was-
Crash!
A pair of claws crashed around her, enveloping the small child. Cursing loudly, Rooster shouted orders to Hen, who quickly followed them. Abandoning her task, and hiding among the forest.
Knocking an arrow, Rooster fired at the beast who raised their clasped claws to examine the concerningly silent Alpine in them.
Dink! The arrow collided with the beast's chest.
It had no effect, other than to annoy the creature. The arrow bounced off its scales, falling back to the ground. Rooster felt increasingly hopeless, knocking another arrow in the hopes of hitting its eye.
Any hope of the came crashing down when the reptile took off with its gargantuan wings, the force of it sending a heavy breeze downward, pushing Rooster off his feet and onto the ground.
He watched helplessly as humanity's greatest enemy took off with his daughter, beyond the horizon.
Child Distribution System.
Part Three.
"Okay everyone, does everyone know where to be after lunchtime is over?!" A Skywing said, doing his best to project his voice over the bustling area around him. "Do you?! Or else you'll miss the show!"
The dragonets that surrounded him moments ago scattered into the busy town, none of them hearing a thing he had to say.
Grumbling, he didn't try any longer, instead he went on his own little venture, whilst the dragonets journeyed into the Skywing kingdom's streets and towns.
"Did you already think about what you're gonna have for lunch?" Asked a Nightwing, walking beside a Rainwing. "Yeah, I think a couple watermelons." The Rainwing said, his scales shifting in color as he traversed the streets.
His Nightwing companion frowned. "Dude, you're in one of the most coolest places in the world, home of the strongest dragon!" He said passionately with stars in his eyes. "And you still only want to eat… a watermelon…?" He muttered the last part.
"Watermelons are juicy, tasty, and easy to eat."
"But you need to try something else!"
"Ehhhh…" The Rainwing thought about it, his scales shifting in color once again. Dark green streaks appeared on his body. "No thanks, I'll stick to my watermelons."
The Nightwing groaned dramatically, he glanced away in annoyance, his eyes unintentionally falling on a dragon working a grill. "Look!" He said, grabbing the attention of the Rainwing. "W-why don't you try that?" He sniffed. "Oh moons… I can smell it from here!"
The Rainwing looked at where his companion was drooling at, and he found a Skywing grilling bits and pieces of a cow. "Ew, a cow? Cows live in their own poop for moon's sake," he shook his head. "I'm not putting that in my mouth."
"Fine," the Nightwing took a moment to scan his surroundings. "Then how about that?" He pointed to a stand that sold crispy lizards.
"Hm?" The Rainwing hummed, shifting his attention to the stand. "Awww…" His scales shifted a slight blue. "But they're so adorable…"
The Nightwing sighed. "Okay… then, let's walk around for a bit, maybe we'll find something you'll like." His companion nodded in agreement, and they left for a walk around town.
The town resided in the mid section of the kingdom, meaning it was the halfway point between the lowest, and highest parts of the kingdom. The top part housed the palace, the towers, and naturally the wealthiest of dragons. That area was by far the most open part of the kingdom, due to its height reaching above most clouds.
Where these two dragonets were, would be called the halfway point of the kingdom. Valleys and montane forests habit this part of the kingdom, giving plenty of room for the mid class dragons of the Skywing kingdom. These dragons built towns, terrace farms with the assistance of humans, and occasionally special events to encourage trade with visitors.
At the bottom, lies the bottom most part of the Skywing kingdom, obviously.
Dragons that couldn't afford the higher levels of the kingdom lived at the bottom, things like towns and farms barely existed down here. Homes were scattered along the bottom of the mountain, half of them were built, the rest chose to live in caves in order to save expenses.
But with the introduction of humans, they gradually began to build small little towns, inviting some of the open minded dragons to their human gatherings and to enjoy their human cuisines.
Unfortunately, not all dragons are open minded enough to share the same territory or good interest as humans.
And one in particular, refused to eat anything that wasn't a fruit, or in this case, a watermelon.
Where to go… The Nightwing dragonet thought, his head low as he traversed through the town with his friend.
He had around a half an hour to find lunch, and return to the rendezvous his teacher provided. So far, he had nothing.
The Nightwing spent ages guiding his Rainwing partner in crime, around the town in the hopes of finding a food that he'll eat.
The Skywing kingdom wasn't anything like the kingdom they grew up in, it had less than half the vegetation and wildlife the rainforest has. So the variety of food was limited to mostly meats, and other obscure food options like bugs. Unfortunately, the fruits they did have were already invaded by nasty bugs and parasites, in that case the Rainwing would rather starve.
That's not to say it wasn't good food, dare the Nightwing say it was the best food he had in a while.
That's a stretch…
Maybe not, but it's a good contender to the rainforest delicacies he had.
Taking a small break, the Nightwing sat down on a small patch of open grass under a tree, providing a large enough shadow to cover him and his Rainwing companion.
They both sat in silence, until the Rainwing spoke up. "This place sucks…" This drew the attention of the Nightwing, who looked taken aback. "W-what…?" He said. "You suck!" He suddenly accused, pointing a talon.
"Hey!-"
"We spent like, forever! Looking for something that you'll eat, and so far, you liked NOTHING."
"That's not true!" Argued the Rainwing, his scales flaring red. "I-I liked the… the fish!"
"Oh really?" The Nightwing raised a brow, leaning a bit closer. "Then why didn't you eat it when I bought it? FOR YOU."
Grimacing, the Rainwing lowered his head and said. "I didn't want my breath to stink like fish for the rest of the trip…" Random splotches of pink appeared on his scales.
"…"
Silence returned.
"I…" The Rainwing spoke up. "I'll pay you back… I think I can ask my mom for some coins… or steal them-"
"Ughhhh!" The Nightwing groaned. "I don't want your money!"
"Then, maybe I can buy you something to-"
"Noo!" The Nightwing said. "I-I don't care about you paying me back or anything, I care about you eating something!"
The Rainwing became silent as he lost himself in thought, debating whether he should take the dive this once, and explore the world of meats.
Truth be told, there were plenty of vegetarian options. But just like the fruits, most of them were in a rotten state, with critters roaming on the fruits. So meats were the best option unless you fancied extra proteins on your fruits in the form of bugs.
Silence overtook the duo once again, each in their own mind racking any ideas for this complex dilemma they're currently facing. Even then, the world continued on with its business in front of them.
Each with their own lives and responsibilities, making a living in the many businesses that reside here. From the biggest Skywing to the smallest Sandwing, no doubt facing much more serious dilemmas than these two dragonets.
"Hey," whispered the Nightwing, "look at that," he nodded his head to the direction he was referring to.
Beyond them, a small family of humans sat on the back of a Skywing. And adding to their comfort, the Skywing wore a saddle that was strapped around its midsection.
"They're not.. pets, right?" The Rainwing cocked his head.
"I don't think so, isn't that like, illegal now?"
Judging by the way the humans guided the Skywing by pointing their tiny fingers, it looked like it was providing a sort of taxi service for the family of humans.
"Would you eat one of them…?" Whispered the Nightwing in the Rainwing's ear.
His scales flashed yellow as he jumped, immediately lowering his head to whisper back. "No!"
The Nightwing backed off. "Okay chill! I was just asking…"
Huffing, the Rainwing stood up, stretching his limbs. "Where are you going?" Asked the Nightwing. "I'm gonna see if I can find something that is edible and not rotten in the forest," replied the Rainwing.
The Nightwing followed suit, glancing at the distant forests below. "You really think something is out there? I don't think watermelons grow in forests…"
"Maybe not," the Rainwing took the lead this time around, with his buddy beside him as he walked towards the town's edge. "But I'm bound to find something, I mean look!" He gestured down below. "It's huge!"
The Nightwing nodded. "I see that…" he hummed.
"Should I tell Phoenix?" Wondered the Rainwing.
"Pshhh, nahhh!" Waved the Nightwing dismissively. "You're just looking for fruit, right? Pick an apple or two then come back," he paused. "Oh, and don't get lost."
I didn't even consider that, and apples aren't even that filling, ughhh…
"Okay yeah, I'll be quick…"
"Great," the Nightwing patted the Rainwing shoulder reassuringly. "If you do get lost, I'll cover for you until you find your way back."
"A-and if I don't… Find my way back…?"
"Uh, roar really loud?" The Nightwing shook his head. "Don't think about it too much! Worst case scenario you get lost, but at least you'll have time to think of a good excuse for why you had to leave the Kingdom to eat your fruits and… Other stuff."
"I'll probably be dead though…"
"Probably," the Nightwing shrugged. "But maybe you'll die on a full stomach?"
"That makes it better…?"
"I would want to die on a full stomach."
After a bit more back and forth, they eventually concluded with a simple plan.
The Rainwing would go forage for whatever fruits or berries for his lunch, while the Nightwing would indulge in the various meat vendors in town. After they choose what they want, they'd meet up and enjoy lunch together.
Assuming everything went well, they would have time to attend the event and avoid Pheonix's wrath.
Minutes went by as they each parted ways, the Rainwing dived down to the forest below, his eyes scanning for any sign of fruits and berries like a hawk.
The Nightwing had a much easier time in spotting potential meals, his nose leading him to the enticing aroma of roast beef that belonged to a restaurant.
"There's nothing…" Mumbled the Rainwing, soaring above. He's been flying for a while now, not a single edible fruit or berry bush in sight.
Cutting his losses, he figured he'd fly back and scavenge whatever his friend would share with him, it would be embarrassing if his stomach grumbled during the event-
"Groarrrr!
His ears shot up and his wings stopped propelling him forward, opting to hover midair instead.
"Hello?!" He called back, his scales exposing his anxiety at the unprompted roar coming from an unknown dragon.
What in three moons was that?!
He was decently far from the mountain range he came from, around a five to ten minute flight. During his trip, he didn't see a single dragon in the forest beside him. The only dragons he saw were the ones far above in the sky, traveling from one place to another.
However, none were close to where he decided to hunt for his lunch. This roar sounded like it came from a wingbeat away…
The Rainwing's thoughts clashed with one another, ranging from "Go! Fly! Did we hear the same thing?! A dragon doesn't roar like that for no reason!" To. "Someone could be hurt…"
In the end, he decided to use his expertise in hide and seek.
The dragon let himself fall to the ground, catching himself with his open wings. Twisting his nimble body in order to avoid the trees poking into him, it took a few attempts until he finally "snuggled" himself with the dark and tall forest.
He shifted his scales to match his surroundings, his normally bright orange color scales faded into a dark color scheme. With the only thing betraying his look being bright purple eyes.
So then he began to look, look for where that roar came from. Carefully moving past the tall trees, craning his neck in all sorts of directions to find the source of the roar.
Roars weren't always so common, maybe back then. But now? They're taken much more seriously.
You'd only hear them from dragons preparing to battle each other, essentially a method to say "everyone back off unless you want a face full of dragon breath." Either that, or "Ahhh please help! I can't feel my legs!"
And this Rainwing believed it to be a cry for help, maybe a lost dragonet younger than him? Or an injured dragon that fell from the sky? He didn't know exactly as the roar sounded… Off, to him.
A minute more of searching passed, and he didn't hear a single peep that could help him pinpoint-
"GROARRRR!"
The roar was followed by the frantic chirping of nearby birds, flying off into the air, away from the source of the roar.
There!
Quickly but stealthily, he snuck his way through the trees, ducking low as his body would allow. Waiting for the inevitable figure of a dragon to reveal itself.
But it didn't.
His eyes were drawn to the top of a tree, it was shaking more than it should be. With the sound of branches snapping and something shuffling within it.
He could see past the trees, and into the small opening that harbored a pond. Around it sat the corpses of three fallen goats, with a small human child crouched down near one of them.
A scavenger? He thought, leaning his head a bit forward to get a closer view of the open plot of land.
It didn't take long for him to smell the scent of another human, below the same tree that caught his attention prior. It almost made him jump back at just how close he was to the human.
Putting two and two together, he figured these humans were out looking for lunch themselves. Why else would there be three goats dead? It seemed like the most obvious assumption anyway.
The Rainwing didn't see the point in spying on these humans any longer, but the question still haunted his mind…
Where did the roar come from?
Could it be from the hill above that the river trailed down from? He doubts it, the roar came close by, and the hill is atleast a few wings beats to upwards, too far for the roar to sound that loud.
Smack.
"Ow…" A broken branch fell on his snout, bouncing off of it harmlessly and onto the ground. His attention was drawn back up to the tree, where a figure made itself known thanks to its tail peaking out.
Is it… He leaned closer, his eyes peeled open. Is it a hatchling…?
"No way…" The dragonet murmured softly in amazement.
A scavenger, wearing a dragon costume…
HE NEEDS TO SEE THIS!
To the dragonet, it was unheard of to find a human wearing such an attire. Considering humans and dragons only recently began to co-exist semi peacefully, it was safe to say most humans were on the fence about mingling with dragons.
Even fewer would cosplay as them, it might as well be the equivalent to finding a shiny Pokémon for this dragonet.
All worries of the loud roar washed away, as his hatchling-like excitement consumed his mind. Imagining how his friend might react to something as outlandish as this.
Carefully, and slowly. The dragonet loomed his head upwards, above the trees while his scales worked double time to shift to the appropriate color, but doing little in hiding the shadow he had formed. And like a predator stalking its prey, he snatched the dragonet in both claws.
The human child's scream was interrupted by his claws, as he raised them upward to examine with an eye his newly found catch.
Ow…
An arrow collided with his chest, pinching his scales uncomfortably.
Deciding to leave before the other human got his other human buddies, the dragonet took off, with only a single thought in his head.
Hehe, he's gonna freak out when he sees this…
…
Food is getting cold…
A lone nightwing lay on all fours on the cold grass, under the same tree they had discovered earlier.
In front of him, sat a basket tightly wrapped with banana leaves. He sniffed, inhaling the warm aroma of grilled meats inside.
"It's getting late…" He muttered, staring blankly at the basket.
"If he doesn't come, then I'll-"
A rapid set of wing beats filled the air, catching the attention of the dragonet. Squinting, he realized it was the familiar figure of his friend.
"Hey! Over here-"
Skiddd!
"Dude-" The Rainwing nearly tripped at his reckless landing. "Dude! Look at this!" He raised his clasped talons up in front of him.
"Whaa…?" The Nightwing shook his head, huffing to get rid of the dust that rose in the air. "Look at what?"
The Rainwing cracked an opening between his sharp talons.
Immediately, loud squeaks were heard, the Nightwing's ears perking up. "Huh…?" He said, visibly confused. "Did you catch something alive for lunch? No way! You changed your mind?!"
"What? No."
"Then…?"
The squeaking stopped.
"Loookk…" Whispered the Rainwing, opening the crack further to expose the creature within.
That of course being a small child in a dragon costume.
"Wow…" The Nightwing muttered, watching the child squint her eyes upward to them, through the jaws of her mask. "Did you name her…?"
The Rainwing shook his head. "Dude, I'm NOT keeping her."
The Nightwing remained silent, staring blankly at the Rainwing. "Then why on Pyrrhia did you catch a human?"
The Rainwing stared back, silently.
"…"
"…"
"She's cute," he admitted. "Look! She's even wearing a costume!" The Rainwing said giddily, pointing at her with a talon, causing her to squeak some more.
The Nightwing let out a breath, examining the little human further. "I guess…" He trailed off. "I didn't even know they had smaller sizes…"
They both stared at the tiny human, until the Nightwing broke the silence. "Are you gonna eat it?"
White splotches exploded on the Rainwing's scales, as a look of shock enveloped his face. "No! Absolutely not!" He closed the gap in his talons, hiding the tiny human once more.
"Well did you eat anything?!"
"Erm," the Rainwing glanced away. "No…"
"What were you doing these past FIFTEEN minutes?!"
"I was doing… IMPORTANT stuff…"
The Nightwing deadpanned him. "Uhuhhh…"
Sighing, he slid the box toward the Rainwing. "I guess we can share…"
"I don't eat meat-"
"I know," the Nightwing said sternly. "I bought some koala food for you too."
"Oh."
They stared at each other for a moment.
"Did you get anything for her-"
"NO!" The Nightwing exclaimed. "W-we have…" he used his talons to count to seven. "We have SEVEN minutes! Or…. Something like that! Before we have to regroup with the others, and we've already wasted enough time looking for food, a-and I don't wanna waste anymore!" he glanced down at the Rainwing holding the tiny human in his clasped talons. "So take her back, before she starves or something… or I'll eat her… moons I'm really hungry…"
The expression on the Rainwing's face noticeably dropped into a low frown, looking down at his clasped talons. He really thought he'd get a better reaction from his friend, hoping he would have had the same excitement as he did.
But it appears the only thing the Nightwing had in his mind was the succulent meat in the basket.
"Okay…" The Rainwing said reluctantly. "I wanna see her one more time…" Carefully, he managed to clasp her in a single claw, squeaks once again erupting.
Slowly, he drew his other claw, using two talons to descend upon the claw, and pinching the back of the small child's tunic.
Lifting her up.
"What are you doing…?" Muttered the Nightwing. "I said take her back, she's probably scared," he continued watching the Rainwing lift her up. "If she makes a mess, you're cleaning it up!"
"Shush!" Hushed the Rainwing, lifting the small child up into the air by the back of her tunic. An amused giggle escaped him, both at the squeaks and frantic movements the child displayed.
"What is it holding?" The Nightwing asked, noticing the large object in her hands, it was almost the size of her.
"What's what?"
"That?" the Nightwing pointed out.
"Huh," the Rainwing took note of it. "No idea-" Was all he said, before his airway was cut off.
"D-dude?!" The Nightwing stuttered, ignoring the small child plummeting to the ground. As his concern was drawn to his choking friend…
Who was choking due to the little girl throwing the large horn down his gullet while he was speaking.
"Crap!" The Nightwing panicked. "Are you choking?!"
"ACKK!"
"ARE YOU CHOKING?!"
The Rainwing frantically nodded yes.
While the Nightwing began to implement the dragon equivalent of the Heimlich maneuver, the little girl raised her groggy head. Up at the two titans above her.
The ground shook, immediately knocking the senses back into her. And soon, the fight or flight response kicked it.
She chose flight.
Scrambling to her feet, she ran in whatever direction without looking. The upper jaw of her dragon costume dangled loosely in her face, making seeing ahead of her an impossible task. Though it didn't really matter, she just had to get away from the dragons.
Her village would've probably chastised her for her decision to run, but she could give less of a damn at this very moment. Psh, be submissive to a dragon? "Screw that!" Alpine would most likely say, everyone else can become dragon feed for them, Alpine was too young to die.
It was admittedly cool to be picked up by a dragon, but not so cool to be kidnapped by one, and it'd be even less cool to be eaten by one.
Stumbling into a small ditch, Alpine lifted up the jaw of her costume. Looking ahead to the crowd of dragons that gathered.
"Uh," she muttered, utterly terrified.
Hm?
Looking behind her, she saw the same two dragons. One flew upwards in the air, while the other continued to grasp for breath. The earth shook again, as the presumed adults confronted the situation.
They're not looking at me! A small sigh of relief escaped her.
She looked back ahead, debating her best options in survival.
Which in her eyes, wasn't that many.
Alpine could try her luck, and scurry across the pavement like a rat. Hoping no one would notice, and seek shelter in the alleyways of the dragons, and then wait for Rooster to come rescue her.
Or she could run back past the two dragons, into the forest and take her chances in there.
She looked back, then ahead, then back again, then lastly ahead of her.
I don't wanna die! She wailed internally.
Running into the dragon city she had unintentionally discovered a few minutes ago didn't seem like the brightest of ideas.
And that's coming from me…
Running into the forest seemed much more feasible, she's much more confident in the forest then she would be in a city of dragons.
The only blockade is the dragons, they'd easily pick her off in the open grass.
Hmmmm…
Forest it is.
Turning back over her shoulder, her eyes widened at what was about to unfold.
"What are you doing?!" A dragon shouted at the Nightwing above.
"Get down, n-no that's dangerous!" Said another.
"Move out of the way!"
"WHAT, NO-"
The Nightwing dived bomb onto his friend's back.
A large explosion of dust covered her, she instinctively closed her eyes and covered her mouth.
Run.
Choosing the direction of the forest, she forced her feet to run despite their weariness. She climbed, hopped and tripped a dozen times. But when a looming shadow covered her figure, Alpine could feel her nerves begin to calm down knowing she was now in the safety of the forest, hiding behind a tree.
The ground is oddly… smooth.
There wasn't dirt around her, nor bushes, or even any grass.
"Where am I-" Alpine inhaled dust by accident, causing her to explode into a fit of coughs. Waving her hand to dissipate the dust, she nervously opened her eyes to full view, the figure of the dragon's slowly revealing themselves in the dust.
Pop!
Her horn was shot out from the dust cloud, landing on the ground with a thud!
"My horn!" She said quietly, her attention now drawn to it, no longer on the one unconscious dragonet beneath the Nightwing.
Alpine's hopes in retrieving her horn came crashing down, when a dragon plucked the horn off the ground, lifting it to inspect it.
"Hmph," Alpine pouted, followed by a "hm?" from that very dragon.
Alpine covered her mouth, her wide eyes staring back at the dragon that had noticed her presence.
It had heard her.
She froze, she couldn't move. Alpine's body was fighting against her mind's commands to run, to hide, to cower in fear of man's common enemy.
Even as a shadow loomed above her.
Alpine felt a hot breeze wash over her body, the frail fragments of her costume threatening to be pulled away by the air. Though any concern for that was insignificant compared to the dragon that had noticed her from a distance, but even THAT was now overshadowed by something else.
Something she recognized, thanks to her costume…
A bright red snout made itself present, along with a nose, ears, and its eyes.
Of course, you can't forget its teeth.
A mountain dragon stood above her, its head low to study the human child further, it cocked its head ever so slightly, its eyes snapping up and down on her.
Alpine's breathing became rapid, tears welled up in her eyes, now beginning to trickle down her cheek.
She still had her mouth covered, she couldn't scream, no matter if she tried.
"Grrrrmmmm…" It grumbled, the vibration from its throat causing the environment around her to shake.
She didn't dare to say a word.
"Small child."
It spoke.
"Are… Y-you… Lost…?"
Alpine clocked out, fainting to the ground.
The Skywing's eyes followed the girl's fall, grimacing when her head hit the pavement.
Carefully, he picked her up. Standing tall, he clutched her to his chest. The Skywing's attention was now drawn to the center of the small crowd of dragons…
"HUGHHHH," the Rainwing woke up, taking a sharp inhale of air down its lungs. "Oh my moons…" he whimpered.
"You're alive!"
"I thought I was dead…"
The Nightwing couldn't have looked more ecstatic, embracing his friend in a hug, his arms tightening around the Rainwing's neck.
"I… I can't breathe…!"
"He's alive!" The Nightwing happily cheered, ignoring the pleas of the Rainwing.
The crowd of dragons looked astonished, but relieved. Most of them left the scene, having more important things to do. However, an Icewing stayed behind.
"You could have broken his spine!" The Icewing scolded.
The Nightwing refused to let go, glancing at the Icewing with an indifferent look.
"So? He's alive!"
"S-so?!" She shook her head. "You could've left him a vegetable! Paralyzed from the back down, or worse, you could've-!"
"Ah-ah-ah," A Skywing interrupted, approaching her side. "That's enough, I'll deal with them."
The Icewing took a few steps back. "Excuse me? What they did was reckless!"
"I know," the Skywing said softly, looking down at her. "That's why I'll punish them thoroughly," he said with grit teeth, glancing at them.
The Nightwing caught on, and sheepishly let go of the Rainwing. The Rainwing's head fell limp on the ground, his wings following suit.
"Yo…" The Nightwing said, his concern washing over him again, poking him.
"Punish… are you their parent?"
"No, a teacher for the academy."
The Icewing shook her head. "Really? I would've never thought they were so careless with their dragonets!" She shouted at his unbothered face.
"Ma'am, if you have a complaint about our policies regarding a Dragonet's Rights to Roam. Take it to the principal," He said plainly, doing his best not to seem agitated.
The Icewing scoffed, glancing back at the dragonets. "May I have your name then? I think one of your Dragonets has passed on to the afterlife…"
Huffing, he turned his attention to the dragonets.
The Nightwing poked the Rainwing's cheek with a talon, testing for any signs of life.
"They're fine."
The Icewing gasped at his remark, turning her back to him and walking away, ironically fuming in anger and disbelief. "What a joke…" she muttered to herself.
"Before you leave, know my name is Phoenix! Mind if I have yours?!" He called out, a slight grin on his face.
She lashed her tail at him, disappearing into the streets.
He huffed in amusement.
"Uh, Phoenix…" A sheepish voice called out to him, tapping his shoulder.
"StoneHead," addressed Phoenix, he pretended to not know what was already wrong. "What's wrong?"
"I think…" he trailed off, pointing with a talon. "I think Sticks died."
"Hm, looks like it."
StoneHead's ears fell flat, whimpering at the revelation.
"But if you looked closer," Phoenix slowly approached the unconscious Sticks. "You can see he's breathing," he gestured to Stick's back, heaving in and out.
"Phew…"
"Now," he said, with an abnormally innocent smile. "Can you explain why this even happened in the first place? StoneHead."
StoneHead's expression dropped, like if the joy was utterly sucked out of him.
"Uhh."
"By now, you guys were supposed to be with the rest of your winglet and be seated with them at the colosseum," he continued.
"Uhhh."
"Wanna explain?"
"Uhhhh," StoneHead leaned back, his eyes frantically searching for an imaginary answer.
"Hmmmm…?"
"He was attacked!" StoneHead blurted. "A-A scavenger-!"
"Human!" Corrected Phoenix. "We don't call them that, it's disrespectful StoneHead, it's Hu-man, human."
"Same thing!" StoneHead said. "A human attacked him, the little critter threw something down his throat!"
"Threw what?"
"A… A thing!" StoneHead said, quickly scanning the ground around him to find the object Alpine had tossed down his friend's throat.
"I don't know what a 'thing' is StoneHead, mind being more specific?"
StoneHead gave up his search, returning to his teacher. "No, I swear, I'm not lying!" He claimed. "If anything, me and Sticks are victims!"
"Oh? And who's this monstrous perpetrator? A tiny human you said?"
"Yes!" StoneHead nodded. "Yes! She was wearing a dragon costume too! I bet she was trying to blend in, she planned this attack Phoenix!"
"Ah, I can't believe it…" Phoenix rolled his eyes.
"And now I wouldn't be surprised if she's somewhere out there," StoneHead grumbled, looking onto the busy streets of dragons. "Plotting, preparing, getting her secret weapon ready to attack again!"
"You mean her?"
"Huh, who-?"
The Nightwing's eyes widened, immediately recognizing the little girl that lay unconscious in Phoenix's claw.
"Uh," he said, lost for words. "Yes!" He cheered, attempting to play it off. "Yes! That's her! She attacked us, great job on catching her Phoenix-!"
"-Go find your winglet," he said firmly, leaving no room for argument.
"Okay," StoneHead replied, dropping his act and walking away.
"And I expect a written apology for every dragonet in your winglet explaining why you were late."
"Yes sir…" he murmured, dropping his head.
"Oh, and where did she come from?"
StoneHead paused, looking over his shoulder. "Uh, Sticks found her… I-In the forest, somewhere…"
A deep sigh escaped Phoenix.
"Get out of here already."
StoneHead flew off, grumbling to himself, and in Hunger.
Phoenix took a moment to examine the little girl, making sure she was safe and uninjured. When he was done with his checks, he looked down at the sleeping Rainwing below him-
"EHHHUUUU," the Rainwing gasped loudly, waking up. "Oh my moons… again…"
Blinking, his vision returned to him, he looked up at Phoenix.
"Good morning Phoenix-"
"Enough," Phoenix shot him down. "You recognize her?" A dangerous glint flashed in his eyes.
"Who-?" He paused, realization hitting him.
"-Awww crraapp…"
Child Distribution System.
Part Four.
The rest of the day passed by like a blur for the adolescent Hen.
Rooster was frantic, dragging her back to the village and locking her inside the house, ordering her to stay and to refuse to answer any questions from their neighbors. He then left to seek the elder, pleading for advice or guidance in the situation.
"Elder Centipede!" He begged, on his knees. "Please, what should I do?!"
Centipede, the bald man that sat on a stone chair. Looked down upon Rooster, his expression softening at the man's poor and desperate state. "There's nothing we can do, but pray for mercy on her soul…" He answered solemnly. "The sooner you accept she's gone, the quicker you'll move on."
Rooster lowered his head to the floor, bashing his fist against it. The warriors that accompanied Elder Centipede in the Ritual Room kept a close eye on Rooster, ready to intervene.
"That's not fair…" He said weakly, his face planted to the floor. "She's just a girl…"
Sighing, the Elder responded. "It is simply the way of life-"
"What business does a dragon have with a child?!" He exclaimed furiously, glaring up at the Elder. "Answer me!" Rooster demanded.
The elder furrowed his brows at Rooster, fixing his posture. "Rooster, you know well what kind of 'business' dragons get into, especially with us humans," Elder Centipede huffed. "How many years have you spent here? Have you forgotten the importance of the Dragon Submission? Tell me Rooster, do you truly understand what it means?"
Rooster grimaced, biting his tongue, refusing to meet the Elder's gaze even as he stood up from his chair. "Every month, everyone of age meets here," Centipede said, walking around the ritual room. "And we all come for a single purpose, to realize our place in this world."
Rooster remained silent, his head low, his eyes tracking the shadow of the Elder moving around him.
"To accept reality…" The Elder shook his head. "That we, as a species, will always remain…"
"Weak," chimed in Rooster, clenching his fist.
"I was gonna say insignificant…"
"..."
"Hmph," the Elder resumed his walk around the room. "In a way, that's a good thing," said Centipede, halting his walk to admire a tapestry on the wall. It showed Humans working in the valleys, while a dragon watched from above. It held a large staff, and it stood behind a fence. "The more insignificant we are to the dragons, the less attention it draws to us, and the safety of humans is further ensured."
The Elder tapped the tapestry with a finger, tapping the figure of a man working the crops. "The action of covering oneself in cattle blood, is a sign and declaration that you fully accepted that role in the dragons world… The role of cattle, that we are nothing but cattle to them…"
"Unfortunately…" The Elder continued, his gaze drifting upward to the dragon holding a staff, behind a fence. "We know cattle are chosen to be slaughtered… And in the end…" The elder sighed…
"They are eaten," he paused. "And the rest continue to live freely, at the cost of a member's life."
A deafening silence filled the room.
The warriors kept their heads low, breathing in slowly as they took in the Elder's teachings. Rooster silently cried into a hand, rubbing away the tears.
Elder Centipede continued to stare blankly at the dragon, fighting his own inner turmoils.
"I'm sorry, Rooster," the Elder said, his voice quivering ever so slightly. "I am truly sorry, but there's simply nothing we can do… Then to keep on living," The Elder lowered his head, glancing at Rooster's form at the corner of his eye.
Regaining control of his emotion, Rooster wiped away his tears, taking a deep breath as he stood up from the ground.
"Okay then," he said, his tone soft and utterly defeated. Without another word, he excused himself from the Ritual Room, returning home to Hen.
"Rooster?!" Called out Hen, rushing over to the front door when she heard it creak open.
She didn't hesitate to embrace him in a hug, deliberately using his tunic to dry off her face from the tears that had fallen while he was gone. "What did Elder Centipede say…?" She looked up at him, her eyes red and strained.
Rooster gently closed the front door, glancing down at Hen beside him. "Everythings gonna be fine, Hen," he said. "I need you to stay in your room, can you do that for me?"
"What did he say about Alpine?"
Looking away, Rooster said. "Don't worry about that, I'll handle it."
"W-what does that mean-?'
Cutting her off was Rooster's chubby hand, ruffling her golden redish locks roughly. "You don't need to know… Get some sleep, okay? You worked hard today, a big girl like you needs some rest," he smiled at her, albeit weakly.
"You talk to me like I'm some little girl! I am FOURTEEN, stop treating me like a child!" Hen huffed, backing up and crossing her arms.
Rooster frowned, rubbing his face. "Hen, I can't do this right now…" He glanced down at the floor, only then Hen realized just how exhausted Rooster was, maybe it wasn't the best time to prod him for answers…
Patting her large shirt, she said. "O-okay…" Hen looked back at him, forcing herself to smile. "I'll get some rest then, make sure you get some rest too, 'kay?"
He smiled again, genuinely.
"I'll try."
That was all she needed to hear, as long as he tried.
Hen left, giving him a final hug before she parted to her room.
The rest of the day was spent trying to get comfortable in her bed, looking out the open window in her room. The lights from the village dimmed down as they neared midnight.
Soon, everyone was asleep.
Except for Hen, and naturally Rooster.
Clink! Clang! Bang!
"Ughhh…" Hen whined, clutching the pillow over her face. Sleeping was impossible now, especially now with her thoughts preoccupied with Alpine and Rooster.
She could tell Rooster was working hard on something in his smith's workshop, on what that exactly is.
Hen had no clue.
But she was gonna find out.
Creeping from her room, she tiptoed on the stone pavement. Hen held a candle to light the dim hallway, carefully to avoid any stands and toys Alpine had left behind.
Finally, she turned a corner, taking the hallway that led directly from her house and into the Blacksmith's hut. Hen could see the large door at the end of the hall, it hung open, allowing her to see the orange light that seeped through and feel the heat escaping into the air.
Wiping her brow, she carefully peeked her head through the doorway, squinting to see through the sparks that were jumping in the air with every hit from Rooster's hammer.
Rooster was working hard, slamming the hammer on a molten iron ingot, denting it into its desired form. His beard was neatly tied up, and he was shirtless. Normally when he worked, Rooster is very careful and delicate with his craft. Taking the time to examine and calculate his next move whenever he's smithing.
Now he smithed like his life depended on it, hammering the ingot down into the form of a sharp blade.
Hen blinked slowly, yawning. She was tempted to interrupt him, ask if he was okay and if he needed some water. But judging by how tense he looked, she figured it would be best to give him some time to cool down, literally too.
Holding the candle by her side, she walked back down the hall. Passing her room, and into the kitchen.
Standing in the intense heat of the workshop made her parched.
Opening a clay pot beside the sink, she peeked in the dark abyss, holding the candle closer.
"No water…" She whined, closing the pot.
Rubbing her eyes, she picked up a nearby bucket's handle with one hand. And with the other, she held the candle.
Hen kicked the front door open, carefully descending down the creaky stairs in the dead of night. She blinked rapidly, forcing her eyes to adjust in the low moonlight that shone onto her village.
Yawning, she took a path from her village down to the river. Her goal was simple, to refill the bucket with water, boil it, then pour it in the pot. A chore she could do with her eyes closed, in this case literally, as she barely held her eyes open during the walk.
Arriving at the river, she crouched down and scooped up the rushing water.
Hen blinked slowly, tipping ever so slightly to the side. Her mind was exhausted with today's events, and she had no one to express it to.
"Please bring her back…" She mumbled, staring at the reflection of the stars in the river. Hen wanted to believe it would listen, that it'd magically summon Alpine before her.
Alas, it didn't, the only response it had was more rushing water.
Hen never truly wanted this, for Alpine to be taken by a dragon. Though she'd admit she may or may not have said she wanted something similar… But that was only because of her emotions, in the end, the only thing she truly wanted was her brother's attention.
Sighing, she rose up, bucket in hand. The candle in the other, a small source of heat in the cold world around her.
Crunch.
Hen snapped her head to the source of the sound, which turned out to be in the dark tall forest. She quickly deduced it to be nothing, perhaps a small critter of the night.
This wasn't an uncommon occurrence, in fact it was quite common, she'd be more concerned if the forest was dead silent.
Still, the eerie darkness of the forest continues to disturb her…
Putting on a brave face, she took the path back through the forest, and into her village.
Everyone was still asleep, except for the warriors that patrolled the outskirts of the homes, they easily recognized her, allowing her to pass easily.
Hen walked carefully in the dark, her hands growing tired at the weight of the bucket and candle. Fortunately, home wasn't far, she just had to get up the steps and-
Crash! Hen jumped in freight, snapping her head left and right, soon her attention was drawn to the loud commotion coming from the village's edge.
"AHH, LET GO OF ME!"
"Aha! you thought you could sneak in-?!"
"S-stop! It's ME!"
"Nonsense! You thief!"
Hen skipped upstairs, setting the bucket on the porch and the candle on the railing. Her heart was racing, it slowed down the more time she spent breathing in and out, the commotion in the background growing ever louder.
"Hold her down!" A warrior shouted, followed by a wild assortment of foul language coming from the perpetrator.
"Alpine…?"
A perpetrator that sounded much like her little niece.
Hopping back down the small flight of stairs, she peeked her head around the corner of her home.
Analyzing the scene before her.
Hen saw the scuffle in the bushes, a warrior on top of the perpetrator, holding them down. Other warriors accompanied him, they looked like they were struggling…
"Ready the club!" A warrior commanded, followed by one of his comrades raising a wooden club.
"AH, ROOSTER!" Screeched the perpetrator.
"Alpine?!"
Hen didn't waste any more time, rushing over to the squabble.
"H-hey!" Said the Warrior holding the club. "Miss Hen! Please, I need you to-!"
"That's my niece!" Hen proclaimed, doing her best to push the warrior who held her niece to the ground.
"Oh," whispered the guard holding Alpine down, his attention back on her. It then immediately snapped back to Hen. "That's your niece?!"
"YES," she said firmly. "Now get off her!"
A final shove was all it took to remove the warrior, he fell into the bushes beside him, not because of her strength, but in fear…
Hen picked up Alpine from the ground, hoisting her to her chest. With a quick glance, she saw Alpine's disheveled state.
Alpine's form in short, was sad.
The mountain dragon costume was dented and scratched all over, the string and leather that held it together long since broken. Leaving parts of the costume dangling loosely off her, such as the wings and one of the horns.
Her hair was tangled, creeping through the crevices of her helm. Alpine's innocent light brown eyes were dark and sullen, looking up at Hen's own golden eyes with hurt.
Alpine's body had the occasional open cut and bruise, Hen could assume it was from Alpine's solo adventure from the forest. Probably that, or the warriors that were wrestling her. She didn't have a clue, but finding the cause of her state wasn't the priority of the moment.
Hen can ask all the questions later.
How did you survive?!
The dragon didn't think you tasted good?
Do you know how high you went?!
…
Yeah, now's not a good time…
Carrying her, Hen took her back to the front porch, her heart sinking with every pained whimper Alpine let out. At the steps of the porch, she sat down, setting Alpine sideways on her lap.
Right now, Hen had a much better question to ask.
"Are you okay…?" Hen said softly, embracing Alpine's side.
Alpine said nothing, but leaned further into Hen's warmth, pulling her legs to her chest in an effort to fight against the cold air.
"Let me take you inside," Hen said, attempting to lift her up.
"Ow!" Alpine whimpered in pain, clutching at her stomach.
"Sorry!" Hen stammered, allowing Alpine to settle down on her lap. "Alpine talk to me, what's wrong?" Hen rubbed her back.
"Everything hurts…" Choked out Alpine, her voice hoarse.
Hen ran through all the options she had, and she settled on one.
Get Rooster.
Duh!
"Come on, let's go inside! R-Rooster is still awake, he can help you!" said Hen.
"…"
"Err… Can you… Move…?"
"No… It hurts to… And I'm tired…"
"Oh," Hen took a moment to think. "Umm…" She then began to carefully slide Alpine off her lap, down on the porch.
Alpine whined as a result, both longing for her aunt's warmth and in pain at her injuries.
"Sorrryyy…" Said Hen, grimacing as Alpine's bottom finally connected to the wooden plank of the stairs. "I'll get Rooster, s-stay here for a bit, Alpine," Hen said, lifting off her gown and dressing Alpine with it, to help against the cold.
Hen rubbed her bare arms, she was now stuck with a simple shirt and shorts. But that didn't matter now, instead of retreating into the heat of the home. She crouched down and pushed aside the upper jaw of mountain dragon helm, allowing her to plant a reassuring kiss on Alpine's forehead.
Giving Alpine's cheek a ginger rub, only then she darted inside to find Rooster.
"Rooster!" She yelled out, taking a second to scour the lower cabinets of their kitchen, looking for any medical herbs or supplies they had remaining.
He didn't respond to her call, so she tried again to no avail. Huffing, she lifted the basket full of medicinal items with both hands.
"ROOSTER!" She said more firmly, Hen was starting to become concerned and admittedly irritated at her older brother's lack of response. Rooster would never miss her calls, no matter what.
The desperation for a response got the better of her, she ran to the smith's door at the end of the hallway. Nearly dropping the basket she was lugging around.
"Rooster, open the door!"
"…"
Ahhh, what is he doing?!
"Rooster!"
"…"
Is he asleep? A simple glance told her he wasn't, due to the orange glow that shone under the door, mixed with shadows of movement and sounds of metal clinking together.
He needs to know I'm serious.
"Rooster," Hen hesitated. "Uh, o-open the damn door!" She said timidly, her cheeks flushed.
"…"
This isn't working. No point in holding back anymore, Alpine is cold and injured, and Hen didn't want to waste another second…
Deep inhale.
"Rooster! Open the FUCKING door-!"
The door swung open.
Before her, Rooster stood. Clad in iron armor, glistening in the fiery glow behind him.
"Uh," she swallowed. "Uh, R-Rooster! You need to come see, she's here, Alp-!"
"We need to talk."
"-Huh."
Rooster "hmph" as he turned, walking deeper into his workshop. Hen followed, uneasily. "Rooster-"
"Hen," he said firmly, barely glancing over his shoulder. "Let… Let me speak first…"
What?
"No! You need to come, Alpine's outside and she's hurt, she-"
"Hen!" He shouted. "I said, let. Me. Speak."
"…"
He sighed, grabbing something from the stone countertop in front of him. "I know you miss her…" He Murmured, raising a blade. "I miss her too…"
"…" Hen cocked her head slightly, trying to peek at what he was holding.
"But don't worry," he inhaled, turning to face her.
"I'll get her back."
Hen blinked.
Is he serious?
"I'll… I'll go to their nest or home or wherever they live…" He scrunched up his nose, his anger flaring for a moment. "I'll go to the damn moons myself if I have to!"
"Oh my moons…" Hen whispered, her eyes widening as she came to the realization at what he aimed to do.
He raised his newly shaped blade in the air. "And kill any dragon that gets in my way-!"
"-ARE YOU INSANE?!" Hen shrieked.
Rooster's attitude immediately dropped, like a child getting scolded. "Hen…?"
"A-Are you stupid?!" Hen scoffed. "You'd be eaten alive before you could even strike at them!"
Rooster's resolve noticeably dwindled. "But Alpine! She's out there somewhere, scared and alone-!"
"SHE'S HERE!"
"…"
"ALPINE. IS. HERE."
"…"
"Don't stare at me like a lost puppy!"
"You mean…?" With his free hand, he dragged his palm to his heart, patting it. "Here? Like she's here with us spiritually…?"
Hen deadpanned Rooster.
"Wait…"
"Alpine's outside," She said calmly… or as calmly as she could. "I told you that… But YOU DIDN'T. LISTEN!"
Taking shaky breaths, Rooster scurried past her. Arriving at the living room, he frantically scanned the area. "Where is she-?!"
"OUTSIDE," said Hen, with an attitude. She walked past him, towards the steps where Alpine sat. Rooster wiped his eyes and followed after her, losing his breath when he saw Alpine.
She sat on the top step, staring blankly at the sky. Alpine hugged herself, and kept Hen's gown close to her body.
Alpine narrowed her eyes at the stars in the sky, swearing to herself that she saw the dragon that carried her, hovering in the sky far above before darting away…
Hen settled down next to her, placing the basket beside them. "Hm," she hummed. "Let's get this silly helmet off…" Hen reached for the latches by Alpine's neck, but it remained tightly shut.
Alpine whined uncomfortably. "Oww…" She complained, shutting her eyes tightly.
"Sorry, I'm trying to get it off you."
"You're hurting me…"
"S-stop moving!"
"OW!"
Alpine squirmed under Hen's grasp, and Hen remained steadfast in her attempt to remove the helmet.
"Quit it!"
"Nooo…"
"Alpine I'm trying to help you-!" A firm metallic hand clasped down on Alpine's shoulder. It easily belonged to Rooster, without another word, he tugged on the latches and it snapped off like dry twigs.
"That's better," he said softly, removing the helmet and tossing it behind it, it broke into multiple pieces. Alpine's hair poofed! Out, display her dirty and unkept hair underneath.
Alpine was lucky this time around, Hen couldn't bring herself to give Alpine grief for her hair. Especially when she saw Alpine's eyes begin to water at Rooster's touch, it didn't take long for her to turn her body and lunge at him.
Clinging to him for dear life, crying into his shoulder.
Hen sat still, watching the reunion, her own pent up emotions beginning to creep up on her.
It was an eventful day.
One moment it was a family outing, the next a child kidnapping, then a soon to be suicide mission, and a reunion being the grand finale.
Hen needed rest, and so did her family before her.
But for now she was content, allowing herself to be drawn into the bear hug Rooster was giving. His armor poked at her uncomfortably, yet the warmth of her family outdid any discomfort.
Back as one, happy family.
"Don't leave me again."
Child Distribution System.
Part Five.
Back to the present day…
Snip!
"Ow," Hen murmured, lifting her hand from the sink filled with dirty water.
She'd been careless, cutting her hand with a knife hidden underneath. Cursing, Hen wrapped a piece of cloth around the thin wound, applying pressure to it, hissing in pain.
"HEN, FIND MY GLASSES!"
This old hag!
"Okay, Woolly!" She yelled back, feigning innocence. "Just a second!"
Hen heard Woolly grumble something under her breath, causing her already fragile mind to crack a bit more.
How did it all go so wrong?
Hen still couldn't believe it, her brother, gone. Not even allowed a chance to fight back, or utter a final word.
Executed, in cold blood.
It haunted her.
The blood trickling down her hand, only served to heightened her memories of his blood. Her breathing quickened, and tears welled up in her eyes.
There was nothing she wanted more, than to scream-
Stop it!
…
Breathe.
…
I'm not some little girl anymore…
Clenching her wounded hand, she laid it down on the counter. Carefully, she exposed her palm, removing the fabric that covered it. She tossed it into the dirty water, staining it red.
I can do this.
Hen used her good hand to reach into the cabinets, grabbing a jug of ale. With her teeth, she opened the cap and poured the beverage onto the wound.
She accidentally poured a bit much, forcing a low whimper of pain from her lips. Nonetheless she kept her palm open, allowing the ale to kill any ailments that might've snuck into her wound.
After a minute, she washed the wound with clean water, found a proper bandage, and wrapped her palm with it.
With the cut properly tended to, she could smile at her small victory.
"DID YOU FIND THEM?!"
…
"One moment!"
Moons above, she doesn't know how much longer she can last dealing with her.
Hen had much better things to do, like spend her time tending to her niece instead of the old woman in the living room.
Sighing, she returned her attention to the dishes, cleaning them with one hand.
"I'm finishing up with the dishes!" She said, letting Woolly know.
"YOU'RE STILL ON THEM?! HURRY UP THEN, WOMAN."
"Rot already," Hen whispered furiously.
Why'd she have to be treated like this? Like some.. Little girl?
Rooster would've never let this slide, he'd never allow his sister to become a meager maid to the deceased Elder's wife.
…
She missed him.
…
She missed him so much…
…
Taking a shaky breath, she steeled her resolve to finish cleaning.
Hen took a page from Rooster's book.
She HAS to be strong, Rooster taught her that.
If not for him, then for Alpine.
"Alpine," she said softly, her breaths stabilizing.
"Please be okay…."
Meeting.
"Ahhh…" A pleasant sigh escaped Alpine's lips as she laid on the grass, looking up at the clear sky above her. The wind swooshed over her tan skin, and the sun showered Alpine with its rays.
She took steady breathes, closing her eyes, taking a well needed rest after the previous days of hard work on… A project she was presented.
Ever so slowly, the world faded around her.
"Mmmm…." Hummed Alpine pleasantly, relishing this moment.
Hm?
The light from the outside world suddenly disappeared…
How could this be?
Fluttering her eyes open, she zoned on the large figure in front of her. A familiar figure that is, and not in a good way…
What…?
It was big, pointy, it had… Horns!
The not so pleasant memories of her past rushed in, causing her adrenaline to seep into her bloodstream, she immediately sat herself up, scrabbling backyards to gain distance.
"Ah!" She exclaimed.
It's. A. Dragon.
The mightiest creature of them all, rulers of the sky, flying sharks and the master of flames. And that very creature, stood before her, hungry and-
"Can you move?"
…
Her attention was now drawn to the man casually standing beside it. "Can you move?" He repeated.
"It's…" She started. "A dragon," Alpine pointed. "A-A dragon."
"Thanks for clarifying," he remarked sarcastically. "Are you gonna move, or what?"
Alpine rubbed her eyes, the realization visibly kickin it.
"Oh," she said softly, standing up. Now noticing the hilariously small wagon that transported the dragon head, that was covered in a large fabric. "Ohhh…"
"Yeaahhh…" The man said. "No one updated you about the lord's orders?" He asked.
She shook her head. "N-no," Alpine said, semi-awestruck. She had never seen it this close, it was… Uncomfortable to say the least.
"He's planning to take it with him, so we gotta transfer it to the barn, and get it on a bigger wagon than this piece of shit."
"What's the hold up?!" A new voice joined, from the back.
"We're sorting it out!" The man yelled back.
He sighed, looking back at Alpine who's eyes remained glued to the dragon head. "Alpine," he said, getting her attention.
"Sorry, w-what did you need again? Toad."
"I need you to move, Alpine," he said, wiping the sweat off his face with an exhausted expression.
Alpine surveyed her surroundings, noticing the awfully large amount of grassy field they could have used instead of the one place Alpine chose to relax.
"Can't you go around me?"
"…"
"…"
"Did she move yet?!"
Toad sighed deeply.
"Alpine, let's not do this, please," Toad pleaded. "You know how hard is to push this fucking thing? We'd greatly appreciate it if you moved your ass a couple feet, doesn't matter where, you'd be saving us half an hour if you do."
"…"
"…"
She moved five feet.
Backwards.
"Now you're just being an ass…"
"Hehehe…" Alpine chuckled, ignoring his deadpan. "Okay, now I'm actually moving."
Alpine moved five feet.
Forwards.
"Alpine, I do NOT have the patience for you today," he said. "We will run you over if you don't move."
"Fine fine, I'm leaving…" Alpine said, tauntingly walking past him. "Some advice," she started, standing next to him but refusing to meet his gaze. "Use your legs, you're not pushing anything with those arms of yours…"
"leave!" Toad yelled, fed up.
She laughed at his outburst, waving him off as she finally walked away, gaining distance.
"Alpine!" A vaguely familiar voice called behind her, at the back of the wagon.
Stifling her laughter, she turned to face him.
"Yeah?"
"Can you get Drone?! He was supposed to be here helping us, but he ditched us! So drag him over here if you have to!" It was a chubby man that called out to her, regaining his breath alongside his skinnier comrade.
"And please!" The skinny one said. "We need all the help we can get…" The other men beside them nodded weakly, all just as exhausted.
"Jeez…" Alpine murmured. "Okay, I'll get him!"
The chubby one gave a thumbs up, and the skinny one flashed her a sincere smile of gratitude.
Walking away, back into the village. She was, admittedly, a little annoyed. Alpine loved that spot in particular, she swears the grass is greener and softer in that area.
But now it's gonna be trampled by the men working, pushing a wagon.
"Great…" Alpine muttered distastefully, walking down the paths of the village. It was supposed to be her off day, a day where she can relax after finishing the project the lord gave her.
Her arms were still sore, and the burns still bit at her skin, the unfortunate price of a blacksmith.
And now she's running a request for the chubby man.
Sigh.
…
Wait!
I didn't even ask where Drone went!
Arghhh!
Alpine turned back, the large form of the dragon head visible in the distance, along with the men pushing it, some of them red as a tomato…
Another sigh.
"Maybe someone around here knows…?" She murmured to herself, trying to spot anyone in the vicinity.
Alpine knew very well she could simply return to the chubby man and ask him herself, but she stubbornly refused to make the trek back to the field, and back to the village.
Hence the decision she made earlier, thinking that she'd get lucky with someone spotting a lost Drone.
Alpine was wrong.
What was supposed to take a few minutes max took an hour, filled with her asking questions to any villager, at one point pleading for one to know where Drone was. She was progressively growing more tired, and considered throwing away the chubby man's request.
After all, she had no real obligation.
"Mooonnnsss aboovveee…" Alpine groaned, stretching her back while walking to the center of the village.
You know what, the fat man can get Drone himself.
Speaking of the chubby man, her eyes subconsciously glanced at the working men in the field. Each one of them worked hard to push the wagon, using all of their strengths and wills.
And during the hour that passed.
They made little to no progress.
"Curse this hill!" She heard one of them shout in the distance.
At this point, she really didn't see a reason why she should seek Drone out, what difference could he possibly make in this situation?
Anyways.
Alpine plopped down on a bench besides a tree, sighing in content. She leaned her head back, her legs very much grateful for the relief of sitting down.
She took slow and steady breaths, calming her heart and anxieties of the world around her.
Simply enjoying the serenity of the moment.
"Ahhhhh…"
"Wha-?" Her head turned to the direction of the sound, that being… Right next to her. "Hen…?"
"Hm?" Hen looked back at Alpine, noticeably tired. "Oh, hey Alpine."
"Long day today?"
"You could say that…"
"Yeah, me too…"
Hen raised a skeptical brow. "It's your day off today, how could you be tired?"
"Uh," Alpine said. "I don't know," she lied, obviously.
Hen stared at her then shook her head. "Whatever, I don't have the energy to ask…"
"Good, didn't have the energy to answer either."
For the next few minutes, they enjoyed each other's presence in silence. With the happy cries of the children around them, trees bristling, birds chirping and the busy villagers doing their day to day lives.
All of the sounds they recognized as home.
Alpine glanced around, nowhere in particular until she noticed Hen's bandaged hand. "Woah, what happened there?" She asked casually, gesturing with a finger.
"Oh, this?" Hen said, raising her hand. "I cut myself doing the dishes," she squeezed her hand, wincing a bit. "It feels a little better…"
"The dishes?" Alpine scoffed. "Are you slaving away for Woolly again?"
"I'm not slaving away-"
"She's literally forcing you, and she's not even paying you!"
Hen opened her mouth to argue, then closed it, knowing Alpine was right.
Being forced to work as a caretaker was something Hen grew used to growing up, taking care of Alpine when she was a child, and helping Rooster whenever he was exhausted with his work.
And she never once complained about that, she loved it. She loved being useful to her family she cared for deeply, there's nothing she wouldn't do for them.
But since the massacre, since Rooster's passing.
Hen, like any normal person, grieved dearly for her older brother. Spending countless nights alongside Alpine, wondering why he had to show up and ruin everything.
Cursing him, wishing he was dead.
During her grieving process, Woolly saw an opportunity to use her.
Like a slave.
"Hmph," huffed Alpine glanced away, staring coldly at Woolly's residence.
"It's only for a little while," said Hen, keeping her head low as she inspected her wounded hand. "She's old, Alpine. Woolly couldn't take care of herself even if she wanted to."
"Don't feel bad for her, if she needs you so badly, then why does she treat you like a dog."
Hen grimaced at Alpine's harsh phrasing, but she couldn't argue against it.
"I… You're right," Hen said, lifting her head. "I don't know why she does, I guess old age made her bitter."
"Heh, sure," Alpine scoffed.
The wind gently rushed to them, the comforting breeze allowed them to fall into relative silence, each in their own thoughts.
Until Alpine heard her name echoe in the air around them.
Oh my mooonssss. She mentally cursed, lifting her head and turning it the opposite direction of where the voice was coming from.
She began to scan the village around them, doing her best to ignore the distant calls of her name from the chubby man and his comrades.
"Are they… Calling you?" Hen asked, squinting at the direction of the chubby man's call.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING SITTING THERE?!"
"I can't hear what they're saying…" Said Hen, raising her ear to them.
Alpine groaned obnoxiously, now entirely regretting her decision in looking for Drone.
"You don't happen to know where Drone is?" Alpine asked.
"Hm?" Hen hummed. "Drone? I… Think I saw him… Oh…" Hen grew uncomfortable, her face darkening.
"Hen?"
"Drone, he uhh… He visited Caine," said Hen, followed up with an "Tch!" From Alpine. "And went inside… I don't think I saw them step out, yet."
Alpine grumbled to herself, "Moons above, Drone…"
Once again, they fell into silence.
This time, an unnerving one.
What business does Caine have with Drone?
Neither of them liked it, they were afraid that another person fell victim to Lord Caine. Alpine felt like she got off lucky when she received Caine's request to start her project, and that he didn't demand anything else from her. If he wanted weapons, fine, as long as he'd leave her and Hen alone, she'd be happy to oblige.
Still, what if he wasn't satisfied? The question gnawed at Alpine, like a tick refusing to detach itself from her body.
Alpine took a deep breath, standing up.
She wanted to find out, find out what Caine could be doing to him, what he could be telling him, or anything for that matter. Plus, she had the perfect excuse to do so.
Alpine wanted answers, what could a man from another world want now?
Hmph.
Hate.
Days prior…
"Crap!"
Thunk!
In an attempt to lift the Longsword she had crafted herself, Alpine used both arms to wield it. At first she was successful, lifting it above her shoulder just for it to swing behind her. Forcing her to drop it, and thus the blade stabbed itself into the solid ground.
Alpine chuckled, mostly out of shock but also from pride.
The longsword, in Alpine term's, is "Fucking awesome."
As the name implies, it was long. The handle was made from the finest woods and metal she could procure, Doctor Caine even had to assist her by giving Alpine items the dragons left behind. Using the dragon artifacts, such as metal toothpicks, talon clippers, dragon currency, and some other items they couldn't really identify. Alpine smelted them, and used it in the production of this weapon.
The blade was the selling point, naturally. Not only was it eighty-percent made from dragon metals, it also bore dragon scales.
It was tedious processing, dragon scales are massively much more heat resistant compared to metals. Making it difficult for her to mold it in the desired shape, yet Alpine still managed to pull it off. Instead of forcing the scales to melt under the intense heat, she instead forged the scales directly into the sword's blade and even hilt itself.
Giving it much more durability and slashing power for anyone strong enough to even wield it properly, it also gave the sword a neat design. Red scales gleamed off the flat side of the blade, all planted precisely within a short distance from each other, almost giving it a checkered look.
Using all of her willpower, she'd also managed to forge scales onto the blade directly, the slashing part. An incredible feat for her, and a feat Rooster would no doubt praise her for.
If he was here…
She let out a sigh of frustration and clenched her bandaged fist, gritting her teeth as the anger got to her.
That bastard!
Using her anger, she lifted the longsword from the ground and slashed the cobblestone pillar behind her.
"I'll kill him!" Roaring in fury, Alpine swung the longsword, cutting the pillar cleanly in half.
Shink! An audible shink was heard as the blade did its job, cutting through the stone like butter. It was so clean that Alpine was caught off guard, letting the blade go flying from her hand and crashing into the corner of the workshop.
Alpine widened her eyes in bewilderment, looking down at her empty hands and then to the pillar before her. Rocks began to trickle down, and eventually the pillar collapsed entirely. Sending Alpine stumbling back to take over, bracing herself as she expected the ceiling to fall.
But it didn't.
The ceiling caved in, splinters from the wooden roof fell and a few more stones rolled onto the floor. To Alpine's relief, it looked like her workshop stood strong despite her raged induced outburst.
"Moonsss…" Muttered Alpine, standing tall once again, patting down her sleeveless tunic and baggy trousers. She looked at the crash site of the longsword, thankfully it crashed into the "Junk" section of the workshop. So nothing of value was lost, except her confidence in being a responsible blacksmith.
I'll clean it up before Hen notices…
Alpine shifted her attention to the wall next to her, where she hanged all of her tools and weapons. However one stood out from the rest, a towering shield.
After I take a look at this.
Taking a couple of steps, Alpine put her hands on her hips, and whistled in admiration of the piece of work in front of her.
Calling the shield "Towering" didn't do it justice, when Alpine says it's big, it's BIG.
It stood taller than her, and she was taller than most people in her village, if she was wearing Rooster's old pair of boots…
The shield bore an interesting artistic piece, one entirely made from Doctor Caine. In the middle of the shield, a much smaller version was drawn into it, with a longsword similar to the one Alpine had crafted, going diagonally across it.
Just as the sword, it was about eighty-percent made from dragon material. And out of all the scales Doctor Caine managed to source from the dragon, the shield consumed most of it.
For good reason.
Thanks to it, it provided exceptional defense for its user. In Alpine's testing, the only thing that managed to scratch it was the longsword. So far, nothing in Alpine's vast arsenal of questionable tools and weapons can even lay a dent in it.
"Come here…" She reached behind the shield, exerting all of her strength to lift it off the hook that held it up on the wall. Gritting her teeth, she used her legs for added strength.
"Yes!" She yelled in victory, managing to hold it up in the air.
For a few seconds, until it came crashing down on her.
"N-NOO-"
Bang!
The shield fell directly ontop of her, pinning her to the ground. Leaving Alpine squirming underneath, her limbs flailing wildly in an effort to get it off of her.
"I can't breathe!"
Meeting.
Part Two.
"I'm not letting you go by yourself," whispered Hen, walking alongside Alpine.
"I'm just going to get Drone, that's ALL," said Alpine, his face stern and determined, staring dead ahead at the Lord's home.
"Then why can't I come, hm?" Hen said, nudging her.
"It's not that you can't come… I, me, myself, Alpine, don't want you to," replied Alpine.
"It's my job to protect you," Hen said, matter of factly. "Not the other way around, so let ME speak to him," Hen poked her cheek. "You look like you wanna bite him…"
"Hmph."
"Maybe maul him is the better word…"
Hen couldn't be more on the money, Alpine did NOT like Caine, and it's not surprising why.
Mulling on Hen's word, she stopped right before the lord's door and sighed. Hen was right, if Alpine wanted to feign being on good terms with Doctor Caine, then it'd be best to have Hen speak for her.
"Okay, you talk," said Alpine, crossing her arms. "Just remember why we're here."
Hen nodded. "Hi, we're looking for Drone, have you seen him?" She said to herself, practicing her dialogue. Her heart was pumping, and she felt herself grow hotter the longer she stood outside the Lord's home.
"Hi, we're looking for Drone, have you seen him?" She murmured again.
Then again.
And again, wiping the sweat off her face.
Alpine of course noticed, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Hen, please, you're just-"
"No! It's fine… I got it…" Hen was afraid.
Slowly, she drew her fist to knock on the door.
Knock, knock… Knock.
Even Alpine felt her heart rate go up, she could even feel the stares of the other villagers around them.
Hen practiced her smile, pushing aside her golden and red locks that drifted into her face thanks to the wind.
And after a few seconds… Nothing.
They exchanged glances, silently communicating with one another.
"Should I…?" Questioned Hen, raising her fist to knock.
"N-no, I'll do it-"
The door opened wide.
"Can I help you?"
Hen's heart fell further than it ever did, hearing the voice of her Brother's killer right in front of her.
Alpine instinctively clenched her fist, even taking a small step back, her eyes wide and wild.
Doctor Caine merely reacted with an awkward expression, one that displayed. "Are you two okay…?"
It was when Hen cleared her throat, and spoke, that he dropped his questioning look.
"H-Hi! I… I-No we! Me and Alpine wanted t-to…" Deep inhale, followed with another clearing of the throat. "Milord, me and Alpine were only looking for a young man named Drone, have you seen him…?" Hen said, as sweetly as she could, looking up at the Lord, forcing herself to not scrunch up her face at the waft of Tobacco.
Caine glanced down at Hen, then up at Alpine who was only an inch or two shorter than him. "He's with me," he said simply.
"O-oh, great!" Hen said. "You see, the men that are pushing the wagon requested his help in completing the task you have given them, would you please send him over to help?"
Alpine tried to peek over his shoulder, but she couldn't without being too obvious, so she could only see a few of the bags and crates lined up, no signs of Drone.
"Hm," Caine hummed. "What difference would he make? Drone's weaker than them, he's better used here than there."
"Uh," Hen muttered, caught off guard by his blunt tone. "I… I'm sure you mean well, b-but they-"
"If they have a problem they can come speak to me," interrupted Caine. "Now is there anything else you need? I'm busy at the moment, so please make it quick."
"Uh," Stammered Hen, raising a weak finger. "I-"
"Can we see him?" Alpine chimed in, with a stern expression.
Caine drew his gaze to her, his piercing yellow eyes staring directly back at Alpine's hazel eyes. "Hm," he mulled it over. "I'll get him, please wait a moment."
The Lord closed the door, allowing Hen a moment to breathe, and Alpine patted her back reassuringly.
It didn't take long for Drone to come to the door, as the door knob jostled, opening to reveal Drone.
"H-hey guys!" He said excitedly.
"Drone!" Hen sighed in relief, pulling him in for a short embrace. "Ah, thanks the moon's your okay…"
Drone happily accepted the embrace, patting her back, his smile wavering as his brow rose at her comment. "Huh, of course I'm okay!" He said, pulling back from her.
"He's not trying anything with you, right?" Alpine inquired.
"A-Alpine!" He said, a bit too excited. "And… wait, what do you mean?" He asked, rubbing his neck.
"I mean, he's not… hurting you, right?"
"What?!" Drone shook his head. "No! What?! No! He hasn't done ANYTHING of the sort!" He crossed his arms. "On the contrary, we are getting along pretty good," he said with a sly smirk.
What does that mean?! Alpine and Hen screamed in unison, in their minds of course.
"Heh, ya know…" He said, his expression turning defensive. "He's not THAT bad of a guy," he continued. "Lord Caine is even teaching me how to slay dragons, heh, can you believe that?!"
Neither woman responded, instead they simply… Pitied him.
"Guys…?" He said softly, clearly expecting more of a jubilant expression. His green eyes fell over Hen's face, and she glanced away. Then it drifted over to Alpine, a glint of hatred in them before she scoffed and turned away.
So that's what he's doing.
Ugh, Drone, you're better than this…
"What else are you doing?" Asked Alpine, a look of indifference in her face. "Looks like you're packing stuff."
"O-oh Yeah!" Drone said, rubbing his neck, glancing over his shoulder. "Um, you probably heard, he's planning to sell some stuff he made to buy more supplies for the village. I'm just helping him prepare," he paused. "Oh, and he's inviting me along."
"WHAT?!" The women screamed in unison, this time out loud.
"Y-you can't go with him!" Hen said. "What if he-!" Her mouth was shut closed by Alpine's hand. Caine peeked his head out his office, a curious look on his face, but he tossed his concerns aside and withdrew back into his room, doing who knows what.
"Shhhh!" Alpine hushed.
"What's wrong?" Drone asked, innocently. "It's just a sale, we'll be fine."
Alpine let go of Hen's mouth, leaning forward just a bit to peek over Drone's shoulder, checking the coast was clear before she whispered to him. "Seriously Drone?! He's killed for no reason before, what makes you think you're any different to him?! Caine's actually insane!"
Drone rolled his eyes at her concern, even pushing her back slightly. "Guys, he's not gonna kill me if that's what you guys think," he kept his expression neutral, annoyance brewing within. "Look, he's not that bad. He's helping us, and soon enough, we'll actually stand a fighting chance against dragons!"
Hen gently laid her hand on his arm. "Drone, he's filling your head with fantasies, please don't take his word…" Hen gave his arm a reassuring squeeze. "And, even you must admit. Don't you think that goal is a bit… Ridiculous? Our… Lord hasn't even solved our shortage crisis in the past months, what makes you truly believe he'll teach you how to slay a dragon?"
"Hen, come on!" Exclaimed Drone. "D-don't you see that head over there?! Look at it! It's HUGE, and he killed that thing… In. A. Single. Blow," he said. "If there's anyone who can teach me to become a dragonslayer, it's Lord Caine."
Hen sighed, bringing her hand back. "Well, if that's what you want to believe, as long as he isn't harming you, I-I guess it's alright…"
"And Drone," spoke Alpine, refusing to meet his gaze.
"Uh, yeah?"
"The guys need your help," she gestured with her thumb, pointing behind her.
"Oh!" He said. "Do you mind telling them I'm busy?"
"…"
"I-I'll tell them myself then…"
After a moment, Hen excused herself along with Alpine, wishing Drone well.
Hearing the door close behind them, they began to converse as they walked off.
"I'm worried for him…" Murmured Hen.
Alpine sighed, agreeing. "Yeah… I think Drone is just lost."
Hen hummed. "Right, he's still young, maybe with some time Drone will come to his sense and realize-"
"Excuse me!" A voice called behind them, belonging to Doctor Caine. He jogged lightly behind them, stopping at a safe distance. "Alpine!" He said, now clearing his voice.
Both women were startled, Alpine begrudgingly turned to face him and motioned for Hen to keep walking. Hen of course silently refused, until Alpine mouthed "I'll be fine" to her. Temporarily relieving her nerves, and walking on without Alpine at her side.
"Yes…?" She asked, annoyed.
Doctor Caine had narrowed his eyes at her, then at Hen, then back at Her. However, his eyes relaxed soon after. "About the project…" He began. "You had them scheduled to be done yesterday, correct?"
Alpine nodded.
"Splendid, take the weapons to the barn and have the workers set it up on the wagon."
"Okay."
Doctor Caine kept his gaze on her for a moment, then promptly turned back to his home. Alpine refused to turn her back to him, until he shut the door.
Slowly craning her head ahead of her, she took a deep breath, and exhaled.
"Let's get it over with…"
Some time later…
Clank!
The heavy weapons fell on the cart, rattling it until it settled comfortably. Thankfully she hasn't had another accident regarding one of weapons falling on her, or the other slicing parts of the house.
She learned from her mistakes.
Now she just had a final task, to take them to the barn, and… lift them back up again…
Sigh.
Anyways, Alpine stood in the blacksmith's workshop. It was still light out, so she had the windows open and a few candles lit in the darker corners.
Alpine always took a moment to admire whatever tool she smelted, and this wasn't any different.
Hmph, Rooster would've loved this.
She traced the outlines of the scales forged into the weapons with her thumb, relishing the feel of it.
It reminded her when she was younger, stuck under the palms of a dragon, it felt vaguely similar.
…
The dragon that stole her.
…
The dragon that talked to her.
A memory that forever embedded herself into her mind, the dragon's words still echoing in the ear. The deep vibration she felt when it spoke, the uncomfortably human voice it had.
And whenever she tried to talk about "guys, dragons can talk, trust me bro!" Rooster and Hen alike told her it was just her childish imagination, a way her body protected itself from traumatic experiences.
A theory, and a theory with evidence according to them. Turns out it wasn't all that uncommon for children to forget or hallucinate whenever they suffer through something life threatening.
The most popular story Rooster had was that a guy his age fell from a tree in the rainforest, plummeting to the ground, and yet, he survived.
The man swore a dragon from the darkness saved him, catching him in its palms before blacking out.
Obviously, no one believed him. And if anybody did, they'd be ridiculed until they were kicked out from the area.
So, any story regarding dragons and humans saving one another. Were labeled as fairy tail, and Alpine's story is no exception.
"Alpine?" Hen said, behind her, walking into the smith's workshop. "I thought you were taking this to the barn…"
"I am," said Alpine, cracking her back with a slight groan. "I'm… thinking is all."
"About?" Asked Hen with a smile, patting her back.
Alpine sighed, shaking her head. "I still miss Rooster…"
Hen hummed, her smile faltering ever so slightly. "I do too," she said, rubbing her back. "And wherever he is… I'm sure he misses us too."
Hen continued to hum, doing her best to soothe Alpine. Sometimes she even wished she could pick Alpine up, and soothe her like she did when Alpine was a small child.
She hated seeing Alpine like this, and she hated the man even more for making her feel this way…
Patting her back, Hen attempted to change the topic, in an effort to lighten up the mood at least a little bit.
"Wow, did you make that Alpine?" She said in an awestruck voice, looking down at the weapons.
Alpine huffed, side-eyeing her. "Yeah, who else?"
Hen scoffed, a small blush of embarrassment on her face. "It was just a question, I didn't need the attitude…"
"W-what attitude?!"
"This! Attitude!"
"WHAT, I'm just answering your question!"
"With an attitude!"
"What are you talking about-?!" Alpine paused. "Okay, let's restart.
"Okay…"
"…"
"Did you make those… Tools?"
"Yes, yes I did-"
"YOU STILL HAVE AN ATTITUDE!"
"HEN-" Hen's laughter cut Alpine off, and Alpine of course couldn't resist joining in.
They both knew it was a stupid argument, a reminder of the antics when they were younger, when they'd push each other's buttons to the maximum until Rooster had to be the one to shut them both up.
The older they grew, the less silly moments like these they had. So, this was a very welcome silly argument.
It was as if they were still little girls under Rooster's care, like the good old days.
Alpine wiped the tears off her face, as Hen still let out a few more giggles.
"Okay, seriously," said Alpine. "I need to start moving these things," she grabbed the handle of the cart. "I don't want Caine coming in here."
"Y-yeah, I wouldn't want that either," Hen said. "I'll let you get to it then, I'll prepare whatever is left for dinner," Hen flashed another smile at Alpine, then turned and walked off.
Alpine took a small breather, flexing her muscles as she began to mentally prepare to do her task. And maybe shoot a small prayer to whoever is listening, that the cart wouldn't give out in her mid trip…
Thankfully, it survived the trip.
Alpine arrived at the barn, and the working men already had everything set up.
The dragon head was fitted onto a much larger wagon, connected to the carriage ahead of it, and pulling the carriage was two fit work horses.
Alpine couldn't really peek into the wagon, but she saw glimpses of jugs and other materials. Presumably stuff the lord wanted to sell, and where her weapons were going. They must've finished transporting everything.
"Alpine!" Drone peeked his head over the wagon, carefully stepping between the items on it. "Hey wha-" His eyes fell on the weapons. "Woah!"
A surge of pride went through her, watching Drone hop down the wagon and examine the weapons in awe made her feel a sense of accomplishment of her work. Alpine worked hard whenever she smithed a weapon, she believed any failure would stain Rooster's title as a self proclaimed master blacksmith.
"Wow, Lord Caine was mentioning something about these!"
Like a switch, her sense of pride was overshadowed by her hate for Caine.
"Oh," she said, her tone neutral. "Really?"
"Mhm," he nodded. "Is it true they can cut through a dragon…?" Drone whispered, not wanting to attract the attention of the other men.
Alpine shrugged, and that seemed to be enough of a confirmation for Drone, as he had to resist squealing in excitement.
"So cool!"
"Ima leave these to you," she said, turning away, not wanting to be around here any longer, especially if the Doctor was supposed to return at any moment.
"N-no no no, Alpine!" Drone quickly rushed in front of her. "Wait! I-"
Alpine leaned back, her eyes looking at him in confusion. "Drone, what's your problem?" She asked, already growing annoyed.
"Sorry!" He blurted. "But… Okay… How do I say this…" He sighed. "I… Alpine… I know why you don't like our lord…"
"Move," she said firmly.
"Hear me out!"
Alpine huffed, crossing her arms and looking away.
"Fine."
Drone let out a short exhale of relief, before continuing. "As I said, I know why you don't like him… and, I know I shouldn't either. My parents are kinda like you, in that respect. I only told them a short while ago, and they were already on my case about it…" He said, shaking his head at the memory of his parents reaction to his latest venture.
He lowered his face mask. "Alpine… I'm really sorry for what happened with Rooster, and… even though it doesn't seem like it, I haven't exactly forgotten what happened on that day. I don't think anyone else has…" He paused. "I'm not happy about it, no one is… but, I think it's better to look past that-"
"-And forget the people he killed?" Alpine interrupted, her tone sharp.
"No!" He said, shaking his head frantically. "That's not what I'm saying-!"
"Then what are YOU saying, Drone?"
He wiped the sweat off his forehead. "I'm saying, we should take whatever blessings we have… while we still can…" Drone paused, expecting Alpine to interrupt.
She didn't.
Continuing, Drone said. "I'm not going a sugarcoat it he's a… weird guy-"
"Weird, as in; crazy, homicidal, god complex, and did I mention a fucking LUNATIC-!"
"Shhhhh!" Drone hushed.
Alpine rolled her eyes.
"I know I know!" He said. "But he's not stupid! H-he has a plan! He told me!" Drone said, a nervous smile on his face. "I… he wants to help fix this village, Lord Caine wants to prove himself, to show why he can be trusted!"
"And how is he doing that?" Alpine scoffed. "Is he gonna kill himself and come back to the living to show he's some sort of god?"
"What?" Drone said, genuinely confused, nonetheless he shook his head. "No! By doing this!" He gestured to the wagon. "Like I said, he wants to sell these things, and use the money to buy supplies for the village. Like crops, tools, and maybe even cattle! Imagine how many seeds he can buy with a dragon head!"
Alpine sighed obnoxiously. "Why are you telling me this?" She said, "You think I'll magically change my mind?"
"Of course not," Drone smiled. "And that's why I wanna invite you to come along," he said. "So you can see yourself, why he's not all that bad."
"…"
"Alpine?"
Hmmm.
She didn't want to admit it, but she was interested in the idea of joining along. Alpine wanted to know desperately why a good chunk of the village's populace all of a sudden went to his side despite the pain he caused, and she kinda knew why.
According to the stories, Caine himself challenged the dragons and slain one of them, and the rest fled.
Even went as far as to steal the goods, and dragon's treasure if you will. It's a feat you'd hear in a fairy tale, but somehow the man that appeared out of nowhere in her village managed to pull it off.
No one truly knew the details, other than Caine, but something told her Caine wasn't someone you could trust blindly.
Even then, she couldn't understand why anybody would want him. I mean, the "dragon attack" wouldn't have happened if he hadn't become their lord.
Right?
That's what Alpine believes.
So why would ANYONE want him…?
Alpine couldn't understand, she could never.
But maybe… she could.
As if.
No, she couldn't, Alpine was sure of that.
But you know what she is sure?
Her hate for him, Alpine wanted Caine dead.
…
"How far will the trip go?" Alpine asked suddenly.
"Huh?!" Drone said. "I… I don't know! But I do know it's somewhere by the mountains, Caine is actually getting the map now to find the trade market…"
By the mountains.
If she were to go…
Alpine could find herself alone with Caine, and kill him then. He'd be completely vulnerable, and she wouldn't have to worry about him having traps laid out for her or anything, and best of all, none of the warriors will be there to protect him.
Other than Drone, but he could hardly be called that, at least that's what Alpine believed…
In other words, she could pull off an assassination.
A smile grew on her lips.
"Okay," she said. "I'll go."
"Huh?!" Drone stammered. "S-seriously?!"
"Mhm," Alpine confirmed. "I'll… give you guys some company…"
"Awesome, m-maybe he can teach us both?! We can both become dragonslayers-!"
In his excitement, Alpine simply walked past him.
Lost in her thoughts and plans, she left her weapons behind assuming Drone would take care of it. Now, she headed back to tell Hen the news.
Lessons From David.
It's been a bit hectic trying to organize everything, but that was a given due to how long this village spent remaining reclusive. So when the order came for a carriage, wagon, and horses. The people in charge of those things scrambled to set them up, rounding the horses and making sure they were capable of making the trip. Inspecting the long abandoned carriage and wagon that hasn't been used since the founding of this village, and testing to see whether it'd carry the dragon head without collapsing like legos.
In the end, everything was set up.
Caine sat on the carriage with the midday sun smiling down at him, he wrote in his notebook. Double checking everything.
Jugs? He looked over his shoulder at the wagon behind him, containing the jugs.
Check.
Products? Looking over the wagon once again, he scanned the vast assortment of random items, all of which originally belonged to dragons.
Check.
Dragon head? The Doctor didn't need to look, it's hard to miss something that large and creepy. Caine would occasionally look over his shoulder, making sure it was still dead and it wouldn't spontaneously wake up and eat him in one bite from behind.
The state of the head was as you would expect with a decaying dragon head, it reeked of death, and it wasn't that pleasant to see either. Bugs got to it, but Doctor Caine managed to concoct a repellent of sorts. Keeping the head in relative decent condition, while also working to prevent the smell from getting worse. A tarp was laid over it, and it helped tremendously.
Check…
Weapons? Drone managed, with the help of the other men. Fitted the draconic weapons onto the wagon, after a lot of shoving stuff aside.
Speaking of weapons.
Doctor Caine checked his side for his trusty sidearm, it hung by his waist comfortably. He's done necessary maintenance on it, keeping it in the most pristine condition possible. He debated whether to bring it, but figured there was no harm in doing so. Caine didn't plan to reveal it anyways, it was nothing more but a life line.
On the other hand, he had his stone knife. He modified it, giving it a stronger handle and a cleaner edge.
Another welcome addition to his arsenal was his short blade, he had no idea how he would wield it in a fight. But hopefully he wouldn't need to know where he was going, if worse comes to fruition then he'd use it to stab anything that got close.
That should be all, he flipped through his pages. Revising his notes and sketches, he felt like he was forgetting something.
Oh that's right, our story… the doctor grumbled, scratching his chin in thought.
Caine had a story prepared prior to today, a pretty average one at that. It went…
My name is Percival, and this is my apprentice, Drone. We come from beyond the seas, seeking the individual responsible for this slain beast. Oh, and what are these weapons you say? They were the weapons left behind by the great Dragonslayer! Do you want them? Unless you can prove to me you can slay a dragon, you have to buy them. Oh, but what are these tempting goods you say? Well, I'm glad you asked!
Then he'd go on a spiel regarding his goods, and why people should buy them. Naturally, the story was over the top to draw the most attention, if anybody asked for proof, he could just point at the gargantuan dragon head.
Simple enough.
All in all, he was ready to depart.
"Drone!" Called Caine. "Are you ready?"
He got nothing back.
"Drone?"
"Uhhh…" One of the warriors nearby approached him, clearing his throat. "Drone left."
"What…" Said Caine. "Why?"
"Don't know," answered the warrior. "Whatever it was, he looked anxious."
"Hmm," Caine grumbled, a little annoyed by Drone's abrupt departure.
"Oop-" The warrior raised a finger, pointing. "Never mind, he's coming… with two women?"
The warrior wasn't wrong, in the distance. Alpine took the lead with Hen in tow, Drone on the other hand, appeared to by trying to stop them. By walking backwards and waving his hands in front of them in a desperate attempt to halt them, despite not laying his hands on them.
"What's going on?" Caine whispered to himself, studying the body language of the group. Drone was frantic, sending quick glances at him and back at the woman. While Alpine walked with confidence, completely ignoring him and Hen… she looked just as frantic, however she did a better job in hiding it compared to Drone.
Caine dropped to the ground, landing on his two feet as he heard them approach, their conversation coming into range.
"Alpine!" Drone said as quietly as possible to avoid Caine from heading, while still expressing his clear distress at the situation. "Come on, I said just you-!"
"Drone," Caine said firmly, walking up to them. "What's the issue,"
"Uh!" He glanced back, then at Alpine, then at Hen, then at Caine. "Uhhh!"
"He invited me," Alpine spoke up, her tone casual.
Caine snapped his eyes to Drone, in silent anger. "Drone… I didn't remember mentioning anyone else coming along…" He said, coldly.
Drone shivered, turning his body to face him, giving him a sheepish smirk. "I-I… I know! Look! I-I figured that m-maybe having-I mean! Getting someone to help us would be beneficial to the mission! Uhuh, yeah!"
The Doctor studied him for a moment, Drone kept up his quivering smile, his emerald eyes shaking in anticipation.
"And instead of speaking to me about it, you make the decision yourself to invite another individual, without consulting me beforehand." He loomed over Drone.
Drone cringed at his own sloppiness, lowering his head. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to offend!"
A few chuckles rang behind Caine, from the few warriors that constantly stood nearby him as guards. Clearly enjoying Drone's pain and suffering.
"Hmph," Caine lifted his gaze up to Alpine. "And I presume you accepted his invite, correct?"
Alpine nodded.
"Hm," he hummed, taking another moment to study her. Alpine immediately felt off, sensing like something was wrong… instead of calling him out, she simply stared right back at him, a silent challenge.
"Why?" Caine suddenly asked.
Alpine kept her expression serious, while her mind ran wild trying to come up with an answer, she couldn't tell Caine she wanted to kill him. That wouldn't be good.
"Psh, you made me make those weapons and expect me to not wanna use 'em?" Alpine said, scoffing. "I wanna slay a dragon, and… unfortunately, you're the only one qualified to teach me."
Caine remained silent with his stare unyielding, boring into the soul of Alpine.
"Sooo…" Alpine trailed off a bit awkwardly. "Can I be your… aqpprentice…?" She finished, cringing.
"Hm," his eyes drifted to Hen. "And you're here, why?"
"Oh?" Hen said softly, not expecting him to speak to her. "Oh! Ha, I… I couldn't let Alpine go by herself! N-no I can't allow that, hahahaha…"
Heennnn… Alpine cringed eternally, lowering her head slightly as Hen clung onto her arm.
"You too wish to come with us?" Caine asked, tilting his head slightly.
Hen sweated profusely, nodding her head with vigor. "Yes! Please! I won't be a burden! I just want to make sure Alpine will be… safe and sound! Sh-she's my niece after all! Hehe…"
"I see…" Whispered Caine, growing more and more tired of this interaction.
He sighed. "Okay, I'll allow it, as long as you two promise to listen to every order I give you, understood?"
Hen nodded, whereas Alpine rolled her eyes.
Pow!
"AH-!" Alpine clutched the back of her head, and soon nodded vigorously at Hen's persuasion.
"Good," Caine said. "We'll be leaving soon, grab whatever essentials you need before we leave. I plan to camp when it gets dark, so bring a bed roll."
Caine didn't wait for an answer, and left them to climb back up the carriage. Drone sighed in relief, before raising his head to face the flustered Alpine.
"Could've been worse…" He murmured, glancing at Hen. "I'd call it lucky he didn't mind Hen tagging along… I thought he would've sent me down under for that… Hehe…"
"And he wouldn't if you had just invited me?" Asked Alpine, raising a brow.
Drone shook his head. "No, he told me he wanted more people to join, like me. I didn't think he'd mind me inviting you behind his back… I was afraid that Hen would have gotten my ass beat when he heard she was coming along…"
"Sorrryyyyy…."
He sighed. "It's fine," Drone waved them off, turning his back to them. "I'll see you guys on the road then, remember to grab whatever, I don't think we'll be doing any return visits for left items," Drone walked off, and joined Caine on the passenger's side.
…
"You ready?" Asked Alpine.
…
"Yeahhh…"
After this, they had to stall another fifteen minutes because Hen was, indeed, NOT ready.
Lessons From David.
Part two.
"Okay, I'm ready," Hen said, smiling at the three other people in the carriage.
…
Alpine hadn't changed out of her attire since this morning, wearing a casual tunic and baggy trousers. The only thing she did change was the bandages on her hand, covering the burn marks from her job as a blacksmith.
Drone hadn't changed either during the wait, he opted to take a nap. He wore his light brown scout jacket with a dark tunic underneath. His trousers were like any other in the village, except it was tighter and flexible due to his occupation needing him to traverse through dense wilderness.
Doctor Caine still had the same lab coat since he was Isekaid into this world, except it was withered and torn. Other than that, he wore a pale tunic with casual trousers. He too, kept the same steel boots he had since the beginning.
Hen, who was the very reason they had to spend an extra fifteen minutes. Had her golden and red locks in a ponytail, her face was washed and made sure to change into a suitable attire for the trip. She wore a sundress with one of Alpine's baggy trousers. Hen stole a pair of warrior gloves, and fitted it on her hands. Giving her slightly more protection, and helping to cover the wound on her hand, after changing the bandage of course.
Caine looked over his shoulder, at the two women sitting behind. He glanced over Alpine, who shot him a weak thumbs up, and then over at Hen.
She flashed him a nervous smile, and that smile dropped when Hen noticed his eyes on her chest…
Disgust washed over her, along with embarrassment as she made an attempt to cover chest with a hand. "M-my lord!" She stammered, her cheeks flushed.
"Why are you wearing… that…?" He said, narrowing his eyes above her cleavage.
"Uhh…" Hen looked back down, and realized what he was ACTUALLY looking at.
It was the Dragon Charm, one of the things that solely belonged to Rooster before he passed.
"Oh," she said weakly. "Is this an issue…?" Hen asked timidly.
Drone didn't pay attention to what was happening, resting his head on his palm lazily as he stared off ahead. Alpine however, kept a firm eye on Caine, she thought he was a peeping tom, so she made sure to pay extra attention to him…
"I thought I had them ordered to be destroyed," he said. "Why are you wearing them?" He asked, his voice stern.
"It's none of your business-" Alpine began, before she was hushed by Hen.
"Alpine!" She said, "I-I'll explain…"
Caine remained silent, allowing her to explain.
"It's my older brother's necklace, he owned it, just him… I like to wear it myself whenever I feel…" She trailed off, silence filling the air for a moment. "I… I just like to wear it… Please… Can I wear this? It's not to protect myself from the dragons, but to feel closer to my brother…" Hen pleaded, in a soft and genuine tone.
The Doctor's expression was conflicted, until it began to relax ever so slightly.
"What happened to your brother?" Doctor Caine asked.
…
Hen's eyes widened, becoming blurry. She quickly lowered her head, clenching her fist.
"You. Killed. Him." Alpine said, behind him.
Doctor Caine inhaled softly, closing his eyes before he exhaled and turned ahead of him.
"Let's go."
And they left the village without another word, down an overgrown dirt road. You could hardly tell it was a road, due to the dense shrubs that grew in the way. Fortunately the horses trampled them easily, however it didn't spare them from the bumps in the earth.
The map Caine used to guide them was old, and clearly outdated. Since the village never relied on any trade routes or anything of the sort, anyone hardly ventured this far.
Hell, it was a miracle the carriage and wagon didn't fall apart after years of no use and virtually zero maintenance.
Despite these odds, Caine confidently took the reins and led them deeper. With the occasional assistance of Drone, due to his expertise in the wilderness.
Orange streaked the sky above, warning the incoming darkness of the night to come. The clouds were scattered and mostly pale, unlike the clouds far in the distance ahead, where they were dark and gray. Caine took note of this, and sought to look for an area to settle down.
It took an hour to find a place to hide the carriage and wagon, and it took half an hour to cover the goods with vegetation.
When they were done, the sun had set. Casting the forest in an eerie darkness, Hen held onto Alpine. As Drone took the lead in the dark, taking the group deeper into the forest to rest. All in the hopes to avoid the eyes of dragons, and strangers alike.
They found a small open space of grass, that was under a large tree that had long branches covering the top. And after a few minutes of preparing, they had the campsite set.
Alpine couldn't sleep in her bedroll, she remained awake staring up at the swinging branches above. On the other hand, Hen was deep in her slumber, in her own bedroll snuggled up against Alpine.
Drone had left after Caine whispered something to him, and Alpine assumed Drone was tasked with scouting the area, since that was his specialty.
Caine sat on a lichen covered boulder that was settled deep into the ground, under his tent. He had his back turned to her, with a soft glow emitting beside him. From his phone, and it was obvious he was writing something in his notebook.
Alpine steadied her breath as she studied him, clenching her fist in the bedroll.
This… This had to be it…
Shuffling slowly, her hand snuck into one of her pockets on her trousers, and pulled out a knife. Alpine didn't expose it, keeping the knife in her bedroll, clenched in her fist.
There was no way for her to move without drawing Caine's attention, if Alpine made a slight movement, the Doctor would glance at her, even if it was for a second.
Alpine could not risk Caine seeing her with a knife.
She had to plan her movements.
But how?
What could she use to mask her sounds…?
Hmmmm…
Alpine took a moment to listen to the sounds around her.
The sounds of the branches swishing above, the breeze of the wind flying past them. And the faint echoes of the night's critters, constantly reminding them that they weren't alone.
Dang, how am I-
A bright flash of light interrupted her thoughts, followed by a loud boom!
Alpine squeaked at the same time as the boom! Hen's body jumped, but she remained dead asleep, holding onto Alpine tightly.
Doctor Caine also jumped at the sound, muttering a curse to himself. Resuming to write, under the confines of his canvas tent.
Alpine was relieved no one heard, taking deep breaths to calm her anxiety.
Great, a storm…
…
That's it.
The storm!
She had to plan it right, if she did, Alpine could quickly move from under the tent during the boom! Without drawing his attention, but it's easier said than done.
Moving too late can draw his attention, and so can moving too early.
Taking a deep breath, Alpine waited patiently for the next flash of light…
…
The sounds of the forest became silent, as if waiting in trepidation for the next lightning strike as well. Moments more passed, waiting in excruciating silence, hearing Doctor Caine scribble some notes.
…
Responding to her prayers, the storm sent another bolt of lightning, lighting up the dark sky for a second. Alpine clutched at the hem of her bedroll with the knife in her palm, preparing to shoot herself out.
Boom!
Alpine pulled herself out of the bedroll, forcing Hen's arms off of her body. She stumbled back but caught herself before she made any more noise, the Boom! faded back into silence.
Hen stirred, her eyes fluttering awake. "Alpine…?"
"Shhhhh…!" Alpine brought a finger to her lip. "I'm… going to the bathroom!"
"Oh," Hen yawned. "Okay…" Shutting her eyes, she fell back asleep.
Quietly and carefully stepping out from under the tent, Alpine kept her posture low. Calculating every movement she made to avoid making noise.
Pit… Pat… Pit.. Pat. .Pitter. Patter-
It started to rain.
Luck couldn't have been more on her side.
Caine had his back turned to her, no weapons, engrossed in his writing. Drone was nowhere. Hen was sleeping. And the storm covered any noises Alpine made, it was perfect.
She shifted the knife in her hand, ready to stab down into him. Like a panther, Alpine closed the distance between their tents. The rain easily hiding the sounds of her footsteps.
And before long, she was in arms reach.
Alpine just had to-
"Ah!" A flash of light blinded her, coming… directly in front of her.
A deep sigh escaped Caine, looking at the photo he took. "I was hoping I'd be wrong…" Caine said, almost disappointed. He shook his head, his eyes scanning over the image.
It was a selfie, however half of his face was cut off. It mostly focused on Alpine, the knife clenched in her hands as it caught the moment she raised her free arm to block the flash of light.
"How…" Whispered Alpine, shocked at the "pocket lightning" that just flashed from his phone. "Magic…?"
Her confusion didn't last long, Alpine recovered from her daze and lunged at Caine-
Bonk!
"AH-!" Something heavy was thrown at her, crashing into her face, stumbling her back to the ground. "Ahhh…" Alpine hissed in pain, clutching her nose, blood beginning to drip from her nostrils.
"Drop the knife," Caine said, rising from his tent. The force of the storm picked up, almost like it ramped up at the situation progressing.
Alpine lowered her head, it was ringing in pain. Her eyes fell on the object Caine threw, that being the phone. But then, her eyes drifted to her other hand, still clenching the knife.
Still, Alpine had the advantage.
She could just lunge, stab him in his gut before he can react and-
"Don't do anything stupid."
"…" Gritting her teeth, Alpine got on one knee, clenching her hand, now ready to make her rush and-
No…
She… she can't… Alpine was… frozen.
Looking up at him, she saw… zero fear…
Why?
He was defenseless, Caine virtually zero experience when it came fighting hand to hand, other than training he hardly got to use. And he knew Alpine was stronger.
But… why is he so… calm…?
Something in her being told her it was a bad idea, like an intuition, warning her of a severe consequence if she followed through.
Could it be his piercing yellow eyes, staring down at her like… a dragon…? Or the way he didn't display any signs of anxiety? He didn't even allow the wind and rain from the storm to bother him.
Doctor Caine stood tall, confident, his hands at his sides as the rain fell all over him. The lab coat he wore since day one fluttered rapidly, his hair spun wildly in the wind. But he himself… was still as a statue.
Why?
Something told her to look.
Slowly craning her head, back over her shoulder. She saw it.
Alpine saw Drone, standing just beside her and Hen's tent. Holding an object, a shiny object…
"No… D-Drone…!"
She didn't know what it was called, but Alpine didn't need to know. No one did, you only needed to know it took lives in a blink of an eye.
It was Caine's gun, in the hands of Drone, being pointed at the tent where Hen is sleeping.
Drone looked mortified at his own actions, it's very obvious he was not at ALL happy with what he was doing. He even refused to look at the gun, choosing to look away, like a squeamish child told to execute a wounded deer.
"I'm sorry…" He murmured. "Please… Just listen to him…"
Alpine, with wide and teary eyes, turned to look back at Caine.
"Do as I say," he said. "And drop the knife."
Alpine dropped the knife.
Caine bent down and yanked it off the ground, he wiped the dirt off the blade and inspected it. Watching the water droplets trail down the metal.
"I don't want to… have to kill you, Alpine," Caine sighed, shaking his head. "But… help me understand…" he crouched down to her level.
"Why… why do you want to kill me?"
"Why…?" Alpine repeated, her voice breaking. "Y-you killed my father… In… In cold blood! You bastard-!"
Alpine let the tears fall freely, her expression that of pure hatred.
"Be grateful he died a quick death," Caine said. "And not a death handed to him by the dragons."
Sniffling, Alpine responded. "Not even the dragons… not even the dragons are as cruel as you…" She said, breathlessly. "At least dragons eat us, they use us for something! You… you killed my father… my dad… for no reason…" Alpine spat out. "For some stupid vision."
"Stupid?" Caine said. "Is that what you call freedom from the dragons… stupid?" His tone grew darker. "I am doing what's best for everyone, whether you neanderthals like it or not! I am! Me! I'm the only fucking person that can save you from a life of… cattle." His face was inches away from hers, glaring at her with such intensity that made her blood run cold. "Is that what you want? To be cattle, for the rest of your days?"
"… I… I just want my father back…" Alpine murmured, letting her head fall to the ground, softly sobbing to herself. Not caring for the mud clinging onto her body.
The lord closed his eyes, inhaling softly as he thought about what to say. Drone had long since lowered the weapon, and now stood at the ready for whatever orders Caine had for him next.
"I'm sorry," Caine said, softly. "I'm sorry for taking him away from you."
Alpine continued to sob.
"It wasn't right, and I know that…" He trailed off. "But it was necessary… and… I had to make the hard decision to do what I did… not only to preserve my life, but to give this world a chance… a chance for all humans to live a life, without the fear of dragons looming over them."
"Sniff… fuck you… sniff."
Caine sighed, picking up his phone and wiping off the muck.
"Can I show you something?"
Alpine ignored him, hearing him swipe over his device until a light shone from it.
"Please, before it becomes water damaged… and the village is out of rice… so…"
Her curiosity drew her to raise her head, just enough for her eyes to land on the screen of the device.
"What… what is that…?" Her eyes widened, and so were Drone's eyes, as he peeked over behind her.
"My world," he said, a faint smile on his lips.
On the screen of his device, he showed them an image of the earth he came from. Specifically that of Los Angeles.
It was another selfie of Doctor Caine, he looked younger. He stood on top of the tallest building in the city. Caine remembered it to be an event going on inside, but since everyone actively avoided him. He sought refuge on top of the building, doing his best to enjoy his time alone, thus propping the idea to take this picture.
In it, you could see everything the city had to offer. A beautiful sight of LA, a plane flying above, lights glowing all over the city, and the people walking on the street without a care in the world.
"This is Los Angeles… no hiding, no running, and… no dragons."
Alpine was mesmerized by the picture, her jaw slightly agape.
"This could be us…" Caine said, wiping away the rain that fell on the screen. "This… this could be your children's future… grandchildren… great grandchildren… this could be humanity's future."
"Wow…"
"And if you kill me… then… you can say goodbye to this future," he pressed the power button, shutting it off.
"W-where did it go…?"
"Gone," Caine said. "Nothing but a burning ball of magma in space now."
Alpine decided not to question his comment.
"Drone," Caine said, raising his voice a bit to get over the air rushing past them. "Come here."
Drone stepped closer to them, holding the gun by its handle.
"Give it to Alpine."
"What…?" Drone said, shaking his head. "Y-you said… give it to Alpine?"
Caine nodded.
Alpine looked at Drone beside her, shock written all over her face, she gingerly grabbed the gun from Drone's hand. Her fingers rubbed against the clean metal of the weapon, whatever the metal was, Alpine has never felt anything like it.
Looking back up at Caine, a flash of determination and anger appeared in her eyes. Rising up, ignoring the rain pelting her face, she pointed the gun at Caine.
"H-hey! Alpine! Don't-!"
"Drone! Let her decide!"
Alpine steady herself, her fingers twitching to pull the trigger. She now had him, down at her sights. Despite having little clue what the weapon actually was, she didn't need to be an expert on how to use it.
Alpine just had to pull the trigger.
Her heartbeat skyrocketed, Alpine's finger grazing the trigger.
Pull it.
…
And he's dead.
…
Pull it, Alpine.
…
Pull.
Her finger fell on the trigger.
It.
Then pulled it.
Crap, she's actually-!
Pop!
A bright much smaller flash "popped!" Into the forest, the three forms of their shadow figures appeared for a split second, before falling into darkness.
The next second.
Caine fell to the ground.
On Top of Alpine.
"You fucking idiot!" He exclaimed, wrestling Alpine.
In the seconds leading up to the fire, Caine was able to read her body language. They way her fingers held the weapon, and the way her body twitched in anticipation.
Not to mention the determined eyes of Alpine, staring directly at Caine's as she aimed it.
Caine had hoped she'd changed her mind, that his "presentation" would've encouraged her to let go, and look to the future.
But no.
Alpine was stubborn, something he didn't consider in his "calculations."
Drone yelped at the noise of the gun firing, the last thing she saw was Caine swatting the barrel of the weapon to another direction. Ultimately saving his life.
The gun plopped to the wet ground, the bullet casing with it.
Now.
Alpine and Caine struggled against each other, Alpine was winning. Until Drone stepped in, pulling Caine back.
After moments of struggle, Drone successfully pulled Caine from Alpine's deadly grasp.
"Gah!" Alpine got a final kick on him, landing on his abdomen.
"Alpine, stop!" Drone put himself between them.
Alpine panted in an effort to regain her breath, her hands shaking. Her eyes darted between Drone and Caine behind him.
"Drone," she said, gasping for breath. "Move."
Shivering under her intense stare, Drone didn't move.
"You animal…" Caine said, wheezing. "You… you were gonna kill me…"
"I wish I have-!"
…
"What's… going on…?!"
All heads snapped to Hen's voice, she weakly stood up under the storm's intense bombardment of winds and rain. She had a clothing item wrapped around her head, Hen's gold and red hair waving wildly under the elements.
Using this moment, Drone leaped and kicked the gun back to kick, sliding it over the muddy ground. Reacting quickly, Caine picked it up and hid it under his coat.
"Damn it!" Said Alpine, clenching her fist.
"My lord…" Hen approached Caine, keeping her head low. "What's the matter, why is everyone up…? It's cold-eep!" Hen was dragged back to Alpine, Alpine held her close at her chest.
"Alpine! Why-?!"
"Shh… I'm… Keeping you warm," Alpine said, loud enough over the storm.
She didn't want to admit, not in front of everyone, that she couldn't stand to see Hen so close to the man responsible for her father's death. Especially now, where he's no doubt riled up after her failed assassination attempt.
"We…" Caine spoke, wiping the muck off his body. "We were attacked… right, Alpine?"
Alpine narrowed his eyes at him, then looked away, scoffing. "Yes… yes we were."
Hen gasped. "Really?! By who-?!"
"They're gone," said Drone, pitching in. "Uh, we… scared them away," that sounded more like a question rather than a statement.
Hen sighed in relief, and after a couple more reassurances, AND after a stern lecture from Hen herself regarding the importance of staying warm despite "fending for their lives against thieves, because apparently it doesn't matter if you scare them, they'll come back when you're sick, and kill you."
Mind you, all while under a storm.
They all returned to their tents, soggy, dirty, and one of them humiliated.
Alpine's adrenaline wore off, she lay back under her tent, next to Hen who refused to let her go.
She couldn't sleep, not after what happened. Alpine was so close, so very close. To take revenge on that man.
But, the words he told her didn't fall on deaf ears. It still dwelled on her mind, the possibility of living that kind of future. No dragons, no troubles, and no fear of dying from flying sharks. It sounded fictional, but he showed her, in what seemed to be a portal to another reality, she saw it!
How'd he summoned the portal, no idea, she would just have to go on the rumor that Doctor Caine is a wizard, a magic man.
…
Cause it definitely wasn't just a phone.
…
Doctor Caine wasn't faring any better than Alpine, still on edge, his heart was still beating fast. Even as he tried to calm down, on the wet ground of his tent.
He was shocked to find out Alpine actually tried to kill him, Caine thought his presentation would have worked to convince her, or at least enough to spare his life.
It didn't, clearly.
And that thought… bothered him.
It…
Humiliated him.
It's becoming a habit.
Doctor Caine's constant failures kept adding up, something he wasn't used to in the slightest. He always held the highest track record when it came to his studies, his plans for the society worked flawlessly every time.
But, why is he failing here?
In a land of ancient humans and dragons, where his phone was considered "magical" in the eyes of fellow humans. He surely thought this journey of his would have been a walk in the park, yet Doctor Caine experienced more life and death scenarios then he ever has in his old world.
All of which due to his miscalculations.
This is not normal for him.
It's like every day he spends here, the stupider he gets, like he loses a piece of himself.
A piece of his soul.
"No… It's… it's not that deep…" Caine mumbled. "I… I don't have my notes, my data, my colleagues, Tch. No wonder I'm failing… I'm doing all that I can with what I have…"
He needs to get back into rhythm before his exceptional luck runs out.
"Some rest will do," he whispered to himself, shutting his eyes and attempting to sleep.
His thoughts, unending.
Lessons From David.
Part Three.
Compared to last night, the morning was uneventful.
Caine and Alpine shot daggers at one another, but at least they didn't try to kill each other. Thanks to Hen, she knew something was off. So she took extra precautions with Alpine, making sure she kept her distance from Caine.
Drone kinda did the same, helping Caine in whenever, whilst indirectly guiding him away from Alpine.
The preparations were short.
Everyone needed a good wash for the day, Drone found a river they could bathe in the night prior while scouting. He guided the group and they all took turns, Caine with Drone, Hen with Alpine.
When they were done, they dressed themselves, groomed themselves, and had some berries for breakfast. Slowly, the tension lifted between Caine and Alpine, their beef was put on a hiatus for the morning.
They all packed up their tents and belongings, Caine made sure to pick up the bullet casing from the ground, cursing at the wasted bullet. Alpine noticed, muttering a "then why did you move?" Comment as she walked past him, intentionally shoving him.
A team effort was required to push the wagon on the road, and the horses were closed by, tied up to a tree, grazing on the grass. Rodents scurried away from the head as it moved, Caine shouted a few curses at them too.
It was close to midday when they finally got the show on the road; traversing through forest, open valleys, through a cave, and a steep hill.
Now they were on the final stretch.
On a dirt road leading towards the base of the mountain, trees covered them from above, their branches serving as a roof to cover them from light above, or what remains of it.
It's turning late, evident by the orange streaks in the sky.
But it doesn't really matter, since they'd be underground in a few minutes.
They could see another wagon ahead of them, being pulled by another set of horses. A man sat on top of the wagon, filled with its own set of goods.
When they neared the large entrance, literally leading into the mountain. The wagon ahead of them halted, a guard approached them, and they now began to converse.
Caine tugged on the reins, slowing the horses enough so he could get his plan out.
"Everybody listen," Caine said, shifting to the right to face them better. "Pay attention, we can't let them know where we all come from. We do not know these people, and they do not know us… let's keep it that way."
Drone rubbed his eyes, waking up from his soft nap. "Huh… w-what are we talking about…?"
"I said, pay. Attention."
"Sorry…"
Sigh.
"Like I said, we shouldn't let them know we come from any village, or that I'm your lord or anything of the sort."
"Why? milor-… sorry, Caine…" said Hen.
"That," Caine nodded his head to the dragonhead. "We shouldn't draw unnecessary attention to the village, any stranger could mean harm, and our village isn't in any way shape or form ready to fight if it comes down to it… especially us…"
Caine got his notes, flipping through the pages. "In order to make it easier, I made a story that we all can follow. A story that'll explain how we 'found' the dragon decapitated, and that we had nothing to do with its death."
"Why don't you just say you killed it?" Alpine said, crossing her arms. "You want to take the fight to the dragons, and wouldn't that be the quickest way to do it? Inspire them like your the fucking messiah." Alpine's eyes narrowed. "Or are you gonna go on a killing spree again, to have everyone at their knees and-"
"No," Caine said, refusing to hear anymore. "I… I prefer not to do that…" He cleared his throat. "I thought about taking credit for the kill, but I have no clue how other people from outside the village will react. I could be putting myself in harm's way, a fat beacon of attention for anyone who wants more 'details' of our circumstances, details that we can't afford to share. Not now."
"Hmph," Alpine glanced away.
"Any questions before I begin?" Caine asked, raising his notes for all to see.
The three glanced at each other, then at Caine, ready for his plan.
"From now on," he studied his notes. "We'll all be a family-AAHHH!" Alpine pulled on his hair.
"Take it back! Take it back! TAKE IT BACK!" Alpine growled like a feral animal.
Hen and Drone fought against Alpine, Hen prying Alpine's fingers from Caine's hair like a man wrestling a wolf. Drone did what he could, which wasn't much, but he helped in pulling Caine away from her.
The next moment, Alpine let go, huffing in anger.
Caine recovered from his assault, leaning forward and fuming in his own anger. Slowly, he glanced over his shoulder, with the angriest look anyone had seen on him.
"What's your FUCKING problem?!"
"My problem?! Y-you wanna be a family? WHILE YOU TOOK A PART OF MY FAMILY AWAY?!"
A warrior from the trading cavern ran to them, "HEY, ENOUGH!" He exclaimed loudly, stomping his foot. "Have some decency! Or we will force you all to leave!"
That was enough to put them all in silence. Huffing, the warrior walked back to his post, glaring at them once he took his position.
"Can I finish my plan?" Caine said, calmly.
Hen's eyes became pleading as she looked at Alpine, begging her to relent.
She didn't.
"Make a new plan."
This bitch! Caine grabbed his handgun in his coat, clenching it furiously as he withdrew it-
A hand grabbed onto his, that hand belonging to Drone. Shaking his head, Drone whispered. "Lord Caine, please… she doesn't know better…"
"Drone, you don't speak for me-!" Said Alpine, until…
Bonk! Hen backhanded Alpine, and she let out a few whimpers.
Caine's eyes bore into Drone's, his stubbornness refused to let go of the weapon in his coat. Until his rational mind made itself present, making his relent with a heavy sigh, letting go of the gun.
"My plan will remain unchanged," Caine said, loud enough for them to hear. "We will become a family."
…
Phew.
…
"Drone," said Caine. "You will be my son."
Drone became shocked, flustered, then proud all in a span of few seconds.
"Hen," said Caine. "You will be known as my wife."
Unlike Drone, Hen grimaced, glancing away while her expression darkened.
"Alpine," said Caine. "My daughter."
…
"Our story is this," Caine raised his notes, reading them over. "We come from beyond the sea, in the search of the Dragonslayer responsible for this carcass we found. We come as a family, merely trying to make a living by selling our goods and items. While also finding anyone worthy enough of these weapons the great Dragonslayer left behind… or they can just buy it, that works too."
…
"Everyone understands?"
…
"Good, let's go," Caine whipped the reins, prepping the horse to move forward. "Oh, and you must all address me by Percival."
Everyone looked at him, genuine confusion written on their faces.
Sigh.
"Just call me Percy…"
Their confusion was now satiated, they returned their gazes ahead of them, watching the man that arrived before them with their wagon enter the large bustling cavern.
A warrior called them forward, halting them when they got too close to the entrance. He climbed up the carriage, staring them all down. "Names, and the reason for your visit," naturally, his attention fell on the literal dragon head on the wagon. "And… that."
Caine took a deep breath, straightening his posture. "Good afternoon, sir," his normally stern and no nonsense attitude changed into a soft and kind one. "My family and I come to do business here, times are rough so we made sure to bring the best we got," Caine smiled.
"Hm," the warrior hummed, his eyes on the dragon's head. "And please tell me that's a fake…" he murmured, a bead of sweat dripping down his cheek.
"Ha! You're more than welcome to take a whiff!" Caine laughed heartily. "I can assure you, the dragon is dead."
The warrior eyed Caine with suspicion, he called out to his fellow comrades and ordered them to inspect the wagon. "How…" the warrior trailed off. "H-how in all the moons… did… did you get THAT?"
Caine gave him an innocent smile. "Ah, it's a tale I'd like to share with the others inside. You're more than welcome to join, kind sir! I'll be selling drinks to go along with it, not to mention, I made the drinks with some… dragon essence. Trust me, you never had anything like it!"
The other warriors poked and prodded the items behind them on the wagon, inspecting the jugs and even taking a sip from it.
"GAH!" The warrior that took a sip coughed violently, nearly falling off the wagon. "Damn…!" He nodded his head. "WOW… that's… yeah… that's strong… hehe…"
"Glad you liked it gentleman," Caine said over his shoulders. "Now please, save some for the rest, hahaha!"
The alcohol inspecting warrior gave them a thumbs up, hopping down the wagon. Allowing another warrior to climb up and inspect the other items, his attention was immediately drawn to the draconic weapons.
"What the…" the next warrior said, crouching down to the sword and shield. "Where'd you find this?" He asked, touching the blade.
"Uh!" Drone decided to speak up. "Erm… A d-dragonslayer left it behind!" Drone said, smiling nervously.
"Really…?" The warrior whispered, rubbing the dragon scales on the shield. "Ain't that a lie?" He said, standing up, raising a brow at Caine. "The Dragonslayer I mean, ain't the son of a bitch a fraud?"
Caine chuckled. "Well, take a look at the dragon I have here and you tell me if I'm lying about a Dragonslayer slaying dragons."
The warrior waved him off. "Fuck, you ain't gotta convince me," he sniffed the tarp the covered the head, recoiling in disgust. "That shit is real, ain't paying me enough to inspect that fucking thang…"
He hopped off, concluding his own investigation.
"All clear!" The warriors said, to the warrior on the carriage.
"Looks like you're good to go sir," the warrior said. "Can I get your name?"
Caine nodded. "Percy, and yours?"
"Percy? Psh, they be naming anyone anything nowadays…"
Caine's brow twitched.
"My name is Mole, pleasure meeting you," he offered his hand to shake, and Caine took it. "Oh, and we'll need some form of payment before I can let you all enter."
What…?
"You need… payment…?" Caine said, his mind running for a solution.
"Mhm, we'll take gold, silver, nickel, whatever you have that's worth the value."
"…"
"…"
Caine shot a look at Drone.
"How about a boy?"
"Hmmm…" The warrior studied a betrayed Drone. "Can he work?"
He can't be serious! Drone cried.
"He can," Caine patted Drone's back. "Mind working, son? So me and the girls can go inside and freshen up, make some money for the road, alright?"
"…"
"Please…?"
"Okay… father…"
Drone dismounted the carriage, ignoring Alpine's stifled laughter, shooting her an annoyed glance. He waved them goodbye as they rode into the cavern, then he was pulled by the warrior to begin working.
The large curtain of vegetation that covered the entrance parted, revealing the loud bustling cavern behind it. Upon entering, all of their faces scrunched up. The air around them launched a heavy assault on their noses, it was raunchy, hot, and humid. Maybe having a bunch of sweaty individuals stuffed in a cave with little ventilation wasn't a good idea, but no one seemed to care other than them.
Ahh, Hidey Hole… Caine hummed, reminding himself of what he learned about this odd human hub.
Much of the information learned about this place was thanks to an old scroll Caine had scavenged from Elder Centipede, most of it was outdated and barely legible. But he got the gist of it.
Hidey Hole, it was originally a literal "Hidey Hole" for people to hide in during long travels, to avoid the sharp eye of the dragons above them, a safe point for them to rest. Overtime, it began more than that. People started to sell tools, essentials, and hot meals for those traveling from one village to another.
With more people visiting, the more the Hidey Hole grew in size. It evolved from a random cavern at the bottom of the mountain, now to a bustling "town" with winding tunnels and residences scattered about. The main point was the entrance, the most heavily guarded area of the town.
According to the notes the deceased elder left behind, it's a popular place for trade, refuge, and… women?
Not important.
Obviously, the main reason they came was for trade.
Caine couldn't find out who ruled over this town, nothing in the notes indicated the lord of Hidey Hole. The rest of the Elder's notes were destroyed, meaning any customs, rules, and warnings the elder possibly wrote was lost to time.
Like any "tourist" from his old world, he had to play it safe and follow any signs he saw. Ask a few locals, read the newspaper, a map, and treat himself for a meal.
But he also had to scout for a place to set up his post…
…
I think better with a full stomach…
Lessons From David.
Part four.
"Phew…" Caine breathed deeply, sweating all over, recovering from his workout moments prior.
"Are… are we done…?" Alpine muttered, hunched over the bar table, equally as exhausted.
"Yeah… yeah…" Caine nodded, wiping his brow. "We just need to bring the drinks… and we're done…"
Alpine groaned dramatically, falling to the ground.
When they arrived around an hour ago, Caine thought it'd be a good idea to dine somewhere. And they did, at a little shop serving steak and rice.
The women thought it was good, supposedly the best food they had in a while. Caine couldn't disagree more, "the steak is overcooked! My boots are more edible than this! And you call this rice?! Is this cooked?! Why is it like biting into grains of sand!" Whatever, Caine shouldn't have expected fine dining in this place.
They hit another predicament afterwards, Caine didn't think about money…
To answer this, he improvised, and gave the shop owner a chipped off piece of dragon scale to them, directly from the head. Fortunately, they were satisfied with that.
With that problem done, Caine had to solve another one.
In order to receive the "maximum" of sales, Caine sent Hen to fetch new clothing for them. Anything that's "attractive," something that will draw the attention of others, he didn't care, just something presentable and make them stand out more than they already do. Plus, having something "formal" will make it hard for anyone to believe, Caine or anyone apart of his "family" had anything to do with the dragon's death. In his mind, if anyone were to believe he had anything to do with slaying the dragon, it'd be like believing an office worker to be Superman.
Impossible to fathom, and you'd get ridiculed for that belief.
When Hen left, he and Alpine constructed his "bar." It was literally just a long bar table with a bunch of stools for the patrons to sit, they erected shelves behind them, on the stone wall. Where they will hold the jugs and the dozens of cups he and Alpine now had to set up.
A really straightforward get up, Caine didn't think it was necessary to build anymore then that. When he ordered it to be built at his village, he needed something simple to set up. Thankfully the table and stools fit that description, and there were an abundance of unused shelves, making their lives a bit easier.
The difficult part was transporting them off the wagon that they parked a ways away, under the warrior's protection to prevent any thieves from taking their goods, a handy service the Hidey Hole provided for their visitors.
Now they both worked with bringing in dozens of jugs, back and forth, back and forth…
Another excruciating hour passed, and they had everything set up. The table clothes, a jar to hold whatever cash they made, the shelves filled up with the jugs of Dragonspit. And every other essential needed to keep track, and keep the patrons happy.
Surprisingly, the two worked with little fuss, working efficiently as a team.
Enjoying a break, they sat by the shelves.
In silence.
They did occasionally receive a "hey, what are you guys opening?" Question from a stranger, but they ignored them.
"…"
"…"
"… Have you seen Hen?" Caine asked.
"Hen… wasn't she supposed to be here an hour ago…?"
"…"
"…"
"Shit," Caine got up, followed by Alpine-
"Hey everyone!" The cheerful voice of Hen echoed behind Alpine, walking through the curtain they had set up for them to walk in and out of the "bar."
"Where have you been?!" Caine questioned, suppressing his annoyance.
Alpine reluctantly agreed with his question. "Y-yeah…!"
"I did what you asked me to do," Hen said, putting her hand on her hip. The other was raised, holding… multiple bags of… items.
And her other hand had four bags…
Caine closed his eyes, taking a deep breath, then exhaled, opening his eyes to interrogate her further. "I asked you to buy an outfit for you and Alpine… What. Did. You. Buy?"
Hen scoffed, "you want me and Alpine to look pretty, right? Then an outfit WON'T do… by itself…"
"Hen…" Alpine said, solemnly. "Please… please tell me you just bought the outfit-"
"Oh, I did!" Hen nodded, smiling. "A lot of them!"
HENNNNN! Alpine screamed, mentally.
Along with Caine.
"I also bought; makeup, oils, lip gloss, and perfumes!"
"AHHHHHHH!" Alpine yelled, clutching at her own hair and lowering her head in embarrassment. Surprisingly, no one around them seemed to care about her tantrum.
"That's really great and all, Hen," Caine began, sighing. "How much did you spend-?"
"I got my nails done too, look!" She flexed her fingers, revealing her lion printed nails. "And eyebrows, I got a pedicure and-!"
"HEN!" Caine cut her off. "Please… y-you got what you needed, right?!"
Hen nodded her head enthusiastically.
"Great!" Caine looked at Alpine. "Go."
Alpine didn't go, opting to fall to the ground.
It took Hen to drag her out the bar, disappearing amongst the crowd. To get changed whenever they could, leaving Caine in the bar, alone.
Now he can get this next step done while the women get dolled up.
Advertising.
He revealed the dozens of hand written invitations in his lab coat, folded up neatly. Unfortunately a few of them perished under the elements of the night prior, but there was still enough to go around.
Doctor Caine changed out of his normal attire, he easily removed his coat and folded it up neatly. Leaving himself in his short sleeve tunic, fixed his hair to be slick back, finishing it off with a bow tie.
Ready, he began to advertise.
He took it to the paths in front of his bar, proclaiming the gospel to anyone listening. "Come get some Dragonspit! It contains genuine Dragonspit, courtesy of the great Dragonslayer!" Talk of the "Great Dragonslayer" was already at an all time high, apparently a dragon head isn't that common of an occurrence in Hidey Hole…
So those already questioning how on Pyrrhia someone managed to acquire that thing, had their curiosity pulled to this "mysterious" bar that's all of a sudden proclaiming a drink that contains a dragon's essence inside.
After spending a couple minutes preaching the gospel of his drink, and passing out flyers. It really didn't take long for people to start coming in, and take seats at the stool. All eager to satiate their thirst for alcohol, but to also satisfy their curiosity at this drink.
By then, Hen and Alpine returned, ready to serve.
Hen picked out an appropriate "uniform" for them, they both matched. Wearing a long bouffant dress with long sleeves. It had a dark red and black color scheme, with white among the edges. To add, they both wore black bows to tie their hair.
Hen was proud of their work, she went out of her way to apply any cosmetic enhancement she could. It's not everyday she gets to enjoy herself, especially in the hermit of the village she lives in. She wants to make the most of it, in any way she can.
On the other hand, Alpine washed her face, and decided that was enough.
Alpine stood awkwardly, clutching her dress as the countless individuals sat on the stools. Waiting eagerly for Caine to appear, since he had disappeared a few moments ago.
Ignoring the gazes of the men and women alike, she lost herself in her mind…
How did it come to this?
Why is Hen so… happy about this?
Did she forget? No… she couldn't…
…
Am I the problem-?
"Alpine, you're ready?"
Alpine jumped at Caine's voice, raising her head slightly to face him next to her. "Uh," Alpine saw Hen behind him, already preparing a couple of drinks of the dark red liquid. "Yes…"
"Then smile."
She immediately snapped her head away, with disgust. "Seriously?!" Alpine said. "Is this shit not enough?!" She gestured to her attire.
Caine facepalmed, mentaly. "No, that's why I'm asking you to smile."
"NO-" Caine shushed her.
"No!" She said again, in a low tone. "I don't understand why I need to! Just serve the drinks, right?! I don't even need to wear this to do that! I'm only wearing this for Hen!"
"I do not care, you wanted to come with me and Drone, right?" Caine said, raising a brow. "Then you will do what I say, remember what we agreed on? You should've thought more about this before you came along."
Alpine looked down, clenching her fist. "I only came to KILL you!"
"Then you shouldn't have failed."
"…"
"Go serve the drinks."
Alpine then followed Hen's lead.
"And make sure to smile."
KILL YOURSELF! Alpine screeched, mentally. All the while delivering a tray of shots, with a smile.
Minutes in, and everything went swell so far. Caine only ordered Hen and Alpine to help serve alongside him, taking the coins and processing any change. The rules he imposed on the women was to just "smile, and do not speak."
He had to account for the safety of them, ensuring a "positive" relationship between them and the patrons would hopefully prevent any negative reaction from someone.
But no negative reactions occurred, only positive ones.
"Cough… cough… what was that?!" A patron laughed, after inhaling a shot of Dragonspit.
"Are you telling me this is made from a dragon?!"
"D-do I get stronger the more I drink?! Ha! Ima grow wings by this point!" He flexed his arms, suddenly falling limp off the stool, passing out at the ground.
In fact, many individuals were passing out. Yet, no one seemed to care. Everyone who passed out had a happy smile on them, even chuckling in their knocked out state.
Truth is, Dragonspit would never pass the FDA approval process, no shit.
The chemistry Caine did to mix Dragonspark, the liquid found in what he guesses to be the salivary glands of the dragon he killed. And the standard alcohol in his village was anything but professional. It was an outrageous idea, yet somehow it worked.
The birth of "Dragonspit" was a dangerous process, Dragonspark itself is a volatile substance. Any stray spark could lead to an explosion, Caine could definitely prove that if he wanted too…
Great trial and error was required, making sure to avoid adding too much Dragonspark. Too much would lead to poisoning, too little would not provide the needed effects of this beverage, the "high" one would receive.
Many more tests were involved, and thanks to the volunteers at his village. He made the "Caine approved" product. Strong enough to deliver the burning sensation and the "feel good" effect, but weak enough where their livers won't combust into flames or their hearts would take a permanent nap after drinking it.
So far so good, everyone from different backgrounds came. Fathers, mothers, scouts, and so on. Everyone was happy with what they got, they asked a couple questions, and the trio got paid.
Everything is going according to plan, minus Drone, he was the necessary sacrifice.
"Hey, you!" A patron called, a scraggly woman. Caine immediately went to her, excusing himself from other customers.
"Miss! Did you need something?" He said, holding a pleasant smile.
"No… no!… I actually had a question… about uh… little something…" She snickered, leaning over the counter slightly. The patrons beside her, presumably her buddies, listened on.
"I see…" Caine said, apprehensively. "What's your question, madam?"
"Whatcha…" She cleared her throat. "Whatcha gonna do about… the dragon head? It's yours, right?"
"Yeah-" A pale palm slammed on the table, beside the woman.
One of the woman's buddies decided to join in the conversation. "Howdidyoufindit?!" The man beside her said, eyes wide in anticipation for whatever Caine had to say. "Didyoukillit?! Trapit?! Ohhhh, wasitalreadydeadwhenyoufoundit?!"
"Ahhhhh…" Caine groaned softly, leaning his head back, this was probably the dozenth time he told this story. He was getting tired of repeating it.
Sigh.
"Well, to begin with-" A hand clasped around the woman's shoulder, the man beside her looked up at the shadow figure behind her. "Hey! Keep your hands to-!"
Crash!
Thok!
Both the woman, and man were thrown off the stools. The shadow figure picking them up like children, and tossing them behind him like a child would with old toys.
The other patron that sat next to the woman, sheepishly excused herself.
For a short second, all the attention was drawn to what occurred. Then it went back to normal.
Caine's breath hitched as he got a better view of his newest patron to the bar…
The man plopped down on the stool, it threatened to collapse under his weight. He's a warrior, an experienced one by the looks of it. Wearing heavy leather armor, spikes protruding from his helm and shoulder pads. He's dark skinned, his blue eyes staring down Caine's yellow eyes.
"Three for us," he spoke, his companions sitting down at the stools beside him.
"U-Understood…" Caine said, more timidly than he would have liked. He did what he was told, fixing up the drinks in moments and offering to the men.
The two picked up these cups, with the man in the middle raising it, sniffing it, and gulping it in one go. His eyes suddenly widened, hunching his body as he fought the side effects of the drink. Unlike the other "victims" of the drink, he endured it, smiling victoriously and slamming the wooden cup down. "Bah!" He laughed. "Phew! That's some strong shit… damn!" His companions followed suit, each one ensuring the side effects and clearly enjoying the high they received afterwards.
"Say uhh…" The man before Caine said, his elbow on the counter. "What's… what's this I'm hearing about… about a Dragonslayer…?" He said, his eyes dead on Caine.
Caine cleared his throat. "The Great Dragonslayer?" He questioned. "Oh yes, of course! The Great Dragonslayer that saved my family! W-what would you like to know?"
The man waves at Hen, gesturing for another drink.
"Don't know If I believe them," he said, nodding at Hen in gratitude, receiving the drink. "You know, we don't take kindly to blabbermouths…" He said, his tone darkening. "So, why don't you tell us where you really found that dragon…?"
Straightening his posture, Caine said. "Why would I ever lie about this?" He shook his head, in disbelief. "The proof is there, on my wagon, I'll even allow you to examine the head personally-"
"The head isn't the issue, mister…?"
"Percival, but you may call me Percy."
The man snorted, "Mister Percy, the issue isn't the head. Fuck, I knew the damn thing was real when I smelt it! Haha! But… my issue… is how you found it…?"
Hmmm. Caine was thinking what to say, in order to stall for a bit. He fired a question back. "May I have your name? Kind sir."
The man grinned, his yellow teeth shining. "Heh, my name? Call me Unstoppable, a champion for Lord Invincible."
W-who?! Why haven't I heard of this?!
"Ha, you look a little nervous, Percy," Unstoppable leaned in, his nasty breath wafting to Caine. "Something on your mind…?" He leaned back, and chugged the cup.
"No… no… I… ahem, I haven't… heard of a Lord Invincible…"
Unstoppable raised a brow. "Ho, never? Fuck, did you just blow in from the other side of the ocean?" He chuckled, along with his companions.
"We… did… actually," Caine said, raising his head. "My family and I aren't around here, so I apologize for my ignorance of these lands."
"Hmph," Unstoppable nodded, his eyes shifting from Hen to Alpine. "What are their names?"
"None of your concern," Caine said, a little defensive.
Unstoppable sighed, "Ah gee, I was just asking!" He laughed, nudging his companions with his elbows "eh! Eh! Haha!"
Caine shook his head, turning his body away to deal with other customers-
"Hey!" Unstoppable pulled him back, grabbing his shoulder, and putting him back at the counter. "Ain't done with our conversation."
The Doctor wanted nothing more than for these people to leave, he had business to talk, not stories. But what choice did he have? Gritting his teeth, he stayed. "Can I help you?"
"I want you to be honest with me," Unstoppable said. "Where in three moons did you find this thing?"
"A Dragonslayer-"
"Ah!" Unstoppable exclaimed, facepalming. "I don't believe that shit for a second!"
"I have their weapons, they left it behind-"
"Weapons that look like they have never been used a day in their lives," Unstoppable retorted. "I'm not an idiot-"
"My daughter is a blacksmith, she fixed them up before we brought them here for auction."
That made Unstoppable pause. "Sniff, what, she fixed them up?" He gestured with a thumb, earning a glare from Alpine.
"Yes-"
"And they're up for auction?!" He rose from his stool, forcing Caine to back up…
"Yes."
"And… is the dragon head too… up for auction…?"
"Y-yes… everything in the wagon is, including-"
"Shut up!" Unstoppable blurted, his eyes widening. "Why haven't I heard of that?!"
"Unstoppable-?"
"I'm thinking, shut up!"
"…"
"…"
"…"
"The dragon head?!"
With a sigh, Caine nodded.
"Shit! Boys! Go get our bids ready, hurry! We need that skull!" Unstoppable ordered the men sitting beside him, both of them rushing off. "Look," Unstoppable began, standing up from his stool. "I don't buy your bullshit Dragonslayer story, we've heard of a Dragonslayer before, and that fucker was a fraud," his eyes narrowed, raising his finger and poking Caine's chest. "Lord Invincible was… disappointed when he heard the news… I would hate for him to be disappointed again…" He trailed off, a frown on his face. Caine simply huffed, glancing away. "Heh, wondering how I know…?"
"I do not remember asking-"
"For one, I'm not a child that believes in fairy tales. Humans aren't capable of slaying a dragon… not anymore! That's how I know you're lying…!" He calmed himself down, now continuing. "I will find out how you got this head. Not for myself, but for my Lord, Lord Invincible…"
Caine remained silent, watching Unstoppable's expression shift from anger to a discouraged one. "Dragonslayers haven't existed for hundreds of years, heck, they were all wiped out during the Scorching… since then… any existing stories of Dragonslayers were always fake, fraudulent, and… stupid."
"You think my experience with this Dragonslayer is fake?" Caine asked, fixing his bow tie.
"Yes," Unstoppable nodded, narrowing his eyes at him. "I'm more willing to believe the dragon croaked from old age mid flight, fell and its head happened to snap off. Conveniently falling on your wagon on the way here," he said. "That's more believable."
"And the weapons? Dragon artifacts and scrolls, what about them?"
Unstoppable hummed. "Don't know, and I don't particularly care what you did to acquire them. The dead dragon is what I'm more concerned about… If there's anyone actually capable of slaying a dragon… a genuine Dragonslayer… Lord Invincible would like to know them."
"I see…"
Unstoppable smirked, looking down at Caine. "See what I'm getting at? Lord Invincible is gonna know about this, and he is gonna want answers. He isn't a fool, he'll soon know you're lying about your stupid story… I suggest you find something, anything! That'll prove it, if not, I'll force an answer out of you."
Mulling in thought, Caine nodded in understanding.
"Good, after I get my hands on the skull and whatever else I can. I'll find you, and you better have something for me, something that I can take to Lord Invincible," he turned, stomping away. He paused a few feet, glancing over his spiked shoulder. "If you turn up with nothing, I'll take you instead."
He left.
Another Lord… Lord Invincible… clearly aren't fond of Dragonslayers… wait… HE DIDN'T PAY!
Lessons from David
Part five.
Many hours passed, well into midnight. Caine sold most of the Dragonspit, gaining a large sum of money thanks to it. The tips Hen and Alpine received were also a large contributor to the money they earned, Caine called this entire plan a success.
Mostly.
He hasn't seen Drone, but Caine trusts he can take care of himself.
Unstoppable's threat still loomed over his mind, Caine's anxiety forced him to take dozens of quick glances of his surroundings. He didn't really have a plan in the regard, he didn't have anything that he could give that could prove his story.
It was all fake, Unstoppable read right through him. Caine would offer the weapons, free of charge even, but something tells him Unstoppable isn't interested in them.
That means he had one plan left, to make a quick exit.
So that's what they began to prepare for.
Caine shared the situation with Hen and Alpine, neither too happy about it, but accepted it.
In regards to their plan to leave, they went with this…
"Alpine," Caine said, tossing his bow tie aside, using a fabric to wipe off the sweat on his face. "Find Drone, he should be working outside. Ask any warrior for him, once you do find him, wait for Hen and I by the entrance."
Alpine rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "Okay," she refused to meet his gaze with hers.
"And.. you can change out of your outfit, you don't need my permission…" he said, in the hopes of elevating her sour mood.
"With what?!" She snapped. "I don't have anything else to change into-!"
"Catch," Caine tossed three gold coins towards her. She caught it, almost dropping one. "Buy something to change into."
"…Hmph…" She walked off.
Moments later, the sound of their carriage pulling over alerted Caine of Hen's presence. She parked the carriage by the bar, the wagon in tow. It was empty after the successful auction of the skull and dragon artifacts, however the only thing that was left were the weapons. Largely because no one believed it to belong to a Dragonslayer, thus they came to the conclusion it was fake, therefore no one bought it.
Still, they made HUGE profits.
"Percy," Hen's soft voice called out to him. "I did what you asked, are we gonna leave everything else here?" She said, referring to the bar itself. Caine thought about it, and figured there was no point in dismantling everything to bring it back.
He doesn't see a future where he'd need another bar, plus, he's trying to make this get away as fast as he can. Dismantling a bar could take an hour. In the odd chances he needs to open another bar, and with the money he has, he could buy a dozen.
"Yeah, we are," he picked up the heavy wooden box of all of their coins. Grunting, holding it close to his chest. "Let's get going," the doctor made his way to the carriage, patting the horses and climbing up, sitting beside Hen. "Let's buy what we need for the village, food, materials, and some… books would be nice…." He placed their riches at his feet.
Hen passed the reins to him, and with the reins in hand, Caine guided the carriage carefully through the wide tunnel. Stopping by and purchasing whatever he believed the village needed, Hen helped too with her own concerns.
During this, Caine still kept his guard up. Making sure to keep an eye out for Unstoppable, he subconsciously kept his hand by his side the entire time, in the scenario he needed his gun to defend himself from the beast of a man.
He also couldn't help but think…
Drone… where are you…?
…
For the mission… Drone thought to himself, the hundredth time by now.
He sat on a branch, a ways off the ground. His legs dangled off, swinging mindlessly as he stared up into the night sky. Drone whistled a tune, to help fight against the intense awkwardness he felt sitting next to this… woman.
Beside him, further on the branch. A warrior sat, her black hair down. The warrior's armor dawned spikes on her upper body, whilst the bottom merely had leather and some iron to defend herself. She brandished a sheathed sword, and a leather pouch.
"Drone," she said. "See anything?"
"No," he answered, once again for the hundredth time.
This was his job for the past hours.
Being a scout, he specialized in anything scout related. And unfortunately for him, he was qualified to be a watchtower for Hidey Hole, to warn the warriors on the ground should he see anything approaching. This could include people, animals, and dragons.
Since he is a temporary worker, he had to be guarded by a warrior. Someone to protect him, something he heavily protested against but fell on deaf ears.
So here he is…
"Uhhh…" Drone hesitated, literally wanting anything to distract himself from the never ending boredom. "I never asked your name…"
The warrior's eyes snapped to him, barely visible under her helmet's visor. "Why do you want to know?"
"Cause… you know my name, it's only fair I get to know yours."
"Life isn't fair."
"…"
"…"
"Just tell me your name…"
She chuckled, removing her helmet. "Okay fine, call me Daring," Daring smiled. "But why did you wait three hours to ask for my name?" She looked around his age, maybe older.
"It's because-THREE HOURS?!"
Daring flinched at his voice, raising her hand. "Stop yelling, you're giving away our position!"
"Th-three hours?!" He said again, lowly. "Ahhh, I hope they didn't forget about me…!" Drone covered his face with his hands.
"What… what are you talking about?"
"My… my family!" He said, raising his head. "They're somewhere in there, but what if they left without me knowing?!"
"Calm down!" She said, "And there's only one exit, and that's where WE are located! You would've seen them if they left!"
Drone's mind suddenly froze, blinking at her. "Oh," he said, softly. ""You're right."
"…"
"…"
"You're so dramatic…"
He rubbed his neck, glancing away. "Sorry… I… hmmm… I just miss them…" In reality, Drone wanted to be a part of the "great plan" Caine had made. It kinda hurt being sidelined, but still, he accepted his role as the sacrificial lamb for the rest of his "family."
Daring hummed, a weak understanding smile on her lips. "I get it," she said. "I miss mine too…"
"Oh," Drone said, awkwardly glancing around. "Y-you do…?" He lowered his face mask, attempting to appear more sincere.
Ahh… she looks sad… what can I say…?
…
Change the topic?
"Mhm," she hummed, glancing up at the sky, the stars reflecting off her black eyes. "I haven't seen them in a while, not since I left Indestructible."
"Left what?"
"Hm?" She glanced at him. "Indestructible City, haven't heard of it?"
Aha! Not sad anymore!
He shook his head. "No, this is a first," he said. "Sorry, I'm not… my family isn't from around here, I mean."
"Oh," Daring blinked. "Where are you from?"
"I'm from…"
Crap, what did he say?!
"Uhhh… another land…?" He said, clearly unsure.
She rolled her eyes, smiling playfully. "And can I have the name, of this other land…?"
"Uh," Drone stuttered. "Los Angeles."
They both blinked.
"UH, NO, I MEANT TO SAY-"
"Los Angeles?" She repeated, "I haven't heard of that place…"
AHHHHH.
"Y-yeah! That! Heh, yeah that's where we're from, hehe!"
"Hmph, how is it like over there?"
Remember remember remember!
"Uh," Drone blurted. "It's very big! Tall building! Lots of lights…! And uhhh… people! Yes! Awesome place!"
"Wow," Daring said, her eyes widening slightly. "Sounds like a paradise compared to Indestructible."
Drone fanned himself, nervously. "I-it does…?!"
"Heh, yeah," she chuckled, her expression filled with melancholy. "So, why did you leave it?"
Drone's smile appeared, at the mention of the "reason" of their visit. "Um, to sell a dragon head, and other cool stuff."
"Oh, okay-" Daring blinked. "Wait… repeat that…?"
"Sell a dragon head… and other cool stuff…"
She leaned forward, eyes wide, glimmering in excitement. "You're THAT family?!"
Drone leaned back, his back against the bark of the tree. "Yes! Uh, yes, that family!"
"I have so many questions…" She began. "How?! Why?! Where?! Who?! T-the dragon, how did you get that thing?!"
"Please… one at a time…"
"Is it true a Dragonslayer killed it, chopping its head?!"
"Yeah-"
"WHAT?!" Daring said, taking out her notepad from her leather pouch. "Are you sure?! I've heard so many stories, a-are you for real?!
He didn't hear her full question, instead his mind focused on the "so many stories" part. "There other stories?!" Drone said, his own eyes sparkling as well.
"Yeah! A dozen!" Daring stopped on a page. "But… they are not always true… I like to believe some are though! There's even stories about people riding dragons now, can you believe it?!"
"WOAH."
"I KNOW RIGHT?!"
Daring then showed Drone a page from her pad, a shoddy image of a Skywing on it. She continued showing him other drawings and sharing stories, all with a passionate smile on her face, and Drone eagerly matched her energy.
"Hey," Daring said, quietly.
"Yeah?" Drone said, a bit wary due to her abrupt change in tone.
"I know we just met… and probably don't really care or need to… but promise to not tell anyone else about what we talked about."
"Huh," Drone blinked, looking at her questioningly. "Why?"
She looked down at the ground beneath them, then back at him. "We… aren't supposed to talk about Dragonslayers… or anything relating to them in the city… If somebody, like a coworker of mine, hears me talk about this sorta stuff. They'd report me to Invincible, and he's not… that forgiving."
Drone glanced around their surroundings, confirming they were indeed alone. "Is that your lord?" Daring nodded.
"What is his deal with Dragonslayers?" Drone scratched his head. "Does he like dragons? Is that why he doesn't-" Daring's laugh interrupted him, forcing a blush on his face.
"N-no!" She laughed, calming down. "No, moons no! Don't let ANYONE hear what you said, haha!"
Drone brought his face mask up, hiding his embarrassment. "What's so funny about what I said?!"
"Nothing wrong, hehe, it's okay… You see, Lord invincible is the complete opposite of what you said," Daring sighed. "He hates them, and it's not a secret that he one day wants them gone, and he'd stop at nothing to be the reason for that."
"Oh."
"Yup," Daring said. "The problem with Dragonslayer, is that all of them that call themselves to be one, prove to be liars, or made up stories for attention," she shook her head. "It's gotten so bad, Lord Invincible personally… uhhh has a polite conversation… wink wink… with anyone who calls themselves a Dragonslayer… his logic says," she cleared her throat, now impersonating Lord Invincible. "If they can slay a dragon, then why do they struggle against man?"
Drone blinked, not understanding.
Sighing, Daring cleared it up for him. "Point is, a 'Dragonslayer' will stand up against him, fight him, kill him, whatever… As far as I know, he wants a Dragonslayer to prove themselves to him… He doesn't want another fake," her expression darkened. "Those who fail the 'trial' after proclaiming to be one, or knowing a Dragonslayer… are publicly executed."
Drone's breath hitched, his mind racing to Caine. "And… how many of those have you seen, or happened?"
Daring moved the stray lock of hair from her face. "The last one happened years ago, maybe two years ago…"
"And," Drone said, his anxiety palpable. "Do you think my family will catch Invincible's attention?"
Nodding, Daring said. "No doubt about it," she shot him a solemn look. "Owning a dragon skull is one thing entirely, but… finding out where one got it from is another," she said. "And I'm remembering y'all got it from a Dragonslayer kill, right?"
He nodded.
"Then, Invincible will want to learn more about it."
"Is… are they in danger…?"
She looked at him, her face troubled. "I don't know… if I were to be honest, yes. There's a good chance one of my coworkers questioned one of your family members about it, they WILL want to know more, whether it's true or not… and whether there's a true Dragonslayer out there."
"Ah," Drone said.
Maybe the plan wasn't that good…
"What do you make of it?" He asked.
"Of what, your story?"
"Mhm."
She glanced at her notepad, thinking. "I… I think it's crap," Daring looked back at him. "I want to believe, I do, it's a cool story…! But it's hard to believe anyone is out there, capable of slaying a dragon, let alone slicing their head clean off," Daring averted her gaze from him, up at the night sky. "I would appreciate it if you told me you were lying, and I'll also thank you for sharing with me the story, I'll add it to my collection."
"…"
"…"
"…"
"Hm?" She glanced at him, a brow raised.
Drone had a serious look on his face. "I wasn't lying."
Daring studied him, looking for any signs of deception, but she couldn't find anything… Yet, she shook her head in disbelief, chuckling as she said. "Heh, sure Drone-"
A sharp whistle rang, causing them both to jump.
"Daring! We're gonna get moving soon!" A warrior called from below, one of Invincible's men.
She looked down at him. "Already? I thought we would leave at daybreak? It's only midnight."
He sighed. "There's been a slight change of plans, something popped up, Unstoppable will fill you in."
"Oh," Daring said. "Okay."
"Make sure that boy comes down too, we… need him for something Unstoppable is planning."
"Oh," she whispered to herself, every alarm bell going off in her mind. She glanced back at Drone, her concern obvious.
"Is that a bad thing…?" He whispered.
"I don't know… we'll find out," she said, fitting her helm on. "I think it's a good sign he hasn't ordered you to be restrained, or beat, or… silenced… hehe."
"That's not funny…" Drone said, a bead of sweat swimming down his face.
"Sorry," she said sheepishly. "Let's get going."
Daring leapt off the branch, shooting herself to the tree across from her. Falling, she stabbed a handheld blade into the side of the tree, ripping into the tree as she descended downward.
She landed at the ground with a soft thud.
Cool!
Drone wasn't as daring in his descent downwards, he dropped from branch to branch, landing on the ground with a much louder thud! Compared to hers.
"Hey," he said, out of breath, glancing at Daring then at the man.
"Hey," he replied, his voice firm. "Can you still work?"
"If I need to…"
"Good, we have one more job we need you to do, that no one else can't," the man said. "But before we get to that, there's a young lady looking for you."
He visibly perked up. "There is?"
Nodding, he said. "Yes, do you know anyone by the name of Alpine?"
YES, ARE WE LEAVING?!
DOES THIS MEAN, THE MISSION WAS A SUCCESS?!
AHHH FINALLY!
"I do," Drone said, collecting himself.
"Then… I presume you know the man, Percival, correct? Or does Percy ring a bell?"
Now this set Drone off, he looked at the warrior apprehensively. Even Daring felt nervous for him. "Yes…?"
The warrior hummed. "Hm, that's good," he paused. "Anyhow, come on then." He walked past Drone, on the trail leading to the dirt road.
Daring gestured for him to go, and he did, following right behind the warrior, Daring in tow behind him.
"Who's that guy…?" He whispered to Daring, leaning his head back to her.
"That's Steadfast," she murmured. "He's basically Unstoppable's boyfriend."
"Seriously-?!"
Steadfast snapped his head back at them. "What did you say?"
"He said nothing!" Daring spoke up, holding an elaborate smile. "Er, he stubbed his toe!"
"He did?" He shot a look at Drone, at his feet then back up at him. "Doesn't look like it-"
Wack!
"AH!"
Daring kicked his foot.
Drone held up his injured feet, and crushed toes. Whining in pain as he hopped in place, tears threatening to fall.
Steadfast strained his eyes at Daring, gauging out her true intent. Alas, he couldn't find that out. Sighing, he turned his back to them. "Gosh… Daring, it's the middle of the night… the last thing I want is to argue about whatever THAT was about…" He gestured to Drone's pained foot. "I only ask you not to do that again, Daring, he needs to be able to walk for what we need him to do… if it turns out you broke it, you're carrying him "
"Mhm! Got it!" She saluted. Drone continued to hop in agony, shooting a betrayed look at her.
"Great, glad we can agree."
They eventually arrived at a dirt road, the same part Caine had used to arrive at Hidey Hole. Drone looked down the dark road, the glow of Hidey Hole straining through the darkness.
"This way," Steadfast said, behind him.
"… That way… Isn't Hidey Hole over there?"
"We're taking a detour," he said without looking back, Drone now noticed the wheel tracks on the dirt road. Heading into the darkness.
Drone peered over his shoulder at Daring, looking for any sign of reassurance from her. He got none, only a shrug.
Steadfast held a small torch he lit up, holding it ahead of them as they followed the track. Down the road, taking a turn, then down another road. Until, in the distance, an unmistakable object came into view…
"Hey that's…" Drone said, trailing off.
"A mountain dragon," Steadfast said, a faint smile on his face. "It was worth some coin, a bit much for our liking," he said, raising the torch higher as they approached the carriage and wagon. "But wouldn't say it's worth it, Drone?" Steadfast glanced at him.
"Uh," Drone lowered his face mask, revealing his apparent shock. "Y-you guys bought it?"
"Hm," his smile grew. "Of course we did-"
"IT'S SO MUCH BIGGER IN PERSON," Daring cheered, running past them and climbing the wagon, stumbling over the other draconic materials beside it.
"Hey hey!" Steadfast rushed over to her, tugging at her leg. "Do you not have self control?! Get off, damn it!"
"Do you think I can slide through its neck, and come out its jaw?!"
"DARING, I WILL REPORT YOU."
"Ewww! Haha! It's so mushy-" Daring pushed the exposed flesh of the head, indirectly pushing out the rancid smell from it. "Ah! Bleh!" She dropped down, removing her helmet and wiping her face from the red mist that assaulted it and her nostrils.
Steadfast took the opportunity to scold her further, leaving Drone an opportunity of his own, to think.
"Why am I out here…?"
He couldn't think of a valid reason.
A detour, why? Did Steadfast just want to show him this? Okay, good for him, but why did he have to drag Drone here? He could've just told him.
Maybe… he left something here? That would make sense, if Steadfast actually had been looking for such an item, but he spent his time currently yelling directly at Daring's ear.
Then…
"Why?"
…
"You should've been left to starve-!" Steadfast stopped yelling and pulling on Daring's ear, tilting his head to face Drone. "Sorry, did you say something?"
"Uh," Drone swallowed the saliva in his throat. "Why did you bring us here?"
"Hm, oh right," he let go of Daring. "Ahem."
…
"Ahem!"
Daring rubbed her eyes gingerly, her eyes welled up with tears. Nonetheless, she shot looks between Drone and Steadfast.
…
"AHEM."
…
"Excuse you-?"
A soft sound of dirt squeaking echoed behind him, whatever it was, it was stalking Drone. Reacting accordingly, he whirled around and unsheathed his machete, baring it at the creature.
Drone was met with a chest, a chest of a man. Looking up, he saw the face that belonged to it.
"Sorry, didn't see you there-"
Bam! The man kicked Drone, with such speed that both Daring and Steadfast barely managed to dodge his body, crashing at the side of the wagon.
"Ah, sorry guys…" The man yawned, his features becoming more visible the closer he came to Steadfast's torch. "Took a nap."
Steadfast scowled at him. "I told you to lay off the drinking… Lord Invincible already spoke to you about it, you spent half of his budget on beer last week!"
"Ughhh!" The man groaned obnoxiously. "Just shut up with the whining!" He pushed past Daring, focusing on the wagon. "He's gonna forget about it once he sees this pretty little thing," he whistled at the silhouette of the Skywing's head in the dark, some of the torch light illuminating it. "And…" His attention shifted onto Drone. "I think our buddy here has lots to say about where it came from…" He lowered his head, peering down at Drone. "Ain't that right, buddy?"
Drone groaned, clutching at his stomach. "Hnghhh…" He grumbled, falling on his side.
"Unstoppable… why did you do that?!" Daring yelled, setting herself down by Drone, gingerly rubbing his shoulder..
"Hm?" Unstoppable raised a brow. "Cause I can? The fuck," he said. "And get your ass up Daring, stop touching him."
Daring glanced up at him, then at Drone. Taking a moment to think, she concluded it wasn't worth getting scolded by Unstoppable of all people, and for a boy she had just met. Doing what Unstoppable told, she got up and took a few steps back.
"Daring," Steadfast said. "Get on the carriage, and take this wagon back to the City."
Daring inhaled, before saluting Steadfast and hopping on the carriage. She grabbed the reins, preparing to take off… but she had a question to ask.
"Why do you want him?" Daring was afraid she knew the answer, but she prayed that she was wrong.
Unstoppable hoisted up Drone's unconscious body on his shoulder. "Answers, Daring, answers," he said. "And Lord Invincible is gonna want them after he receives this," he gestured to the wagon. "We don't want any more rumors or lies going around, do we? So we are just doing our due diligence on these fucking things, and finding out where they really came from, the truth."
Daring hummed in understanding, then took off. The horses galloping down the dark trail, and her helm jumping with each gallop. She couldn't admit it out loud, but she did want to know the truth as well. Unfortunately, the only way they'd find that out was through Unstoppable…
Speaking of.
"Steadfast," Unstoppable said. "Go tell that girl we lost him… you know where to find us afterwards."
Following his orders, Steadfast nodded and followed the dirt trail. Taking his torch, leaving Unstoppable and Drone together in the dark.
Not long after, he saw the grand blanket that covered the entrance of Hidey Hole. It was open, with a carriage and wagon attached pulling out. The silhouette of people moved around it, one of them belonging to Alpine, and that of a warrior beside her. On top of the carriage, Caine and Hen sat side by side. They were all conversing, about what? Steadfast was gonna find out.
In the middle of a conversation, Alpine heard Steadfast's footsteps. She turned, her jacket fluttering in the process. "Hey," she said, her voice plain. "Drone coming?" This brought the attention of the others, everyone was now expecting Steadfast's response.
"He's lost."
"…"
Silence fell.
"He didn't follow our orders, and ignored his assigned guardian's instructions when she told him to stay close," Steadfast said, holding a solemn expression. "We hope that he didn't fall off a cliff, or be caught by a wild animal… that includes a dragon."
Alpine sighed, stuffing her hands in the jacket's pockets, now glancing up at Caine. "You heard him, Drone's gone… what. A. Shaammmee-"
"Alpine!" Hen chastised. "This is your brother we're talking about!"
Ughhh we're still doing that…?
"Sorry… mom."
Shaking her head at Alpine, Hen then turned her attention to Steadfast, a hand to her chest. "H-have you tried searching for him yet?"
"So far we tried…" Steadfast's voice trailed off as Caine lost himself to thought.
That… that makes no sense…
Caine brought a hand to his chin, holding it up as he subconsciously scratched the stubble on it. Alpine seemed to notice the cogs turning in his mind, narrowing her eyes at him, wishing she could read his mind.
Drone's a scout, and a good one. He wouldn't find himself lost, especially this close to Hidey Hole… there's no way…
Like the Doctor said, Drone isn't a novice when it comes to tracking. The job of a scout was as you expect it to be, to scout, track, and discover the territory or things around them. While the job was mostly catered to young teenagers, Drone was in the profession since he was a toddler, and he still had yet to be promoted to a guard or warrior, even though he was of age.
Then maybe he was attacked, a leopard for instance… wait, do they even live out here? Ahhh, I wish I had my console…
The possibility of him being attacked was more feasible than lost, because then that would be a believable explanation as to why he hasn't returned to them yet.
A dragon…? No, everyone would have noticed.
The idea that Drone was lost somewhere in the forest, was immediately shot down in Caine's mind. There HAD to be something that prevented him from returning, and he refused to believe it was the cause of Drone's own doing…
Hen tapped Caine's shoulder, bringing him back to present reality. "Percy," she said, clearly nervous. "What are we gonna do?"
"Hmph," Caine exhaled, focusing his eyes on Steadfast. As if the answers of Drone's disappearance were written on his face. "What part do you play?"
"Pardon?" Steadfast said.
"I said, what part do you play?" Caine repeated, cracking his neck. "Where were you when he was reported missing."
"Oh," Steadfast hesitated for a moment. "Far, I was in the region directly opposite of them. Assisting… a colleague until your daughter wished to speak to us, in which we listened to her request and sought for your son, Drone. By then, your son was lost, and we found that out after the warrior guarding him admitted it to us."
'Us' he said?
"Where is she?"
"She was ordered to bring the goods we bought from you, into the hands of Lord Invincible."
"By you?"
"No, by Unstoppable-" Steadfast's eyes widened, cursing himself for dropping Unstoppable's name.
I see it now.
Caine smiled faintly. "Unstoppable… Hmph, may I ask what part he plays too…?"
Steadfast glanced at the ground uneasily, then back up. "He didn't play a part, he's-"
"He's lying!" The warrior beside Alpine said, taking a step to Steadfast. "He was with you when you departed after promising to bring the boy back!"
Alpine couldn't help but nod. "I was gonna say that…"
"Unstoppable is our supervisor, and it's not in our position to question his intentions " Steadfast, growing defensive. "Especially, not yours."
"So why did you fail to include him in your account of your story? Something you're trying to hide about him?" Caine inquired, leaning forward in his seat.
"No!" Steadfast said. "There's nothing worth telling any of you! You should be grateful that I BOTHERED to return to this pigsty, and tell you what happened to your son!"
Steadfast clenched his fist, gritting his teeth, staring daggers up at Caine and his insistence. "And you!" He suddenly drew his attention to the warrior by Alpine. "No one told you to speak!"
"Since when did I need permission?!"
"Since the moment you were graced with my presence! You should be on your knees, thanking me and your Lord for giving you the light of day, and giving you our protection and funds!"
"Hidey Hole is a sanctuary for those who have nowhere else to live and hide from the dragons, not a business to be managed!"
"It's neither, its place that Lord Invincible has every right to claim. It's a miracle he hasn't decided to have this place demolished, to purge the countless moles that live inside. And rebuild it anew, something that is more than a glorified ant colony!"
"Why I oughta-!" The argument brought the attention of the other warriors around them, now holding both of them back to avoid falling into a scuffle.
"Alpine," Caine said over the loud sounds of curses and men yelling. "Get on."
She didn't need to be told twice, climbing up the side and sitting behind Hen.
"W-where are we going…?! Shouldn't we stay in case they find Drone?!" Said Hen, her worry obvious.
Caine sighed, giving Hen a "sorry to break this to you" look.
"He was never lost."
Whipping the reigns, they sped off into the dark. Nearly trampling Steadfast and the warrior of Hidey Hole. As they wrestled each other to the ground, the other warriors no longer held them back, simply enjoying the show.
…
In the dead of night, Unstoppable made his way to a camp he and other warrior's under invincible had made. With the absence of Daring, there were only three present warriors of the Indestructible city, at least in this campsite.
"Who the fuck is this?"
Drone lied unconscious on the ground, snoring soundly. Above him, a warrior with blonde hair looked down at him, completely perplexed by this strange arrival.
"Oh, him?" Unstoppable said, stuffing his mouth with sweet bread. "He's Percy's kid, nom, don't worry about it."
The warrior gently kicked Drone's side. "Huh… what did you tell Percy?"
"I sent Steadfast to deal with that joker, tell him that his boy was lost," he engulfed another piece of bread.
"How'd he take it?"
"I don't fucking know," Unstoppable said, turning his large body around, sighing in content. "I just need some time alone with this kid, remember the story of the great dragonslayer? Gonna verify whether it was a load of horse shit or not, after…" he stomped over to them. "Find the man himself, drag his ass over so I can personally pry it open, and find what other lies he's hiding."
"Ew," the warrior stuck his tongue out in disgust. "Did you really have to phrase it like that?"
"Ace, I'm clearly not serious about prying a man's ass open."
"It's not that," Ace chuckled. "It's the beautiful painting you managed to draw in my MIND when you said that!"
"Then let the artist keep drawing," Unstoppable said, opening his mouth painfully slow to utter some truly despicable details…
"No, Unstoppable please-!"
Fortunately for Ace, Steadfast smashed his way through the brushes. Into the campsite, completely mad. His armor was torn and covered in dents, with random sticks and leaves sticking onto his armor.
"Ahhhh I hate this place!" He threw his sword to the ground, beginning to pace around. "Stupid moles don't know how to keep their noses to themselves! Instead of giving us me-US the respect we deserve, they wanna be a pain in the ass and pretend they know better than us!"
"What's got your nips in a twist?" Unstoppable asked, fixing himself back up. He took note of Steadfast's disheveled appearance, snorting in amusement.
Ace sighed in relief at this subject change.
"Look at me!" Steadfast said, opening his arms wide. "One of those IDIOTS laid their hands on me!"
"Y'all fought?" Ace said, a faint grin on his face.
"W-what do you think?!"
"Who won?"
"… It… who won doesn't matter… it's the fact they disrespected ME so blatantly."
Unstoppable shook his head, groaning. "Steadfast, stop whining and answer me this, did they suspect anything?"
Steadfast's face grew red in embarrassment, glancing away. "Hmph… yes… they did… suspect something was going on…"
Unstoppable huffed, narrowing his eyes at him. "And…?"
"They aren't gonna bother us," Steadfast said, firmly. "I managed to calm them down after my initial scrap with one of the guards, with my various ways of persuasion, I'm sure you all know, heh," Steadfast chuckled. "On another note… Percy's family left Drone behind."
"Tisk tisk tisk," Ace said, shaking his head. "Welcome to the club, buddy," he said, speaking to Drone who was still lying unconscious on the wet ground.
"That don't matter," Unstoppable said. "We'll find them… and that also means we get some more time alone with his boy…" he smiled sinisterly.
Steadfast grumbled, loosening some armor pieces to get rid of the dirt that snuck its way between them. "Sure, let's get on with this interrogation then, who will do the honors?"
Unstoppable hummed, pulling a stool and sitting down on it. "I've sent Hustle to collect cold water to dump on him, he should be back soon," he said, breaking into a deep yawn.
They fell into a silence, Ace leaning against a tree and Steadfast sitting by the fire. Unstoppable sat directly in front of Drone, his eyes never leaving his body.
"Should… should I tell him to hurry up?" Ace suddenly asked, growing impatient.
Unstoppable shrugged. "Do what you want, if he doesn't come back ima assume he died… more pay for us."
"On second thought… yeaahhh… I'd like more coin…"
"…"
Their dreams for a raise were shattered, since Hustle eventually came minutes after their interaction. Hustle's form breached from the brushes of the forest, carrying a bucket of water.
"Sorrryyy for the wait guys…" he murmured, followed by a deep yawn. "There was this… birdie…? It looked funny, so I folloowweddd it. And like, it chirped something at me, I was like 'woah,' so then I chirped back at it… then the little dude jumped around and then I realized it was a baby birdie! I think I said 'woah, baby birdie!' And it kept on chirping and chirping… chirping some more, so then I-"
"Thanks for the water," Unstoppable snatched the bucket from Hustle, who didn't even register it. Hustle blinked, one eyelid faster than the other, and gave Unstoppable a thumbs up.
"All of you, stand at the ready," Unstoppable ordered, raising the cold bucket over Drone.
Ace didn't move from his spot, giving Unstoppable a nod of understanding. Steadfast grumbled, still not entirely over being "disrespected" minutes ago, nonetheless he saluted Unstoppable, standing at the ready. Hustle… he didn't even look like he knew where he was.
Raising it above Drone, he dropped the cold water on top of him.
And then…
"He's… he's not waking up…" Ace said, stepping closer.
"Maybe the water isn't wet enough…?" Hustle added.
Steadfast hummed, standing beside unstoppable, who was just as confused. "No… I believe-"
"ACK-" Drone coughed, remaining limp on the ground.
Suddenly, all of their faces went blank, except Hustle's.
"HE'S DROWNING," Steadfast exclaimed. "Ace, quick! Give him CPR!"
"Moons no!" He yelled back, gagging at the thought. "I don't get paid to give CPR!"
"Fine, then I'll make sure you don't get paid at all if you don't do what I ORDERED YOU TO DO."
"YOU DON'T GIVE ME ORDERS."
Hustle stood silent, his eyes glancing between Ace and Steadfast. "I-I'll do it…" he said, softly, but his proclamation fell on deaf ears.
Ignoring the argument before him, Unstoppable took a step forward, placing his massive foot above Drone's stomach, and stomped down on it. All of the water trapped inside shot out of Drone's mouth, even spewing out of his nostrils like a dam was broken.
"AHHHHHCCCCK-" Drone wheezed, clutching his pained stomach and writhing in pain, coughing hysterically in the process.
Steadfast's and Ace's argument halted, each of them silently agreeing to argue at a later date. Because now, they had a duty to follow…
"Not dead yet, are you?" Unstoppable said, grinning in amusement. "Let me get a good look at ya, bud," he picked up Drone by the hem of his tunic, inspecting him closely. "Hmmm… eh, didn't know what I was expecting…" he tossed him towards the fire.
Drone fell on his bottom, his vision focusing more and more on the environment around him. He could make out the dark silhouettes of Steadfast, Ace and Hustle, and the large form of the man. That is Invincible's champion, Unstoppable, creeping out from the darkness of the night, the light from the campfire exposing half of his features.
"What's going on…?" Drone muttered, clutching his sore abdomen. "Who… who are you people?"
Steadfast came into view, his cocky smile never faltering as he circled Drone. "Remember me?" He said. "We talked about needing a job to be done… and you're the only man who's able to complete this job, so to speak."
"Ah," Drone groaned softly, attempting to stand up. "If you needed me… ahhh… to do it so badly… mooonnnsss… you could've just—asked nicely… AH-" He fell on his bottom again.
Ace appeared from the darkness, his blonde hair glowing under the fire light. "It's about your pops," he said, chuckling. "He's saying some pretty crazy shit, buddy," Ace continued, stepping closer to him. "And would you blame us if we didn't believe a word he said?"
A stick was kicked into the fire, the culprit being Steadfast. "Tell us the truth, Drone. Don't be a fool, and make this process easier for all of us."
"Tell you the truth…" Repeated Drone, finally understanding what they were implicating. "You think we're lying…"
Unstoppable snorted, laughing. "Think? Bah! We know!"
Steadfast hummed in agreement, his eyes boring into Drone's body. "You are incredibly naive if you think a silly story like that would fly by us, unnoticed."
"It's not silly!" Drone argued, standing up. "I-I was there!" His back cracked, eliciting a groan. "The Dragonslayer is real… y-you need to believe us-!"
A club hit Drone's back, forcing him back to the ground. "Sorry…" muttered Hustle. "He told me too…" Hustle looked at Unstoppable.
Drone fell on his hands and knees, his back throbbing in pain. "Please… I-I'm not lying…" He pleaded, his breaths shaky. "Ahh… I swear…" Drone tumbled on his side, his hands no longer able to support him.
Unstoppable let out an exaggerated sigh.
"Looks like we're in for a looonnnngggg night…"
…
Somewhere in the forest, miles away from Hidey Hole.
Caine found a place to camp for the night, off the main road, he found an abandoned straw house. Not just one, but multiple. All were withered and destroyed, but not the one Caine had selected to have the three of them rest in.
One side of the home was completely destroyed, the other side remained mostly intact. By that, it just had half a roof. Something the dozen other homes doesn't have in this abandoned village.
The horses roamed about, munching on the soft grass. Under the soft night sky, with the crickets singing their late night songs and fireflies dancing in the air.
A warm glow encased all of them, Hen and Alpine took a corner of the run down home. Seated on the dry floor, their backs against the straw wall behind them. Both of them were awake, not being able to sleep. They had only a soft blanket recently purchased from Hidey Hole, covering them both in its warmth embrace.
Caine sat opposite of them, closest to the fire. He's back to wearing his lab coat, and his hair had long since lost its pristine shape. His eyes never wavered from the fire in front of him, taking soft breaths of the fresh air around them.
"We shouldn't have left him."
Hen was the first to break the silence. "He's alone… wherever he is…"
Alpine nodded, her expression solemn, with hints of frustration. "Yeah… there was no point in leaving," she glanced at Caine. "If someone really had him, we should've reported it… instead of running off like some goats."
"We aren't running," Caine said, his eyes snapping to her through the fire. "We're making a plan."
She scoffed. "Your plan is the reason Drone's gone!"
His brow twitched, raising his head to face her properly. "Giving Drone up was never part of my plan!"
"Then you aren't really all that good at making plans, are you!?"
"I don't see you doing anything productive, instead of complaining like some spoiled thirteen year old girl!"
"Maybe you should have listened when I said to STAY at Hidey Hole on the way here! At least then, we'd be closer to finding and getting Drone!"
"Alpine!" He yelled, using his hands to gesture his point. "Think! The only people who would have a motive to take Drone, are Invincible's men! Why?! Because Drone was by himself, and they know he has information on all of us! And our stupid fucking story!" He took a quick breath, shaking his head. "My point is, Invincible's men have a lot of influence, I'm sure even you have noticed. They could have trapped us inside, taken us one by one in Hidey Hole. Cornered us, attacked us! ANYTHING," he shouted. "Leaving Hidey Hole, was and IS the safest bet… We… no, I need time to think of a way to get him back…"
Both of them fell into silence for a moment.
"You really think Invincible's men have him?" Alpine asked, her tone neutral.
"Yes," Caine sighed, lowering his head a bit. "Like I said, they're the only ones with a motive to kidnap him… Unstoppable is trying to find out more about our story…"
This is all going to shit…
They were caught.
That's the one thought pestering Caine's mind.
And now he was fighting to come up with a solution.
Call it a loss and leave?
No… that would never work… assuming their prying information from him, the last thing they would do is kill him. After they've broken him, they'll force Drone to lead him to us… our village… my village.
Then…
Go back, and find him ourselves?
That's worse… like a rabbit to a snare…
Hmmm… I do have left over Dragonspit… no… no that wouldn't work, too destructive and careless. I'd be put on a hit list for sure…
His only hope would have to be that Drone would stay strong… or… they'd just kill Drone. He could accept Drone giving up their information, even if that includes the location of their village. But that would give enough time for him to prepare for a battle, or flee the village to find another refuge.
There has to be a better solution… gahhh, I'm not thinking right…
He rummaged through his pocket, and pulled a small container in the shape of a rectangle. He pulled on the side, and a compartment slided out. Filled with tobacco, he examined it for a moment, then plucked some leaves out. Caine used some paper to roll it up, and lit the cigar thanks to the fire of the campfire.
Caine smoked it, a pleasant exhale left him, his mind temporarily numbing, easing him from his thoughts and stress.
"Caine," Hen said suddenly. "Do you mind if you can take that outside?" It came off like a demand, rather than a request.
"…"
"…"
"Okay," he said in return, lifting himself off the floor and stepping out of the ruined home.
The air was cold and unwelcoming, making him shiver as he stepped onto the grass. The cigarette was a small source of warmth in his hand, and that was enough for him. He walked a short distance away, to one of the horses pulling the carriage. It munched away, with his partner only a few feet behind them. Caine gave him some pats.
He glanced out of the corner of his eye, to the carriage tucked away in the wilderness. Covered in branches and brushes, to hide all of their valuables from thieves or thieving animals. It contained much needed supplies for the village; seeds, vegetables, cattle feed, materials etc.
A singular jug of Dragonspit remained, and the weapons they couldn't sell at the auction. At this point, collecting dust on the wagon.
Sighing, he walked away from the horse. To the edge of the abandoned village, stepping over the random large rock and weeds that had formed over time, like the Kudzu plant, which claimed most of the houses and territory here.
He stood by the edge, staring deep into the dark tall forest in front of him. Smoking his cigar, letting the smoke drift in the air as it escaped his lungs.
"Hmmmm…" he hummed to himself, his mind still trying to come up with a solution that would work best for him, and his village. The Doctor knew it wasn't the wisest of ideas to smoke, it had many negative effects, especially when it came to withdrawal.
But he needed this, he couldn't think…
Percival still hadn't got used to this world and its lack of luxury; he never developed the urge to smoke again when he worked for Skia Society. Solely because of the many alternatives he had to it; entertainment, music, food, and so on.
In this world, there was nothing he could use to relieve himself of the constant stress and anxiety. Smoking was the only form that could help him, albeit temporarily. Screw meditation, reading and writing, he needed this.
"I never got to finish that one anime…"
Losing himself in thought, the sound of rustling bushes brought him back to his present life. Instinctively, he took a step back, lowering his cigarette. Caine drew his hand to his hip, placing it on the handle of his short blade.
The rustling grew louder, and Caine was close to withdrawing it, dropping his cigar entirely and focusing all of his attention on the bush. And then, something flew out of it…
Lessons from David.
Part six.
"Ah-!" He clumsily withdrew the blade at what jumped out the brush, that being a flimsy body.
The body twitched, and used one weak hand to lift itself to face the gobsmacked Caine. They had shaky green eyes and smelled heavy of smoke, beaten and bruised, droplets of blood trickled down their face.
"They're…" They spat out some blood, their voice familiar. "They're here… I'm sorry."
"Drone-!" Caine was about to pick Drone up, but stopped at the hurclean man appearing from the dark forest. Like Jason Voorhees, Unstoppable broke through the brushes of the forest. Stepping into the light of the moon.
"I'll take it from here," Unstoppable picked up Drone by his collar, and tossed him aside. He drew his eyes to Caine, looking down at him.
Caine's adrenaline spiked, taking multiple steps back, almost stumbling. He kept his eyes on Unstoppable as if he'd magically teleport if he didn't, his hands shaky and already drenched in sweat.
Unstoppable grinned, flashing his putrid teeth. "Stop it, don't make me laugh," he chuckled, waving his hand mockingly.
"What do you want?" Caine snapped, his eyes sizing up Unstoppable.
"The truth, brother," he said, shrugging. "That's all I wanted from you," Unstoppable shook his head, clenching a fist. "But you couldn't even deliver that."
"The truth?" Caine scoffed. "I told you-"
"Stop with the lying! Gahhh!" Unstoppable exclaimed, rubbing his face with both hands. "Is that all you ever do?! Lie, lie, lie!?"
Caine flinched at Unstoppable's tantrum, now glancing over his shoulder behind himself, to see two other warriors have captured Hen and Alpine in ropes, tying their hands.
He glanced at where Drone was tossed to, but he was gone.
"I've spent HOURS dealing with that boy of yours," Unstoppable said. "And I got NOTHING, just more lies!"
More lies? What on earth could he be talking about…?
"You really expect me… to believe that YOU," he took a step forward, pointing a finger. "Slayed a dragon!?"
Oh… so Drone did confess, but Unstoppable doesn't believe him.
"Ha! Look at you, you're struggling with that kitchen blade in your hands," Unstoppable said, his eyes glistening in amusement. "And you want me to believe that fantasy, you slaying a dragon? In a single blow?!" He snorted, laughing. "I've heard children's books with stories more believable than THAT."
What, Drone said that?! I've never done anything like that-!
…
Unless you count the bullet I shot.
Tch, he must think I used a sword…
…
I HARDLY KNOW HOW TO WIELD THIS ONE.
"Lord Caine," Unstoppable said, his breaths becoming heavier, visible in the cold night. "If I hear one more lie, I will promise you this…"
"I assure you-!"
"I will alert Lord Invincible of your presence," he said, his hand going behind his back to equip the spear strapped on it. "No… of your existence, because you will not live to see the morning come," his tone was filled with nothing but distaste. "Then, I will come with an army. No matter what size, but an army. And run your village till it becomes nothing but rubble…"
Caine took a step back, then another… and another… he hadn't realized how far he's being pushed back, with all of his attention being drawn to Unstoppable, and his fear certainly wasn't helping.
"And if I gain one truth by the end, then I'll consider my efforts as a necessary expense for my Lord," he withdrew his spear, the blade shining in the moonlight. "I'll give you an opportunity now however…" he grinned slightly. "That… whatever you called it, Dragonshit? It tasted damn good, heh, I could use you in our city to make more of that stuff…" he spun his staff, producing a strong gust of air. "So… if you tell me a truth, just one, that's all I ask for… if you give me that, I'll allow you to live and your people…"
Caine looked back down at his blade, his eyes flicking back behind him. Hen and Alpine were forced onto the ground, lying on their stomachs. The two warriors had their boots pressed into their backs, their blades drawn. Alpine was flailing, and had extra restraints put on her, her mouth was covered by a rope, and she was furiously chomping on it like a rabid animal. Hen had far less restraints, and in contrast to Alpine, seemed at peace with the situation…
Drone was still nowhere.
I think this it-MY GUN.
Holding the blade with one, he reached into his pocket and equipped his main weapon, his trusty sidearm.
"Huh," Unstoppable raised a brow, planting the blunt end of the spear in the ground. "What's that?"
"You want the truth, Unstoppable?" Caine said, his right eye looking down the iron sights of the firearm.
"Hmmm?" Unstoppable hummed, not understanding what Caine was holding. "Uhhh…"
Taking a steady breath, dropping the blade and holding the gun with both hands, Caine said…
"You will find out firsthand, how exactly I slew a dragon."
Click!
"… What…?"
Click! Click!
"N-no… sorry give me a second…"
Click! Click! Click!
"Do… do you need some help?"
"No, I'm fine…" Caine inspected the weapon, finding out the cause for its jam. The Doctor pulled on the pistol's slide, and it didn't budge.
"Shit…" Finding the issue, Caine sheepishly looked up at Unstoppable.
"…"
"…"
"You were saying about the… 'how I slew a dragon firsthand' bit?" Unstoppable said, genuinely curious. "Better not be bullshitting with me…"
"Oh yes," Caine nodded, picking up his fallen blade. "It sorta went like this-" At that, Caine stabbed the short blade forward into Unstoppable's chest.
Dink! The blade flimsily rattled against it, Unstoppable was left completely untouched, other than the small scratch that now had formed on his armor.
"Huh," Unstoppable said, looking down at his chest. "Did you hit hard enough?"
Caine hit him again, aiming for his thigh, but even his leather armor proved too much for the blade. Poking his thigh, leaving absolutely no evidence of its viscous attack.
"Hm… ya know, for a pompous liar, and supposed Dragonslayer, I kinda hoped you'd hit harder."
"To be clear, I never outright claimed to be one-"
Refusing to let him finish speaking, Unstoppable delivered a kick to his abdomen, like Drone, but without holding back.
"Gah-!" The air on Caine's lungs instantaneously dissipated, as he tumbled on the solid ground, being sent dozens of feet back by the force of Unstoppable's kick.
"Hmmm?" Unstoppable hummed, the blade Caine dropped, and where it fell on the ground where he once stood in front of Unstoppable, before he was punted.
Caine lay on the ground, groaning and wheezing heavily, using a hand to slowly lift himself up. Gritting his teeth, and with his abdomen throbbing in pain. He managed to get to a knee, and lift his head up to Unstoppable.
Unstoppable quickly noticed his gaze, and bent over to retrieve the fallen blade. An idea sparking in his brain…
He threw the blade to Caine, and it fell on the ground, shining in the moonlight above.
"What are you waiting for?" Unstoppable questions, taking steady steps to him. "Pick it up."
The others, Steadfast and Ace that is. Clenched their own weapons, but they were signaled by Unstoppable to back off. Reluctantly, they did, now opting to stay by the women, one of them still gnawing at the ropes…
Caine looked at the blade, his hand reaching for it, shaking. Once it made contact, he clenched his fingers around the handle, the veins popping out in them. Using the rest of his strength, he brought himself back up on his own feet.
"Raise your head!" Unstoppable ordered, raising his spear. "Dragonslayer this! Dragonslayer that! I had enough of your lies, prove to me who you are, who you claim to be! And FIGHT."
Unstoppable charged at him, jabbing at Caine with the spear. Caine hardly dodged out of the way, stumbling to his left. By the time Caine had reoriented himself, Unstoppable had jabbed his ribcage with the butt end of the spear.
Falling back to the ground, Unstoppable raised his spear once more, the sharp end aiming towards the Doctor's neck as he brought it down. "Ah!" Caine's eyes went wide, and he rolled to his side in time. Grabbing a clump of dirt, and tossing it into Unstoppable's face.
Coughing in the dust cloud of dirt, Unstoppable was temporarily stunned. Instead of taking the risk of attacking him right then and there, Caine fled to the carriage, scrambling onto it.
"What's he doing now…?" Murmured Ace.
"He's about to run," Steadfast grumbled.
"Should we stop him?"
"RAHHHH," Unstoppable roared, furious with Caine's attempt to escape his wrath. He rushed towards the wagon, stabbing at him, and Caine managed to dodge each one, climbing higher onto the wagon and its contents, in search of something…
"No…" Steadfast shivered. "Unstoppable has him, he's not getting away."
"Oh, M'kay," Ace shrugged, he glanced down at the women struggling. One of them lied motionless, in defeat, and the other one continued to gnaw at the rope.
"Hey, stop that," Ace kicked Alpine, and she let out a cry of pain.
"Hmm…" Steadfast hummed softly, large contrast to Unstoppable's roars and attacks in the background. "Where's Hustle?"
"What do you mean?"
"Here's not here."
"He's not? I thought he had Drone."
"Drone…?" Steadfast repeated, counting the two women, and the soon to be dead Doctor. Only then, he realized Drone wasn't accounted for. "N-no, I thought Unstoppable had killed him, why would he have Drone?"
"Oh," Ace said, glancing around them. "If Drone's dead, where the fuck is Hustle?"
"Wait…" Steadfast said. "Did Drone even die?"
"…"
"…"
At the wagon, Caine frantically tossed aside any bags and goods, purposely throwing them at Unstoppable. Each item hit him square in the face, eliciting grunts and groans of annoyance from the goliath.
There!
He found it, the remaining jug of Dragonspit!
Wrapping his hand around the handle, he turned and tossed the jug right at Unstoppable. The jug shattered, and the dark contents of it coated him.
Unstoppable grunted at the assault, gritting his teeth in anger that was steadily growing. The doctor noticed his temporary daze, so he reached into his pocket for the phone-
Unstoppable's hand grabbed Caine's leg, pulling him right off the wagon. "You're being REALLY fucking annoying!" He roared, dragging Caine on the ground. "Stop. Running!" He spun his arm holding Caine, and threw him to the home where he and the girls once rested in, with the campfire still on.
Caine's body ragdolled in the air, crashing through the weak walls of the straw hut. And tumbling back on the ground, groaning in pain. "Ahhh…" he hissed, rolling to his side. The fire dangerously close to his hair.
Unstoppable stomped through the debris, his figure shining under the moonlight, courtesy to the Dragonspit coated on him. "The fuck are you doing?! Don't tell me I wasted my time with you, a liar!"
"You… are too quick to assume," Caine groaned, pushing himself up. "M-maybe… the only liar here… is whoever picked your name."
Unstoppable clenched his fist, his spear poised to strike. "My name? Who gave you the right-!"
Using whatever remained of his strength, Caine quickly reached into the fire. His hands temporarily scorched in pain, as he grabbed a random piece of wood from it. With that in his hand, and the flame eating away, he tossed it to Unstoppable.
A soft dink followed, with a pained roar soon after.
Unstoppable's entire form erupted into the worst flames imaginable, dragon flame.
"AHHHHHHHH!" He roared, dropping his spear, falling to the ground, his entire body convulsing in agony. His warriors darted to the scene, their eyes wide and unsure of what to do. Ace and Steadfast soon began trying to pat him down, but even coming close to him burned through their armor, melting the edges ever so slightly…
During the chaos, Caine ran past them, in fact they noticed but they couldn't be bothered to care, not now. The doctor slid to the women, using a small stone knife to undo their ties.
Hen looked shaken, her expression blank and fearful. She scrambled backwards, away from Caine. Her eyes falling past him, and to the roars of agony that resonated from the campfire. "Caine?!" She cried, getting away.
Alpine shot herself right up, spitting the rope off her mouth, and rushing over to Hen, holding her in an embrace. "It's okay!" She said, now glancing back at Caine, her eyes filled with panic. "R-right?!"
"We need to leave!" Caine said, standing up, weakly. "I gave us an opening, let's run for the woods-!" A cry of pain rang from Caine's throat, a dagger was thrown and stabbed itself into his shoulder, from behind. He fell forward, catching himself with his other hand.
"You are NOT leaving!" Steadfast yelled, holding another dagger in his hands.
"Unless your feeling suicidal," quipped Ace. "Then by all means, make our jobs easier!"
Caine clutched at his shoulder, the dagger still stuck deep with blood sleeping out of the clogged wound, slowly. "God…" he murmured, gritting his teeth.
I can't die… not here… I didn't survive the end of the world to be killed from these fucks.
"Hen," Alpine said, clutching at Hen's shoulder. "You need to leave," she said firmly. "Go, run, do whatever I don't care! Just don't look back!"
"No no no, Alpine!" she shouted. "Don't…! Don't make me! You go, I-I'll stay! I'll be-!"
"No, Hen! Listen to me-!"
"Ahhh decide already!" Interrupted Caine, his eyes narrowed at the both of them, his jaw clenched. "If not, the both of you can fuck off and die in the woods! Or die with me, pick one! Either way, we're dead!"
Alpine clenched a fist, glaring back at Caine. "Th-there's a chance she'll live!" She argued.
"That doesn't matter, cause I'm not leaving anyways-" Hen said, standing up only to be pulled back down by Alpine.
"No, you are LEAVING," she said firmly. "No room for discussion!" Alpine said, pushing her away.
"Alpine!" She cried, looking at Alpine and Caine knelt down, with the looming silhouettes of the two warriors behind them with a raging fire around them, enveloping the straw home. "Please, don't make me-!"
"Warn the village!" Caine ordered her, forcing himself to stand. "Hen, you know the way back… run and warn them, prepare, evacuate, anything! Prevent more lives from being lost, that's all you can do!"
Tears streamed down her face, she did her best to blink them away, her vision becoming blurred before listening to what the both of them told her to do, and running off into the dark forest…
Alpine helped Caine up to his feet, pulling the dagger from his shoulder. "Ah!" Caine yelped, glaring at her. "Why'd you do that? Do you want me to die from blood loss?!"
"You'd be pretty lucky if you did…" she murmured, grimly, twirling the dagger in her hands. "Stop whining," Alpine said, staring off behind him. "Ewww… what did you do to him?"
Turning around, Caine's eyes widened at the man still standing. Unstoppable arose from the flames, the majority of his armor melted, conjoined to his skin like it was part of his body. He looked red and scaly, no doubt to the burns, his eyes staring into the souls of both of them.
"You," Unstoppable growled, coughing up blood. "... You bastard, I won't let you continue living, you will be SLAIN by my own FUCKING hands!," Unstoppable continued to cough, his voice hoarse and dry.
Caine groaned, nearly falling over but forcing himself up. It hurts to breath, move a muscle, and to speak. It's a miracle he hadn't succumbed to his injuries yet, and the only thing keeping him moving was the adrenaline, but that was beginning to wear off…
"Why won't you run…?" Uttered Caine, spitting out droplets of blood.
"I'm doing this for Hen, not you, don't get the wrong idea," she side-eyed him. "If I finish you off now, then they'll kill me faster, and catch up to Hen quicker."
"I see," he choked, thinking of any possible way to win in this impossible scenario. "Then… let's make this last."
A silent standoff commenced, between Caine and Alpine, to the two warriors, and one champion of Invincible.
"Take this," he shoved the phone to her. "P-press this button for a small flame…"
Alpine fumbled with the device, clutching it close, awkwardly holding it with her thumb near the button. "What is it-?"
"Take the sword, or shield, whatever you find on the wagon and use it," he continued. "I'll try my best to-"
Unstoppable's warcry shook them, and he shot past his comrades with his thunderous footsteps. Like a bull, he tackled Caine, crashing into him. The momentum carrying them into the forest.
Alpine had to lunge out of the way to avoid being trampled under Unstoppable, and she was met with the two other warriors roaring as one, raising their swords.
She forced her feet to work, picking herself up and running towards the wagon. Ace however, shoulder bashed her back down, his spiked shoulder stabbing into Alpine's arm. And she fell on her side, Steadfast followed up with his blade, slashing downward.
Before the blade made contact, Alpine raised her foot and kicked Steadfast's groin, conveniently one of the few places their armor lacked real protection, her kick easily made Steadfast squeal and hunch over, missing his slash.
"Cheap trick!" Ace bellowed, as Alpine rushed to her feet and tried to run off from him. Ace followed suit, before completely lunging at her and hitting his mark.
Ace fell on top of Alpine's back, forcing her to the ground for the third time. He pinned her down, and raised her head. Then forced it down, and up, and down, and up, and down…
Bashing Alpine's head to the ground, Alpine's hand patted the ground beside her, sensing the fallen device Caine had lended to her. Her hand fell on it, and immediately clenched it firmly, and used it to bash Ace's head above hers.
It worked.
Ace let out a cry of pain, clutching his head and falling back slightly, enough that Alpine found the leverage to pull herself up. And push him off, she wiped the dirt and blood off her face, and watched as Ace's daze subsided.
In a moment of rage, Alpine jumped at him, pinning him down instead. And taking revenge, she used the large phone, and smashed it repeatedly against Ace's armor. It was so effective it dented it, and Ace was left in a constant daze as he in vain tried to fight back, dropping his sword in the process.
Pausing her assault for a second, hearing footsteps quickly approaching. She looked up in time to see Steadfast's foot coming at her face.
Steadfast kicked Alpine's head, sending her back a few feet and off Ace. "You bitch!" He growled, preparing his sword to strike. "Now you're dead!"
Falling onto her back for the fourth time… Alpine looked up to see Steadfast about to stab at her, and she quickly raised her own impenetrable defense.
Her foot.
And kicked at Steadfast's groin, again.
"Aha!" He said, victoriously. He pressed his thighs together, a defense her foot unfortunately cannot pass.
"Fool me once, shame on me, fool me twice-!"
His breath left him, when Alpine followed up with another attack. She had picked up Ace's sword, and thrusted it at his abdomen, it slid through metal and stabbed him.
He groaned, falling back. Alpine left the sword embedded, and resumed her run to the wagon. Arriving shortly and climbing aboard, scavenging for the draconic weapons. Tossing Caine's phone in the process.
"The shield!" She said, shoving away the items and forcing the shield up with both hands. After a moment of struggle, she stood the shield up. "Where's the sword…?"
Alpine didn't have much time to think, the warriors were getting themselves back up. Ace fought the daze away, and pulled his blade from Steadfast's abdomen. He too, was in a daze afterwards but quickly composed himself, despite the blood leaking from the new hole Alpine generously gave him.
Ace's helm was dented and bloodied, his eyes were noticeably bloodshot and his hair was no longer pristine as it once was. Steadfast fared no better, blood leaked from his side and he looked much paler than before. But what they both had in common, was their drive to kill Alpine.
Both of them barreled for her, roaring furiously, preparing to jump and slice, slash, quick and fast. In this moment of bloodlust.
Her internal alarms screamed at her to act, and do something, anything for her to survive. Grasping the handle of the towering shield, and lugging it up, gritting her teeth as her sore muscles worked double time.
With a mighty roar, she brought the shield over herself, jumped off the wagon, and slammed it into the ground with herculean strength.
The Pyrrhian ground shook, and large cracks had formed in it. The men stumbled, losing their footing, each hitting their heads hard against the ground.
Alpine let go of the shield, falling forward, catching herself with her other arm. She panted, her right arm ached in pain, either from the muscle strain or broken bones, she couldn't tell.
Raising her head, she saw a chance to strike, and hard.
Ace's foot had lodged itself into the ground, and he was forced back into a daze after Alpine's mountainous shockwave. Snatching up the fallen device of Caine, she ran and jumped on him, forcing the butt end of the phone into the visor of Ace's helm, and pressing the button Caine had told her to press earlier…
A sharp flame bloomed from it, and torched Ace's eyes and the flesh surrounding it. He let out a blood curdling scream, both hands pushing on Alpine to back off, clawing and scratching at her face in a desperate effort to save himself.
By the time Alpine stumbled off, it was too late.
The flame ate away his face, his eyes, and generally all facial features, even leaving Alpine horrified at the mere glance of it through his open visor in the helm. A final breath left him, and he passed, his hands falling limp to the ground.
"What did you do?!" Bellowed Steadfast, momentarily dumbfounded and horrified. He just saw her exert flames from the device, and his mind couldn't comprehend how in the world she'd done that, like magic.
Dropping the phone, Alpine grabbed Ace's sword on the ground, and charged towards Steadfast. "W-wait WAIT-!" Still dumbfounded, he couldn't react accordingly to the blade coming towards him. Consequently, Alpine struck true, giving him another hole.
Steadfast groaned hard, hunching forward, falling on Alpine's shoulder till he collapsed. Dead, and gone.
Alpine dropped to the ground, exhausted. Taking heavy breaths and rubbing her aching arm, her gaze wandered to the random spots of blood on her body, then to the carnage around her. The fire Caine ignited had died, and the bodies of two warriors stood still, a grim reminder of what she'd done. Her shield remained planted on the ground like a boulder, the cracks of the ground around it, sprouting like roots from the shield.
"Hheeennnnn…" She wheezed, her voice hoarse. Alpine had to get up, and find her. That was now her main priority, so she forced herself up with her arms and legs. Taking Steadfast's sword off his corpse, and running towards the direction of Hen, stumbling on the ground before picking herself up and jumping into the brushes of the dark forest.
Unintentionally following the same path of destruction, Caine and Unstoppable had left behind.
…
The two men tumbled on the ground, crashing into bushes and trees like a game of Plinko. Until they found steady ground, and their momentum came to a stop. Unstoppable was the first to act, pushing himself off Caine and picking him up by his collar, throwing him to a tree ahead of them.
The Doctor's back hit the tree with a crash, falling limp against it. Raising his head up, he saw Unstoppable charging at him like a division one football player, tackling right into Caine with his molten shoulder, breaking through the tree.
Like an organic semi truck, both Caine and Unstoppable crashed through the tree. Caine fell another dozen feet, with Unstoppable tumbling to a stop right before him. Caine was asleep, unconscious for the moment. Unstoppable on the other hand, groaned viciously, slowly rising off the ground.
His jaw was completely visible, the dragon fire melted away at the flesh. He clenched it, his eyes locked onto Caine like a deathly laser. "You… you piece of shit!" He yelled, dark red liquid spewing from his mouth each time he opened it. "You better not be FUCKING dead!"
As if on cue, Caine gasped awake. Coughing horribly, spitting out blood. His entire body ached, every breath he took felt like thousands of needles were poking his lungs. Yet, he somehow found the strength to roll over, planting a shaky hand to stand up. "For christ's sake… let me die…"
"Aha!" Unstoppable boomed, a sick smile on whatever was left of his face. "Good…! I-I wanna see the life drain out of you… when I TEAR you apart like the chickens I eat!"
Caine took a second to rest, standing up and leaning on a tree, his head low but just enough to watch Unstoppable struggle off the ground, in case he charges. He took this second not only to rest his broken body, but to think…
No!
I… I need to act! Stop thinking… it won't save me here…
Act… that's… what I need… to do…
"Hnnnnghhh…" Unstoppable groaned, making it to his knee. "Oh… I… can't WAIT till I-"
Caine's steel boots made contact with his chin, breaking his already fragile jaw. Even then, Unstoppable wasn't sent back, he grabbed Caine's leg and pulled him down with him. Now using his other arm to hold him in place, effectively pinning him, while the other worked to tear off his leg.
"Hehehe… hehehe!" Unstoppable took great joy in watching Caine struggle, to try and pry himself from Unstoppable's grasp, anything to save his foot from being torn off like an action figure.
The Doctor kicked, clawed, shouted and spat. But nothing got through to Unstoppable.
But, out of the corner of his eye…
Alpine ran, and she skidded to a stop. A few feet away, in the brushes behind Unstoppable. She saw Caine beneath his grasp, and Alpine immediately noticed the pleading look on his face.
"Alpine…! Help. Me!" He said through grit teeth, grunting in pain as he felt his leg muscles begin to tear.
She watched him struggle a moment more, then took a breath, and ran past them, in the direction of Hen.
Caine watched as the last chance of his survival disappeared in the forest, and he gave up any resistance against Unstoppable.
Let me stay dead… this time around…
Closing his eyes, he prepared to experience what could be the worst pain of his remaining life, waiting for Unstoppable to pull off his leg.
A sick wet tear was heard, followed by a roar of pain.
And then…
Caien felt something warm spew all over him, a liquid, followed by something heavy. Opening his eyes, he saw Unstoppable's arm on his chest, completely detached from his body. And the large, unmistakable blade Alpine had crafted, the draconic great sword.
The sword was planted directly next to him, the blade of it in the ground. Dropping in Unstoppable's blood. Unstoppable in question, threw himself back away from him, grasping at his shoulder where his arm was once connected.
"What?!" Said Caine, crawling back a few feet. Only then he saw the wielder, barely standing beside the handle of the sword.
The wielder let out a heavy wheeze, lifting his head to Caine. "Lord…! I…" Wheeeeze! "Wait, I need a second… ah… I think I'm gonna pass out… moonsss above…" Drone fell forward, catching himself.
"N-no no, Drone!" Caine yelled, grunting in pain as he propelled himself toward Drone. "Come on, I need you awake!" The lord ordered. "Drone… Listen to me!"
Drone panted, steadily regaining his breath. He lifted his head up to Caine, his eyes barely visible from the way Drone's hair loosely hung. "Yes…?"
"If you fail me now… then you will never be a dragonslayer."
Drone's heart dropped, and the world went silent for him. He certainly didn't come out to these parts of the forest to fail his entrance exam, and if he wanted to pass, he needed to survive. Or in this specific case, prove he has what it takes to become a dragonslayer.
"Ahhh shut the fuck up!" Unstoppable roared, slamming his one fist into the ground. "You don't know a thing about becoming a fucking DRAGONSLAYER!" Despite the heavy damage Unstoppable's body endured, he stood up. "NONE OF YOU."
Caine kept his gaze on Drone, a silent pleading one. And Drone turned his attention to Unstoppable. "I… I understand," said Drone, nodding his head slowly.
What's a man, to a dragon? Drone repeated that phrase to himself, mentally. If he wished to become a dragonslayer, he had to be capable of taking down his own species. Unstoppable was a barrier he needed to surpass…
However doubt crept into Drone.
Is this really worth it?
Is it worth, dying for?
Man, I did kinda do this for the girls…
And slaying dragons is pretty cool… I guess I never really thought about slaying human beings.
What am I saying?
It's possible to become a dragonslayer, lord Caine is proof of that. Maybe if I do this… I'll become as strong as him, and kill a Dragon in a single blow like him! Ha! And people will think I'm cool, like Caine!
"Kid, you want to know what it takes to be a dragonslayer?" Unstoppable grinned. "Lesson one, you will learn that no matter WHAT you do, you will NEVER match up in strength to a dragon," Unstoppable yelled, cracking his neck. "But the ONE thing you can surpass any fucking dragon is, is your WILL," he broke into a faint hoarse chuckle. "Wanna know my will? Haha! It's to rip you apart and jerk off to the sounds of your screams, 'Oh unstoppable, please kill us!' Ha! 'Ahhh Unstoppable, ahhh' AHAAAAH!"
Drone only grew more determined, steadying his resolve at Unstoppable's words. He picked himself up, forcing himself off his knees and on his feet. His body was already worn from Unstoppable's interrogation, beaten and bruised, but he could still fight.
Unstoppable's laughter suddenly came to a stop, his eyes focusing on Drone. "Do you really think you have a chance to beat… me…?"
Drone narrowed his eyes at him, his subtle challenge to Unstoppable. And Caine, slowly backed away.
Unstoppable gauged Drone for any sign of doubt, surveying his expression, his eyes, face and stance. But he couldn't find anything, Drone exhibited an aura of confidence. And the only sign of hesitation he'd found, or self doubt, was his own reflection in the draconic sword's blade, soaked in his blood.
"Y-you bastard!" Unstoppable bellowed, charging at Drone. "That will be your FINAL mistake!"
Unstoppable roared like a lion, shooting his onefist at Drone with no intention of holding back. Drone saw this, and had an opportunity to fire back. Unable to properly wield the greatsword due to his exhaustion, he used the handle of the sword like a sort of platform, jumping onto it, balancing himself before jumping off it. He avoided Unstoppable's initial attack, but crashed directly into his torso, and that is exactly what Drone wanted.
Crashing into Unstoppable's torso was like being hit from a car, yet Drone pushed himself past the daze and swung on Unstoppable's neck, swinging onto Unstoppable's back. From where he hung on by his neck.
Unstoppable skidded to a stop, and reached his one hand over his shoulder, grabbing at Drone. Until Drone began choking him out with his face mask, wrapping it around Unstoppable's neck and tugging on it firmly. He choked on it, loudly, his hand doing all it can to pull it off, but unfortunately his strength was no longer enough.
Drone continued his assault, exerting all of his strength and body weight to hold his face mask around Unstoppable's neck. He held onto it to avoid being flung off by Unstoppable's erratic movements to get him off.
"Aw man-!" Drone let out his last words, right before Unstoppable ran at a tree and turned his body last second so Drone would suffer the collision between Unstoppable and the tree. Unstoppable did this repeatedly, and Drone kept letting out muffled cries of pain, he held onto the cloth around Unstoppable's neck, faltering ever so slightly with each crash.
Caine's eyes darted around for what to do, his sensible part of his brain telling him to run, to assure his own survival. The other part told him to stay, fight along with Drone, to pay back what he did for him.
In the end, he figured he was gonna die anyway. The injures his body sustained were fatal, and he only lived this long because of the adrenaline. He might as well give his last 'Hoo-rah!' Before death takes him, for the second time.
Caine saw the blade, and immediately concluded that it'd be impossible for him to wield. Next was the idea of his gun, but it was nowhere to be found, he probably dropped it at his initial encounter with Unstoppable. Phone? He gave it to Alpine. So, what else could he do…?
The trees splintered with each collision Unstoppable caused, and Drone's cries for help grew louder, and his grip on the mask fell weaker. Somehow, despite the lack of oxygen, Unstoppable remained strong.
Every crash made the earth jump, causing Caine to constantly stumble on the ground, his head hitting an object. "Ah!" He yelped in pain, clutching his head, glancing at the culprit, a rock. It was decent sized rock, rounded and shiny. He grasped it, about to throw it at Unstoppable until an idea popped into his dying mind.
"H-hold on!" He yelled over to Drone, removing his lab coat and tearing at the sleeve. He used the fabric to twirl it into a firm string, a thin rope. It only took a couple excruciating seconds, and a minute to do so.
Drone was about to respond, until Unstoppable had enough, and grasped over his shoulder. His hand grasped under Drone's arm, and exerted his strength to yank him off, throwing him at the ground in front of him. Drone screamed in shock at the sudden force, and his world suddenly went upside down. Drone smacked into the ground, with such force his body bounced up. Unstoppable wasn't done, and kicked him mid air, sending him to another tree and Drone's body dented it, falling limp beside it like a rag doll.
Caine peeked over his shoulder, and his eyes nearly jumped out of his skull at the ludicrous display of strength. He quickly went back to what he was doing, his speed doubling to get what he needed done…
"Now…" Unstoppable said, utterly exhausted, slowly turning his body to Caine. "Where were we?" He grinned, chuckling.
Caine tore another piece of his clothing, his socks, specifically for its soft material. And used it in the creation of his weapon, a rock sling.
"Turn around," Unstoppable ordered. "I wanna see your face, when I plaster you into the ground."
The Doctor kept working, placing the rock firmly on the pocket of the sling, and making sure the finger loop fit his finger. However, he spared a single glance over his shoulder, at the man behind him.
"I said. Turn. Around."
Almost done…
"Listen. To. Me!"
It fits…
Unstoppable clenched his fractured jaw together, raising his fist. "Fuck it all!" He charged at Caine. "JUST DIE."
When the Goliath charged at him, Caine snapped his body at him, using the momentum he was secretly whirling seconds earlier with the rock sling in his fingers. With a flick of his wrist, he shot the rock sling, using nothing but his expertise in physics and angles in calculating his aim.
Like a bullet, the rock passed through Unstoppable's forehead, stopping right at his brain mid charge. Immediately Unstoppable's body went limp, face planting into the ground and skidding to a stop right before Caine.
The Doctor scrambled back, half expecting Unstoppable to rise from the dead like him, but that never happened. Giving Unstoppable a glance more, his eyes drifted to Drone, concerned, quickly filled his being and he crawled towards Drone, slowly picking himself up.
"Drone…!" He called out, only for his voice to give out, followed by his body. Caine collapsed onto the ground, his breath ragged and painful, and he felt awfully sleepy. His chest felt tight, and he drew his palm to it, attempting to sense his heart beat.
There was none.
He was dying.
His body gave out, and there's no coming back from this.
Surely, Death would take him permanently in its cold grasp.
Closing his eyes, he let himself fall into a sleep, and the pain soon vanished.
Replacing it, was a deep and chilling cold, in a void of nothingness.
Doctor Caine, is now dead.
…
Hen's hair caught repeatedly in the branches of the forest, and her dress she never changed out of tore at the prickly bushes she ran into. This went on for minutes, maybe hours, Hen couldn't tell. She did the only thing everyone told her to do.
She ran.
No idea where, but she ran. Eventually, she found a steep hill and navigated herself down, tumbling a few times. And she was then met with a river, separating one half of the forest from the other. Hen didn't give it a second thought, and she jumped right into it, desperate to escape any potential pursuers.
The water was cold, and she saw the countless fish swim away due to her unwanted presence. She kicked her feet and moved her arms to swim to the other side, but the current proved too strong, and Hen found herself being pulled by it. She screamed, and desperately reached out for anything to stop herself, as she was dragged by the river's current.
During her involuntary water slide, her hand found another hand, and she held onto it. Suddenly, she felt herself being pulled out the water by someone, Hen coughed the moment she breached the water surface.
She shoved her damp hair off her face, wiping her mouth and eyes, looking up at her savior…
Her savior was a tall man, clad in spiked armor. He wore his helmet off, making his features all the more visible. One eye blinked faster than the other, out of sync. His sloppy mohawk subtly moved in the wind.
"Ma'am?" He said, fighting a yawn. "…You okay?"
Hen blinked, her eyes widening once she recognized the armor. "Stay away!" She scrambled back, slipping on the wet stones. "Please! We didn't mean no harm, honest!"
"…wha…?" He blinked in return, scratching his head. "Lady… I uhhh… don't want nothing to do with you…" he said, flatly, his face uncomfortable.
"What…" Hen muttered, getting on her feet, keeping her distance. "Y-you're with them, no? The-the Invincible people! You want to take us… did they hurt Alpine, oh, please tell me she's alive! I-I don't know what I'll do if she's…" Hen broke into a sob, falling to her knees. "Please, don't hurt her! I'll do anything, she's just a girl-! Wahhh!"
"Ma'am!" The man panicked, glancing left and right, before crouching down and waving his hands to gain her attention. "I-I didn't mean to eat her! She was too tasty! Don't start crying… I-I'm gonna cry…! Please!"
"Wahhh-" Hen's sobbing came to a halt.
Eat her?
"You… You ate Alpine?"
He nodded, sheepishly. "I'm sorry… it's not my fault she tastes so good… for what it's worth, I made sure to not waste any bit of her-ACK!"
Hen grabbed his neck, strangling him. "YOU BASTARD!"
"ACKKKKK," the man continued to choke under her grasp, his eyes tearing up. "Mercy! Mercy!" He cried, holding Hen's wrist. Hen continued choking him, until she was slapped with a fish carcass, or what was left of it.
Hen fell back on her bottom, the fish carcass was on her lap, picked and eaten.
The man scurried back, his hands raised defensively as he refused to meet her gaze, his body shaking in fear. "Please! I saved her body, y-you can bury her… but don't bury me!" He cried.
"I don't want this!" Hen roared, standing up, balling up her sleeves.
"W-what do you mean, ma'am… that's your daughter… I-I'm a monster! I'm so sorry!"
"Eh," Hen's face went blank, a comical question mark appearing above her head. "My… daughter…?"
"Yes," he uttered, weakly. "I'm so sorry you have to see her like that… I ain't never mean to harm no one's daughter… hic… I was hungry, Is all…"
"This whole time… you thought… I was mad at you for eating my daughter, that was a fish?"
He looked at her, fear written all over his eyes. "Y-yes…"
"…"
"…Don't look at me like that, missus…"
Sigh.
"My daughter ain't a fish," Hen admitted, shaking her head and squeezing the water out of her dress.
"She ain't?"
"No!" Hen snapped, kicking a rock and almost slipping. "Alpine is my niece, not no damn fish, what made you think I was talking about a fish!?"
The man instantly brought his hands up defensively over him, lowering his head. "I'm sorry! But… y-you came from the river! Like a mer-person!"
"Like what?!"
"Mer-mem!"
"Speak clearly!"
"Those fish people!"
"… MERMAID?!"
"Ahhh yes…!"
Hen let out a "Ha!" In disbelief, stepping closer to him. "DO I LOOK LIKE A FISH?!"
"Nooooo I'm sorry!"
Hen stomped the ground, crossing her arms and looked away. "Alpine ain't even my daughter either, she's my niece… and right now she's… somewhere over there! Fighting, and… hopefully winning…"
"Fighting…?" The man murmured, lowering his hands. "So… she's not a fish?"
"No!"
"Then… who could she be fighting? Shouldn't you be helping hers instead of hanging out with your fishy friend?"
"WHAT are you talking about-?!" Hen stopped herself. "She's fighting YOUR people, because they can't leave us alone!"
"My people…? Ohhhhhh… them!" He said, nodding in understanding. "I remember now, sorta."
"So what," Hen said, glaring at him. "Did they send you to catch me? Kill me? What is it?!"
He looked offended, shaking his head frantically. "No! Don't say that! I would never!"
"Then why are you out here, and why did you save me?!"
The man flinched at her tone, looking away and crouching down by the river. "I got… distracted," he said, softly. "I saw my fishy pals when we were tracking you, with that poor boy of yours…" he sighed. "I wish I got to know him better, but… I got to know these fishies better!" He smiled brightly, before breaking into another sigh. "Till you scared them…"
It finally clicked, and Hen realized this individual had a unique way of thinking. Either that, or he was off crack. "I-I see that…" she said softly, crouching down to his level.
"Mhm," he hummed. "They told me lots of funny jokes, wanna hear one!"
Hen looked uneasy, but she didn't want to accidentally set him off in any way. Somehow she didn't already after choking him, but she wasn't gonna question that to him. "I'd love to."
"Why are fish so smart?"
"Why?"
"Because they swim in schools!" He held a bright grin, waiting for Hen's reaction.
"…" Hen was NOT in a mood to laugh, her mind was still stuck on her niece and the news of Drone. "… Haha…"
"Hehehe," he chuckled. "I stayed and talked with them, they were such good talkers that I didn't even realize my team left me…! Hehe," he let out a soft sigh. "I wonder what they're doing… ohhh… I bet they're having a lot of fun! I wish I knew where they are…"
"… don't you know why you're even out here?"
He glanced at her, shrugging. "A little, we wanted to find this Dragonslayer the boy was talking about, he sounded cool. And after a lot of… physical persuasion from my friends, D-drone? I think that's his name, guided us to the dragonslayer… And during the trip, it's when I got distracted by these fish friends I made."
"Hm," Hen hummed. "What's your name?"
"Hustle," he answered, yawning softly. "Can I have yours, lady?"
"Hen," she said, giving him a small smile.
"Hen," he repeated, tilting his head slightly. "Oh, I think I heard of you, by that boy! Oh wow, your hair really does look like it's on fire!"
"Thanks," Hen snickered. "Um…" she hesitated to ask something, glancing at the forest she just came from. "Might I ask… w-would you be willing to help me?"
"You need my help…" Hustle turned his body to her, sitting on the ground. His knees brought up to his chest, and he hugged them tightly. "Really…?"
Hen nodded, giving him a serious expression. "I do!" She said. "Uh, your friends… they're hurting my friends, and I'm afraid they're gonna hurt my niece, badly."
"That's not good."
"Right," Hen said, lowering her head. "So, can you help me stop them?"
"No, thank you."
"W-what… why?!"
Hustle shrugged. "I don't want them to hurt me next…"
"I-I won't let them!" She said, coming closer to him, keeping her face serious. "If you help me… Us! We'll protect you, and you'll have a home, and… you can have all the friends you'll ever need, plus, you…" she trailed off, glancing at the river. "You can bring your fishy friends!"
Hustle gasped, bringing his hand to his chest. "Really?! Even my baby birdie friend?!"
"Yes! Even your…" She shook her head, deciding not to question it. "Birdie friend…"
"Awesome!" He stood up, pumping his fist. "WOW, I've never been this excited since the time I passed the naming ceremony, or the time I gave birth to a cute little chicken! Haha!"
Giving him a meager thumbs up, Hen stood up, squeezing her dress in various ways to get rid of the water. "Good for you, Hustle," she said, not knowing how to reply. "Let's get going, please, do you have your sword-?"
The sound of footsteps quickly approaching emanated behind Hen, and before you know it, Hustle vanished in front of her with such speeds, and appeared behind her, bearing his weapon at this newcomer.
"Hold it! Identify yourself, don't you dare step closer to Mistress Hen!" He glanced over his shoulder at the perplexed Hen. "Am I doing a good job…?"
"Move it!" Roared the voice, immediately recognizing it as Alpine. Hen shoved Hustle, and he fell to the ground, even though she was gentle.
"Alpine!" She cried in relief, grabbing Alpine's shoulders with both hands, pulling her closer. "You're alive…! Moons…" Hen examined Alpine's broken body, bruised and bloodied in various places, however the most important thing was that she was alive. "Honey, you're hurt, I-" She was at a loss for words, what could she say? So much has happened, Hen was tired, overwhelmed, and fearful of the situation going on.
Alpine felt much the same, she remained silent, her tears quickly welling up in her eyes before she stuffed her face in Hen's chest, balling. Hen embraced her, wrapping her pale and fragile arms around Alpine's body, gingerly rubbing her, feeling just how exhausted her muscles and body were.
Besides them, Hustle rustled back up to his feet. His armor clanking, and he looked at the both of them, already feeling his own emotions acting up. Before you know it, he wrapped both of his arms around the two women, embracing them firmly. Hen begrudgingly let him, and Alpine didn't even notice.
In the end, they still had each other.
Plus Hustle, apparently.
…
This space was dark, cold, void of anything. No matter where you looked, there was nothing to see. What is this place?
"It is time, your period is up," a voice suddenly said, echoing in the darkness of this void, it was soft and gentle.
What was that!? Caine thought to himself, and his answer was soon answered. A bright pair of white pin prick eyes lit up the dark void, staring at Caine's ethereal form. "You owe me a great recompense," it said, slowly floating closer to Caine.
This isn't real…. my brain is playing tricks-
"You've taken something from me, and because of that…"
This. Isn't. Real.
"You owe a debt, to Death,"
Before he had a chance to question, the being's eyes glowed brighter and brighter, until…
Everything with white.
And… he could start to feel again, the Doctor felt the cold wet ground below him, stained with his blood. Fluttering his eyes open, he groaned, rolling his body. He clenched his teeth, fully expecting the pain to come.
But it didn't.
Groaning, he stood up. No longer did it hurt to breath, walk, or simply move a limp. Instead, the only wounds he had were dozens of bruises and cuts on his body. Yet somehow, it was like all the internal injuries that Caine's body had vanished, like it was never there.
"… the fuck?!" Caine cried out, his heart rate spiking. He leaned on the dented tree, where Drone's unconscious body lay at the base of it. Caine clenched at his chest, trying to calm himself down. He fell down, hyperventilating.
What was that thing?!
I was dead, how am I alive?!
AGAIN?!
I CAME BACK TO LIFE, HOW?!
AHHHHHH!
Snatching his torn lab coat, he yanked the small broken box in his pocket. The contents of it spilled into his hands, and he sloppily used some paper, rolling it up with the Tobacco.
He frantically patted his sides, looking for his phone. Only to remember he passed it to Alpine. "Damn it!" He cursed, deciding to chew the whole roll itself, throwing it into his mouth. Chewing on it, the effects of it came moments after.
It dulled his mind, making the anxieties go away, for just a couple minutes that is. When the effects wear off, the anxiety will come back tenfold then what it was earlier. Safe to say, he didn't care. He needed relief, and this was the only way he could get it.
Slowly craning his head, he saw Drone, limp and on the ground. He was still unconscious, breathing soundly, despite his injuries. Doctor Caine scooted closer to him, and placed his fingers on Drone's neck, sensing his weak pulse.
Letting out a deep sigh, he knew he needed to do something, anything to preserve Drone's life after he saved his. It was the least he could do.
He can worry about the women later, and his encounter with that thing. He had to tend to his future dragonslayer, he can go crazy figuring that stuff out later.
Recovery
Doctor Caine spent that morning tending to Drone's wounds and injuries, to the point where Drone was covered in long strands of vegetation to keep him from moving, in order to allow his bones to heal properly. Now, Drone rested on the carriage, laying down on the front seats, where he fell in another deep slumber.
While he rested, Caine made his best use of his body. Through means supernatural, his body was mostly healed. At least from his fatal wounds he received with Unstoppable, his muscles were still sore and he had open wounds to deal with, plus the occasional bruise or two.
Beyond that, he was alive and well, somehow.
A lot of his time was spent gathering all of the goods that were ruined in the assault, bags of seeds, materials, his items, vegetables and much more. He dragged the corpses of Ace and Steadfast, throwing them into a bush after looting them of their armor and any other goods. By the time he was done with this, he rounded the horses that returned midday. Probably to see if their owners were alive, and most likely were starving for some sweet veggies.
Course, the next thing he had to do before even thinking about leaving was to pick up the Draconic weapons. And no matter what he did, he couldn't carry either of them. So he did the next best thing, he strapped a long rope of vegetation like vines and such, to the shield then to the back of the wagon. Afterwards, he dragged the sword and did the same thing. He'd just drag the weapons over the ground whenever he rode off, "no way in hell I'm carrying that."
He spent some time feeding the horses, then strapping them to the carriage. Caine did any final repairs on it, and the wagon alike. Before setting off, down a dirt road. By now, Drone had woken up but couldn't move. They both knew they needed to find the women, and Drone was the only person capable of tracking them down. Fortunately, such a thing wasn't so hard to do.
Drone had the idea to find a river, and follow it through the forest. He knew the best way for any lost travelers to survive, and find any sort of settlement. Was to follow a river, nine times out of ten, they'd go to a corresponding village where one could find shelter in. The women had that exact idea, thus were quickly found by Caine on the carriage.
Hen and Alpine were close to collapsing, and didn't even exchange pleasantries as they climbed on the carriage, slumping onto each other at the back seats of it. Hustle did his best to explain himself, and Caine almost died a third time from nearly having a stroke trying to understand him. In the end, he made Hustle remove his belongings, and ride on the shield being dragged by the wagon, while they all rode on the carriage.
Another sleepless night passed, for Caine that is. He never felt so "weak" in his life, it's like every single thing he was taught throughout his career of being a doctor was a lie. He never believed much in religion, but he's seriously beginning to consider otherwise. He felt stupid, silly, lost like a child in this new world.
Doctor Caine still had much to learn.
Pay my debt to death… What could that ever mean…?
Is that a warning? From who… who spoke to me?!
He thought deeply, by a campfire he himself had to make while the others continued to rest and ease their wounds. Hen took the initiative in taking care of Alpine and Drone, Caine just had to lead them back to the village, alive.
Once the morning came, they left again, everyone taking their positions for the road. And by midday, they had arrived.
They were all welcomed with joyous cries of celebration, but that all died down the moment the first few recognized their states of being. Each exchanging whispers, as the warriors and various healers of the village, came rushing to attend them, all asking the same question.
"What happened?!"
Caine couldn't answer.
SirBobbo's notes: Heya again.
Editing this chapter after I finished three days ago was a chore, I work on this story solely by myself, so I don't have anyone else to really talk about it nor revise my work. Makes it difficult to know what I'm doing right and wrong, and I've taken it upon myself to research ways to improve bits of my writing. Hope you guys noticed at least a bit of improvement with every chapter I drop once a millennia.
That wasn't the only hard part, writing a ton of different characters was a mental gymnastics of sorts, I literally have to put myself in their shoes and personality in the situations I put them in, and write out their action or words I feel like they would say or do. Alpine was one I struggled with, and Hustle too for obvious reasons. But I'm not at all complaining.
Writing a stupid unoriginal isekai story is pretty lame, I know that. "Oh hey, dude in this worlds get transported into another!" And their usually painfully predictable. In my case, I'm trying my damn hardest to make it as good as I humanly can. And one way I feel like I can do that is to add characters to this world, flesh it out so It's not focused just on the protags. I want you guys to think that this world is alive, and it doesn't revolve around Caine nor Pink/Isaac. They are just "hitchhikers" not actual main characters in a sense. Obviously, they will have leave their own marks in this world at some point, but till then, I'll continue expanding on my interpretation of this world five years after book fifteen.
That means we will get chapters that neither Caine or Pink/Isaac will be featured in, I'm already planning on writing about a character that's canon in the books, and I feel like he has a lot of wasted potential, I'm gonna capitalize on that guy and make him a big component on how this story will progress. And so on for other characters, I take a lot of inspiration from the light novel series OVERLORD, and that kinda helps me with how I should "shape" my isekai story in a enjoyable manner, which I doubt I'm executing properly but I sure as hell trying. You should check that light novel out, OVERLORD, it's one of the best isekais in my opinion.
My goal is still the same, to build the world and make it alive. Introduce characters that will compliment Caine and Pink/Isaac respectively and will help them grow as the story goes on. I mean it when I say this, when I say I have A LOT of ideas in store for later chapters, I only hope it doesn't take me eons to finish this story.
Regarding the speed of these chapters, not gonna promise anymore when they're gonna drop, turns out I'm awful at predicting them.
One last thing.
I mean this as genuinely as possible, THANK YOU for reading this fic. Whether you hate it from the bottom of your heart, or you love it to death. THANK YOU. It means more than you would think, to imagine someone clicking on my story and reading the words I type on screen is crazy to me. There are a dozens of other fics that have a ton more quality, ideas, plots, steadier scheduling and a dozen other things I lack that I know other fics easily make up for, and yet you still pick mine? That's insane for me to think about. Like I said, whether you hate or like it, thank you for checking it out. THANK YOU!
Cya folks, I'm not dying any time soon if I disappear for half a year again.
Lmao.
