The Hunt

Brad sat mounted atop his warhorse and gazed ahead as the sound of marching footmen continued along the road. It was the Bleeding season; it was the time when most dragon species eggs would hatch, thus it was the easiest time to obtain dragon blood and materials.

But the longer they took to reach the volcano, and the fewer dragons would be left alive after the initial onslaught amongst the young to establish a hierarchy. On the flip side, it would mean less the dragons they would have to fight and thus fewer casualties among his troops.

"My Lord, the first platoon[1] of footmen will reach the entrance by nightfall. Do you wish to camp and attack at dawn, or should we prepare to advance inward upon arrival?" asked one of his lieutenants as he pulled his horse alongside his own.

"We'll give the troops a rest until we have company-sized[2] strength before pushing in. There will be plenty of light inside the cavern. No need to waste time, in case another group of troops come to steal our prey." replied Brad impatiently.

He had been preparing the last five years for the Bleeding season, and this was his chance to gain the funds needed to improve not only his fief but also an opportunity to turn his worthless son into a magician. The last Bleeding season was during his father's time as lord, and he refused to waste this chance to gain immense wealth for his realm.

Hours ticked by as Brad and his contingent of 300 footmen marched onwards toward the setting sun. The clanging of their armor and shield banging on their backs kept Brad awake as they neared the inactive volcano.

Finally, reaching the entrance to the tunnel, he turned towards his lieutenants.

"Have 2nd company form a perimeter and set up defenses and prepare 1st company for the delve inwards!"

"Moving, sir," replied Brad's lieutenants as they started moving about ordering their various platoons.

"4th platoon start digging trenches and build a berm behind it!'

"5th platoon start cutting trees and preparing stakes, place them as 4th digs the trenches."

"6th, you're on camp duty start preparing fire pits and sleeping quarters for the unit!"

"1st through 3rd, drop your packs and get your gear straightened out and prepare for the delve! sergeants check your troops and make sure they're squared away!"

Time flew by as troops scattered to accomplish their tasks at the behest of their commanders. No one dared to slack so openly in front of not only the officers and non-commissioned officers(NCO)[3] and especially not in front of their lord lest there be dire consequences. A flogging would be getting off easy as while Brad was a generous lord, they knew how much this expedition means to him.

"Lord, the 1st company, is formed up and ready for the descent." said his aide.

" Alright, have them light torches for the initial part and have first platoon lead the way." came Brad's reply.

Shortly after conferring Brad's order, the platoon led the way inwards, ensuring the pathway was safe for the follow on troops. A couple minutes later, the 2nd platoon followed afterward, keeping an even space between soldiers incase of either accident or ambush. Brad fell in between the 2nd and 3rd platoons to ensure he was close enough to the front to issue orders but also not close enough to be hit by a frontal assault.

Minutes went by as they continued descending into the darkness, leaving torches every dozen or so paces to illuminate the pathway back to their campsite.

More time passed, but it wasn't overly long before the light started to spill in from ahead to gently light up the passageway, and it was even shorter until they felt the building heat. Sweat began to pour off most of the troops, and their metal armor started to become too hot to touch.

"Have the men strip off the more cumbersome equipment, I'd rather deal with injuries then men fainting or collapsing to heatstroke," Brad told his lieutenants.

After the men had taken off the more heavy metal armor, leaving them with leather armor and a few pieces of metal on their shins, forearms, and shoulders, they began forming into their squads[4].

"Alright, men let the hunt begin!!" yelled Brad as he pointed his sword forward, allowing his troops to charge forth to capture and slay the hatchling further inside.

[1] Platoon(troop): Initially used by the french in the 17th century, it applies to the smallest unit of soldiers to consist of an NCO and an officer. Typically containing 50 soldiers but can range from 9-100 soldiers.

[2] Company(Battery/Squadron): the next step in a military organization contains between 2-5 platoons but typically contains 3 platoons

[3] Non-commissioned officer: applies to a sergeant or a regular soldier given command over other soldiers without being an officer, knight, or nobility.

[4]Squad: typically consists of 5-15 soldiers.