CHAPTER TEN

Kellan was a man of few words. He lived and breathed the thrill of the hunt. From the time he could hold a blade, he was hunting humans and nonhumans alike. A man forged in the shadows of cruelty, he traced his malevolence back to a twisted childhood. Born at the height of the grab for mythical creatures and abandoned by those who should have cared, he found solace in the wilderness, where he discovered the intoxicating allure of the hunt.

With each kill, his lust for the chase intensified, and he became a ruthless predator, honing his skills in pursuit of ever-greater prey. As whispers of his sadistic exploits spread through the cities and black markets, he earned a reputation as the embodiment of malevolence, a man feared even by those who trafficked in shadows.

The moon hung low in the ink-black sky as Kellan, flanked by his loyal yet apprehensive men, ventured into the countryside. The travel took weeks as Kellan tried to savour the feel of the hunt. The nights were spent in vigil, hidden in the shadows, waiting for the telltale signs of the elusive creature. 

"Dragons are creatures of habit," Kellan began, his gaze fixed on the horizon. "They have their territories and their routines. We must exploit their predictability to our advantage."

The chill of Frostweave seeped into their bones, and the shadows that clung to their forms seemed to grow longer with each passing day. Yet, the scarred leader pressed on, hunting for the beast that made his blood sing in his veins.

"Listen well," he continued, his voice a low, gravelly cadence that grated in the chilly air. 

"We're on the trail of a dragon, a creature of immense power and cunning. Hunting such a beast requires understanding its behaviour and predicting its moves."

The men held their weapons close day and night as the hunt continued. There was no telling when they would meet the creature or something else on their journey. While the flora and fauna were in abundance up north, magical creatures were rarely found here except dragons and the occasional shifters, none of which they had seen since the hunt began. 

The harsh Frostweave winds bit into their bones as Kellan and his men sought refuge in the village. Swiftly raiding it for provisions and shelter, they encountered resistance from the local men. The village men who tried to chase them out were quickly cut down, and the rest knew to stay down. Kellan and his men roosted at the village chief's house and made merry with the village women while they tried to sort out a new plan.

———————————————————

It had been two weeks of non-stop frost, and Kellan was getting angsty being holed up in the house. 

"This storm will destroy weeks' worth of tracking materials," Kellan grumbled, watching the storm through the window.

"There is no sign of stoppage, my lord, just fields of white," one of his men announced as he rushed into the room. Kellan sighed and turned away from the window. 

"Gather the men and bring them here. We shall go over our plans again," he waved off the man, who bowed, eyes lingering on the woman on the bed before rushing out. Kellan paced, his scars pulsing from the weather. 

He needed to hunt, he needed to be on the move, and this weather—this weather was—he needed something to get this off his mind. 

"Rise, woman. Attend to me," Kellan growled, striding towards the chair beside the worn table that held their maps and plans. The poor woman jumped, legs failing her as she crumbled to the ground. "That's a good look for you. Crawl over," he smiled, patting his leg as he sat. 

The trembling woman crawled over, her bruised and swollen face wet with tears at the humiliation she was being subjected to. 

She finally crawled over to his side and knelt silently, head lowered in fear. "Well? What are you waiting for? An invitation?" he sneered, grabbing her hair and pushing her towards his thighs. 

The woman cried out, instinctively reaching for her hair. He forced her against his lap, making her take him into her mouth just as the men filed into the room. They grinned and jeered as they realized what was going on. "Careful with them teeth before I knock 'em out!" He tightly grabbed the back of her neck, shifting on his seat as she adjusted herself. 

"Now, back to our purpose," he cleared his throat, making the men come closer to him. 

Kellan's eyes flickered with an unsettling intensity as he traced a gnarled finger across the map, pinpointing the dragon's rumoured sightings.

"Dragons wield their breath as a weapon," Kellan cautioned. "Each one possesses a unique breath, be it fire, ice, or something more arcane – be prepared for anything."

"I heard some of them use actual spells, my liege," one of his men called out. "That's right," Kellan nodded, shifting in his seat to change the woman's angle. 

"The creatures are said to use spells sometimes. This storm might even be a dragon's doing. The creatures are truly blessed by the gods." He grunted, "Nicely done, lass. You're getting better at this," he said, patting the woman's head with a hint of approval.

The men murmured amongst themselves at the thought of the dragon influencing the weather. "If we don't get clear skies by the end of the week, we must clear a path ourselves. I cannot let my lead get too cold," he dismissed the men with a wave of his hand, pulling the woman up and throwing her on the table. 

The men dispersed, thinking over the information they had just received. The woman's cries faded behind closed doors as Kellan had his way with her. 

—————————————————————————-

After another three days, the storm finally let up. Kellan emerged from the village chief's house. The world outside was transformed into a vast expanse of white, the aftermath of the tempest.

"Come on now! We shall melt all this if we want to leave this village this week!" Kellan called, watching his men use fire and heat magic to clear a path. 

"Lord Kellan, a question about the beast we hunt," one of the men said.

"Go ahead then; we have all day," Kellan hummed, uneasy with the frost's melting pace.

"And Sentients, sir?" one of his men asked.

"Sentients are tricky, which is why this hunt will be fun. They have consciousness and, most of the time, human features. They can hide their eyes, claws, and scales with magic." 

"How do we then tell them apart if they change into their human form?"

"The best way to tell them apart from humans is their pride," Kellan stated coldly. "They believe they are above humans, and their pride tends to betray them. Keep your wits about you, and let the hunt reveal the true nature of our prey."

The night air carried the distant rumble of wings, and Kellan signalled for his men to take cover. A silhouette emerged against the star-studded sky – the dragon, a colossal creature with scales that shimmered like a tapestry of blue and silver gemstones.

Patience," Kellan murmured, his eyes locked onto the majestic beast. "Dragons are vigilant. They sense the slightest disturbance in the air. We must wait for the opportune moment."

Kellan's men, concealed in the shadows, held their breath as the creature flew further away.

"Not the one we are after, but still a fine beast." Kellan declared, his eyes following the creature's flight until it vanished beyond the horizon. "I have seen it now, and we will hunt it later. First, we have a job to do," he said, turning in the direction the blue dragon had come from. This lair is but one stop in their journey.

As the search continued, Kellan observed the remnants of what seemed to be a recent kill – bones of unfortunate creatures scattered across the forest floor. "Strange," he mumbled, stroking his beard.

"What is it, sir?!" His man asked. "Dragons, while territorial, are also nomadic. They roam vast territories in search of prey. Their lairs are usually spread around so they can hoard more. They usually carry their prey to their lairs to eat. Yet-"

"Yet this dragon didn't carry its prey home?" the man finished. "That's right. I was told it was sentient, but for it to eat out in the open? There might be more to this than we thought," Kellan said, grinning. 

______________________

As the hunt intensified, Kellan's keen eyes spotted a towering mountain range in the distance, its peaks veiled in mist. "Dragons prefer high perches for their nests," he mused aloud to his attentive band of hunters. Yet, as Kellan's eyes swept the heights, he detected no signs of a dragon's lair. Confusion furrowed his scarred brow as he led his men further into the forest. A peculiar entrance had caught his attention: a cave far off at the base of one of the peaks. If it had been Blossomshroud or Sunfire, vines would have covered the entrance. Plus, though it was faint, he could smell the scent of a dragon. 1

He stood aside as he scrutinized the burrow. "This is unlike any dragon's lair I've encountered before," his voice was a low murmur that carried a tinge of curiosity.

"What is the matter, sir?" one of his men asked as he walked over. 

"Dragons of this calibre typically seek the highest peaks, the most inaccessible domains. Yet here, on the ground, in the dead of winter, something is amiss."

Kellan's eyes flickered with a calculating intensity as he examined the burrow's entrance. He knelt, running his fingers along the cold, hard ground devoid of leaves or grass for concealment. "This dragon defies convention," he declared to his men, who waited with bated breath. "It seeks refuge close to the earth, concealed from prying eyes. There's a mystery here that may give us an advantage."

As the hunting party circled the burrow, Kellan's mind worked like a web of shadows, piecing together the puzzle before him. "Mountains loom behind this burrow," he announced, his voice cutting through the frigid air. "I believe these tunnels lead to the very heart of those cliffs. This dragon has chosen a lair that confounds the expectations of its kind and that makes it vulnerable."

As they walked further into the cavern passages, Kellan detected a subtle change in the air. "Dragons can sense intruders through vibrations in the ground," he warned. "Stay light on your feet, and make no unnecessary noise. It probably already knows we are here." He licked his lips.

His assumptions might be right. 

As they neared the entrance of the larger cavern, he caught a glimpse of the amber dragon, its large form curled protectively around a nest of eggs.

"Looks like we've hit the jackpot," Kellan muttered, a predatory grin spreading across his face.

The beast's roar shook the cavern, making the men stumble. The bloodlust rolling off it was near crippling. "Hello, beastie, make this a good one for me, will you?" Kellan asked, walking further in. 

"Halt! Who the hell are you peopl-" Kellan blinked, looking around. He found a woman standing at the dragon's feet. From the stance she took and the dragon's reaction to her presence, it seemed the creature was familiar with her. 

 'A human and a dragon? Could it be?' Kellan's scar stretched as he grinned. 

"What is this? A woman in a dragon's lair? Are you lost, child?" he asked, fully entering the cavern. The treasures sparkling about made his eyes hurt. This was good, very good. After taking down the dragon, he could clean out the cavern.

"I think you're the ones who are lost. If you turn around and walk back the way you came, you won't get a one-way trip to the afterlife." the woman glared as they walked out into the light of the cavern. 

kellan's grin spread even further, making his ghastly face even more unbearable to look at. The woman had spunk, it would be nice taming her. 

Yara's eyes widened in shock as she recognized the threat. "Kellan," she spat the name like a curse, her hand instinctively tightening around the hilt of her dagger. 

"It seems my name precedes me even here," Kellan's chuckle echoed through the cavern, and in response, his men fanned out, surrounding Yara and the amber dragon.

Yara eyed them, stance shifting as she raised her blade. 

"Where have we met before, love? I don't think I would forget such..." he trailed off, eyeing her figure with blatant lust. 

The dragon had enough of their chitchat and blew huge gusts of flames, flickering the cavern with the orange glow of the flames. The men scattered, some dodging on time and some getting caught and burning, their screams echoing off the cavern walls. 

The first strike came from Kellan, a sudden blur of movement as he lunged at Yara. She deftly sidestepped his attack, her dagger meeting his blade in a clash of steel.

"This is dragon territory. You've got no business here."

Kellan laughed, "You think too highly of yourself, girl; come with me, and I'll be able to do something for you." he barely dodged a swipe to his head, a few strands of his hair falling off from getting nicked. 

Yara managed to land a few strikes on Kellan, but his leather armour absorbed most of the damage.

Yara's thoughts raced. They were getting nowhere with this fight. He was too strong, and they were caught off guard. She could see the dragon fighting the bounty hunter's goons. His tail and claws were slashing through the air, slamming them into the walls and cutting them into ribbons.

"You're playing a dangerous game," Kellan taunted, a cruel smile on his face. Yara gritted her teeth, trying to focus on the fight.

The smell of blood and charred flesh was nauseating.

The eggs, nestled in the cavern's heart, might be why they were here. She had to protect them and couldn't let them fall into his hands.

The momentary distraction allowed Kellan to land a glancing blow on Yara's shoulder, forcing out a sharp gasp of pain. "You're tougher than I expected, but I'm not here for you," he grunted, pushing her away. 

Yara used the momentum to roll aside and jump back to her feet. "You won't be getting anything from here!" she yelled.

Kellan, a calculating predator, circled the perimeter, his eyes fixed on Yara. Somewhere behind them, an explosion occurred, sending debris and body parts flying. Kellan cursed under his breath; the men were ill-prepared to fight the dragon alone. He needed to get there and fast. 

He dodged another swipe from Yara. Their blades clashed, creating sparks that illuminated the cavern's shadows, but he didn't anticipate the follow-up kick that sent him stumbling. He cursed under his breath, spitting out blood. 

It had been a while since someone insignificant made him bleed; this woman was definitely interesting. 

After a series of rapid blows, Kellan managed to exploit an opening in Yara's defence, delivering a deep stab wound to the side that sent her staggering.

Seizing the opportunity, he followed up with a powerful strike, the hilt of his dagger connecting with Yara's temple. Pain exploded in her head, and the world blurred before darkness claimed her consciousness.

As Yara crumpled to the ground, Kellan turned his attention to the amber dragon.

Seeing the human fall to the ground and not get up, the dragon fell into a fit of rage. Its scales erupted in a radiant display of elemental power, unleashing a torrent of flames upon Kellan and his men. 

Kellan threw his cape over his head, letting the flames wash over him while the men scattered again. The cape's properties were dragon scales, which meant he didn't get burnt by the drakeflames bearing down on him.

Seizing the opportunity, the dragon lunged at Kellan, its claws and teeth bared. Kellan, quick on his feet, managed to avoid a direct hit, but the dragon's relentless assault left him with several cuts on his arms and legs. 

The cavern shook with the vibrations of their clash, and the treasures that once adorned it were scattered and trampled.

Undeterred, Kellan approached the dragon with a malevolent grin. "It's just you and me now, beast," he spat, twisting his sword in his hand before getting into position. 

The dragon snarled, smoke billowing from its snout as its glowing eyes followed his movement. 

'How dare these humans come into its territory? How dare these insolent insects touch its property?' It thought, trembling with rage, 'how dare they?' It roared, charging towards the men again. 

meanwhile, on the side, yara woke up dazed and aching. The hash on her side leaking blood sluggishly on the earthen floor. She hissed as she sat up slowly, hand coming up to press at the wound. "What happened?" She mumbled, trying to figure out how she got to the floor. An explosion rocked the cavern and she turned to the dragon fighting with Kellan and his men. 

"yes! Right! The fight!" She tried to stand up, but quickly sat back down as nausea rushed up to her. 

"let's try that again," she counted three and stood up slowly, stumbling as someone body raggdolled against her. She frowned at the smuggler's charred corpse and pushed herself upright. 

she needed to help the dragon, if she could heal its injuries, it would be easier for the creature to fight. She watched Kellan's sword slice through armored scales and thick muscles with ease. The dragon thrashed, tail slamming some men against the wall, leaving a splash of red. 

'It must either be an enchanted weapon or a legendary weapon' she thought. 

"That's as far as you go!" Yara yelled, rushing towards him with unsteady steps. 

Kellan, sensing a renewed threat, scowled as Yara lunged at him. He dodged easily and watched her stumble to a stop. 'she was still disoriented.' he thought, frowning. 

"Don't you know when to stay down bitch?" he asked, throwing some daggers at her back. The dragon's tail landed between them, taking the hits and sweeping towards him. 

Kellan jumped out of the way, only to get hit by its wing. He slammed into the wall, feeling the treasures dig into his back. He fell to the ground with a grunt and barely rolled away when he saw the dragon barrel towards it again, completely ignoring the men trying to attack its sides. 

"Fuck!" he cursed, narrowly dodging the dragon's full weight. 

Realizing the tide was turning, he barked orders to his men. "Fall back, we shall regroup!"

The men ran towards Kellan, the dragon hot on their tails. Yara leaned against the wall, trying to keep upright. 'what were they planning now?' she thought, frowning. 

The dragon let out another volley of flames, but Kellan summoned a magical shield to protect the men from the dragon's fiery onslaught as they reached his side.

Kellan hastily cast a teleportation spell. "This isn't over, I shall be back before you know it!" He yelled over the loud screeching of the teleportation circle. In a blinding flash, he and his remaining men vanished from the cavern, leaving behind the smouldering aftermath of their failed assault.

The dragon, still seething with rage, roared one final time before its ire began to subside.

"You still alive, big guy?" Yara slurred slightly. She hissed as she touched the knot forming in her temple; definitely a concussion. 

The ground shook beneath her, and it took her a while to realize that the dragon was rushing over. She cursed as she was nearly tackled by the behemoth. "Hold on! Hold on!" she called as she felt the dragon's tongue on her side. Maybe she should invest in armour. This is the second time in four months she has been injured at her side.

"let me see your injuries," she mumbled, looking at the injuries on the dragon's side. A particularly rough lick nearly took her whole tunic off while pushing her feet off the ground. Yara squeezed her eyes shut at the sudden motion, nausea threatening to take over. 

As the world stopped twisting around her, Yara breathed heavily, her gaze shifting between the wounded dragon and the cavern that had witnessed the unexpected fight.

The dragon was staring at her, eyes glowing intently. The bodies of the bounty hunter's men were still in the cavern, their faces carrying the terror of their last moments in the afterlife. 

'We have to get rid of those.' she thought absentmindedly. 

She looked at the eggs, still unscratched from the whole episode, and down to her shaking hands as she healed the dragon's wounds. 

They had come so close to losing their lives. Her vision swam as she exerted herself, pushing more of her powers into closing the gaping wounds on its flank. Why would Kellan the Deranged be sent to hunt them? This had gone beyond smugglers.

'We might be in too deep now.' she thought as the world faded to black. 

------------------------------

Kellan and the rest of his men stumbled into a clearing, the lingering echoes of the dragon's roars still ringing in their ears. The light from the transportation circle faded beneath them. The abrupt shift from the dragon's lair left them disoriented, their senses adjusting to the relative calm of the outdoor night. He squinted through the blood running down his face, counting the handful of men remaining.

'This just got interesting,' he thought, licking the blood on his face. 

Now that he had met the dragon, he understood its fighting style and thought process. Seeing the woman there also changed things for him.

"This is very interesting," he laughed, leaning against a tree.

His methodical approach to hunting set him apart – a predator with an unholy patience. Kellan reveled in the psychological warfare of tracking his prey, savoring the fear that clung to the air like a foul perfume. The desolate landscapes he chose as his hunting grounds bore witness to the unspeakable atrocities committed in the name of his perverse satisfaction.

Now that they knew the cavern was no longer safe for them, they would be forced to leave their only defensible position. This would make it easier for him to predict their moves and take them down.

"Gather around, men! We have much to do; how many are injured?" he called to his men as he approached them.

He would enjoy this hunt well.