In a stone chamber deep within the earth, hundreds of disfigured humans and trolls laid on the cold floor. Their swords, clubs, and hatchets drowned in a small pool of black blood. Drenched in the stench of death, some men finally gave out, throwing up the contents of their stomach while others fell on their knees—hopelessness and fatigue in their eyes. They had raided the dungeon for three hours without rest, and they were lucky to survive the ma.s.sacre.
Meanwhile, those who still had strength helped in pulling the ropes. They dragged the headless body of a giant riddled of arrows and spears away from a cavern"s tunnel-like entrance.
"That chieftain troll took out half of our troops, sir. A minute or more and all of us would have been dead if not for your heroic dive," a kneeling short-haired woman clad in a chain mail said. A bright green circular orb floated between her hands, closing the wounds of the man before her.
A burly man with unkempt black hair grimly wiped the purple blood from his long sword while waiting for his injuries to fully heal. "How many are left of us?"
"Aside from the two of us and that man," she said, her eyes trailed with contempt on the cloaked figure standing near the giant"s corpse, "three hundred tired soldiers, sir."
The man nodded his head with weary eyes. He captained the expedition and arrived at the island with ten thousand strong men. Now, there"s barely any left of his troops.
"I"m okay now," he said, "fools, what are you slacking for? Get those a.s.ses working and help clear the entrance!"
With wobbly knees, most tried their best to stand up while the rest did not bother anymore—some closed their eyes with a sigh, others with a smile. They no longer bargained with fate.
Every survivor counted, but the number dwindled without a fight.
"Maybe, it"s time to give up, sir," the woman said.
The captain tightly closed his eyes. He sighed as his nose flared. "No one"s going home as long as the treasure inside that cavern is not in my hand! Do you understand?"
The woman squirmed as she nodded her head.
"S-Sir, have you noticed that man there? He just stood on all our fights and did nothing. What"s his part in this hunt?" she said.
"Hm. He"s here for whatever lurks inside that cave," he said. "Hey, dragon hunter! We saved you a bucket of sweat as agreed. Now do your part and scout the cavern!"
A pair of blue eyes stared daggers at the captain before disappearing inside the cleared entrance.
"That sc.u.m! Does he really think he"s special?" the captain said. He disapproved of the dragon hunter"s partic.i.p.ation, but because of the king"s behest, it left him with no choice.
After a minute of waiting, a blue light sparked inside the cavern.
"It"s the signal! Light the torches and move the weapons!" the captain said. He led the remaining two hundred plus soldiers as they marched in single file to enter the narrow cave.
One by one, they entered the cavern. It was vast. The collective light of their torches was like a lit match stick in a coliseum of darkness.
"I can smell its rage. It"s coming!" the dragon hunter said. He raised both of his hands, and a ball of blue flame came into life.
The blue light crawled into the curtain of darkness, slowly revealing the hidden things ahead. Something glistened.
"Gold!" said a soldier. The wandering eyes beneath his helmet twinkled.
The captain hushed him with a glare. He then mouthed something, and the soldiers discreetly moved into formation—a hundred swords and shields in front, twenty archers at the rear, and the remaining members manned the five ballistas. Their strength renewed by the promising loot before them.
Up ahead, veined black wings framed with gigantic bones draped over mountains of gold. If not for the monster guarding it, everyone would have dived in already and swam at the sea of treasures before them.
The cavern shook as the dragon stirred. Waves of gold crashed on the floor, and coins rolled and rolled until they reached the feet of the frontline soldiers.
"Hey, hunter! C-Can you really take this monster down?" the captain said. The majestic beast was way dangerous in person than in stories he read and heard in taverns.
The hooded guy pushed the ball of flame. It slowly made its way towards the mountains of gold. He then took off his hood, revealing spiky orange hair like his head was on fire.
The first frontline soldier reached by the coin licked his lips. He then lowered his shield to pick it up. As soon as he touched the gold, the cavern shook.
Menacing red eyes flashed open, and a deafening roar followed.
The captain gritted his teeth as he covered his ears. "Shields! Those at the back prepare to fire!"
Chunks of rocks rained down, squashing to death those who were slow to take cover.
The dragon"s neck blazed, preparing to incinerate everyone with its flames. However, what came out of its mouth was nothing but a puff of smoke.
"Kill it! My blue flames won"t last!" With a grin, the hunter charged. Two scimitars flashed from the sleeves of his cloaks and blazed in a fiery blue aura.
Blue-tipped arrows rained, and ballistas fired projectiles made explicitly for hunting dragons.
With a wounded pride, the dragon thrashed on its throne of gold. Confused on why its flames prematurely died, it flapped its wings in cover, producing gales.
The hunter weaved his way through the strong winds. He whirled one of his blades, and like a spear, it lunged, hitting the small gap between the wings—the beast"s chest.
Hit! The scimitar pierced the dragon"s vital area. It then weakened the creature as it helplessly lowered its wings with a frail cry.
Defenseless, the hail of arrows and spears rushed at the dragon. Its black scales hissed and melted at the touch of each projectile.
Meanwhile, the hunter finally reached the foot of the mountain. He dashed his way up through the mound of golds, and with a leap, sliced off the dragon"s head in one swing like cutting through tender meat.
"It"s d-dead! The dragon"s dead!" the captain said.
The soldiers filled with unbelief froze before falling to their knees. It had been a long road, and they had risked their lives with no a.s.surance of going home.
With a headless guardian, the gold was all theirs for taking. The others madly rushed at the mountain of treasures.
The captain no longer stopped them. "Take everything your eyes could see! Leave nothing!"
However, the dragon hunter seemed unconvinced. His instinct kicked him to run.
He gazed at the void beyond the seas of gold. His heart skipped a beat.
Like a full moon in the night sky, an unamused yellow eye slowly opened—the monstrous glare of death.