How to Kill a Dragon (Heir of Dragons Book 1)

by J. A. Culican

  But in the morning, after what had seemed a restful sleep, the prisoner had other ideas.

  It was while Kaleb planned their day and Minx prepared to set out for another hunt in search of breakfast that they first realized Alla was missing. Mau, in particular, was the one to sound the alarm. Where's the girl? she asked, plodding around the campsite. Did she just slip away while we had our backs turned?

  This, it seemed, was precisely what had happened. Kaleb had been weighing the possibility of another scouting mission later in the day and Mau had been sunning herself in a nearby clearing while Minx had readied her gear for a hunt. None of them had seen Alla get up from her spot near the fire, and none had heard her slip deeper into the woods.

  “She can't have gone far!” began Minx, listening for footfalls through the brush or other telltale signs of Alla's whereabouts. “We've got to get ahold of her. Which way do you think she went?”

  Kaleb studied the air for a long while, trying to get a fix on Alla's signature scent. He picked up traces of it, but the day's heavy winds and the other smells pouring out of the woods left his senses overwhelmed. “I can't say for sure. I'd have to be close to get a good idea. The wind might carry her scent far from her actual position, spread it around. Makes it confusing when you're in the woods, being bombarded by other smells.”

  Maybe we should just let her go, suggested Mau. It's not like she had any valuable information for us. She's a lone wolf trying to get by. Unless you change your mind and go after that hide of hers, what sense is there in keeping her around?

  “Not a chance we let her go free,” barked Minx, starting into the woods with bow in hand. She'd scour the entire territory for Alla before letting her escape. “I'm not through with her yet. You know what she put us through? If not for her, the three of us would be much further ahead. She's going to make it all up to us somehow.”

  Kaleb branched off to the left. “You and Mau should head that way. I'll cover this leg of the forest. This patch of woods isn't so deep that she could possibly remain hidden for very long. If we hurry, I'm sure we'll run into her. If you find her, bring her back to camp.” Here, he added one additional request with emphatic firmness. “And don't kill her.”

  Minx frowned, promptly turning away from him and marching into the thick of it with the Faelyr at her side. No promises, she thought. What do you think, Mau. If we find her, should we just let her have it? If she's backed into a corner, she might shift into a dragon. And if she does, that hide will come in handy. I know Kaleb doesn't want me to, but—

  Can Alla even shift? Asked the Faelyr, skulking through the greenery, ears twitching. She's part dragon, but that's no guarantee she can shift like Kaleb can. She may not have a hide worth harvesting. Kaleb, on the other hand...

  He's off-limits, Minx quickly replied.

  Oh, you like him that well, do you?

  Minx said nothing, but teased an arrow from her quiver and held it at the ready.

  The cool forest was not particularly overgrown, but it featured many dark nooks where the canopies were thick. The oldest trees in the area had sometimes taken on strange, gnarled growth patterns, which provided good hiding spots for individuals on the run.

  Minx was no novice; she was as skilled a hunter as the Fae had ever produced, but even she felt a little daunted at hunting one of her people. Alla was unarmed, so she didn't much fear retaliation, but the fact remained that a fellow Fae possessed great dexterity. The stealthiness of her people was not to be underestimated, and if there was any form of prey she had little experience hunting in the wild, it was her own kind.

  It unsettled her, too, thinking that she was on the hunt for a Fae. She had fought many of her own kind in the past, but she'd never set out into the wild in the hopes of hunting one down like an animal. It didn't feel right; a Fae, even one who'd wronged her as seriously as Alla had, deserved a more honorable arrangement than this. Minx tried to make herself feel better by reminding herself that she wasn't actually hunting for a fellow Fae, but rather a Fae-dragon hybrid. Alla isn't even fully Fae. She's part dragon, and they don't call you Dragon Hunter for nothing...

  But this argument didn't have the intended effect. Her heart sank at the prospect of killing a dragon, too—despite her want of a hide. Kaleb's a dragon. Is that what I really want to be known for? Killing people like Kaleb?

  Mau intruded upon her thoughts. There. You hear that?

  Minx quietened her mind and set her ears on the wind. The woods ahead were home to a faint rustling.

  Then, powerful footfalls began thudding against the forest floor.

  A lone form burst through the mass of trees before them, emerging wide-eyed and panting. It was Alla, her silken locks tangled and face flush. She ran straight for Minx and Mau, hands outstretched toward them as if in an eager embrace. She seemed to be running full-tilt from something—and she feared that something far more than she did the Fae huntress.

  “There you are!” said Minx, grabbing Alla's collar and dragging her up against a nearby tree. “Thought you could pull a fast one on us, huh? Didn't we warn you to stay put?”

  Alla's cloudy eyes were wide and moist. She struggled to speak, unable to draw in enough breath to form the words. “T-There's... there's someone...” She motioned chaotically at the woods to her back, knees quivering. “Someone out there...”

  “Huh?” Minx looked to Mau. “Someone out there, in the woods? Did you run into Kaleb?”

  Alla shook her head furiously.

  Just then, from somewhere up above, there came a swift arrow. It sang as it flew through the air, plunging into the soft wood of the very tree Alla was pressed against and missing her shaking head by mere degrees.

  “What the—” Minx watched as another arrow, this one from their left side, narrowly missed her and the shuddering prisoner.

  Mau's fur bristled at the attack and she immediately crouched behind the nearest tree, seeking cover. We're under attack. Take cover. They could be anywhere.

  Minx pulled Alla away from the tree, which drew yet another arrow from somewhere above as if through magnetism. “What's the meaning of this?” she demanded. “Who's there?”

  “T-They're after me,” stammered Alla. “They've come for me...”

  “They're here for you?” Minx nocked an arrow and prepared to loose a shot. In a loud, clear voice, she called out into the woods for all within earshot to hear. “I don't know who you are, but this girl is my prisoner, got it? I'm not going to let you have her, and anyone who comes near is going to regret it.”

  “Thank you...” muttered Alla, clinging to Minx's side.

  The Fae huntress sneered, eyes scanning the canopy for assailants. “Don't thank me just yet. I may still decide to hunt you myself, remember.”

  An arrow burst forth from overhead, and catching the gleam of the arrowhead in the sun, Minx was able to trace its trajectory back to a particular limb in a tall, leafy tree. The sender of that arrow, which struck the ground near Mau's front paws, was using the leaves for cover. With a single, fluid motion, Minx raised her bow and launched a volley of her own. Her arrow traveled along nearly the same trajectory, and when it pierced the leaf cover with a sound like paper ripping, there issued a pained groan from the other side. Moments later, the woods were filled with the sound of a body crashing to the ground from high up in the canopy. She didn't see it land, but knew she'd found her mark. “I warned you, didn't I?” she called to the others. Already, she could tell they were reconsidering their attacks. For the present, no more arrows rained down on them. There were furtive rustlings in some of the trees as the attackers tried to reorient themselves or retreat.

  Did they lose their nerve? asked Mau.

  Seems that way. Minx pushed Alla back toward the camp. “All right, hurry on up. You've caused enough trouble for one day, haven't you?” Still, as they moved back toward the campsite, Minx kept her eyes peeled for more archers in the trees, the back of her neck tingling in anticipation of another near-miss. Who's
out there? What could they want with Alla? What kind of enemies could a lonely girl like her have?

  Hold on, said Mau. Her sensitive ears began to twitch and she turned upward, scrutinizing the tops of the trees. They're still here. They're going to try for a more concentrated attack.

  Years of hunting with Mau had taught Minx not to doubt the Faelyr's senses. Mau's hearing and intuition were unbelievably sharp. How many are there?

  The Faelyr took some time in responding to this question, gathering what sensory data she could. Six. Maybe seven. Some of them aren't as clever or nimble as they think they are.

  The clumsy ones don't worry me, quipped Minx. I'm only worried about the ones you can't hear.

  Let's hope there aren't any of those lingering above...

  The breeze set the forest rattling, and in the canopy, Minx spied one of the waiting archers. The appearance of this assassin stunned her more than the arrow he had trained on her.

  It was a Fae.

  Strange-looking and thin, with raven-colored hair in a tight braid and a strange facial tattoo comprised of jagged lines, the archer had the look of a sickly Fae. Zuscha? thought Minx, loading up her bow and delivering a blinding-fast shot before the dark Fae archer could fully draw his own. The shot missed, but still had the desired effect. The assassin scrambled for cover, abandoning his line of attack for the moment and seeking out a new vantage point.

  “Are these dark Fae? Zuscha?” asked Minx, looking sternly at her prisoner.

  Alla nodded.

  “What do they want with you?”

  To this, Alla offered no answer.

  The dark Fae, despite appearances, were accomplished fighters and worthy opponents. Minx had never crossed one of the Zuscha in battle, but had heard much about their supernatural stamina in battle. One popular urban legend that had circulated in the past detailed the incapacitation of a Zuscha warrior by a Fae hunter. After a lengthy struggle, the dark Fae had suffered several injuries, and as a result of broken bones could no longer stand or hold his sword. Despite this, when the Fae hunter thought the battle won, the crafty Zuscha was reported to have leapt from the ground with the hilt of the sword between his teeth, delivering a killing blow before perishing from his own injuries. The Zuscha were no laughing matter—to have these relentless hunters on one's trail was a curse.

  If they were going to protect Alla and make it out without serious injuries, Minx would have to give it her all. I can't believe I'm working this hard to keep Alla safe, of all people...

  Minx took a few calculated steps forward, trying to figure out where she'd earlier dropped the archer in the tree. Her study of the forest floor yielded the gore-slick arrow she'd fired, but there was no sign of the body to be found. The recipient of that arrow had been wounded, had fallen a few stories to the ground, and had still managed to disappear before Minx could make her way over. These guys are professionals, she thought, retreating a few steps and watching the treeline for more arrows.

  We need to get back to the camp, urged Mau. Maybe your dragon friend can airlift us out of here to a safer spot. Much as I hate to fly, it sounds better than getting torn to shreds.

  “Let's move it. Now.” Minx pushed Alla back toward the camp. “We're not far. Once we meet up with Kaleb, we can decide where we go from here. Now, hurry, before—”

  She didn't get a chance to finish the words.

  From a Zuscha archer dwelling in the lower boughs of a broad-leafed tree, there came a sudden blast. The arrow ripped through the air and bit into Alla's left shoulder with staggering force. Taken by surprise, Alla stumbled a few paces and then fell to her knees, the shaft of the arrow jutting from her pale flesh. She grit her teeth, gripping the wound, and struggled to breathe deeply.

  Kneeling there, in the open, the girl was a sitting duck.

  “Alla, get up!” ordered Minx, grabbing the back of the girl's collar and hauling her back to her feet. Alla rose not a moment too soon, for another arrow, likely from the same bow, was fast embedded in the very soil where she had only moments ago collapsed. The Fae huntress guided the prisoner through the brush as quickly as she could, urging Mau on ahead. Mau, you need to hurry out of here. Find Kaleb, if you can. I could use some back-up. This girl is slowing me down.

  Alla let out gasp after gasp—her entire arm wreaked with pain and her brow dotted with fresh sweat. Her eyes, cloudy and mysterious though they were, had about them an uncommon glassiness as they proceeded through the woods in search of the camp. She was on the verge of losing consciousness, by the looks of it. Only the waves of pain kept her mind from powering down.

  “Hang on, Alla, we'll get you out of here.” The arrow had gone deep, and the mere sight of it sticking out of Alla's shoulder made Minx's stomach churn. She'd taken a few arrows herself over the years, but this particular injury was no mere glancing blow. It was deep, and would take a great deal of time and care to heal.

  Alla didn't respond. Barely hanging on, she seemed in another world altogether, her breathing growing slower, more ragged, and a thick thread of drool tumbling from her trembling lips. Her knees buckled and her legs stopped moving. Going suddenly stiff, she found herself being dragged by Minx across the ground, shaking and saucer-eyed.

  “Alla? Alla, what's going on?” asked Minx. She knelt down to assess the girl, checking her pulse. To her astonishment, the cadence of the girl's heart was very slow—far slower than one might expect during such a heated escape. Her attention returned to the arrow. She glanced at the shaft, finding the wood discolored—not by blood, but by some dark, tarry substance.

  Oh, no...

  The arrow sticking out of Alla wasn't the normal kind. This was a treacherous creation, a poisoned arrow. The shaft had been soaked in lethal toxins until the wood had become saturated, and the tip, too, had probably been dunked in the foul stuff before firing. The presence of so much toxin in the shaft of the arrow promised a steady flow of the stuff into whatever wound the tip became embedded in; the longer it remained in Alla's body, the more intense her poisoning. Minx locked her fist around the arrow and guided it out of the wound carefully. She then tossed it aside and slung one of her arms around the girl, hoisting her up.

  If Minx didn't hurry, another one of those poisoned arrows would surely show up with her name on it.

  There were tricks she could use to keep the poison from spreading, though under the circumstances Minx had precious little breathing room to employ them. Healing herbs could draw the toxins out of Alla's bloodstream, given a highly-concentrated paste or tincture, and the wound itself could be at least partially mended by her own Fae magic, though the success of either treatment required time. There was no telling how long Alla could hold on; her sudden collapse pointed to severe envenomation. Already her breaths were becoming imperceptible. Her lips had taken on the barest hint of blue and her fair skin was becoming splotchy.

  Minx hauled the motionless girl through the woods and happened finally upon the camp. Kaleb still hadn't returned; only Mau awaited her as she dragged Alla toward the fire. Lowering her to the ground, she took clean water from one of their waterskins and doused the wounded shoulder, cleansing it. It looks like poison, Mau. She's reacting very strongly to it. I think she absorbed a lot.

  A poisoned arrow? The Faelyr looked back to the woods with a low whimper. Are they still following you?

  I don't know. Minx closed her eyes, marshaling her thoughts and striving to calm herself despite the threats looming in nearby treetops. It was time to attempt some healing. She'd never worked on an injury of this severity before, and even as she rifled through her things for a smattering of healing herbs, she wasn't sure her interventions would make a difference. Hold on, Alla. Chewing up a palm's worth of bitter herbs from her own pouch, Minx worked them into a paste between her fingers and then applied the balm to Alla's wound.

  At this, Alla jerked. Any contact with the open wound pained her, and the sting of the herbs upon her torn flesh sent her into spasms.

  “Relax,
Alla. This might help. Certain herbs can draw out the toxins and nullify them. I don't know what they poisoned you with, but these are the best medicinals I have. It'll take awhile for them to absorb, so stay still.” Minx held her down, trying to minimize her violent writhing.

  A figure emerged from the woods, breaking her concentration. Minx reached for her bow and prepared to take a shot. The rustling of the ferns yielded Kaleb's familiar form, and she abandoned her weapon with a sigh. “Oh, it's only you.”

  Kaleb eyed the scene with alarm, his gaze settling on Alla's unmoving form. “What happened?” he asked, his voice bearing a sharp—almost accusatory—edge.

  “It's not what you think,” Minx was fast to reply. “I didn't do this. We were ambushed.”

  “Ambushed?”

  Minx nodded, studying Alla's shoulder wound and considering the next course of action. “Dark Fae archers in the woods. She was hit with a poisoned arrow.”

  Kaleb drew near and knelt down beside the pair, taking in the fresh wound for himself. “Is she conscious?” He reached out to feel for her pulse. “Why have they done this?”

  “She told me someone was after her—that someone had come for her.” The Fae Huntress closed her eyes and focused on the wound, seeking to gather her energies. There was no telling whether her Fae healing magic would have any effect. She'd never used it to neutralize a poison before, but considering the proximity of the attackers she had no time to experiment with other approaches. “It's possible she has a past. Enemies,” she muttered, touching her warm fingertips to Alla's shoulder.

  Alla stirred a bit at this touch, her legs quivering restlessly as Minx's spell was cast. The regenerative properties of this healing touch were little-understood even by the elders, but one sufficiently trained in the Fae healing arts could mend wounds and cure various ailments. The focused energies flowed through the caster and were transferred to the patient in the form of a pleasing warmth. Thus, the two were connected; joined momentarily as a single circuit. As if in answer to the spell, the wound on Alla's shoulder slowly ceased its bleeding. The frayed edges of her skin were gradually knitted together until only a narrow gash remained. The girl's throat was filled with groans and she tossed her head from side to side.