Chapter 6: A Hunt Turned Deadly
806 Words
Elara’s mare galloped through the mist-shrouded forest, hooves pounding against the damp earth. The sharp scent of pine and dragonwood filled her lungs as the other riders spread out, their cloaks billowing behind them like dark banners.
Ahead, the first prey appeared—a silver-horned stag, its luminous eyes wide with terror.
Lady Selene was the first to loose an arrow.
The shot was flawless, slicing through the air before burying itself in the stag’s flank. The creature staggered, letting out a guttural cry before collapsing into the underbrush.
Cheers erupted from the nobles.
Selene turned to Elara with a smug smile. “Care to try your luck?”
Elara tightened her grip on the bow Kael had given her before the hunt. She had some experience hunting in the outer districts—but nothing like this.
But she would not be humiliated.
Movement flickered to her left—a midnight-furred shadowbeast slinking through the trees.
Elara’s heart pounded.
She drew the bowstring, exhaling slowly before releasing.
The arrow whistled through the air, striking true—right between the beast’s glowing red eyes.
It collapsed instantly.
For a brief moment, stunned silence filled the clearing.
Then Kael chuckled under his breath. “Not bad.”
Elara rolled her shoulders. “Just a different battlefield, remember?”
Selene’s smile tightened.
But before she could respond, a piercing roar shattered the air.
The forest fell silent.
A chill crept down Elara’s spine as the air grew heavy, charged with something dark and ancient.
Kael’s expression hardened. “Something’s wrong.”
Then, from the shadows of the trees, the true threat emerged.
---
The creature was unlike anything Elara had ever seen.
It was twice the size of a warhorse, its body covered in obsidian-black scales that shimmered with an eerie, molten glow. Its eyes burned with unnatural fire, and when it opened its jaws, rows of jagged fangs gleamed.
A nightdrake.
And it was hunting them.
“Scatter!” Kael barked, drawing his sword.
The nobles panicked. Horses reared, riders tumbled, and within seconds, the orderly hunt had descended into chaos.
Elara kicked her mare forward, her pulse hammering. Run, or fight?
She barely had time to decide before the nightdrake lunged—right at her.
---
The impact threw her from her horse. She hit the ground hard, the breath knocked from her lungs. The beast’s massive claws gouged the earth inches from her head.
“Elara!” Kael’s voice cut through the chaos.
The nightdrake reared back, preparing to strike—and she moved.
She rolled just as the claws slammed down, drawing her dagger in one swift motion. The beast snarled, twisting to follow her.
Adrenaline burned through her veins.
She had one shot.
She sprinted toward a fallen spear, gripping it with both hands just as the nightdrake lunged again.
Instead of running, she turned and drove the spear forward, aiming for its exposed underbelly.
The tip found flesh.
The nightdrake screamed, rearing back as dark, molten blood gushed from the wound.
Kael was there in an instant, vaulting onto the beast’s back with terrifying precision. His sword sank into the base of its skull, piercing deep.
The nightdrake let out a final, choking snarl before collapsing.
Silence.
Then, cheers erupted from the remaining nobles.
Kael slid from the beast’s back, his gaze immediately locking onto Elara.
“You’re injured,” he said, his voice sharp.
Elara looked down at herself. Blood stained her tunic, but most of it wasn’t hers. A few scrapes, a bruised rib—nothing compared to the alternative.
“I’m fine,” she said, wiping sweat from her brow.
Kael’s golden eyes burned.
Then, to her shock, he reached out—his fingers brushing over her wrist, tracing the mark that bound them.
“You just held your own against a nightdrake,” he murmured, voice low.
Elara swallowed. “Wasn’t exactly my plan.”
Kael’s lips twitched, but there was something dangerous in his gaze.
“They won’t doubt you after this.”
And as Elara turned, she realized he was right.
The nobles stared at her differently now. No longer with disdain.
But with fear.
---
That night, as she returned to the palace, Elara found a sealed letter waiting for her.
The wax bore the royal sigil—but it was not from Kael.
She unfolded the parchment, her hands steady even as her heart raced.
*You should not have survived today.*
*You are playing a dangerous game, little healer.*
*And you will not win.*
Elara exhaled slowly, then burned the letter in the nearest flame.
They wanted her to be afraid.
They wanted her to run.
But she wasn’t going anywhere.
Because if someone was trying to kill her…
It meant she was finally a threat.
And she would use that to burn them first.
- Writer
