Slay the Dragon

CHAPTER 1 - MAVE

[Serpent Style] [First Form]

“King’s Tail.” Mave Snowford dashed, giving a heavy swing of her rapier and landed a seamless s***h against the running deer. Blood spurted on the mossy ground as the prey stumbled—slowly dying from its open cut. This would probably be the shortest time Mave had taken to finish her hunt. And she had to—especially today, starting this day. There was a new kind of dawn practice or whatever for those dragon hunters to take their hunt on the Shajara Forest. Mave hated it. So she had to be done before the sun rises just so she would not encounter those stupid hunters along the way.

However, she somehow liked the idea of the new routine. Taking out all hunters from Ravareth early in the morning meant that Librad would also be empty. Mave could now have more time searching in Librad for books that were connected to the dragon who burned her village and her parents alive. A sudden squeeze tightened her chest. Her rage burned once again—the dark memory of her past came back to her but she tried not to think about it this time. She had to go back to Ravareth Fortress now before the hunters could come.

Mave grabbed the leg of the deer and dragged it through the woods. The Shajara Forest was very old. Dark trunks of huge trees rose high with the thick branches and green leaves blocking the light from the morning skies. Mave walked over the soft, mossy soil, avoiding the root lumps—with bushes and small plants brushing on her legs. The air smelled of fresh, stark, pungent scent. If only Mave could stay in this peaceful forest for the rest of her life, she would, but she couldn’t. She would never rest without the truth on her grasp. The fear and trauma kept on haunting her wherever she went. She wanted to know badly the dragon that destroyed her life and why.

Striding down the low hill of trees, she caught a sound of men’s voices laughing ahead. Mave slowed down as she glimpsed three hunters from a distance, their backs turned, who seemed to be at fun. She tightened her grip on the leg of the deer, wishing she also had people like those to laugh and talk with. But unfortunately, all people in this world were cruel and just—stupid. And she hated everyone, especially all hunters in Ravareth.

Mave was about to walk on when she spotted a young girl, crawling on the ground between the three men.

“A cook’s daughter, eh? You really thought you can hunt with this?” one hunter said as he picked up the small sword.

“Ain’t that a knife in your mother’s kitchen?”

The men laughed again.

Mave gave a shake of her head as she continued her walk. She wouldn’t want to have any trouble again with more guys. Archon Stein had enough of her. She could be expelled after this and send her to the Monases. Any women would go to the Monases to weave fabrics for the rest of their lives—but not Mave. Besides, that young girl might want to have a little lesson from them for running out of Ravareth on her own. Mave would not take part in any of it.

“Please, give it back.” The child wiped her tears with her hands, leaving some tracks of dirt on her cheeks. “I want to be a hunter—“

“Fool!” one of the hunters yelled down at her. “Hunters are for men and men only. Now run along to the kitchen and help those ‘women’ cook and cook only to break our fast.”

 That did make Mave stop, drop her deer, and turn around. How he dared to say that? When the young child caught a glimpse of her, she cried, “Help me, please!”

All attention turned to Mave as she walked towards the men—her face hinted irritation. The three hunters shot up their brows in amusement and left the girl to face Mave.

“Another little girl we have here, eh?” the one at the middle said. Their eyes went down to Mave’s sheath, locked on her belt.

“I’m no little girl,” Mave replied as her hand found the hilt of her rapier. “Now drop that small sword and leave.”

The three men exchanged glances before letting out short laughs. One hunter who’s holding the child’s sword said, “You want this?” He twisted a smirk. “Take it!”

Mave snapped as she found the small sword thrown towards her at high speed. With a quick head sway, the sharp point drove past her and pierced through the dark trunk behind instead. “Now leave us,” she said.

“Who do you think you are, girl?”

Mave furrowed her brows in frustration. “If you won’t leave, then we’ll leave.” She went towards the helpless child when the hunters pulled out their swords all the sudden.

“She’s got a rapier, man,” one of them said.

“A hunter, perhaps?” the tallest one asked.

“I’ll have that sword first, girl.” The other hunter pointed his blade at her. “Then you can leave.”

Mave glared at the hunters. It seemed like she had no other choice. They needed to see how a lady could give them their lesson. She unsheathed her rapier and drew her stance.

“Nice blade,” one guy spoke. “Now hand it over.”

Mave snorted. Her rapier—Grey Viper would worth far more than all of these hunters’ lives combined. Did they actually think she would give up the sword that her mentor wielded before? Never.

“You want this? Take it, then,” she mocked.

The hunters snapped, and then charged with their swords at hand.

Mave slid one foot backward and took a deep breath.

[Serpent Style] [Second Form]

“Triple Fangs!” She dashed to meet the three men coming at her. It all happened in just a blink as Mave drew three, quick slashes; her rapier found each of the hunters’ swords, breaking them into half like mere pieces of wood.

As Mave passed through the men, she sheathed back her rapier and walked towards the child, leaving the hunters in shock of their broken swords. Gray Viper was an ancient weapon from the far country of Asveneas. It had been swung by countless of wielders for thousands of years, until Rakim the Swordmaster passed it unto Mave. Indeed, those dumb silver swords were nothing compared to this ancient blade.

“Stand up,” Mave commanded the child who seemed to be in the age of below ten. The girl helped herself up and wiped her tears.

“What …” a man’s voice came behind. “What was that?”

“I’ve never seen that sword fighting style before. Who taught you that?” the other asked, but he was only ignored.

When Mave held the arm of the girl, she turned around and dragged the child with her, past the stunned hunters, towards the dark tree where the small sword pierced through. She pulled out the sword and gave it to the young girl, took her deer, and left the hunters by themselves.

While walking back to Ravareth, the child spoke up with her soft voice and said, “Thank you. My name—“

“Don’t say it.” Mave didn’t take a glance at her as she walked over the big roots on the ground. “None of this would’ve happened if you stayed in Ravareth. What were you thinking?”

“But I want to train,” the child said, pouting her lips.

Mave shook her head. She recalled her own self back then when she was just as young as this girl. She was fortunate that Riqui took her when her parents died. He trained her with swords and raised her like his own daughter already. If only Riqui was here, she would let this young child train under him, but he’s already gone.

“Live strong,” Mave muttered. “Women like us who don’t belong in higher classes will only get trampled on if we don’t stand both feet hard on the ground. The world is cruel. And everyone too.”

“My mother’s not cruel.”

“Learn to live alone. Your mother won’t be with you forever,” Mave said bitterly, reflecting her past memories.

A few moments after and Mave caught a bitter scent in the air with the sound of men’s voices ahead. Then she saw it.

A campfire blazed from a distance with the hunters sitting around, roasting their meat. She stopped—her eyes wide open.

Fire …

Mave couldn’t bear the sight, the smell, and the sound of the flames. Her heart pounded fast along with her blood flow. Sweat broke from her forehead down to her neck as she drew short breaths in and out. She didn’t realize she was crying until her vision blurred. The image from one of her darkest memory that changed her life suddenly appeared in her mind.

She was tiny. She was young. How happy and excited she was of telling her parents of the bird she hunted, but when she came back to her village … a disaster it was.

The biggest fire she had ever seen was devouring her whole village. Amidst the coldness of the winter, the fire dominated. Hell and destruction. She dropped everything—her bird, her dagger … and her hope, as she saw her parents … their bodies all black and burning.

Then she heard something in the sky—huge wings flapping above. She couldn’t look up because of her shock, but she heard it. A screech of a dragon echoed in the sky coated with black smoke.

Mave realized how deadly and destructive fire could be. She lived up her whole life avoiding fire—even a small one from a candle would cause her to panic.

“My arm …” the child’s voice pulled Mave back to the present. “It’s freezing …”

When Mave looked down, her hold to the child’s arm already froze. It was coming again—the curse. She quickly let go, turned around, and ran away from the campfire. Her boots left traces of ice marks on the ground. With every step, the soil, rocks, and roots she ran on got frozen. She couldn’t control it. She could never control the curse. Every time her fear would take over her, the curse would come out.

Mave hid behind one of the trunks and leaned back, breathing fast. Every experience had been so awful for her. She wiped her tears and her sweat while trying to grasp for more air.

The young girl suddenly came to her side, looking confused. “Are you scared of fire?” she asked innocently.

Mave held her chest as she almost calmed down. “Come here …” She melted down the frost on the child’s arm.

“But you’re a dragon hunter …”

“I don’t want to talk about it.” Mave replied coldly. “Let’s head on now.” She just remembered that she had to go to Librad this morning, while all hunters were out to hunt. At this time, she would have more time reading and searching books of anything connected to her village. And when she would find out the true dragon who did it, she swore she would travel north, hunt it down, and make that beast answer for all its crimes.