A roar of thunderous rage erupted from my jaws, leaving the once boisterous valley unmoving and silent. Steam coiled from my snout up into the sky as I clawed a furrow into the ground in an uncontrolled frenzy. My tail mimicked that of a Falinthian; swishing side to side as theirs do right before a fight. Except, there was no fight. There had never been a fight, and likely never would be, at least not tonight.

Eight! Eight times I have tried and eight times I have failed. Tomorrow I shall bathe in that Sivritha's blood and then we shall see who is laughing!

I sobered up upon remembering the bloodlust that may ensnare me should I truly mean my earlier assertion; even more so the closer I drew to Yavleth, and, by extension, Kazlar's lair. I folded my wings just enough to lose altitude but opened slightly enough to allow for a slow, smooth landing. With a sigh, I touched down and plodded towards the cave.

He's going to laugh so hard when I tell him the news...

Surprisingly, he didn't seem shocked, nor did he laugh when I meekly informed him of my failed first hunt. Rather, he revealed his own catch he had saved for me to eat and jokingly said, "I'll teach you my masterful ways tomorrow. For now, eat and get some rest, you've had a long day."

It was only after he said it that I realized how weary I was. My tail and wings drooped dangerously close to the ground, and every sluggish step I took made walking a tripping hazard.

After finishing my meal, I trudged towards my chamber, readying myself for a good night's sleep. I pushed through the hanging ivy at the entrance and took a step down, being careful not to stumble. When all four talons were safely on even ground, I scanned my room.

Everything was exactly as I had left it. My books, both for entertainment and for school, rested on a small shelf I had taken years to carve out of the stone wall. Seeing as books were so rare to find in Yavleth, I doubted I would ever need to expand it. The many trinkets I had purchased or found over the years remained in the furthest corner, forgotten only days after their discovery. A single one still maintained my interest, an elven lantern that hung from the ceiling, always maintaining a flickering blue hue. I could not remember when or where I had found it, only that it had burned for years without me ever needing to relight it. Turning my attention away from the lantern, I meandered forward towards my sleeping slab. I had never needed to expand my slab, it had always been more than large enough for me.

Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

Seems like I may need to expand it soon, though.

I winced as my scales scraped against the stone when I curled up into a ball amongst my heaping pile of furs, just barely having enough space to fit. With a sigh of contentment, I let my eyes slide shut and my mind fade to nothingness.

~~~

"Rylar! Wake up!" Kazlar's voice boomed, a noise I decided was much too loud for so early in the morning, and rather than heed his call I stuffed my head under one of my many furs.

Already? I only just fell asleep, or so it feels that way.

"Rylar." His voice carried a tone of warning: my one and only chance to oblige. I proceeded to bury myself even further amongst my furs; officially sealing my fate.

Moments later I felt talons grip onto my tail before yanking me onto the shockingly cold stone and scattering my furs everywhere. "Pick everything up and let's go. I need to teach you hunting before everyone else scares all the Sivritha off." Kazlar said before turning around and leaving my room just as quickly as he had appeared.

With a groan, I pushed myself to my feet before, with exaggerated slowness, proceeding to reorder my furs and, finally, join Kazlar at the cave entrance.

Without so much of a glance my way, Kazlar rose into the air, beating his wings with enough force to generate a mini snowstorm beneath him. Rather than wait for the snow to settle so I could see properly, I quickly followed suit behind him.

Upon reaching the valley, Kazlar halted, hovering in the air as he swung his head around to face me. I hurried forward to his side, mimicking his position in the air as I waited for him to speak.

"Watch and learn." He declared with a smirk, gliding down until he was just above the trees, his shadow darkening the land below him and heralding his appearance. Seeing this, I frowned in confusion.

Is the goal not to conceal oneself and stalk the prey with stealth?

I realized his motive at the same moment a Sivritha burst from the cover of the trees and into a field. While Sivritha were rather intelligent, even they could not resist the instinct of prey to flee from predator. I watched with a grin as Kazlar closed in, my own heart picking up pace as adrenaline rushed through my veins.

Soon. Soon that will be me.

A beautiful song-like shriek echoed through the valley before abruptly being cut off as Kazlar sank his fangs into the creatures throat. With only a single look in my direction, he tore into his meal, blood and gore flying everywhere as he gave into the bloodlust. I released a shudder as I witnessed the ferality of his actions, something I had never witnessed before, only heard about.

Taking his glance as a signal, I turned away to begin my own hunt, hoping it to be just as successful, though maybe less violent, as Kazlar's had been.

Today I shall have my victory.