The Hunter
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"William! Wake Up!"
William jerks up at his name, breathing heavily as sweat pours down his face. He relaxes as reality sinks in, knowing everything he sees is real. But that dream was strange. It was so vivid. The sun, the visions, everything. Looking around at his surroundings, ensuring he wasn't dreaming again. Finally, he caught his breath as he clutched his chest, feeling his heartbeat slowing down.
He looked down at his old, decayed wooden bed, ruined from time as pieces of the bed frame were torn off. His blanket, if you want to call it that, was ripped and knitted together. A single small circular table sat next to his bed, with an unlit lantern and a broken photo next to it. Looking at the door to his room, seeing a broken mirror and a rack holding a rusty old sword.
William sits up, only for his head to collide with the ceiling with a loud bang. He had forgotten that the roof was slanted downward beside his bed.
Again.
He rubs his head as the stinging sensation pulses, gritting his teeth as he sees sunlight beaming through a hole in the roof at the other side of the room, barred up with wooden planks.
"William!" a voice calls out behind the door from outside William's room.
"I'm up, I'm up!" William responds, irritated, as he shifts his legs off the side of his bed while ensuring he doesn't hit his head.
He looks down at his old grey shirt, stretched to his size as it clings tightly to his body, clearly showing his toned body. His black pants, old and dirty from outdoor activities, with a white bandage tied around his right shin, acting as a shin guard, as a failed attempt of knee guard on his left, clearly made of leather. Then there were his dirty boots. He remembers them since he was young. William only started wearing them when he was fifteen. His father never needed to buy more extras.
His father either was saving money and couldn't afford to buy nicer clothing or never needed it.
William raises one hand to avoid hitting his head again as he stands up and approaches the table. He looks at a picture on the table, ignoring the broken glass at the corner of the frame.
The picture shows two people: a woman with long golden hair and golden eyes that reflect the sunlight, wearing a basic tan cotton shirt. Her nose curves slightly upward at the tip, and her smile is comforting and peaceful.
Next to her is a taller man with messy brown hair, shaved down the sides while the top is swept towards the back of his head, while the sides were cut down to the point you could almost see skin, and a sharp face, but a gentle smile. However, his face looked worn out, as if it was strained from stress or physical activity, making him look much older than he actually is. His nose is straight, and a faded shade of black runs down his jaw, hinting at a growing beard. His eyes are rough, but a solid black iris stares back at William. Through those eyes, William can tell how happy he is, sporting a black cotton shirt. The two people in the photo are very different.
The woman appears to be a beautiful girl about twenty years old, while the man looks around thirty.
The two were his mother and father. William, however, never met his mother. His father told him she died in a fire created by monsters of the Blight that corrupted their land. His father barely managed to save him from the fire, but it was too late for his mother.
Ever since his father told him, William wanted to avenge his mother by fighting the Blight, like the great warriors of his country are tasked to do.
William made his way to the broken mirror and looked at himself. His dirty brown hair was messy and long, barely touching his eyebrows and neck. His bright autumn-like hazel eyes reflected whatever light the mirror was shining off at him, and a fade of black underneath his eyebags mixed in with his slightly tanned skin.
Signs of lack of sleep.
Not surprisingly, an open ceiling where cold air can get in, terrible blankets, potential sounds of terrible roars of monsters in the woods, and people chatting, who would not be awake from all of that.
At least he gets a good view of the stars; sadly, he does not get a good view of the town. William rubs his curved nose, a nose gifted from his mother's. His father always said it was cute, but he never understood why.
William never found anything he had on his face attractive or appealing, but that's possibly due to him being so filthy.
He sighed, full well of what was about to happen. His father claims it is light training. William closes his eyes as he exhales deeply.
one hour later
William was lying down behind bushes next to his father. His father was much taller; his hair was slightly longer on the sides than it was in the photo, but it's clear that he maintains it. Wrinkles slowly grow around the eyes and forehead, but not too much. The hair on top, though, is still the same, swept back.
He held an old grey-like bow, curving in towards him at the top and bottom, going outward than inwards, sharpened like a blade, while his hands held onto the grip at the base of the bow. The bow, which William had seen him use, was large, big enough to be a walking stick.
The bow never used actual arrows; it used magic arrows created by his father's magical energy, something William couldn't do. The bow was fantastically maintained. William knows his father treasured that bow, as it was a keepsake from Will's mothers. But there is a better time to be distracted, as William is hunting with his father.
They stared off past the bushes and saw a 5-foot-tall bipedal reptile, almost looking like a raptor, as it stood on two feet. Spikes ran down its spine as a dirty emerald green covered its scale, almost like moss. The raptor's mouth had a peculiar shape, with a snout almost boxed-like but a curved upper lip extending past the bottom like a peak, only to curve up again on either side. Its teeth were sharp and pointed, perfect for tearing flesh, but at the moment, it was using them to crunch on the herbs of a nearby tree. Its arms were thin and long, designed for grabbing eggs or switching to walking on four. It's hind legs were thick and muscular, perfect for long-distance sprinters.
It was a Heraraptor, and William was going to distract it.
William's father slowly rises off the ground, holding his massive bow and aiming it at the raptor.
"Wait for it," he said, waiting for the right moment.
William was getting restless, wanting to prove he could catch the beast. His father has been training him surprisingly effectively but very absurdly, though he could never catch the oversized reptile.
But today will be the day.
Williams's heart raced as time started to slow down, as anticipation began to get to him.
The Raptors always annoyed him, even though they were considered ranked C on the danger level, according to the Adventures Guild. Adventurers usually dealt with them. They were quick little critters if you would call them little, as they ate crops and tore apart farmlands. Sometimes, they got bold and took a few farm animals.
William felt a single drop of sweat drip down his forehead as he breathed heavily. He's getting impatient.
"Now!" William's father shouted as William took off immediately, leaving a crack underneath his foot where he leaped off as he jumped through the bushes.
The raptor came into view as William dashed straight at it, his hair gliding back against the wind. However, the raptor saw him coming, evading him, making William miss as he tried to recover.
The chase was on.
The raptor was faster than William as he tried to keep up, its tail barely out of reach. The raptor suddenly leaped over a fallen tree trunk, causing William to press his hand against it as he poorly vaulted over it. He catches himself in time as he tries to catch back up, only to see the raptor sharply turn past a tree.
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
William grunted loudly, quickly grabbing the tree as he circled around it. Swinging himself off it, he picks up speed again, running right behind the raptor.
As William continues to chase after the raptor, the forest slowly gets brighter due to all the fallen trees, but plenty of bushes remain just enough to be a nuisance. He tries to keep his breathing under control as he starts to slam his feet into the ground, pushing himself harder off the ground while lengthening his strides. He slowly begins to catch back up with the raptor as they both continue to leap and vault over trees and bushes.
After getting close enough, Will reaches for its tail. However, the raptor keeps swatting his hand away, annoying William. The reach attempts felt weird, as a loud, wack-like whip kept striking his hand.
Minutes passed, and the beast kept staying directly in front of William, and both ran deeper into the forest.
More fallen trees lay before them, and Will expertly traversed the obstacles now, vaulting and leaping past each fallen tree, torn down by a much bigger creature. But Will didn't have time to think about what was around him.
William even started running straight through the bushes to stay behind the raptor.
William finally realizes that the beast is actually toying with him. Intentionally letting Will get close so it can smack his hand with its tail.
William curses out at the raptor. "Get back here, asshole!"
He lunges at it, making it leap out of the way as it hops across from one bush to another.
It's enjoying itself, Will thought as he desperately tried to catch it, but it's way too agile.
The only thing keeping William going is that he knows he's getting faster. He's barely touching a heraraptor's tail now, which tells him he's getting to his goal slowly.
After running for what feels like hours to William, the raptor was cornered by 2 massive tree trunks that appeared to have been ripped out of the ground and an enormous boulder in between.
William took slow, wobbly steps as sweat dripped from his face, his cotton white shirt soaking wet. His eyes grew weary and fatigued as he stepped closer and closer. He spread his arms out to make himself look bigger than he did, not wanting to give the beast the idea of escape.
"Nowhere to go now," William said weakly. He's spent, tired, and now slow. But it's time to do the one thing he could never do.
Capture a Heraraptor bare-handed.
If he succeeds, he will win his father's deal, which was given to him when he was six. Capturing the beast would mean he's done with his training.
"Now you..." Will gasps loudly, using his hand to gesture to the raptor. "Stay right there..." Will breathes heavily, pointing at it, trying to regain his composure.
But he was getting impatient. It's right there in front of him. He was so close; just one more ounce of strength left, and he would do it. Will knew he was physically strong enough to kill it with his bare hands, or according to his father.
Will doubt it, but it is part of the training.
The raptor starts to hiss at William as he gets closer and closer. Even the morning sun rising behind William is assisting him.
Will takes another step, legs shaking as his snot drops onto the wet grass. William gave the raptor a wicked smirk, wicked enough to make anyone shiver.
Will was desperate. The raptor looked around for an escape, but Will wouldn't have it, taking another step closer. The raptor hissed loudly as it lowered its body to the floor, ready to defend itself. Will could see its wet reptilian mouth, disturbing, but it didn't matter.
"Ten years it took to get me here," William mumbles to the raptor. "Ten! Long! God! Damn! Years!" William dives right at the raptor, arm spread open without hesitation or fear.
Time seemed to slow down for Will as he approached the cornered animal.
Finally, it's here.
All of Will's hard work is now coming to an end as he approaches his target slowly but surely.
He never knew what victory tasted like. Did it taste like this?
The odd smell of sweat and grime rushes up his nostrils. William smiled brightly as he made eye contact with the raptor. He may even cry right there and then.
But.
William's eyes widened, horrified, as he saw his mistake as the raptor lowered itself, giving way to the fact that it wasn't preparing to defend itself; it was preparing to jump.
Will couldn't do anything. He's already in the air, slowly approaching. He tries to bring his arms around the raptor as quickly as possible, only to see it jump straight up, not over him or backward, but straight up. Will turns his head, seeing it come back down to land on his face, pushing him down. His face slides across the wet grass, covering him in dirt, gunk, and grass as the raptor jumps off him.
Will lifts his head and turns back as quickly as possible, only to see the raptor dead on the ground, a solid blue arrow pieced its head.
William heard his father approach, laughing hard enough to echo throughout the forest. "Hahaha, did it play you as a fool? If I didn't know any better, you got overconfident, and it took advantage of that."
Frustrated, Will slammed his fist into the ground, his face twisted in anger and humiliation. He gritted his teeth as he punched the ground again and again, leaving a few holes as his father got closer. Will was pulled up off the ground as his father started wiping some of the dirt off him.
His father makes a big grin, relishing the humor of what just happened. "You good?" his father asked, his face changing to that of one concern.
William looked away, furrowing his eyebrows, frustrated and humiliated by his pathetic attempt. "I wasn't fast enough," William said defeatingly.
Will's father's face slowly turns to a grin as he pats Will on his back. "Come on, the raptor isn't going to carry itself."
"I know, I know," William scoffs loudly.
Approaching the dead body of the Heraraptor, the blue arrow that had longed in its head is now gone, as is to be expected of magic arrows. Will grabs the raptor and hoisters it onto him, letting it rest on his shoulders.
He remembers it being heavy when he first carried it, and it hurt his back that day. William brings the body as he follows his father through the woods.
The sun is shining brightly now, and William can see the rays of light piercing through the leaves and branches of the tree, illuminating the path. The grass is wet with tiny water droplets on each stem, making the ground slippery. Trees have been uprooted here and there, leaving trails of torn-up earth. The sky is a mix of orange and faded blue as the sun rises higher. The clouds are moving slowly, and the sun is slowly making its way over the land. It looks like it's going to be a very dark night later.
After walking for what felt like half an hour for William, having to watch his step due to his balance with the body on his back, he and his father made it out of the forest and into a clearing. There, they spot a carriage holding many dead animal bodies that Will's father has hunted.
Still annoyed, William approaches it as he throws the Heraraptor onto the top. He throws it a little too hard as it slides down the left side of the carriage, but it's not enough to fall off.
Confirming that the carriage was prepped and ready to go, William goes to the front and grabs the wooden handles and harnesses that linked to it, pulling it towards a carved-out path.
The ground isn't as moist and flat, making transportation much more accessible. Sadly, Will is also annoyed that their town, specifically the country, doesn't have as much magic tech as most other countries, like Asgard or Herios.
Hearthglen is a town at the edge of the country Drakelene. However, Hearthglen was built inside a carved-out mountain. It's more of a city at the edge of Drakelene's territory, bordering Asgard, an enemy country. So Hearthglen is more of a military base for Drakelene than anything else.
That didn't mean nobles or civilians didn't live there. Will and his father are prime examples.
But their role is much more critical. They tend to the forest and farmlands for any animal that dares to cause problems to the land. They would bring these animals back for the Adventurer's Guild and the people for food. Will's father told him that since moving to Heartglen, the animal population has been more stable, and food production has increased. They make a good chunk of money despite being poor due to the taxes that the nobles put out.
"Keep up, slow poke!" Will's father shouts as he walks ahead, using his bow as a walking stick.
William scoffs loudly, intending his father to hear him as he pulls the carriage. The carriage shakes often as it thumps against rocks and other drops in the ground. "Maybe this would be better if you helped out."
"No, no, no. You wanted to get strong, so here you go," Will's father humorously retorted as he lengthened his strides and got farther away from the carriage.
William's father is really helping him achieve his dream.
But Will was depressed. Never before was he so close, as he sighed in defeat, pulling the heavy carriage.
Soon, a massive mountain towered over the land, its insides carved out and replaced with pillars to keep it from falling apart. Massive support beams, large enough for people to live in, are connected to each pillar.
It was Hearthglen.
The city is located at the mountain's base, spreading out in a ring-like shape. Some parts of the city are inside the mountain, while others stretch outside. The buildings are made of bricks, and the streets are paved with light posts. The height of the buildings ranges from two to three stories tall, depending on the location. From where Will and his father are standing, they can faintly see the carriages moving about the city.
Will proceeds to look at the top of the mountain, where there is a massive castle where the highest of the nobles live. But more importantly, the Riders live there. The mountain, the pillars, and the massively connected paths to each pillar were all designed for the Riders.
It has always been Will's dream to be a Rider.
But before William could think more about his dream, a loud, bellowing roar echoes throughout the sky above him. He quickly turns to it, only to see massive talons approaching him. He flinches, covering his face as huge gusts of wind toss his hair into a chaotic mess. His heart started to race, but not out of fear, but excitement. He moves his arms out of the way to see standing before him. That is the one thing he's been working so hard to become.
A Dragon Rider.....