Chapter Text
Located far in the North sea was the Dragon Hunter encampment which served as their base of operations. Though the mountains that stretched to the heavens above were sturdy, the camp in the valley below was not as such. The forest that stretched around the ring-shaped island was tall and thick, casting long shadows on the ground and making everything wet and muddy. The air was cold, the winter snow even colder, and the Hunters who settled in the little fortified tents that made up the camp were the coldest of all. Their hearts were black from years of watching dragon after dragon be sold or slaughtered. Their leader, Viggo Grimborn, was said to have the hardest and blackest heart of all. However, things were beginning to heat up in the Hunter’s base. The dragons were attacking.
“FIRE!!”
“We need more dragon-root arrows over by the forge,” Viggo shouted as he ran through the camp, sword in one hand and wooden box in the other, “Load the catapults! Be careful how you shoot, I do not want any more of our infrastructure destroyed by a clumsy shot!”
“What are you lot standing around for? Move it!” Viggo’s brother, Ryker, ordered, “Get these nets in the air! Leave the Nightmares alive, we need their gel. Otherwise, move in for the kill!”
A Monstrous Nightmare fell to the ground aflame. Nadders scattered in every direction in order to avoid projectiles, shooting spines everywhere in fear. Ryker barely avoided a spine to the skull, though he managed to duck down just in time. He turned and ripped it from the ground, then threw it right back at the Nadders. He grinned as it made its mark on a Nadders hide.
A flash of lighting lit up the sky as a dark shape soared through the clouds.
“Is that a-” Ryker asked.
“A Skrill,” Viggo finished, marvelling at the sight. The electric dragon periodically appeared as the sky flashed a blinding white, thunder booming off the rocky hills. Viggo chuckled to himself, then broke into a run.
“Oi, where are you going?” Ryker called. Viggo didn’t answer.
“Right then, cryptic as ever,” Ryker sighed, “Archers, fire at will!”
Reaching the top of a large hill, Viggo opened up the box he’d been carrying. He’d been waiting for this moment. He unfolded a contraption which fit snugly inside the box. It was a launcher that he’d created based on a design he’d seen when he’d attacked the Edge a couple weeks back. It resembled two bows fixed to a cannon, or perhaps a vertical crossbow. Whatever the case, Viggo liked it. It could fire bolas and other projectiles a far greater distance than he could ever throw them.
Viggo paid no attention to the chaos below. He didn’t flinch when a Monstrous Nightmare set several tents on fire, nor when one of his ships was blown up. He kept his eye on the sky, waiting for the Skrill to show itself again. A few Hunters paused in their efforts to watch and wonder what their leader was doing.
“Show yourself, dragon,” Viggo muttered, “Let me see you.”
He perked up as he heard an approaching shriek. Another bright flash of lighting lit up the sky and a dark shadow sped through the night. Viggo reacted immediately and fired the weapon, and was thrown back by the force of the bola being launched. He looked up just in time to see the electric dragon plummet out of the sky, shrieking eerily. He couldn’t help but let out a battle cry of his own.
His celebration was short lived, for at that moment he heard the distinct sound of Monstrous Nightmare scales crackling with fire. He turned, unsheathing his sword, preparing to do battle with the creature. With a roar, the great beast lunged at Viggo, grazing the left side of his face with its claw. It didn’t do much to phase the man. He was just about to strike the dragon with his freshly sharpened blade when a distant roar rang out across the battlefield and the flaming dragon took to the air. The dragons were leaving, prey grasped firmly in their talons.
“Come back and fight, you overgrown lizard!” Viggo taunted, but the Nightmare kept flying away.
“You alright, Viggo?” Ryker asked casually as he limped up the hill.
“Careful with that leg of yours,” Viggo replied.
“Ach, never mind that,” Ryker said, “You’re bleeding.”
“Am I?” Viggo asked, feeling his face. Blood dripped onto his hand.
“Didn’t you feel his claw slicing your skin?” Ryker asked, astounded.
“No,” Viggo said, feeling his scars, “Though I don’t feel much on this side of my face anymore”
The brothers walked back to Viggo’s tent, which was thankfully still intact. Viggo rifled around in a chest until he found a looking-glass and a clean cloth. He peered at the wound in his reflection and grimaced. How had he not felt that?
“Is your leg alright, brother?” Viggo asked again.
“Don’t worry about it, it’s fine,” Ryker said gruffly.
Viggo let out a huff and focused on cleaning his wound. Ryker’d had a limp ever since his near miss with the Submaripper. Viggo was surprised Ryker had escaped with just a bad leg. He was surprised he’d survived at all.
He snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Ryker let out a chuckle.
“Got a bit excited there, didn’t you?” Ryker laughed, “I heard that battle cry from where I was standing. You shot down that Skrill, didn’t ye?”
“It went down somewhere in the forest. We’ll search for it at first light, right now it’s too dangerous,” Viggo said.
“Fine by me,” Ryker replied, standing up, “Now, you should get some sleep. You’re exhausted. And take care of that wound, will you? Don’t let it get infected.”
“Funny, I thought that ever since the Submaripper episode you’d be out to kill me,” Viggo chuckled.
“Nah, we’re brothers,” Ryker replied, “and brothers get into spats occasionally. Of course, most brothers don’t usually have Titan Wing dragons and entire armadas on hand.”
“No, they certainly don’t,” Viggo finished.