Call to Adventure: Chapter 12

First Thaw 

Winter was a harsh and unforgiving mistress. With her cold embrace, she choked the life out of the group and steals away the very warmth from the air. She neither cares for the weak nor the strong for she reaps those who stray out into the open for too long. Truly, there was none as cold hearted as she, wreathed in her crown of ice and cloaked in ever white snow.ever

Just like all tyrants, however, her reign was not everlasting. With the lengthening days, her icy grip loosened and life slowly returned to the valley. Winter was finally about to end as the bright and sunny days heralded the arrival of her much beloved younger sister, Spring. 

Still, Winter clings on, refusing to relinquish her hold just yet. The blanket of snow still remains thick and the frost has just started to thaw. It will take some time, but that wouldn't stop the more enterprising inhabitants of the valley from taking advantage of the warmer days.

One such inhabitant was Ramsey. As a native born and raised within these valleys, he had seen his fair share of seasons and today was a good day to forage. The freshest shoots were always the tastiest and they came right after the first thaw, one he was all too happy to paw at the snow for.

This winter had been a lean one, and with his healing injuries still fresh, he needed to regain his strength, something which the young shoots and the occasional mushroom helped quite a lot. Of course, he wasn’t the only one out and about looking for an easy meal.

They weren’t even bothering to hide, something which Ramsey would feel beneath his hooves. He could feel them shifting the earth beneath, churning rock and soil alike. Ramsey of course didn't mind. He was too busy eating after all. Why waste energy on something so trivial as a predator who was out in the open.

Without pausing, he glanced up, watching as the harsh orange glow melted snow and withered fresh shoots alike while its sharp chitinous mandible snapped at him threateningly. This young punk was being awfully rude. He had seen many of his kind before and he wouldn’t be the last one he buried beneath the thawing ground.

With a harsh snort, he stomped his foot, warning the monster as he reared his sharpened horns. He had little patience right now especially when he was hungry. It was just his luck that the monster had less sense than most, something young bucks were all too common to possess.

They think of themselves as invincible and their arrogance showed as they reared back, spreading their mandibles wide. They see him as an easy meal, a free lunch that was up for snap. To say that he was insulted was an understatement. He would have at least taken being ambushed!

What's worse was that its poor attempt at circling him ruined much of the fresh shoots he wanted to eat. Clearly, this thing was the runt of the litter, something which needed to be put down.

With an annoyed snort, he bleated angrily, goading the creature. This creature needed to be reminded that just because they eat his kind doesn't mean they could take as they please for he was just their next meal. He was of noble descent, hailing from a line whose origins could be traced to the time when the short ones called this valley their home, and he was not going to suffer an upstart such as this. 

Proudly he stood his ground, and as he lowered his horn, they faltered, backing away as a hint of hesitation flashed across their eyes. Good, they know what's good for them, but too bad. They were dead the moment they stalked him.

SCREECH!

Digging his hooves to the soft ground, he braced himself as the young buck he had taken under his wing came crashing down, crushing them beneath their talons. The boy was too cautious for his own good as he used his breath to freeze the trashing worm when his talons had already broken it's back.

Ramsey couldn't deny the results, however, as a quick snap at the back of the creature's head made the thing seize up before falling limp down on the group. The creature was dead and his young ward reared his head and let out a proud roar as he stood over his skill.

“Bah!” He scolded. Such arrogance. He was barely a season old and yet the blessed touch upon his scales and his rapid growth had already gotten into his head. Just because he was already the size of a wild stallion doesn't mean he could strut around like he owned the place.

“I could say the same thing to you old man!” The buck arrogantly snapped back as he dug into the chitinous hide and tore at the still sizzling flesh of the creature.

“Bah!” He fired back. Of course he was proud. He had earned it after all after having led his herd for dozens of seasons. The boy on the other hand was still the same old wyrmling he had found wandering around the snow. Ungrateful, this young buck was. 

“Oh buzz off,” The young whelp snorted, “You're lucky that I owe you.”

The young whelp was also lucky that he liked him in turn. He had much to teach this young buck if he was ever to survive this upcoming spring and fortunately, there were plenty of targets he could provide. The fact that they terrorized his herd was merely a coincidence, nothing more. 

“You're an asshole, you know that?” The young boy snorted as he slurped up the monster's super heated blood.

“Bah!” He replied smugly. Clearly, the boy should thank him, but he'd let it pass for now. He was young after all and being foolish was just part of the parcel. He'd thank him once the time comes.

For now though? There was much ground to cover for fresh sprouts and many more predators to lure out in the open. This young buck needed to bulk if he were to survive the upcoming migration of his kind.

-x-x-x-

“I'm not sure if I should be angry or happy that he keeps dragging out all the monsters in the area,” I chuckled as I tore out another chunk from these very spicy centipede monsters and slurped it all down.

If it wasn't for Ramsey, I wouldn't have gotten a taste of this tasty morsel. Monsters naturally shy away from my kind after all since we're industrial freezers with wings. Heck, I would hide and stay as far as possible from another one of my kind. Did he really have to taunt them as well though? 

The old bastard was clearly getting a kick out of seeing me killing all the big local predators that threaten the herd. Can't blame him though cause it must be cathartic having the back of the biggest predator around and that wasn't just me tooting my own horn.

All that wolf meat gave me plenty of fuel to grow, something which my body was all too happy to make use of. Now I stood heads and shoulders above most predators that weren't Dire Bears or Trolls. I was now someone worthy of being called a dragon.

“Still,” I mumbled through mouthfuls of sizzling flesh, “Am I growing a bit too fast?” I was just a hatchling a few months ago and here I was now, already as big as a horse, or at least the horse native here. 

I was growing fast, unnaturally so. Compared to the memories hidden deep in my blood, it should have taken me years to grow to my size, “Then again, all of them were starving in their first few years,” I noted.

“Maybe that's just it,” I shrugged. Besides, why complain when it’s clearly working to my advantage. I get to eat better food after all!

“Man these things are scorching hot,” I coughed, pounding at my chest as it slid the wrong pipe. It was hot, literally so, but it was delicious! Definitely would eat these again, ten out of ten.

With gusto, I scarfed it all down and just in time as my companion was starting to wander off again. “Hey, wait up!”

Taking to the skies, I soared close to the canopy. As confident as I was with taking most younger predators, the older and wiser ones were still a pain. “Getting chucked a spear from an Ice Troll doesn't sound too appealing,” I muttered, “Or meeting mom…”

Aside from that though, Life was great! I had food, shelter and friends that had my back, things which any juvenile dragon my age would kill for, literally. Well, maybe not the last one as dragons were supposed to be solitary, but they'd come around once they no longer have to fear every waking moment of their life.

Life was great… But was this really the life I wanted? “Bah!” I huffed, “That's for future me to worry about.” Right now, I had to break the back of the lone direwolf that Ramsey picked a fight with.

A/N:

Sorry, got distracted by Dragon. Will post Seoul Kitchen tommorow ish hopefully. Looking forward to getting that Animals Mini Omake done and then moving to 5th Street. Then going to do Lu Ri meeting. Going to make them short and quick like this.