Rigard the Dragon (special preview)

Tradition is the key word when it comes to your family. It is something that affects your daily life, hell, it even messes with some of the most minute things of your day. Having grown up in relative solitude and isolation most of your life, even the things you do to escape ‘family tradition’ have become tradition.

The Hearthway Forest is a massive nature reserve, and one your family has cared for since your ancestors. And it is because of these ancestors you carry on the routine and, yes, the traditions they created. It is also because of them you have some fae in your blood, a little nymph, a dash of naiad, and a hint of satyr from your father’s side. You're basically a mythical creature mutt with none of the bonuses.

For ages your family has protected and watched over the Hearthway Forest, like forest rangers in a sense, but ordained from a higher power. What that power is, you’re not to sure, but it is one that tasks you with protecting the forest and it’s mostly hidden inhabitants from the rapidly changing world.

“I have to go into Hearthway Hollow,” your brother, Stelios, said. “Do you need anything?”

“Don’t fall in love with a werewolf, that’s all I ask,” you murmured as you scrolled through a shopping site.

Stelios leaned over your shoulder to see what you were looking at and chuckled. “You know how mama feels about cosmetics.”

“Yeah, well, I didn’t get mama’s eyelashes, so I have to make due.” You huffed.

Stelios stood up and adjusted his cap. “So, you don’t need anything in town?”

You continued perusing makeup as Stelios went to the front of the cabin and retrieved a set of keys. “The usual I guess, if you feel like bringing something like that back,” you murmured.

Stelios looked out the window. “Uh oh.”

You hid the website you were looking at and stood up from your desk. “Oh crap, it’s him again,” you grumbled. “What the hell is happening now?”

Hearthway Hollow was part of the forest, but it was you and your family’s least liked part of it. For the most part the growing town was self governing, self regulating. But because it was a town full of shedding, hunting, giant werewolves, there were issues that you all took umbrance with.

The man who walked in was the so-called prince of Hearthway Hollow, you would beg to argue, considering there was a royal family of naga deep into the woods. Adam came in, looking chipper and smiling, but you could sense his nerves like sugar crystals in the air. It wasn’t that Adam was a bad person, in fact you would like him more if he agreed the werewolf traditions could be updated. But he was genuinely sweet, and he tried his hardest to keep peace between the two worlds that Hearthway had.

“Oh, god, what now, Adam?” You sighed as you walked around your desk.

“Oh hello,” Adam laughed anxiously. “Uhm…”

“Uhmm?” Stelios laughed. “What have your werewolves done now?”

Adam looked up in offense. “Nothing! It’s nothing my town has done, but it’s something from your forest!”

You and Stelios traded looks. “Okay, so what is it? Naga’s in the lake again? A troll steal a grill again?”

“No,” Adam huffed. “It was something…bigger. And yes, it stole quite a few things in town!”

“Bigger?” You asked. “How bigger?”

“I’m not too sure about that. Only a few people in town have seen glimpses of it. But they all say it went back into the forest after it took things.” Adam pulled out his phone, showing a picture from outside a restaurant where a huge chunk of concrete is ripped up.

“That is where the Jolly Burger bee used to stand.” he said with a look of indignation. He then turned to another image where there was a metal pole that bent slightly over a parking lot. “And that is where the Hearthway Market place moose sign used to be.”

“Something is stealing Hollow iconography?” Stelios asked.

“We’re also prepping for Halloween, and for the past few weeks people have been reporting that decorations and lights have been going missing.” Adam said as he put his phone anyway. “It’s like some giant moth is stealing anything that lights up.”

Stelios leaned over to you. “Do we know any giant moths.”

You sighed heavily. “No. But I know someone close enough to it,” you grumbled.

Adam gave you a hopeful look. “You do.”

You pouted a bit, tapping your foot against the hardwood flooring. “He’s been in hibernation for a long time. I don’t think I’ve seen him since the sixties.”