𝕺𝖗𝖊𝖓𝖉𝖆

ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 1

A young boy leaned against the wooden railing, wrapping his arm with bandages. His short, curly hair was blowing in the gentle breeze of the wind as he smelled the raw scents of the sea through the wind. His hazel eyes gazed, watching as the ocean's waves graciously moved up and down, shifting the boat.

Ari closed his eyes for a moment, taking in the peaceful moment of life. The smell of fish, the salty seas. It was the same fragrance he'd smelled for the past 13 years of his life.

"Ari! Open your eyes, lad!" A voice called out, a tone of demanding respect.

Ari quickly opened his eyes, looking in the direction of the voice.

"Yeah, I'm here." He says, walking over to his father. "What do you need?"

"I need you to stop wondering off to your mind and focus. We found an island." He says, having a stern look.

"Alright, want me to go?" He asks, sounding a bit tired.

"Lighten up, my boy. You'll find yourself a Wyvern to catch." His father reassured him. His voice was strong, spitting out his words.

Ari nods softly. His father stares at him for a moment, before walking off, probably to finish up packing for the trip. The young man sighs softly. It was his nineteenth birthday. Every Sloddinson boy had to kill a Wyvern on their nineteenth to be considered a man. It's a sort of tradition for them. Ari's killed dragons before, but never a Wyvern. Once they killed the beast, you have to skin its scales, successfully killing it.

It wasn't a beautiful or happy tradition to some, but it had to be done. If not, you either gain a second chance or you're a disappointment to the family. Ari didn't want to be like his great-grandfather Oak, or his uncle, Filli.

Ari takes in a deep breath, looking past the bow of the boat, faintly seeing the island. It wasn't a large, but not a small one either. It was able to let a Wyvern live off it for a few months.

The nineteen-year-old made his way down below the deck, grabbing his bow and arrow, a few poison tipped arrows and some bait.

He walks into the forest, flinging dragon bait around him, leaving a wide trail. Ari whistled to himself, a soft melody, as he worked, soon singing under his breath.

"What will we do with a drunken hunter,

What will we do with a drunken hunter,

What will we do with a drunken hunter,

Early in the morning-"

The sound of bushes being rustled by someone, or something. It was faint, but it was close. Ari grabbed his bow from behind him, reaching for an arrow, drawing it back. It kept his breathing steady, scanning the perimeter, making sure nothing ambushed him.

The rustling soon stopped, going silent. All he could hear were the tree branches being pushed by the wind, hitting against each other. Ari lowered his bow slowly, keeping a sharp eye out for any monsters. His pupils focus on the surrounding trees, scanning every inch.

Before Ari could put his bow away, the rustling started again, but this time, it was in the bush in front of him. He quickly pointed his bow towards the bush, waiting for it to show itself fully.

A small, dark, bunny came out of the bush, having half of its ear wrapped in bandages, previously being bitten off by something. Ari sighs softly, retracting his bow. He slowly knelt down, in front of it, showing the bunny his hand.

The small creature slowly approached the human, watching as he sniffed his hand, only smelling wood and a hint of raw fish. The bunny didn't mind the raw fish scent, rubbing up against Ari's hand.

The bunny's fur was course, but soft, feeling like a soft, yet fuzzy blanket. Ari slowly started to pet the bunny softly, seeing that his ear was wrapped with bandages. They look slightly fresh. No dirt or blood was on the bandages.

"Hey, little guy. Is it just you?" Ari asks the bunny, expecting it to magically reply. 

The bunnies ears soon perked up, looking behind him, sniffing the air. Suddenly, the bunny leaped away from Ari, soon disappearing into another bush, leaving Ari's sight. Wyverns are known to be quiet dragons, hunting for their prey.

Ari grabbed his bow once again, pointing it towards the ground, staring straight ahead of him, seeing movement in the trees. The air was quiet, a little too quiet. Ari whispered to himself, seeing more movement, seeing a faint tail passed through the leaves.

"Wyvern." 

 ~⨋~