Dracopical Isles: Rise of the Underground

Chapter 13

As sundown approaches, Allister busies himself with a fresh set of gear - masking spray, notepad, binoculars, mini map.. He makes sure that what he's got is ideal for tracking down a dragon. Packing a dagger and a crossbow for self defense, and a decent supply of first aid, he also prepares in case of emergency. 
Although not much progress is to be expected this evening as the rain is coming down hard, the least Allister can do is take notes of what he already knows. 
He first jots the obvious - the Sorcerant being an adult male and a rare green variant of its kind. Following, he notes that this Sorcerant probably lives close by, given that it's been noticed around the area a few times in the last week. It also seemed to jump on the radar ever since the attack, so it most likely has reasons for this. Although one probably would have thought that burning down the Bar and Grill and killing some residents would be plenty vengeance for a dragon, apparently it wasn't enough to satisfy this Sorcerant. If it's planning for further vengeance, then why return to the Bar and Grill of all places? Is it just waiting for people to come back and rebuild it, so that it can destroy everything again? A majority of what Allister had observed thus far does not support this idea, however - especially with what just happened earlier this day. It stole the Mage's two spell books, as well as the corpse of its mate. Also, there's that one Alchemy dragon that seems to be with it. This particular detail is what leaves Allister the most confused - why would an Alchemy dragon be assisting a Sorcerant? Unless, of course, it isn't? Perhaps it's being held against its will? That would explain a few things.. including a solution to how the Sorcerant managed to get the books in the first place. Although it probably wasn't the only solution, it's kinda curious what brought it to choose this particular method. 
Yes, dragons are intelligent creatures, and there are some that are especially so, but still… It seems odd…

The rain stops just before the crack of dawn, to which Allister eagerly takes advantage of. The sooner he can get moving, the better. Although holding onto a meager 4 hours of sleep, Allister's determination gives him a rush of enthusiasm. 
Cold, wet grass paints the hunter's boots with moisture at every step, and the occasional mosquito buzzes in his ear. The coolness of early, morning air gives the woods a fresh feel, further adding to Allister's good mood. 
Using torchlight, Allister proceeds to scout the dark, surrounding woods, eventually making his way back to where he had found the Alchemy ring the other day. Not much has changed aside from the bloody residue being washed away. The tracks have nearly dissipated as well - only a few remain in open mud. Well, not that they matter anyway - it's all about this Sorcerant now. 
Returning to where he remembers seeing the Sorcerant's tracks here, Allister takes out pencil and paper to take note of the direction they came from. He also takes out a compass and map for further observation. 
Sorcerants don't exactly mark the borders of their territory like many other dragons. In fact, Sorcerants tend to share territory and only take action against others if deemed necessary. It also isn't uncommon to find a cluster of Sorcerant territories in the same area. Though for Allister, this unfortunately makes things a little harder. As far as he knows, this green Sorcerant could be just one out of several others, and it's not that easy to predict how far the territory stretches either. Still, this doesn't stop Allister from trying. At the very least, he knows that this Sorcerant is nesting nearby.

A couple hours pass and the sun rises above the horizon. Until then, Allister had been reviewing his notes and knowledge, working to come up with a strategy to locate his prize. Now, he waits.. and he listens.. for the sound that would give away a dragon as it takes off for its morning hunt. 
Spritzed in spray to mask his presence, Allister takes out what no hungry dragon can resist - the cry of easy prey. A deer distress call in the shape of a small tube is brought to Allister's lips. It emits a loud, prolonged bleating sound that easily breaks through the serene atmosphere to the ears of any dragons that may be out.
After a good half hour of calling and waiting, finally something appears - a small dot above the treeline soaring in on graceful wings. As Allister had hoped for, it is a Sorcerant; though upon using the binoculars, it reveals a disappointment - purple scales instead of green. This young Sorcerant, seemingly a little too young for a fully-fledged adult, circles the skies above, scanning the woods below for its prey. Although too high up to tell if it is male or female, it is quite obvious that this isn't the dragon Allister wants. He stops calling.
The good news is this confirms that Sorcerants are nesting here, but the bad news is that Allister has to keep looking. Quietly prowling away through the shade of the woodlands, Allister excuses himself from his former stand. He continues his trudge until he is knee deep in water weeds. The smallish marshlands of a nearby lake are seemingly his next spot. Cattails tower above Allister's head and clusters of overhanging Maple branches further shade his presence. Luckily, it isn't too far into the shallows until Allister can have a peek at the lake between stalks of cattail - a portion separated by a semicircle of trees. Connected to it are the risen mounds of a stairway-shaped waterfall. To the left is an open pathway that leads to the lake's main body, crystal blue from the clear reflection of the bright sky. This particular cubby of the lake appears to be the ideal spot for a dragon to visit - especially if they desire to be unnoticed. 
It doesn't take long for movement to be detected in the distant trees. Remaining as still as possible, whilst keeping a sharp eye on what's moving, Allister is attentive.
At first, it is somewhat difficult to identify as the creature seems to have decent camouflage against the green, forest hue, but a couple moments later and finally Allister can see it. It's another Sorcerant, but this time - it has green scales!
Emeraldus has come to take a quick sip, completely oblivious to Allister hiding nearby. 
"There he is.." Allister whispers to himself with a pleased nod of the head.
Unfortunately, following Emeraldus isn't as easy as it had been finding him on the second try. Knee deep in water, any movement could be suspicious. Digging through his bag, Allister finds a decent, but not perfect, call - a wading bird. It is at least worth a shot. Now thinking about it, what's the worst that could happen? If the Sorcerant attacks Allister, that would give him a shot at slaying it. If the Sorcerant flees.. well, I suppose he at least found the rare, green dragon.
Carefully wading around to shore, Allister keeps the bird call pressed to his lips. Whenever the Sorcerant pauses to have a wary look around, Allister would call. Due to the hunter's masking spray, Emeraldus is unable to sense his human aura. There's also not much of a breeze to carry a scent - Emeraldus can only smell wet grass and mud upon sniffing. The only thing strange is that there's no further proof to support what's moving to be a bird aside from sound; however, Emeraldus still proceeds to turn and leave the lake with a few final, uncertain glances over his shoulder.
After making it onto dry land, it is smooth sailing for Allister. It is much easier to hide from a dragon now with earth beneath his feet. He follows Emeraldus around for a few minutes as the dragon pauses momentarily to scavenge for more ingredients to add to his shelves. Allister takes note of each particular location and the path taken. It is now that he is able to make out a rough estimate of where Emeraldus' territory could be. 
By the time Emeraldus opens his wings to fly back home, Allister has gotten plenty confidence in finding it. Just a handful of minutes later, and there it is - just at the end of an ancient, now hidden by shrubs, pathway. The old, withered tower stands several yards high with only its gaping window to allow passage inside. The supposed door is too far gone to open, now laced with vines and boards that have sustained so many decades of the tower's erosion that it has become as hard as stone itself. The entryway also appears to have caved in on itself - there's nothing but rubble to see upon peering through the cracks. 
There is no way for Allister to enter unnoticed. He takes note of this as well, and nods to himself in satisfaction. This is enough information for an attempted hunt - the nest's location, some routine habits, and a rough estimate of the territory. Grinning to himself, Allister leaves to go prepare his dragon hunting gear.