by Juan-Pablo Pina
It had been some time since Ahab had gone on a stroll through the southern woods, and it didn’t take him long to remember why.
Not only was the moonshiners’ trail allegedly infested with crooks of all kinds, but it was also a disturbingly haunting place. The trees that leaned and creaked in the wind looked like lonely, spindly crucifixes devoid of bodies. Strange howls and rumbles emanated through the trees like the calls of lonely ghosts, and the whole place was unnaturally gray, devoid of greenery or large animal life. Some of the only creatures here were the Kunpengopterus and Sinomacrops, which occasionally fluttered about the branches like small screechy ghouls.
Ahab kept his wits about him, his heart racing while his eyes and ears moved at every rustle of vegetation or creak of the trees. It was his instinct, being a hunter he was constantly trying to pick up the traces of any potential prey or threats. It had been burned into him when he was young when he would go on hunting trip after hunting trip, each time gaining more wisdom and, occasionally, an even greater haul.
But reminiscing on old times was reserved for when he had a meal, a fire, and time. He had neither right now, and if he started talking to himself he’d be crazy! So the old, grizzled hunter simply trod on, his finger wrapped around the handle of his dagger nervously, waiting for the moment he needed to swing it out to defend himself from an animal or bad man.
Finally, Ahab could see lights in the distance that poked through the trees. For a moment he thought they might’ve belonged to the palace of the southern monarchs. He hated those people. They always put on such bravado, such a grand show of their wealth and false charitability that it made him sick. Ahab would admit, though, that he had his eye on the princess.
Then again, most men in Saurodale did. She may have been a pompous and greedy thing, but damn was she pretty. Her face, her voice, her hair…it was nigh impossible to meet a man in Saurodale’s south who didn’t know of her, let alone had eyes for her. But perhaps if Ahab could finally bring down the Titan Wraith, he would impress her and her parents. He already had a helluva reputation as a big game hunter, but taking down that blasted creature would be the cherry on top. The amount of wealth he could gain from getting the princes, the amount of land he would have to hunt on, oh, it was too good!
But he mustn’t get carried away now. He had a job to finish. He was going to take down the Titan Wraith. Once that accursed 13-meter-long snowflake flopped to the ground and the light left its eyes, then he would ponder how to present it to the southern princess. But he had a job to do.
On closer inspection, the lights that poked through the trees seemed to be low to the ground, at least for a rural building in the south. Ahab looked up at the darkening sky which was quickly turning from a pleasant orange to a deep and dark blue. He didn’t see any tall stone spires, so this definitely wasn’t the palace.
Eventually, Ahab started to hear…mooing? He quickly walked through the treeline and found himself looking at a ranch. It wasn’t anything too glamorous, though it certainly held its own in terms of sturdiness. There was a large house, a barn, and a pen next to the barn filled with a herd of cows.
Ahab looked and saw a skinny man with glasses holding a lamp next to the barn. He wore a black tunic with a white undershirt and black pants. The dragonslayer had arrived at Arthur’s ranch.
“HOWDY!” shouted Ahab as he made his way towards the barn, holding up a hand in greeting. The man holding the lamp raised it and rushed over to Ahab. he surprisingly quick, the skinny devil.
“Mr. Ahab! I’m so glad you’ve arrived. I was starting to think something had happened with how low the sun was getting,” said Arthur, panting as he shook Ahab’s outstretched hand.
“Nah, man, I’m alright. So…should we get down to business?” grinned Ahab.
“Yes, Sir. Right away. Would you like to see some evidence first?” proposed Arthur, jerking a thumb at the barn behind him. Ahab nodded and the two men walked on over to where a guard stood in front of a massive wooden door.
Without so much as a nod, the guard opened the barn doors, the inside becoming lit by a ray of the outside light that was eventually replaced with the light of the lamps above. And in the barn, laying flat on its side, was the body of a cow.
Ahab immediately became stone-faced, silent as he began to inspect the body. As the dragonslayer kneeled down to inspect it, he noticed it looked like it had been attacked by a giant crocodile judging by the shape of the bite mark that ravaged the corpse’s side. But the tooth marks looked messy and rugged as if a chainsaw had been plunged in and out of the poor cow’s body. And the hide of the animal was stained in red and stank of blood and innards.
“When did you find this?” asked Ahab, rubbing his hand over the bloodstained fur and patting it as if to comfort the corpse.
“Two nights ago, Mr. Ahab. We believe the Titan Wraith attacked us that night and took this poor creature’s life. One of the watchmen managed to scare it off, though, supposedly by throwing a harpoon that landed in its thigh. Is that right, Henry?” said Arthur, turning to the guard that had accompanied the two men into the barn.
“Aye, Mr. Grant, I threw a harpoon at it. I’m a better shot with a gun, though. Damn shame I didn’t have it on me. Then again I came as soon as I heard the poor cow’s cries so I did what I could with what I had,” said the guard, supposedly named Henry. Ahab’s eyes widened immediately.
“You did what?” snarled the dragonslayer.
“What’s the matter, Mr. Ahab?” asked Arthur, his concern growing with every passing moment.
“You fool, do you realize what you’ve done!? The Titan Wraith is one of the most vengeful creatures under the sun! I’ve seen small villages be turned to rubble by that damn animal, and you lodged a whole harpoon in its leg!?” growled Ahab, remembering all the flattened and torn-up corpses he had seen in his years chasing the demon.
“I didn’t know, Sir! I swear on it!” retorted Henry, desperately trying to defend himself as if from the Titan Wraith itself. Ahab put his face in one of his hands as he stood back up.
“I know, I know I just…dammit. Arthur?” said Ahab, calling for the old rancher once he had cleared his mind.
“Tonight I want you to leave your cows out in the open. Let them feed on the pasture for tonight,” said Ahab, dusting off the blood on his hands.
“You want me to do what!?” retorted Arthur, understandably incredulous.
“Leave your herds out to graze tonight. If this guy, Henry, struck true, then the Titan Wraith is now injured and has a really hard time walking, meaning it’ll want to go after easy prey like your cattle, making it more likely to attack tonight. And with your cattle out in the open fields, it’ll be an easy shot,” said Ahab, explaining his plan and the reasons in full.
Arthur didn’t really have a rebuttal. It made perfect sense, and the risk was outweighed by the reward. The rancher sighed and nodded.
“Very well then. I’ll tell the watchmen to skip herding the cattle into the holding pen and head to bed early. I’m sure the poor devils will be glad about that,” said Arthur, chuckling at the last bit. Ahab nodded with a grunt and simply began to walk out of the barn.
“W-wait. And what are you going to do, Mr. Ahab?” asked the rancher, concerned as to whatever the hunter might be planning.
“Tell some guys to help me set up a hide at the edge of the treeline. It’ll probably be either coming out from that area or near it. And then, well, you can just leave me to do what I do best,” answered Ahab, his face forming a grin at the very end.
“It’s about time I do some dragon slaying,” said the old hunter....
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