Approaching the dead body of the Heraraptor, the blue arrow that had longed in its head is now gone, as is to be expected of magic arrows. Will grabs the raptor and hoisters it onto him, letting it rest on his shoulders.

He remembers it being heavy when he first carried it, and it hurt his back that day. William brings the body as he follows his father through the woods.

The sun is shining brightly now, and William can see the rays of light piercing through the leaves and branches of the tree, illuminating the path. The grass is wet with tiny water droplets on each stem, making the ground slippery. Trees have been uprooted here and there, leaving trails of torn-up earth. The sky is a mix of orange and faded blue as the sun rises higher. The clouds are moving slowly, and the sun is slowly making its way over the land. It looks like it's going to be a very dark night later.

After walking for what felt like half an hour for William, having to watch his step due to his balance with the body on his back, he and his father made it out of the forest and into a clearing. There, they spot a carriage holding many dead animal bodies that Will's father has hunted.

Still annoyed, William approaches it as he throws the Heraraptor onto the top. He throws it a little too hard as it slides down the left side of the carriage, but it's not enough to fall off.

Confirming that the carriage was prepped and ready to go, William goes to the front and grabs the wooden handles and harnesses that linked to it, pulling it towards a carved-out path.

The ground isn't as moist and flat, making transportation much more accessible. Sadly, Will is also annoyed that their town, specifically the country, doesn't have as much magic tech as most other countries, like Asgard or Herios.

Hearthglen is a town at the edge of the country Drakelene. However, Hearthglen was built inside a carved-out mountain. It's more of a city at the edge of Drakelene's territory, bordering Asgard, an enemy country. So Hearthglen is more of a military base for Drakelene than anything else.

That didn't mean nobles or civilians didn't live there. Will and his father are prime examples.

But their role is much more critical. They tend to the forest and farmlands for any animal that dares to cause problems to the land. They would bring these animals back for the Adventurer's Guild and the people for food. Will's father told him that since moving to Heartglen, the animal population has been more stable, and food production has increased. They make a good chunk of money despite being poor due to the taxes that the nobles put out.

"Keep up, slow poke!" Will's father shouts as he walks ahead, using his bow as a walking stick.

William scoffs loudly, intending his father to hear him as he pulls the carriage. The carriage shakes often as it thumps against rocks and other drops in the ground. "Maybe this would be better if you helped out."

"No, no, no. You wanted to get strong, so here you go," Will's father humorously retorted as he lengthened his strides and got farther away from the carriage.

William's father is really helping him achieve his dream.

But Will was depressed. Never before was he so close, as he sighed in defeat, pulling the heavy carriage.

Soon, a massive mountain towered over the land, its insides carved out and replaced with pillars to keep it from falling apart. Massive support beams, large enough for people to live in, are connected to each pillar.

It was Hearthglen.

The city is located at the mountain's base, spreading out in a ring-like shape. Some parts of the city are inside the mountain, while others stretch outside. The buildings are made of bricks, and the streets are paved with light posts. The height of the buildings ranges from two to three stories tall, depending on the location. From where Will and his father are standing, they can faintly see the carriages moving about the city.

Will proceeds to look at the top of the mountain, where there is a massive castle where the highest of the nobles live. But more importantly, the Riders live there. The mountain, the pillars, and the massively connected paths to each pillar were all designed for the Riders.

It has always been Will's dream to be a Rider.

But before William could think more about his dream, a loud, bellowing roar echoes throughout the sky above him. He quickly turns to it, only to see massive talons approaching him. He flinches, covering his face as huge gusts of wind toss his hair into a chaotic mess. His heart started to race, but not out of fear, but excitement. He moves his arms out of the way to see standing before him. That is the one thing he's been working so hard to become.

A Dragon Rider.....