“Hey, Nell?”

‘Yes?’ Having a voice in her head was going to take a while to get used to.

“Can you do anything about our feet? Even with the boots, this is rough.”

‘One thing at a time. A means to find food and defend ourselves comes first.’

“My feet hurt like hell, though, pretty sure they will be a mass of blisters at this rate.”

‘If I can suffer through it, so can you,’ annoyance in her voice was clear.

Ves stood along the water’s edge, trying to use a crude net she wove from reeds to catch some fish. Unfortunately, it was not going well. Nor had her earlier attempt at spear fishing. That they were forced to leave behind the drake and all the meat irked her to no end. Still, it wasn’t worth the risk to return.

“What’s it doing?” Ves asked as she looked at the spot where the drone had submerged itself into the water. It had been down there the entire time Ves had been weaving her net and trying to fish. Which, by this point, was hours, didn’t it need to breathe?

‘It's drinking, I think.’

“But it doesn’t have a mouth.”

‘It's absorbing it through the skin, it’s also how it eats. Something is wrong, though, as it's barely working. Like the water is missing something, and it's slowly starving to death. I don’t think it has long left to live.’

Well, that wasn’t good news. Ves was relying on the drone to help protect them. She could only hope it held out long enough for her new arm to finish growing. Even now, still hidden in the sack of flesh, she could feel it. This new arm would be powerful.

“Who the hell are you?”

Ves spun around to see a man before her. One armed with a bow and daggers, but more importantly, wearing the livery of House Berkandis. Her owner and tormentor. How in the world had he gotten so close without her noticing? He had to be a cultivator, one skilled in stealth and scouting, if she had to guess.

“Don’t move.” He commanded as he looked her over in confusion. To be fair, he was likely just as shocked as she was. People didn’t live out here. Yet here she was, practically naked and more than a bit feral looking. When he saw her fleshy sack for an arm, he staggered back. “What the fuck is wrong with your arm?”

Ves froze; they had found her. Her old master’s men found her. In her panic, she didn’t even realize he was asking her a question. That’s when he finally got a good look at her face.

“Branded… wait, you’re the escaped branded! We thought you were dead!”

“Come here, let’s get you back to your master.”

‘Ves, who is this!?’ Nell cried out, feeling Ves’s anxiety spiking. 

“I gave you an order branded. Come here!” 

On reflex, Ves took a step towards the man when suddenly a hand slapped her hard—her own left hand.

‘Ves snap out of it!’

The order wasn’t laced with the magic of a command seal. Had she really been about to comply, regardless? Out of habit? Thankfully, the slap had surprised the man as much as Ves. Taking her chance, she bolted off to the forest edge, where she had left her spear. Likely thinking she was making a run for it, the man dashed after her in pursuit. He was just about to grab her when the drone burst from the water, startling the man long enough for Ves to narrowly escape his grasp and arm herself.

“What is one of those damned monsters doing here? Branded, get behind me,” the man shouted as he turned to face the threat, leaving his back wide open to Ves’s attack. Spear in hand, she stabbed him. Right in the back. Unfortunately for her, his armor protected him from the worst of the blow, leaving only a shallow gash in his side as the spearhead fell off.

In shock, the man spun around, clutching his wound, only to see the blood. “What in the goddess’s name are you doing? I’m trying to protect you!”

“Lies! You're trying to take me back!”

“Would you rather die to this monster? Did you not see what they did to the camp?”

“Between death or returning to that nightmare, I choose death!”

“Fair enough,” The man seemed to relax a bit and sighed. “Between you and me, your master is a right bastard, so can’t say I’d do any different in your shoes.” 

“Then, will you let me go?” Ves asked timidly. 

The man laughed and shook his head. “Afraid not. He is my contract holder. Couldn’t let you go even if I wanted to. And before you get any foolish ideas, I’m a malachite. You don’t stand a chance. Tell you what, though, I promise to make this quick.”

Ves had been trying to distract the man with the conversation, but he still noticed the drone going in for another strike. Effortlessly, he dodged to the side as the drone staggered past. The man grinned as the drone came to a stop right before Ves.

“Should have listened.” He gloated for a moment before his face donned a look of confusion, then horror. The drone had turned around. Ves and the drone were fighting side by side.

“Infected!? Here?” The man pulled out a second dagger, now holding one in each hand. His expression was deadly serious. “I saw what you did to the north. May the goddess have mercy on your souls, as I won’t”. With that, the man changed, no longer trying to capture Ves, he was in it for the kill.

Ves could hardly think; it was taking all the focus she had not to get stabbed. The man’s attacks were relentless. Worse yet, he was able to fend off the drone's attacks at the same time. He kept forcing her back step by step. By the time her back bumped into a tree, she realized her mistake. He had her trapped. In the corner of her eye, she could see the glint of the blade closing in. This was it, her short-lived freedom was over.

‘Ves!’ Nell cried out as out of nowhere the drone slammed into the man. His attack plunged into it. Killing the drone on the spot. Still, the momentum drove both of them to the ground. Not wanting to waste the chance, Ves herself charged and swung her spear with all her might, aiming for the man’s head. Unable to dodge out of the way with the drone still on top of him, he raised his arm to block the blow. Upon impact, her spear shattered. So too did his arm. He cried out in pain, dropping one of the daggers. Left with a useless limb hanging limply at his side.  

As Ves scrambled to arm herself with the remains of her weapon, the man pulled himself to his feet. Based on the blood soaking his clothes, she could only assume the drone landed its own attack as a final act of defiance. She could do this, even without the drone. Ves was starting to think she stood a chance.

That was before a thunderous howl crashed through the forest. The force of which literally shook the ground, forcing both Ves and the man to their knees.

Both Ves and her assailant froze. In seconds, they were surrounded by large gray dire wolves that stepped into view. Unlike the mangy half-starved beasts that had been hounding her before, these wolves looked fit and deadly.

Frantically, they tried to find any gap they could use to escape. The man actually tried to bolt, but the wolves cut him off with the snapping of teeth and vicious growls. As he stumbled back into the center of the encirclement, he fell to his knees at Ves’s side. The look in his eyes told Ves all she needed to know. There was no escape. Even beyond the wolves they could see, she could sense many more just out of sight. The pack was massive.

Slowly, they closed in, shrinking the circle, snapping, herding the two into the center. Right when Ves was sure the wolves would attack, the same thunderous howl from before echoed through the trees once more. Only this time, much closer. In unison, all the wolves lowered their heads as a small gap in the encirclement opened up. Ves could see the man next to her tense up, ready to take his chance, when he froze. From the opening plodded an old-looking wolf so large it may as well be a horse, and in its chest was a large, gleaming gem with swirls of green and black. 

A core, only true monsters had cores.

The man next to her gulped and sputtered out, “Old Gray…” 

The monster turned to look at the man when a slow, gravelly voice pierced her skull.

‘You know of me, human?’ Ves felt her whole body shudder as the beast spoke. Even she heard stories of this monster. 

‘Ves… what is that thing…’ Nell asked, but Ves was petrified, incapable of answering.

“Only in stories from hunters that strayed too far east…” the man responded. 

‘Your kind always seems to wander where they are not welcome,’ the wolf responded, an annoyed tone in his thoughts.

“Old Gray, what can we do for you? I assume you need something, as I can think of no other reason we are still alive.” The man asked, voice shaking. 

‘True, you’re not worth the meat on your bones. I need you to deliver a message.’

“A message?” Ves could see the man relax a bit with some glimmer of hope that they would get out of the situation alive. 

‘I claim these lands for my pack. Go tell the others to leave now. Should you return, you will be prey.’

“Your pack has always lived in the shadow of the Scalebacks. Why move?” he asked.

‘Rotten things that taste of death taint the mountains.’ 

The man’s eyes went wide. “Undead, here? I will ensure your warning is heard.” 

‘You will have safe passage back. After that, consider yourself food.’

The man hesitated a moment, glaring at Ves before he sighed and sprinted off into the forest. After the man was out of sight, the monster casually walked towards Ves and, when it was so close that she could smell its horrid breath, it breathed in deep. Ves could feel a warm trickle down her leg. 

‘You are rather different,’ the wolf sounded amused. 

‘Ves! What do we do?’ Nell cried out in fear. Ves wished she had an answer.

‘Don’t fret. We won’t eat the two of you. While not rotten like the shambling corpses you smell equally unfit to consume,’ the wolf responded.

That pulled Ves out of her fear enough to speak. “You can hear Nell?”

‘Yes, I can hear the thing inside you, human. Its smell is… unsettling,’ the wolf said as it stalked around Ves.

‘Unsettling? Do you know what I am?’ Nell cautiously asked.

The wolf shook its head. ‘I do not. Only that your kind doesn’t belong.’

“Other wolves already tried to eat us,” Ves questioned.

‘The brown ones refused to submit to my claim on these lands. All that remains are desperate remnants. Desperate enough to risk consuming your tainted flesh.’ The wolf snapped in disgust.

“What do you plan to do with us?” Ves asked with effort.

‘For now, nothing, you seem to have caught her attention. While I would rather kill you myself, I will let the ruler of the peaks decide your fate.’ The wolf said as it stopped and began to slowly walk away.

“Whose attention?” Ves asked, somehow even more scared. Scared that there was a monster out here, even this old beast gave deference to.

‘The spawn of the one who razed your lands long ago. Amusing how soon your kind forget such things.’ 

With that, Ves watched the wolves disappear into the forest. Who was this ruler of the mountains who had her eye on them? Ves wracked her memories trying to think. Even without a proper education, she had a basic understanding of Kohdessia’s history. If someone razed their lands, that should have stood out. But nothing came to mind. Any conflicts she could think of were mild skirmishes with neighboring countries. Nothing on a large enough scale. 

In frustration, she gave up and began to walk away before remembering the day before. The thing that was hiding in the trees while she fought the drake. She had only caught a glimpse of it in the sky, but it made her recall an old story. A story mothers used to tell children as a warning not to venture too deep into the forest around the mountains. 

It was the tale of the first branded. 

The story was about a conflict over the throne from hundreds of years ago. Back when Kohdessia’s royal family still held absolute power. These days, one could argue that the Senate held more power than the crown.

The king at the time had died of a sudden illness before naming an heir. Usually, the eldest child would take their place, but the king’s eldest were twins. Even in terms of ability and backing, the brothers were each other’s equals. And despite neither backing down, the fight for the crown had remained civil.

Seeking an edge, one prince ventured deep into the mountains after a hoard of treasure told of only in legend. One that could gain them enough acclaim to take the throne. Unfortunately for the prince, all he found was death. While the existence of the treasure was true, it also had an owner. One with enough history that the prince should have known better. That there would be a price to pay for his attempted theft.

He had thought he had already paid the price when he returned to Kohdessia, with only a fraction of his men left and his own body badly burned. Instead, he was greeted with chaos. Entire swaths of farmland were razed. Cities turned to ash. There were deaths in the tens of thousands. 

For the ruin he brought to Kohdessia, his own brother took the crown and made him the first branded. His crime was considered too severe to pay with only one life, so his family would pay the price for his sins for generations to come. 

The damage, especially to the capital, was so severe that the newly crowned king had to beg the wealthy landowning nobles for help to rebuild. In return for their support, he granted the senate controlled by those very same nobles unprecedented levels of authority. Where before the senate had played a more advisory role, in the years to come, it would become powerful enough to challenge the crown itself.

In the story, the creature he angered had tried to steal from.

That had caused untold damage.

It was the terror of the skies.

A dragon.