The
sun was just rising, a ball of yellow in an otherwise sky of washed
out gray. The mists kept everything mulled, like peering through a
dirty glass in a seedy tavern. A warm wind whispered past, tickling
the loose strands of blonde hair from behind the girl's ear.
Absently, she tucked them away, uncaring that they would no doubt
drift free once more.
At
that moment, she had far more pressing concerns.
Hunched
in the tall grass of the wide plains of Sunhaven, a normally apt name
with the lack of protection and scorching weather, she was focusing
on the wafting smoke in the distance. It curled up in a graceful
dance, black on the swatch of a sky that never wanted to be blue. The
end of the forest of grass lay ahead, where a wall of coiling, almost
angry trees waved her on ominously.
It
was where she had heard the rumors had begun as of late, that the
cause for the haze of ash and smoke shielding the plains from the
rays of the sun lay there. If the scent of burning wood was any
indication, she wanted to imagine they were right. That there,
somewhere hidden in the blackness of the wild forest of Hyvar, was
her prey.
A
marsh dragon.
Sitting
up, the girl dug around in her side bag until she brushed a hard,
metallic object. Yanking the scope free, she aimed it into the sky to
try and judge the distance, green eyes squinting hard. 'Yes,' she
thought to herself with a flutter of excitement. 'You're on the right
track, for sure. Siena, you crafty dog, you've got this in the bag.'
Preening,
she tucked the tool away and rose to a half crouch, casting a
paranoid glance around the area. If she was correct, and she fully
believe she was, the beast she was stalking was only a few miles off.
Her nervousness was not just for the arising encounter, however.
There were many dangerous creatures in this land, and as a Monster
Hunter, she wanted to be on her toes.
While
the true goal was the hide of this rare dragon, if she was able to
bag any other trophies, she wouldn't hesitate.
Slipping
forward on the soft leather of her calf length boots, Siena moved
silently through the field of scratchy plants, using them for cover
even as she wondered what they might hide. Young, cocky, and full of
the bravery often found only in fools, the blonde considered herself
a true master of her craft.
Lean
as a whip, her small form shined with sweat in the heat, glistening
off her tan flesh and hinting at the strength beneath. It was
impossible to not be in shape when one planned to tackle dangerous
beasts, it made what some would call a folly of a mission suicidal.
Siena
thought it was anything but.
One
hand grazed the hilt of the sword by her side, a blade as thin as
her, and sharp enough to slice the wind and leave no sound. While
many hunters wore heavy armor, she favored the route of less burden.
Padded leather and cloth wrapped her figure, tight around her thighs
and the curve of her firm ass. Her rounded chest, young and pert,
heaved in her tense breathing beneath the leather.
Wiping
her forehead with a gauntlet of wrapped tan hide, she flicked her
long hair back in its braid. The reaching shadows of the twisted
woods were within a few feet, branches beckoning her on. It was a
monster of its own, waiting there for her to enter its maw of mossy
foliage.
Swallowing
once, the girl cracked her knuckles and buried her rising anxiety
with a quick squeeze of her weapon's hilt. Despite her gall, her
bravado, she was aware she was about to try and tangle with a
creature far more risky than she wanted to consider. Yet, her newness
to the guild of Monster Hunters made her wish to prove herself. A
marsh dragon would put to silence the taunts of the older members,
who felt she was far beyond her own perceived skill when she foiled
catching a simple carbuncle a few weeks back.
In
her defense, it had surprised her with its speed, and how was she to
know they could jump so far?
Blushing
at the memory, she recalled how her fellow Hunters had laughed when
it
sun was just rising, a ball of yellow in an otherwise sky of washed
out gray. The mists kept everything mulled, like peering through a
dirty glass in a seedy tavern. A warm wind whispered past, tickling
the loose strands of blonde hair from behind the girl's ear.
Absently, she tucked them away, uncaring that they would no doubt
drift free once more.
At
that moment, she had far more pressing concerns.
Hunched
in the tall grass of the wide plains of Sunhaven, a normally apt name
with the lack of protection and scorching weather, she was focusing
on the wafting smoke in the distance. It curled up in a graceful
dance, black on the swatch of a sky that never wanted to be blue. The
end of the forest of grass lay ahead, where a wall of coiling, almost
angry trees waved her on ominously.
It
was where she had heard the rumors had begun as of late, that the
cause for the haze of ash and smoke shielding the plains from the
rays of the sun lay there. If the scent of burning wood was any
indication, she wanted to imagine they were right. That there,
somewhere hidden in the blackness of the wild forest of Hyvar, was
her prey.
A
marsh dragon.
Sitting
up, the girl dug around in her side bag until she brushed a hard,
metallic object. Yanking the scope free, she aimed it into the sky to
try and judge the distance, green eyes squinting hard. 'Yes,' she
thought to herself with a flutter of excitement. 'You're on the right
track, for sure. Siena, you crafty dog, you've got this in the bag.'
Preening,
she tucked the tool away and rose to a half crouch, casting a
paranoid glance around the area. If she was correct, and she fully
believe she was, the beast she was stalking was only a few miles off.
Her nervousness was not just for the arising encounter, however.
There were many dangerous creatures in this land, and as a Monster
Hunter, she wanted to be on her toes.
While
the true goal was the hide of this rare dragon, if she was able to
bag any other trophies, she wouldn't hesitate.
Slipping
forward on the soft leather of her calf length boots, Siena moved
silently through the field of scratchy plants, using them for cover
even as she wondered what they might hide. Young, cocky, and full of
the bravery often found only in fools, the blonde considered herself
a true master of her craft.
Lean
as a whip, her small form shined with sweat in the heat, glistening
off her tan flesh and hinting at the strength beneath. It was
impossible to not be in shape when one planned to tackle dangerous
beasts, it made what some would call a folly of a mission suicidal.
Siena
thought it was anything but.
One
hand grazed the hilt of the sword by her side, a blade as thin as
her, and sharp enough to slice the wind and leave no sound. While
many hunters wore heavy armor, she favored the route of less burden.
Padded leather and cloth wrapped her figure, tight around her thighs
and the curve of her firm ass. Her rounded chest, young and pert,
heaved in her tense breathing beneath the leather.
Wiping
her forehead with a gauntlet of wrapped tan hide, she flicked her
long hair back in its braid. The reaching shadows of the twisted
woods were within a few feet, branches beckoning her on. It was a
monster of its own, waiting there for her to enter its maw of mossy
foliage.
Swallowing
once, the girl cracked her knuckles and buried her rising anxiety
with a quick squeeze of her weapon's hilt. Despite her gall, her
bravado, she was aware she was about to try and tangle with a
creature far more risky than she wanted to consider. Yet, her newness
to the guild of Monster Hunters made her wish to prove herself. A
marsh dragon would put to silence the taunts of the older members,
who felt she was far beyond her own perceived skill when she foiled
catching a simple carbuncle a few weeks back.
In
her defense, it had surprised her with its speed, and how was she to
know they could jump so far?
Blushing
at the memory, she recalled how her fellow Hunters had laughed when
it
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