The Black Scales of Spitfyre (The Spitfyrian Saga #1)

Chapter One

"Yeah.. but we shouldn't dwell," Qahir chirped and stood from the mud-like area beside the lake. "Today is a big day, it's your first hunt!"

It had taken Sol a lot of training on the bullseye to get here. He wasn't even sure that he was ready to be here. The thought of killing anything; especially another animal no matter how famished they may be made him nervous.

"Ying should be here any minute now," Qahir said as he glanced across the woods. Ying was a close friend of the family, and Qahir had been brought up alongside her; they'd never gone on a hunt without each other, they'd even trained together since they were children.. Though Sol was convinced Qahir may have feelings for her as one would for their spouse, but any time it was brought up, the conversation would die out just as it came.

Sol sighed as they waited. Plenty of time went by and Ying still had not met their meeting spot. He wondered if something on the trek here had held her up, since she had insisted on going a different way.

He turned to his brother who had finished setting up animal traps they had brought with them across the forest, and decided to quietly conceal himself within the foliage. They had trekked a long road by stallion to get here. Qahir said he thought that this area would be the perfect place to steal Sol's first hunt. And it was, it seemed like a perfect spot.

Minutes turned into hours. Sol leaned back on his pack and sighed quietly, wondering how long it would take to be awarded for his first potential kill of the season. "Do you really think we should be alone out here?" Sol asked. There was nothing in sight, which often led him to believe that they were being watched.

He had heard many tales about the woods as a child. How there were creatures burrowed under the grounds, awaiting the presence of the innocent.

"I try not to think about it," Qahir replied truthfully, and observed the tree line on the opposite side of the lake."So you shouldn't worry. There's nothing."

Sol wasn't convinced.

He simply turned his attention back to the sky. Clouds drifted across it like the seeds of dandelions floating in a gentle breeze. He was also able to hear the soft song of vermilion flycatchers adding to nature's serenade. The world could be a beautiful place.

A sudden rustle broke the calm of the forest. Sol's eyes shot open, and his head perked up to look around for where the sound might've sourced from. A small green lizard nearby, flecked with dark blue spots, had its eyes fixed on a cricket. No sooner had the reptilian lunged at the insect than the insect was down its throat.

A wave of relief washed over Sol when he had realised it was just a common lizard. Attempting to compose himself to hide the fact that it had startled him, Qahir simply erupted into a laugh. They both brushed it off fairly quickly since the woods fell silent once again.

A few moments passed by, and then Sol was quietly nudged by his brother who lay beside him pointing a finger to the left of the lake they were residing. A small group of elk had emerged from the foliage, and stopped for a drink of water. Sol equipped his wooden bow slowly, and peeled an arrow from his quiver, fixating on the beautiful sight before him, but more specifically a large buck.

As if on queue, Qahir whispered into his ear, "Keep your head down, eyes fixed on the game, and your bow steady," he paused, "just like we practised, remember?"

As the deer pivoted on its cloven hoof, a gold leaf twirled to the ground from the whistling breeze, and crunched under the buck's weight; echoing throughout the clearing. The brothers quietly watched, waiting as the puffed chest of the large deer quickly provided a fatal opening.