WOF scavenger short stories

Story eight: Caverns and claws

Warning: Depressing-ish situation and slight gore.

-Takes place the same day the no eating scavenger scroll went out.

Sphinx cautiously stalked through the forest quietly in search of her prey. A strange salty scent had caught her snout, attracting the large predator towards her next meal.

She had been quietly following the trail for hours at this point. Typically she would have abandoned the creature for a more closer meal, but as far as she knew this was the only creature in the entire forest.

As Sphinx closed in on the creature she began to crouch low to the ground to avoid as much detection as she could. Finally she came across the animals resting place, she could hear it moving and yabbering. It's vocals being completely alien to her ears. "What if Phyrrhia did I find?" She said slyly before revealing herself.

-Aspen

A young teenager no older than 15 sat on a log in the forest, sharpening his knife while quietly humming to himself. A quiet rustling caught his attention however drawing Aspen to look up.

Aspen nervously looked into the trees scanning for danger. "H-hello!?" He called while standing and grabbing his bag. No response came. As Aspen went to again attempt contact with whoever or whatever was on the other side, a large shadow slowly began to grow as it emerged from the bush.

Aspens eyes grew wide with horror as a massive dessert dragon revealed itself. The beast had its eyes locked on Aspen while a massive toothy grin spread across its massive muzzle.

Aspen stood pearlized under the beasts black soulless gaze. It's facial expression chilling him to the bone. "N-nice d-d-dragon," He said as he slowly started backpedaling.

The dragon licked its lips before pouncing at Aspen causing a guttural scream to erupt from the boy.
Aspen jumped to the right barely avoiding the dragon. The dragon began to recover from its pounce causing Aspen to turn tail and run.

He had no idea where he was going nor did he really care. Cutting through the underbrush Aspen ducked, dived and dodged both the dragon and stray branches that poked at him.

Aspen slid under a fallen tree, momentarily slowing down the dragon whom stopped before hopping over it.

As Aspen burst through a line of thick bushes his heart nearly stopped. Not far ahead was a massive mountain which blocked all his escape paths. No, no, no, NO! His mind yelled in horror.

Before Aspen could confirm that these were his final moment, his eyes made out a strange formation in the lower part of the mountain. "A cave!" He shouted aloud in excitement.

If he made it to the cave he might find a spot where the dragon couldn't fit. With a newfound adrenaline spike Aspen ran through the underbrush narrowly avoiding the dragon.

As Aspen reached the cave he leg his relief get the better of him, slowing down. The dragon lunged and Aspen barely had enough time to jump out of the way. The sand dragons talon scraped shallowly across his spine making him scream in pain. "Ahhh!" He screamed as he fell  too heavy on one foot, twisting it.

The dragon recovered from its lunge and Aspen barely managed to hobble to his feet scramble into the cave, his foot in immense pain.

The cave was barley big enough for the dragon, but it managed to fit through, leaving only a few feet at the tips of its wings. Aspen sprinted through the dimly lit cave narrowly avoiding the dragons claws.