𝐈𝐍𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐋𝐒; 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐆𝐎𝐍

Chapter: 001 - Burning Spirit

JAKE'S MEMORIES: WINTER

The moon shines brightly, reflecting on the ice like a mirror, creating a brilliant glow. The sky is filled with stars, resembling a beautiful display of fireflies. A strong icy wind blows, causing the trees to sway violently in the distance.

The frozen pines emit rustic sounds as they are struck by the forceful wind, colliding with each other like incessant bells. With the sweet smell of roasted meat in the air, animals can be seen prowling the area in search of something to steal, but keeping their distance from the people. Loud, celebratory laughter can be heard, so loud it would scare away even the largest fire-breathing lizard, if it dared to approach for meat.

Meanwhile, the vibrant fire of the bonfire ignites the sound of meat cooking and the chants of the hunters. It presents an intense red color with prominent golden particles, and despite the extreme cold of the place, the blazing flames remain with the same intensity, even melting a little ice around them. Upon closer observation, one can notice a constant and innocent struggle between the snowflakes and the sparks of fire, a war to see who takes possession of the place. Ice particles delicately murdered by passionate fire.

The hunters, armed to the teeth with various types of sharp weapons, can be seen. They wear no armor or shield, except for a few straps and bear skin coats. One of them stands out, as he wears no warm clothing for the devastating cold of the place. While his skin, with traces of steam, exudes reddish ashes that vanish into the air. And with a strong and authoritative gaze, his eyes reflect immense warmth towards what seem to be his soldiers.

The peak of a gigantic mountain can be perceived in the distance. And at its summit, lively and unyielding, flew that winged figure. Its deafening roar alerted the hunters, but they, unfazed, patiently awaited the orders of their leader. The man in ashes rises calmly; very slowly. As he cracks his neck and stretches his limbs. Once on his feet, he takes a deep breath and exhales a brief sigh, before beginning to walk towards the mountain where the flying silhouette was located. The group understood the order and, without a word, followed suit.

In the depths of the dark cave, where the shadows danced with the faint light of the embers on the man's skin, lay that winged beast of black scales; so dark that it could barely be seen in the abyss. The cave rumbled with the dragon's roar, a sound that resonated like a distant thunder, announcing the approaching storm. With his gaze fixed on the beast, he raised his hands to give the order to the group of hunters. The attack began.

The winged beast quickly approached upon detecting the threat, swiping a claw at the head of Caius, the man with fiery skin, as he symbolized danger to the creature. The attack failed to land, as he managed to dodge it in time. The yellow glow of the fiery hunter's eyes was the only thing visible in the darkness.

Moving quickly as he dodged the dragon's subsequent attacks, the battle intensified as the creature realized it was truly in danger, soaring with its wings and spewing fire everywhere, managing to injure one of the hunters, causing him to writhe in pain from the flames burning upon him. Caius, upon seeing the situation, leaped towards his companion and absorbed the flames, causing the man to fall unconscious. The rest of the hunters remained on standby, observing the perfect moment to intervene and execute the strategy they had planned in advance.

After absorbing the fire, Caius pushed his companion aside and quickly returned to battle, taking advantage of the incessant attacks directed at him to distract the dragon, as it would take him a few minutes to use his fire breath again. Drawing the creature's attention so the rest could act, the hunters quickly employed their strategy, throwing spears over the beast, these spears were tied to ropes to hinder part of its mobility.