Bounty Hunter
As Vernon’s boots clacked against the dusty path underfoot, kicking up little puffs and clouds with every step, the panther pulled his wide-brimmed hat down slightly, trying to keep the sun off of his black fur, already feeling hot enough underneath the leather and chainmail cloaking most of his body. With his piercing, yellow eyes staring out from underneath his hat, the bounty hunter marched along a lone dirt road, barely batting an eye as a few carriages and riders passed him by, getting long and curious looks from most of them. The sight of a heavily armed and armoured stranger strolling into a small town would often bring about some questions and commotion, Vernon was already used to that, having spent most of the nearly 40 years of his life as a bounty hunter, after the hunt for big game and dangerous wildlife hadn't been quite as fulfilling to him or his wallet as he'd hoped. A remnant from his hunting years that he'd come to realise was just as helpful in bringing an end to criminals as it had been for bringing down wildlife, a large, intricate and ornate crossbow was slung on the feline's back, a quiver of sharpened bolts on his right hip. On the panther's left hip hung a sheath containing a very special blade, passed down in his family, a magical artifact, the only sort of magic that the cat had ever bothered with, having come to know that strength and steel would often conquer a flashy mage. Vernon’s body was adorned with a few scars here and there, most of them hidden underneath his light armour, only an old, scarred slash running from his chin all the way down to his chest visible to the people staring at him as he walked into a small town. After a week spent tracking down a local bandit leader, bringing the man to justice and making sure the merchants travelling on the roads could feel a little safer, the bounty hunter was hoping to replenish his supplies and spend a day or two recuperating at an inn at the quaint little village. With his tail hanging low, his steps graceful even as he felt his feet aching and his throat parched, the panther headed straight for a small shop at the edge of town, never feeling truly relaxed until he had enough supplies on him to last a week no matter what might've happened.
Stepping into the shop, the bounty hunter was immediately met by a pungent, pleasant scent of herbs, several bouquets of all sorts hanging down from the ceiling, drying in bunches and swaying gently as a breeze blew through the doorway. The shop was a rather cluttered place, several shelves, boxes, bags, and piles scattered all over the shop floor, though it seemed to have some sort of a method to the madness even if the panther couldn't quite decipher it, guessing that the increasingly convoluted inventory had slowly developed over the years as the backwater town had become more and more active with trade. Stepping over to a counter near the back of the shop, seeing no one in sight to service him, Vernon stood by for a moment before clearing his throat and giving the counter a hard knock, hearing a voice coming from a back room,
“I'll be with you in just a moment!”
Standing at attention for a few moments longer, Vernon finally saw an alligator stepping out from the storeroom, a young man with a pair of spectacles perched on his snout, smiling warmly as he saw the mercenary standing in his shop,
“Ah, I think you're the man I've heard so much about these last few weeks, what a pleasure to have you in my humble shop.”
Vernon stared at the scaled man for a moment before opening his mouth, his voice slightly gruff with age and experience, each word spoke with a tiny, barely audible growl,
“You've heard of me?”
“Well, we merchants tend to chat quite a bit, especially out here in the backwoods of civilization. Got a crate of carrier pigeons out in the back, swap the occasional message with a few friends north. I've had a few deliveries that had been interrupted by that awful bandit you apprehended recently, got to hear all about that, and boy was I glad to. Hopefully you brought him to true justice!”
Vernon stayed silent for a second longer, scratching his chin before he finally shrugged,
“I killed him. I suppose that's justice enough.”
“Oh, most certainly. So, how may I help you, good sir?”
The panther brought out a small list scrawled onto a piece of paper during his journeys, keeping a constant log of everything he was running low on while out in the wilderness, setting it down on the counter,
“This should be everything.”
The alligator picked up the note, peering at the list as he adjusted his spectacles, nodding his head and giving a hum as he red through the list of medicinal salves, long-lasting provisions, spices, tools to maintain and sharpen blades, and much more,
“Yes, I think I should have everything here, though… well, I'm afraid it'll cost quite a handsome sum. It takes a little more effort to cart things out here into the wild east, you see.”
Vernon reached into a pouch at his side, casually pulling out a handful of gold coins and stacking them on the counter before him,
“Money won't be an issue.”
With a twinge of newfound excitement on his face, the shopkeep quickly scurried back into the storeroom, shouting over his shoulder,
“Wonderful, I'll just quickly get a few of these things from the back for you.”
Being the son of a noble, even though his house had all but vanished, Vernon still had plenty of inheritance to spend, enough so to keep his journeys well stocked at least. Leaning against the counter as he waited, adjusting his brimmed cap, the black-furred feline listened to the shopkeeper prattle on in the back,
“So, will you be heading off for that new bounty then?”
Having been off in the wilderness for a while, Vernon hadn't had the opportunity to hear about any recent bounty offers,
“New bounty?”
“Yeah, it's a pretty big one from what I've heard, got everyone riled up.”
With his legs still aching, his last month spent trekking through woods and mountains, the bounty hunter wasn't in the mood to just immediately charge off into action once more, not right away at least. Planning on spending a little while to just relax and rest, Vernon had no intentions of chasing whatever bounty the alligator was talking about, at least not until the shopkeeper mentioned one very crucial detail while emerging from the back room with a box in his hands,
“That dragon girl is in big trouble, I hope they hang her for the awful deeds she's done.”
Immediately, Vernon’s eyes widened, turning to stare down the alligator,
“Dragon girl?”
“Yeah, I think she was half-dragon, something like that. Two legs instead of the feral beasts down in the forbidden lands. Pretty sure at least, I'm sure my friend up north would've mentioned if she was a true, wild dragon, with the wings and the four feet and all that.”
Taking a moment to silently stare off into the distance, a stern look on his face, Vernon finally turned back over to the scaled man,
“Does your town have a law office, somewhere where I might discuss the bounty further?”
“Oh yeah, just down this street, big building, tavern on the first floor, law offices on the second, can't miss it. We always joke about how you can get drunk in the first floor, then spend the night on th-”
Before the alligator could finish, Vernon marched towards the door, shouting out over his shoulder,
“Gather all the supplies noted down on that list, I will be back shortly to collect and pay for it all.”
As Vernon hurried out of the shop, heading towards the direction he'd been pointed to, the panther's yellow eyes dropped down towards the ground, staring off in deep thought as a solemn look came over his face. The mention of dragons had dredged up a lot of memories for the feline, casting his mind all the way back to his youth, living in his family castle, happy and content as he was being reared to be the successor to his father's governorship. Though their plot of land wasn't particularly large or influential, being right at the border of the forbidden lands where the dragons had been driven off to after the draconic crusades, Vernon’s family was still well off enough that he had a guarantee of a comfy life filled with academic pursuits and pleasures, his young mind filled with hope about what his future might bring. In the very same castle that the young panther was being raised at, an order of knights was stationed, under the command of Vernon’s father. There to keep the peace and secure the settlements surrounding the castle, the knights had grown restless over the years of seclusion, tired of just sitting around, eager to go out for riches and glory once more. The captain of the order had begged the governor time and time again for permission to lead a raid into the lands of the dragons, yet he'd been rebuffed every time. Young Vernon knew nothing about the political struggles however, happily enjoying his teenage years, until one particular evening when a battalion of knights simply disappeared, rumours of where they'd ridden off to swirling around the court. Only a few days later, in the dead of night, the captain alone returned to the castle, exhausted and bloody, barely able to get past the palisades before dragons swooped down from the skies. Fire, ice, bolts of lighting, and more rained from up high, smashing the castle into pieces, bringing the entire keep down on the heads of everyone within it, razing the entire citadel within just hours before disappearing off into the distance once more. Among the very few survivors was young Vernon, though none of his family shared the cub's luck, crawling out of his hiding spot bloodied and barely conscious, looking through rubble and bodies in a desperate search for his parents. After a few years, the boy had sold off his ancestral lands and deeds, given away his title, leaving the border territory as a wanderer to hopefully find some place for himself in the new world he'd been thrust into. Yet the young man swore back then that he'd figure out what exactly had gotten his family killed, making it his personal goal to seek out any hints of dragons that he could find, trying to find some sort of peace for himself, whether it be through revenge or understanding.
Walking past the town tavern, paying no attention to the sounds of merriment coming from within, the panther hurried up a flight of stairs over to the law offices located on the second floor. The smaller villages didn't tend to have a professional guard, just a band of townspeople ready to rise up as militia if the situation asked for it, yet most places still tended to have a law office that was linked up to the kingdom as a whole through couriers and carrier pigeons, needing to keep the towns up to speed on any big news, changes in law, and to keep an eye on any people passing through the area for troublemakers escaping the law. Vernon was most interested in the last point, aware that the law offices tended to be up to speed when it came to bounties that had been handed out, stepping into the office with a quick knock on the door, catching the attention of a sparrow sitting behind a desk, the male bird's eyes flicking up to the feline from papers scattered all over the table,
“Yes, can I help you?”
Stepping in and closing the door behind him, Vernon took off his wide-brimmed hat, holding it by his side as he spoke up,
“I was told a bounty had been set out recently, on a dragon girl of some sort.”
The sparrow nodded, digging through the papers sprawled out on his desk for a moment, finally pulling one out, handing it to the man,
“Happened two days ago, not too far from here, in Eidensburg. A half-dragon, some street urchin. Killed three people, fled the city. Bounty is set high as you can see, dead or alive.”
Vernon skimmed through the description of the crime and the bounty, not too interested in either detail, his gaze finally stopping at the eyewitness picture drawn of the young hybrid dragon, staring into the eyes of the hatchling as he clutched the paper, feeling his breathing steadying, just like it always had whenever he was staring at his prey through the sights of his crossbow. The panther looked back up at the officer,
“Would you happen to know whether any carriages are heading out towards Eidensburg anytime soon? And may I keep this bounty poster?”
The avian man nodded on both accounts, leaning back in his chair,
“I believe there's a supply run heading that way leaving this afternoon, you can probably hitch a ride with them if you ask. And go ahead, got a few more of those posters already delivered, just waiting to be put up.”
Setting his hat back on his head, folding up the wanted poster and tucking it into one of his pockets, the bounty hunter bid farewell to the officer before stepping out, in a hurry to collect his supplies and ask around for transport, not wishing to lose his quarry to some other hunter.
The panther managed to negotiate passage to Eidensburg with one of the merchants heading out rather easily, getting the feeling that the man didn't at all mind having a heavily armed and experienced mercenary riding coach in case of any trouble on the road. Thankful he didn't have to walk all the way to his destination, the feline bounty hunter settled in on the back of the wagon, rattled around by the bumpy ride as he tried to just focus himself, getting ready for his next hunt, making sure both his blade and his crossbow were prepared for anything. Arriving in the busy, big city of Eidensburg after a few hours, Vernon thanked his driver and hopped out the wagon almost as soon as they were through the main gates, looking around to see that the place seemed to nearly be in the grips of panic. Most of the people seemed content to stay cooped up inside, the few that had to brave the streets walking around with nervous, tense looks on their faces, looking over their shoulders as if worried that the dragon girl could lunge at them at any moment. Most of the traffic on the streets was made up of guards, with teams storming from one end to the next, still searching the sprawling city for their criminal, the enforcers barking out orders at their underlings. Heading for the nearest guard barracks, Vernon managed to catch the attention of one particular enforcer, a tall stallion giving a whistle as soon as he spotted the cat walking down the street,
“Vernon, over here!”
Turning to the man, Vernon’s face remained the usual, stern and steely expression as he tipped his hat at the equine enforcer,
“Humbert. I'm sure you know why I'm here.”
The stallion smirked slightly at how Vernon was still the same man he'd come to know, straight into business, folding his arms as he nodded,
“I was wondering whether you'd show up to claim the bounty for this vagrant. Going to be a nice payday for you. Good riddance though, this one isn't a criminal I'd like to see slip free, she deserves damnation after the horrendous rituals she's been doing.”
Always one to keep his cards close to his chest, Vernon was happy to let his acquaintance think he was after the girl just for the money, eager to find out more about what exactly had gone down,
“I heard she killed three, just a day or two ago?”
Humbert nodded, ushering the bounty hunter off to the side as another team of guards sprinted down the street and nearly bowled the cat over,
“Three that we know of, three so far. Knowing dragons, wouldn't be surprised if she's killed before or is planning to do so again. No idea what sick and twisted reasoning her crime had, but… well, if you'd seen the scene, you'd know just as sure as I do that it was some sort of a ritual.”
“Can you take me there?”
The horse shook his head,
“Not really much reason to. It's already been scrubbed clean, the captain of the guard didn't want people panicking.”
Giving a small grunt, Vernon thought about it for a second before speaking up again,
“Then how about the last place she was seen?”
“That I can do. Hopefully you're a better tracker than what we have employed here. Haven't been able to find her anywhere, though it's slow going door to door, searching every nook and cranny. We're pretty sure she's still in the city, we've had guards posted at every gate and exit on the wall, haven't seen any sign of her.”
The panther already had some guesses for where his prey might've escaped, yet he wasn't going to go on the hunt without sure evidence for his hunches, letting the stallion lead the way as they walked across the city bustling with guards.
As the enforcer led him from the alleyway towards the last known spot that the hatchling had been spotted at, Vernon noticed that the girl seemed to be making her way towards the wall, zigging and zagging in all directions yet consistently heading towards the edge of town, just as he had suspected. With the panther staying silent, Humbert walked and chatted, explaining all the sightings of the bloodied half-dragoness that the citizens had told the guards about, how they'd been able to track her down most of the way even if it had been a few hours after her flight, finally arriving at the last known location of the cub, motioning towards an empty street,
“And this is the last place, a woman saw her running down this way, but didn't see where she turned off to after this. We've been searching just about every house in a three block radius here, but haven't found any sign of her.”
Vernon grunted to himself, shaking his head slightly as he slowly walked down the street, keeping his eyes close to the ground. The bounty hunter was fairly sure that no progress would be made by searching houses, since the hybrid girl had been rather despised around the city from everything he'd heard, that combined with the fear of her apparent crimes meant that the cat was hesitant about the idea of one of the citizens allowing her to hide out in their home. The man was also fairly sure that in such a busy town, someone would've at least gotten a glance at the dragon further down the way if she had continued her escape along the city streets, the same way that the city guard had gotten reports of sightings of her basically all along the way, getting the suspicion that she'd changed up strategies at that leg of the journey, explaining the lack of sightings from there onwards. With a keen eye on the cobbled ground, Vernon spotted a few drops of blood, squatting down close and trying to make out the imprint, guessing that the bloodied hatchling might've tripped and caught herself at the spot, noticing a few more marks of blood seeming to lead towards a set of stairs.
The stallion watched with curiosity as his friend knelt by a set of few boxes, quickly jogging over as the feline motioned for him, a hand on the hilt of his sword. Pushing aside the boxes, Vernon barely flinched as the iron-heavy scent of dried blood wafted over his face, peeking into the cramped hiding spot, pulling out Gale’s robe, drenched in blood,
“She was hiding here for at least a little while.”
Hoping to get some sort of an insight into the fleeing girl's mindscape, Vernon got down on all fours and crawled into her hiding spot, peeking out through the little slits in between the stair steps, trying to put himself in the hatchling’s boots and imagine where he'd run off next. The tight space and the smell of blood managed to wake up some other unpleasant memories of his own however, his expression suddenly softening for just a brief moment as he flashed back to being trapped under the rubble of his family's castle after the dragon attack, his breathing growing shallow as he stared off into the distance for a while before snapping back to the present. Crawling out of the hiding spot, dusting himself off, the panther shook his head,
“Thank you for your assistance. I'll come find you if I require any more information.”
Staring at the bloody robes lying in a heap on the pavement, Humbert sighed,
“When you catch her, be careful. I wouldn't take the risk of trying to bring her in alive.”
Watching the enforcer walk off, Vernon turned the other way, heading onward to an intersection of a few different pathways, trying to see where his prey might've ran after she'd camped out under the stairs. Guessing that the half-dragon would've tried to make it out of the city in whatever way possible, the man took the road leading towards the town walls, eventually coming to a dead end, the tall wall looming ahead of him. Looking around for a few seconds, the cat suddenly heard the sound of running water, hopping down a small ditch and heading towards the burbling, soon enough spotting a tiny stream running underneath the wall, visible claw marks in the dirt. Feeling his heart picking up, a tiny surge of adrenaline coursing through his body as he'd finally gotten the hunt started, Vernon quickly turned around to head to the nearest gate, breaking into a sprint.
With the thrill of the hunt keeping him on the move, the panther quickly made his way outside of the city walls, following the towering barrier until he came to the other side of the little hole he'd found, squatting down and tracing claw marks left in the dirt. With his fangs flashing in the sunlight as he looked over at the woods, his claws instinctively slipping out of their sheaths, the man grabbed the large crossbow from his back before standing up straight, following the tracks of his prey. Though the girl had made the right move in getting out of the city as soon as possible, with it being nigh impossible to hide out for long in such a densely populated place when every citizen there thinks you're a monster, Vernon knew that the hatchling was still in a big disadvantage. From everything he'd heard and found out, Gale had barely ever been outside of the city walls, meaning she wouldn't have any experience surviving out in the wilderness, or how to travel there without being discovered. The panther on the other hand had spent just about half his life out in the wilds, whether it be tracking criminals or hiding out from pursuers himself, knowing both sides of the equation well enough to be an expert on the topic. Even with the tracks being about a day old, Vernon was able to follow them fairly easily, moving fast while making barely any sound at all, keeping out of sight. The cat guessed that Gale would be on the lookout for bands of city guards coming after her, teams of heavily armoured and loud men that'd be easy to see coming from a mile away, meaning he'd have an easier time getting the drop on his prey, though he still made sure to keep his wits about him. For several hours, the panther tracked the half-dragon as the sun began to set, giving the bounty hunter the advantage of the shadows, yet he was most glad about the drop in temperature. Knowing cold-blooded and scaled creatures, especially those who had no knowledge about surviving in the wilderness, the man just had to wait for a little while longer, keeping his eyes to the sky, his eyes narrowing at the sight of a few faint puffs of smoke rising from the distance. Sure that the hatchling would've started a fire to warm up sooner or later, the feline predator scurried through the thick brush to head for his prey, his breathing slow and methodical as he slipped through the shadows.
Just shortly after sundown, Vernon peered through the bushes to see Gale sitting at a small clearing, a crude campfire in front of her, seemingly assembled and lit up with some difficulty. Watching the thin little teen huddled in front of the fire, shuddering and inching ever closer, the panther quietly raised his crossbow, lining up the sights with the half-dragon's head, knowing it could all be over in an instant if he wanted it to. But a dead dragon couldn't be of any help to him, and he wasn't after the hatchling just for the bounty, slowly standing up behind the cub, keeping his weapon trained at the fugitive as he barked out in a clear, stern voice,
“Do not stand up! Stay where you are!”
Letting out a startled shriek, Gale immediately jumped up to her feet, getting a groan from the bounty hunter as she tried to bolt into the forest. Adjusting his aim by just a pinch, Vernon loosened a bolt from his crossbow, the projectile flying right past the hybrid on the run, grazing past her cheek by a hair, leaving a small scratch on her as she cried out. Stumbling forwards and falling onto her knees, flinching at the sound of a thwack, Gale looked up to see the bolt embedded halfway through a tree trunk, terrified of what it might've done to her had her hunter's aim been a little better, or worse depending on if her assailant had intended to hit her. Looking back at the cat, the girl watched as Vernon quickly dropped to his knees, having to put some effort into pulling the stiff limbs of his crossbow back in order to load the next bolt, surprised that it was just one man rather than an entire rank of city guards. With her flight or fight kicking in, sure that she couldn't outrun the panther before getting a bolt to her back and slightly more confident now that she knew it was just one man, Gale rushed up to her feet and ran towards the bounty hunter, letting out a roar, unsure of whether she was trying to intimidate him or psych herself up. Much to the hatchling’s surprise, Vernon didn't even flinch, making her suddenly regret her choice as his yellow eyes darted up to stare her down, making no noise and keeping his steely expression as he simply tossed the crossbow at her. Yelping, Gale tried to brace herself, grunting in pain as the heavy weapon landed against her belly, knocking her back as the man stood up, reaching for the sword at his hip. With practiced speed and precision, Vernon unsheathed his ancestral sword, a slender, curved blade ending in an ornate guard wrapped with a red cloth, not immediately obvious that it was enchanted or magical in any manner,
“Get down on the ground, or I will be forced to make you listen.”
Heaving the crossbow off of herself with some effort, Gale groaned as she staggered up to her feet,
“I didn't do it, you must listen to me!”
Seemingly not content with just her word, Vernon took a step towards the hatchling, her wings flapping in panic as she turned to run, hoping she might still go with her plan B and disappear off into the woods. Happy to give the cub a taste of what his blade was able to do, the bounty hunter aimed his blade just past the girl before focusing himself, the sword suddenly growing in size in seconds, the sharp tip slashing past her head as she bleated, lodging into the same tree his bolt had hit. With his ancestral sword now twice his length, Vernon grabbed onto the hilt with both hands, holding it firmly before giving a grunt, shaking off his focus as the weapon began to rapidly shrink back to its previous size, taking him with it as the tip remained stuck in the tree. Flying through the air towards his prey, propelled by the shrinking of the sword, Vernon stuck out a foot, smashing into the half-dragon's shin and bringing her down to the ground as she yelled out in pain. Tucking and rolling to break his momentum, rising up and yanking his sword out of the tree in a graceful motion, the panther turned to the hatchling lying on the ground, pointing the tip of the blade at her throat,
“Do not make me injure you further.”
In an instant, the expression on Gale’s face changed, her eyes rolling back as her entire body jerked, her arms raising towards the man as tendrils dark as the night spewed forth from her fingertips. With a wide-eyed look of surprise, Vernon leapt off to the side, just barely managing to dodge out of the way as the tendrils slammed into a tree behind him, ripping several thick, sturdy branches off of it like it was nothing. Only a beat later, the dark tendrils disappeared and Gale flopped limply onto the ground, seemingly passed out for a moment before she opened her eyes again, groaning and clutching her head,
“Wh… what happened? What did you do?”
Still gripping his sword, holding it at the ready yet keeping his distance from the dragoness, Vernon stayed silent, unsure of how to answer the vagrant’s query. Finally, the panther spoke up,
“You truly do not know what you did?”
“What do you mean?! I haven't done anything, to you or to those men! They attacked me! Y… you attacked me!”
“So, that spell… it was in self defence?”
Confused, Gale sat up, grimacing as she glanced down at her ankle, thankfully not broken yet already swelling up,
“I do not know what spell you're talking about, I don't know how to cast any spells, never learned it, I guess I don't have the disposition for it. But the same thing happened again, just like it did in that alleyway. I was attacked, then I passed out.”
With the girl seemingly believing everything she was saying, her body language and tone pointing more towards panic and fear rather than lying, Vernon carefully sheathed his sword,
“You're certainly casting spells now, whether you know it or not. Seemed like darkness-type magic, very powerful as well.”
Looking over at the mangled tree, the hatchling stared at it, confused before her expression slowly crept towards terror,
“That was me? So… then… in the alleyway… I really did…”
“You killed those three men, seemingly unconsciously. I have heard a few tales of mages getting a surge in their arcane skills during moments of stress, the same way a man can suddenly lift twice his weight in the midst of combat.”
Shivering at the thought of what she was capable of, without even any knowledge of it, Gale clasped her muzzle,
“I… I need to… figure out what is happening to me. I can't… I can't be near anyone, what if it happens again?”
Grabbing his crossbow off the ground, dusting it off and making sure it was undamaged, Vernon turned back to the frantic hybrid just as she looked up at him,
“What would you do with me? I assume you're here to hunt me down?”
Vernon hesitated for a moment, deliberating the question,
“It seems what you did may truly have been in self defence, yet I am not very sure whether the people back at your town would believe that. I don't try to make a habit of hauling innocent people to their deaths.”
Hugging her knees, squirming around slightly as she averted her gaze for a moment, Gale built up the courage before blurting out another question,
“If you won't turn me in, then… maybe… maybe you might help me?”
“How?”
The half-dragon sighed, her shoulders slumping,
“Whatever is happening to me, it must be due to my draconic heritage, that's the only explanation. And I won't find any answers regarding that out here, amongst these people who shun anything to do with the dragons. So, I must journey out to the forbidden lands, that's the only way.”
“And you'd have me escort you there?”
“Well, you certainly seem to know a lot more about travelling out in the wilderness than I do. And fighting, in case we run into trouble. And evading capture, in case we run into the law or other bounty hunters. A… and I don't actually have any money either. Come to think of it, I also d-”
Vernon lifted up a hand to cut off the young teenager, thinking to himself for a few seconds, coming to the conclusion that having a half-dragon with him might be the only way for him to travel through the forbidden lands, and to hopefully get some answers about the sack of his family keep from the dragons,
“Very well.”
Slinging his crossbow back over his shoulder, Vernon reached a hand down to help Gale back up to her feet,
“I will help you.”
