Hunter or Hunted

Chapter 2: An Unexpected Encounter

September 17 Rainy

Dear Diary，

Today I fought with a competitor who was trying to snatch my trophy.

To be specific, an egg I picked up under a giant beech.

I know it sounds ridiculous. So allow me to defend myself a little bit. The reason why I drew out my sword to fight for an egg was that I was famished after wandering in the forest for a whole day without eating anything. I was pretty sure that I would starve to death if I didn't have it.

I was about to crack the egg and drank it while a shadow suddenly appeared and snatched it away. I was terrified, so I swung my sword, asking the stranger to give my egg back or I would kill them without mercy.

"Calm down, my lady." the voice suggested that the speaker behind the mask was a male.

"Hand me the egg, you thief." I refused to drop my sword. Not until I have my egg back.

"I'm not a thief." He argued.

"You stole my egg. Or shall I put it in another way, robbery."

He snorted and challenged my statement. "You're neither a hen nor a bird, how could you claim this egg as yours? You just picked it up. Am I right? Perhaps I'm the true owner of this egg."

"So are you a bird or something?" I used his logic against him.

"That's rude." He seemed to be offended by my sarcasm and blushed a little. He wasn't angry, though. Instead, he looked at me curiously, "who are you and where do you come from? Why are you trespassing the Evil Wood?"

"I'll not tell unless I have the egg back." I shook my head, from left to right and right to left.

"You are very stubborn, aren't you?" He smiled and returned the egg to me.

Not a bit. I just feel starving. I kept the answer to myself. The regaining of the egg eased my anxiety. I was relieved, and for a moment, I was wondering if I should share the egg with him. Mom always educated me to be generous to my friends, but she never told me how to treat a competitor.

It is awkward to think a wizard becomes the winner of this hunting game and earns the chance to date Prince Edward. It is intriguing to imagine the prince's reaction, though.

"Why are you smiling? Anything funny?" the stranger suddenly asked, snapping me out of my thought.

"I'm grateful for your returning the egg. Eventually, I can eat something."

"You what?!" This time he failed to control himself and shouted, apparently shocked by what I've said.

"I am grateful ——"

"No, no, no. The latter part. What are you going to do with this egg?"

"Eat it, of course." I repeated and was upset to see he stared at me as if I were some kind of lunatic.

My mental health was all right, and my mind functioned well. So the only explanation must be cultural diversity.

"People from your country don't eat eggs?" I made a guess.

"Yes and no." He gave me a strange look as if I were a peculiar creature.

"What do you mean?"

"We don't eat dragon egg." he said with his eyes locked on the egg in my hand.

"Neither do I." I was confused about his clarification, and suddenly it occurred to me that the thing I was holding was too heavy to be an ordinary egg.

I inhaled sharply and was ready to throw the egg away when the stranger stopped me.

"Calm down, lady. It is just a dragon egg." This was the second time he asked me to calm down in half an hour, and I couldn't help but doubt whether it was my problem to be fearful.

"There could be a vicious dragon in it." I handed the egg to him, given that he felt comfortable about holding it.

"Or a cute one." He lowered his head so that he could have a closer look at the shell.

"You can't believe there is any cute dragon existing in this world, can you? Dragons are all dangerous animals. This one may devour you with fire the moment it opened its eyes!"

"No. I don't think so. Baby dragon won't be that cruel." a smirk curved as he caressed the shell, "And believe it or not, it is the safest way to get dragon teeth."

Dear diary, for me, his idea was alarmingly insane, but at the same time, I thought he made a point, as long as he was the one responsible for holding the egg. Anyway, I was ready to send this gentleman to the pharmacies when the dragon bites his hands off. At that time, I would be the one who says calm down in a casual way.

Yours

Alice