Sixteen-year old boy Rage Ard is preparing to join his village's Trials this year. He has been waiting all his life for the opportunity to do so. But during the Trials, Rage and the other contestants are attacked by a mighty Elder Dragon. Stranded i...
Rage groaned as he sat up. His whole body was sore from fighting the Mizutsune last night. He rubbed the back of his neck and got up out of bed. Standing in the doorway was Zakrin, arms crossed. Zakrin smiled at him.
"How'd you sleep?"
"Good. Thanks for asking. How about you?" Rage stretched and yawned.
"I slept pretty good. Haven't slept like that in so long. It was nice."
"That's good." Rage stretched again.
Zakrin smiled and nodded. "Lyla and the Caravaneer are waiting down stairs. Get dressed quickly."
"Yessir."
A few minutes later Rage walked down the stairs to where his friends awaited him. The Caravaneer tipped his hat to him and Lyla waved.
"We best get a move on if we want to make it to the Terosu Jungle in time." The Caravaneer said, gesturing to the path that lead out of town.
"Can we sit in a hot spring first? Please? I've never been in one before?" Rage asked.
The Caravaneer was about to say no when Lyla interrupted him. "Uncle, please!" She begged.
He sighed and then smiled. "Oh why not! But only for a few minutes. We have to be on the road in two shakes of a jaggi's tail."
"Yes! Thank you sir!" Rage said, running towards the hot springs, Lyla close behind.
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The sun had just started to set when the group entered the Jungle. Rage was immediately hit by a wave of hot humid air. He cringed slightly, not without the notice of the Caravaneer.
"Never been to the Jungle, have ya?" He asked grinning.
"Nope. I'm just used to nice tropical air. Air that doesn't make me feel like I'm walking through a hot, wet, curtain."
"You jumped in the hot springs, didn't ya? Didn't seem to bother you then."
"That was different."
The Caravaneer laughed. He slapped Rage on the back and smiled.
"You'll get used to it my boy. You'll have to if you want to be in any condition to fight."
Rage nodded, not looking forward to the next hours and maybe even days being stuck in this awful hot sticky noisy jungle. Wait. Why was everything quiet? Weren't there bugs buzzing and birds singing a second ago? Rage stopped and looked around. The others followed suit. They looked around the Jungle, with all its trees and flowers and vines and red eyes and...
"Look out!" Rage yelled.
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