The Hunters

Chapter One: The Wyrm

"Alright let's get this show on the road," I said getting ready to jump from the helicopter with Marco in tow.
"Madam do be prepared, this one has been getting away for quite some time now," Walter, my butler, and operator, said in my earpiece. "Don't worry Walter we'll get it," I said and hopped out of the helicopter deploying my parachute. I landed softly on the ground and took off my parachute. Marco landed after me and did the same. We waited for our supplies to get dropped by the helicopter and when they reached the ground we opened the container.

I took my bow from the container and slung them over my shoulder, my bow and quiver sticking to the magnet that was sewn into my hunting suit. I grabbed the set of twin pistols and put them in their holsters. Marco grabbed his rifle. "Alright, lets head in," Marco said as I pulled up my hood and mask. Marco did the same and we went off into the forest. Marco and I went up to the two mercenaries at the front of the gates of an abandoned research facility and took them out silently and quickly. They wouldn't be getting up again.

I climbed up into a tree and pulled my bow from my back. I took an arrow out the quiver and nocked it. Marco went on top of one of the research buildings and set up his rifle. I slowly and silently took out mercenaries one by one making sure none of them knew what hit them. One of the mercenaries spotted me and was going to shoot but Marco shot him before he could. Marco's rifle was silenced. We worked together to clear the outside of the research facility with ease. We made our way through a research building after meeting each other inside.

We searched the facilities for any secret entrances or any pathway large enough for what we were hunting to fit in. I found a possible entrance to the cave that had been describe in the bounty and started to descend, Marco following. "Ha, it is an entrance," I said. We heard a distant roar and followed the narrow path that the mercenaries must have been using to go in and out of the cave. The path was long but we moved through it quickly killing any mercenaries we came across. We eventually got to the central cavern where the beast awaited.

I slid down the hill that led to where the beast was and Marco stayed above at the end of the path. The beast turned its head to me it's yellow reptilian eyes had corruption in them. It's tail could thrash me with great speed but it's razor sharp claws and teeth could tear me apart in an instant. Its massive wings could also hit me with great force but I was more worried about what it could spit at me. It's scales glimmered with a blue light mixed with white and gold. "Ice dragon," Marco said into my earpiece. "Yeah" I responded. "Be careful" he said. "Always," I said with a slight smirk pulling my bow from my back. The dragon looked at me with darkness in it's eyes. I pulled an arrow from my quiver and shot the dragon in the snout but just barely chipped it's scales. I pulled my pistols from my holsters and fired.

It fought back thrashing it's wings and it's tail. It let out a breath of winter, cold air filling the space. I dodged a direct blast of ice and continued to fire on the beast each bullet digging deeper and deeper into its tough hide. I ran towards the dragon and jumped on it's back. I ran up it's back to get to it's head. When I got there I grabbed onto one of its horns and took my pistol firing as many rounds as I could into it's skull. The dragon let out a deafening roar then it stopped thrashing and I made sure it was dead. "I'm glad that's over," Marco said with a breath of relief.

I hopped down and landed next to Marco.
"I wonder what they were using it for,"I said with a sigh. "I don't know but you almost had me worried there for a second Veronika," Marco said.
"Worried for me or the dragon?" I laughed.
"A bit of both."
"Well it's dead and I'm still alive so," I shrugged.
"I'll stay here and deconstruct it you go have a look around."
"Sounds good to me, I'll be back in a second."

I found an office and began my search for clues. I looked through the desk that sat in the middle of the room hoping to find any hidden compartments. When I got done searching through the desk and taking any papers I thought would be useful I turned around to look through the bookshelves. I heard footsteps behind me and asked, "done already Marco?"

I heard the sound of a pistol click. I put up my hands and got down on my knees.

"You kill my men, you kill my dragon, and you ransack my office then expect to get away with it?" The man said. "Well you're not Marco," I murmured.
"What was that?" The man said annoyed and I felt the barrel of a gun make contact with the back of my head. "Nothing, I don't know what you're talking about, can I ask a quick question?"
"What?" The man said, agitated.
"What are you using a corrupted dragon for?"
"Sadly I can't tell you that," the man said then there was a sharp pain and the world went black.