Runeblade-Chapter 234B2 : Drake, pt. 1

Kaius crouched on a branch halfway up a large pine tree, holding one hand to the rough bark of the trunk to steady himself as it swayed gently in the breeze.

Jutting out from the top of one of the taller hills that dotted the forest, it served as a perfect vantage point to watch his prey.

Their journey to the small woods had taken them a couple of weeks, with a smattering of beast fights and skill levels to tide them over. It was an easy trip, especially with the bubbling excitement that had taken over their moods as they’d gotten closer and closer to their target.

For safety, they’d decided to camp a good hour's walk from the forest. Drakes were known to claim large swaths of land as their territory, and they patrolled it religiously. Considering this diminutive collection of trees measured only four leagues across at its widest, if they’d set up under the trees it would have only been a matter of time before the overgrown lizard would have found them. freewebnøvel.com

A sharp crack echoed through the air, joined by a patch of the forest’s crown shaking as something large pushed its way through the canopy. Honed into his Truesight as he was, Kaius spotted the drake immediately.

His heart fluttered in his chest as he took in its form, like it had every time he’d laid his eyes on the beast in the days he’d been tracking it.

It was fucking huge. When Rieker had said that it was as large as a house, Kaius had been expecting it to be at least a partial exaggeration.

It wasn’t; the beast was truly that immense. A long-snouted head as big as he was, shaped similar to the drawings of a crocodile’s that he’d seen in a book of reptiles in the archives, poked through the treetops as the drake reared up on its back legs. Pushing past its curled lip, forearm length teeth shone a bright white in the sun.

He knew from the times he’d seen it pass through clearings that it was nearly a full fifty strides from tail to snout—nearly half of that length made up by its overly muscular tail that had a vicious row of spikes running down the top of it.

Mottled brown and green scales garbed it in armour as tough as any dwarven plate, their curious colouring breaking up its form—making it hard to track even with his enhanced vision, at least when it was still. It was only by the dint of the clear tracks it had left throughout the forest as it broke its way through the canopy that Kaius was able to follow its movements so easily.

A hissing snarl left the drake’s throat as it grew frustrated with the stubborn oak that barred its path, hardwood too tough for it to simply walk through with ease.

It lashed out with one of its four fingered front limbs, sword-length claws cutting deep into branches as thick as his leg, before its brute strength tore them free. With its path mostly clear, the drake lowered itself—front limbs curling back into its chest as it lumbered onwards.

Kaius felt a prickling jolt raise the hairs on his neck as he took in the casual display of power. He couldn’t wait to meet the thing out on the field.

Though, this time they’d learned from their mistakes. There would be no running in half-cocked—no crashing through the forest to fight the drake on its own terms.

It was too large, too strong, to approach with wilful negligence like that.

Before they’d left Deadacre, they’d spent three days combing the guild’s archives for anything they could find that would reveal the drake’s strengths, and the weaknesses they could exploit to ensure their victory.

It had strong scales—tougher than steel—but they were thin on the underbelly and throat. It’d still be tougher than mundane chainmail, but nothing he couldn’t handle if he aimed for the fragile seams between the large plates. Porkchop wouldn’t even have to do that—his claws of jade would punch straight through like it was paper.

It was aggressive and territorial, but stupid. If they could bait it into a trap, there would be little cunning they would need to be on guard for, though they’d have to contend with its unrelenting fury and strength.

Blessed with good hearing, he’d had to satisfy himself with following the beast from afar—any closer than he already was and there was the risk that it would notice him. Thankfully, its sense of smell was good, but not amazing, and it had crap night-vision. They’d also found reference that its senses were liable to irritation, sending it into directionless rage and confusion when it was overwhelmed.

Something they’d worked into their plan of attack.

Unfortunately, not all of the drake’s strengths had a foil. Earth aspected as it was, its manipulation skills seemed to come as naturally to it as breathing. He’d watched it shift dirt and stone casually, cutting easy trails for itself through the uneven forest floor. Hells—he’d watched it take down half a dozen deer with a shower of stone shards it had ripped out of the ground and hurled through the air with the same ease he’d cast one of his spell-hymns.

A dangerous and lethal threat, but they had a plan.

He knew where it slept. Had mapped the routes it took through the forest—the routine patrol it took every day.

And every night.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

Just as the moon reached its peak, the drake would rouse itself from its slumber, ambling out of its cave to wander through its territory. Kaius had followed it from afar, moving like a ghost through the trees.

Without fail, the drake was only half attentive to its surroundings—it’s walk driven by instinct rather than true need. Without any real threats to challenge its superiority, it had grown confident and lax in its awareness.

Even if he didn’t quite understand why a beast with poor night vision would be driven to a nightly patrol, he wasn’t going to question it.

There was a gully, perhaps a half hour into its route, with steep stone sides and tree laden ridges. It walked down the middle of that path, every time.

That would be the site of their battle—he’d already worked with Porkchop to stack dozens of logs on each side, giving the beast plenty of time to get used to the change in its surroundings.

Even if it had the manipulation skills of a true dragon, that wouldn’t help it against their trap.

Tomorrow night—that was when they would strike.

…

Wide strokes of pink and purple painted the horizon, heralding the coming eve. Settled comfortably around the campfire, Kaius and his team enjoyed their last few hours before they had to make their way to the gully and prepare their ambush.

They readied themselves.

Kaius crouched by his pan, stirring a mixture of sliced meat, onions, and spices. The smell of dried thyme and frying pepper filled the air, whetting his appetite.

It was a simple fair, but rich in high quality beast meat. Something that had become astoundingly cheap thanks to the considerable increase in beast cullings that had occurred since the phase shift.

He’d taken his time in Deadacre’s markets, relying on his nose to point him towards cuts that smelt of vigour, alertness, and quick reactions—things they’d need if they wanted to seize their victory against the primaeval monster that had made this patch of wilderness its home.

That time shared its worth now. As his dish sizzled and steamed against the enchanted metal of his Traveller’s Pan, waves of alchemical power washed over him. The smell of a battle of dominance, a bloody and battered victor standing tall, joined with the rushing zap of pursuit—the scent of a stomach dropping well of energy that revealed itself when things were most dire.

It would be nothing compared to something a true chef's class could make—Explorer’s Toolkit was a fantastic skill, but cooking was only a small part of its greater whole, and could not hold a candle to the true majesties that could be crafted by those who devoted themselves to the art. But even subtle, the boost would be long lasting, and he wanted them to have every edge they could get.

“Have you organised our tonics?” Kaius asked, looking to Ianmus out of the corner of his eye.

Ianmus nodded, placing down the last few bottles into three distinct piles.

The first was simple—three potions that they would douse themselves in, eliminating all of their scent for a full day. A necessary precaution against the drake’s sense of smell, even if the risks were only minor. They’d also managed to acquire some quickfire—an alchemical solution that would spread widely, and burn hot and long. A match to ignite the tinder that would be waiting, and would heighten the flames to an unnatural inferno.

Thankfully, the drake was not a true dragon, or even a direct relative—it would have little of those beast’s resistance to mundane elements.

He only wished it was less expensive—they’d been limited to only a couple of bottles of the powerful alchemical solution.

They’d also invested in a bigger potion pouch for himself, and another for Ianmus as well. His new one wrapped from the back of his left hip, all the way around to his stomach. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enchanted—they didn’t have the funds for that expense—but each compartment was made of thick steel plating wrapped in a heavy oak-tanned leather.Even without inscriptions, the crafter who’d made the thing had been skilled. Thanks to the care that had been put into it, it had a single level of Durability despite its mundane materials.

It’d take a mean hit to damage it.

With a new capacity of twenty, he’d be carrying a full ten health restoration tonics, six stamina restoratives, one of mana, and a final three tonics that would provide a short lived but potent boost to their speed and strength—for if their plan failed. It was a lot—but it was for both him and Porkchop.

Ianmus had his own reserves, though his tonics differed significantly. Only two health and one stamina restorative, but six mana tonics, and a potion that would boost his speed significantly for a substantial length—a last resort if he drew the ire of the drake.

That wasn’t all—on top of the quickfire they’d be using for their ambush, they’d secured two additional tonics for Ianmus to take before the start of the battle. One that would speed up his channeling for a full ten minutes, and another that would drastically increase the potency of his solar magic for three. That last one would be vital in securing their victory.

He and Porkchop were strong—capable—but a drake was a drake. Even if they hammered it with everything they had, its sheer physical size would work against them. They needed something with punch. Something that could ignore the heavy plating that armoured the beast, and strike straight for the vitals that would mostly be out of his and his brother’s reach.

Ianmus’s searing beams, backed by alchemy and the full weight of his metamagic and mana pool, would be perfect for that. Especially if the drake was pinned under a mountain of burning logs and was stunned by the full weight of his armoury of Stormlash.

It was a heavy burden to place on the man, especially when he would have to balance that task with the responsibility of keeping both of them healed and empowered with Sundrenched Strength. Kaius knew that the half-elf could do it.

He’d proven his stalwart capability a dozen times over by now—he could trust him to do what was needed.

Seeing the strips of meat in his pan had taken a dark golden hew, Kaius reached out with his mana and killed the heat.

**Ding! Explorer’s Toolkit has reached level 61!**

Fetching the stack of plates he had left in arm's reach, he served up a third each—heaping portions that would have filled a labourer after a hard day's work. Each plate subtly glowed to his mana sight, revealing the gentle potency held within.

“Eat up, we leave as soon as we’re finished.”