End of the Storm

Pain.

That was all he knew, that was all he could think about. Pain shot from his arm to his brain, to the rest of his body, then back to his arm again, like a bolt of lightning getting reborn again and again. Black clouded his vision, and he had no idea if he was standing or lying down. He couldn’t even tell if he was conscious or if this all was just some horrible, never-ending nightmare.

He wanted it to end though. He didn’t have any sense of self and he didn’t care if he lived or died. He just wanted it to stop.

He couldn’t think past the agony.

A cry broke through the pain.

The pain didn’t recede, if anything, it got worse with every second, but the cry made him focus on something else. The cry… was loud and piercing, but whoever was crying, didn’t seem to be screaming in pain. Or in fear. Whoever was crying seemed to exhausted, yet proud, like they had done something extraordinary, and they wanted everyone around to know it. To notice them.

And they sounded very, very young.

Haganto gasped.

The baby dragon had been born.

And with that, Haganto’s vision stopped being clouded by darkness, though the edges were tinged black. Instead of standing on Agron, Haganto was now on his back, with Agron on top of him. Through the constant and ever-growing pain, Haganto figured Agron must have been playing with him.

But now Agron was looking away from him.

Towards the sound of the baby dragon crying.

Haganto gritted his teeth as one of his hands clenched around something. Realizing what the item in his hand was, Haganto reached out, grabbed Agron’s neck, and pulled Agron’s face closer to him.

He used his other hand to drive the knife into Agron’s uninjured eye.

Agron screeched in pain as he wrenched his head out of Haganto’s grip, the knife still in his eye. Haganto hadn’t gone deep enough to penetrate his brain, but he had effectively blinded that eye nonetheless.

But not satisfied with just that, Haganto grunted, both with pain and effort, as he kicked Agron off of him. Still screeching with pain, Agron didn’t try to fight back as Haganto shakily rolled over, his eyes searching for his club.

He found it right as there was a squelching sound. Haganto ignored the sound because his club wasn’t too far away, it was within hand’s reach.

Haganto grabbed it just as Agron stopped screeching.

“You…”

Haganto turned his head as he got on one knee, and saw that Agron had taken the knife out of his eye, leaving behind a bloody hole.

If Agron had looked at him with hatred before, it didn’t compare to the look Agron was giving him now.

“You will pay...for that.”

Despite the pain he was still in, despite his sanity now having a time limit, despite his certain death, Haganto chuckled.

“You never...had to deal with real pain before, have you? Well...prepare for more.” Haganto asked as he slowly and agonizingly stood up. His legs trembled as he pointed his club at Agron. “Whether I kill you or not, everyone will know your weakness now. You’re not invincible anymore.”

Agron shrieked in pain, frustration, and abhorrence as he leaped the short distance between him and Haganto.

Haganto didn’t even attempt to dodge, he couldn’t even if he wanted to.

He just hefted his club with both hands, prepared to fight to the end.

There was a sudden rush of air and green, and after a loud crash, Agron flew backwards and landed harshly on the ground far away from Haganto.

Haganto blinked when he saw Zuthiss land before him, his tail curving around and resting behind Haganto, with a bit of Agron’s blood on his dark green scales.

Was Zuthiss actually here, or did he lose his grip on reality already?

“Well, well, well,” Zuthiss said, his deep voice full of scorn and confidence. “Look at that blood. I knew Haganto was the right choice to protect my mate. Not that those elves were ever an option.”

“Grarvuntiess,” Agron snarled, now back on all four feet.

“Zuthiss actually,” the dragon corrected him.

“I will...kill you…” Agron swore, his head turning upside down as his nails dug deep into the rocky earth. “You must pay...for that cave. For my centuries’ long...imprisonment.”

“Oh, you are welcome to try. Trust me, I want you dead underneath my claws too,” Zuthiss said calmly. “But I’m afraid I couldn’t refuse Salith’s right to fight you first.”

“Wha-”

Agron stopped talking when he was suddenly covered in a large shadow, causing both him and Haganto to look up and see a giant black spider falling towards the Residuin. Agron’s eyes widened as he quickly leaped to the side, missing the spider’s pincer by mere inches.

Haganto finally knew without a doubt that he wasn’t hallucinating. Because he couldn’t imagine Salith’s coarse, black hair that covered every inch of her body, including her eight legs as she turned to face Agron. He couldn’t have imagined the way she towered completely over Agron, with a red mark on her side in the shape of a sickle-blade.

And his imagination definitely couldn’t have come up with the pure hatred in Salith’s dark eyes.

Salith hissed before she charged Agron, the same time that the Residuin leaped at her, his nails aiming for her eight eyes. The spider safely dodged with an inch to spare, making it easy for her to grab Agron by his torso with her teeth. Salith quickly bashed Agron against the nearest tree and repeated the action until the tree broke in twain.

Before the broken tree fell to the ground, Agron got a hold of himself and scratched at Salith’s face. One of his nails got one of her eyes, causing Salith to screech in pain as she backed up several steps. However, Salith didn’t let go of her hold on Agron as she jumped sideways towards Zuthiss and Haganto and turned so that Agron would hit the ground first. And hit the ground he did, though as he clawed at Salith’s face so much that she had to let go to prevent him from taking out another eye.

Salith, despite her age, quickly got up and backed up while Agron got to his feet as well. Zuthiss’s muscles tensed as crouched down slightly, but Agron paid the dragon no mind, his whole attention solely on the monster in front of him. Salith’s attention was too solely on Agron, and for a moment, they just stared at each other, waiting for the other to strike.

Agron moved first, sprinting towards Salith, who was now rushing towards him as well. Right before they were due to collide, Agron suddenly jumped sideways and landed on a stump. As Salith skidded to a stop, Agron pushed against the stump and leaped at the giant spider. Salith turned to face Agron, but it wasn’t fast enough.

Haganto could only watch in horror as Agron crashed into her, forcing her down to the ground on her back with him on her stomach.

The Residuin grinned maliciously as he moved to bite one of her remaining seven eyes.

His fangs were less than a fingernail length away before Salith suddenly moved her eight legs under Agron’s body and pushed him off her. Salith rolled back over to her feet before Agron landed on the ground a few feet away.

Agron managed to get up to his feet just in time to see Salith springing towards him.

Her stinger pierced through his uninjured eye a moment later.

Though his mouth was open, Agron didn’t scream. Only white foam got past his lips as his whole body spasmed, a sign that Salith’s venom was taking its deathly hold on him. Then Salith dug her stinger out of his eye, causing him to collapse to the ground.

Agron’s body twitched once more before it went completely still, never to move again.

Relief course throughout Haganto’s body, causing him to fall to his knees, panting heavily as his body trembled beyond his control. He knew that his insanity and death was fast approaching. But Haganto didn’t care.

Because...it was over. Agron was dead, finally gone from the Faye Expanse. No more would he kill baby dragons, or innocent men taking a stroll by a stream. No more would he slaughter a whole village of elves to get under another tribe’s skin. No more would he harshly throw baby animals trying to save their partners. No more would he leave his living prey behind to deal with the agonizing pain and the terror of losing their mental clarity. He was history now, only to be mentioned in tales and ballads in taverns and inns. No one would live in fear of him anymore.

Just how it should be.

“You got bit.” Still panting somewhat, Haganto looked up to see Zuthiss looking down at him. His face was emotionless and so had been his words, but Haganto saw a trace of solemn regret in his golden eyes.

Haganto heard the question behind those words and found himself both surprised and relieved that Zuthiss didn’t just perform the deed outright.

It was nice to have a say in how one died, even if the death was necessary.

“Yes,” Haganto said softly. Then he nodded firmly, permitting Zuthiss to kill him out of mercy. He would do it himself except, he had barely any energy left.

Zuthiss sighed as he raised his claws.

Haganto closed his eyes, regretting that Alanus would be waiting in vain in Tolden’s bakery.

“Farewell, Ha-”

Something squealed.

Haganto’s eyes opened wide, hope filling his soul as he turned his head just in time to see little Animo running towards him, squealing as he did so.

“A-Animo,” Haganto said breathlessly with a smile as he reached his hand out to the weasel kit. Animo quickly jumped onto his fingers and nuzzled into his hand while Haganto brought the baby weasel closer to him. “You’re alright.”

Animo only trilled as he kept nuzzling into Haganto’s palm, while Haganto used his remaining energy to stroke Animo’s back. Haganto’s relief and joy in seeing Animo safe and alive eventually turned to something bittersweet.

He was going to leave Animo behind.

“Animo,” Haganto said softly, causing Animo to finally stop nuzzling Haganto’s palm and look up at Haganto. Only to look back at Haganto’s wound with wide eyes. Animo squealed as he jumped onto Haganto’s arm, just above the bloody lethal bite mark. The weasel kit was about to lick it when Haganto, with a rush of adrenaline, grabbed him away from the wound before he could swallow Agron’s venom.

“No, Animo…” Haganto said as he brought his precious pet, his loyal partner, to his chest. “I’m...sorry...I…”

What was he supposed to say?

Then Zuthiss, who had been miraculously quiet and patient this whole time, held out his claws.

“Give him to me. I won’t raise him due to us being different species, but I can at least make sure he doesn’t see it.”

Haganto sighed with relief at this small mercy before with a heavy heart, he started to hand a squirming Animo over to Zuthiss.

Hopefully, Councilor Belanor or Tarron would find Animo when they eventually arrived to investigate-

“Not dying.” Startled, Haganto instinctively brought Animo closer to him as he looked beyond Zuthiss to see Salith, still standing by Agron’s corpse, and looking straight at him.

Haganto had never known that she could talk.

“Salith, what-”

“I smell no venom in him,” Salith continued, her voice ancient and gravelly. “Venom died with Agron.”

As Haganto took these words in, he realized that he had been too tired and too relieved from seeing Agron die to realize that he wasn’t in agonizing pain anymore. Or that there was no darkness edging his vision.

If he remembered correctly, the pain and darkness ended as soon as Agron stopped moving.

“So, his death was the cure,” Zuthiss said. He coldly chuckled as he put his claws down. “Perhaps his venom was just a bit of Agron’s soul feeding on his victims, only able to leave if its host or its source, Agron, dies.”

Zuthiss chuckled again as he turned his head to look down at Agron.

“What an end for a pathetic, overgrown parasite. He couldn’t even take anyone down with him.”

Haganto wasn’t sure if Zuthiss’s theory was correct but he would be lying if he said that it didn’t make sense. Perhaps this was how Agron had nourished himself.

Then his gaze shifted over to Salith, who was still staring at him. It was at that moment that Haganto recalled that while it had ultimately been a mercy kill, he was still the one who killed Erzu, her daughter. He was sure that Salith knew that. Haganto even had some of her hair in his pouch to give as evidence to Tolden the baker. Haganto grabbed it after taking care of Erzu’s corpse so that her decaying body wouldn’t poison that forest and animals could live there again.

However, while he couldn’t exactly read her expression, Haganto could read no hatred in it.

Without a word, Salith turned around and started to crudely wrap Agron in her white silk. When everything but his head was covered, she stopped spinning him and with one thread of silk still attached, she walked away, dragging Agron’s corpse behind her.

Well, that was one way to let the people know of Agron’s demise.

Hopefully, no one would even think of attacking her as she went back to the Decaying Peaks.

“Good, so I don’t need to give her a ride back,” Zuthiss sighed with relief. “I want...I need to check on my mate and egg.”

“About that, your egg hatched,” Haganto said, instantly causing Zuthiss to go still. “It-”

Zuthiss’s face was suddenly mere inches from his own.

“What is the gender?” Zuthiss asked urgently.

“Uh...I don’t know, it happened during the fight with-” Haganto tried to answer, feeling a bit startled, only to get interrupted by the dragon again.

“Did my child cry or roar?”

“They cried-”

“A daughter!” Zuthiss exclaimed proudly as he raised his head high in the sky. Then he spread out his wings. “Emren!”

With a mighty roar and a strong flap of his wings, Zuthiss was off, soaring back to his cave, where Undrenth and the newborn Emren would be waiting, that is if Undrenth hadn't taken their child and fled during the fight. Well, Haganto was sure that even if she did, Undrenth surely would have turned back as soon as she heard Zuthiss’s roar.

“Well, I guess that just leaves us, huh Animo?” Haganto asked as he opened up his palm to reveal Animo, who had been squirming this whole time, looking quite disheveled and displeased. Though once he saw Haganto smiling down at him and that they were alone, he calmed down a bit. Animo still jumped over to Haganto’s injured arm, clearly trying to lick Haganto’s wound again. Haganto let him this time as he went into his pouch, searching for some bandages.

Then Animo suddenly stopped licking Haganto’s arm and made a curious sound. Haganto, with the found bandages in his hand, looked at Animo and saw that he was looking at something behind him. The monster hunter turned around and gasped.

In the far distance, about where Malnora was, countless light-blue lights were heading towards the sky and the shining sun, disappearing once they reached the white, fluffy clouds.

The ghost lights were finally at peace.

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