.^^ Matron ^^

— Josef —

Saccharine shook me awake, a few hours after I'd fallen asleep, and grinned. "So, everyone got the message that you ranked up."

"Meh." I shrugged, stretching and shaking the snow off of myself, then drawing and stringing my bow. "We ready to go up the mountain?"

"Soon, Yes. A later start than we wanted, but the night-raid threw us off a bit. How are you feeling?" He asked.

"Good, actually. Very good." I laughed, and looked around at the bodies of the Wyverns. People were still sawing away at the hides, trying to cut through the tough armor.

I walked over, and helped swiftly by simply using Dismantle to remove and tan the hide perfectly, then used Preserve to handle all the other ingredients therein, moving from corpse to corpse, and ignoring the protests of the people who were currently working at it.

"We don't have time for you to level up your honestly pathetic Dismantling Skills, we've got a hunt to get to." I snapped at one particularly incessant guy who was standing in front of me and barking like a chihuahua in front of a dragon.

His face paled, and I realized I'd used the King's Presence and Dragon's Roar simultaneously, as he fainted on the spot.

"Someone drag the dead weight." I sighed, and stepped over him, towards Hercules. The arrows I'd filled were placed in the tubes, and new ones were procured.

—

The trek up the mountain was made even more pathetic by the people who had to rest after two hours of walking uphill. I understood that most mages weren't as fit as some others, but this was ridiculous.

I forged ahead, with Saccharine on my shoulder, keeping an eye out on things I couldn't see, (and hitching a free ride,) while Ashen and Helena, his friends, followed in the path I made in the snow Banks.

I found multiple sets of tracks, fresh and old, but they led down the mountain, and I wanted the ones leading up. After all, the mission wasn't to kill all the Wyverns, but to allow them to cull the wildlife in the forest, as is the way of nature, then kill the eldest ones, and capture the Matron.

After about two more hours of searching, I found four sets of bloody tracks, and drag marks. The hunting party had dragged back food for the Matron.

The cave nearest to me was clean of any signs of blood, but I could smell the saliva. The young ones had cleaned the blood up, partially to hide it, and partially because they were hungry. These creatures didn't act very differently than wolves, it seemed.

As I approached, I began to hear the sounds of small footsteps, and claws against stone, then little puffs of breath. I used a spell, (for basically the first time,) Earth Sense, to see what was in the cave around the bend.

Instantly, I was privy to the whole network of tunnels, lacing this mountain like a bee hive or ant hill. It was intricate, but thoughtfully designed, and I sensed a human touch to it. Or, dwarven, in fact. This was a dwarven mining City, at one point.

I hummed and drew a map in my journal with my Alchemy Trick, then stepped into the cave, casting another spell, the Hidden Presence one, cloaking the four of us in shadows. I recognized the effect from Kieran's usual grand entrance.

We slowly circled around a group of fledglings tearing into a boar carcass, and then found the adults, three large Wyverns that were dragging the carcass of a massive boar, even bigger than the others, just like the ones in the Guild's butcher shop.

They dropped it, and a portion of the wall moved, the camouflaged pattern of the matron's Hide becoming visible as she tore into the food. Instantly, I nocked a Hidden Space arrow, and settled two more in my palm, then released all three, quick as lightning.

The three Adults disappeared, as the arrows had entered their eyes and then brains, then sucked them in. The arrows returned to me, but the Matron was now staring directly at me, not fooled by the illusion.

I dropped it on myself, but left it on the others, and walked towards her casually, putting my bow away. "Hallo, this is a vonderful cave, ja? Very roomy! I like ze arches and ze corpses, very macabre Victorian, ja?" I kept her attention with my deep voice, my accent exaggerated to add a foreign element.

She cocked her head slowly, then her tail whipped towards me, a scorpion's barb on the end, which I hadn't expected.

I stepped to the side, and gripped the tail, attempting to send her into the Hidden Space instantly.

'Error: Subject noncompliant. Permission or Unconsciousness necessary.'

"Damn!" I hissed, then darted forward, and kicked the side of her jaw as hard as I could.

She reared back, and roared at me, spraying blood and viscera from both her meal and the now-broken jaw. Unbeknownst to her, I was immune to the effects of the roar, so while she couldn't see me, I wrapped my Metal Cable around her throat, then leapt onto her neck.

I hauled as hard as I could, bracing a foot against the back of her head as I pulled in an attempt to choke her, holding on for dear life as she began to Buck and swing her wings and tail at me. Her stinger did manage to stab my shoulder, but I quickly used the Flame Spell to flood the area of the wound, burning the poison, (but not my body, because I was immune to fire,) and then healed the wound.

Slowly, after about ten minutes, she let her throat relax as she attempted to breath fire, and that was all I needed. The cable tightened past what she needed to breath, then began cutting off blood-flow to her brain.

She began thrashing for real now, but after about two more minutes of what must've been Hell's Own Rodeo, she succumbed, and was placed in my Hidden Space.

I landed on my feet, and groaned, cracking my back. "God! That's one stubborn bitch!"

The fledglings, who had been surrounding me the whole time, swarmed, biting and flicking little barbs at me, but they were barely D- Rank Beasts, So I shrugged them off and stored them, too. I planned on claiming this City for the Dwarves of UnderTown, and others around the Kingdom, so they could have a place of their own.

I looked at the entrance, and the other three raised eyebrows at me, either impressed or annoyed I hadn't shared in the fight.

"Sorry? I'm used to hunting alone." I shrugged.

'You know, why do I even bother with expectations? User: Viscount Josef, gained Buff: Dragon-Hunter; dragons cannot Hide from you. Merging with Dragon-Slayer to make Dragon-Tamer. Dragons weaker than you now obey you and are nonaggressive. Lastly, as you have gained rank, your property, Port Town B+, Ranked up to S, and has become Port City D+.'

'Sweet. Now what's this Red Dragon Skill? It's been there a while.'

'You have the Blood of a Dragon, a Therianthropic Shifting ability. Prerequisite for awakening it is killing a humanoid; (Elf, Human, or Dwarf).'

I blinked slowly. 'Werewolf... me.'

'Almost. Dragonkin Therianthropic Beings are very rare, but they are not reviled by any portion of society, and are actually prized for their hunting, tracking, and fighting skills. However, so long as you do not kill a humanoid, you are not technically a Therianthrope.'

'I've killed humans before, though.'

'Not in this body.' She refuted calmly.

I shook my head and stood up, stretching. "Well! Let's go check on the others, Ja?"

Helena laughed softly and patted Ashen's shoulder. "It was never even a competition, Lover. Come, we are needed with the wounded, I am sure."

I nodded and followed, casually swiping the piles of geodes and uncut gems in the corner, which they'd ignored.

—

Once all the wounded were patched up, and everyone was on their way, I headed to the town nearby with a group of other hunters, where the Baron of this land lived.

I found the guild's headquarters for that town quickly, as garish as I'd expected the first to be, and stepped inside, following the group of Adventurers who were dragging in their hides and loot.

Saccharine hummed. "Why are we here? Shouldn't we head back to our branch of the Guild?"

"Yes, we should, but I would like to do something here, first." I nodded, and stepped up to the counter when it was my turn, pulling one of the hides and one of the barrels of meat out and setting them to one side of the counter. "Hallo! One Peon, fully grown, Dismantling and Preserving SS+, for the wyvern Hunt. I believe that's 500 silver?" I asked.

The clerk nodded, unfazed. "Correct. Guild Identification?"

I held out my badge, and was momentarily surprised when it said S+, not A.

He nodded. "500 silver will be sent to your account, Lord Viscount Eisenberg."

"Wonderful, now where's your banking and property management branch? I intend to buy land in this Barony." I asked.

"Upstairs, Lord Viscount." He pointed at the stairs.

"Wonderful! Good day to you!" I grinned, and stepped aside, letting Saccharine turn in his two kills, then headed up the stairs, finding the banking hub. It was bigger than the Guild hall in the Upper City, and more opulent, but the visible gear was lower-Ranked, clearly inferior.

I stepped up to one of the open desks, and smiled at the clerk. "Hallo! Good evening! I would like to inquire about the purchasing of lands? My name is Josef Von Eisenberg, and my title is Lord Viscount." I set my badge on the counter, where he could see it.

He blinked, then nodded. "Understood! And what land were you looking to purchase?"

"The site of the Wyvern Hunt, that little mountain, and the surrounding forest, plus whatever of the Catskull Mountain Spine you can throw in there." I nodded.

He slowly nodded. "That... would be 1 gold piece for every 100 acres, as well as 10 gold pieces for each mountain, equaling 62 gold pieces?" He said uncertainly, after doing some figures on a pad of vellum with charcoal.

"Perfect, I'll take it!" I nodded.

He nodded slowly, and wrote something down, handing it off. A few minutes later, a man bedecked in gaudy jewelry returned, smiling while holding a velvet case with a familiar-looking scroll resting in it.

He spread his arms, grinning widely. "Greetings, Lord Viscount!!! I am Baron Remington, the Lord of these lands! I am pleased that you would choose to purchase lands here, but such ungainly lands, may I ask why you want them?" He asked, setting the velvet case down next to me.

I picked up the scroll, and shrugged. "I like the Mountains. They are peaceful, and perfect for spring hunting cabins. Good day." I turned and walked away, reading the scroll and ignoring his confused face.

Saccharine glanced at the scroll as he joined me at the bottom of the stairs. "More land?"

"Land is cheap, here, why wouldn't I? Usually that much land would cost me five million euros, at the very least! 62,000 silver? A bargain, I say!" I laughed, and hopped up onto Hercules's back. "Besides, if I buy land here, I don't need to ride back and forth, I can teleport to the Tree." I grinned, and pulled him up behind me.

"I suppose that's a good point, but you shouldn't waste money so callously! 62 gold is a lot of money!" He sighed.

"True. But the Dwarves will like having their city back, and a place to call home that doesn't treat them like slaves or second-class citizens." I shrugged, and explained my real reasoning, as we made our way out of the town.

He leaned against my shoulder, and hummed. "That's admirable, but still, why buy the woods too?"

"Hunting Rights." I looked up at the mountain, as we reentered the woods. A massive boar popped down into a burrow, trying to hide, and an arrow smacked into it, bringing it back inside the arrow a few moments later.

"I see... and what are you going to do with all this meat you're hunting? It seems to me that you're taking more than you need." He hummed.

"The people in UnderTown need food as well, and I am in the unique position of providing it." I clicked my heels gently, and Hercules snorted, digging in and galloping forward.

The forest whipped past us, the trees seeming to part because of the lean of the trunks. Clearly there was some sort of seasonal storm that made winds here dangerous, so I'd have to watch out for that.

—

I planted the scroll at the back of the matron's cave, figuring it was the pinnacle of the cave system, the Throne Room of sorts, so it was perfect.

The tree grew... and grew... and just kept going, sinking into the roof and floor and spreading the leaves above the snowbank for sunshine, which I had not considered.

'Curious... this land is far larger and richer than the first one... I count two mountains, the second close by... then 4,200 acres of forest, occupied by a mix of monstrous and nonmagical creatures... and the city underneath me, that is most curious.' Evagil hummed, sounding even deeper than before, as if he'd gotten more powerful.

'Mapping it all would be most helpful, Evagil. And a consensus of the monsters and creatures, so I know what should be hunted and what should be left alone?'

'I will do so. Good Job, I believe is the praise for this. You have done much in a short time... I think. I am not sure of the time that has passed.' He hummed.

I laughed softly. 'Not Long at all. It's the end of the same season I got here during, in fact.'

'What?!? Hmph, that's preposterous... I will sleep now.' He sighed, and I opened my journal, reviewing the lands.

"Two new mountains, both SS+... the forest is A+... very nice..." I nodded.

'And again, you exceed my expectations...'

'Honestly, anyone could do what I've done, if they started with what I did, and put in the same amount of work.' I shrugged.

'I suppose you're right, but your obstinance has played a role in this... anyway, you now have Five Mythical Skills, and no Normal Skills, plus you own enough land to qualify as a Count/Earl, but that is up to the King, so you'll have to wait for his ruling on the subject.'

'I was wondering when the King would have to approve my Rank.' I hummed.

'Indeed. The system is largely autonomous, below this point. That obviously makes it more efficient... anyway, I'll use this XP of yours to turn your D Rank Spells to C. That's all I can manage.' She sighed apologetically.

'Thanks, I'll get some more spells, soon, don't worry.' I smiled, and turned around, pausing at the sight of a group of Wyverns, sniffing Saccharine, curious but not aggressive. "Oh... well then... Hallo."

They trotted away from him, surrounding me, and sniffing my skin, then they sniffed the tree, and laid down against it in a pile, sleeping.

I released three of the fledglings, sending them into the pile as well, and hummed, looking at the creatures. "They're rather peaceful when they're not murderous."

Saccharine chuckled. "Indeed. And they're an exceptionally rare species, Warm-Blooded Wyverns. There's only three places on this plane that have flocks of them, and one of those is the King's Dungeon. They make good guards, when raised from birth, so he breeds them."

"And yet you hunt them down each spring?" I frowned.

"Well, rare or not, they are also incredibly dangerous, if left unchecked, so we have little choice." He sighed.

"Hmm. Well, these guys are now nonaggressive to my Allies, thanks to the Dragon-Tamer Skill. They're harmless." I pet one of them, and he rolled over, grumbling softly.

"Dragon-Tamer? But you-... oh, you had all the pieces, didn't you? You have to have Herculean Legacy and Dragon Slayer to get Dragon Hunter, but I'm not really aware how one goes from there to Dragon-Tamer." He sighed, rubbing his temples.

"Meh, I fed it to the Wild Hunt, either way, and now I'm a High-Warden." I shrugged, and then walked down the tunnels leading deeper into the city/mine.

He chuckled, and followed a little bit. "So we're sleeping here, leaving in the morning?"

"Sounds about right." I nodded, and left him in the main cave, because he seemed wary of traveling deeper into the city.

—

The walls were scraped nearly clean, but in places you could read the letters and see the pictures; beautiful art, made from a combination of color and linear shapes that appealed to me.

Certain rooms, too small for the Wyverns to get into, had been left alone, and were as if they were pulled out of time, other than the cobwebs.

"Well this will not do... Evagil, my friend. Would you give the place a quick cleaning? Maybe repair anything you can, kill off any pests?" I asked the air.

'If you insist...' he sighed.

Almost immediately, the floor revealed itself to not, if fact, be made of dirt, but rather made of stone. The dirt turned to smoke, and I ducked as the massive cloud of smoke exited the lower levels, going straight up.

As it passed, I pushed a hand into it, and stole it all into my Hidden Space, because it was essentially pure carbon, as basic smoke. That meant it could turn into anthracite or diamonds rather easily.

"Thank you, that'll do nicely!" I smiled, and then continued my exploration, deeper into the old, abandoned city.

"I'm sure several thriller novels start with that line. 'Let's explore that abandoned thing! What could go wrong?!?' Hmph." I shook my head, and then paused when I heard a deep, sonorous roar, deeper down the tunnel shafts. "Well that sounds promising." I grinned.