—X What… exactly… was he looking at?
Eret stood stock still in the bushes that had hidden him from his quarry, his net hanging limply in his hands. He’d been about to jump for the dragon, to take it down and haul it back for Drago, but then… Then this had appeared.
It looked reptilian, but it was no dragon he’d ever seen before. It had no wings, it stood upright, and most surprising of all, it spoke. Not the strange gurgling growls with which dragons communicated, but words. Actual words.
Spirits. He was in over his head.
Maybe, he thought, he could creep away before it noticed him. He didn’t know what it was, but he wasn’t eager to find out. If it was an errant spirit, he wanted nothing to do with it…
Easing back, he kept his footsteps careful and light, holding the net above the ground, careful to keep it from rustling the branches or blades of grass. He just had to get far enough to outrun it, he thought… not much further…
So focused was he on the whatever it was, the trapper failed to notice the tiny dragon in the branches above. A small hiss was his only warning before a jet of fire launched forth, biting at his hands with an accuracy he had come to expect from a Terrible Terror. Yelping, he dropped the net, it’s metal super heated and searing his palms.
His dark eyes cast skyward in search of his enemy, and when he found it, he blanched. One Terror, sure. Two, yeah. A pack, though? His confidence began to waver, especially with the throbbing pain that danced through his fingers.
Net discarded, a pack of Terrors on his tail, Eret turned and ran. Too late he realized he was headed straight for the creature, but there was no stopping now. At least, he thought, he only needed to run faster than it did, though…