Velendraga of Deluvarosa
Day 1: Adaari | Dragon Hunter
Taash answers a letter from the Crows about helping on a contract regarding a venomous dragon that's been terrorizing a small town in western Antiva. They need the help from a dragon hunter, and Taash likes the idea of working with the Crows again. Especially since it's for a job that is right up their alley.
AO3
Hey Taash,
I would imagine that you have your hands full these days, but I was wondering if you would be able to help me with something. It would take a couple of days, but it’s bread for your teeth something you’d be interested in. Luca says that’s not a common phrase in Trade. Anyway, a contract has been put out because a dragon has shown up in Western Antiva in the Drylands.
For the most part, the dragon’s presence in that area was fine, but now it’s been moving into the nearby towns. The townspeople have been reporting that their livestock has been going missing at first, and now people are going missing as well. They have started calling the dragon Velendraga, but we don’t know more than that.
Vi has given the contract to me and wants to extend it so I can hire you for the job as well. Would you be able to help us handle a dragon? We would split the Crow payment fifty-fifty of course, but I am willing to haggle if you would like to.
Hope to hear from you soon, amicə!
Dalla tua affettuosa amica Corvo, Isabella de Riva
Taash read over the letter, intrigued by the proposition. They liked the idea of being hired by the Crows, and it would help a few towns as well. It did surprise them that the Crows accepted a contract like this, though. They always assumed that assassination or some other form of law breaking was involved with every contract. Not that Antiva considered what they did law breaking.
They did have the time, though. They didn’t have anything pressing, and Harding was still recovering without much change to her condition. Lace hadn’t woken up from the battle against Elgar’nan yet, and Taash had a hard time talking with the dwarves in the Deep Roads. It would also be interesting to see another part of Antiva outside of the city.
They wrote back to Isa, realizing that it was going to be a shorter letter. They knew that they didn’t need to say much to agree to her terms. Besides, going half on the pay seemed the fairest to them, anyway.
Isa,
Yeah, that sounds good. I’ll head out tomorrow.
See you soon.
Taash
Taash stood in the room where the eluvian resided now that the elven gods were gone and dealt with. Isabella had moved the Trevisan eluvian to the de Riva estate for easier access, and Taash had forgotten that it had been moved since they were actively fighting.
Now they were standing in the middle of a room that was owned by one of the eight leaders of the Crows. Taash wasn’t intimidated by Viago, but they weren’t foolish enough to think that Viago wasn’t formidable. Which meant that they were going to wait by the eluvian until Isa came by to get them.
Taash perked up when they heard loud shouting in a different language, and Taash wondered if they should head back to the Crossroads and try back later. They weren’t really interested in getting involved in a Crow family fight. They had heard about the one that ended with Luca leading the entirety of the Crows, and Taash was grateful that they weren’t there. They would have bashed in Illario’s head, but they were glad that Lucanis’s only cousin still lived. Luca seemed happy about it at least.
Not a moment later, the door to the eluvian room Taash stood in opened to reveal an exasperated Isa. Taash gave a relieved smile, glad to see their old friend again. Isa looked excited to see them as well.
“Benvenuto, Taash! Come in, come in,” Isa insisted in her thick Antivan accent that Taash didn’t realize that they had missed. The Crow ushered the dragon hunter out of the room. “I didn’t realize that you were here. Viago was supposed to tell me when you had arrived.”
“How was he supposed to know?” Taash asked as Isa sighed.
“His office is right next door,” she explained before leading them into the hall.
The Talon was distracted when they reached his office. He glanced up after Isa knocked and opened the door, unsurprised to see both of them there. He finished going over what he was doing before he put the papers in a drawer.
The Crow brought the dragon hunter over to the desk as Viago grabbed the contract for the both of them. Isa took it and handed it to Taash to look over.
“The dragon is located a few miles north of Naporta. I have arranged transport to take you to the city, but you’ll have to figure out how to get to the town from there,” Viago explained as Taash followed along on the contract.
“She’s a venomous dragon,” Taash stated as Viago nodded.
“It was one of the reasons why the contract was brought to House de Riva in the first place,” the Talon mentioned before gesturing towards Isa. “It helped that she knew a dragon hunter.”
“Are you looking to kill the dragon?” Taash wondered. Viago lifted his shoulders before leaning back in his seat.
“If that is what needs to be done, then that’s what needs to be done. If you can get the dragon to stop terrorizing the area somehow, then you can try that. Like I said, we are hiring an expert for your suggestions and direction. The only Crows who have faced off against dragons are Isa here and Lucanis,” Viago informed as Isa smirked.
“Is Lucanis coming along as well?” they wondered.
“The First Talon has better things to do than running after another House’s Crow,” Viago reminded, glancing at Isa, who leaned over to Taash.
“He wanted to, but he was swamped with work. He said that he would come see us when the job was done,” the Crow explained as the dragon hunter nodded. Viago sighed, shaking his head.
“Caterina is helping him remember that he has a job to do,” he muttered, clearly having several unsaid opinions on the matter. Taash turned back to the contract,
“Velendraga isn’t a name for a dragon type,” they commented.
“A nickname for the townspeople to refer to the specific dragon, and it made it easier to put in the contract,” Viago informed with a nod. “Antivans don’t generally deal with too many dragons. The Drylands is a savanna plains region, and we see more wyverns than dragons. We think that the creature lost her way or maybe is looking for a new food source, but we’re only speculating.”
“It’s not a bad theory,” they admitted with a nod.
“The townspeople are hoping to get this done quickly, but they don’t have a specific deadline. They are just scared now that the dragon seems to be attacking people instead of just livestock,” Viago explained before looking to Isa. “So, you’ll want to head out as soon as possible so you can get this done.”
“Understood,” Isa replied before Viago remembered something, looking to Taash.
“You won’t have a hard time with the language until you reach the remote town of Deluvarosa. Many of the towns in the Western side of Antiva keep to themselves, so many of them don’t speak in Trade tongue,” Viago warned, glancing back at Isa. “She will translate for you while you’re there, as long as you agree to that arrangement.”
“I don’t see why that would pose an issue,” Taash replied clearly. Isa nodded as Viago narrowed his eyes curiously.
“You trust a Crow so easily?” he wondered.
“I trust Isa. I trust Luca,” Taash clarified before they looked up from the contract. “Not sure about you.”
“What makes me different?” he wondered curiously.
“I have only fought next to you once, and that was because we were fighting an ancient god monster,” Taash answered, giving the contract to Isa. “Isa has had my back since I met her in Rivain. Luca, too.”
“And you are so sure she wouldn’t turn on you?” he questioned.
“Are you?” they countered, folding their arms. Viago smirked and nodded.
“As long as the job gets done and both of you return,” he replied before standing from his desk. Taash watched him. “One thing I think we both appreciate is honesty, Taash, and I do appreciate the honesty you display consistently.”
“Now that is strange for a Crow to say,” they mentioned as Viago hummed. Isa smirked before placing the contract on the desk.
“Isa will show you were to go. There’s a carriage waiting for the both of you, and it’ll take you to Naporta,” Viago informed before dismissing them. Isa bowed politely as Taash dipped their head, following the Crow out of the office.
Taash followed the Crow to where Viago had instructed her, and they were out of Treviso before the end of the day. Isa was going through their packs to make sure they had enough supplies as Taash watched out the window. It was always strange for them to be in a place outside of Rivain. They hadn’t really gotten used to the mountainy areas of Kal-Sharok, either.
Still, it was enjoyable to see the new scenery, and they liked the option of sitting while they traveled. Taash couldn’t remember the last time that they didn’t walk everywhere to get where they were going. It was nice to relax for the most part. Isa didn’t seem to know the meaning of the word. She kept her head on swivel out each window once she was sure that they had what they needed.
“What are you looking for?” Taash finally asked as she looked at them.
“Making sure we aren’t followed. Some Crows like to be opportunists, assassinating other Crows to show that they are the best of the best,” Isa mentioned with a grimace. “I want to make sure that we aren’t taken by surprise.”
“Do you really think that would happen?”
“Hasn’t before, but I don’t want to give anyone the chance.”
“Alright,” Taash replied softly, still surprised.
The carriage ride was slow through the city, but the driver took off as soon as they reached the open road. Taash watched the horizon move, and they wondered if they were moving as fast as a sailing ship. Isa did relax a little as soon as they made it out of Treviso, but she was still on edge.
It was nighttime by the time they reached Naporta, and Isa reassured Taash that she had a place where they could stay. House de Riva had places around Antiva for contracts where it wouldn’t leave a paper trail. Taash wondered if it was wise for her to show them the safehouse locations. Taash wouldn’t do anything with the information, but they wondered how upset Viago would be in the long run.
Still, the safehouse was nice, even if it was pretty bare in comparison to what Taash was used to when it came to Antivan hospitality, not that they were complaining. They were used to sleeping in caves while they went dragon or treasure hunting with the Lords. This was still a leg up on that, at least.
Isa showed them where they were headed next to on the map, and it would take a few hours to reach the town in the morning. Taash noticed that the town wasn’t listed on the map, which wasn’t exactly strange if it was a strange town, but it did raise a couple of questions.
“How are they paying the Crows for this job? I can’t imagine a town that’s so small that it can’t be found on a map has a lot of coin to spare for a contract,” Taash mentioned as Isa froze. They looked at her as she thinned her lips. “Is it supposed to be a secret or something?”
“Well, no,” Isa replied before she tilted her head. “The town isn’t funding this contract.”
“They aren’t?” Taash asked with confusion. They might be a part of the Lords of Fortune, but they weren’t greedy by nature. They were curious, though. “Both you and Viago mentioned exact numbers when you talked about payment. Where is that money coming from?”
“Lucanis and I struck a deal when the letter arrived,” Isa mentioned with a sigh. Taash straightened, a little surprised by the answer. “Illario said that there was a strange letter written in just the Antivan language, and it was in the western dialect. The town had asked the King for help, and he suggested going to the Crows for help instead.”
“What?” Taash muttered, shocked. That seemed like a poor system, as well as a poor king.
“I agree. However, things are different than how they worked when we were working together against the gods. Neither Lucanis nor I can just run off to help a town at the drop of a hat. Lucanis has a job, and I belong to a different Crow House,” she explained before shaking her head. “So, Lucanis wrote it up like a contract and sent it to House de Riva, recommending me as the prime Crow to go. It helped that it was mentioned that it was a venomous dragon. So, technically, Lucanis is footing the bill.”
“Won’t this set a bad standard for the Crows?”
“It would, but we sent a letter back explaining that we usually wouldn’t be able to help without a contract. However, the letter explained that an unknown benefactor had set up a contract on their behalf. Therefore, the town is aware a contract is in place and that we’re on our way,” Isa answered. Taash stared at them for a moment before laughing under their breath for a moment.
“Is that why Lucanis calls you the Sentimental Crow?” they wondered before the Crow shrugged.
“One of the reasons, I’m sure,” Isa chuckled.
Isa made sure that Taash was up at the crack of dawn so they could start walking to the town before the sun had fully crossed the horizon. Isa held the map out before explaining where she believed they needed to go. Taash looked over her shoulder, and they nodded. That sounded right to them, at least.
The two of them walked along the path towards the small town of Deluvarosa, and as they reached the top of a hill after three hours of walking, they finally saw the town they were looking for. Isa grinned, glad that she could still rely on her map skills.
Isa and Taash walked into the town, which wasn’t super busy, but there were people wandering around in the streets, going about their business. Isa glanced around, looking for what would look like a town hall or possibly a mayor’s house.
“Eh, scusi, non è che per caso sei un Corvo?” a woman asked as she approached Isa. Taash turned as Isa grinned, and they realized that they likely found someone who could tell them where to go from here.
Taash held back as Isa spoke with the woman. She was so relieved by Isa’s presence, and Taash was glad that they were able to come. They looked around, taking in the town around them. It was a well-kept town that had signs of steady growth. If they hadn’t been visited by the dragon, they would still be seeing continuous growth by Taash’s guess.
Eventually, the woman grinned, bowed her head, and left. Isa turned around with a relieved expression.
“She said that they were waiting for us, and there hasn’t been another missing person report since they wrote to the Crows. The mayor is supposed to have the most information for us, and he lives towards the center of the village,” the Crow explained before starting to walk. Taash grimaced, feeling like they were being strung along. They just needed to know where the dragon was last seen.
However, the mayor did have some extra information when they found him. He said that the dragon only took sheep before it took people, and even then it would only take people that tried to attack it first. That told Taash a lot about the dragon, but they had to admit that venomous dragons in Antiva were strange. They would have expected fire or electricity-based dragons, but they wouldn’t be surprised if this was a case of a lost dragon after a migration gone wrong. Arlathan wasn’t too far away from the area, and the forest’s wild magic might have screwed up the dragon’s sense somehow.
The mayor also mentioned that the dragon had been spotted among the northeastern hills, and he suspected that the creature was hiding somewhere there. Taash nodded, getting the information from Isa’s translations. They recommended that the town keep their livestock in the barns if they can until they return just in case the dragon slips through their grasp. It was also important that the citizens stayed inside as much as possible as well.
The leader of the town seemed receptive to Taash’s recommendations, and they were glad that they were listening at least. Some towns disregarded their advice, and it usually made the hunt and fight more difficult.
Given that it was barely midday, Taash led Isa out of the village to take a look at the northeastern hills, and they weren’t surprised to see the area filled with tall grass with some trees. The townspeople didn’t mention the size of the dragon, but if it was only taking the sheep instead of the cows or horses, then it sounded like it was smaller than they expected it to be.
Isa watched their backs as Taash started to track the dragon’s trail. Taash made a note to bring more people along next time Isa wanted to go out on another contract. She seemed overly nervous, but Taash supposed they weren’t surprised after knowing her for so long.
“She’s a small one,” Taash commented before turning to Isa. The Crow perked up, looking at the tracks that they were pointing at. “My guess that we’re either dealing with a lost dragon or a misplaced dragon.”
“Misplaced?”
“Someone wanted a pet or something, but they didn’t understand that dragons can’t be domesticated.”
“Oh, I see,” Isa replied with a frown. “So, a baby?”
“Older than a baby, but she’s not an adult,” they answered before standing up. Isa nodded, understanding that they weren’t dealing with the high dragons that she was used to. Isa also found that she didn’t want to kill the poor thing. “It would explain why she keeps taking the people if they attack her. My guess is that the people are lost in the wilderness, though. Unless they got caught with the venom.”
“I have a general antivenom, but we’ve never tested it against dragon venom,” Isa mentioned with a grimace. Taash glanced back at her with a shrug.
“It’ll probably keep us alive. Dragon venom works different from snake and wyvern venom,” Taash informed as Isa listened while they walked. “Dragon venom is rare because it’s hard to bottle. The Antaam had one for a few years nearly a decade ago, but they lost it.”
“I’ve only really worked with wyvern and snake venom.”
“Dragon venom is good at temporarily paralyzing, but the more you have in your system, the deadlier it is. You also have to be quick because the longer it is in your system, the more it’ll break down your nervous system. It is designed to permanently disable their victims before they eat,” Taash explained as Isa frowned, unsure how to combat that. Her antivenom was built from wyvern and snake venom, which might work in a pinch. She was hoping that they weren’t going to find out on this trip.
“Alright, stay away from the teeth. Got it.”
Taash continued to track the signs of the dragonling, and Isa started to wonder if they were going to find the small creature in the grass. Taash mentioned that the creature would be a little larger than a carthorse, and Isa frowned, wondering what they were going to do when they found it.
As they reached the top of one of the hills, Taash motioned for Isa to stop and brought a finger to their lips. Isa went still and silent, watching the dragon hunter, waiting for more information when it was safe. Taash stepped forward, keeping their head up to keep the Crow standing where she was. Isa didn’t move as she grabbed her bow and an arrow, preparing an attack in case something happened.
Isa would choose Taash’s life over a dragon’s every day without question. She wasn’t going to let her friend get hurt if she could help it.
Taash looked over the area before seeing where the dragonling had been making its nest. It wasn’t exactly out in the open, but there weren’t any cliffs where its kind usually would nest. Instead, it was located at the base of a cork oak that stood in the middle of a field of tall grass. It was hidden for the most part, but Taash knew what kind of signs to look for.
“Do you have any of your sedatives?” Taash asked nearly silently as Isa looked at them. She nodded before handing them a few vial-filled darts. “What’s the dose?”
“For a dragon adolescent? I have no idea. Two? Three?” Isa guessed at equal volume, shaking her head. Taash dipped their head in acknowledgment before motioning for the Crow to follow them. Isa watched the dragon hunter, unsure what Taash had found.
Taash brought her to the nest, and they were in luck as the dragonling was asleep in the nest. Isa blinked as she lowered her bow, and Taash relaxed. It was a young venomous dragon that was native to Par Vollen that likely was brought here to the Antaam during the war. The dragonling likely broke free somehow and wandered around until it found a food supply.
Carefully, Taash walked up to the creature before quickly injecting the sedatives into the skin. The dragon woke, and Taash jumped onto the dragonling, trapping its wings first before grabbing the snout. With it being so young, there was a good chance that Taash could hold it down while the sedatives took hold.
Isa rushed forward quickly with some rope, managing to tie the mouth closed as Taash held it down. The dragonling struggled against the drugging effects before its strength started to wane. The Crow managed to get a tight knot on the muzzle, keeping its venom within its mouth.
Soon enough, the dragonling fell back asleep before Isa put her pack down and pulled out a few more bundles of rope. Taash stood up, surprised by her preparedness.
“I wasn’t sure what the plan was, but we had rope available, so I brought rope,” Isa offered as Taash stared at her before smiling.
“Good thinking,” Taash smirked with a nod.
“So, where are we taking the dragon?” Isa wondered, knowing that they would likely have to go through her entire sedative stock while they were transporting the creature.
“She’s native to Par Vollen. She’s a Visalataash, but she’s barely a few years old,” they answered, shaking their head. “Sometimes they appear in northern Rivain, though. I’ll reach out to the Lords and see if we have any captains willing to take the dragonling there.”
“That sounds great. Can you bring her to the town? I think we can probably buy a cart once we get back there to get her to Naporta and Treviso,” Isa mentioned before Taash scoffed. They grabbed the dragonling and threw it over her shoulder. Isa smirked and nodded, grabbing her pack before retracing their steps to get back to Deluvarosa.
