King Romulus Ethret, King of the Kingdom of Dasmul, sat in his throne staring at the front of the room. His chin was rested on the back of his hand while his free hand stroked the dragon’s teeth that made up his necklace, his very symbol of power, looking bored while he waited for his knight to appear. Over an hour has passed since the urgent message went out. One of his best knights was to meet him here, with his best equipment, where he would be given the task of scouting a location where dragons have been spotted. A few years have passed since any dragons were spotted, this was an incredible find. The people that had made the discovery had been rewarded greatly. Now, the excitement had died down, he wanted those teeth. He would have them no matter what it took, at any cost, or so help him.<br/><br/>He was beginning to become impatient; having to wait like this was completely unacceptable. The people he hired to serve him were handpicked. Such incompetence was beyond infuriating, he was going to have to make some changes. He was not looking forward to those changes, and he was sure the kingdom was not either.<br/><br/>The necklace was clutched tighter. Shifting in his seat, King Romulus gave a heavy sigh, his brow furrowing and lips forming a faint frown, feeling his frustration build, which made the servants in the room cringe. Impatience and boredom were not a particularly wonderful combination, and his servants knew this well. They had offered to entertain him in some way. Bring him food, drink, see if they could drag the knight in by their hair, but every suggestion was turned down. The king was a very stubborn man, and when he wanted something that was all he set his mind on. He was normally someone who was easily entertained. He especially liked when the jesters injured one another, but even that did not assuage his frustration. When he turned everything down, they knew he was either very focused or extremely pissed off. It was the latter, in this particular situation.<br/><br/>The look on Romulus’s face said it all, if his body language combined with the atmosphere in the room was not enough of an obvious sign. He was sure to take someone’s head off soon if the knight did not come. He did have a very strong tendency to be violent when things didn’t go his way. Sometimes, he was like a child throwing a tantrum. Every now and then, he’d glance at his sword, which was lying against his throne. His servants would tense up, expecting him to suddenly grab it and behead the nearest person. They could all picture it as if it was happening. It was not a pretty sight; naturally, anyone would be terrified of a king willing to take his anger out on his own men. It was needless to say that Romulus was getting closer and closer to that point. This was outright unbearable; it was giving him a pounding headache.<br/><br/>When he finally heard word that the knight he summoned was arriving, he felt relieved. He relaxed in his throne. His servants relaxed as well, knowing they would keep their heads a little longer.<br/><br/>The knight was clad in his best armor, as instructed. He carried a broadsword in an expensive sheath made of the finest leather. When he stood before the king, he kneeled, “My apologies for being late, my liege.” His tone was sincere. Something about it didn’t sit well with Romulus.<br/><br/>“Sir Aldrick… Why are you so late?”<br/><br/>Aldrick winced at the displeased growl in the King’s tone. “I had something I had to tend to. Family business.” He said, trying to redeem himself and keeping his composure as best he could. He was fairly new to the ranks of the knights that serve the kingdom, but he knew his place, and knew that the king could be a very volatile man. It was something that he secretly feared, though Romulus knew it was no secret. He knew the look of fear when he saw it. No matter how hard one tried to hide it, it was almost like a sixth sense, he was able to catch even the smallest traces of it. It came from years of ruling people through fear. Fear was power. The more someone feared another person, the more power that person had over them. It was the most brilliant strategy.<br/><br/>Fear aside, Aldrick was a very trustworthy man. He always aimed to please. Romulus believed him to be telling the truth, seeing no reason to think otherwise.<br/><br/>“I see. Well then, you’re lucky you have arrived when you did. I was about to send someone to come look for you. Let’s just get down to business then.”<br/><br/>“Aye. So, these dragons are hiding out in the mountains, you say? Which range? North or South?”<br/><br/>“North, naturally. They always seem to cling to the North for some reason.” The king stood from his throne and gestured one of his servants to approach. The servant reached into his satchel and pulled out a map, which was then handed to the king. “Ths map contains every location dragons have been spotted. Study it well. Should you return empty handed…” the king paused, and grinned widely. “Well,  let’s just say it’s in your best interest not to displease me. I pick you for this assignment for a reason. Do remember that.”<br/><br/>“Understood, my liege.”<br/><br/>“And when you return, Aldrick, you will receive a piece of my finest treasure.”<br/><br/>“You’re too generous.”<br/><br/>“Trust me. Dragons are valuable, and such a find warrants a great reward.”<br/><br/>“Understood, my liege. I shall return as soon as possible, with dragon teeth in hand.”<br/><br/>With that, Romulus saw Aldrick off, hoping that he’d come back with a dead dragon or two. He could already feel the power he’d gain from those teeth, unable to contain his energy. Imagine what power they would hold. He was already powerful enough with the necklace he had.<br/><br/><span style="font-style: italic">A few hours later…</span><br/><br/>It was late in the afternoon by the time Aldrick had made his way to the mountain range. The sun would set in a few hours. Hardly any animals were about. Usually, they would keep hidden, especially when they knew they were being hunted, and the ones that did not hide were usually the ones that could take a human easily.<br/><br/>After trudging up this steep hill, he was starting to feel a little fatigued. Most of his supplies have already been depleted. Who would have thought that the mountains were the huge? He would need to find some shelter, spend the night out here in the wilderness; some rest was needed before he continued on. He didn’t mind, it was quiet here at least, unlike back home, he didn’t have to deal with anyone. It was just him and this mountain range, as far as he was concerned. Solitude was something that he enjoyed from time to time. It really took the edge off of his usual day. This was his first time being up here, as well. First times were always a treat, at least that’s what he thought anyway. There were plenty who would disagree. This was a job, not a vacation; he was to keep his mind set on it at all costs.<br/><br/>Aldrick was indeed keeping his mind set. He had a lot of motivation, especially coming from his family back home. Not to mention he had been handpicked by the king for a reason. He was good at his job, always on his feet. Not once did not let his guard down while he was gathering things to make a fire, it was far too quiet out here. It almost seemed like unnatural quiet. He knew there were dragons lurking somewhere, though he has yet to see one, he could almost feel their eyes upon him. There was no doubt in his mind they were just waiting for the chance to strike. He has never faced a dragon before but he has heard stories of them. They were dastardly beasts, cunning, too. They were masters of disguise, and skilled hunters, all traits of a foe that was not to be taken lightly, no matter how few of them remain today.<br/><br/>When Aldrick stepped over a log, he failed to see the small wire tied to it. As soon as his foot caught it, the next thing he knew he was suspended in the air by his ankle. Immediately, he tried to reach for his dagger, which was usually tucked into a holster in his boot. Unfortunately it was just out of his reach, no matter how much he stretched to get it. He could touch his boot, but the knife was tucked too far in for him to grab it. That would be just his luck, he thought to himself.<br/><br/>To make matters worse, he heard something coming his way. There was a bit of rustling in the foliage. Seeing how everything has been quiet thus far, it was odd. He held his breath for a moment, listening in to his surroundings. Oh yeah. There was definitely something coming. It was getting louder, the more he listened the more he really hoped it was just some small animal. He looked at his foot again, furrowing his brow while he came up with how he was going to get out of this mess. He thought of swinging, but, with the way he was hanging, he couldn’t get enough momentum. Calling out for help was out of the question as well, as it would draw attention. He was sure that nobody else was hiking out here. In the end, he decided to try reaching for his knife again. There was no way he was spending the night like this.<br/><br/>Aldrick took in a deep breath, and then, using all of his strength, tried again to reach for his dagger, hoping whatever was there would just move along. The last thing he needed was wolves or a bear snapping at him.