Snow Witch'S Journey
Monster Hunting Competition pt.3

From outside the wall, there were hunters calling out to me and yelling at me in anger, telling me to come out and give them the Stone Dragon. The sound of the raging and the pounding of the walls is becoming more and more.

“Oi, come out you, witch! Give us the dragon!”

I feel like a group of hunters are already surrounding this ice wall. They don't seem to be stopping and trying to destroy my ice wall with their weapons. But what they did was in vain. The wall was quite thick and quite tall, so crushing and climbing a tree to reach its top would be quite difficult, unless they were a witch.

“They are really angry, yes. Are they so desperate to make money?” aeron Response. “Could it be because the life at the End of the Frozen Line is hard enough?”

“Maybe ...,” I replied flatly.

I ignored their anger and naturally their voices became dim, as if there were voice plugs in my ears.

Inside the wall, I accompanied the dragon who was now fast asleep, also ignoring the voices of the people. I sat down next to her while stroking her big head. Her skin is warm and rough. His breathing was heavy, accompanied by his loud snoring. However, it was so sound as a plain child who fell asleep after playing. Up close, the snout looks like a crocodile, but is shorter and wider.

I was not afraid when I saw him sleeping. For some reason, it felt like he was smiling happily. His anger and contentment a moment ago seemed to have vanished in his dream. Now, his dream must have been the perfect dream for a little dragon like him. After all, he is still a living creature.

I raised my right hand as high as my face. My palms, which were now slightly dark red, felt sore and stiff as I tried to clench them. Within a few seconds, I noticed a trembling symptom. The sensation of heat radiated as a thick and dense red liquid emerged from my palm.

“Niva, your hands!” The aeron I put on the ground with the magic wand started to sound panicked. While I stared blankly at a terrible hole in my palm.

The hole formed because I accidentally put my hand near the dragon's jaw when I caught it. From that hole, the viscous blood flowed quite profusely. The red stains were created from my fallen blood and formed an intricate pattern on the snow ground. The red color becomes very contrasted with the snow white color that absorbs it.

“How can you calm down with your badly injured hand like that?”

I responded with a gentle smile. “Wounds like this are common to me. Besides, I have a magic jewel, remember?” As if responding to my smile, a bluish light emerged from within my clothes—from the gem. The appearance of the light, followed by a cool feeling that propagated from the chest to the arm and against the pain at the source, then concentrated its strength to return my hand to a non-perforated condition.

“See? I'm fine, right?” This time, I smiled widely while opening my right palm.

“You really ...” Without continuing his words, Aeron sighed long enough as if he was the one in distress.

When the light faded and disappeared completely, a piercing chill instantly entered my chest to replace it. However, I have gotten used to the taste of it, and even enjoyed it. And I'm sure the sleeping dragon can feel it too.

As I faced each other with the dragon before he fell asleep, I somehow could see the anger and sadness from his eyes. It was like a gaze was enduring the pain. Even wild creatures can show emotions like humans. It was that emotion that made me feel like something was eating away at the creature from his body.

After I noticed again, the dragon was not the normal type found at the End of the Frozen Line. If knowing that a creature not from here has threatened the safety of the townspeople, it would be strange to be ordered to capture it instead of killing it.

After I think about it, it would be absurd if the creature was said to have terrorized the townspeople for a long time and no one had managed to hunt it down until it had to be held a competition with a big prize.

Although I knew it was only a temporary uneasiness of my feelings, I could not stop thinking about it.

As I touched and touched the dragon's skin, a puff of smoke came out from his nose like a magic gust. Then, he woke up.

I quickly grabbed my wand, getting ready.

However, the dragon only raised his head to silently look at me. “Man? A gal? A familiar smell .. Witch, huh? Who are you that is fearless?”

Squinting his yellow eyes which had round shaped pupils, the dragon looked at me as if it was angry. His big voice sounded so threatening. But I answered him as usual.

“I Niva. And my compass is called Aeron.”

“So, yes. So, you're the one who's kind enough to help me. Finally, I no longer felt the curse flowing inside my body. I feel calm and peaceful now. Thank you, Niva the Witch.”

The creature turned out not to be as broad and aggressive as before. He pushed his nose covered in a big horn onto my chest as if it were his way of thanking me. It does not hurt because it feels like a dog swiping its muzzle into the body of its master.

Receiving it, I hugged and rubbed the horns of his nose made of a layer of solid and hard cells rich in protein called keratin.

“What do you mean by curse?” I raised my head while loosening my arms, letting the dragon back down to look back at me.

“It was endless suffering. The curse has gnawed my heart and soul, squeezing it mercilessly like a fragile autumn leaf. Poison runs in my veins, mixed with blood and saliva that create madness— makes me an unstoppable beast.”

“I don't understand. What have I done to them that I deserve something like this? I have never condemned, tortured or made them into entertainment, but they do so with pleasure, even with pride. Especially the black-eyed witch who instilled curse magic on me. I hate them all!”

I can't stand it. I immediately hugged his head tightly and rubbed it attentively. “Tenace. You're fine now.”

Now, I know what the meaning of her eyes that reflect anger means. This creature is actually not a beast and vile. However, because the curse he had suffered all this time forced him to bring out his savage nature. A savage nature that is not the true nature of this creature.

From the beginning, the story of dragon terror might have been deliberately created to get the attention of the crowd. Once people know there is a big prize competition with an interesting background story, people will be interested in coming. When people said they were attacked and their cattle were slaughtered by the Stone Dragon, I don't think it was the dragon's will. He had to do it. In the end, because of the “ancaman made-up”, then made this competition.

“They have been cruel to you, huh? You've been great all this time.”

Change the growl, the dragon snores like a kitten in a lap. “Man who loves dragons ... it has not happened for a long time.”

The curse had really hurt him all this time, even everything he suffered could be seen clearly through his eyes alone. Imagining her mind and body constantly corroding, I could only pet her as if I was clearing the pain.

Although my previous goal was just to put him to sleep so as not to keep going on a rampage, somehow, it seems that my magic inadvertently removed the curse. It wasn't something I expected, but I'm grateful to have done it.

Once conscious, no more noise from outside the wall. The silence began to take over. I removed back the ice wall that shut us down (protected) and found no hunters around.

“Oh, it looks like they have given up,” Aeron said.

“Good, then. They can't keep waiting here long just to get cold,” I said.

While the cold was still there, the dragon horn warmed me. Hard, but it feels like curling up in a blanket. I could hug her very strongly without fear that the horn would be destroyed.

“If I'm not a dragon, I still want to stay here.” Suddenly, the dragon got up, releasing my embrace from him. “Will but, I have to go to do one thing. Time won't be as good as you just to wait for me.”

“Go?”

He wiggled his body to throw away the snow gathered on his back. Then, his round eyes looked back at me as if he wanted to show something. From his eyes, I could see the reflection reappear. The threatening emotion I thought was gone, reflected so much in his senses as he snorted and growled.

“I can't just let them off after all the bad things they've done to me. They deserve to be punished so that they realize that they are not the strongest creatures here.”

“Wait, you can't do that!” Suddenly, I stood up.

I stiffened in shock as soon as I saw the anger of the dragon reappear.

“Why? Are you trying to protect those who have tortured me?”

“Not like that. I know you hate them, but I can't let anything bad happen. If you attack people, then you will become a real monster and I will inevitably have to stop you.”

I was aware of the dragon's annoyance and I felt I should not let it go. As the one who had released him, it was a responsibility I had to do. The responsibility that you teach.

“You're a good boy. Your magic reminds me of the gentle power that enveloped Eiarmoar—the land of the dragons. If you only want money, then ...” The dragon suddenly covered its mouth tightly as its body stiffened. Before long, he spat out a canine tooth filled with saliva and blood onto the ground. “Take my teeth. Dragon teeth should be an expensive item for humans.”

“No, I don't mingi—”

“No need to lie to yourself. People need money to survive, right? Your purpose in capturing me was only for money, but your kindness felt pure. You did not arrest me with violence, but with gentleness. That is your true heart. You have saved me, so I must give you a proper recompense. And if my savior's wish is not to hurt people, then I will.”

After saying so, the dragon said goodbye as he continued walking away from me. He headed into the dark depths of the forest and in the endless snow. After that, his whereabouts I no longer know. The only evidence of its existence is its fang-like teeth.

The 10 gold bars of teeth were almost clean when I took them from the snowy ground. The smell of blood still smelled strong from him.

The words of the dragon I must admit are true. This is what I need most right now. More precisely, money that could meet my travel needs for the next few months. This is an important key to whether I can continue my journey or not. Because if I need a place to rest, eat, and pay the state entrance fee, I really need these money.

If I think about it, actually this money is not worth my use. But that is if I think about it.