Two months. That was how long it took for both Astera to return to their usual operations and for Evans to recover(enjoy his extended vacation). He looked around at the now emptier nest. The hatchlings had up and left now that they were of acceptable size and competency. All but one. His little prodigy roused him from his thoughts as it chirped, the sound taking on a more gravelly undertone from its growing vocals. A quick nuzzle and a soft rumble were all it needed from Evans before setting off for its next meal. Evans was no better. He still had one more elder dragon to hunt down.
Evans watched as his little prodigy scampered off, its scales glinting in the dappled sunlight filtering through the canopy above. The nest, once bustling with the energy of young dragons, now felt serene and almost melancholic in its emptiness. Yet, there was an unusual sense of pride in Evans' heart, knowing that the hatchlings were ready to face the world. The hatchlings he took in as his own.
'Alright, time to focus.' He turned his attention to the task at hand. The elder dragon he sought was unique, even as he first saw its archetype within the vale. Vaal Hazak. An elder dragon that might be older than the others, seeing as it is nothing but a living corpse. The rumors even said that it was what breathed living death into an ecosystem...The irony wasn't lost on Evans at that thought.
Evans knew that finding Vaal Hazak would be difficult, as his memories of the world were slowly being replaced by the lessons of the wilds. But a general reference was better than nothing. And even then, the hunters would surely find it themselves, intentionally or not.
As he set out from the nest, Evans couldn't help but feel a thrill of anticipation. The world was vast and full of wonders, and each step brought him closer to a growing unknown. His journey so far has led him through dense forests, across roaring rivers, and up treacherous mountains. And that was just following a story in a game! Who knows what awaits him out there!
With renewed excitement, Evans pressed on, his nose guiding him back to the same entrance he had used before. He slid down the coral pillars, his claws ensuring he wouldn't plummet too fast and leaving a great smooch onto a pile of bones. "Hey, you made it!" By the end of his descent, what greeted him was an entourage of hunters, with Grace taking charge. The hyperactive bow woman clambered over his sides, making herself more comfortable than she should be in his coat of fur. He let it slide this time, though. She had dealt with enough already.
The scout laid out a map of Rotten Vale, with one specific area circled in red. "Here. THIS is where we will find our target...probably." The uncertainty in his voice didn't bolster the confidence of the others, but they kept silent as they didn't have any better answers.
A party of four hunters and one large reptile monster made its way through the graveyard of monstrocities. The hunters swatted away vespoids with the same ease as Evans did when an odagaroon tried to sneak attack them. The hairless beast scampered off with its tail between its legs as the Vaal hunting group began to see more pools of acidic material.
As the smell of rotting carcasses grew stronger, Evans found himself staring at a pile of dead girros, their husks seeming as if their souls were sucked out of their body. The group cautiously approached, only to stop as the mountain of death began to shake. Corpses fell as a torn frame of a wing, still webbed with writhing flesh. sprung out. Then the other followed, and soon enough, the head of Vaal Hazak burst out, awakened from its slumber. The twin rotten jawbones of the creature roared, the pile giving way to reveal Vaal Hazak in all of its deathly might.
Evans watched in awe, his heart swelling with a mix of fear and admiration. This was the moment he had been waiting for, the next fight of his journey. With a deep breath, he roared, signaling his presence to the zombified dragon. Its decaying wings spread wide, casting a shadow over the clearing. The air around it was thick with effluvium, a toxic miasma that clung to everything it touched, wilting plants and causing the hunters to cover their mouths with cloth to avoid inhaling the deadly fumes.
Evans let out another thunderous roar, the sound echoing as flames flickered at the corners of his mouth. With a swift motion, he summoned a swirling vortex of wind, clearing a path through the effluvium and giving his allies a moment to breathe. Grace took advantage of the opening, nocking an arrow and letting it fly with precision. The arrow, imbued with a crackling charge of electricity, struck Vaal Hazak's decaying hide, sending a jolt through its body, the semi-dead nerves still signaling its mind.
The zombified dragon retaliated with a guttural roar, unleashing a blast of effluvium that rolled across the ground like a sinister fog. The hunters scattered, their movements coordinated and practiced. One of them, a burly man wielding a massive hammer, charged forward, swinging his weapon with all his might. The hammer connected with Vaal Hazak's leg, the impact reverberating through the air.
Evans, sensing an opportunity, unleashed a torrent of lightning, the sparks dancing across the dragon's scales. The heat was intense, and the air shimmered with the force of the attack. Vaal Hazak writhed in pain, its movements sluggish as the sparks fizzled on its rotting flesh.
Grace, her eyes focused and steady, continued to rain arrows upon the beast, each one finding its mark with deadly accuracy. The other hunters joined the fray, their weapons striking in a coordinated assault that kept Vaal Hazak off balance.
Despite its formidable power, the zombified dragon was slowly being overwhelmed. Evans, with an earth-shaking roar, slammed his tail into the side of the decaying elder dragon. Vaal Hazak reared back onto its hind legs, the force shaking its frame. "Keep it up! It seems to be on its last legs!" Grace encouraged the others as Evans felt that this was easy. A little too easy...
Then everything changed in an instant. Vaal Hazak's eyes took on an eerie shade of green light as its shaking all but ceased, as if it were an act...or silent laughter. The fleshless jaws opened, yet instead of a roar, something far more sinister left its fractured vocal cords
"FALL..."