Chương 44: No Escaping Royalty

Grouped up in such a situation with mixed feelings, the lady at least handed us Anti-Venom balm cream to apply once bitten by the Venomwing.

"Here, smear this on your neck, arms, and legs," she said, tossing two small jars at us.

"If the Venomwing gets you, you'll only have a few seconds before the paralysis sets in. Don't waste it." Then she vehemently shoved us into her group. Now stuck in the middle with no room for running away, our hunt began. No more chill experience of being on our own. Now we had to hunt, well so be it. We cut branches with the pushy woman leading ahead with new energy. She was practically skipping at first, full of excitement.

"Today is the day!" she declared loudly, slashing at a thick vine.

"I can feel it. My daddy will finally be proud of me!" Galer gave me a sideways glance but said nothing. I muttered under my breath, "She's going to scare every creature within a kilometer…" We climbed trees to check the canopies, but found none. Deeper in, still none. Near the river, still none. It continued like this for hours. The woman, who had been pushy and happy at first, grew agitated again.

"Where are they?!" she growled, kicking a rock into the water.

"I've been searching for three days straight and not even a single trace!" One of her guards tried to calm her.

"My Lady, perhaps we should..."

"Quiet!" she snapped, then turned to us.

"You two! You've been through this issue before, right? Where would a Venomwing hide?" Galer remained silent, but I couldn't hold back anymore. I stepped forward and spoke with a straight mind.

"Excuse me, but you are very loud. No insect would ever show itself with such constant chatter. As a hunter you got to be silent, swift, smooth in motion, and tranquil. Even if you have great Animo and ready capabilities to combat, it does not help here." She stared at me for a second. All ten of her guards suddenly looked nervous, sweat forming on their brows. Then she put her arm around my shoulder with fake sweetness.

"Ohh jeez, thanks. I learned something new today~" She punched me hard in the gut. The air left my lungs in a painful whoosh. Then she lightly tapped my back, as if it was nothing.

"See? I can be a good listener," she said with a bright smile. Man, that hurt. I gasped for quick air, clutching my stomach as I doubled over. The punch was so strong that for a split second I nearly lost myself in anger, my vision flashing red. I wanted nothing more than to swing back at her.

"STAY CALM, ERUMES," Galer warned me telepathically, his mental voice stern and sharp. His face remained completely neutral, but his single eye locked onto mine with a clear warning. I took a deep, shaky breath and forced the rage down. Slowly, I straightened up. She had already turned away and was focusing ahead, now moving with surprising efficiency. With a now slow and quiet approach, I walked at the back, finally getting my breathers in again.

A huge popped vein stood on my forehead as I imagined all the ways I could strangle her with these branches. It made me feel better already. Two hours later, close to evening, the terrain changed. We walked away from the river and soon entered a bog marsh field. The river turned into watery ponds. The lady sat on a rock and tasked us to go inside and search if the Venomwing was there. Our legs got wet as the depth reached 60 centimeters.

We moved slowly in a separated line, eyes scanning the murky water and hanging vines. Our legs sank into the cold, murky water as the depth reached 60 centimeters. The bog swallowed our boots with wet, sucking sounds, each step heavier than the last. We moved slowly in a separated line, eyes scanning the dark, stagnant pools and the thick curtain of hanging vines that draped from the twisted trees like the fingers of some ancient, forgotten beast. The air was thick with tension.

Every ripple in the water, every faint rustle in the canopy above, set our nerves on edge. The marsh seemed alive watching, waiting, breathing. Then finally, a Venomwing showed itself. It had been lying perfectly still on a thick branch 2 kilometers away at a 74-degree angle from our position, perfectly camouflaged among the moss and vines, its glossy black body blending seamlessly with the shadows. Only when we drew closer did its massive form shift. At 1. 70 meters in length, it was a terrifying sight.

Its crimson hourglass marking began to glow faintly as it sensed our presence. The fight exploded around us. Galer and the ten guards were suddenly swarmed by even more smaller Venomwings that poured out from the marsh. It seemed the mother had a nest nearby, and her offspring were now defending it. The guards fought desperately, swinging their scimitars in wide arcs to keep the fast-moving creatures at bay. Silk shots flew through the air like white lightning, wrapping around arms and legs.

Several guards were forced to cut themselves free while others protected their comrades. Galer moved with calculated precision, slowly backing away toward a slightly higher and drier patch of ground to secure a better position. From there he could better support the others without getting surrounded. His light attribute flickered at his fingertips as he sliced through incoming silk threads and struck at the creatures with sharp bursts of light, keeping the smaller Venomwings from overwhelming the group.

Meanwhile, my own battle turned brutal. The large mother Venomwing came straight for me, after i have beaten a smaller Venomwing. The creature struck like super fast lightning. It feinted left, then dove in with blinding speed, sinking its black widow fangs deep into my left shoulder. A searing, molten pain exploded through my body as the potent neurotoxin flooded my veins. My muscles immediately began to stiffen, and a heavy numbness started crawling down my arm.

The venom burned like liquid fire, threatening to shut my entire system down. I activated my Heart Flame, as last ditch effort to combat the effects, letting fiery energy pump through my veins. The fire fought against the spreading venom, giving me precious seconds of clarity. Roaring in defiance, I swung my sword-axe in wide, powerful arcs, trying to connect with its wings or body, but the creature moved with unnatural speed.

It dodged left and right, its four translucent wings humming silently as it hovered and dove. For the first 10 seconds we danced around each other in a deadly waltz. I landed a grazing cut on one of its legs, but it retaliated instantly with a silk shot that nearly wrapped around my sword arm. I burned through it with my flames just in time. At the 15 -second mark, it bit me once on the shoulder. A burning sensation spread immediately, but my Heart Flame pushed back hard, slowing the paralysis even more.

I roared and counterattacked, driving my pickaxe edge into its thorax. The creature shrieked and pulled away, circling me now faster. By the 25 -second mark, my movements were growing heavier. The mother Venomwing seemed to sense my slowing pace and became more aggressive. It darted in and out with terrifying precision. I managed to score another deep cut across its abdomen, but it paid me back with a second bite, this time on my forearm. The venom burned like liquid fire. My legs started to feel numb.

At the 33 -second mark I got bitten again. I felt the paralyzing effect intensify. My heart pounded weakly and I could barely hold my sword steady. From its tail it started to envelop me with thick silk, ready for the kill. The air-walking lady, who had left us behind earlier, came to check the situation out as she was getting bored. In one swift motion she kicked the massive insect, splitting it cleanly in half. The force sent me crashing to the ground. Luckily, I survived.

The lady had such a strong presence that the other smaller Venomwings scattered and flew off in panic. She had completely forgotten she needed one. Once standing above us, she started scolding our weakness.

"Pathetic! All of you! How can you struggle so much against mere bugs?" Then she suddenly remembered.

"Ohh, I needed one exemplar…" She looked around.

"What are you guys doing? Catch me one of them!" I yelled, "Wait!" as I slowly crawled in a doggy position so I would not drown in the marsh.

"I have a knocked out one right there on the left." She looked at the weakened Venomwing and her face instantly filled with happiness. She grabbed me, hugged me tightly, and then let me go again, making me fall face-first into the mud for the second time. Next time I will say nothing to her, I thought bitterly. She took the insect with her and said, "Hephely, call in the Airrider. We are done here." A Wyrm came carrying a luxurious carriage for royalty with one rider on it. All of us got on.

Finally, as I slowly gained my composure, Galer put the Anti-Venom on me so I would not die, and on himself as well. We were free. At least in my mind. She said, "Hop in. You guys deserve to get recognition from my daddy." I asked her as we got forced into the carriage, "Who are you and who is your father?" She answered casually, "Ohh yeah, I did not say." Finger on herself.

"I am Alecoprta, the princess of Aegyptus, the Herzog Nation." Galer's eyes widened.

"Wait… You are the daughter of Herzog Isopetalom!?" She nodded in happiness for being recognized. Galer facepalmed and spoke to me telepathically.

"We are in bigger danger than before, Erumes." She tilted her head and asked, "Why are you communicating telepathically?" Both Galer and I were shocked. I quickly answered, "Well… boy stuff. We would not put a royal like you in such vulgar conversation, so no worries. Nothing about you." The princess looked at both of us with a face that clearly showed she did not believe a word we said. Her eyes narrowed slightly.

"Ahh, I don't believe you," she said bluntly.

"While we are here, no more telepathic talks between each other. It is not good custom around here." The guards standing on the deck of the rider carriage made their stance very clear. Their hands rested on the hilts of their scimitars, ready to cut us down at the slightest provocation. The princess then turned and gave the order.

"Start. It is time. You guys have put the insect in the cage so we can go off." The rider gave a sharp whistle. With powerful flaps of its enormous wings, the Wyrm lifted the entire carriage into the air. Unlike the Emperor of the Sky dragons with their powerful feared reputation, this Wyrm was a different kind of beast. Its body was thick and muscular, covered in rough, dark brown scales that shimmered with a metallic sheen under the sunlight.

It had two strong legs, a long serpentine-like neck, and a wide, powerful tail that helped stabilize its body. Its wings were massive, spanning around 12 meters, built more for endurance and carrying heavy loads rather than pure speed. The ground fell away beneath us at an alarming speed. I had one burning question.

"What about dragons…?" The princess looked at me like I was some country bumpkin who had never left his village. She let out a small scoff before answering.

"We are only 2, 000 kilometers above ground and will not go any higher. Dragons live at much higher altitudes than us. They will not care as long as we do not enter the Emperor's territory. And even if one dared to come down here…" She grinned widely, her eyes flashing with excitement.

"I am here to beat anything and will bring daddy a new hunt trophy as well. Hahahaha!" Her laugh was loud and menacing. She gloated openly about her own strength while the wind whipped around the flying carriage. Anxiety built up inside me. We had no choice but to go along with this. The carriage flew at high speed, cutting across the sky and skipping over many nations and regions. At least that part was helpful for our journey, even if the company was far from ideal.

I sat in silence, my body still aching from the Venomwing venom and the earlier beating. Galer sat beside me, his single eye scanning everything around us with quiet caution. The ten guards never relaxed their watchful stares. The princess, Alecoprta, seemed completely at ease as she leaned back in her seat, occasionally glancing at the caged Venomwing with a satisfied smile. We were heading straight toward Aegyptus, my first Herzog Nation, whether we liked it or not.

I could not shake the feeling that being dragged into the presence of a princess, and apparently the daughter of a powerful Herzog, had just pulled us into something far bigger and more dangerous than hunting a simple Venomwing. In my mind I kept thinking: Can we go back and be unsuccessful…? Galer's earlier words echoed in my head. If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it. We are in bigger danger than before.