The Last Hunt
by @kokokarnA lonely huntress frees a dragon trapped in the king’s snares, forging an unbreakable bond as they hunt together in hiding. Years later, she rescues a dirt-streaked woman from bandits—only to discover she is the princess, daughter of the man who drove dragons to extinction.
MEET THE CHARACTERS
EXPLORE CHAPTERS
The Silk and the Steel
Kaelen wipes blood from her knuckles and turns to the woman she pulled from the bandits' cart—honey-blond hair tangled with leaves, silk dress ripped at the shoulder, and eyes the color of summer storms that hold no gratitude, only sharp assessment. The princess—though Kaelen does not know it yet—rubs her freed wrists and says, 'You move like someone who's been hunting things that hunt back.' Behind the treeline, Elara's copper scales catch the fading light, and the princess follows Kaelen's glance, her gaze narrowing on the shape that vanishes into shadow. Kaelen feels the ground shift under her feet: this woman is not going to thank her and walk away.
The First Step
Kaelen wakes to the creak of the cabin door and the sight of Seraphina silhouetted against the pale morning light, still wearing the borrowed linen shirt, her bare feet on the cold floorboards. 'The letters are in a hollow oak half a mile south of the old bridge,' Seraphina says without turning around. 'I hid them the night I fled. If the steward's men find them before I do, I have nothing.' She looks back over her shoulder, and her eyes hold the same steel Kaelen saw when she first pulled her from the cart. 'I need you to show me the way through the forest without being seen. After that, you can decide if you trust me.' Kaelen stands, reaching for her bow, and feels Vexaren's presence stir in the shadows beyond the cabin wall—a low rumble, a question she doesn't know how to answer. The tension between Kaelen and Seraphina is starting to grow.
The Dragon's Judgment
A low rumble shakes the cave floor as Vexaren's copper-scaled head pushes through the moss curtain, amber eyes fixed on Seraphina with ancient wariness. Kaelen steps between them, one hand raised, and says, 'She needs to know you're safe.' Seraphina holds still, her breath shallow, then slowly extends her palm—and Vexaren leans in, nostrils flaring, a warm exhale ghosting over the princess's fingers. Kaelen guides Seraphina's hand to the ridge above Vexaren's eye, showing her the firm, slow stroke the dragon tolerates, and feels something crack open in her chest as Seraphina whispers, 'She's beautiful.' Finn watches from the cave mouth, one hand on his knife, as the dragon's tail curls around Kaelen's ankle—protective.
The Fork in the Path
Finn reins his horse at the fork where the back road splits, the mist curling around his boots, and says he knows a faster route to the outer gate—he can reach their contacts before the memorial bells ring. Seraphina's hand tightens on the reins as she looks at Kaelen, the question hanging unasked between them. Finn's gaze flicks from one to the other, a knowing half-smile tugging at his mouth, and he nudges his horse forward without waiting for an answer. The mist swallows him, and Kaelen and Seraphina are left alone on the narrow trail, the forest breathing around them, the weight of the letters pressing against Kaelen's hip. Seraphina's voice is quiet when she finally speaks—'How long is the longer road?'—and the space between them feels suddenly smaller, charged with something neither of them has named yet.
The First Flight
The fire crackles low in the hollow beneath the pines when Kaelen looks up from the bedrolls and says it—'Vexaren wants to know if you'd like to fly.' Seraphina's hand freezes on the satchel strap, her face paling, but Vexaren's head swings into the firelight, amber eyes bright, her tail sweeping the moss in an eager arc. Kaelen rises, extends her hand, and waits. Seraphina's throat works once before she takes it, her fingers cold and trembling. Vexaren lowers herself to the ground, wings unfolding with a leathery rustle, and Kaelen climbs up first, settling behind the dragon's shoulder ridge, then reaches down for Seraphina. The princess's breath comes short as she swings up, her body rigid, and Kaelen wraps both arms around her waist, pulling her back against her chest. 'I have you,' Kaelen murmurs against her ear. 'Look at me, not the ground.' Vexaren launches, and the forest falls away—Seraphina's gasp swallowed by the wind as the canopy opens beneath them, the stars rushing close, and Kaelen's arms hold steady around her.