Timeline of a Fallen Hunter — Part Two
By Gunnar De Winter
Friday, June 9th
Tally: 1 dragon (juvenile), confirmed. SILVER award.
103 likes, 15 shares
Hi peeps, Livia here. Sorry about going AWOL for a day. Bad connection on the vac-tube going north. Yep, I'm in the mountains. Most of the caves with potential are in the nature reserve. Tourists aren't allowed in, but being a hunter does have some perks. Mythic population control for Skein integrity and all that.
Anyway, it was nearing sunset when I caught a glint from a cave on the tree line. Now, I have to admit that I'm quote-unquote specialized in urban mythics, so I didn't know what to expect. With Sybil by my side, though, I wasn't worried.
Guess what, peeps?
It was a dragon. An actual effing dragon. Sure, a small one, but still. Trip definitely worth it. Its scales were silver and acted like some sort of prism, pouring faint rainbows into the shadows of the cave. There was a green-tinted campfire in the back of the dragon's den. I wonder if it had made it? Does anyone know if they can?
Sorry, there's no video. Needed both hands for this one.
One thing bothers me a little. It didn't feel like the dragon was giving it its all, you know? Almost as if it had resigned. Don't get me wrong, the fight was hard. As were the beast's scales. It took me a while to get to its softer belly, and I've got plenty of bruises to show for it. Then, when I uploaded the photos, the council gave me a SILVER award. That's rent for a month. Big win.
It's dark so I'm going to stay in the cave 'till morning.
Follow me for more adventures – I've got a few more trips planned.
[embedded pictures PIC_001 to PIC_005]
Alt-text: Me with a smudged face standing next to the dragon's head from various angles for council verification. The scales lost all their luster immediately upon death, dulling to a listless off-white.
Fuck, that's gonna hurt in the morning. And the fire has given up too. At least the post has gotten some traction.
“You've got skill,” they said, “try being a hunter. A bit of initial work to establish yourself, but after that it's glamour and exciting adventures.” Nobody mentioned cold, humid caves. Or sad dragons. I can't shake the impression that it knew, that its eyes pierced my soul and found it wanting.
Stop drifting, Liv. You just need a good night's sleep.
Gunnar De Winter is a Belgian biologist who works as a science writer and storyteller. He has studied bacteria wars, social spiders, little fish, running lizards, and robot behavior. His fiction has appeared in, among others, Heartlines Spec, Future SF Digest, and The Deadlands.
Copyright © 2025 Gunnar De Winter