Relief and joy surged through Severa as she saw her father walking up the street in the last light of day. His steel armor was smeared with blood, and sweat glistened on his forehead, but a broad smile stretched across his face. Behind him, he was pulling a cart carrying a small Silvaraptor.

A fully grown forest dragon in the region of Sylvamarius was at least ten meters long, with a moss-covered back and a wooden, bare chest. The wood that made up their skin was stronger than steel and highly sought after by the people, who carved powerful armor from it.

Although this Silvaraptor was small, only about two meters long, and Severa had no idea of its value, her father's wide grin said it all. With open arms, Severa ran to him, and he embraced her joyfully.

"I think we can expand our house!" he laughed proudly.

Severa crept up to the beast. It wasn't the first time she'd seen one. These creatures often terrorized the town, not out of hunger, but for the sheer thrill of playing with their prey.

Their victims, clad in hard armor, were unappetizing to the forest dragons. Occasionally, they would devour the fish catch, and some townspeople lost limbs when nibbled on by the beasts. Unsurprisingly, they were not welcome visitors, though they were relatively easy to scare off, with few fatalities.

To Severa, a forest dragon attack had always been akin to a severe thunderstorm. From behind the windows, she watched in awe as her parents and neighbors fought off the creature and always returned safely inside.

Severa opened the beast's mouth, examining its teeth, which hadn't fully grown in yet, and gently stroked the soft moss on its back.

Meanwhile, her father had proudly pulled her mother outside, who gasped, covering her mouth as she stared at the beast.

"My goodness, Valerius, we must bring this beast to the blacksmith immediately. How did you manage this?" she asked anxiously.

Father, oblivious to her concern, heard only excitement in her voice, which he eagerly answered.

"I ventured deeper into the forest today. This little pest was sleeping all alone on a ledge in Nivalis," he recounted, his voice filled with adventure, turning to Severa.

"So I parked my cart below, climbed up, pounced on it from behind, and stabbed it right through! It was dead before it could make a sound." He proudly patted the cart.

"All I had to do was push it off the ledge, and gravity did the rest."

Nervously, Mother turned to Severa. "Stay home, sweetheart. I'll help your father drag the beast to the blacksmith. Why don't you head to bed?" she suggested as calmly as possible.

Severa nodded obediently. Once they were out of sight, she trudged inside, tossed her rain cloak on the ground, and stripped off her wooden armor. She kicked off her leather boots and crawled into bed in her underclothes.

Before she could fall asleep, she heard the screech of a forest dragon and the flapping of its wings. Normally, she wouldn't be bothered, but with her parents absent, she grew anxious. Hiding under the covers for a moment, she knew they wouldn't protect her like her parents could.

Severa climbed out of bed, grabbed her bow and arrows from the wall, and ran toward the blacksmith. Rain splashed as her bare feet hit the ground, the rough street tiles cutting into her soles, though the cold numbed the pain.

She saw two massive heads towering above the rooftops—two forest dragons had landed in the town square near the blacksmith.

"Papa, Mama," she called out, panicked as she approached. The cart with the small dragon still sat along the street leading to the square.

Her father held her mother close, spear extended toward the two beasts. Severa hid behind the tailor's shop bordering the square.

"Amici, get out of here," her father ordered, his eyes blazing.

Mother, paralyzed, stood motionless. Father released her and cautiously stepped forward, spear aimed at the beast, hoping to drive it away. But today, they seemed far angrier than usual.

A dragon swiped its claw, sending Father flying a meter away. He quickly rose, his sturdy armor sparing him from injury, and thrust his spear at the dragon, driving it back.

With a worried glance, he saw his wife, still defenseless, softly speaking to the beast in an attempt to calm it.

"Run!" he shouted, charging the dragon with a loud roar, hoping to distract it. But the other dragon struck him against the wall while the first remained focused on Mother.

She spun around and tried to flee, but the dragon's paw slammed her to the ground. Blood streamed from her nose. "Please," she groaned. "I'm sorry."

She glanced at her husband, but the second Silvaraptor kept him engaged, preventing him from aiding her. The beast grabbed her in its jaws. Desperately, she pounded on its snout, hoping it would release her. It did—but only for a cruel moment before smashing her back into the ground and seizing her again.

Lights flickered in nearby homes, but no one emerged to help—not even Ambrosius, who must've seen the dragons from his tower.

"Valerius," Mother sobbed weakly. Her voice, drained of energy, hope, and life, no longer pleaded for rescue. It sounded resigned, as if she knew she was lost, betrayed by her belief in the legends, now facing an inescapable doom.

Severa knew she had to act. She was the only one left to save her mother. Creeping around the buildings, she aimed an arrow at the Silvaraptor holding her mother. The arrow struck just behind its eye, and it let out a deafening screech.

The dragon dropped Mother, who lay motionless. Her blood mixed with the rain, turning the light brown tiles of the square red for meters.

The beast crawled toward Severa, and the other dragon turned as well.

"Severa!" her father yelled. "Get out of here!"

Severa fired another arrow, striking the dragon in the forehead. It shook its head violently but then turned and flew away.

The remaining Silvaraptor roared, stalking toward Severa. Her hands trembled, and tears filled her eyes. She nocked another arrow, meeting its gaze. For a moment, the beast glanced at Mother lying still. Then it snorted through its nostrils and flew off.