For the past few days, something had been bothering Urok: the mud drakes. Contrary to what others might think Urok was glad that Serah was not at fault for what had happened that day, it was an unfortunate accident. No one could have expected a nest to be so high up in the mountains to begin with, and Serah was just protecting herself and everyone else. If anything he should have commended her and Manarams for making it out of that situation alive. Her only fault was creating a life-threatening poison without her father's approval, or the elders'. Now that he was thinking about that situation, he could have been nicer to her, but every he sees her he just gets irritated.
But looking back at that situation, a single question still rang in Urok's ears; why were the mud drakes there? Mud drakes typically made their nests underground near the bases of mountains and waterfalls, they're also very territorial. So, for them to migrate to a nest in the mountains means that someone or something has forced them to move higher.
In search of answers, Urok had been investigating the forest and sending out various watchers to work alongside him. He had some suspicions that outsiders have managed to cross the mountains of Enyr, but he had to be sure, which is why he hasn't told anyone about this. He didn't want people to start panicking so he kept the information close to himself and a few other watchers he trusted.
Urok moved carefully and quietly through the woods, his staff stood tall as he walked with it. Following behind him was a long-neck brown dragon known as a Skaef that acted as his mount. He kept a close eye on the ground and trees for anything strange or out of the ordinary. Things like different footprints, dropped items, or even blood, but it wasn't that easy. Most of the forests were well trodden by different dragonkin on a day-to-day basis; some were marked hunters others were everyday citizens who went about their day. What made the investigation harder was the fact that he didn't have a lot of leads, he only knew that they could potentially be hiding underground.
As he went about his investigation he started hearing talking, loud talking. Must have been hunters bickering amongst each other, he thought. He could hear loud arguments close to him but he didn't pay them too much attention; whoever they were he was sure they could settle it amongst themselves. As he moved around he started hearing them better, words that were mumbled at a distance now sounded complete to him.
"Just stumbled into it, huh?" The voice called out. "How do we know you didn't cause this in the first place?"
"Blaming each other again?" Urok thought. "I thought they'd be above that by now. I suppose it can still happen at their age."
"And how would I have done that?!" Urok heard the familiar voice screaming at another, it was Serah.
Urok followed the arguing voices through the clearing and as he got even closer he heard them loud and clear. Egira was with them and Serah was now at the butt end of her anger.
"Did you all just forget that adult Gecori are territorial? Who's to say she didn't make this dragon go rogue by 'accidentally' stumbling into her nest?"
Egira was flaring with rage, justified or not Urok had to put a stop to it.
"It's not her Egira." Urok said with a tired sigh, he should be used to getting her out of these situations but he can't help but be exhausted every time she's involved. "Leave your questions to the watchers."
"I'm sorry, did I hear that right?" Egira laughed in disbelief "It's not her fault and you're not calling her out?"
"Yes." He said with a straight face "If I wasn't clear before, I'll say it again. It's not her."
Egira seethed with anger, her fists were clenched, and she was ready to go at it with him but before she could say anything a hunter got between them.
"Alright, I think we all need an explanation here." Fein said, trying to calm the situation down. "We found her in the dragon's cave and, whether intentionally or not, she might have angered the Gecori. We have every reason to think she was involved, so why don't you think she is?"
"If I remember correctly," Urok began "The request for this dragon came to you three days ago?"
The hunters nodded, paying deep attention to his words.
"If so, Serah couldn't have set off the Gecori because she wasn't here." He continued "This is the first time she's gone northeast. Her foraging ventures tend to be around the southern and western outskirts. Now if you're satisfied I have a few questions of my own. Firstly, Where's the rogue dragon? Did you kill it?"
"No, it's back in its cave." Covak explained.
"Then we to kill it before it recovers." Urok said as he lifted his staff and prepared to fight. "You've weakened it yes?"
"Well that's the thing," Zhern replied "The devil kind of already handled it."
"How?" Urok asked, looking straight at Serah.
"She said she made this conco-" Egira tried to explain before Urok shut her down.
"I want to hear it from her." He demanded
The crowd went silent, everyone was looking at her. She sat herself up, wincing at her fresh injuries, making sure not to open her wounds.
"Can't a girl get a break? But alright." She said "I accidentally made a potion that can calm dragons down, maybe even make them think you're friendly. I don't exactly know the upper limits of this thing so that's as much as you're going to get out of me for now."
"Accidentally? Can you elaborate?" he asked.
"I initially wanted to make a dragon repellant, something to get a dragon off your back when you're pinned." She explained "But seems like I messed that up."
"Are the effects permanent?" He continued his questions.
"I'm not sure."
"Intriguing." He pondered "You're saying you quelled a dragon's rage. Good work."
"Excuse me?" Serah held a look of bewilderment. "Come again?"
"I said good work." He clarified as he helped her up. "Can you walk?"
"Umm, yeah, I think I can."
"Get on the Skaef." He talked as if he was the only one in the room while he helped Serah onto his mount. "I'll get you home safely."
"Okay...." Serah got on the mouth, confused at what was happening.
"Egira." He spoke with a commanding voice.
"Yeah?"
"Have hunters observe this nest, make sure not to anger the dragon." He said. "If it goes rogue again you know what to do."
As he walked alongside his Skaef he could feel confused eyes searing into his back. He understood why, a human charming dragons was unheard of, and he understood their fear of what she could potentially do with something like this. But Urok thought differently; he believed that they just found a remedy for rogue dragons, permanent or no, a potion like that would be a great boon to Verderis.
Rasze would need to approve this potion to reassure the public, but overall he thought this was good for Verderis. However, it could also be disasters. If outsiders got a hold of her and her knowledge it could ruin them. And with the possibility of poachers in the area he couldn't just let Serah out of his sight. He had to keep her safe, at least for now.
The pair were quiet as they returned to Verderis, one was lost in their own thoughts, and the other was worried if she had to get another lecture from him or her father again. Either way, there was tension and the air was awkward. At least all until Serah broke the ice first.
"Thanks for sticking up to me." Serah began.
"Don't flatter yourself, Serah" He said with an irritated scowl. "You're not out of the woods yet. When you're feeling better I want you to explain why you were there in the first place.
"I figured..." Serah replied rolling her eyes.
"I stuck up for you because you didn't do anything wrong." He continued "For once. But if you're thankful, I suppose you're welcome."
"I take it back then if you're going to be such a pompous prick about it." She scoffed.
"I wouldn't have it any other way." he thought.
He stayed quiet as they walked, he could have said more but he thought he would just lose his temper again. He didn't want to say more unnecessary things to her. He should be nicer, he had thought about it earlier, but she just always found a way to get under her skin. He didn't understand it, but he couldn't stand her.
As they arrived at her home, Urok helped her off the Skaef and bid her a silent goodbye.
"Thanks, Urok." Serah said.
"For what?"
"You used my name for once."
A light chuckle left his mouth, he didn't even notice it.
"Are you under the impression that I hate you?" He asked.
"Don't you?" She replied, wondering why he was asking the question in the first place.
"I don't hate you, Serah." He said as genuinely and authentically as he could. "You just make my job harder. Now go, pray we don't meet under strenuous circumstances again."
Urok rode on his Skaef and struck the reins, leaving Serah behind him. She probably spat profanities at him quietly, it was their usual song and dance, but this time was different - he was only slightly exhausted after meeting her. For that he was glad. However, that wasn't the only thing that brought him joy. He now had another lead for his investigation.
The Gecori had gone rogue but she still went back to her nest when she was injured, which meant that something had disturbed her. But, whatever it was, it wasn't threatening enough to get her out of her nest. Meanwhile, the mud drakes moved from their original territory to a much higher nest in the mountains. If he was right, whatever was disturbing these dragons hid underground near that waterfall, narrowing his search to the northeast.
The next day Urok and his watchers banded together with a few hunters to search for the poacher's supposed hideout. They began their search within the twisting and winding paths of the tunnels beneath the mountain. Watchers sent their small dragon familiars to move through the tight and narrow crevices of the caverns. Meanwhile, the hunters searched for tracks, marks, and other signs that might point to where these poachers could be.
With his fingers Urok drew runes on the air, using his staff to channel his magic, and once the spell had finished casting his vision had changed. The world around him was filled with black and white spots except for the heat that came from inside living bodies. Guided by hunters his gaze darted high and low until eventually, he spotted something odd. Deep underground, below a deep pit, Urok could see a bright orange light. Several bodies moved, both humanoid and dragon alike.
"I found them!" Urok undid his spell and called out to his comrades. He ran through twisting tunnels and dark cavers down to the large pit beneath the waterfall. When they had reached the pit, he and his fellow watchers began casting another spell. When they had finished wings sprouted from behind their backs. He and his company carried a hunter and flew down to the pit and there they saw them, hidden by the sound of water and mounds of rock and stone. Human poachers.
"You shouldn't have come here," Urok said with a powerful booming voice.
The humans held their weapons aloft, they could not understand Urok, but they knew they were in for a fight. Within seconds they began fighting. Egira and her hunters fought the poachers in melee; steel struck against steel and blood spilled on the dark cavern floor. Urok's watchers slung fire like a blade and shot it like arrows. But the poachers didn't fall too easily arrows and spears flew left to right; dragons and dragonkin alike were shedding blood. As chaos erupted between the humans and the dragonkin Urok and a handful of hunters went to free the captive dragons. Burning and breaking locks. But then Urok noticed something.
Under a single tent, he could hear muffled screaming. "Could they have kidnapped one of us?" he thought as he cautiously approached the tent. With his staff, he pried the entrance opened and his jaw dropped at what he saw under the tarp.
"Serah!?"