The encounter in the Black Mist Forest marked a before and after.
Vaelor never saw the mysterious creature again, despite returning to the forest several times. The clearing where he had found it seemed to have vanished, as if it had never existed. But the beast's words remained etched in his mind.
"The dragons remember you."
Every night before sleeping, Vaelor meditated on that phrase. What did it mean? Dragons were legendary creatures, supposedly extinct or hidden in inaccessible places. How could they "remember" him if he had never met them?
'Or maybe I did,' he thought. 'In that previous life I don't remember.'
◇ ◇ ◇
At thirteen, Vaelor decided to intensify his search for contracts.
Expeditions to the Black Mist Forest became routine. Each week, he ventured deeper, cataloging beasts, studying behavior patterns, seeking creatures with potential. Umbra proved invaluable as guide and combat companion.
Over six months, he secured two new Dominion contracts:
The first was a rank D mist snake he named Bruma. A long, sinuous creature capable of producing paralyzing venom and moving through impossibly small spaces. Perfect for reconnaissance and surprise attacks.
The second was a rank D cave bat he named Echo. This beast possessed echolocation so precise it could detect a person's heartbeat from a hundred meters away. With it, Vaelor no longer depended entirely on light to "see."
"Six contracts," he counted one night as his beasts rested around him. "Gris, three mice, Umbra, Bruma, and Echo. All rank F or D except Umbra, who has risen to high D."
"Impressive, young master." Lyria prepared dinner by the small hearth in their room. "Most professional tamers don't have that many contracts at your age."
"Not enough." Vaelor shook his head. "For what's coming, I need much more."
"What's coming?"
Vaelor remained silent. He hadn't told Lyria about his encounter with the mysterious creature, nor the revelations it had given him. Not because he didn't trust her, but because he didn't want to worry her with things he himself didn't fully understand.
"Just… a feeling." He finally said. "That things are going to get difficult soon."
◇ ◇ ◇
That feeling materialized two weeks later.
Vaelor was working at the market when Gris transmitted an alarming image: riders in black armor entering the town. Their banners bore an emblem Vaelor recognized immediately.
A golden dragon on a black field.
The Ashford family.
'They found me.'
He didn't know how. They had been careful, avoiding attention, using false names. But somehow, his pursuers had tracked his location.
He moved quickly, leaving his work without explanation. Through Gris, he counted the riders: twelve in total, all armed, all with the hard gaze of seasoned soldiers.
'Too many to fight,' he calculated. 'But maybe enough to escape.'
He reached the inn before the riders. Lyria was cleaning the room, humming softly.
"Lyria, we're leaving. Now."
The servant didn't question. She had learned to recognize that tone of urgency. In less than five minutes, their few belongings were packed and they were leaving through the back door.
◇ ◇ ◇
The Ashford riders were professional, but Vaelor had advantages they couldn't anticipate.
As they fled toward the Black Mist Forest, Vaelor's mice acted as an early warning system, reporting the pursuers' positions in real time. Umbra created false shadow trails, disorienting the trackers. Bruma left venom traces at strategic points, forcing the riders to stop as their horses began showing symptoms.
"They're splitting up!" one mouse reported through the bond.
Vaelor smiled beneath his mask. Exactly as he expected.
"Lyria, head west. There's a cave I found months ago. Hide there until I come for you."
"But young master—"
"No time to argue." He gently pushed her in the right direction. "Umbra will guide you. Trust him."
The Shadow appeared beside Lyria, looking at her with yellow eyes. The servant hesitated for a moment but finally nodded.
"Promise me you'll be alright."
"I promise."
He saw through Gris how Lyria disappeared into the mist with Umbra at her side. Only then did he allow himself to focus on what was coming.
Four riders had separated from the main group and were following his trail directly. Manageable.
'Time to hunt.'
◇ ◇ ◇
The first rider fell without knowing what hit him.
Bruma slipped from the branches of a tree, wrapping its neck before he could scream. The paralyzing venom acted within seconds, leaving him motionless as he fell from his horse.
The second rider saw his companion fall and shouted an alarm. But Vaelor was already moving.
He emerged from the mist like a ghost, removing his mask at the exact moment. The rider looked directly into his eyes and terror paralyzed him.
"M-monster…" he stammered before Vaelor's dagger found his throat.
The other two riders reacted faster. They dismounted and drew swords, keeping their gaze low to avoid eye contact.
"The young master warned us about your curse," one growled. "You think we're stupid, brat?"
"No." Vaelor's voice was cold as ice. "I think you're dead."
Echo descended from the sky at that moment, its wings creating sound waves that disoriented the riders. Vaelor moved in sync with his beast, using the confusion to strike.
The fight was brief and brutal.
When it ended, four bodies lay on the forest floor, and Vaelor was covered in others' blood for the second time in his life.
'This is becoming a pattern,' he thought bitterly.
◇ ◇ ◇
The rest of the riders appeared minutes later.
They found their comrades' corpses but no trace of Vaelor. The forest mist had swallowed the cursed heir as if he had never existed.
"We'll report to the Duke," the group leader said, his voice tense with frustration. "The target escaped, but now we know he's alive. And we know he's become dangerous."
"What do we do with the bodies?"
"Take them. The Duke will want to know exactly how they died."
As the riders gathered their fallen comrades, none noticed the small gray bird watching them from the branches of a nearby tree.
◇ ◇ ◇
Vaelor found Lyria in the cave, exactly where he had sent her.
Umbra was curled at her feet, watchful. When Vaelor entered, the servant threw herself at him, hugging him tightly.
"Thank the gods." She sobbed against his chest. "I thought… I thought this time…"
"I'm fine." Vaelor held her, allowing himself a moment of vulnerability. "But we have to leave. Mistbridge is no longer safe."
"Where will we go?"
Vaelor considered his options. To the north was the empire, enemy territory. To the south and east, more of the same. Only one direction remained.
"Deeper into the wild lands." He decided. "Beyond the Black Mist Forest. Toward the mountains."
"But that's…"
"Dangerous. I know." Vaelor looked at her, and though she couldn't see his eyes, she felt the determination in his voice. "But it's also the only place my family won't dare follow us. The only place I can become strong enough so no one ever threatens us again."
Lyria was silent for a long moment.
"Then let's go." She said finally. "Together."
Vaelor nodded.
"Together."
And as night fell over the forest, tamer and servant ventured into the unknown, leaving behind the corpses of their pursuers and the ruins of the life they had built.