NOVEL NEXT Chapter 21.2
21.2. Wyvern’s Nest
Winter reigns with cold, draining every trace of life from the land. Even the mountain’s base succumbs, transforming into a snow-laden world.
When spring arrives, the land will awaken, vibrant and green, teeming with life. But for now, it waits in silence, longing for the snow to thaw.
Near the mountain’s summit,
Nord crouched inside a large cave.
The wind howled, sending snow swirling through the entrance, piling it deep inside.
Nord had climbed the cliffs, scaling the heights to the edge of the flying dragon’s lair.
He had seen these dragons multiple times since entering the snowfields.
Each encounter forced him to halt and remain hidden, learning their habits through observation. He estimated the dragons were out hunting, giving him a brief window to act.
Navigating ropes he had set across the mountain, Nord glided swiftly toward the cave’s entrance.
Concealed expertly, the entrance blended with the winter landscape, hidden unless one knew where to look.
From the threshold, Nord pressed his hand to the stone walls,
slipping deeper inside with silent steps.
The further he went, the quieter the wind became.
Carefully, he traversed the snowless ground, ensuring his movements made no sound. His armor, specially modified to suppress noise, let him move stealthily without hindrance.
(Is it… empty?)
He strained to listen beyond the wind, but heard no heavy footfalls or roars of the dragons within.
After confirming the silence, he ventured further into the depths.
(It’s brighter than I thought…)
At last, Nord entered a spacious chamber.
Despite being inside the cave, the area was lit by sunlight filtering through a hole in the ceiling.
Snow did not pile here, blocked by the winds above. Surprisingly, the cave was warm, insulating heat like an igloo.
Nord scanned the surroundings carefully.
While the space wasn’t completely dark, most of it remained cloaked in shadow, making it hard to see clearly.
One thing was certain: the dragon was nowhere in sight.
(Good…!)
Relief swelled inside him. His preparations had paid off.
With the dragon absent, only one task remained—stealing its eggs.
(Now… where are the eggs…?)
The dim light made it difficult to spot anything at first glance.
Nord prowled the nest, searching through scattered bones, decayed food, and crumbled debris from the cave walls.
But the eggs eluded him.
(Damn… I have to be quick. Wait… what’s this?)
As he searched, his gaze caught on something lying on the floor.
It was stark white, almost indistinguishable from snow.
(Snow? No… a sword? Why is this here—what the!?)
Squinting to see better, Nord leaned closer.
The glint of steel revealed it was a sword, likely dropped by another adventurer.
But before he could examine further, his foot slipped on something, and he fell.
Splat.
A wet sound echoed faintly in the quiet cave.
(Ow… What the…? It’s… wet?)
Nord landed hard, his hand sinking into something soft and muddy.
He grimaced, raising his hand to inspect the substance.
!!!
Recognition hit him instantly, along with a wave of revulsion.
(This smell…! Dragon droppings!?)
Though the cave was warmer than outside, the cold dulled the odor.
Perhaps the decaying remnants of food masked the stench, making it less noticeable until now.
The realization struck:
Nord had fallen into the dragon’s toilet.
His surroundings slowly came into focus, revealing brown stains spreading across the floor.
Nord stood, disgusted, realizing his entire body was now covered in feces.
He had dealt with mud and blood before, but never with excrement—this was a new low.
The sword was likely from an adventurer who had fought or been eaten by the dragon.
Given the depth of the filth, there might have been even discarded guild cards buried here.
Recovering such cards was customary among adventurers, but not even Nord had the stomach to dig through this foul heap.
(I need to find those eggs… and leave.)
Though demoralized, Nord forced himself to focus. The mission wasn’t over yet.
(Where are they…? There!)
Finally, he found the eggs.
Nestled within a bed of fibers—perhaps tree bark—five round eggs rested like treasures.
Their dark shells blended seamlessly with the shadows, making them hard to spot.
Each egg was larger than a man’s head and would require both hands to carry.
(Found them. Now I just need to—)
Suddenly, a sound stopped Nord cold.
He froze, heart pounding as he identified the noise.
The faint rumble of footsteps, accompanied by vibrations—
(The dragon!)
The cave’s owner was returning.
§
(What do I do? What do I do…!?)
Had he taken too long? Or had the dragon returned earlier than expected?
Either way, Nord’s situation was dire.
There was only one exit—the entrance.
While there was a hole in the ceiling, it was too high to reach, and there wasn’t enough time to try.
The noise and tremors meant the dragon was already at the entrance.
Running—impossible!
Fighting—out of the question!
Surrendering—never!
Nord’s mind raced, rejecting plan after plan.
In the end, only one option remained.
(Hide… I have to hide!)
The problem was—where?
In a forest, he could hide behind trees. On a rocky mountain, among the stones. Even on a beach, he could use driftwood.
But here, in a dragon’s lair?
(There—!)
Without hesitation, Nord made his move.
He dove straight into the mountain of dragon droppings.
Squelch.
The wet sound echoed faintly through the cave.
§
“──?”
The dragon entered the cave, sniffing the air suspiciously.
Aside from the faint sound of wind, the lair was silent.
Only the light filtering through the ceiling broke the darkness.
Few creatures dared enter this high, snow-covered domain.
None but those who soared through the skies could reach these heights.
Still, the dragon sensed something amiss.
It sniffed the air again, its nostrils flaring.
But it detected nothing unusual.
The dragon scanned the cave once more, then exhaled, dismissing its unease.
Perhaps it was merely the wind—or one of those mischievous ice sprites again.
This lair, isolated atop the snowy peaks, was chosen as a safe place to raise its young.
Occasionally, intruders like adventurers or ice sprites sneaked in.
The dragon made a habit of tearing them apart without mercy.
But today, it found no trace of human scent.
Even if someone hid, the dragon’s keen nose would detect sweat or fear.
Satisfied, the dragon assumed it was just another harmless sprite and moved deeper into the cave, where it began devouring its latest catch.
§
From his hiding place within the pile of filth, Nord listened closely.
Using his cloak, he had managed to create air pockets, allowing him to breathe.
The dark, distant corner where the droppings lay offered decent concealment.
The stench of dragon excrement masked his scent, rendering him invisible to the dragon’s senses.
Hearing the dragon feast, Nord let out a small sigh of relief.
(But still…)
Now that his life was no longer in immediate danger, a grim thought surfaced.
(How long am I going to have to stay here…?)
The overwhelming stench made him gag, and he fought to keep from vomiting.
The dragon continued moving about the cave, making escape impossible for the time being.