GOT King of Dragon

The moment Falcon spoke, the tribespeople erupted into chaotic shouting, clamoring for revenge. 

Rhaegar tugged on Tomond's arm and whispered, "What's the story with those three burned corpses?" 

Of the killed bodies, only one had an arrow wound. 

The other three died under strange circumstances. 

It was hard for Rhaegar not to notice. 

Tomond turned his head, lowering his voice in fear. "Those are the people killed by the shadow creature. That monster is still following the tribe." 

His body trembled as he spoke, and his face grew even paler. 

Facing the tribespeople, Falcon raised both hands high and shouted, "Quiet! The enemy is hiding nearby. Prepare your weapons immediately!" 

The tribesman who had been shot was a night guard. 

Another tribesman, who had gotten up in the middle of the night to relieve himself, found the body in the bushes. 

He screamed, alerting the tribe. 

The other three corpses weren't discovered until most of the tribe had woken up. 

Four tribespeople died in a single night. 

The Falcon tribe seemed shrouded in a heavy shadow. The atmosphere was grim and oppressive. 

Falcon led the able-bodied warriors to grab their weapons, light torches, and form teams to scout outside the valley. 

The death of the night guard meant the enemy was lurking nearby. 

They could attack at any moment. 

Rhaegar observed the scene and frowned silently. 

This tribe was being stalked by some unknown monster. 

Now they'd also been discovered by another tribe during their migration. 

A reckless counterattack would only lead to an ambush, potentially wiping them out in a single night. 

Rhaegar took a step forward, intending to offer a warning. 

Bolan grabbed the back of his collar and scolded, "Don't mess around. Impulsive tribesmen don't think things through." 

"Tonight will be dangerous!" Rhaegar stated firmly. 

"I know. Uncle Falcon knows too. But the survival of a tribe like ours is built on constant fighting and conquest," Bolan replied, slinging a bow across her back. She held onto both Rhaegar and Tomond, one with each hand. 

"We'll stick with the women who have children. Tribes usually won't kill women and children." 

"…" 

The warriors left the valley with Falcon. 

Rhaegar was assigned to stay with the old, weak, and injured. 

Other than the pregnant women, the group consisted mostly of wild, monkey-like children. 

Rhaegar looked around curiously. "There don't seem to be many men in your tribe, but there are so many kids. Why?" 

"When tribes are conquered, the men and elders are killed, the women are raped, and the children are abandoned," Bolan explained. "A lot of these kids were orphans Uncle Falcon took in." 

"He says kids grow up fast and become strong warriors." 

"Falcon's quite an unusual tribesman," Rhaegar said with a wry smile. 

As a nomadic hunter-gatherer tribe, where did they find the resources to raise so many children? Expecting wildlings to grow up was too optimistic. 

--- 

In the early hours before dawn, fires flared up outside the valley. Piercing screams echoed through the night, followed by the furious howls of another tribe. 

Falcon came stumbling back into the valley, covered in blood. 

Only a handful of people followed behind him, all injured and visibly alarmed. 

The howling pursued them relentlessly. 

The firelight surged, flooding into the open valley. 

"Run! The White Pine Tribe is here! Everyone, escape now!" 

Falcon swung his axe to deflect bone arrows shot by their pursuers, shouting at the tribe to flee. 

"Let's go!" 

Without a word, Rhaegar bolted toward the narrow exit on the other side of the valley. 

Looking back, he saw the others running even faster than him, screaming in panic as they fled. 

Rhaegar fell behind. His small arms and legs couldn't keep up with the adults. 

Frustrated, he tried to call out to the Devourer, but there was still no response. 

"Don't just stand there! Run!" 

Falcon came charging from behind, grabbing Rhaegar by the back of his shirt and hoisting him onto his shoulder. Then he sprinted with all his might. 

Rhaegar turned his head to look back. 

The invading wildlings surged into the valley in waves. Half of them scavenged the supplies left behind by the Falcon tribe. 

The other half continued their pursuit. 

The dozen or so warriors who had returned with Falcon stood no chance against them. 

One by one, they were either hacked down or shot by bone arrows. 

Falcon, tall and powerfully built, sprinted like the wind, his boots pounding against the ground. 

--- 

Leaving the pursuing savages far behind gave Rhaegar a sense of relief. 

He truly didn't want to get caught up in the conflict between two wild tribes and end up dying in vain. 

… 

At dawn. 

As the first light of day broke, the remnants of the Peregrine Tribe fled westward, running through vast pine forests. 

Many were scattered. 

The men were killed on the spot, the women pinned to the ground and violated. 

Children ran in all directions; some were slaughtered as they fled, while others hid deep within the forest. 

Falcon carried Rhaegar as they fled, with only a handful of tribal guards managing to keep up. 

When they could run no further, they hid on a hillside and paused for a brief rest. 

"Falcon, the tribe is gone!" 

A wildling named Sander, his face filled with grief, confronted their leader. 

"Gone? We can rebuild it. As long as we're alive, there will be a day when we take it back!" 

Falcon spoke in a low, firm voice as he set the battered and shaken Rhaegar down. 

"The whole tribe is nearly wiped out, and yet you're still dragging along this little brat? For what?" 

Another wildling pointed accusingly at Rhaegar, whose face was pale as he cowered behind Falcon. 

Rhaegar cast a quick glance at the man, his entire body aching, and moved to hide further behind Falcon. 

"He has a dragon and is the son of a king. He's more noble than anyone you've ever seen in any castle. He can bring wealth to the tribe!" 

Falcon spread his arms and explained in a hushed but assertive tone. 

"You're lying! If he really had a dragon, he'd have burned us to ashes by now." 

"Exactly. The White Pine Tribe probably came because of him—he's nothing but trouble!" 

"Who cares if he's royalty or not? We can't count on him. He's just a lying brat!" 

"…" 

The wildlings seemed to find a scapegoat, glaring angrily at Rhaegar. 

Some gripped their weapons, staring at him with ill intent. 

Rhaegar's heart began to race, sensing the danger, and he quickly spoke up: 

"My dragon is on its way back. I will ride it to avenge the Peregrine Tribe and bring you unimaginable riches!" 

He had known all along that this tribe wasn't reliable. 

They couldn't even hold together for a single night before scattering. 

Hearing his words, the wildlings' noisy accusations quieted as they all turned to look at Falcon, waiting for his decision. 

Falcon took a deep breath, his demeanor as a leader returning, and said gravely: 

"If he says he has a dragon, then we'll wait one day. The truth will reveal itself." 

"Hah! If he has a dragon, I'll give you my head to use as a wine jug," Sander sneered before turning and walking away. 

The other wildlings exchanged uneasy glances, some wanting to follow Sander, but they hesitated under Falcon's authority and slumped to the ground in defeat. 

Falcon didn't stop Sander. Instead, he gave a brief command: 

"Rest here. We'll set out at first light." 

With that, Falcon grabbed Rhaegar by the collar, lifted him up, and carried him to the top of the hill. 

There, he gazed out over the pine forest they had passed through, scanning for any sign of pursuing enemies. 

Rhaegar sat crouched beside him, his voice weak as he muttered, "I really do have a dragon." 

"I know." 

"Your tribe is scattered. What are you planning to do?" 

"Wait." 

"Wait for what?" Rhaegar asked, puzzled. 

Falcon turned to look directly at him, his expression cold. "Wait for your dragon to find you and burn the White Pine Tribe to ashes." 

"You actually believe me?" Rhaegar was surprised at the wildling leader's trust. 

"I don't." 

Falcon's voice was icy. "But my tribe was attacked—our men were killed, and our women and children were captured. I need your dragon to take back everything we've lost." 

Rhaegar exhaled and promised, "Don't worry. As soon as my dragon finds me, I'll make sure to avenge your tribe!" 

"I've held up my end of the bargain. You'd better remember what you've said…" 

Falcon's words were cut short as a hidden arrow whistled through the air, piercing his right eye. 

Before Rhaegar's very eyes. 

The bone arrowhead emerged from the back of Falcon's skull, skewering his head entirely. 

(End of Chapter)