Jessica clutched herself against the dragon as tightly as she could, with Iris sandwiched under her chest. The pup’s head was peeking out from under her, ears folded back, and she seemed to be just as terrified as they soared through the sky at incredible speed. Meanwhile, Valrok, her father in this life, stood easily on two feet as if the galing winds were no more than a soft breeze, his red cloak flapping heavily over his shoulder.

  Then there was her aunt, sitting cross-legged with her hands in her lap just behind Jessica, looking as comfortable as if she were in a park on a blanket with a picnic basket.

  “Go for more rides with him and you’ll eventually get the dragon rider skill,” her aunt called over the wind.

  “That doesn’t help me much now!” Jessica screamed back. She felt that if she didn’t keep her fingers clenched into the crevices of its scales, she would be thrown off in a second. Likewise, she was worried about how quickly the puppy would disappear out of sight if she were to let go. Or, even her mask, for that matter, would disappear behind them in an instant if it were to slip off.

  Then, everything shifted, causing Jessica’s heart, which was already sitting in her throat, to somehow jump even higher.

  “Looks like we’re heading down!” her aunt called.

  People weren’t meant to be this high up without seatbelts! Jessica cried internally.

  Soon, the endless blue sky around them was replaced by snapping tree branches, and after a sudden deceleration that plastered Jessica against the dragon’s back, the wind finally stopped as they landed on solid ground.

  Both she and Iris were still shaking as Jessica finally peeled herself back and took in her new surroundings. There was a canopy of trees over them. Normal trees, not those strange grey ones with the reaching branches that she had seen in the vale where she had first met Iris.

  “Here we are!” Her aunt patted her back, causing her to yelp in surprise.

  Valrok looked disapprovingly down at her as he walked across the dragon’s back to loom over her. “Stand,” Valrok said commandingly. Jessica hesitated; her entire body felt like jelly. Then, losing patience, Valrok reached down and grabbed the back of her shirt, fingers hooking under the clasp of her breastplate. He lifted her effortlessly and set her on her feet. She still held Iris tight to her chest.

  “This will be your trial ground,” Valrok explained, gesturing around. “You will remain here for five days. You will eat what you hunt and sleep where you fall.” He then leapt down, smoothly landing on the forest floor below.

  Jessica knew she would break an ankle if she attempted that, but her aunt calmly walked down the end of the dragon's back, then slid smoothly off the side of its tail. Jessica decided to take her approach and followed, though unlike her aunt’s graceful descent, Jessica stumbled once her feet hit solid ground.

  Before Valrok could rejoin them, she cautiously tugged her aunt’s sleeve. “I don’t think this is a good idea. Please, at least convince him to let you stay with me.”

  Her aunt’s mask had a fixed toothy grin, but Jessica could imagine her actual face underneath mirroring it right now. “Don’t worry, you should survive.” Jessica didn’t feel very assured by that. But then her aunt leaned lower and whispered. “I packed some jerky for emergencies without telling him. It won’t last the full five days, but will get you started.”

  Jessica looked around for Valrok, who was unstrapping a bag with a spear tied to it from the dragon’s side. As he approached, Iris stirred in Jessica’s arms, so she let her jump free from her arms.

  “Here,” Valrok said, holding the bag and spear out to her. “Be grateful to your aunt, for she convinced me to allow you a single healing potion. But if you are to use it, know that I will expect an even greater beast for your final kill.”

  Jessica took the bag from him, then worked the spear free from its side. “So… what am I supposed to hunt exactly again?”

  He folded his arms. “That will be up to you. If I am unsatisfied with your progress when I return, I will leave you here for another week, and you will miss the celebration.”

  This is totally child abuse! Jessica thought.

  Valrok paced away, gesturing out into the dense woodland. “I will suggest you spend the first days hunting for food and levels. Make sure Iris is assisting you, as that will help her grow as well. You may also take this time to scout a worthy hunt for your final day and plan how to prepare for it. I’ve given you supplies to start a fire, as well as tools for skinning and preparing your meals. Beyond that, you will have what nature grants you and you obtain yourself.”

  “What if I die out here…” Jessica muttered under her breath. It was a very valid concern.

  He turned to face her, the intensity of his snarling mask staring into her soul. “Then you will die, and the forest will keep your bones.”

  Jessica gulped.

  Then, in a rare show of affection that went beyond his usual proud declarations, he kneeled down to be closer to eye level with her and placed a hand on her shoulder. Even taking a knee, he was as tall as her.

  “Elva. You are a Wyrmscar. Our blood has always been the strongest of our people, and it will be the same for you. I do not understand your hesitation and fears, but it is time to break yourself of them and live up to your name. When I return, you will stand before the tribe not as my daughter, but as a warrior that they know has earned their respect.”

  His hand lingered, strong, sitting heavily on her shoulder, but she could feel some type of warmth from him. If this situation he was throwing her into wasn’t so screwed up, and if it were not for the constant disapproval he typically directed towards her, she would almost think he had it in him to be a good dad.

  “I…” she started to say something, but he stood again before she could form the words.

  “I will return on the dawn of the sixth day,” he said, brushing a hand along the dragon’s side as he stepped around it. “If you have proven yourself, I will take you home with pride. If not…” He didn’t finish the sentence.

  Jessica watched him climb onto the dragon’s back with the effortless grace of a man who had done so his entire life. Her aunt followed, adjusting her mask as she looked down at Jessica.

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  “Five days,” her aunt said, her tone casual but her posture firm. “Don’t waste them. You’ll hate him for it now, but if you live through it, you’ll understand why he pushed you.”

  Jessica scowled behind her mask. “You both act like I’m not even allowed to be terrified!”

  Her aunt chuckled softly. “Fear’s fine. Just don’t let it drive. It is a thing to be conquered.” With that, she gave herself a quick running start, then leapt up the dragon’s side, using a single hand to swing herself up at the last second.

  Valrok gave a sharp whistle, and the dragon’s wings unfurled with a crack like thunder. The beast’s tail swept low, stirring the underbrush and forcing Jessica to shield her face as debris scattered.

  Her father looked down, cloak snapping in the wind. “Five days, Elva. Make them count.”

  Before she could even think of a reply, the dragon kicked off the ground. The rush of air was so strong it nearly knocked her off her feet as the creature broke through the canopy and vanished into the sky.

  Then—silence.

  Jessica stood there a long moment, her fingers trembling as they tightened around the spear. The forest loomed around her, vast and still. The air smelled damp and mossy. A faint haze drifted through the shafts of sunlight spearing through the leaves. Somewhere distant, something howled—a long, low sound that made her skin prickle.

  Iris gave Jessica a soft, unhappy growl.

  Jessica crouched beside her, pulling open the bag, and began rummaging through it to check her supplies. “Don’t look at me like that. I’m not thrilled either.”

  Then again, as long as nothing tries to kill us, this is probably better for Iris than being trapped in a cage most of the day… And having orders constantly barked at her when she is let out… From the very people who took her from her family, no less.

  Inside the bag, as promised, she found flint stones, a skinning knife, a bone saw, and a water skin. She dug deeper and found another pocket sewn into the inside of the bag that had a single healing potion and several helpings of jerky wrapped in cloth.

  Iris must have had a really good sense of smell, because she was already sniffing at the cloth.

  Jessica stared at it for a moment, then sighed and unwrapped it, pulling out a nice thick sliver of jerky, which she placed in Iris’s mouth. She was too nervous to feel hungry herself, so she wrapped it back up and returned it to the bag while Iris lay down with the treat and started working her teeth through it.

  Jessica slung the bag over her shoulder and took another look around. She didn’t know anything about hunting but knew that jerky wouldn’t last more than a day, especially since she had Iris to feed as well.

  “Okay… So step one would probably be to find something else to eat. I guess there are plenty of things we don’t really need to fight, right?” She looked down at Iris as if expecting some feedback.

  The pup just stared back with that unhappy glare as she continued chewing through the jerky. They may have formed some kind of a bond—at least according to the system—but she knew Iris didn’t necessarily like her. She honestly couldn’t blame her either.

  Jessica took off the mask with a sigh and held it at her side. “Should probably try to find some water too… That’s at least an easy one.” She glanced back to make sure Iris was done with her snack and said, “Okay, come on, girl… Let’s, uh… go.”

  Iris just stared back. Ears low, tail not wagging.

  Jessica took a few steps forward and softly clapped the back of her wrist. “Come on!” she said, forcing a little cheer in her voice. She tried whistling. When that failed, she turned around and crouched, holding out her hand. “Right here, girl!”

  Iris growled protectively over her jerky.

  Jessica sighed.

  “Okay, fine. I get it,” Jessica muttered. “You hate me. I don’t blame you… And… Look, if you want to just go your own way, that’s fine with me. You can probably survive better on your own anyway. I’ll just… I don’t know. Tell them I lost you.” She knew what that would look like once she got back. She would be hated even more by the tribe than she already was, and she didn’t even want to think about how Valrok would react. But… she was his daughter, so it's not like he would kill her or anything.

  “Maybe he’d just give up on me at that point, and I could get some other job in town…” Jessica sighed and turned away. “It’s not like I’m cut out to be a warrior anyway.”

  After a few steps, she looked back to see Iris still hadn’t moved. Her plan was to eventually free Iris anyway, so why not just let her go now? “I’m going. Like I said, it’s up to you.”

  With that, she continued walking.

  I’ll just have to do my best not to die out here.

  She walked for a few minutes, scanning every shadow and bush for whatever threats might be lurking. Then, she heard a twig snap behind her and whirled around, gripping her spear.

  It was Iris, half-hidden behind a fern, eyes narrowed but ears perked. She wasn’t following close, exactly—more like she was shadowing her.

  Jessica blinked, relief and guilt tangling in her chest. “Couldn’t resist the company, huh?”

  The pup didn’t respond, of course. She just flicked her tail once and huffed as if to say, Don’t make a big deal out of it.

  They pressed on together, the slope gradually tilting downhill. She figured if she kept descending, she’d eventually run into a stream. At least, she remembered hearing that from one of the survival shows she used to watch with her dad and brother—her real family that was literally another world away. Things were not perfect in Wyoming, it was actually a very boring place to grow up, but she’d take boring over this world’s version of excitement any day.

  She spotted a bush that was covered in berries and walked over to it. She picked one off and sniffed it. There wasn’t much of a smell, and she had no idea if they were edible or not. She wouldn’t have felt safe randomly eating berries back on Earth let alone in this strange hell-world with a red sky. Still, she picked off a couple handfuls and put them in a side pouch on her bag. If she got desperate enough, she might have no choice but to risk it.

  “Would be great if the system could drop a loot box with a chicken dinner or something…”

  She didn’t think the system gave such things, but she had heard others in the tribe talk about achievements. They all seemed to get them regularly for various feats. Jessica had only ever gotten one. It was when she woke up one morning after getting a full night's sleep (only thanks to being so absurdly exhausted). The achievement had some cheeky text about the importance of a full eight hours and rewarded her with a single point added to her luck stat.

  I guess I’ve been setting the bar so low the system had to give me at least something, if only out of pity.

  The system was another mystery. It went along with the game mechanics that seemed to exist in this world, but she was really at a loss for how to work that to her benefit. It didn’t really make sense to her how getting level ups and numbers going up on her stat screen actually affected her physical capabilities. But, based on what she’s seen from others, she knew it was undeniably a reality of this world.

  She adjusted the strap on her bag and kept following the slope. The forest stretched endlessly in every direction. Every so often, a faint breeze stirred the canopy above, scattering light across the moss-covered ground in restless flickers.

  Then, she thought she heard something. She stopped and held her breath. It was the faint but steady sound of running water.

  “Iris! I think we found water!” she cheered and started heading in the direction of the sound. As she got closer, the sound became louder, and she could even smell it in the air.

  After pushing through some branches, she finally found it—a narrow brook being fed by a small, waist-high waterfall.

  Jessica ran over and knelt, dipped in her waterskin until it bubbled full, and took a cautious sip. It was icy and fresh.

  Iris padded up beside her and began lapping her tongue into the stream.

  “Okay, that’s one problem solved,” Jessica said, dipping in the waterskin to top it off and then corking it.

  Iris let out a low rumbling growl.

  “What’s your problem now…?”

  Jessica’s words trailed off. The pup was staring rather intently across the stream. Ears folded back and hackles raised.

  Slowly, Jessica turned her gaze to whatever Iris was looking at. At first, she saw nothing—just the sway of undergrowth and the shimmer of sunlight on wet leaves. Then a shape slinked into view.

  It was low to the ground and built like a hyena crossed with a komodo dragon—long limbs, thick scales, and a blunt snout that ended in rows of uneven teeth. Its reptilian eyes focused on them, and its lips parted just enough to reveal a mouthful of pointed teeth, letting a threatening hiss escape its throat.

  Jessica took a step back, gripping her spear. “Oh… crap…”

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