Heart Hunter by Julia VanderPlaats

Heart Hunter by Julia VanderPlaats

William slowed Ares to a trot, entering the sleeping town as leaves scattered across the road like rats running into hiding. He glanced around, making sure he was unseen. A little green-eyed girl with raven hair clutched a wooden dragon. She stood close to her mother who held a lantern and looked like an older version of her. Refugees from Edendale, no doubt. They worked sunrise to sunset to stay off the streets. They wouldn’t report him to anyone. William flicked the reigns, speeding past the farms. He craned his neck around, taking in the kingdom. William knew how reckless he was being, but the Edendale dame needed a savior, and he needed a quest to prove himself to the king. Ares sped to a canter towards Edendale, leaving Tyros behind.

Knights who traveled to Edendale tried saving the dame who was left in the ruins, but they never returned. William was sure he would. All his training wasn’t for nothing! He was more than a squire, but King Richard refused to knight him saying he wasn’t valiant enough. William would prove to the king that he was. If he returned with the girl and the dragon’s head, his majesty would have no choice but to knight him. Plus, the dame was from Edendale and would make a more beautiful wife than queen Eleanor.

The green plains were covered with vibrant spiky flowers, spreading pollen into the wind. William’s thoughts bounced around like his sword clattering against his wooden shield. He adjusted the crossbow on the saddle and made sure the arrows were secure. He wondered what the dame looks like. Would she have Edendale’s cultural green eyes and black hair? William also dreamed of what her voice would sound like. It was soft, kind and musical. He knew her crying was heard from the tower by travelers and scouts, but he preferred his version of her in his head.

The dragon attacked Edendale two months ago. It ate all the farm animals within a fortnight and remained circling the tower, waiting for the girl to give herself up. William dealt with dragons before but never alone. He had to defeat the beast. This was his moment. His legacy. His path to knighthood.

As the sun rose, he pondered how he’d slay the dragon and rescue the dame without his brothers’ aid. It was simple in William’s mind, nock an arrow and shoot. The dragon would be wounded, and he’d sever the head with his sword. The hard part was staying alive, but William was agile on his feet and could improvise quickly if things went awry. He was the top of his class, but apparently not good enough for knighthood.

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Ares bounded forward, and William could see the tower’s peak in the midday sun. He got closer and his heartbeat matched the rhythm of Ares’ hooves. The town was burnt and all that was left of life were ribcages infested with rats. William pulled Ares to a stop. The dragon was nowhere in sight. He tied the reigns to a rusty rod in a half-standing building. He shoved his helmet on and gave Ares one last pat and ascended into the maze of ruins.

William peered around a broken wall. Weeping echoed in the one preserved tower in the center of the ruins. Its stones were cracked, anguished by fire and claws. It appeared as if the dragon attempted to tear it down, but the foundation was too strong. William snuck towards the base of the tower, searching the sky for danger. A gut-wrenching cry escaped the structure and William stumbled back. He wasn’t sure if this was a dame or a demon.

Before he decided, a leathery flapping whooshed through the clouds and a giant lizard descended from the heavens. Its scales were brownish-green, and its wings were pink with bold dark veins running through the thin skin. William drew his sword, and the blade glared with sunlight. His hands felt slippery with sweat, and his heart pounded inside his ribcage, making his breaths short.

The dragon swooped towards him and William dove behind a crumbled wall. The beast circled above; its wings cast shadows over the ruins like an omen of death. A rattling roar shook William’s weapons, vibrating his chest and his head rumbled inside his helmet. William ripped off his helmet and searched the sky. He saw the tail whip around the tower. The dragon landed out of sight, shaking the ground. He could hear it stomping around and heard clattering sounds like coins falling upon the hard stone.

William tried opening the tower’s door, but it was wedged shut. It had sunk, disrupting the alignment. He looked around, still hearing the dragon shuffling around. He’d have to fight the dragon first. William took a deep breath and nocked an arrow in his crossbow. He felt a tingling in his stomach, but the scowl he remembered on King Richard’s face overpowered his fear. William’s face imitated the King’s expression without him realizing. He peered around the tower and saw the dragon shake his head, scattering scales. William steadied his hand against the wall and aimed at the dragon’s throat. Pang! The arrow flew across the ruins, but the dragon craned its neck down, scratching scales off its shoulder with its teeth.

The arrow wasn’t completely useless and tore through the dragon’s wing. A vein spurted blood from the thin skin and the dragon shrieked in pain. The monster’s boa-shaped head turned towards him, eying him with its one good green eye. The other iris was glazed over like milk poured into a green bottle of mead. It roared with anger, showing the double lined rows of fangs.

The dragon pounced towards him, hissing with a drooling maw. William recalled his sword, sliding out of reach, and slashing its hind leg. The monster shrilled, turning to look at its wound. It whirled back, limping towards him with fire broiling in its throat. William turned and ran towards the tower. The dragon, in close pursuit, tried biting William’s head off, but he tripped on a stone and fell face down at the tower’s doorstep, scattering arrows over the mournful stone.

William’s nose bled and his vision was blurry. The ruins blocked his left and right, and the beast slithered in front of him, blocking his way out. William could hear his pulse thumping in his ears as he looked at the gnarly beast. He trapped himself like a mouse in a badger’s burrow. William searched the ground for an arrow, but they had rolled out of reach or into a pocket of stones. He struggled with the door, calling up to the window, “Madam! Open this door!”

The dragon snarled at him with its throat burning a brighter yellow by every second. William swung his shield in front of himself just as the blaze bellowed his way. Flames taunted him from behind his shield and pushed him back against the door. The fire finally stopped, and William noticed flames clinging to his shield. He threw the circle of wood aside, seeing it burn into a black charred disc. “My lady!” he hollered again, throwing himself at the door, slightly budging it. The dragon stomped towards him. William’s back was against the entrance as he unsheathed his sword, ready to swing. Everything in his body was telling him to run, but he didn’t have a choice; he was trapped. William wasn’t a coward. This wasn’t the end. King Richard was wrong about him, and he was going to prove it.

Just as the dragon opened its mouth, the door opened, and William fell backwards into the tower. The door slammed shut and the dragon hit the metal slab. The tower shuttered, causing dust to fall. William looked up and saw the most beautiful dame.

The girl’s skin was as pale as the moon and her long, wavy hair was darker than the night. Her eyes were like shiny emeralds and her cheeks and lips rosy with delight. She would indeed make a lovely wife.

He stood and bowed to her. “Madam, I am William from Tyros. I have come to bring you away from this wretched place; away from the beast that torments you.”

The door shook as fire flicked in from the hinges. The lady jumped, taking his arm. “Come to the undercroft where it is safe. We cannot leave when the beast awaits our escape!” She was right. There was no way they could leave now.

“Of course,” William said, a little out of breath, looking around the dusty tower. “Could I acquire a better weapon to slay the dragon?”

She nodded, leading him to a stairwell. It was narrow, cold and echoed as they searched for footholds in the minimal light. A red glow dimly illuminated the tunnel. He paused, watching the flickering against the walls. The dame looked back with her childlike eyes. “It is only but a torch,” she said.

William continued, seeing the torch secured on the wall as they descended. Noise from the dragon faded as William’s feet hit the floor. A few more torches lit the tunnels, and a strange fume filled his nose. “What is this stench?”

“It is the dead rats, I’m afraid. I’ve gotten used to it. You however—with sensitive senses—must pinch your nose.”

William did so, pinching the bridge of his nose with his free hand. “Are there any underground passageways? One’s unknown to the common man?”

“Not from this tower I’m afraid,” she said. Her voice was indeed soft. The girl let go of his other hand and stopped at a door. She shoved it open, nudging it with her hip. She handed him a torch from the wall, gently pushing him inside the armory.

“You will find more weapons in here. You must be prepared,” the girl said.

William spoke while pinching his nose, sounding like a sick child. “Are you aware of any others dwelling here or—” He paused and looked around. The girl was gone.

He craned his head out into the dank hall. As he squinted in the dark, he saw a green light reflect off the supporting wall. It was as if the girl opened a door, and then it vanished the way it appeared. What kind of torch is that? The ground shook, reminding William about his task at hand. He stepped inside and the door swung closed, moaning like someone in pain. He searched the room, finding many swords, maces, shields, spears, bows and arrows, and all the like. He took more arrows and a sharper sword which looked awfully familiar. It had initials “Sir A.B” William pulled the cellar’s door to find it was stuck like the first door. He stepped back and kicked it open, breaking the brittle latches from the wall.

William peered into the darkness, remembering the hall where the strange torch was. He spotted the door with a thin green line glowing from under the frame. “Madam?” he said, turning the knob. When the door opened, he could taste the same deathly stench. His eyes adjusted to the emerald light, and he dropped the torch upon seeing the contents of the room.

Rows of open shelves lined the dungeon, floor to ceiling. They held jars filled with colorful liquids, dead animals, and body parts. Human body parts. He looked closer at one jar; eyeballs rolled around in dark slime and William stumbled back. He hit the shelf behind him and when he turned, he was met face to face with a severed head pickled into a large jug. The face was trapped in a horrified expression. He gasped but tilted his head, Sir Adam? Another shelf was filled with fingers, stacked like kindling. Next to it was an open chest full of human hearts hooked to a large basin sitting next to it with bendy cords attached to the arteries. The hearts were beating, pumping blood in and out of the basin. William covered his mouth, trying not to gag or scream.

He felt dizzy. His heart pounded so hard he thought it would jump into the trunk with the others. Where was the girl? “My lady?!” he called out. “We must leave now!” William found his balance, and rushed to the door, but it swung shut on its own. He yanked on it, but it wouldn’t budge.

“Oh dear,” said a low, female voice, vibrating the room. “It looks as if we’ve got ourselves a wild one.”

His heart ran faster than his mind as he turned, seeing the dark-haired woman walking towards him between the dusty shelves and glowing tonics. As she passed a mirror, he saw the vilest figure of an old raggy woman with glowing green eyes and cracked, greyish skin. This cannot be! William thought as he shakily drew his sword. As he held the sword, it melted into a puddle on the floor. He tossed the molting blade away with a yelp.

“You won’t be needing that,” she said with a grin. “Don’t be afraid. This is your fate, your destiny, to serve and provide!” Her voice bounced around William’s brain, shaking his eyeballs like the dragon’s shrill. His dream of her no longer held a place in his heart. She’s the one doing this!? He thought as he pressed his back against the door. It was impossible. How could a beautiful woman be a monster?

He suddenly found himself standing above a massive cauldron, looking into its emerald bubbling lava. He didn’t remember walking up to it or being dragged. He simply appeared in front of it. William turned his head to find the girl, but he couldn’t move any other part of his body.

The girl cackled, coming into view as she danced around the caldron. “You’re going to make a great deal of elixir!” The dame threw in a couple toes from a nearby jar. The potion smoked up into a thick cloud. “You played a grand game with my pet. Now it’s your time to aid me, the damsel in distress. It works every time you know, acting like helpless prey.” Her smile was no longer charming but made William’s stomach churn.

“Y-you’re a witch!”

The girl cocked her head, searing her emerald eyes into his. “All women from Edendale are.”

William’s face sunk as his heartbeat rose. All the women? he thought, recalling the little girl and her mother. They were all wolves in sheep’s clothing, dragons underneath a pile of gold. He struggled against the invisible force holding him in place. It felt like needles on his skin against resistance. William looked back at the jars, then down into the caldron. He felt a tear slide down from his eye. He realized Tyros was doomed. No one would warn them. King Richard was right; William wasn’t a knight. He couldn’t even save himself.

* * * * THE END * * * *
Copyright Julia VanderPlaats 2026

Image Source: Craig Whitehead from Unsplash.com