It was exactly five breaks after midnight according to his hourglass. He had remained vigilant all night as he laid in bed and counted the breaks as it went by. Arc Perscivious was just too excited of what he was about to do today. He immediately sprung out from his comfortable bed and his feet touched the floor. It was cool, way too cool for his liking. Vhalar was approaching its end and the season of festivity would soon be over. Arc fully intended to enjoy the remaining trials, though. He stood up and stretched his limbs to a full length, almost touching the roof above his head. The boy took deep breaths as his muscles tightened and relaxed and felt energized even without a proper sleep.
The young dragon dressed rapidly as he always was and looked like a proper hunter. He moved the curtain to side and could see that the sky was still dark, the tress standing tall in the background, black and still. He searched for signs of day, like the lightening in the sky or graying at the edge of a stone, but there was nothing yet. The boy fastened his belt and bandolier and made sure to check each and every one of his equipment. He put on his bow hunting backpack, opened his window, and jumped to soft grass beneath him.
The grass was colder than the soil but it was still bearable for him. He felt the soil pushed up between his toes and let his feet muscles spread. He walked swiftly and quickly reached the road that led to the Ivorian Forest. Few people were roaming around at this time, but one that did just passed him by and walked quickly to their own destination. He still tried to greet each one of them properly, though.
He turned his walk into a jog and quickly left the cultivated part of the village. After some bits he crossed the threshold of the tribe and his surroundings changed dramatically. The grass stood to his shoulders and the trees seemingly reached the sky. His view was limited and anywhere he looked there were just more trees. He could smell the damp earth combined with old fallen leaves. Some trees gave out a sweet smell while others sour or even bitter. Calming. It was certainly calming.
The boy finally reached a suitable spot as he could already hear the sound of animals waking up and the rush of the Matagea River. Arc laid down his traps amateurishly, but it would do for dumb, panic animals. The red dragon covered his body with soil and animal droppings and climbed a particularly lush tree. He tied himself to the tree and lay prone on its thickest branch. It was now the time to wait.
The hunt had begun.