A Wyvern amongst Dragons - on temporary hiatus

Chapter 1.

Year 3136 of the Goblin

Aleron could claim a new territory. He had his wings spread out again as he overlooked the fields and forest in front of him while the sun warmed his wings and scales. The area he was currently in was not claimed by a wyvern yet and it was big enough and held all the necessary resources. It was a bit flatter than his old home. More gentle rolling hills and less steep mountains. There were not many dragons around as most of them preferred to stay a little more up in the north of the country. Aleron could dig a den here and live out his life peacefully as he had done before the rejection.

He tussled his wings and shook his head as a low rumble erupted from deep within his throat. No, he could not go back to the old way of living. Not even six years after the rejection. Something had changed within him. He was restless, often wondered how he was ever able to live a life so quiet and calm. The fact that he was chosen to bond with a human had set so many changes in motion and most of them were in his head. He had changed. ever since the rejection he had been wandering, trying to find peace and continue on his life as if nothing had happened.

But something had happened.

Before the rejection, Aleron loved being alone. He avoided humans and dragons alike like any other smart wyvern would do. He was wild and followed his instincts. He had his dreams though. Dreams of fighting, fueled by the stories he would hear by passing wyverns or dragons. That's how he had learned of the prophecy of the Golden Dragon. Every year, when the wild wyverns of a certain area would come together, there were more stories told and they all kept each other up to date on any new changes in the area. That had been his life and it had been enough.

The moment the boy Joseph had touched him though, that was the moment things had changed. Humans were no longer a danger. In fact, ever since that faithful day, Aleron had been spying on several human villages and small cities he had come across in his travels. He longed for contact, for a connection even if the person wasn't his rider. His dreams had been crushed the moment the rejection was spoken out loud and Aleron felt like he needed something in return of the emptiness that the dreams had left behind.

Black smoke on the horizon pulled the brown wyvern out of his thoughts. It was far away, even more to the south and close to the border of the country. He opened his ear flaps and angeled them towards the smoke. They normally rested against the side of his head but if he wanted to improve his hearing distance he could open them and spread them out like small wings. The membranes would catch any sound and direct it to his ears making it also possible he could precisely pinpoint the direction of anything he heard. The smoke was too far away. He could not smell or hear anything from that direction.

Aleron looked around a bit. Yes, he could claim this as his territory and try to make a new life again or he could go and examine the rising black smoke. He opted for the last. After six years, he knew he was still not able to settle back down again. He jumped from the big rock formation he had been sitting on and took to the air in the direction of the smoke.

He had left with the sun only just rising and now the sun was past its highest point as he finally was able to lay eye on the source of the smoke. The remains of a moderately sized human village. Buildings were on fire, and ash charred the ground black. The smoke was thick and heavy, the straw building of the houses providing more than enough fuel for the flames to consume. As Aleron came closer he could see the bodies littered around. He flew in a wide circle around the village, making sure not to get caught in the thick suffocating smoke.

There was no sign of life so far. Not from any survivors or attackers. Judging by how far the fire had spread Aleron thought the attack had happened just before dawn while most humans were still asleep. They never stood a chance. The stench that reached his nose was the worst he had ever smelled in his life. It smelled of death. Rotten carcasses of cattle and humans alike mixed with a smell of the most atrocious beings that walked the earth.