MIR, the sentient Wyvern.

Around the fire

The preparations were well under way and Romas went to the tower of the commander, the chief of the knights, but Romas was also the "son" of the "Old Man", the chief of the knights of the city but also the chief of the dragon hunters.

The old man received the hunter in one of the rooms of the dungeon and they sat down near a hearth with a hot drink, a kind of chicory with honey, in their hands.

The decoration was austere and the men rough.

Not to be forgotten, above the hearth hung a giant wyvern head, well its stuffed skeleton. This was to remind the candidates of the ratio of size and strength.

The light reflected off the massive, slightly yellow stone blocks of the tower.

The ceiling was quite high and had an inner passageway as it was the roof directly above. The perimeter of the square tower could be made above but the loopholes could be opened through the roof, in a sort of interior mezzanine.

The loopholes had been sealed for decades with hay and plaster to caulk the whole thing.

It was relatively warm and a wooden slit let in some external light. You could see the night clouds, reflected only by the light of one of the two moons of Alpha.

A few candles gave a mysterious air to the place where the two men sat.

The table, bench and chair were not far from the fire.

His eyes whitened by time and age, the "Old Man" was blind, but that did not prevent him from "seeing".

He laid his hand on Romas

"Son. "Follow your heart..This may be our chance in this endless war.

Beware of the enchantress... It was she who took my eyes, but I've learned to see better since then.

Accustomed to discerning truth from falsehood and listening to the words of the "Old Man", the hunter climbed onto the mezzanine and opened a door leading to a covered bridge, a sort of secret passageway leading to another small tower, half embedded in the mountain and open to all winds.

Inside, there were many alcoves. It was a dovecote.

By the light of a candle he wrote a small message which he wrapped around one of the legs of a dove and released it: "Safe journey and be careful".

He closed the door carefully and went back down to the guild, into his office and prepared his things and preparations.

The week passed without any problems and I reassured Mum and Dad that I was safe and could manage.

Mum: "Mir... my child... I'm so scared something will happen to you... And Daddy told me that other wyverns had disappeared further west. There was a colony like ours and now we don't see them anymore.

Dad: "All I know is that I once saw a wyvern like us with a human on it and it had straps and a necklace. I was younger and I was scared. They had a black spear like the ones we have but ..how can I say better made.. and the human had like iron around him..and.. he was all black.."

I sighed.

"We're big but not invincible..and we can't live in fear all the time.. That's why I wanted you to be strong. "

Kraa licked me. "Mir is the strongest! Mir can spit fire!"

I smiled and mother kissed me again.

Soon, all four of us rushed under their wings but I was getting too big.

"Say, mum, when I'm bigger and I have my cave, will I still have little brothers and sisters?

Mum hugged me. "I promise!!!" and she looked longingly at Dad, whom I also called Alpha.