Wyvern of the Wind

Enter Through Eden

Aether nodded and gulped nervously. "So...I'm Aether. I like to read and draw. I don't have anything that I dislike, but I'm scared of...being alone for long periods." he said, his tail twitching and reacting to the nerves he felt at that moment.

His response prompted a scoff from Adonia. "Afraid of being alone? What, can't stand being away from your mama?" she taunted. Stygian glared at her in rebuke. 

"Adon." he spoke, which caused Adonia to clear her throat in response. 

"I'm just saying that unlike you, I have the guts to head out all alone, sometimes even for many moons. It seems that you still don't have what it takes to be a student here..."

"Adonia." Stygian spoke sternly at her. "Don't make him more nervous than he already is. We are here on friendly terms."

"You know that I'm not here to make friends.." she groaned. Stygian sighed. 

As expected....since you aren't willing to be friendly on the get-go, a different approach is in order. And here I thought that doing this in a more private setting would calm her a bit...Stygian thought.

"Well, Adonia. I did arrange with the General...that if you had completed the task of being Aether's guide, successfully, without any mishaps or reports of hostility whatsoever, he has a reward made just for you," he suggested. Immediately, Adonia perked up.

"What...kind of reward..?" she asked. Stygian replied, "Only one way to find out, right Adon? But! Only if you complete your task."

All the while, Aether listened to their conversation, evermore curious at their predicament, as he stared at them with his deep gray eyes.

________________________________________________________________________________

"So, where is that prophecy dragon now?" a frustrated voice echoed throughout the dark, empty cave as he barged his head and pried his eyes into the basin filled with clear waters. His subordinate clicked his tongue in frustration.

"I don't know, sire. I've already sent Barak on the trail for it, but he hasn't returned." the subordinate replied. "But I assure you, he will return soon."

"Oh of course! He will return soon..." Malivor chuckled in amusement. "That..is what EVERY! DRAGON! UNDER MY WING TELLS ME!" he snapped as he whipped his tail, rippling the surface of the water and hitting his subordinate straight into his chest, causing the dragon to fall back, wincing in pain as his scales dissolved, forming a nasty, deep scar. The dragon staggered and held his claws to his chest as chunks of flesh fell out of it. The larger dragon towered over him, taking deep breaths to calm himself down.

"This prophecy dragon has been under our radar for the past sixteen moons and now you're telling me that we have lost it and one of our comrades?!" he yelled at him. "How pathetic are we as the organization that managed to vanquish all of the kingdoms eons ago?! Is this the army that I have set out to build?!"

Malivor glared at his inferior, who was shaking and grunting, trying to hold back the pain from his wound. The inferior dragon looked down, his eyes glazed with a familiar fear as the dark magic burned through his flesh like fire.

"N-No sir...your army is strong, We are the strongest army ever built in the last century alone, and we had all of the kingdoms under our claws at one point.." the subordinate muttered, almost pleading with his master.

"At one point..." Malivor spat out, clicking his tongue. "At least the kingdoms have had a taste of our wrath."

Suddenly, two more dragons entered the cave: a wyvern and a four-legged dragon with torn wings. The wyvern carried his comrade as it leaned on his side.

"Malivor! Our array of spies sent to Aspa Aaru has been discovered and he is the only survivor. Please, help him!" he pleaded. Immediately at his request, Malivor rushed to his fellow soldier and examined his wounds. His wings have been torn and burnt to a crisp and there were boils all over his body.

"Pesky serpents..." he cursed under his breath. ", how long did the others last?" he quickly asked.

"I don't know, Malivor...but I found him the moment I infiltrated the palace's prison chambers," he said to him in a hurry as he carried the battered body to his superior. "Please...he is barely hanging on.."

Malivor then sighed and placed his claws on his fallen soldier. His dark eyes bore into the soldier's body like a mole digging through the soil.

His mind was searching..finding...analyzing...

He could sense his pain...his anguish, his fear, and disappointment, running through what was left of his veins as his heart beat irregularly under his flesh and ribs.

His claws dug into the dragon's flesh, crying out blood. Soon, shadows surrounded the dragon, filling the gap between his wings and flesh, closing them off like a large scab. As the shadows filled his being, the dragon gasped for air and jerked awake.

The shadows then molded and merged with the dragon's body, filling the gaps between his scales with an eerie purple glow. His eyes were bloodshot, yet he began to breathe calmly as he was stirred into the waking world, no longer hanging onto the thin thread of life.

Malivor glanced at the dragon coldly, yet the sight of his wyvern subordinate rejoicing over a life saved softened his gaze. 

"You shouldn't have received this power so early." Malivor jeered. "Be grateful that you have received my dearest Obadiah's mercy. I would've chastised you otherwise."

Malivor then headed over to his other subordinate whom he scarred, and healed up his wounds as well. The other subordinate quickly ran to the four-legged dragon and locked him in a long embrace.

"I told you to be careful, you idiot," he said to him. "Don't ever scare me like that again."

"I was careful, frāter.." he said to him, looking at him with annoyance. "But those guards were tough on us, you know that." 

Obadiah then walked beside his Master. "Malivor, so what now..?" he asked him. "What will we do with this prophecy dragon?"

Malivor gazed at his dear servant. "Hm...since the chosen one has been kept hidden...let's use that trick as well."

Obadiah looked at him in slight shock before chuckling solemnly. "Are you seriously copying their move? That's so unlike you.."

Malivor looked at his servant with a hint of surprise before letting out a sigh, a grin on his face. 

"If we kept ourselves unknown as well, we would let their guard down. However, my infiltration to Aspa Aaru would continue. I just have to think of a more....silent approach, it seems."

He turned to Obadiah coldly. "Obadiah, send the other spies to this cave immediately. I have a proposal to make. But keep the spy I've healed here. His mission isn't over yet."

Obadiah nodded and obeyed him, sending the other subordinate away with him as the spy was left behind with the towering wyvern. 

The spy looked at him. "So...what now?"

"We wait until the rest of the spies arrive here. Until then..." he then stepped towards the spy in an intimidating fashion, his eyes cold, piercing through his very soul. The spy froze under his gaze, his guard up.

"Tell me..everything you know in Aspa Aaru," Malivor commanded him. "And don't think that you can hide what you've found from me."