“Please, sir! If you will give me a chance to explain!”

  “My words are final, Rochefort. We can’t have you and Swift flying into your deaths! The battlefield is not a place for a wyvern rider!”

  “We won’t be engaging the enemy! I know what Swift is capable of! We can be scouts, delivering messages, not as combatants!”

  “Then how about us? I know you think Aldimar is gone, and that we’re wasting our time here instead of fighting at the frontline. Then explain how we are going to defend our neighbors! Aldimar is not the only town we protect!”

  “Then why are you grounding us?! Is it because I'm the only wyvern rider here?!”

  Her commanding officer sighed. “Rochefort. Adeline. There will be time when your services will be needed. I'm sure you heard what happened to the dragons in the battlefield and the dragon attacked here, in Aldimar. If a dragon is so easily subdued, what chance does Swift have? What chance do you have?"

  "Sir...."

  "End of discussion."

  Adeline tried to say something to argue her intentions, but her commander’s decision was final. With a scoff, she walked away, not bothering to hide her displeasure with the decision. At this point, she did not mind getting demoted for insubordination.

  She knew. She always knew that wyvern riders were never held in high regards when compared to dragon riders. Compared to them, her partner and friend was like a pony to a horse. He couldn’t breathe fire, and he was a pair of limbs short. Adeline had proven that wyverns were faster than dragons and had sharper claws. She worked her ass off proving herself. She was never a liability, and she never intended to be one.

  That was why she volunteered to be deployed in the war against Wyrith. She couldn't bear to be grounded just because some infiltrators managed to severely injure a dragon. She wanted to do something rather than sitting around doing a guard's work. She was a rider, not a foot soldier!

  But the more she thought about it, the more her commanding officer's reasons made sense. She may be an experienced rider, but she had never seen battle. The news of the air force being grounded did not bode well for them, either. It started to sound like Adeline was talking out of her heart, not out of her head.

  It annoyed her, but in the end, she begrudgingly accepted her commander's words. She did not wish to see Swift die prematurely or in pain and suffering. The wyvern was her friend. Perhaps this reluctance to put Swift in danger was the reason why she wouldn't last long in the war.

  She returned to the landing pad, where Swift, her moss green-scaled wyvern, was waiting. He sensed her presence and let out squawks and chirps to communicate. Adeline smiled at him, rubbing the top of his snout.

  “I know, Swift, I know,” she said. “I don’t like what he said, but the commander’s right. You’re…not built for war.”

  It hurt for her to admit it. In the end, she had to concede to the facts and numbers. In past wars, wyvern riders were always the ones with the highest casualty. She was tempting fate at this point.

  “C’mon, Swift,” she beckoned her wyvern. “Let’s go to Rodvar’s, see if he can adjust your fittings.”

  The wyvern’s trill was enough of a response for Adeline, who smiled back in reply.

  “Yeah. Still weird,” said Adeline.

  It had been something she wondered about herself ever since she was aware of her gift, which was the gift to understand wyverns empathetically. She learned about this ability when she was young, where her parents noticed that she seemed to be able to communicate with wyverns in the ranch, and the wyverns understanding her in return. They told Adeline the theory given by the mages they consulted: that she was a rare case of empathic development due to magick potential.

  She learned that magick potential manifested differently in each person, and it depended on what type of magick they were attuned to. The most common manifestation would be elemental magick, as magick and nature were intertwined with one another. Thus, a person whose potential was fire could easily cast a fire spell without expending too much magick reserve. Though they were free to learn other elements, it would not be as efficient as fire.

  Much like druids, who could communicate with animals, Adeline's natural empathic ability was similar. If she trained herself, she might be able to communicate with more than just wyverns. Adeline, however, was already happy to be able to communicate with wyverns, though only in emotional response. She couldn't understand what Swift or other wyverns said, but she could sense their emotions. Adeline would simply surmise what they were thinking based on the emotion. That's her way of 'communication', albeit one-way. Swift seemed to understand what she was saying, but she couldn’t understand him.

  However, she believed she could do more. This lack of two-way communication between them frustrated her.

  “It would be nice if I can understand dragons as much as you, Swift,” mused Adeline. “Not that I’m complaining. It’s good enough to know what you feel. But dragons and wyverns are two different species of the same family. Just because you don’t have front legs doesn’t mean you’re different than them.”

  Swift’s trilled, along with a happy mood Adeline could sense. She replied with a smile.

  “Glad you’re happy about it,” said Adeline.

  The two slowly walked through the mostly empty town, which bugged her. Aldimar was once a bustling port town, but recent incidents, especially the sight of the shipwreck that was perpetually covered by a black mist, didn’t give many people the peace of mind they needed. She stayed because she wanted to help, though even that started to become tiring. Aldimar was her home for three years. She understood its draw, on how it became a bustling port town.

  But it's all gone now.

  Her pondering made her forget that she was walking towards Rodvar's workshop. Right at that moment, Thomas was practicing with stocked spells he learned from the town library, including a wind vortex spell that used up much of his magick reserve just to stock. He wanted to experiment some spells he could use in combat during his downtime from cleaning the bay, as mandated by the mages responsible for maintaining the health of the volunteers.

  Aware of the spell's strength, he elected to use the open field near where his sister, Henrietta, was sleeping. That way, he could keep an eye on her while having enough space to practice his spells. He had none of the testing field his Academy provided to train spellcasting, so an open field with no permanent barrier would have to do.

  Yet, he did not account for someone to approach him just as he casted the spell from his spellbook. Adeline, her unfamiliarity with Clydethian spellcasting apparent, approached Thomas at this moment.

  “Hey, uh, do you know if—”

  Those were the words that Adeline managed to get out before a startled Thomas was blasted off his feet by the uncontrolled wind. Adeline, who was standing nearby was thrown back by the strong wind blast alongside Thomas, with Adeline yelping in surprise. Fortunately, they both landed on a soft grassy lawn, uninjured, but shaken.

  Thomas, who recovered first, quickly turned towards Adeline, who was still on her back, shocked by the blast.

  “Oh my god!” he exclaimed, panic apparent in his voice. “I’m so, so sorry! Are you injured?!”

  It took Adeline a moment before she snapped out of her shock and replied, “I-I think so.”

  “Can you stand? Again, I’m so sorry. I thought Rodvar was not expecting any customers today.”

  Adeline took Thomas’s hand, getting on her feet quickly. After dusting the dirt off her flight jacket and pants, she said, “I’m fine, really. It’s just bad timing, that’s all.”

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  Unfortunately for Thomas, Swift did not take the accident in stride. He let out a roar, one that came out like a loud bird’s call, and started rushing towards the young hapless mage. Adeline sensed his anger and immediately grabbed the wyvern’s neck in an attempt to calm him down. Thomas was once again knocked off his feet when he tried to back off out of reflex, tripping on his own leg in the process.

  “No, Swift! Halt, boy!” she commanded as the wyvern struggled. “I’m not hurt! He didn’t mean it!”

  It took Adeline a good minute to calm the wyvern down with whispers and strokes to his snout. Swift did not want to hurt his rider, and he understood Adeline enough to slowly calm down after staring into her eyes. He lowered his slender body and wings as he let out clicking noises.

  Thomas calmed down, still barely able to comprehend what just happened to him for the past minute. When he did, and when he noticed the wyvern in front of him, with a markedly different physiology from the dragons he adored, he became intrigued.

  “A wyvern?” said Thomas. “Wow. I never thought they would look so much like dragons when seen up close.”

  “They’re cousins,” said Adeline after patting Swift’s side. "I consider them dragons, but not a lot of people believe that."

  “I do believe that. What I don't understand is how comfortable he is out here by the sea. I thought wyverns prefer dense forests. And not as big.”

  “You’re talking about the Manarithian Tree Hoppers, which are closer to birds in size. Swift here is closer to a dragon, though you have a point. His kind is native to the forest hills close to the Wyrithian borders.”

  “Don’t you get worried by his membranes hurt by the saline air?”

  “I do. Which is why I don't do sea patrols.” She was surprised by the knowledge the man had. She couldn't help but smile. “Are you a dragonology researcher, Mister…?”

  My name is Thomas. Thomas Alonquin," said Thomas. "And it's just a hobby. I'm a recent Academy graduate."

  Adeline raised one of her eyebrows. "What Academy?"

  "Clydethian Wizard Academy. I'm, uh...Clydethian."

  "You're far from home."

  "I travel, trying to find job here and there. I'm currently working on cleaning the bay. They told me to take some days off. The black mist is debilitating."

  "So I heard. Well, Thomas, I'm not going to interrupt your training, if that's what you're doing. Just point me to Rodvar and I'll be on my way."

  "Wait. Rodvar's busy with procuring some metals while his assistants are busy with the gnolls. That's why the workshop's closed."

  "Then I'll come back tomorrow."

  "But, uh...I gotta make up to you with that debacle somehow. I, uh...."

  Right at that time, the clock struck noon, signaled by a loud bell coming from the town hall. This gave Thomas an idea.

  "How about a lunch? On me?"

  Adeline raised one of her eyebrows, questioning the timing of the bell.

  "Saved by the bell, huh?" she said. "Well, if you're paying, then I don't mind."

  "I'll be glad to."

  Adeline turned to Swift. The wyvern let out chirping noises, agreeing to Thomas’s offer (Adeline sensed his approving mood). The wyvern rider shrugged and said, “Ah, well. Hope you know a good place, Thomas Alonquin.”

  Thomas may not know much about Aldimar before the incidents, but he knew enough about to be able to take Adeline to a place he frequented, the town’s pub. It wasn’t best in terms of scenery, considering how the best restaurants were facing the sea for the gorgeous view. Now, though, that view was sullied by the shipwreck choke full of black magick residue, with the whole port still locked down by mages dealing with the cleanup, the pub was the best place in town right now. It was once frequented by Aldimarans having a lunch break. With the town gradually being deserted, it was only frequented by mages taking some well-deserved break from the cleanup. Thomas recognized some of them and greeted them.

  “The pub, huh?” said Adeline. “I thought you know a good place.”

  “Not to your liking?” asked Thomas.

  “I don’t mind. The seaside restaurants are all closed and abandoned, so the pub's the next best place to be. Try the sandwich. It's good.”

  Thomas smiled. “Glad we both agree on that.”

  The two went to the bar where the proprietor, a burly man who could be mistaken for a dwarf if not for his height, was. He was tending the bar, with some customers ordering a pint and having a conversation.

  Thomas ordered a sandwich order with chips for two, and the proprietor grunted in acknowledgment. There was time to wait for the meal, so they decided to talk about it first over a cup of tea.

  “So,” started Thomas. “How long have you been living in Aldimar?”

  “Ever since I got accepted in the air corps,” said Adeline. “I think it’s been three years since then. How about you?”

  “Just a month or so. Maybe even less,” said Thomas. “Haven't had a chance to adjust. It's been a hectic month.”

  “You can say that again.”

  “But are you sure you should be here? From what I heard, you have a problem of your own.”

  “That’s the military wizards’ job. I’m an adventurer." Thomas sighed. "Well, not much of that, considering how things have been going lately. One job was all I had before I ended up here.”

  The sandwich came out, and they took it to their spot outside the pub, where they continued their conversation. Adeline ended up dominating the conversation, as she had a lot of things to say about the state of the Manarithian Air Corps, especially their treatment of wyvern riders when compared to the dragon riders. Thomas could only listen to her complaining about the treatment of wyvern riders, slowly learning the reality of the situation in Manarithia.

  “Yes, wyverns don’t breathe fire. Yes, they are fragile compared to dragons, but that doesn’t mean we can’t do anything!” said Adeline. “We beat fire with speed! Not everything has to be solved with violence!”

  Thomas was unsure of what to say. They started their lunch talking about Clydethian magick system and what Thomas was learning about in the academy. It soon changed when he touched on her work as a wyvern rider as a compliment. It was clearly not a good conversation starter.

  “Even after all the commotion with the Sybarians, I’m still stuck in base instead of patrolling, saying that they can't risk it after what happened in the town square! I want to help, not to be a benchwarmer!”

  “The town square? You mean...." Thomas gulped. "The pink dragon?"

  "Yes. But...how did you know that?"

  "I was there," Thomas said. "I saw...I saw what happened."

  Adeline immediately stopped her rant upon hearing the pain in his voice. She had heard about the attack and what the Sybarians used against the dragon, allegedly to capture it. The harpoons were brought to the base for study, and she shuddered to think what they would do to a dragon. Even Swift was terrified, which made a lot more sense after Adeline found out that the harpoons were enchanted with dark magick specifically used to kill dragons.

  Thomas's pained voice told her enough. The mage was there. He witnessed the attack.

  "Thomas, hey," she said, sympathy apparent in her voice. "I'm sorry you have to witness that."

  "It's fine," said Thomas, regaining his composure. "The dragon will live. It's just...I can't imagine anyone to be so cruel. This whole incident...it made me realize that I can never escape their cruelty."

  "Are you...willing to talk about it?" asked Adeline.

  "At this point, I prefer not to," said Thomas. "But when the time is right, I'll tell."

  The sandwich and the side dish came, but at that point, they did not feel like eating.

  "I'm...not cut out for dates, huh?" said Adeline nervously. "All I do is complain while all you want to do is take me for a lunch."

  “No, it’s not your fault, Adeline,” said Thomas, who let out a smile. "Look, don't worry about it. It's fine if you don't want to eat it. We can ask the proprietor to wrap it up for us."

  His sad tone seemed to belie the fact that he was carrying a heavy burden on his back, and it wasn't the debilitating nature of the black mist that polluted the bay. There was something else. A secret he did not wish to talk about, whether it was because did not wish to dwell on it or he couldn't out of the safety of the people he cared about. Adeline only caught on this after Swift nudged her and let out trills, his emotion a mix of sympathy and sadness.

  She never thought she would be beaten by a wyvern when it came to sympathy. She needed to learn her people skill.

  “Hey,” said Adeline. “It’s fine. I know things have been hard for everyone lately. You don’t have to weather it alone. Do you have friends?”

  “I do,” said Thomas. “But they're busy right now. There's another, but it's...a bit difficult to talk with him right now."

  “Oh.”

  Thomas then realized what Adeline was proposing. He did not want to feel optimistic about his prospect in getting his life together. He knew fate would snatch it all away from him again. But then, if he kept pushing everyone away in a selfish effort to be ignorant, he would sink further into that abyss he made for himself.

  So, before Adeline could say anything else, Thomas said, “I…uh, if you don’t mind, can we have another lunch like this again? Just for a talk?”

  Thomas hoped she was not meeting someone else, so he sighed in relief when she said, “I don’t mind. Besides, Swift thinks you’re fine, too.”

  “He does?”

  Swift, who understood Thomas’s question, chirped and growled in response. Thomas turned to look at the wyvern, who seemed to regard him well despite the earlier incident. It was surprising how the wyvern was as big as a young dragon, only leaner, with wings and forelegs having the same function. Perhaps he should learn a bit about wyverns if he truly wanted to learn about dragons beyond what he learned in the books.

  “What’s his name?” asked Thomas.

  “Swift,” said Adeline. “Like the wind.”

  “Apt name.” Thomas, without fear or doubt, approached the wyvern and rubbed the top of his moss-green snout. Swift let out a trilling noise, a way to indicate his trust, to the surprise of Adeline.

  “He likes you,” said Adeline. “That was fast.”

  Thomas chuckled in response, before he let go of Swift’s snout.

  The two finished their lunch talking about some other topics. Thomas paid for their lunch, as he promised.

  “Until next time, Thomas Alonquin,” said Adeline after climbing on Swift’s back. “Same time tomorrow?”

  “I’ll be looking forward to it,” replied Thomas.

  He watched as Swift took off with Adeline back to the dragon riders’ barracks. Her mood had considerably improved after the impromptu date, though she did not expect to meet someone with quite an emotional baggage as Thomas was. He had a lot to talk about, things that he either couldn't or wouldn't say. She did not suspect him to be an enemy agent, far from it.

  "He didn't say it, but I'm sure that dragon's his friend," Adeline said to Swift. "Reminds me of us, huh, Swift?"

  Swift croaked in response. His emotion was that of happiness. Adeline smiled.

  And thus, another day went by in the town abandoned by many, thankfully not without the progress, and the hope.