Chapter Text
The expedition’s march soon reached the northern coastline, a steep cliff overlooking turbulent seas, whereupon they followed it east. Mountains reclaimed the scenery three days later… this time however, the land graded higher. Traveling uphill was exhausting, and the elevation brought noticeable changes – first, the temperature started falling. The height of summer soon felt like autumn. Tree cover went from mixed forest to exclusively pines, thinning to a sparse distribution of crooked and deformed individuals. Fatigue set in faster under thinner air. Xane and Prince Marth had to choose their routes carefully; with horsedrawn carriages they could not afford a path too narrow or steep. Many complained about the native fauna elsewhere on the slopes, traipsing these mountains enviably quick.
It made hunting them extra satisfying. A bachelor flock of wild sheep scaled the opposite ridge, its lead ram baying from his perch, for he sensed they were being watched. Broad, spiraling horns parked in plain view made him a tempting target, but Gordin stuck to the plan. He took aim at a narrow point in their path, funneling the flock into a tight vertical ascent, and waited…
A single arrow threw them into chaos. It struck the second-in-line between the shoulders and sent the flock scattering with its tumultuous fall. From a higher vantage point, Jeorge sniped a second ram that fled left, while Gordin took a third scampering right. They were careful to pick targets over ledges so that their prey wouldn’t go rolling into the abyss.
“I see what you mean,” Yuliya muttered as she and Jubelo watched. Gordin had mentioned how a well-placed shot could shatter group cohesion, and horror stories from their troops under siege gave that impression too. Now they were witnessing it with their own eyes… unsettling, but also inspiring to a fledgling archer. “But why aren’t you going after their leader?”
“You see how they’re still trying to reach him? It stops them from scattering every which way.” He tried shooting a fourth and barely missed, letting it leap to a less favorable location. “Darn.” His teacher had better success, and after watching it fall his eyes rolled to the rest – all four landed on ledges as planned. He also noticed that their first victim was still moving and asked, “Ryan, can you put that one down? It’s a pretty tight shot down there.”
Ryan was also part of the hunt, but had yet to take a single shot. The rams’ panicked chorus disturbed him… these weren’t enemies threatening their lives, just animals trying to survive. The injured one was especially worrying; judging by how it moved, most of its legs were broken by the fall.
Gordin heard its continued bleating and asked, “Ryan, can you please finish it off?” while searching for another good target. Most of the survivors had fled to more precarious positions.
Although he raised his bow, he remained strongly reluctant. The ram’s long, helpless bleats strummed at his guilty conscience… his arms trembled heavily.
“Ryan!”
He locked his arms, realigned the shot but shut his eyes after releasing the arrow. I’m sorry, he thought as the ram’s dying scream echoed across the valley.
No more arrows flew after that. The rest of the flock escaped to more precarious cliffs and were making their way back to the lead ram, who’d fled to higher ground. Four adult sheep was a good haul anyway. Jeorge signaled to the larger group, then to the dracoknights waiting in the wings before returning to his watch, this time to deter a big cat or rogue wyvern from scavenging their prey. Jubelo shrunk nervously when Minerva, Palla and Catria flew overhead and dispersed to retrieve the carcasses. Once the shadows passed he turned to his companions, who were focusing on the sniffling Ryan. “What’s the matter Ryan?” his brother asked.
“Yeah, that finishing shot was great. Why are you so upset?”
Ryan cleared a tear from his eye and mumbled, “I don’t like this… it feels wrong. Those sheep never did anything to us.”
Yuliya complained, “Well, it’s them or us. We won’t have-”
“Yuliya, you don’t need to sound to harsh!” Jubelo scolded.
“Hey! I wasn’t finished! I was saying we won’t have meat if we don’t hunt for it!”
Gordin interjected, “Yuliya, Jubelo, relax. You both have a point. We need meat to replenish our stocks and hides to keep us warm. But we don’t have to beat each other up over the fact.” He then turned to his crying brother and promised, “Don’t worry Ryan. We’ll talk with Prince Marth and see if you can get out of the hunting rotation.”
“Sniff… okay…”
Yuliya questioned, “Are you sure that’s a smart idea? We only have so many hunters.”
“There’s enough to keep us fed. Norne and Castor are decent shots, and there’s also Warren, who’s great at hunting game.”
“You mean that blonde guy from Macedon who doesn’t talk with anybody?”
“Yeah, him. He isn’t be the most talkative or soldierly, but he’s a seasoned outdoorsman and it’s coming in handy so many ways! He knows how to read animal movements, process a carcass, tan hides, find good edible plants, all that! Really valuable out here living off the land,” he elaborated,” he elaborated. “Prince Marth is thinking about rewarding him a horse for his services when we get back to Altea. That’s how valuable his knowledge has bee-”
“Eeyraaaaagh!”
That shriek interrupted their discussion, grated on their ears and turned Jubelo back into a shivering mess. Princess Minerva’s wyvern ascended moments later carrying a satchel with a ram in its talons; Catria followed moments later, while Palla flew hers deeper to retrieve their final catch.
Yuliya grabbed his shoulder and chided, “Brother, you must stop flinching at every wyvern. Those three are on our side!”
“Yuliya, that run-in in the desert was really scary for him!” Ryan protested.
“So? It was scary to ride with Master Wendell at first, but he overcame that!” She faced him and asked, “What happened to the brother who flew proudly in the same saddle?”
Gordin rebutted, “Yuliya! Those were tame wyverns who never struck out at-”
“Well, those three are tame and never raised a claw either!”
While their argument got more heated, Jubelo let his sister’s words sink in. She’s right. What happened to me? He recalled the change in perception as he learned to fly comfortably with Master Wendell… first, it terrified him. Both the dizzying heights and the scaly beast that carried him there. Yuliya went through the same phase. But with practice the fear subsided, and they became more accustomed, even learning to appreciate the view. And Yuliya still flies regularly with Caeda. But me? I…
A new resolve welled up within him. It was the same lesson he drew from magic: one bad sample should not spoil the pot. I rode in a dragon’s saddle before. Nothing’s stopping me from doing it again but… no, NOTHING is stopping me! “Yuliya is right! I want to get over this!”
His sudden announcement halted their argument. Yuliya smiled, put her hands on her hips and boasted, “That’s the spirit I expect of a crown prince.” Meanwhile, Gordin and Ryan exchanged annoyed leers.
“Is everything alright down there?”
Gordin looked up the slope and called, “Everything is fine now Master! Just a quick disagreement!”
“Good! Then I advise you return to camp! I sense a strong bout of wind incoming!”
“All right! Will do!” He turned back to his group and said, “We can talk more about this on the way back. Hunting is over, and Master Jeorge predicts it’ll get stormy.”
As the group began departing, Palla’s wyvern flew overhead, causing Jubelo to momentarily lock up again. He shook it off before anyone needed to coax him. You’ll get over this Jubelo. Just worry about the climb back down, he told himself, with good reason. Their overlook was inaccessible by wagon and required climbing a hill of boulders. Ryan and Gordin had to help the twins up more challenging sections, passing their equipment before following them. Climbing down involved the same routine in reverse; Gordin went first, helping them down gently while Ryan kept a lookout before he too descended.
“So how do you plan to conquer your fear?” Yuliya asked after they got down second steep boulder. “Will it be riding with Master Wendell? I expect it’ll require some amount of riding.”
“It will. For sure. But it’s been a while since I’ve seen Master Wendell ride, and in these parts I’d rather have someone stronger, more used to it.”
“Smart decision. Who do you have in mind?”
After helping Catria adjust her wyvern’s saddle, Sir Sirius left her to finish its dressing and turned to the twins. “Do not be afraid, Prince Jubelo. Azura’s temperament is among the most docile.”
“Really? That’s, uh… g-good, sir…”
Despite the knight’s assurances, simply being within a few paces gave Jubelo jitters. Azura shifted to lying prone with her wings tucked against her sides, twisting her neck right to observe their company while her master continued setting up. Her eyes were calm and curious and she seemed relaxed, but their reptilian nature made him uneasy. As did her other features… scales, bat-like wings, skull protrusions, sharp talons that were surely there even out of sight…
Wendell said, “Sir Sirius, I can’t thank you enough for helping Jubelo work through this! When he voiced his concerns, I had to agree. It’s been a few months since I last took wing, and I feel safer knowing he’ll be in the saddle of a more robust rider.”
He bowed and answered, “My pleasure, Archbishop. I’ll ensure he is well taken care of, and you can count on our entourage to assist should there be any trouble.”
Princess Caeda and Dame Kris waited to the side, along with their pegasi. “That’s right! If for any reason we need to abort, Kris and I will be here to make it smooth,” the princess promised.
“And I will be joining them to supervise, as well as provide moral support,” Yuliya asserted while stepping towards Caeda. “Whenever you are ready!”
“That depends on when Dame Catria finishes setting up.”
Catria walked around her wyvern’s anterior and replied, “Azura is ready when you two are. And Dame Kris, will you and Cierro be alright without me?”
“We’ll be fine. You and Princess Caeda have been very diligent in teaching me to ride. Besides, I’ll need the extra saddle space in case Prince Jubelo needs a mid-air transfer.”
Yuliya insisted, “That will not be necessary. My brother will be fine, just as he was before that incident!”
She rolled her eyes. Sheesh. Way to bring it up when he needs it least… “In any case, I’ll rally Palla and Princess Minerva should you need a few extra wings. Do you want to join me, Archbishop? We can ferry you over in case you’re needed too.”
“That would be appreciated! I’ll catch up to you after I see the flock off.”
While Catria departed, Sirius approached the wyvern and climbed up her flank. Jubelo shuffled after him more slowly, still intimidated by the dragon’s mere form despite its tranquility. Wendell walked at his side for encouragement; he glanced back to Yuliya, whom Caeda was helping into Asbard’s back saddle. “I’m not going to hold your hand. This is your fear to conquer!” she stated sternly.
Right. My fear to conquer. I have to do this…
He turned back around, now standing right in front of the dragon’s flank. Azura was more alert after Sirius mounted her, but her quiet gaze still lingered on him. She’s not looking at me as food, he mentally repeated to himself. Sirius smiled, extended a hand down and offered, “Be brave, Little Prince. You’ve been through this before, you can do it again.”
Yes. I’ve done this before. Just… ree-lax… !! “Eep!”
Unfortunately, an aided climb still required contact. Jubelo flinched when his fingers touched the smooth, hard scales. A quick, light tug from Sirius coaxed him up rather than away.
“Keep it together Brother, you’re doing fine!”
You could sound more encouraging, Yuliya… “You’re doing great, Jubelo! Once we’re up in the air it’ll feel natural again!” Caeda called.
Jubelo fidgeted trying to find a comfortable seat in front of Sirius, trying to avoid making further contact with the scales. There was enough space at the edge of the harness for one hand; he eventually solved the second by grabbing onto the strap of his bookbag. Setting into place it was vaguely familiar to him, a frontal position being how he and Yuliya first started riding with Master Wendell under their confidence grew. The key difference was the discomfort he now felt being atop a wyvern… nevertheless, that was what he was here to overcome.
“Ready for takeoff, Little Prince?”
He checked the pegasus riders to his right one last time; both were seated and ready to fly. Yuliya poked her head around Caeda with an impatient scowl. He tilted up and answered, “R-ready, sir.”
“All right.” Sirius gently kicked their wyvern’s flank. “Azura!”
The dragon snapped to attention, facing forward and raising her body off the ground. Jubelo wobbled nervously at the sudden movement and held on tightly.
“Hyah!”
He shut his eyes when Azura uttered a shriek, spread her wings and bounded forward. It was a familiar sequence… first, the wind moved faster around him. Then his seat undulated seat as the wyvern became aloft. Finally, it leveled out save for sporadic wingbeats once they established a steady glide. Jubelo went through it several times with Master Wendell, and when he started out the sensation was terrifying. Now, that wasn’t the problem… if he were on a-
“Jubelo!”
His sister’s voice pierced the storm of worries and compelled him to open his eyes. He hastily shifted his gaze left, towards the voice and away from the sapphire scales ahead. A wing momentarily blocked his vision, but once it lowered Yuliya came into view. “Can you hear me?” she shouted against the breeze.
He waved and responded, “Yes! I’m here!”
“Good! Eyes ahead! You’ve done this before!”
“You can do it Jubelo!” Caeda cheered more enthusiastically.
Their encouragement was empowering, and checking his right bolstered it when he caught Kris waving. Yeah, I’ve done this before. Although the scales surrounding him were unsettling, he found it easier keeping his eyes open. It isn’t so bad…
Sirius inquired, “It’s not so frightening when you have an escort. Is it, Prince?”
“Uh, no. A lot less so.”
He scanned the horizon to keep his gaze from lingering on the wyvern. The view was breathtaking… rows upon rows of slate grey mountains, far as the eye can see. Anri was not exaggerating about their scale. White capped the highest peaks, nearly blending into a sky made pale by cloud cover. Frigid air coursed past him, and the thinning made it harder to breathe; however, journeying across these mountains was conditioning him to it. He didn’t need to retreat to lower altitudes just yet… a thick hat to cushion his ears would be nice, though.
“I see you are enjoying the view. Magnificent, isn’t it?”
“Yeah. It’s… grand.” After a pause to take it in further, he continued, “This is alright… thank you for taking me on a flight, Sir Sirius.”
“My pleasure, Little Prince. And don’t forget to show Azura credit.”
R-right. Azura…
A reminder what he was riding redirected his attention to the wyvern, who was angling her head back to peek. For the first few seconds the narrow pupil made him stiff… however, the calmness in her eye soon stood out more. Stroking the scales just beyond the harness sent fewer tingles; the rhythmic wingbeats were routine by now. Although the fear was still there, it had grown numb… he wasn’t worried that she would snatch him up like prey. …Right. You’re our… friend.
Azura straightened her neck out. The lack of eye contact further aided his relaxation, enough to crack a smile. “It’s convenient that you’re acquainted with such a tame wyvern.”
“It made learning smoother. I’ve tested Dame Palla’s wyvern too, and his stubbornness makes him challenging for anyone else. You wouldn’t want to reacclimate on Oliver’s back.”
“Uh-huh… I trust you there.” The thought of a rowdier wyvern reignited his fear, so he distracted himself by asking, “So you’re new to this, right? I didn’t see you riding one before Thabes.”
“Princess Minerva first offered at Khadein, and I declined so that Palla and Catria could receive her full attention. I accepted the second because a wild wyvern gave Catria a sprained back during the final approach on Thabes Tower. Azura needed a backup handler while her master was recovering.”
A low growl emanated from the wyvern, one Jubelo identified as sadness. You feel bad for your rider too, huh… “Ouch. That sounds painful. Is she better now?”
“She was good to fly again when we left Thabes. Palla helped set the bones back into place.”
“That’s good… so, are you sharing wyvern duty then?”
“For now. We don’t all need to fly at once, and simply having the option is a boon. A wyvern is far better suited to this frontier’s terrain than Procyon – my horse,” Sirius explained. “We originally had one spare, appropriated from the rebels in Macedon, but he never became conditioned to us. Princess Minerva suspects he grew homesick, as we left his homeland quickly and haven’t given him the time. We traded him to a Macedonian tamer at Khadein who may better meet his needs.”
Jubelo smiled. “Oh. That was nice of you. Or, um…”
“It was a collective decision, and an easy one to make. You can lead a horse to water but can’t tell it to drink. We need to provide our mounts some accommodation to have them at their bes-”
“RRRRYAAAH!!”
That hissing roar scared Jubelo stiff, worsened by Azura’s sudden tremors and yelp. “Wh-whaaagh!”
Sirius jostled to maintain control. “Easy Azura! Little Prince! …Dame Kris, what is going on!?”
“Bad news! We’ve got company, a-and not just one!”
Jubelo peeked back around Sirius, and his blood ran colder when he saw two wyverns climbing out of the ravine, speeding directly towards them.
“I thought an earlier patrol confirmed this route was safe!”
“Yuliya, keep your voice down… Sir Sirius, evasive action! Kris, help them! I’m getting us to safety!”
“Roger that! Stay seated Prince Jubelo, we’ll get through this!”
Caeda directed her pegasus away despite Yuliya’s objections; she hadn’t brought a weapon and fighting with a passenger was dangerous. Yuliya worriedly watched Sirius drive his wyvern on to escape their pursuers, and Kris turn her pegasus around to confront them. They were gaining fast… I’m counting on you two. You better keep him safe!
Jubelo kept his head down and his arms tightly clamped to his sides, trying and failing to filter out the racket. Flashbacks of that harrowing attack in the Mamorthord flew through his mind as he heard the wingbeats and screeches around him. Made worse by the sudden shifts in direction as Azura tried to dodge her assailants’ talons. Sirius added to the movement when he drew his sword to fend off a wyvern above them. “Get back! BACK! You’ll not have the Little Prince!”
“I got it sir!”
Another screech echoed as Kris darted him from the side and rammed it with her lance. The iron tip didn’t penetrate deep, but it was forceful enough to dislodge it from its target.
“Be careful Dame Kris!”
“I’ve fought these foes before! You get the Prince to safety! Cierro and I will handle this!”
Jubelo rolled up and peeked around Sirius to see Kris squaring off against the wyverns. Dame Kris is really brave… but can she take them all-
“Kyaaah!”
A shriek and sudden turbulence startled him. “Wh-whoa!”
“Stay calm, Little Prince! It’s alright!” Sirius then assured, “Relax, Azura. We’re okay now!”
Azura? That sent his attention back to their wyvern, and the preceding chaos started adding up. Some of the screams sounded closer, panicky… the perturbations of his seat hadn’t stopped either. Azura was still trembling mid-flight, and appeared to be hyperventilating. He then remembered what Sirius said led to his training in wyvernry – a run-in with a wild wyvern injuring Catria. It finally dawned on him why their wyvern was so stressed… …you’re afraid of them too, are you?
“A-ah! Hang in there, Cierro!”
Kris’s frantic shout reclaimed his attention, and Sirius stopped their flight to turn around and get a better look. With her distraction they were clear of the rogue wyverns, but she was now neck-deep in trouble. Their assault was relentless; she could do little more than dodge their attacks, given only small windows to retaliate with a weak lance. Her pegasus’s agility helped spectacularly, but the flurry of claw swipes and flame puffs stretched him to his limits. A few hits got through – shallow swipes to both, and a lucky breath singed Cierro’s wing and elicited a hurt whinny.
Jubelo exclaimed, “She can’t keep this up! We have to do something!”
“I know Little Prince, but your safety is my top priority. My sword is not ideal for fighting by wyvern either.” Of all the blasted times to fly without a lance!
He looked down in dismay and caught the strap of his bookbag. Although he wasn’t trained to fight mounted, Yuliya insisted he take it on his flight just to be safe. It did give him comfort… if he needed to fight or start a campfire in an emergency, he had his Fire tome ready. I don’t have to worry about flying if Sirius drives. But, can I really do this? He looked back up at Kris struggling to fend off the wyverns, and her pegasus’s aerobatics were getting slower. She’s stood up for me before, just like Ogma and Master Wendell. And now…
A wave of determination washed away his doubts. …and now it’s my turn to pay back the favor!
Sirius flinched when he felt Jubelo rolling out of his seat, trying to climb around him. “Prince Jubelo, what are you doing!? It’s dangerous!”
“We have to save Dame Kris! I’ve got firepower, you handle the reins!”
He was shocked by the courage in the prince’s voice. His head tilted skyward briefly before returning to his charge. This isn’t how I hoped you’d step, but we have no better option. “…Very well. Seat yourself quickly and we’ll be off!”
After the knight helped him climb around the left flank, Jubelo pulled the Fire tome out of his bag. He braced when Azura lunged forward, then opened it to a fresh page and wiggled in his seat to slip the book under his thighs. With one hand on the harness it was the best could do – thankfully, when he started muttering the incantation he could feel its power.
Yuliya gasped when she saw them speeding back towards the rogue wyverns. “What is he doing!?” She held up her Rescue staff and proclaimed, “I gotta stop-”
Caeda grabbed the staff. “Yuliya, no!”
“Caeda, let go! Sir Sirius is going against his duty!”
“And where is your brother going to sit? Asbard can’t accommodate a third passenger!”
Yuliya’s scowl wavered. “But… I can bring him too!”
“And what happens when they don’t see it coming? Disrupting a wyvern’s flight is dangerous! You could bring them crashing right into us!”
Her brow sank to a worried look. “But…”
“I know you’re scared for your him. I am too. But intervening too recklessly might only make it worse, and Kris is still in peril. So please, all we can do is trust them. Sir Sirius is smart, he must have a plan.”
While their feud was going on, Jubelo mumbled the spell to himself, constantly peeking around Sirius. The aerial brawl grew closer fast, a battered and burnt Kris in the center. Fear no longer ruled his mind when he laid eyes on the dragons harrying her… now, he felt angry. His left hand burned hotter as he ginned up his magic, and he held it close to avoid burning Sirius. “Target the one on the right, okay? I’ll get the one on the left!”
“Copy!”
Azura veered right as they got close, her nervous tremors muted in the heat of the moment. Right when they were upon Kris they climbed so that he could strike his target, and Jubelo swung his hand toward the other as they flew past. “Fire!”
Kris wore a stupefied, relieved smile as the fireball repelled drove the screaming beast away. “P-Prince Jubelo!? …Way to go, Prince!”
Caeda and Yuliya had similar thoughts as they looked back at the action just in time. “Whoa! That… that was awesome Jubelo!”
“See? I told you to have faith!”
“Excellent plan, Prince! Fear we Dame Kris, we have your-”
“rrrRRRAAAGH!!”
That shrill, furious scream chilled Jubelo’s swelling pride and dampened their victory. The wyvern he singed was glaring daggers and flapped mercilessly in their direction. Sirius concluded, “…we’re not out of the woods yet. Let’s split them up!”
“R-right. One should be more manageable… ngh…”
Poor Kris. She looks really beat up, Jubelo thought as she flew away. He didn’t have time to dwell with Sir Sirius taking him in another direction, and the wyvern fast approaching. Fortunately just one, with the other still trailing Kris… unfortunately, it was thoroughly ticked off and gaining fast. Its vicious growls reminded him what there was to be afraid of… “S-S-Sir Sirius! It’s catching up quick!”
“Hold on tight Little Prince! I’ll protect you!”
“Turn around now! It’s getting close!”
Sirius checked over his shoulder, and his heart skipped a beat when he saw the talons drawn. He hastily halted their wyvern, spun her around and barely had time to raise his blade. Jubelo hid behind him while he grappled with the beast’s gnashing feet. Their attacker frequently pulled back to loop around from a different angle, forcing the knight to course correct. Azura obeyed his commands but kept her head down the whole time, and her passengers felt the frightened shivers between wingbeats.
A claw swipe got through, ripping his sleeve and leaving a shallow gash. “Rrrgh! This isn’t working. My sword lacks range, and from this platform I cannot… !!” He froze when he caught the wyvern’s throat alight. “Azura! DOWN!”
Azura dove and swerved left as the wyvern released its fire, reducing the hit to a glancing blow. All three felt it however… Jubelo cringed at the heat, Sirius’s sleeve was singed, and Azura cried when the stream clipped her outermost digit. She remained airborne, but her labored breaths and the darkened patch on her wing told of the damage.
Sirius patted out the flames on his coat. “Aaagh! Infernal beast… this is not good. Prince Jubelo, can you flag down any-” He paused to block the wyvern’s talons with a loud clang. “-help!”
Jubelo scanned the skies for aid, mostly Dame Kris and his sister. If she could send them a Physic, Sir Sirius and Azura might be able to hold out… instead, a burst of light caught his attention. Huh? Golden streaks spreading out from the epicenter before fading, with more light coming from the ridge below. These had a staying presence, two waving frantically from the ground… one momentarily stopped before being joined by a third when it started waving again. Squinting, Jubelo could see three figures behind the glow. Is that Linde? And… never mind that! They’re help, that’s what matters! “Sir Sirius! On the ground there! I think Linde is signaling to us!”
“Lady Linde, you say?” He shoved back the wyvern, then glanced where the prince pointed. “Whyever she’s there, that must be our salvation.” Righting his gaze just in time, he reoriented to block their foe just in time. “Prince Jubelo! Can you provide cover fire?”
“On it! … Growing flame, heed my call…”
Thankfully the prince had the incantation committed to memory by now, lest he have to skim it amidst all these distractions. He checked around Sir Sirius as his fist warmed up, waiting for the opportune moment. Once he recognized the knight was about to force some distance, he ordered, “Now!”
Sirius pushed the wyvern away while kicking Azura’s flank to get her to turn, and Jubelo chanted “Fire!” to lob another blast at the dragon’s face. “Dive, Azura! Toward the light!”
She obeyed and tucked in her wings for a speedier descent. Jubelo huddled close to Sir Sirius’s back to shield his face from the draft. For brief moments he peeked around the knight to check who was calling. Linde’s pink stood out easily, and as they drew closer he picked up Gordin’s voice alongside hers.
“Over here! Hurry!”
“Come on! Just a little closer!”
The third was silent, but he recognized that blue hood and saw strands of green whipping around him. That must be Merric. What a great time for him to be-
“KYAAAAH!”
That screech from behind pierced his thoughts again, and predictably the wyvern was in hot pursuit. Why won’t you leave us ALONE already! “Growing flame, heed my call…”
Just meters away and getting closer, his friends on the ground were growing tense. If they’re too close I can’t get a clean shot. Come on, Sir Sirius. Widen the gap… Merric worried.
Jubelo however had no plans of falling prey now. He was fed up with its constant harassment, channeling that anger into another spell. “Feel the heat of my spirit. Let it give you strength!”
The wyvern raised its talons, nearly an arm’s length away…
“FIRE!”
Sirius felt sudden movement behind him, and twisting his gaze back saw the prince thrusting out his hand and halting their pursuer with another blast of fire. “Bravo, Little Prince!”
The wyvern cringed and shook its head to dissipate the flames. Once its vision was clear, it locked eyes with the boy atop the landing wyvern, hissing furiously and seeing red. It flexed its talons, bucked forward, opened its maw…
“Excalibur!”
…and flew right into Merric’s spell. Jubelo had seen this several times before – on impact, the verdant blade kept its momentum and rolled around its hapless target repeatedly, trapping it in a razor-wind vortex. After three seconds of torture the spell released it, wings in tatters and its body covered in narrow cuts. The wyvern uttered a weak cry while plummeting into the ravine like a ragdoll. Jubelo never felt the same satisfaction in its brutality that he did now.
Sirius helped him down their heaving dragon’s flank before dismounting himself. “That turned out more perilous than planned. You have my gratitude for being here when we needed you most.”
Jubelo was still a little winded. “Hah… yeah! You three were in the right place at the right time!”
Merric cheered, “Certainly! We won’t turn a blind eye to our comra-”
“A LITTLE HELP UP HERE!?”
Everyone snapped skyward to the pegasi coming in hot. Kris had sought out the princesses for much-needed healing, but this inadvertently brought the other wyvern after them. She was struggling to keep it off their tail, flailing her lance as they fled to the ridge for backup.
Gordin nocked an arrow and said, “I got this one. Can you split it off Kris, Merric?”
“On it! Winds, heed me!”
This time he cast a simpler blast, blunt and incapable of dealing damage by the time it reached the wyvern. It was still forceful enough to break its dive, let Kris escape and spread its wings for an easy target. With its previous injuries a single arrow was enough to do it in.
Kris landed next to the princesses’ pegasi, she and her steed panting heavily. “Hah… hah… thank you Sir Gordin, I’m… hah… not skilled enough… to use… hah… the stronger lances yet, sadly.”
Caeda assured, “Easy there Kris, deep breaths. For a simple iron lance, you did a stellar job keeping those wyverns off Sir Sirius and I.”
“Absolutely! One would think you a seasoned flier dancing around both those dragons at once,” Yuliya praised before climbing off the pegasus. “That could be said of you too, Master Gordin! You and Merric couldn’t have picked a better time to be there! But what are you during out here anyway?”
Merric answered, “Oh, just taking a hike! You know, as friends.”
“Yeah. Merric said he saw a nice waterfall out there. It was a challenging trail, but it was nice to flex our feet for a bit… o-outside the normal marching. Haha,” Gordin nervously added, worrying that she’d grow suspicious. Merric, next time let ME do the talking.
Indeed, she was already questioning their alibi. A leisurely hike? When we’ve been hiking anything BUT leisure for months? It was soon forgotten when she heard wyvern vocals and her brother:
“Whoa! Uh… hahaha!”
Although Azura approaching him made Jubelo uneasy again, the tension melted away when she nosed him amicably. She sounded happy and was surprisingly gentle. “Ehe, you’re welcome!” he replied, rubbing the bridge of her snout until she licked his palms – that brought another discomfort. Yuck… he rubbed them on his shawl. “Ah, haha… please don’t do that.”
Smiles abounded. “Heehee! She must be happy you stood up for her!” Caeda commented.
Yuliya walked up proudly and affirmed, “Yes, that was incredible courage pelting those wyverns with fire in the face! It seems you’ve truly conquered your fear!”
Jubelo blushed with enthusiasm. “Aha. Thanks, Yuliya… but I wouldn’t say I’m completely over it.”
“What matters is that you faced it with pride. True courage is not the absence of fear, but the will to defy its oppressive hold,” Sirius lectured, stroking Azura behind the ear fin. “I think you helped Azura find courage against her wild brethren too.”
“Kyaah!” she chirped loudly, but when she tried spreading her wings she flinched and shook.
“Ah, right. The damaged wing… Princess Yuliya, if you’ll be so kind?”
“Certainly. Provided Azura doesn’t snap at me.”
Azura understood and maintained a submissive posture, turning to show her the scorched wing. While Yuliya worked her Mend over it, Linde was healing Kris and her pegasus’s injuries. The royal guard looked over her glove, partly inspecting the mended wound but also assessing the clothing damage. “Whew! That feels much better, Lady Linde. Pity that your magic can’t mend my outfit though…”
“Believe me. Even after learning proper tailoring it still pains me every time I have to mend this. We’ll see if there’s suitable spare fabric back at camp.”
Her pegasus uttered a relieved whinny when it was his turn. In the meantime, Caeda teased, “It was very convenient of you to be out here while we were flying.”
Gordin retorted, “Very funny Caeda. But it wasn’t my idea, even if they came up with this around me and Ryan. Merric wanted us to come out here.”
“It’s not often that we find a nice secluded spot when none of us are too busy. We need to make the most of every opportunity we get.”
She turned to Merric with a wry look and a raised eyebrow. “Really? Now you got me curious. And what might this activity be?”
He glanced away and fiddled with his cloak. “O-oh, uuuhh, yeah! It’s… …mmm… …Gordin?”
“It’s something we don’t want her bothering me about until we perfect it,” he whispered, pointing the finger at his lips to Princess Yuliya.
“Ah… so you finally found something to practice together. Congratulations.”
Merric grinned and uttered a quiet “Thanks,” while Gordin nodded in annoyance wishing they would drop it. At least she has someone keeping her busy, he thought, warily glancing to the twins, who were thankfully preoccupied with Sir Sirius.
Yuliya pulled back her staff and said, “That should be better, sir. Although you’ll have to consult with the tailor about mending that jacket.”
He examined his arm and replied, “It is already great improvement. Thank you again for your diligence, Little Princess. Lord Wendell will surely be thrilled to hear you and Prince Jubelo’s… hm.”
Sirius paused and stared skyward and toward camp. Yuliya and Jubelo checked the same direction, where they saw three distant figures approaching.
“Perhaps we’re due to inform him now. Our skirmish in the sky may have attracted our comrades’ attention… Princess Caeda, Dame Kris, I believe it’s time we confirm our safety.”
“Mhm. That must have been tensed for anyone who saw. Come on, Yuliya!” Caeda beckoned.
“You two go ahead. Cierro’s wings are still healing.”
“It’ll be another minute or two,” Linde spoke up.
Yuliya put away her Mend and strolled over to Caeda. Sirius offered Jubelo a hand and offered, “Well, Prince Jubelo? What do you say we tell Master Wendell about your achievement?”
Jubelo nodded and eagerly climbed back into the saddle, followed by Sirius. This time, he opted to ride behind the knight from the start; it made him feel more like a man than a boy. There was no spook when Azura yelled, spread her wings and took off. Caeda and Yuliya flew right beside them, soon converging with the two wyverns and pegasus that approached. Jubelo’s grin brightened when Master Wendell came into view – he smiled back when he saw they were okay, and he’d surely be smiling wider when he learned of the prince’s bravery!