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I look at him, slightly irritated that he is making me practice dance moves again. However, I stand.

“Tonight, you’re learning how to fight,” Elm states as he also stands.

A wide grin graces my face as I grow excited to finally start learning.

“Be alert! Keep your eyes and ears open. A den could be nearby!” I shout over the howling, bitter wind to the group of soldiers ahead of me, nearly at the top of the mountain—Serpent’s Reach.

Wyvern are said to be smart, fierce, and calculating creatures. They fascinate me, honestly. It is truly a shame to end such a ferocious killing machine, but when the king gives orders to kill it, there’s no room for questions.

The wind bites into my skin, the air turning colder the higher we climb. The king wants the threat eliminated before it becomes a problem for him. We don’t need the wyverns feeding on our cattle—or worse, our people.

I march on, my boots grinding against loose dirt and stone, the scent of cedar and earth clinging to the tail end of the wind. The sea of red cloaks ahead billow in the wind like banners of blood.

The moon sits high in the sky, casting silver light over the jagged landscape—illuminating our path ahead. Thank the gods and goddesses for small miracles.

I glance back to check on the healer who’s safely surrounded in the center of the formation. The last wyvern we faced claimed several men before we killed it. This time, I’ve brought extra Infinities, just in case.

A weak roar echoes from up ahead, feeble compared to the bone-rattling calls I’ve heard before. I exchange a glance with Kylo, whose furrowed brow mirrors my confusion.

Without hesitation, we sprint ahead, pushing past the guards.

“Shield!” I shout. Seconds later, rippling energy surrounds us as one of our shield-wielders casts his protective magic. It’s a thin barrier—protecting all of us will weaken its strength—but I pray it holds if we encounter a fiery attack from a wyvern.

At the peak, we reach a giant nest of branches and tree trunks. In its center lies a small wyvern, its wing slightly deformed, snapping weakly with its orange-tinted jaws.

Kylo approaches, resting his hands on his hips as he surveys it. “What’s wrong with it?”

“Birth defect, probably,” I say, scanning the surroundings. “Where’s the mother?”

“I’m not sure. Let’s just kill the baby and get it over with. It’d be a mercy killing,” Kylo suggests. “It probably can’t even fly.”

He is right. It would be a mercy killing. Could the baby even fly? Why are they coming here from the Island of Wemdrah? It is said they roam freely there and usually don’t bother humans unless provoked. Is it here because we have taken over one of the cities there? I should just kill it, but something tugs at me. Instinct tells me not to act yet. It’s something I can’t explain, but I have found that when I don’t go with my gut feeling, I typically pay for it.

I shake the thought away and climb higher, searching for the mother. I gesture to Kylo, who follows me.

Ahead, we spot a cavern large enough to house the beast, but if she were inside, she would have attacked by now. I turn back toward the nest, a nagging sense of unease creeps over me.

The baby wyvern screeches just as one of my men raises his sword.

“Stop!” I shout. Shadows surge from me, wrapping around the soldier’s arm to halt his strike. I sprint toward the young wyvern, but it’s too late.

A deafening roar shatters the night.

The mother descends from above, her massive wings blotting out the moonlight. The ground trembles beneath her landing, and her roar shakes me to my core. Fire erupts from her maw, incinerating the soldier I restrained as well as the nearby guards who weren’t under the shield.

“Damn it,” I mutter, wrapping my shadows around her snout. The beast thrashes, her strength nearly overwhelming me. Sweat drips down my temple as I inch closer. My heart is thumping away, like a ceremonial drum. Even the wicked grow wary, and when faced with a massive wyvern, I am sure my nervousness is warranted.

“Stand down! Slowly back away and head back down the mountain, now!” I shout to my men, struggling to hold the wyvern. The wyvern is thrashing around, trying to break free. I’m sweating trying to keep its jaw shut. I should just kill it, but I don’t make a move for my sword—that nagging feeling still bothering me in the pit of my stomach.

“I am not going to hurt your baby.” I say, inching closer. The Wyvern swipes its massive muscular tail at me. I am so concentrated on its mouth that I don’t see it coming. I am thrown a few feet away—my shadows release it. Before I can even get up, it pins me with its deadly claws, digging my back into the dirt and stone.

The Wyvern lets loose another roar, inches from my face. The heat and force from its powerful jaw scorches my cheeks and blows my hair back. I am breathing in uneven pants now. My heart is lodged in my throat.

I look it straight in the eyes and speak softly. “I am not going to hurt your baby. I tried to protect it.”

I can see something like recognition in its eyes.

The wyvern removes its massive claw from me. I stare warily for a second before I slowly stand, not wanting to make any sudden movements.