Heart of Dorkness

Terror Eighteen - Snack

The lead wyvern, the largest in the pack, lands with the grace of a bird of prey, wings sweeping around and kicking up a gust that has me stumbling back a step.

I, uh, I swallow. I have to admit Im not super fond of flying. At all. But wyverns are very fast, and they can fly high enough that we wont have a hard time spotting something like a caravan, even if its a days travel ahead of us.

Felixs jaw is hanging open. Is that a dragon?

I push my glasses up the bridge of my nose, happy that I can turn this into a teaching moment. No, its a wyvern. Taxonomically, theyre in the same family as dragons, but youll note that their wings are actually arms. At least, thats how theyre attached to their skeletons. A dragon has four limbs, and their wings are actually on their upper backs, like shoulder blades.

It feels like a dragon to me, Felix says.

They do share some ancestry, I think. Well, not these, theyre monsters, so they didnt exactly evolve into their shape. Which is interesting. Why do monsters look the way they do? And why do they so often look like creatures seen in nature? Its an intriguing question, but no one seems to have explored it. At least, no one who Ive found.

Im not sure about all of this, Felix says.

Well be fine.

And then the kidnappers, who I had totally forgotten about, burst through the underbrush. Six guys armed with knives and clubs.

Got you, you little... oh, the biggest of them says.

I blink at him, then follow his gaze to where he was staring at the wyvern next to me. It must have been somewhat intimidating to expect to come across two girls and instead find yourself up against a four-metre-long monster with scaled skin and teeth longer than a handspan.

A-a dragon! one of them squeaks.

Actually, its a wyvern, I correct.

They start screaming.

I sigh, and then point at them while glancing back to the wyvern. Another pair of the big flying monsters land in the clearing, and a few more circle overhead. I give the monsters a simple order.

Snack.

Felix ducks down as the wyverns shoot off after the would-be kidnappers; only the biggest of them stays back. I press a hand to its chest, keeping it in place. Well, not literally. Its a lot heavier and stronger than me, but it listens to what I say because Mom would be really miffed if it didnt.

Lets pack our things away, I say as I shrug off my backpack and the bag full of food I got at the inn.

Okay, Felix says.

Im glad that Felix isnt too bothered by the sounds of people screaming and the wyverns having an impromptu snack. The kidnappers even have a chance to get away, what with the woods providing good cover. As long as they zigzag, they might be fine.

The wyvern, quite conveniently, has some large bags on its saddle, so its not too hard to shove my backpack in, then the one filled with food. Felixs bag fits snugly on the other side.

Okay, I say once everything is set. Ive pulled out my scarf from one of the bags and after a bit of consideration, give it to Felix, who hesitantly wraps it around her neck. I keep my flight goggles for myself, though, its not as if theyd help Felix at all. There should be plenty of room on the saddle for both of us. I think. Just, uh, go on first, and Ill get in front.

Felix tilts her head, then takes a deep breath before she climbs up and into the saddle. This isnt very comfortable, she says as she pushes herself back.

I know, I say. We can take breaks every couple of hours if you want. The saddle is cushioned, but your bum will still get sore. Better than a horse though.

Ive never touched a horse, Felix says.

Huh... actually, me neither. We have horse-like monsters at home though. One of them is like a unicorn, but evil. Its kinda neat looking, even though it really doesnt like me for some reason. I grab onto the saddle, and then a spine along the wyverns back, and hoist myself up. Felix leans back just in time to avoid an accidental kick, and I flop down onto the saddle before her.

It takes some shifting and wiggling--skirts arent optimal for wyvern-back riding--but soon were ready to take off.

I lean forwards so that Im closer to the wyverns ear. Lets go. Were heading west, along the coast of Ares Pond.

The wyvern stretches its wings as wide as theyll go, and Im reminded why I dont like flying when it launches itself straight up.

It feels like my stomach stays right where it is while the rest of me is tossed into the air, then everything snaps back into place.

Felix screams into my ears and I clutch the saddle.

This... this is great! Felix yells.

Her arms are splayed out, straight to either side, and she laughs as the wyvern beats hard against the air and pushes us higher and higher.

Y-you like this? I ask.

Yeah! Were moving so fast! I can feel so far!

The wyvern isnt using magic to achieve flight, just a lot of muscle and bone and simple physics. I guess that means that theres nothing magical interfering with Felixs wind-sense and, with the wingbeats no doubt helping her project her senses further, I can imagine her gaining a wider field of vision in exchange for a less accurate picture.

All very academic knowledge that in no way helps me as Im working hard to keep my lunch where it belongs.

The wyvern tilts, and I scream as a pair of arms wrap themselves around my torso. Its just Felix holding on, but I cant help but imagine her being thrown off and carrying me with her.

Of course, thats silly; the wyvern is flying slowly and steadily. Soon were joined by the others, some of whom have faces covered in splatters of blood and gore from their snacks.

I keep my eyes closed, at least until our flight levels off. Felixs grip loosens and I peek out, looking over the side to the ground thats far, far below.

Oh boy, I breathe.

If I can look past the fact that everything is very far away, its not hard to make out the road cutting across the landscape. Much of the area is entirely untouched. There are too many monsters this far from the city, so there arent any homes or anything.

The area around the road is cleared; no trees for a ways and the brush looks like its frequently burned down to keep the grass low.

Its a precaution to stop monsters from sneaking up on any passing caravans.

I cant see any caravans though, not for as far as I can make out, which isnt that great with goggles on instead of my glasses.

Still, I figure it wont be hard to spot them when we get close enough. The road is dry, and there hasnt been rain in the last couple of days. Theyll be kicking up dust.

Whelp, we have a bunch of time and not much to do, I say.

Do you know any stories? Youre smart, right?

I cough. Obviously I wouldnt blush at such faint praise, but its nice to hear. Well, I guess I know a thing or two. Honestly, I dont read that many fiction books, but I know plenty of stories that are at least a little true.

A little true?

Who wrote a story will tell you a lot about what was and wasnt exaggerated. If youre on the same side as the hero, youll speak well of them, but if youre on the other side, theyre your enemy, and youre not likely to consider them worth a lot of praise.

I think that makes sense, Felix says. We have heroes in the Roughs, but the guards are always talking about them like terrible people. Brie Who Stole Bread was my favourite hero.

I never heard of that one.

Its about a girl that was real clever and who stole an entire bakerys worth of bread, Felix says. And then she gave it out to everyone that needed something to eat, which is everyone in the Roughs.

Thats something, I say. Most of the stories I know are a bit... bigger in scope. My favourite story is about Roderic the Renegade. I like the ending.

His name and title have the same sounds at the start?

A lot of heroes are named that way. Its easier to remember, I guess, I say.

How does it end? Felix asks.

Well, the official ending in the books is that after a big final battle in the land of monsters, he strikes a blow against the God of Darkness, and shes so impressed she lets him return to his home where he lives happily ever after. But I asked Mom, and she said that he was a bit of an idiot, and by the time she noticed him invading, her monsters had already eaten him.

Oh, Felix says.

But the stories are really entertaining! He was the hero of his age!

***