Location: The Valdt
Footsteps echoed on the marble floor, the sound of paws clicking across the stony ground like a very large two legged dog, stalking through the palace chamber. The claws rhythmically tap tapped and the paws pressed against the cold stone ever so softly, a spring like bounce in the creature's every step as she paced back and forth, every move direct and calculated, every step painstakingly rehearsed over years and years of intensive training. Her tail was held out behind her like the sapling of a tree, sturdy yet flexible, and adding to her balance. Her head was held as high as she could hold it, at ten feet tall compared to the vast thousands of feet of the vaulted ceiling that allowed for dragons to fly within the space. Every detail of every inch of space she diligently observed, her eyes being particularly keen to the tiniest movement. Muscles rippled down her neck and back as she turned her head to listen to a distant sound. She was an unusual breed of wyvern, her acid green hide being graced with bright yellow stripes. The end of her tail was adorned with sharp protruding scales that led up to her double pronged venomous barb, and her neck was graced with a frill, both very unusual on a wyvern. Her yellow wings were devoid of the red eyespots that all others of her particular breed had, and there was a slight air of authority to her that commanded respect, which might have been why she had been chosen as captain of the Empress' guard. She was highly intelligent, with a keen eye for danger at the slightest whiff, and a determination that made her nearly impossible to bypass.

"Alpha Talyn! There is..." She heard another wyvern scream in alarm from the distance, before there was a soft thud. And then, she smelled it, a scent that triggers all wyverns into a state of alarm and attack, the smell of her comrade's blood.

In an instant, her instinct kicked in. She knew that if she went in the direction of her fallen comrade, it was likely she would fall to a similar fate. She stealthily spread her wings and silently took to the air, strategically landing on one of the many tall marble columns that would be too high up for her to be seen, yet she could see everything below her perfectly. She knew that because there had been no noises of  a struggle besides the other wyvern's exclamation of alarm, that her comrade had swiftly been killed, the murder weapon easily penetrating his soft hide.

Unlike a dragon, a wyvern's skin was composed of tiny soft flexible scales that made their hide much less metallic and lustrous as a dragon's, but adding camouflage in dense forests. A wyvern's skin was as soft and smooth as the petals of a rose, and slightly warm to the touch. It would be much easier to sink a weapon into a wyvern's flesh than a dragon because dragon scales are armored while wyvern scales give about as much protection as the hide of a cow. Because of this, wyverns were more vulnerable to attack, and Talyn knew this all too well perched on the pedestal and scouting the territory below. Because of their supposed inferiority to dragons, wyverns used their numbers to their advantage and were masters of strategy and nonverbal communication. If one of their numbers were attacked, all surrounding wyverns would instinctively gather to retaliate, yet Talyn had a feeling that the death of her comrade was bait for a trap. She let out a shrill whispery sound, a vocalization that was too high pitched for anything but the keen ears of a wyvern, to warn the others not to advance.

Talyn had to find a way to contact someone other than the nearby wyverns to help, because whatever had been targeting the guards must be lying in wait. She let out a series of chirps in the high pitched secret tone telling all the others to be on high alert and to find help.

Kaeoryn descended the stairs, an eerie silence having descended on the large foyer of the palace which he was entering. He stopped short and noticed that something was off. He cautiously scanned his surroundings, taking every last detail into account. He summoned an axe out of the shadows, in case he would need to defend himself. And then, he realized what was wrong. The wyverns guarding the place were all gone, not a single one of them was flying or stalking about. He stepped forward, highly on guard and ready to strike at any second. A flash of light whooshed past, and he raised his weapon as an automatic reflex. He stepped forward, listening in anticipation. The room spun around him, and something about his field of vision was not quite right. Disoriented, he fell backwards. He braced himself, noticing that the ground beneath him was soft and warm. What he saw was simply a marble floor, and it was as if he was suspended in thin air. And that was when he realized that it was an illusion and that he could not trust what he saw. He closed his eyes and listened, and he felt with his hands what he had fallen on. His hand slipped into something wet and sticky and warm, and he instantly knew from experience that it was blood. Whatever he had landed on was once alive, a fresh kill.

Kaeoryn listened to his surroundings once more, and he could tell that there was someone else alive and breathing in the room. He got to his feet and smiled slightly, before saying, "You're in danger if you think you are safe here."
"Am I?" Mieraux said innocently.

"What are you doing here?" Kaeoryn asked

"Investigating." Mieraux softly replied.

Kaeoryn opened his eyes and said, "You're a fool to think that novice level illusions would work on me. What are you trying to hide?"

"When I found the wyvern, I didn't want people to think..."she started

"I will be watching you." Kaeoryn growled.

Mieraux shrugged and said, "You won't see anything you're looking for. My slate is as white as the snow." before she disappeared in a flash of light.

Talyn peered down from her perch and she knew after watching the exchange who the killer was. She also knew that if she ever tried to expose the killer, she would become another victim. If the killer thought that the wyverns were gone or that they knew nothing, they would be spared.

When she had heard the news of the wyvern's death, Miraj was instantly at the scene of the crime along with Xolt and Sorrelle. Miraj looked over the body with compassion and dismay, looking into the creature's glassy eye.

"Poor young thing." Miraj said softly, as she gently closed its eye.

"Aren't you going to look it over to figure out the cause of death?" Xolt asked.

Miraj gasped and said, "And further desecrate this poor creature even after death? This creature deserves a proper burial, not a thorough examination! How could you suggest such a horrid inhumane disrespectful..."

"It could be the only way to find out what happened so that we can protect the others around us." Sorrelle gently said.

"I...I just can't! I'm a healer, a doctor, not a mortician! I chose my field to save life, not to go poking around in dead bodies. It's against all my beliefs and code of ethics!" Miraj exclaimed.

"You have to, or else..." Xolt started, before Miraj slapped him hard across the face.

"You have no respect!" Miraj sobbed, before continuing, "How would you feel if that was your friend lying there, or if it were me? Would you want some simpleton poking around in their innards? How could you!"

Xolt put his hand to his cheek at first in pain, and then in amusement. He smiled and said, "I knew you had it in you, sis!"

Miraj gasped and replied, "I made a vow to do no harm, and nothing is going to make me break that vow." and with that, she left.

Xolt turned to Sorrelle and said, "Well, how are we going to figure out how the wyvern died now?"

"I think your priority should be apologizing to your sister." Sorrelle said, smugly folding her arms.

"You're not my mother." Xolt retorted stubbornly.

"Which is exactly why you should listen or I'll break your wrist." Sorrelle wittily shot back.

"Heyiii! What did I miss?" Ravenna said as she flew down the stairs, Thorryn in tow.

"Oh great, who invited the idiot patrol?" Xolt growled, rolling his eyes.

"Says its president!" Ravenna cheerily shot back before looking over at the wyvern's corpse.

"Yikes. That must've hurt. And judging by the gash the weapon was probably a class five, maybe class four hunting knife. Had to be at least four or it wouldn't have been as quick." Ravenna said about the wyvern.

"And there's our answer. Ravenna, how do you know that?" Sorrelle said in fascination.

"I used to work at a tavern. People got stabbed to death all the time. I was kinda bored cleaning up the mess so I took to cataloging the injuries to pass the time." Ravenna replied, before saying, "The weapon must've been held at an angle judging the entrance and exit, but there is a factor I'm not sure about..."

"It was curved." another voice chimed in from behind them.

"GAH! Kapybara, I didn't see you there!" Ravenna said in surprise.

"You weren't supposed to." The Kapybara replied.

"What are you doing here?" Xolt asked The Kapybara suspiciously.

"I smelled blood. Fresh. And it wasn't me. Someone's been doing my job. I don't like that." The Kapybara said shortly, sniffing the air with an annoyed scowl.

"Whoever did it didn't leave much for us to use though." Ravenna said with dismay.

"There is plenty. The knife was curved, not at an angle exactly, but thrust in from top and pulled down to bottom. Clean cut, which means they were in a hurry and not hesitating." The Kapybara said.

"So what does this mean, Kapybara?" Xolt asked.

"The!" The Kapybara exclaimed in annoyance.

"What?" Xolt asked

"It's The Kapybara to you. I don't like when you forget The." The Kapybara retorted

"What difference does it make?" Xolt grumbled.

"Life or death difference." The Kapybara replied with a mischievous grin.

"No kidding." Xolt muttered under his breath, before he felt something sharp hit him in the neck.

"What did you?..." Ravenna began in amazement, before the Kapybara replied, "He talks too much. Will be quiet now for awhile. Then we can get to business."

"I like how you think." Ravenna said with a smirk, before saying, "And now, what were you saying about the wyvern's death?"

"It was bait. A wyvern rushes in when it smells other wyvern's blood. But where the others are...they could be dead too. Not likely though. I have a theory..." The Kapybara said, deep in thought.

"Well, what is your theory?" Ravenna asked

"Something dangerous." The Kapybara replied slowly.

Smoke darkened the sky as screams echoed across the distant landscape. It wouldn't be long until the creatures released from the Naedorian pits would be upon the village, yet somehow even in the darkness of the sky there had to be hope. A young boy, not much older than seventeen, surveyed the landscape. After the news of the collapse of the Sterling City, he had been desperate to find a way out of the destruction soon to find its way to his home. He was a mantoid, with insect-like armored legs and armored forearms, and a pair of yellow moth-like antennae protruded from his forehead. He was a farm boy, having grown up in the simple life of harvesting grain with the others in his village, and yet that was not the path he wanted to follow. In secret, he had studied every fighting style he could read about, and had practiced to the best of his ability. He wanted to be a knight, in the presence of dragons and in service to the Empress, not some nobody farming grain. And while the others cowered in their homes, he had been busy trying to find an escape plan.

"Ey', boy! Stop your daydreamin' an' get the goods to the storehouse!" his father called.

"I have a name!" the boy retorted indignantly.

"You've done me nothin' but trouble eva' since yer' mother fell' on the job an' I don't intend on callin' you anything until ya' get yer' lazy bones up off that ground an' start helping! We 'aven't got all day!" his father retorted stubbornly.

"It's Aurin, Da! And I'm not the lazy one. Storing the grain won't do us no good if we don't fight for what is ours!" Aurin yelped in reply.

"There isn't a way to sate the coming storm, so we best continue wif' life as usual." His father grumbled sadly.

Aurin shook his head and walked to the shed where his family stored the tools, and he picked up a pair of hand scythes and looked at them for a long while deep in thought. The tools had a short handle and crossguard, each with a long curved blade.

"Why not?" Aurin said to himself, holding the tools up to the light. He glanced over at the grindstone and grinned, realizing that if he sharpened the tools just a bit more than the needed sharpness for harvesting, they could be converted into weapons. And with his ability with using the hand scythes, he figured he would have a chance on the field of battle. And so he sharpened the tools and admired his work, but looking at the dim wooden handles of the things, he knew they needed an extra something and so he painted them a brilliant rose red. As soon as he finished, he snuck out of the shed, making sure not to be seen by his father. Now that he had weapons, he had to practice on something, anything. His attention turned to the row of straw stuffed dummies he had made to practice his combat, and he stabbed at one of them with all his might. The weapon thrust itself into its victim's heart and continued to slice through the rest of it.

"Whoah!" Aurin exclaimed in surprise and delight as the dummy bled its contents all over the ground. He sliced at it again and the weapon grazed his right leg, cutting his natural armor like a knife through butter.

"Ow!" He yelped, looking at the green gash on his leg. He heard a small rustle in the bushes and ducked down to the ground, hoping that nobody saw that, and praying that it wasn't his father. He heard the sound of four little legs skittering towards him and let out a sigh of relief.

"Phew. It's just some animal." Aurin muttered, when a scaly green and brown and orange mottled head poked out of the bushes. The creature was about the size of a dog, with stubby horns and a neon yellow colored frill around its jawline, with a white circular spot on its forehead.

"Hey little fella. Are you a baby dragon?" Aurin asked softly, hoping not to scare it away. The little creature hopped out of the bushes, revealing its body. It was built like a panther and it had a long tail with a row of blade like scales sticking out. It had no wings, but upon its back was a pair of frills. The creature chirped in response and stalked closer, its hypnotic yellow eyes staring into Aurin's soul.

"Are you hungry, little guy?" Aurin asked, when he felt a twinge in the back of his skull.

"Alright, you're a girl. Well, are you hungry? We don't have much but I'm sure I can find something." Aurin replied. The creature ran up to him, so close he could feel her hot breath on his leg. She opened her mouth, revealing viper like fangs, hissed, and suddenly he felt a tingling sensation as she began vigorously lapping at the wound on his leg.
"Hey! That tickles! Take it easy there!" Aurin exclaimed as the creature continued to lap at his wound. Soon the blood stopped flowing to his wound, and the creature pounced on his chest and looked deep into his eyes, and he felt as if all his thoughts were being arranged into a single pattern, and that pattern into a word, and that word was MORE!

"Whoa, calm down. I don't have any more, not really. But maybe I can see what Da has cooking in the kitchen." Aurin replied to the "dragon". He wasn't quite sure what she was, but he figured that she must be a dragon. What else would she be?

Aurin walked into his humble abode, peered around the corner, and took in a deep breath, contemplating how to break the news of his new pet to his father. The smell of steak cooking was a surprise to Aurin since they almost never tasted it and when they did kill the cows, the meat would be sold at the market.

"Um...Da?" Aurin asked slowly. His father looked up and acknowledged his entrance with a short grunt.

"I found a stray dragon. She's hungry and..." Aurin started

"That's lucky. We 'ave a lot more meat ta' finish off before the scourge comes this way." His father replied.

"Can she stay?" Aurin asked

"If she isn't trouble." Aurin's father replied, which Aurin wasn't expecting, but since the destruction and news of impending doom, his father didn't seem to care how they spent their last days. Aurin stood in the doorway, dumbfounded.

"Well, let's see her." His father gruffly said, and almost on cue, the little creature rushed inside and leaped onto the top of the oven, before squealing in pain and clambering down. She then wailed and proceeded to sniff the ground.

"That's a pitiful dragon, if I ever saw one. She isn't shiny like she should be, and not so fireproof neither. An' she smells. Put er' in the barn with the other livestock." Aurin's father commented. Aurin felt his thoughts being pulled into a question and a picture of a cow. And then he had the thought of hunting, chasing, and biting the cow on its juicy bleeding flank.

"No, we don't do it like that." Aurin replied to the creature's question in his thoughts.

"Who are you talkin' to, Aurin?" His father asked, confused.

"My dragon...er...she talks in my head." Aurin replied. The dragon let out a little bark and snorted in anticipation, and Aurin felt his stomach growl.

No, that wasn't right. He felt her stomach growl, somehow, in some way which he didn't understand. "Is there anything still raw?" Aurin asked, puzzled how the creature was getting into his head.

"In the cellar." His father shortly replied as he cooked what he thought could possibly be their last meal. Aurin nodded and opened the trapdoor in the kitchen floor and descended the stairs, but before he could take another breath, the creature had leaped down the stairs and landed squealing on her face before she opened her eyes, got to her feet, and dove at the rest of the cow's carcass hanging from the ceiling. She dove headfirst into its flank and ravenously tore a chunk of flesh from the carcass, grunting and squealing with delight.

"You eat like a little pig." Aurin commented in awe, not really sure how a young dragon or whatever it was would normally eat. After eating a few bites, she swiveled her head around towards the sound of a bat being disturbed from its sleep from all the noise she was making. The little creature lunged at the bat and snapped, missing it by inches. The bat flew off and she wailed in protest, before diving back into the carcass. Once she had her fill, which was almost one sixth of the entire cow, she scrambled up the cellar stairs and hopped onto the dinner table, curiously watching Aurin's father finish cooking dinner.

"Get it off!" Aurin's father snapped at the dragon on the table, and Aurin replied, "But Da, she's just curious!"

"I don't care what it is. It can be a dragon, a goblin, or your great Aunt's left shoe for all I care, but as far as I'm concerned, it's ugly and it smells and it is on MY table!" His Da replied angrily.

"She's an orphan, I'm sure of it, Da! You can't just throw 'er out with the pigs an' the cattle. And she needs love and care and someone to look out for her." Aurin replied.

"What that THING needs is a good whack ta' show it who's boss! Now there you go, ugly! Off!" Aurin's father yelled, shoving the creature rudely onto the floor.

As soon as she landed, she howled and whimpered and wailed, and Aurin's Father told him to "get that thing outside before I get the axe!" and so Aurin took his new pet out to the barn. As soon as she set foot in the barn, the horses spooked and the cows mood and made such a ruckus that Aurin decided to quietly take her to his shed, near to where he had found her. He ran a hand along her side and found a patch of scales that had burned from when she had thrown herself at the oven, and he rushed to the shelf where he kept the salve he and his father used when the animals were injured. As he worked the salve into her wounds, he said softly, "Da will come to like you. I'm sure of it. All you need is a name and you'll be family."

A farm cat walked by and entered the shed, hoping to find a scrap of food or a tin of milk, but the creature leaped at it with all her might.

"What are you doing? That's Cal! Cal is family. We don't eat family!" Aurin exclaimed. The creature hissed indignantly at the cat before looking Aurin in the eye, sending his thoughts a question.

"Well, the cows an' chickens an' stuff are kinda family, but we have to eat them to live. They are more livestock, herd animals, you know?" Aurin told her. Her tail raised excitedly and she looked at him with a cold reptilian stare, deep in thought.

"What am I supposed to call you? All dragons have names. What about...Zinrea?" Aurin suggested. She spat a line of glowing green saliva at the door that quickly melted a hole in it.

"Ok, I guess you don't like that. How about...hmmm...let's see, you're messy and you eat like a pig. How about I call you Pig?" Aurin asked. She gave him a look that clearly said no.

"Fang maybe? Or Gleer?" Aurin asked. She rolled her eyes in indignation.

"Well, you were found by fortunate accident, in a way, so maybe Serendipity?" he suggested hopefully. Her response was somewhat along the lines of "Do I look like a dipsy little bunny rabbit hopping through the meadows?"

"Alright then. We can wait. Maybe your name will just find its way to you." Aurin said contemplatively, before letting out a yawn. She leaped into his lap and grunted, before giving a long sigh and a yawn. He tried to get up, but he couldn't get her off of him and so he decided he would spend the night there in the shed.