Chapter 2
990 Words
2
People wandered around the streets of the small city on Adeth Peak Isle. It was crowded now. Everyone from Saefron as well as several others who had joined in the last few months filled the streets. Devarius watched everyone. Now he understood the burden Ellisar had borne. He didn’t know who he could trust. There were so many new faces, and he feared a traitor. The resistance was too small to deal with a traitor. Devarius scratched his ear. The one good thing they had going for them was that the resistance was now based on an island. An island not easily left. If there was a traitor among them, Devarius could only hope they couldn’t get word out to the empire.
Wyverns flew in the sky in a beautiful display of their colors. He watched as they practiced their abilities. Hundreds of saddles had been made, and no longer did anyone bleed from riding. It still took a bit to get used to, and new riders would always blister, but that could be said when first riding a horse as well.
Ayla landed next to Devarius. He smiled as he reached to touch her nose.
Little one.
Devarius laughed. “I suppose I am little compared to you now. You’re nearly grown, Ayla.”
Pride swelled through their bond.
Aquila wishes to speak to you.
Devarius flushed, his cheeks darkening. “Where?”
By the Dragoman’s training.
He frowned.
I know you don’t agree with it, but it could be useful. It saved us last time.
“I know,” Devarius muttered. “But the last thing I want is to be siphoning all of the wyverns for oil. It will only create a weakness inside of the resistance to depend on such a substance. We need to find a better way. I fear if we depend too much on this, and if our stock gets low, men will crave more, and in their greed, enslave wyverns for it.”
That is a possible outcome. This is why it is so important for you to be involved with this. You need to keep them under control—you can’t let them lose control.
Devarius nodded. “I’ll go see Aquila.”
Devarius wandered to the west side of the island, behind one of the mountains, where the land opened up into a meadow. He saw the men and women training there. Their magic resembled every color the wyverns were: green, gold, silver, red, and blue. Devarius admitted the abilities they could perform while using the wyvern oil were spectacular. It was like they were walking dragons. The only one he’d forbidden completely was blood. He’d not allow them to drink dragon blood or wyvern blood like the empire did. Devarius needed to draw the line somewhere.
The problem with them ingesting the wyvern oil was it didn’t last. It gave them wyvern-like abilities for a full thirty-six-hour cycle, but after a full day, it rendered them useless. Not only useless, but it sent them into a coma state for a full thirty-six hours. If they ingested the wyvern oil at the wrong time, it could do more harm than good. Instead of fighting the battle, they could be sleeping during it if they drank the oil too soon.
And, they were addicted to it. Devarius had seen many drugs ruin the lives of men and women in poor villages. People mixed different herbs together to make them feel different, disconnected, and strange. Some of these herbs gave the user a high. Well, wyvern oil was just like that … except amplified. Devarius refused to try any of it, but when he questioned each user individually, he was able to gain that information. Wyvern oil seemed worse than any other drug. It was more than a craving. It almost became a necessity. Devarius worried what would happen if he forbade one of them from using it.
Aquila sat in the grass on the hill in front of him, her knees toward her chest and her arms wrapped around them. Her long black hair fell against her back and the shimmering of sunlight against it brought warmth to Devarius’ soul. She turned to face him and smiled. Her bright white teeth sparkled and her brown complexion glowed as she gazed back to him.
Devarius sat next to her. He wrapped his arm around her. She smiled as she leaned into him. Her touch soothed his mind. It didn’t matter how many burdens he faced, how many trials, as long as she was with him, he knew everything would be all right. A part of him wondered why he’d waited so long to accept her affection, but deep down he knew. He didn’t deserve her. She deserved someone so much better.
“Why here?” he asked.
“I know you’re against this, Devarius. But we need to talk about it.”
“What is there to say on the subject?”
“This could turn the tide of the war. With these abilities, we could defeat the empire.”
Devarius shook his head. “No, even this won’t be enough.”
“It will be a start,” Aquila said.
“The risk is too great.”
“What risk? The comas? They always come back.”
Devarius continued to shake his head. “Not just the comas. The withdrawals. Have you seen how they act when it’s been more than two days since they’ve used the oil?”
“A little,” she admitted. “They get agitated.”
“It’s more than that. Watch their eyes. I really wonder how far they would go to get more if we keep them from the oil longer than two days.”
“You really are worried, aren’t you?” she asked.
“Yes, I am.”
“Do it.”
“What?”
“Find three of them to isolate. Don’t let them have the wyvern oil for a week. Let’s see what happens.”
“It could be dangerous,” Devarius admitted.
“It could be more dangerous once the war starts. What if we can’t keep up the supply of wyvern oil when we’re at war? If you’re truly worried, we should know what it’ll be like for them now, while we’re safe.”
“You’re right, Aquila … as you always are.”
He kissed her.
“Don’t you forget it,” Aquila said with a smile when they parted.
- Writer
