Scorched

Chapter 2

Understanding dawned on Gwen's face when she saw the panicked look in Xander's eyes. He stared at her imploringly. Screeches above them between beast and their riders could be heard from the ground. Looking up, the chaos was suddenly obvious to Gwen.

Four wyverns gathered around a bright red one, the captain of the guard. They seemed to be planning; the rider on the green wyvern who had attacked Xander hovered near the back of the group timidly. Gwen let her gaze fall to the tall boy in front of her. His eyes were pleading as she considered.

"Please, you don't understand," he begged, snarky attitude gone.

She raised an eyebrow at him. What was not to understand? This boy was a criminal, maybe a dangerous one.

Gwen observed his clothes. He was wearing a similar outfit to what her father wore to his job at the castle. The crimson crest on his chest was immediately recognizable to her as that of the Kingdom of Othera in which they lived.

Crime was usually fairly low throughout the Kingdom; each of the five towns surrounding the capital city were patrolled by guards on their beasts, guards who hadn't made the highest order of guards, but still brutal when it came to punishment. Gwen was surprised that Xander had managed to sneak a wyvern out of the castle, and not be hung for it.

She glanced at the wyvern. All she had ever wanted was to ride a wyvern. Here was her chance, but if she was caught...

Gwen considered her chances at making the King's Guard, she knew they were very slim, but she had been working for her entire life to have at least a shot, and giving it up for this might break her heart.

The blue beast shrieked in pain as it shifted its weight, trying to find some relief for its wing. As she looked over at the beast, the pain in the blue wyvern's eyes was obvious, her heart sank as she realized what she knew she had to do. With a pit in her stomach Gwen turned to the blonde criminal in front of her.

"We can't be caught," she whispered harshly at Xander, keeping a wary eye on the sky.

Relief and gratitude flashed in Xander's eyes as he gazed at his stolen wyvern.

"But first you have to explain all this to me," she ordered.

Xander looked at her, resigned, "I've worked at the castle since my parents died," he started, eyes guarded, already gaining Gwen's sympathy. "I helped with caring for the beasts, and Storm here," he gestured towards the whimpering wyvern, "was the runt."

Gwen glanced at the creature with a snort. A runt? She barely reached the shoulder of the beast.

"He was always picked on by the other wyverns, even as he grew, and I couldn't stand it. All the young wyverns are trained and tested until they are large enough to be ridden, and because Storm wasn't, he was going to be killed."

Gwen gasped, revolted by the treatment of the animal.

"Anyways, when they were working with the other wyverns I was able to sneak Storm out the back, with the help of a couple...friends," Xander trailed off.

Gwen nodded, swallowing through the lump in her throat. She didn't bother commenting on his hesitation over explaining his 'friends.'

Gwen considered Xander's story, it seemed believable to her. The King used the Wyverns to control the citizens, there was no way he would allow a free Wyvern in the kingdom. With the type of power they provided there was no telling what kind of rebellion the King might have on his hands.

"My brother is training to be a healer. He's only worked with humans, but I think he'll be able to help."

Xander stared at her like she was crazy. "You want to bring another person into this?" he asked incredulously. "Do you trust him? How can I trust him?"