Smolder

Chapter 16

Vivi woke up to the feeling of warm breath on her face. It smelled like farts and leaves.

Her eyes fluttered open.

Horn.

Teeth.

Green skin.

"Aah!" Vivi cried as she scrambled back.

The big green head backed up, it was as big as a horse's, attached to a serpentine neck that trailed off into the woods. It's mouth was open and it bared it's teeth.

It had human teeth. On both sides of it's head two large bone plates extended down from it's upper jaw. They looked like the blades of a guillotine. Right above it's double slits of a nose, one horn portruded out and pointed directly between Vivi's eyes. Vivi looked for it's eyes but then realized they were on the sides of it's head; like cows.

The creature snorted and let out a huff from it's nose. A small puff of orange flame came out of it's mouth.

Vivi tilted her head, "Good morning to you too."

$he slowly got off her butt and stood up. The double guillotine head watched her carefully with it's sideward eyes, ready to bolt any moment. It didn't look that dangerous.

Okay, who is she kidding? That thing looked ready to snap her in half. But never let it be said the Vivi is a girl who values her life more than petting a disgusting looking unknown tree-snake-head.

Vivi slowly raised her hand. Already in a cautious stance, she took a step forward. The thing made a grunting noise and moved back. Vivi took a step back too, more out of instinct than animal taming skills— of which she had none.

She again took a step forward.

The thing grunted this time too, but it didn't move back.

Encouraged, Vivi extended her left hand for it's horn, since she was right handed.

She was inches from touching it, then Russell's gleeful voice boomed from behind her, "Oh, hey Vivi. You're awake."

FreakHead(Vivi had decided to call her that, she had also decided it was a her) let out a sound like a blow horn and ran back to the forest, bringing her whole snake like body out and then pulling it back in. Vivi counted four feet and five fins, two on the back, two on both sides of the tail and one at the end of the tail.

"Damnit, Russell! I was about to meet my soulmate!" Vivi said, annoyed.

"From the looks of it, you were about to get your hand bit off, which doesn't even surprise me at this point." Russell seemed to be wearing new clothes. They looked fresh.

"Like you'd know, dimwit!" Vivi huffed, "I had it under control!"

"Of course you did," Russell swung his backpack forward, "They eat tree anyways."

"Like you would know!"

"I didn't. But Len did. Dress up. We're waiting." Russell annoyingly said as he annoyingly threw down an annoying bundle of fresh clothes and even more annoyingly pointed at a annoying makeshift changing room.

Vivi grumbled some words that would've gotten her a mannerisms lecture from Arlo and took off with the bag.

At least the clothes were to her liking. A full sleeved white shirt, a black cotton pant and a weird tank top, made out of metal rings.

Vivi came out with three layers of clothing.

The team was already ready to leave. Arron was still wearing his coat. But he had new black pants. Not Russell's ones that he had worn last night. It made Vivi wonder, what happened to his own pants.

Elli and Lupa were both dressed up somewhat similarly to Vivi, only Elli wore her weird armor outside instead. Lupa examined her sleeves like it was something she's never seen before.

Together they were the most fashionable whatever-they-are-s ever, who really liked weird metal ring armor.

But Vivi suspected they'd still be intimidating. And that was because of their ride.

She had seen wyverns before but this was something else.
Most of the wyverns back in the capital was no bigger than a man, grey feathers and Apple headed. But not this one.

At least twenty feet head to tail, his head was fifteen feet in the air. His body was covered in jet black feathers. Only the feet were featherless, just like bird feet, fingers endinh with meathooks for talons.

The snout, leashed, ended with a small beak, but he had two jaws filled with wicked sharp teeth. They weren't quite fangs, but they looked like they could tear things apart pretty good. Behind his head was a hat of blue feathers tipped with bright red. This was the indication that it was indeed a he.

To Vivi's delight, there was a saddle on it's back with five seats and all their bags and some more.

Five seats, huh?

"Is Lupa coming, or Gloir?" Vivi asked Russell.

"Lupa," Russell came up behind Vivi, "Gloir has some work to do."

Vivi looked back to face him, "Work? Now?"

"Yeah, I didn't really want to bug him too much," Russell scratched his head, "He looked serious."

Vivi remembered Gloir last night, almost eccentric with happiness. What could've happened to change that this morning?

But without giving her any more time to think, Orpheus flew down in front of the wyvern, from God knows where. That man always seemed to just drop from the sky in convenient locations.

"Okay, since you're all awake, we should stop wasting time and get going. You take Fyl. I'll be close behind." He announced.

Fyl the wyvern seemed to understand his tone and lowered one of his gigantic wings for them to step on. Vivi ran-climbed fast to get the first seat. She was the only contender in the race. Lupa had to be pulled up by Elli.

Soon, they were all atop the saddle. Vivi front, cause she's the most fabulous. Elli next, cause she's the oldest. Then Lupa, cause Elli picked her up. Then Russell because he had a pathological need to always be in the middle of stuff. At last, Arron because... No where else left?

There was a leather belt attached to every seat. They tied themselves with the saddle as Orpheus told them how to do it, "loop it around your waist and put the hook through the hole on the belt that fits you. No, not like that! Around your waist not your head. Your highness, princess Elli, could you please help The Wolf girl get her's on?"

Vivi hooked her's with the closest hole, but it was still loose.

She stared at it.

Everyday, she's reminded she's short.

Now she'll be reminded she's skinny?

Once Orpheus had seen them hoisted up and safe, he got to the wyvern's backside. He yelled up,"Tong!" And smacked Fyl in the butt.

The wyvern's body tilted forward, making Vivi slam forward into his shoulders and getting a mouthful of feathers. It's wings came up like tides. The feet flexed and it jumped, making Vivi almost fall down backwards, if it wasn't for the belt.

Then it's wings slammed down, and they flew.