Talons Of Glory Book 1: For Glory

Chapter 7

The spot Hyla had chosen wasn't exactly the quaintest outlet near the edge of the city. In spite of the architecture itself matching the rest of that district's construction style, everything about the dome-shaped building screamed 'last age;' a chunk of the continuous quartz wall had crumbled from invading vines and moss, nearly every window was broken or missing and the paint couldn't have been on worse terms with the sun. There was nothing in the way of comfort here, and nothing but the intrusive plant life or a rat pack could attempt to live here.

In essence, the perfect place to talk away from prying eyes.

"She did what?!"

The volume of the sentinel's voice seemed to shake the whole room, which somehow looked even more rotted and gutted than its exterior, sporting doorless cabinets, lichen-infested archways and rinkydink furniture that looked barely serviceable and felt about the same. The sound momentarily interrupted the pitter-patter of her newfound guest on the splintered mesquite floor. The lizard's savior grimaced at the scuttling newborn as it darted behind his swaying tail for the third time this conversation. With a sigh, he turned back to his friend. "I know, right? I almost didn't believe it myself. Didn't know anybody could be that.. cruel." Several of his claws were hooked into notches on the battered table where they sat, lightly tugging as he spoke. "I guess.. she did fit the bill, though," Hyla added, having partly receded from her shock and sat back down. "All those scrolls we read growing up, about the Legion and Wyverns constantly at war with eachother and the stories told by the vets. Painted a pretty clear picture of what they were all about, but then we eventually stopped believing them. We sure were idiots, huh?"

She didn't have to remind him. He knew that tall tales about the Wyvern Clans of the East had always been a big part of Dragon culture, and only grew in relevance and significance during the Legion's reign. They eventually fell out of interest again after the Empyre had fallen and skirmish reports stopped coming in, but the stories lingered, as they always do, and were still told around campfires on long expeditions or over stiff drinks at the taverns. Sometimes they served as deterrents to hatchlings who were misbehaving or too adventurous in the night hours - threats of the terrors kidnapping or eating them if they continued, silly in hindsight - but they eventually lose belief in them, too.

"Wait a tick," Hyla said, pointing at the basilisk with an arched brow. "How is it alive.. and, well, here.. if what you said is true?"
"I was just about to get to that," he responded, lowering his hand to the floorboards, upon which the lizard climbed into. Her brow remained raised, further so. "As it turns out, she wasn't the only one flying loose in the forests." He sat the child down on the table to let it skitter around between them. It instinctively clamped down on a dusty ladle to Hyla's left. "A second one showed up, way bigger than she was - than me, even - and he looked like he had the strength, and conviction, to rip me in half." Hyla's claws had now covered her maw in a tent formation with a fully invested gaze. The lizard attempted to imitate the gesture and fell flat on its back with a barely noticeable thump. Hyla ignored it. Fen'r smiled warmly, then dropped it when he turned back to her. "They spoke like they knew each other, like she worked for him. Called him Lord.. Headhunter? Something like that.
They clearly weren't the best of friends, though; he attacked her right after he showed up."

The sentinel's brow went up again. "Did he kill her?" Fen'r shook his head. "No, just threw her up against a tree and slammed right into her gut," he answered. Hyla snorted in response, an action that promptly transitioned into a belly laugh. Fen'r didn't initially realize why - his furrow was indicative of this - then figured it out after a moment or two and groaned, cringing. "Oh, come on! You know I didn't mean it like that! Blech!" She forcibly reduced it down to a giggle in order to speak, but he could tell that burst was going to come back later. "I know, I know. It's just the- the way you said it was too damn funny. Gods, I know this is supposed to be a serious discussion, but you can't throw me for a loop like that!" Fen'r's snout had scrunched up, his eyes shut. He could still hear her trying to hold back the laughter. "I'm gonna have that image in my head all day, now. Thanks." He shook his head again, this time to deny his brain the picture it was involuntarily trying to piece together. Ew, ew, ew, ew, ew, stop stop stop stop stop ewwwwww..