Vaehandre: Where The Stars Fall [Under Revision]

Chapter 17: Taming a Wyvern

[Photo from Buckbeak Nest]
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Meanwhile, in the canyons, Hector and Kade prepared their raid against the dark wyverns. They had planned to launch their attack stealthily, confident in their numbers. But before all this, Hector had to learn how to ride a wyvern. He had been trying since that morning to gain a wyvern's trust. As Kade instructed, he did this by approaching one with his arm facing the wyvern's head and waiting for it to come closer.

"This is not working, Kade," said Hector, as he shielded his eyes from unsettled dust. The latest wyvern he approached had flown away from him.

Kade stood with his arms behind him, looking over the cliffside observing the other wyverns. "Perhaps they recognize your scent as a threat. The Elite and wyverns don't exactly have a good history," he smirked as he said this.

"What do you suggest? Mask my smell?"

"No," replied Kade plainly.

"They are much more complicated than griffins, I must say— Griffins are just like horses with wings," noted Hector.

"They're better than griffins. They breathe fire," answered Kade with pride.

Hector shook his head.

"Try looking them in the eye first when you approach them," put in Kade.

Sighing, he turned to Kade. "Now that's a good way to provoke a wyvern, why can't you just order one to obey me," he argued.

"Riding a wyvern requires trust between wyvern and rider. There's no other way around it."

"Argh, this will be the death of me, and I'll blame you, Dragonlord," replied Hector with an air of humor.

"Just try," asserted Kade.

Once again, Hector scouted for a wyvern. The young ones had brightly colored scales and were easily spooked and agitated. By the ledge, there was one with a broader body calmly resting; it's body was curled up like a serpent. He slowly approached it.

Twelve feet away from it, the wyvern turned it's head, looking him straight in the eyes, unblinkingly. Hector hesitated, pacing back. Against his better judgment, he pressed forward. Now the wyvern's feet were pointed in his direction. He stopped six feet from it's lowering head, he stretched out his arm and looked downward. He could feel the wyvern's breath, its head was moving closer, then he felt the rough scales. He lifted his head to see it.

The wyvern had its eyes closed, and he could almost see respect in them when they opened. It had a knowing gleam in it's eyes.

Kade clapped his hands from behind. "Now that wasn't so hard now was it, Elite Knight."

Hector was still in awe and tried rubbing one of it's many horns. "What do I do next?"

"It's a custom to name your wyvern once you've chosen it or rather once it has accepted you."