Talons Of Glory Book 1: For Glory

Chapter 10

"I cannot believe I agreed to this stupid trip!" groaned Hyla.

The newly formed party has been on the wyvern's trail for the tail end of three days. Veridux' rim is an elongated speck on the eastern plains' horizon, now covered by the branches and boulders of a fresh, gnarled wood that the scent ran straight through. The reassuring warmth of the morning sun found trouble in breaching the canopy often, which made every shadow seem animate, putting all eight of them on edge.

"I gave you every chance to quit following us and fly back to Wyrm's March," Fen'r snapped back. "We're too far in for complaints, now."

"I completely disagree!" Hyla griped, flaring her wings. She hit a branch with her left, sending several pale-furred rodents scurrying down its trunk and further into the forest, making her squeal and reel back towards the Hydra. This is definitely the kind of place a wyvern would hang around in, thought Fen'r as Hyla recovered. "I'm of a mind with Fen'r," Three stated. "I agree, it has been a bit of a dreary trek, but we must focus; we are on the cusp of a discovery, I can feel it."

Fen'r carefully eyed the tree Hyla smacked and checked his back to ensure the basilisk hadn't fallen off. The lizard remained firmly planted between his wings, cowering tail over snout, claws clamping it down. He could only imagine what was going through the child's head at any given moment, still puzzled as to whether it even had space to think.

He inhaled deeply through his nose once more; numerous fragrances festered in this place - the morning dew, blooming orchids, decaying squirrels - but hers remained the strongest of them all, and had only gotten more prominent the deeper they went. She had to be close by.

"This wyvern better have a really biteable face after all the trouble we went to find her," Hyla growled. "You'll have no trouble hating her," Fen'r reassured, sighing stiffly. "She's the most high-and-mighty lizard I've ever met, and I happen to be best friends with you." Hyla scoffed. "What in the blue blazes is that supposed to-" she began, truncating the thought with a sharp gasp. Fen'r looked back with a raised brow and found her staring agape at a gap in the canopy. He followed her eyes through the treeline, seeing a rather unadorned sky apart from a distant, vaguely bat-shaped speck. Fen'r was set to ask what his companion was so surprised at until the winged speck re-angled itself, sporting a long neck and tail, and dashed out of sight.

The words were promptly on his mind, but the hydra spoke for him: "It was one of them."

"You saw it, too!" Hyla nearly squealed, wings folded around her shoulders. "Fen'r, my gosh, you were right! It almost saw us!" She spotted the smug look the fifth hydra head was giving her and made an attempt to compose herself. "Not that I doubted you for even a second, obviously," she stated, ruffling her wings. "But of course. You were just caught off guard," Five teased, chortling at a pouting Hyla.

Two snorted, eyeing the break. "There are bound to be others. Claws at the ready; we may be near the end of our little trip." Fen'r grit his teeth. The scent was too strong; even if he didn't get a good look at it, he knew that one had to be his quarry. Three gave him an intrigued look. "Fen'r, is something wrong? Did you see something we didn't?"

He momentarily turned to face the Hydra. "We all saw the same thing."

Before the Hydra could continue, he was in pursuit of the snake. Furious wingbeats and the booming thumps of his heart filled his ears as the black streak in the sky came closer and closer into view, actively morphing into something more tangible the faster he flew.

No doubt had been in his mind, but from this distance it was impossible for him to mistake. The prehensile tail, the impossibly large wings, the thrice-curled horns; nothing was left up to the imagination. He had found her.