Touching down in the center of the forest, I looked around expectantly. No elves were in sight, and my sister wasn’t either.

Maybe they’re somewhere else right now and will be back later?

I settled down to wait, trying my best to not think too hard about what might be creeping through the forest, but the great, warped, and gnarled trees and oppressive fog made it difficult.

Eventually, though, my exhaustion finally caught up to me, slowly stealing my unwilling mind to sleep as I lay in the middle of the dark, creepy forest, where anything could be lurking.

~~~

Srah want that, then Srah want this.

“Srah is stuid!” I roared out, my tail swinging back and forth in sharp, erratic movements.

Not even a moment later the tip smacked into a tree that I was walking by, firmly lodging into it. When an experimental tug wouldn’t free it, I could feel panic rising in me.

No get stuck. Last get stuck the Evil kill Rah.

My forked tongue slid past my serrated teeth, sensing the air as I slowly worked my tail out of the bark. It took a while, but eventually, I managed it, and I instantly fled off the forest floor and into the trees.

I crawled up the tree as quickly as I could, only relaxing when I was high above the ground. The tree itself was quite difficult to climb as it was twisted and gnarled, not at all like the trees of my homeland.

I sat there for a moment, my tail dangling limply from the branch I was perched on. I wasn’t going to risk swinging it so soon.

What do? I thought fiercely, searching my mind for any recollection of why I was out here.

Suddenly it clicked.

Srah want…Srah want…eat! He ahways want eat.

With that goal in mind, I glided from tree to tree, slowly gaining in speed until I was rocketing between each branch, using the next one to propel me even quicker.

A moment later I shot out of the forest, carefully, stealthily, beginning my journey to the nearest area that had food.

No eat in twisted woods, yet Srah no listen. He no want ove yet.

Eventually, I made it to my destination. A small pond housed fish, berries, and rabbits, all good food if you could catch it. I was one of the best hunters, so for me it was no problem bowling over a rabbit, killing it, and beginning the journey back with it in tow.

Approaching the mountain cave we now called home, I shifted the rabbit between my two back talons anxiously.

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I hope Srah no anry. He ahways anry.

I let out a series of clicks and whistles to let the guards know that I wasn’t an intruder, before spiraling down toward the entrance. I landed smoothly, switching the rabbit from my talons to my mouth before slowly walking further into the tunnel as my eyes adjusted to the darkness.

The tunnel branched into three different sections and I immediately took the middle one. It would take me to Srah who was likely waiting impatiently for his meal.

Luckily for me, he seemed to be in a fairly good mood, observing his higher-ups battle it out for food rights. Of course, they didn’t dare touch anything from the pile yet. Srah must eat first, and then the true mayhem would break loose.

I approached slowly, reverently, my head bowed so as not to catch his eye, lest he interpret it as a threat. My whole body threatened to shake the closer I got to him, yet I managed to stand tall and steady. His orange eyes watched me steadily, calculating my every move as I drew within striking range. Any moment now he could bring his tail swinging down — I had seen it happen before — and leave me with a wound I wouldn’t forget anytime soon. Such was the consequence of offending Srah, and I had no wish to do that anytime soon.

Now just in front of him, I dipped my head lower, setting the rabbit gently beneath his head. My mind screamed danger! as I had my neck completely exposed to him, but it had to be done. If not, I would be punished, and I had no wish for that. I awkwardly stepped back, my neck still bowed low. Suddenly I felt something leathery against my face and I froze.

Srah reached out, lifting my head with the digits on his wing and examining me. His baleful orange eyes flicked from my face to my body, eying my pale yellow eyes, ivory horns, forest green scales, and lighter-colored leathered wings that supported the front half of my body. At one point he even stood, silencing the rest of the room as he circled me. He tested the strength of my arrow-like tail on his scales, wincing as, after a little resistance, it cut straight through. He poked and prodded my side where my ribs showed through, only stopping when I had winced slightly. He returned to his original place and began tearing into the rabbit as if nothing had just happened.

Throughout it all I remained frozen, scarcely daring to breathe. Assuming myself dismissed, I took a single step back, only for his gaze to instantly snap to me. I swallowed hard as he growled, the meaning clear. I was to stay there until he was done with his meal.

The other wyverns began digging into their pile of food once Srah had picked out some food from it, though he hadn’t eaten it yet. Snaps and growls could be heard, but I didn’t dare look over in case it offended Srah. My stomach rumbled. I hadn’t eaten since last night and the scent of blood so close when I was so hungry nearly drove me mad.

Finally, everyone finished eating and they gradually filed out, leaving me alone with Srah. Even though I couldn’t see him — my head was still bent close to the ground — I could feel his gaze crawling over me, inspecting me once more. Finally, he let out a few clicks, and I lifted my head, still avoiding his gaze, and shook it to relieve some stress.

He slid a rabbit to me, watching expectantly as I stared at it dumbly. Finally, when it became clear I wasn’t going to eat it without his command, he whistled softly, and I instantly dove in.

In a minute all that remained were the bones, and I crunched on those as well to get all the marrow out. While I would’ve loved to eat the duck sitting next to him as well, I was fairly satisfied and didn’t want to take from another one of his chosen meals, so I looked

everywhere in the cavern except for him and his food.

He began munching on it loudly, the crack of bones jarring me and setting me on edge in the unnaturally quiet space. Once he finished, Srah leaned back and regarded me with a thoughtful expression. He circled me again, this time with a lot more pushing and prodding. I nearly snapped at him once and I think he realized he was beginning to irritate me because he gave me some space before doing it again a minute later.

That time I did snap at him, only to instantly shrink in on myself as I realized what I had just done. He didn’t seem offended though, instead letting out a few amused chuffs. Through a series of guttural growls and clicks he finally told me why he was so interested in me.

He wanted me to scout the whole twisted forest for the Evil and report back within a week. If they weren’t there, we would live there temporarily until we found out which direction we should go next. He also said I’d be rewarded for the mission, a surprising thing seeing as I didn’t have a choice in the matter. He dismissed me, and I left quickly, heading for the exit.

I do now. I want it ober with.

Deciding to begin in the center, that was where their base had been, after all, I skimmed over the canopy of the trees, diving through only once I spotted a small gap where it would be safe to do so. I latched onto one of the tree branches before I flew it by, crouching down and rotating myself so I could see the forest floor.

The Evil was nowhere to be seen, so I slowly crept lower. Just days ago this spot had been bustling with activity, but now it looked as if nothing had ever been here. Reaching the ground, I crept around quietly, making sure nothing was there. Suddenly I felt a presence, a dangerous presence. Snapping around, I saw a great big beast staring at me. It had wings and scales just like my brethren and I, but that was where the similarities ended. It was larger than me, larger even than Srah, and its scales were dark red with some striped black. Its eyes were also red, though a lighter shade, and it had four legs instead of two. It held its wings at its side, and its tail ended in a blunt tip, not a sharp arrow like ours. And while it had somewhat similar horns, spikes also ran down its neck and tail where ours were bare.

Srah, need tell Srah.

I left swiftly back the way I had come, my already weary wings beginning to ache as I strained them harder. I ignored the guards at the entrance to the cave, skipping the mandatory stop for identification in favor of reaching Srah faster. This time at the three-way split I went left, straight for Srah’s chamber. Just as he was about to duck into his room, I clicked frantically and he paused. Crash landing to the floor, I stood, keeping my head bowed, and telling him of the beast I had just seen, the beast with the power to tear each of us apart, even him, the King of Kings.