Maybe someday I’ll find something more comfortable to sleep on. Cave floors were really getting old fast. Sitting up, the pain in my side flared up, though nowhere near as bad as before. Looking over myself again I was still quite bruised, though it seemed I healed quite fast. Good to know. Getting myself to my feet, I looked outside the crevice I had been lying in, towards the entrance of the cave. It was morning, although I doubt I only slept one night considering just how exhausted and injured I was. That wasn't the main thing I noticed, nor was it what made me duck back into the crevice immediately.

No, the main thing I noticed was the wyvern standing at the mouth of the cave, it had a gold band around its ankle, just like the one I saw yesterday. It had definitely seen me too, I just had to hope it was too large to fit in here. Though, with their fire I doubt it would need to get in here. I was trapped. I had no other choice but to try my magic. Gathering energy in my hands I -

“Hello?”

I froze. Metaphorically, and literally. The shock of hearing someone’s voice caused me to lose my concentration on my magic, covering me with a layer of frost, which I quickly shook off.

I was in danger, but I had hope. Maybe there was someone else? Someone who could help me fight that thing?

I saw the wyvern’s head appear on the other side of the entrance to the crevice, and it bared its teeth in what looked like an attempt at a… smile?

“There you are! You know, you really shouldn't be wandering around in this part of the Exclusion Zone, dangerous things in the skies even with skybreach outposts nearby.”

The wyvern talked? How?

The confusion must have been obvious on my face, because the wyvern tilted its head.

“You are an Awakened, aren't you?”

Finally finding my voice, I managed to reply.

“What?”

Very elegant, Nova.

The wyvern seemed shocked at my confusion,

“You’re a newly awakened? How is that possible?”

I simply stared at him. Of course I wouldn't know how it’s possible, why would I?

And although he seemed friendly, I couldn't shake the battle from yesterday out of my head. As much as I wanted to be wary however, this was a chance at finally getting some useful information. As I replied, my voice seemed to bring the wyvern out of his shocked state.

“My name is Nova. May I ask yours?”

“Of course, my name is Cerulean. If you are a newly Awakened, and from what I've seen that seems to be the case, I suppose you want explanations?” Cerulean replied.

I brightened at that. He was willing to answer my questions!

He must have caught on, because rather than waiting for a reply, he sighed and began his lecture.

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“I'll begin with the questions we all have as newly awakened. First: you are an Awakened, a normally unintelligent species brought to sapience by means we still don't understand, awakened usually come from species that non-awakened call monsters. As to what you are specifically, I haven't the faintest idea, but you are definitely from a species of monster. Unfortunate really, as humans especially are wary of us. It makes it very difficult to-”

“Cerulean” I said, interrupting his tangent. “Although I appreciate the information, please try to stay on topic.”

“Right right, of course. Second: we are currently in the Exclusion Zone, a place where many awakened call their home due to the high mana density here being comfortable for most of us. It is an area devastated ages ago by wars between non-awakened sapients, mostly the conflicts between humans and dwarves. Quite dangerous really, the mana alone is hazardous to non awakened.”

“And to Awakened?” I replied, curious, stepping out of the crevice. Cerulean didn't seem to want to hurt me,

“It's ideal for us actually, safe from non-awakened, and a comfortable mana density. Though the powerful monsters here can be quite troublesome. Third: the shards. I don't know what they are. There are rumours, but all we know for sure is that they help us learn about the world.”

Cerulean jumped, suddenly looking on edge as I heard a quiet rumbling sound coming from the entrance to the cave.

“Wild wyvern.” he said quieter, “think you can fight as you are?”

There was another rumble, louder this time.

Cerulean’s eyes widened. “It’s trying to collapse the entrance.”

I stepped out of the crevice I'd been hiding in. Cerulean didn’t seem to want to hurt me, and if he was right I didn't want to be trapped here. Getting up, I winced as the pain in my side flared up again, although it seemed to be a lot better now. Still, I quickly formed a thin layer of ice over it to dull the pain.

Cerulean was clearly surprised at my display. “Magic? That's a rare skill to be proficient in, especially control over elements. Impressive.“

I didn't have a response for him. Was my magic really that rare?

And if it was, it didn't seem all that impressive to me so far.

We heard another rumbling sound, louder and longer than before. In silent agreement, we both quickly rushed towards the entrance to the cave.

As we exited the cave, the wyvern roared, jumping at Cerulean. He clearly had experience in fighting, or at least, more experience than me. He nimbly leapt out of the way of the wyvern’s pounce, retaliating with a slash of his claws, eliciting a roar from the creature.

Unfortunately, he wasn't able to completely dodge the blast of fire that followed, singing his tail. Trying to distract it, I threw a blast of frost at the wyvern with the magic - mana - I'd been gathering. And, just like last time, it almost completely ignored the attack. It didn't even bother to glance in my direction.

I really don't understand why cerulean was impressed with my magic, so far it has been laughably weak in combat. The only reason I haven't died is my claws…

My claws. Maybe I could form my ice into something similar? Turns out, ice is versatile. Thinking quickly, I formed a large icicle, sharpened at one end, and launched it at the creature.

Or, more accurately, through the creature.

There was a bloody wound on the creature's side, and damn it seemed to have worked as the creature let out an ear piercing howl.

Unfortunately, it didn't work well enough, as although it was clearly injured from my attack, I hadn't managed to save Cerulean from some nasty looking gashes on his side. Also, it was now charging me, and I was still injured from the fight with the last wyvern I had. I dove out of the way, but not fast enough. The wyvern didn't manage to bite me, but it did manage to claw at my arm, knocking me to the ground with a sharp yelp, and a lot of pain.

The good news was that I had managed to buy Cerulean enough time to go on the offensive, and, as the beast was focusing on me, It didn't notice his approach until it was too late. Cerulean sharp teeth and claws digging into vital points along the wyvern. Thrashing wildly, the beast threw Cerulean off, but not before the damage was done. I winced as I heard a crack from where Cerulean had landed, and, launching more ice spikes at the beast, it finally collapsed.

I quickly rushed to Cerulean. Well, I say I rushed quickly, but in reality, I was in a lot of pain from my arm, and the process was slow and painful. I think the fall may have injured a leg as well.

As I reached him, Cerulean groaned, and sat up, cradling an arm that definitely shouldn't bend the way it was bending.

"At least we're alive, wild wyverns can be tough. I think that was a greater wyvern as well. Nice job with the magic too-"

"Cerulean" I cut him off, "are you alright?"

He winced as he replied: "I've dealt with worse, although I can't honestly say I'm fine, i-"

I stopped listening as my instincts screamed at me to examine the body of the wyvern. There was something odd, I sensed… magic? From the body, but it felt… different.

Reaching out, I touched it.

A soft blue glow lit up my hand, and blue tendrils slowly traveled through the beast from the point I touched it. I felt powerful, as though all the mana I spent was flowing back into me and then some. And then a lot, apparently, as the body started glowing blue, and began to dissolve. Not only did I feel powerful, but I felt my body mending itself, my arm healing, as well as my side, and my leg.

As the process finally completed I came out of my trance, only to see cerulean. His eyes were wide, and he was backing away from me, clearly terrified with his broken arm somehow forgotten.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

He jumped.

"S-s-oulwalk-er", he stammered out.

"Cerulean, are you alright?" I took a step towards him, clearly a mistake as he immediately turned around and launched himself into the sky, flying at a far faster pace than I would have thought possible.

"What did I do wrong?" I wondered aloud, as I watched the only person I had met disappear into the clouds far above.