Chapter 1 – Catch Me If You Can
"Steady," SJ bellowed, to be heard over the rushing wind as she flew, her voice carrying over her communication stone to Cristy.
Kibble squeaked excitedly as Cristy's squeal of excitement reached her, while SJ gripped the reins, her knuckles white. They were so reckless, she knew that the harnesses wouldn't break, but it still didn't stop her heart from leaving her mouth whenever they suddenly decided to perform their aerial rolls.
The forest rushed below them as they sped above the treetops. SJ looked down, seeing the wolves sprinting between the thick trunks, before breaking into the open grasses of the plain as the game of chase continued.
Twelve months had passed since the successful retaking of Killic and the demise of Bellakiy, and in that time, so much had happened. They were currently hurtling through the skies on the backs of two of the wyvern. The hatchlings had grown significantly since arriving with Kibble on that fateful day, who had confirmed that they were now at their mature sizes.
SJ wasn't flying on Kibbles' back but on Rasper. Kibble was clinging to the adapted pommel of the saddle she sat in; his wings tucked in tight and streamlined as he leaned forward into the rush of air created by Rasper’s flight, giggling happily.
Patch's howl reached them as they closed in on their targets, and the wolves all suddenly split, bursting in varying directions.
"Argh," SJ squealed as Rasper suddenly turned, homing in on one of the pack members, the harness the only thing keeping her seated.
She noticed Cristy look back with a massive grin on her face as she tilted her wyvern expertly towards Patch, who still sprinted ahead at a pace even the other wolves couldn't match.
For a fae that flew, she really didn't like the lack of control or sense of trust from the larger wyvern she rode on. She had never felt this nervous when riding Kibble. Rasper was the largest of the brood. His mottled green scales reflected the sun's bright rays as he let out a screech and dived for his target. The wolf turned its head at the last moment, but it was too late as Rasper tagged it, flaring his wings to stop.
The wolf howled in protest at being caught.
"Okay, Rasper. Good job," SJ said, patting his neck.
"You did well today," Kibble said. Rasper replied with a short trilling sound. SJ still didn't understand the Wyverns, but had picked up several sounds from Kibble explaining various things to her. Rasper was pleased with his praise. It still astounded SJ that these wyverns listened to every word that Kibble said. He had become their rightful flight leader from his position of authority as a miniature wyvern.
Rasper landed gently on the ground, allowing SJ to unclip the harness and dismount. Kibble flew to her shoulder and claimed his regal perch as she did.
The wolf that had been caught slinked forward before nudging the wyvern with a sign of respect. It amazed SJ how these two predatory races had got along so well.
"SJ," Dave said.
'Yes?' SJ thought.
"It's nearly time," his voice replied, a sense of nervous excitement encompassing his words.
'So soon? I thought you said another week at least?'
"It's been a week," Dave grumbled.
'Oh,' SJ thought. The synchronisation between them had slowed substantially but was nearing its next threshold.
"Well, if you weren't busy playing all the time, you might pay a little more attention to what's going on," Dave snarked.
‘I'm not playing; this is training. The flight is scheduled to be shown to the chancellor next week when he visits. Training the wyverns has been a priority.’
“It’s not your responsibility, is it?” Dave sighed.
‘Not directly perhaps, but I still need to check that everything is ready. How long do we have?’
“I still don’t know precisely, but it's imminent, and we both know we never know what to expect.”
‘Okay. I’ll be heading back soon.’
Zigferd had been in regular contact with Asterfal since the attack, and with everything else that had happened and been going on, the time had flown by. To Zigferd and any others' knowledge, this would be the first time a presiding chancellor of Asterfal would be visiting the town, and preparations had been underway for several weeks now.
So much had happened recently that SJ was lost in a constant stream of meetings, discussions, and the multitude of tasks she now oversaw. She was no longer just an ambassador. Since the war, her responsibilities had increased tenfold, and the town had not just grown again; it had flourished beyond anyone's expectations. Aletheia, with her still unfathomable abilities, was also a significant reason for the chancellor's visit. Dave was still none the wiser about how she did what she did with the correction of mana. Even his understanding of coding couldn’t work out how the Gila Beast was able to do what she did. To Dave, it was even more complex than any code he had ever seen, and he had ranted on more than one occasion while trying to comprehend her ability.
Cristy was approaching where they were settled, and with a flourish of wings, Blusher came into land. She was the only female wyvern of the brood and was a sleek beast, athletic and always alert, in contrast to her bullish brother, Rasper. The other three, Grifter, Snaffle and Crackle, were still at Farleck Cottage.
All the wyverns had been through rigorous training under the watchful eye of Kibble, and all five were now the perfect aerial mounts. The final selection process for the riders was scheduled to take place in a few days, and Kibble had chosen a navigation course for them to overcome. The final challenge would then be an aerial combat test.
Those who performed the best would be granted the elite position of wyvern riders. The announcement of the flight school had drawn over one hundred beings who had come forward at the chance, and that number had slowly been whittled down to twenty, who would now compete for the ten available places.
"That was fun," Cristy said as she sprang casually off Blusher's back, stroking her fondly on the neck as Patch appeared, bounding from the forest, before bowling Cristy over and pinning her down, licking her face frantically.
"Get off me with your wolf drool," Cristy laughed. Patch loved playing chase with the wyvern; his whole pack did.
"What time was your duty?" SJ asked.
Cristy's eyes focused for a moment. "Damn it, I'd better get back," she said, pushing Patch off her. "Gotta go, boy. I'll see you after work."
Patch growled in response. "Work sucks."
SJ could understand Patch perfectly, his voice now clear as day when he spoke. With the growing bond between Cristy and Patch, his intelligence had increased, as Dave had explained. Like Kibble, his intelligence was high enough as a Dire Wolf for him to be able to communicate with her, although she still couldn’t understand the remainder of the pack.
"Come on, Blusher, we need to go," Cristy said as she sprang back onto her mount with ease.
"I'll see you tonight at the inn," SJ shouted as Blusher flapped her wings, taking off.
Cristy waved as Blusher set off back to Killic.
The expansion of Killic had increased tenfold, and as soon as the population reached the five-thousand requirement, Zigferd assigned SJ to oversee all the town's financial undertakings and granted her immediate access to the town interface. It had initially been somewhat overwhelming, suddenly holding the fate of so many at her fingertips with decisions that could cause pain or hardship if she made the wrong choices.
Yet, through all the changes, SJ still carried a huge burden that she struggled to comprehend even twelve months later. The vast wealth that Nexis had left her and his businesses was terrifying.
"Right, we'd better get back to the cottage," SJ said as she climbed back onto Rasper. "Thank the pack for me."
"Of course," Patch replied, smiling. A grinning wolf, particularly one of Patch’s size, was never the most pleasant view, and SJ involuntarily shuddered at seeing his exceedingly long and very sharp teeth, which she was more than aware of the capabilities of.
Kibble retook his perch as Rasper took to the air, and they headed to Farleck. Thankfully, the journey was much calmer on their return. SJ's hair billowed behind her as they flew. The amazing fact following her near-death experience with the shaman and her immediate hair regrowth over the next day still baffled her. To go from a burned husk and back to her previous beauty in such a short space of time strangely negated the trauma from the attack. Which had only been possible because of Petunia's intervention.
"Let go," Terrance shouted at Snaffle, who was busy wrestling a stake that Terrance had been trying to position as SJ came into land. Since the arrival of the wyvern at Farleck, much had changed. The cottage was still as quaint as it had always been, but now, behind the cottage and past the training area that had been constructed, hidden in the woods, an area had been cleared which was now home to the wyvern. Each of the five members of the brood had their own area, and Terrance, with the help of Brian and Charlotte, had built them individual roosts for the better of a word. The mature wyverns were now basically full size; they may grow slightly more, but Kibble had reassured SJ that it was unlikely compared to their significant growth burst they had undergone.
Terrance was trying to complete the finishing touches to Snaffle's, who, in his usual playful way, was being as unhelpful as possible. His name, Snaffle, suited him perfectly as he always stuck his snout in where it wasn't needed. He still wore the scar on his snout that he had proudly earned when he had mistakenly attempted to steal Patch's meal. He had made that mistake only once.
SJ climbed from Rasper, stroking his neck as Kibble chirped at Snaffle to leave the stake alone. Snaffle snorted in response, loosening his grip and sending Terrance to the ground with a clatter of bones.
"Bah," Terrance complained as he stood, placing the stake where it was intended.
"These look amazing," SJ said, constantly amazed at what the skeletal orc carpenter created.
The roosts were individually placed around the spacious clearing. They rested about ten feet off the ground and were constructed between the trees, similar in design to some of the elven homes she had visited in the surrounding villages. They gave each of the wyverns their own space to rest. Each had already been individualised by the wyverns who had claimed them, the insides of their shelters covered in their favourite bedding materials.
"Right, I need to head back myself. I've been away longer than I really should have," SJ said, feeling guilt from Dave’s earlier comment.
Terrance smiled his skeletal smile and nodded in understanding.
"Oh, Floretta said she would call to see you tomorrow," SJ remembered as she walked away.
"Thanks," Terrance stammered in response. Floretta and Terrance's relationship had continued to grow, and Floretta would often call in to see him at the cottage, or he would travel to Killic to see her.
"I'll be back tomorrow," SJ called over her shoulder as she walked to the cottage down the path from the roost.
As SJ entered, she could hear the bickering voices of Charlotte and Brian; she thought they must be near the jetty, and it made her smile. Those two were like an old married couple. Brian, the hard-done-by husband, was continually berated by his loving wife.
The cottage was its picture-perfect self, the bright bouquets from the garden adorning several large vases in the front room. Their heavenly scent filled the cottage. She walked through to her room and pulled the small chest from under her bed. Lifting the lid, her pulse quickened as it always did when she looked at the satchel Nexis had left her. Her wealth was something she still didn't comprehend.
The repairs to the town had cost almost two hundred platinum by the time they were completed, including the adapted defensive wall in the valley. The additional costs over Zigferd's initial thoughts had arisen due to Barry.
Barry was a gnome, a distant relative of Kerys's. Kerys had contacted him when SJ had been discussing the thoughts about the valley access they had lost due to the deliberate collapse of the pathway, which may have prevented the enemy from using it during their assault on Killic, but also restricted their ability to reach the western villages, which fell under Killic’s protection. SJ had been mulling over thoughts out loud when she had mentioned lifts and using one to access the valley.
Kerys, upon hearing SJ's explanation of what a lift was, mentioned to SJ that her relative, a gnome engineer, might be able to help. He had been renowned in the gnomish capital for his inventions and contraptions, and if anyone could design something, then he probably could. Barry had been in Killic for eight months now, and she was due to meet with him this afternoon to discuss the funding needs for their latest project.
SJ’s palm was sweaty as she removed her jewelled coin and hesitated before pressing the gem to activate it, before showing her balance. Nexis had left her with over seven thousand five hundred platinum, and even after she had paid out for various new items and covered the town’s expenses, the figure was recovering as the profits from the various businesses filtered in.
The businesses ran independently, as Nexis had mentioned, and she hadn’t even spoken to the individual beings who controlled them. Instead, assuming that if there was a problem, they would have contacted her through Nexis’s communication stone, which he had left her. Being the sole owner of numerous auction houses and their associated income streams was a level of pressure she still tried to ignore. For the absent god, who had been placed in the system's penalty box for his interference, it was probably nothing, but for a fae assassin, still coming to terms with her new life even after the time she had been on Amathera and everything that it brought with it, it was daunting.
She turned the coin off again, replaced it, and closed the lid, pushing it back under her bed. SJ had only ever spoken to her closest friends about what Nexis had left her, which had been a huge weight off her mind. The same as her complete revelation, which had been carried out with them all. Her close friends now all knew about Dave, and when she occasionally spoke randomly in their presence, they no longer looked as though she were going crazy.
She stopped in her tailoring room to collect the items she had promised Isavil before she headed to the portal. As she heard Charlotte and Brian bickering again, she smirked and vanished, reappearing in her room in Killic.
"How can an orcling smell so bad?"
SJ heard a gagging sound as she walked out of her room, and the smell hit her. Lying on the table on a mat was the cutest little orcling SJ had ever seen. His big, round eyes and tiny tusks protruded from his lower jaw, never mind the grin he wore most of the time.
Jay stood with his head turned sideways as he changed his nappy. SJ pinched her nose.
"That one's potent," SJ said, seeing Jay.
"I don't know how he does it," Jay gagged again, having breathed when replying.
Balle was the orclings' name, named after Captain Ballentine, who sacrificed himself in the defence of Killic. Jay had been seeing an orc maiden named Luealla, and things had gotten serious, resulting in the wonderful ball of happiness that gurgled on the tabletop. They lived in SJ’s cottage as a new family, and the rear of the cottage had been extended to accommodate the family. Its rustic features had been retained by the amazing stonemasons who completed the work; the adjustments in no way detracted from its appeal.
"I guess Luealla's working?" SJ asked.
"Yes," Jay grumbled.
"It did take two of you, you know?" SJ jibed at him.
Jay hmphed as he finished cleaning Balle before, holding his nose, he walked straight out of the cottage with the offending item to dispose of it in the fire pit.
SJ walked over to Balle and tickled his belly, making him giggle and squirm. His wide eyes stared at her with pure happiness. Kibble jumped down from her shoulder and licked the side of his face. After the hardship and loss the town had suffered, any new lease of life was a welcome sight.
"I've got to go," SJ said, as Jay entered again.
"Are you here tonight or at the inn?" Jay asked.
"Unsure yet, you know me, I have beds everywhere these days," SJ smiled. A statement had never been truer. She had rooms at many of her friends' homes, as well as the businesses she was now involved in. Although her regular residence was now at the once infamous Wandering Ogre.
Niweq had sold the Wandering Ogre, and it was no longer the inn of ill repute it had been. He hadn't wished to continue with it after the events with the draconian using it as a base, and had left Killic, moving to Asterfal. Instead, it had been almost knocked down completely and rebuilt into what SJ would have called a hotel back on Earth. In Killic, it was just called The Wanderer's Rest. SJ had funded the purchase, and the business was overseen now by Fhyliss. As part of the restructure and refurbishment, SJ had ensured she had a suite on the top floor. It no longer resembled the bleak building with a darkened exterior it had been in its previous life; now it was a pleasant and airy lodging house, with large windows that looked out over the surrounding forest and the mountain peaks to the east of Killic. It was reserved, normally, almost exclusively for guests of Killic, which had seen a significant influx recently, as many wished to discover more about the changes in Killic caused by Aletheia, and it would be housing the chancellor upon his arrival.
There was a small bar area in the lodging house, but they didn't serve meals, as all meals were provided at the Hogling Arms, as the businesses were now tied together after SJ’s investment in the expansion and partnership with Kerys. The walk between the two locations was pleasant and peaceful, taking in some beautiful forest scenery along the outskirts of the town before you cut into the centre where the Hogling Arms stood proud as the town’s centrepiece. As beings took the journey now, they passed the memorial to the fallen at the entrance to the wooded pathway to Blossom's field, where so many had been buried. A statue guarded each side of the path, Ballentine on the left in his armour, holding his great axe, and on the right, the statue of Orik, the head dwarven councillor who had resolutely stood by Zigferd's side. It had felt right when the town voted on it that the two statues be of dwarves, aligning with Killic's origins.
SJ walked towards the barracks, where she had her meeting with Barry scheduled. The streets were packed with the usual residents and visitors from the surrounding area. The comfort and normality of the sights and sounds filled her with warmth. Killic was her home after all.
