Pandora

• Chapter 6 •

“Catch this,” A Wyvern called to Bria, flying up overhead and tossing something down to her.

Bria beat her wings and caught the object in her back talons, twisting her neck downwards to see a small chunk of teal rock.

“Cool, right?” The Ice Wyvern asked in a light accent, flying up beside her. “Got it from Emerald Cove. Have you been there yet?”

“No,” Bria answered, shaking her head and throwing the stone back to her.

“It’s really neat there,” She said. “Hey, I don’t think I’ve introduced myself to you yet. I’m Skua.”

“I’m Bria, but you probably know that already.” Bria replied.

Skua nodded, flapping her silver and alabaster wings. General Forn flew ahead of them and the other hunters, and Bria looked up at the pale sky scuffed with far up clouds.

“Oh hey! There’s the Ice and Fire Generals!” Skua exclaimed, slowing down.

Bria looked ahead to see two shapes flying up to them, and Forn greeted them excitedly. “What kept you so long?” He asked them in a kind tone, flying in place as they approached.

Bria gazed at the two silently, taking in their features. The first was a thin and scruffy Fire Wyvern with dark red markings on his snout that looked almost like curving spines. The Ice Wyvern was white with a mint and tea green hue to his scales, and he had dark colored eyes with an uneasy and thoughtful expression.

“Sorry about that,” The Ice Wyvern said. “Got caught up in a crowd.”

“Green’s almost always making sure everyone’s punctual, so that was fun,” The Fire Wyvern said with a toothy smile, making the Ice Wyvern frown slightly.

Forn smiled and glanced back at Bria, gesturing with his head for her to come over. “Bria, this is General Twister and Greenland. You’ve most likely heard of them before.” Bria nodded, blinking respectfully and feeling a bit anxious to be finally meeting the two Generals.

“Nice to meet you, kid,” Greenland said.

Twister flicked his tail at Greenland and whispered to Bria, “He may be a General, but mind you, messing with him always has good results.”

“I heard that,” Greenland said, a tired and nervous twinge to his voice.

“Have either of you seen Izzabee today?” Forn asked curiously, his green eyes blinking. “I saw her talking with Toxin earlier, but not since.”

“We saw her by the palace on our way here,” Twister said. “Leave her be for now. She can join us if she wants to.”

“Izzabee pulls a lot of weight anyways, knowing how Toxin can be,” Greenland observed. Forn nodded, flicking his tongue thoughtfully.

“Forn, are we going to fly by the Emerald Cove today, by chance?” Skua asked excitedly. “I want the new hunter to see it.”

“Perhaps we could,” Forn said.

“Fine by me, let’s do it,” Twister said. Greenland murmured agreement, and Skua smiled and tackled one of the other hunter’s midair, leaving them scuffling and flapping about. Bria watched with an amused expression.

The group flew towards the trench known by the Wyverns as Emerald Cove. Forn and the other two General’s stayed ahead of the hunters and Bria stayed in the back. She looked downwards as they passed the part of the valley where she and Pandora lived, flapping her wings once.

The Wyverns ahead turned through the sky. Twister was talking aloud to Greenland and poking him with his tail every now and then, before pretending he’d done nothing as Greenland glared at him.

Skua drifted slowly over to Bria. “Nearly there,” She said.

The others then pulled their wings in and dove downwards, and Bria quickly followed. The air streamed past her and she let herself drop down between two crags before spreading her wings to catch herself as they emerged in a large open trench.

Crystal clear water shimmered below them, intricately shaped boulders making up the walls of the valley and the rock underneath the water’s surface. The trench was studded with beautiful turquoise stones like the one Skua had shown her before, and she gazed at the place as the Generals landed by the water’s edge, followed by the other hunters and Skua.

“You were right,” Bria called as she touched down as well.

“I always like coming ‘ere,” Skua said, looking up at the surrounding cove.

“Hey, wanna see if I can set that fish on fire?” Twister was saying to Greenland.

“It’s in the water…”

~

The group did some hunting for prey, as well as Skua showing Bria around the trench and leading her to a giant cave also strewn with teal-colored stones. They all lapped up a bit of water and then were off again, flying up and out of the cove.

“That was great, right?” Skua asked Bria, gliding over her head.

“I think… That being a hunter is the best thing I could have signed up for.” Bria said plainly.

Skua grinned and roared triumphantly, along with Twister, who brushed his tail happily against Bria’s as he hovered in place.

“That’s good to hear,” Forn said.

The small group began clamoring in enthusiasm, voices overlapping. Bria smiled calmly, her heart swelling with pride.

They were so fixed on their conversations that they didn’t hear the sounds approaching in the distance.

~

Pandora scratched at her snout quietly with her talon, laying on her back on the floor. She stared up at the ceiling with an irresolute expression, blinking and clicking her tongue once.

Sunlight shone through the entrance and stretched over Pandora. She lifted her talons and looked at them, moving her claws under the sunlight and curling them tensely inwards. Her black eyes shifted with a brief anger and then satisfaction, imagining things in her mind.

There was a sudden flash, some sense of feeling that distracted her. A sound, an image, from far away. She heaved herself off the rug and looked at the entrance.

“Bria,” she breathed.