I spent the night sleeping under the stars, in my armour with Eggs curled around me, secure in the knowledge that should anything sneak up on us, the Nomad’s keeping watch would alert us. Besides, I’m not sure anything except the largest bastard Lizard would sneak up on a Wyvern. Predators didn’t like to risk injury, and an unknown creature like Eggs, even with their comparatively smaller size, would still be a deterrent enough, combined with the sheer number of Nomads. That still wasn’t enough to convince me to sleep unarmoured, though. I’d been dressed in the blink of an eye in that tower, but ever since then, I had to take it on and off myself. Some magic would have really made that process faster, but I wasn’t sure Gertha would waste a coin for my comfort.

  I dreamt of Avandun, feeling oddly nostalgic even though I had very little affection for the city I happened to have been brought up in. I mainly missed the simplicity of my life, despite being indentured for part of it. Now I was living in the wilds, moving from place to place, constantly looking for threats in dark places, which there is no shortage of in a forest. Still, I’d never been freer, and I’d never had more friends. Eggs and Gertha were bright points in my life to be sure, Sila and Sayo were growing on me too, and I was glad to have their martial skill backing me up.

  That was the first thought on my mind when I was awoken by the slow realisation that somebody near me was cooking meat. I sat up to find Eggs was already staring straight ahead at a young man cooking an array of meats on skewers. He glanced at Eggs then back to the meat only a few times, which told me he was made of stern stuff. I’m not sure even I would want Eggs looking at me like that.

  “You hungry?” He called over to me as I stood up and rubbed my eyes.

  “I am, how much for a bite for me and my…pet?” I asked.

  “That depends on how big his bite is.” The man smiled

  I leaned back and looked at Eggs, their golden eyes still locked on the fire pit.

  “How about the lot?”

  “That’s a lot of meat.”

  “They’re a lot of Wyvern,” I answered, fumbling for my coin pouch, before remembering I hadn’t brought one with me. After all, what use is a coin in the forest when you’re sent on an investigation? I hadn’t planned on being betrayed by my liege’s men and forced to run along a path of strange events. I’d ask Gertha for money, but she wasn’t around, and what coin she did have was probably rattling against her teeth.

  “On second thought, I have no money. Sorry.” I said. I placed a gentle hand on Eggs' neck, finally breaking their stare.

  “There is no need for money! Son of Barraz!” Those six beautiful words lifted my spirits and carried them straight into the night beyond the sky, the highest they had ever been. I turned to greet Bulriar, who had opened his arms to embrace me. He wrapped me in his massive arms and for a moment, I was a child again, lifted effortlessly, despite being clad in armour. I imagined Bulriar and most Drakes probably ate similar portions of food, which could explain the sheer number of tattoos adorning the chieftain’s body.

  “I can’t expect you to feed Eggs and me for nothing in return, you’ve all worked hard for what you have,” I said.

  “Do not be rude and refuse a gift, Son of Barraz! I will not have a guest who helped us defend our people go hungry into the unforgiving wilds, especially after they have protected dear Melrisia along the way, too!”

  I felt my face flush; such kindness was rare, even within the safe and supplied walls of Avandun. Here were people who fought, hid and moved for everything they had, and they were giving me the equivalent of an entire hunt for my Wyvern and me.

  “You honour me, Bulriar, thank you.” I bowed my head.

  “Don’t scrape and bow to me, Son of Barraz! We are warriors who bled enemies together! Now, eat with me, Melrisia, and the others will join us soon.”

  “Why do you call Gertha that?” I asked.

  “Are you going to ask me questions without food that I could answer with food in my hand?”

  He didn’t have to say it twice, we both sat by the fire and were handed a slab of meat each on a flat piece of thin, dull metal with small knives wobbling on the uneven surface. It was deceptive with how light it was in my hands, but it also had not a glint of shine to it. I was delighted when I noticed the meat on my piece of metal was salted ham. My favourite.

  Bulriar tore apart some sort of bird, too small to be a chicken and completely beyond my ability to place, but the smell was delicious; he didn’t even bother using the knife, instead letting the juices run down his chin and hands.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  I cut a large slice off the ham and bit into it. The taste was salty, smoky and perfectly cooked. I was about to ask Bulriar about Gertha’s strange name when Eggs hissed, and I realised the peril I’d placed both mine and Bulriar’s breakfast in. It was probably a good idea to feed the fire-breathing, flying apex predator first.

  “Let me feed Eggs, it’ll stop him from sizing up our food,” I said.

  “I like your pet, but don’t think I won’t fight him for the Phelean bird,” Bulriar said, his mouth full of the mystery poultry.

  “You’re a mad bastard, Bulriar,” I said, deadpan. I was rewarded with a roaring laugh as I waited for the man cooking the food to move aside. He shook his head and left, and so I picked up a large piece of meat. Probably a big haunch of deer by the looks of it, and prepared to walk it across. With a preternatural speed that took my breath away, Eggs launched forward, their bulk causing the flames of the campfire to nearly extinguish as they wrapped their maw around my ham. Bulriar jumped back, Phelean still in hand as he continued roaring in laughter so hard I thought he might choke.

  “EGGS! NO!” I shouted as they raised their head in the air and the ham disappeared in one swallow. Their eyes locked with mine, and their eyes widened as they chirruped.

  “This was your meat,” I said, shaking the venison meat with both hands, “I’ll have to eat it now!”

  Eggs took a slow step toward me, their head gliding just above the ground as they approached, barely making any sound at all. Their frill flattened against their head, and their eyes widened.

  “Don’t bloody think so, you dickhead.” I growled.

  Eggs chirruped, opening and closing their frill.

  “No.”

  Eggs snatched the venison from me, their strength far exceeding mine as the meat was wrenched from my hands. Bulriar roared in laughter, but I felt my heart drop. If Wyverns were anything like dogs, then they had just challenged me twice and won. I couldn’t have a creature, even one as beautiful as Eggs, pushing me around. An untrained dog might bite a child. What would an actual Black Wyvern do?

  I stormed forward, glaring at Eggs as they flattened their frill and contracted to make themselves look smaller. I wasn’t buying it; the little shit probably thought they could make me back down. The venison dragged across the floor and was already covered in globules of Eggs’ thick saliva. I grabbed the meat and looked the little miscreant in the eye.

  “Leave it.”

  Their golden eyes widened further than I’d ever seen before, and they let out a small whine.

  “Child. Leave it.” I said firmly, tilting my head up and inflating my chest to make myself look larger. Eggs let out a high, droning whine, sinking lower into the ground, spreading their wings out as they looked up at me, slowly, their jaw released the Venison, and the mauled meat fell to the ground. I figured Eggs’ reaction passed for submission among Wyverns as they looked to me, then the meat, but didn’t make a move. I needed to make it beyond clear to Eggs how this dynamic worked; it would be too dangerous for me and for Eggs if the actual Wyvern made the decisions.

  I knelt by the meat, and looking Eggs in the eye, took a bite. The gamey taste filled my mouth as I did everything I could to put the thought of Eggs’ drool out of my mind. Instead, I focused on chewing, then swallowing the surprisingly still-tasty venison. Eggs tilted their head to the side, wiggling their tail before lying flat.

  I took another bite, chewing, swallowing, then another, and another. I tore into that venison like a starving man until I felt relatively full. I then stood, and with hands and a mouth still dripping with grease, motioned Eggs toward the mauled meal.

  “Eat,” I commanded.

  Eggs waited a moment before flaring their frill and taking the venison in their jaws again, before curling up by my feet and gnawing at their meal.

  “Glad that’s been settled,” I said to nobody, but I then noticed the crowd of people standing around me. All silent, in their defence, they’d probably never seen a man eat a big lizard’s half-eaten breakfast to cow them into submission.

  “You’re a mad bastard, Son of Barraz!” Bulriar chuckled softly; it was the quietest I’d ever heard him be.

  “If you’re quite done, we have a long way to walk!” Gertha’s voice sounded from behind me. I wheeled around and saw her, along with Sila and Sayo, with bemused expressions across their faces. Sayo was holding a wing of what I now recognised to be a Phelean bird while Sila had a sausage impaled on his knife.

  “You going to steal my breakfast too, Wyvern?” Sila asked.

  “You’ve not disrespected me, have you?” I asked in return, with a smile on my face.

  “Not while you’re still handy with that sword.” He replied, before we both chuckled.

  Eggs chirruped with a mouth of half-chewed meat.

  “Don’t talk with your mouth full,” I said dramatically, breaking the awed silence of the crowd with a scatter of laughter.

  To everyone’s surprise, not least mine. Eggs swallowed, making no further noise.

  I wondered how much my pet could truly understand, and just how much they might choose to ignore.

  “We’re leaving in twenty minutes, Tull. I want to make good use of this light.” Gertha said, turning and walking away from the gathering. Sayo and Sila smiled and walked after her.

  “Make no mistake, Eggs. There’s a pecking order.” I said, as I watched the Magi lead the way for the others.