All her life Athreia had been sure she was free.

She could go wherever she wanted, but was her fate ever truly in her hands?

Wasn't being a soldier the only purpose her life ever had? Was there ever a time when she wondered if she wanted to be something else?

No, simply because she never had the chance to seek for it.

If she believed that she liked that life it was only because she had been educated to believe that for a centaur there was no other aspiration other than war, the only thing that made life worth living for.

But those people were different. Some, it was clear, had been warriors themselves, but in that village far from the war they seemed to have found a different purpose.

Now they were happy. But had she ever been?

All of a sudden, all the hostile looks, the gestures of impatience, the obvious lack of consideration that she had always pretended not to see came back to her.

A shrill and unbearable cry, made louder by the echo of the mountains all around, drilled into her head, making her almost faint.

Everyone in the village heard it, but only a few understood what it was; and Daemon, with his experience as a hunter, was one of them.

"Damn it, tell me I'm wrong."

Instead, unfortunately, his suspicions were confirmed when a kind of enormous dragon with a body covered in blue scales and red abdomen appeared from behind the highest peak, heading straight towards the village.

"I knew it, it's a wyvern! Lasik, ring the bell! Take everyone to the caves!"

"And what will you do?"

"I will try to get it away from here! Do as I told you!"

Unfortunately that wyvern flew with such speed that many did not have time to save themselves and were reached, killed and in many cases eaten.

In the end, the beast did not focus on the village, preferring instead to attack those who were outside, perhaps isolated and without nearby places where they could hide; it's just a shame that Athreia and the little girl were also among them.

"Get safe, little girl!"

Athreia then started running everywhere, hoping to catch the wyvern's attention, but unfortunately, the beast immediately preferred to turn its attention to the little girl, who was so scared that she remained petrified with fear as that monster came at her with its jaws wide open.

At that point, the centaur did the first thing that her instinct suggested to her: protect an innocent person.

Charging like a bull, she hit that beast five times bigger than her on the cheek with all the strength she had just before it could grab the little girl, managing to unbalance him and throw him to the ground in a whirlwind of dust.

This effectively diverted the wyvern's attention away from the little girl who finally decided to save herself, but it also had the effect of infuriating the creature.

Athreia therefore retrieved a pitchfork from the ground and attempted to defend herself, but soon discovered that having such a massive and imposing body could sometimes prove to be an obstacle, especially when trying to dodge wing strokes, tail whips, or lightning-fast jaw thrusts like those of a snake.

Furthermore, that damned beast had scales as hard as rock, and no matter how hard Athreia tried, there was no way she could hurt it.

"You're wasting your time!" Daemon shouted, coming to support her armed with a bow and throwing her the only sword he had managed to find. "The only weak points are the eyes, the inside of the mouth and the belly."

"So what do we do?"

"We have to get it overturned."

Luckily, that beast must have broken a wing when it fell, because its attempt to take off again ended up in an awkward hop.

A sort of game of tag then began, with the wyvern launching claws, tails and thrusts of teeth in all directions and its two preys circling around it, dodging all the blows in search of an opening.

The teamwork seemed to pay off in the end, because at a certain point the wyvern began to spin around, staggering as if drunk and becoming less and less accurate while attacking.

Having glimpsed an opening, Athreia didn't think about it too much, launching into a risky attack that put her face to face for an instant with the creature's open mouth. But despite her size, the centaur first dodged the assault and then, using all the strength she had, she hit the end of the wing that the wyvern used to prop herself on the ground, making it lose its balance and finally overturning it.

Daemon immediately seized the moment and climbed onto the monster's body, struggling to keep his balance.

"Bonne nuit, salope!" he screamed before driving his spear eight inches straight into its heart.

The creature let out a final, terrifying scream of pain before exhaling its last breath and collapsing lifelessly on the grass.

"Looks like we did it." Daemon said catching his breath. "Somehow."

"I have to change my mind about you. I thought you were only good at giving orders from afar, but instead you also know how to fight."

"And you, on the other hand, live up to the reputation of the Furies."

"Anyway, I thought wyverns only lived in the highest mountains."

"There are several in the Khoral chain, but it is the first time they have gone so far downstream. There must have been a considerable lack of prey during the last winter."

Once the danger had passed, the villagers timidly began to come out of their hiding places, and at the sight of the now lifeless wyvern they surrounded their saviors filling them with thanks.

"Master Daemon, we all owe you our lives. You have done more for us than anyone else."

"It is not me you should congratulate Lasik, but Athreia. Without her I don't think I would have made it out alive."

This was the first time someone other than a member of her group said thanks to Athreia, and seeing herself celebrated like that was the strangest feeling.

"So, are we safe now?"

"You are." the boy said sadly. "But I'm afraid I can't say the same for others."

"What do you mean?" Athreia asked

"Wyverns are monogamous, and always travel in pairs. This was the female, so the male must be somewhere else."

"And where could it be?"

"Unfortunately there is only one place nearby populous enough to attract the attention of such a large and hungry creature."

Daemon then had his horse quickly brought to him.

"That wyvern came from the north. Even assuming that the male is still at the nest it is probably only a matter of hours before it reaches the Castle. I have to go there, warn them and organize the defenses."

"And what will I do?" Athreia asked almost fearfully

"You will stay here. For now, this will be your home. For anything, talk with Lasik." and without another word she went away, leaving the centaur alone in the company of her peers and doubts.



In my entire hunting career I had never had to deal with a wyvern, mostly because I cared about my skin and didn't feel like risking it by fighting one of those freaks.

I had often seen them from afar, and over the years I had been careful not to get too close to one of their nests or their hunting grounds.

Among ibex, chamois and other high mountain mammals it wasn't too difficult for them to find food, not to mention carcasses, but I should have predicted that the last winter must have pushed even their usual food sources towards the valley.

I had spent a lot of time studying those beasts, and even though I had never hunted one I knew more or less how they should be approached and their usual behavior. Given their size, they used to prefer places where there was a high concentration of prey, and since they used to eat almost everything, even a village could become an inviting target if necessary.

With much of the army already mobilized for the invasion it had not been at all easy to gather enough men and equipment for what I had in mind, but in the right circumstances a skilled wizard is as good as an entire company of common soldiers.

And fortunately the male took it easier than expected, arriving in sight of the Castle only at dawn the following day.

The bait was already ready: ten of the best Contian breed cows. The mere thought of having to sacrifice them to serve as dinner for a failed dragon made me mad, but better ten cows than a few hundred soldiers and civilians.

To be on the safe side we had taken all the inhabitants into the basement, but the smell that those steers sent out was so strong that the wyvern simply couldn't resist it, rushing onto the parade ground of the castle and starting to swallow them one after the other.

It was so engrossed in her feast that it didn't notice anything.

"Now!"

At my command Sylvie emerged from her hiding place at the top of the tower, already surrounded by a luminous aura.

"Holy Chain!"

A real net of light appeared from nowhere above the square, falling on the wyvern and crushing it to the ground; any other creature wouldn't even be able to move due to the power and effectiveness of that spell, but that monster was so big and strong that it seemed only a matter of time before it broke free.

"Let's not give it time to react!"

Zypax and the other foundry boys had been working all night to finish mounting the new twelve-pounder guns on their carriages and bringing them all the way from Dundee, and this would be an excellent opportunity to test them.

At my signal the artillerymen hurriedly left their hiding places, and in a few seconds that beast found ten brand new guns aimed at it from every direction.

The first volley of cannon fire didn't have much effect, but already with the second the bullets began to pierce its steel scales, filling its body with holes.

When this is over I'll have to talk with Oldrick. They still aren't fast enough to load.

In some ways I had always wanted to understand wyverns better, and it was a shame that no one had ever figured out how to train them. For this reason, the idea of killing one, however necessary, did not excite me.

It almost didn't surprise me that even after having received at least a hundred blows, with holes everywhere, that creature still found the strength to struggle in an attempt to free itself from the binding spell or to attack the cannons.

I hoped to resolve the issue without having to use magic again, but at that point it didn't seem right to further prolong its agony.

"Lady Valera, it's your turn!"

I would like to say that the fire vortex summoned by Sylvie that put an end to any further resistance of the wyvern left me indifferent but that would be a lie.

As much as I had gotten used to seeing what that world's magic was capable of, Sylvie's powers were so great that I was left speechless every time.

Her Burning Blaze was so powerful that it even turned the stones of the square black, and when that kind of inferno disappeared the wyvern was now on a pitiful state, an agonizing beast just waiting for the final blow.

"Sorry mate, nothing personal. But you came hunting in the wrong place."

"Stop!"

That peremptory voice stopped me right before I drew my sword, but it was only when she passed in front of me that I realized who she was.

"What are you doing here, Xylla? You should be in the basement."

"Aren't you ashamed to reduce such a beautiful animal to this state?"

"It was a matter of life and death. You can't reason with wyverns."

"You're wrong."

When I saw her approach, albeit with caution, the muzzle of that wounded and toasted, but no less dangerous beast, I expected to see her end up eaten at any moment.

"Good, good. You see it? Everything's fine. I don't wanna hurt you."

Instead, the wyvern, after a few moments of agitation, seemed to calm down, starting to whine like an obedient puppy while Xylla caressed it.

"I'll be damned." I said with sincere astonishment "Xylla, you harpies can talk to wyverns!?"

"For centuries we have shared with them the most impervious peaks of this world. We have learned to understand each other."

Suddenly an idea occurred to me, the kind that anyone, starting with the old me, could rightly consider absolutely crazy.

"Lady Sylvie, can you heal this wyvern?"

"What!? But, Lord Daemon..."

"Please, trust me. If I'm right, with Xylla's help and his own we will save many lives."



Everyone in Grote Muren, from the last of the recruits to Victor himself, knew that the surreal calm that had permeated the area around the fort since after the defeat of Mistvale was just an illusion.

It was as if no one wanted to risk taking the first step.

The rebels were aware of how dangerous it could be to assault a fort that they themselves had made almost impregnable, and therefore they had simply regained full control of the region without attacking. On the other side of the front, Eirinn's troops had steadily increased in number over the last ten days.

But it was a stalemate that couldn't last, and it was on the way in which it had to end that there was no common opinion between Victor and his advisors. To the point that in the end Lefde had resolved to do something that he never thought he would have to.

"How dare you, you damned insolent?"

The General stayed calm even when Victor threw his own chalice at him, motionlessly taking the blow that dyed the steel of his armor red.

"I should have you hanged! We have lost, and yet do you even dare make such a request?"

The subject of the dispute was the parchment that the General had just placed on the table, and young Montgomery had only had to read the first lines to literally go out of his mind.

"I understand your anger My Lord, but nevertheless I humbly ask you to sign that document."

"Are you really asking me to authorize you to assume absolute command of our army, essentially removing myself from the role of supreme commander?"

"This is full-blown insubordination!" Philippe said. "Since the time of Gearld Montgomery, the role of supreme commander has always belonged only to the Grand Duke."

"With all due respect Earl of Hatlen, none of His Excellency's venerable ancestors ever had to deal with such an enemy. Daemon Haselworth is an adversary like we have never seen in the history of our country. And extraordinary adversaries need extraordinary measures."

"Are you telling me that you don't consider me capable of measuring myself against him? Is that what you mean?"

If only the old General could have openly said what he thought...

"You are our sovereign, My Lord. In this dark hour, we all seek your light to find shelter from the darkness that threatens us. But from this moment on every battle could be the last. Whatever happens, I want to be sure that His Excellency will be able to get to safety. My life would be a small price to pay for Eirinn's safety, but the loss of the Grand Duke would mean the end of this nation. Should we find ourselves again in a situation like the one that happened in Mistvale, it will be necessary for the army commander to be able to count on a solid and prepared chain of command, which will keep the enemy behind in order to give you time to reach safety."

Having said this, the General took off the inlaid dagger and placed it on the table.

"You are My Lord, and to you I owe the utmost respect and obedience. But in good conscience I cannot and do not want to have to choose between loyalty to your family and loyalty to our homeland. Therefore, if you feel that you cannot accept my request, then I am ready to resign here and now. If you ask for it, I will also offer you my life."

Philippe looked at his nephew as if he wanted nothing more than to see him give Lefde the order to put that blade in his heart.

Instead, Victor grit his teeth, staring at the General with a look that tasted like furious resignation; then, pouring a little wax on the parchment, he angrily tapped his own ducal ring on it.

"Thank you, My Lord."

"I hope you're aware that I will use this document to light your pyre in case of defeat."

"You have my word that I will give every last drop of blood for our country."

Once the matter was settled, it was time to take stock of the situation.

"We have now almost completely reabsorbed the losses suffered in Mistvale. I honestly don't understand why you persist in not wanting to launch a new offensive, General Lefde."

"It still takes some time. The new soldiers are mostly young recruits and conscripts. We need to finish giving them at least basic training, otherwise we might as well send them into battle naked and unarmed."

"Every day that passes is one more day that we give to the enemy to strengthen himself." Victor said. "That Daemon is damned prepared, I understand it now. If we don't push him, who knows what else he could unleash against us."

"Unfortunately, the battle proved to us that the rumors about him were not at all exaggerated, My Lord. Attacking recklessly as we did in Mistvale would only weaken our army further."

"However, the losses so far are only counted among the mercenaries and the less experienced units. Our veterans and best-trained units are still largely intact. So I agree with my uncle that it would be foolish to postpone the new offensive just to give these recruits a few more days of training. If it's experience they need, they'll have as much experience as they want on the battlefield."

"Wise words, My Lord." Philippe said. «General Lefde, we have waited all these days without moving just because you convinced us to wait for new reinforcements, but now time is up. The time has come to attack again."

Despite the strength given to him by the new position he had just obtained, Lefde knew he couldn't pull too hard, at least in such an apparently favorable situation.

Also because, at that very moment, a messenger arrived bringing news that had been awaited for far too long.

"Enemy troops on the move, My Lord."

"How many?"

"About thirty thousand, General Lefde."

"It's almost unbelievable how easily they can recover their losses. They probably mobilized every last soldier."

It seemed an even too large army to besiege a single fort, but Lefde didn't even want to think about what the reason behind such an deployment of forces could be.

"The enemy has undoubtedly put a lot of effort into reinforcing this castle." he said, illustrating his plan «The walls are solid, the well is full and protected from infiltrations. I suggest strengthening our positions here, here and here. These three strongholds between us and Mistvale are connected to the fort via the Via Imperiale. Haselworth will necessarily have to conquer them all in order to besiege Grote Muren without having to constantly watch his back. If we use them as bulwarks from which to coordinate targeted assaults on his troops we can wear down his army little by little in preparation for the counteroffensive."

Famous last words.

"General! My Lord!" shouted a second messenger «The enemy has attacked us!»

"You're late, we already know that. Thirty thousand units arriving from Basterwick."

"No My Lord, I didn't mean that! The attack took place in the east, in Eirinn! Todlen has fallen!"