The night after the creature attacked the camp Evan stayed awake long after the moon rose above the ridge. Gale rested beside him with wings half folded but the wyvern’s eyes remained open as if guarding the camp. Ember and Strand slept inside the enclosure while Crest perched on the highest post watching the sky for movement.
Evan spread a large sheet of parchment on the ground and drew a new series of diagrams. These were not normal delivery routes. They were emergency protocols. Night currents. Storm layers. High altitude zones. Escape lines for each terrain type. If the Rootstorm spread across the northern forest he needed a fleet ready to operate under conditions that no merchant had attempted before.
The air grew colder but Evan kept drawing. His hand moved with determination. The watcher’s warning repeated in his mind. The Rootstorm would reach Ironwind Valley within two weeks. The mutated creature was proof it had already begun.
He stood and stretched his shoulders then walked to Gale. “We train tonight”
Gale rose instantly as if waiting for that command.
Evan opened the enclosure and gestured to Ember and Strand. Both young wyverns lifted their heads and walked out slowly. Their wings were strong but they were still learning control. He needed to teach them how to fly at night when vision was limited and instincts had to guide movement.
Crest flew down from the post and landed beside Evan. The gryphon’s eyes glowed faint gold under moonlight. Crest was quicker to sense danger than any of the wyverns and Evan needed that awareness during drills.
He lit a small lantern with a shielded screen so the beasts would not rely on its glow. The purpose was to train them to fly in near darkness with minimal light.
Evan pointed toward the sky. “Formation one. Gale leads. Ember stays on left. Strand follows Gale’s tail path. Crest sweeps outer circle. We test stability first”
Gale crouched and launched into the air. Ember followed with a jump that kicked up dust. Strand glided up more slowly. Crest rose with a powerful surge of wings and circled above them.
Evan mounted Gale once the wyvern reached a stable hover. They climbed together through the cool night air. The moon cast faint silver light across the valley.
The sky looked calm but Evan knew that was never the whole truth. Night winds in Ironwind Valley held hidden currents like twisting rivers of air. If a beast flew into a wrong current it could be pushed against a cliff.
Evan guided Gale into the first current. Ember followed closely matching Gale’s wing beats. Strand wobbled once but regained balance. Crest glided above watching for sudden drafts.
“Good” Evan whispered “Now we climb”
Gale beat its wings harder and rose into a higher layer. The air grew colder. The wind thinned. The stars looked sharper. Ember struggled but kept position. Strand’s broader wings helped him glide upward with less effort.
After a few minutes Evan tapped Gale’s neck softly. “Bank left. Spiral descent practice”
Gale tilted its wings and entered a wide spiral. Ember copied the movement though a bit too sharply at first. Strand lagged slightly. Crest hovered above them then swooped down with a sharp cry signaling a shift in wind pressure.
A sudden gust hit the formation. Gale steadied itself quickly but Ember lost balance and dipped too low. Evan tapped Gale’s neck three times switching the command. Gale swooped toward Ember and nudged the young wyvern gently back into the current.
Strand flapped hard to stay aligned.
Evan studied their reactions. “Again. Repeat until instinct overrides panic”
They continued the spiral descent three more times. Each attempt grew smoother. Ember learned to read Gale’s wing position. Strand learned to watch wind flickers. Crest made sharp signals when gusts approached.
Evan felt a swell of pride. “You are becoming real couriers of the sky”
After an hour he moved them to the valley’s central ridge to begin a more difficult drill. The ridge formed a natural wind tunnel. At night the currents moved unpredictably. It was dangerous but necessary.
Gale entered the tunnel first. The wind pushed hard but the wyvern’s wings held firm. Ember entered next and nearly drifted sideways but corrected quickly. Strand hesitated before gliding in. Crest followed from above watching for threats.
Evan guided Gale through the narrow pass. The cliffs rose on both sides like jaws. The wind shifted unevenly creating pockets of turbulence. Ember flapped hard but stayed steady. Strand glided low and used updrafts efficiently.
Halfway through the tunnel the wind changed completely. A sudden downward draft pulled Gale’s right wing. Evan shifted his weight instantly. Gale steadied but Ember panicked and dropped several meters. Strand collided with a cross current and spun out of formation.
“Recover” Evan shouted
Gale dived toward Ember while Crest swooped down and screeched near Strand’s head. The sound snapped Strand’s instincts. The young wyvern flapped fast and regained altitude. Ember found a stable draft just as Gale reached it.
They exited the wind tunnel with heavy breaths.
Evan wiped sweat from his forehead. “Good. Hard but good. This drill teaches survival not speed”
He guided them back to camp. The sky had grown darker and cold fog drifted across the ground. Crest landed first. Ember and Strand followed with shaky wings.
Evan dismounted Gale and patted the wyvern’s neck. “You did well. All of you”
But before he could rest a faint tremor ran through the earth.
All beasts reacted at once. Gale stiffened. Crest raised its wings. Ember hid behind Gale while Strand stared at the treeline.
The tremor repeated. Not loud. But steady.
Evan felt the cold sink deeper into the air. “The Rootstorm is moving again”
He looked at his beasts. His fleet. His future.
“We must finish training faster than the land changes” he whispered
Because something in the forest was waking and it would not wait for them.