The next morning Evan woke to the sound of approaching hooves. He sat up quickly and reached for his spear. Gale raised its head and stared toward the path. Crest perched on a fence with wings half open while Ember and Strand watched from their enclosure.
A small group of riders entered the clearing. Their cloaks were deep blue embroidered with silver runes. They carried satchels marked with the symbol of the High Magister Council.
Evan felt tension rise. The council rarely visited remote regions unless something critical had happened.
The lead rider dismounted and approached Evan with a calm steady expression. “Are you Evan Drakemarch founder of Dragon Freight”
“Yes”
“I bring a request from the High Magister Council. They require your service for an urgent delivery”
Evan crossed his arms. “What kind of delivery”
The rider opened a leather case and revealed a sealed crystal container. Inside was a small shard glowing faint purple. The light flickered like a heartbeat.
“This is a stabilization core. It must be delivered to the Northern Watchtower before the next moonrise. If the watchtower’s protective barrier fails the Rootstorm may spread across the entire northern frontier”
Evan stared at the shard. “Why not send your mages”
The rider answered without hesitation. “Mage flight spells interfere with the core’s energy. Beast flight is safer and faster. Gale is strong enough for the journey. We have observed your routes”
Evan’s chest tightened. The council already knew about their previous flights. They were watching. Studying.
He asked “How dangerous is the route”
The rider hesitated. “Very. The Rootstorm’s energy has affected the eastern ridge. Creatures have mutated. The sky paths shift constantly. Traditional messengers will not survive. The council believes your company is the only capable courier in this region”
Evan looked at Gale. The wyvern’s wings twitched as if ready for another challenge.
He nodded slowly. “Dragon Freight accepts the contract”
The rider handed him the sealed core. “There is one more detail. The watchtower lies beyond a narrow canyon where mana storms form unpredictably. You must fly above them at high altitude. And you must avoid contact with the ground. The Rootstorm is strongest there”
Evan examined the core. It thrummed with subtle power. He placed it carefully into a suspended cargo cradle attached to Gale’s harness frame.
He turned to Ember and Strand. “Continue training. I will return before nightfall if the sky allows it”
Crest screeched as if insisting it should join. But Evan shook his head. “Not yet. Your time will come soon”
He mounted Gale. The wyvern crouched ready. The council riders stepped back.
“Fly with caution Evan Drakemarch. The fate of the frontier depends on this delivery”
Evan tapped Gale’s neck. The wyvern leapt into the sky.
The world dropped away beneath them as winds rushed past.
The route to the Northern Watchtower stretched across jagged cliffs and deep ravines carved by centuries of storms. The Rootstorm’s corruption created strange distortions in the air.
Evan guided Gale upward. Higher. Higher still. Until the sky thinned and the ground looked like a dark river of trees.
Gale’s wings strained but held.
Ahead the canyon appeared like a gash in the land. Red mist drifted along its edges. Lightning flickered deep within.
Evan felt the core pulse faster. “Hold steady Gale. We go above the surge line”
They climbed again. Gale’s breath grew heavy but determined.
A sudden bolt of wild lightning burst from the canyon. Gale jerked sideways. Evan gripped the harness and adjusted his weight.
The air shifted.
A second bolt shot upward.
Then a third.
The storm was rising faster than expected.
Evan tapped Gale’s neck three times signaling emergency ascent.
The wyvern pushed upward with incredible force.
They cleared the surge just as the canyon erupted in violent red beams of corrupted mana.
For a moment Evan could only breathe and hold on.
Below them the canyon writhed like a living thing.
The Rootstorm was awakening fully.
They raced toward the watchtower. Once it came into view Evan felt hope rise.
But as they descended toward the platform Evan saw movement at the tower’s base.
Shadow shapes. Many of them.
The watchtower was under attack.
Evan tightened his grip on the core.
“Gale” he whispered
“We fly into danger today”