The first time Evan Drakemarch stood on the cliff above Ironwind Valley he understood why most merchants refused to do long distance delivery. The wind pushed like a living beast and the dark clouds rolled over the sky in slow waves. Every few minutes a flash of silver light cut through the air. These were not simple storms. They were magic storms created by the currents of mana that flowed through the mountains. Evan watched a pack of wind wolves run below the cliff. Their bodies shimmered like pale smoke. They were calm now but any noise or change of pressure would send them into a frenzy and a frenzy of wind wolves could tear apart a caravan in minutes.
He took a deep breath and felt the cold air bite into his lungs. Most people would say this land was cursed. Evan said it was simply inefficient. He saw opportunity in every dangerous ridge and every broken road. While other merchants hid in safe towns and paid outrageous fees for guild controlled routes Evan studied the patterns of wind wolves and mapped the direction of magic storms. He learned how mana flow changed with season and how mountain currents moved at different times of day.
People called him strange. They said no normal person would risk his life for something as boring as supply chain improvement. Evan did not care. He had a vision. A continent could not grow without stable trade. Cities could not specialize. Farmers could not sell extra harvest. Artisans could not move goods to markets. He believed that the only reason kingdoms stayed poor was because they accepted chaos as natural.
Evan grew up near the docks of Southcrest where he watched fishermen train sea drakes to pull boats. At that time he wondered if land could do the same. If dangerous creatures could work with humans they would do more than attack caravans. They could lift cargo fly over broken mountains and cross terrain that wagons could never touch. This idea followed him through childhood and into his early years as a merchant assistant.
Now at age twenty six he had saved enough coin to start his own company. People laughed a
Yet Evan stood on the cliff with a leather notebook in his hand and pages filled with careful drawings. The first page showed the shape of a young wyvern. Long wings light bones powerful legs. Perfect for carrying cargo if trained from birth.
The second page showed a gryphon. Fast sharp senses balanced weight. Good for express delivery.
The third page showed a thunderbird. Immune to storms. Could travel through the harsh sky above Ironwind Valley.
Evan closed the notebook and looked behind him at the small camp he built. There were cages with reinforced bars and boxes of dried meat. He had already purchased three young beasts from beast handlers who did not understand their value. A young wyvern slept in one of the cages. Its wings were folded and it gave off a low warm breath. Evan raised it from a hatchling. It trusted him more than it feared him.
He named it Gale.
As Gale slept Evan checked the ropes and saddles he crafted. He spent months designing them. Standard saddles were too heavy. He needed harnesses that would support weight but not restrict wings. He used flexible leather mixed with iron thread. He tested each piece again and again.
In the distance thunder rolled over the mountains. The sky darkened again. Evan knew this schedule. The valley always produced a magic surge at this hour. He had studied it enough times to predict it. Other merchants ran when storms came. Evan waited because storms told him which routes were safe.
He sat on a rock and opened a map marked with many lines. Some lines were red. Some blue. Some black. Red meant high danger. Blue meant unstable but possible. Black meant safe if he controlled the air current with beast flight.
Tonight he would test Gale on a short route along a blue line. A simple loop above the valley and back. If this worked he could begin real deliveries.
As the wind rose Gale woke and lifted its head. Its yellow eyes focused on Evan with calm recognition. Evan walked to the cage and rested his hand on the cold metal.
Today he would take the first step toward changing the continent.
Not with a sword. Not with armor. But with a wyvern and a dream of a better supply chain.
When the storm finally broke open the sky Evan smiled because this was the kind of moment that pushed other merchants away. For him this was the moment when opportunity opened like wings in the wind.
He whispered to Gale as he unlocked the cage.
“We start tonight The first flight of the first dragon freight in history”