The capital feels different at midday.
Markets louder.
Streets more crowded.
Food stalls filling the air with the smell of grilled meat and fresh bread.
Most people don't notice the details.
They just move with the crowd.
I notice everything.
Elara walks beside me through the market district.
She's wearing something simpler than her usual academy uniform today—dark trousers and a light coat instead of the formal academy colors.
It makes her blend into the crowd more easily.
She still stands out.
But less.
"This place is busy today," she says.
"Yes."
She glances at me.
"You say that like you're surprised."
"I'm observing."
"That's not the same thing."
I shrug.
We stop at a small food stall near the center square.
The vendor hands us two wrapped meat skewers.
Elara sits across from me at one of the small wooden tables outside the shop.
The crowd moves around us constantly.
Merchants shouting.
Children running past.
Carriages rolling through the street.
She watches me for a moment while I eat.
"You're unusually quiet."
"I'm eating."
She sighs softly.
"This is technically a date."
I look up.
"…is it?"
She stares at me.
"You invited me to lunch."
"Yes."
"Just the two of us."
"Yes."
"That's usually what people call a date."
I think about it for a moment.
"…I thought it was lunch."
Elara presses her fingers to her forehead.
"Of course you did."
I finish the last piece of food and set the stick aside.
"You said you wanted to talk."
Her expression softens slightly.
"I did."
She leans back in the chair.
"I just wanted to spend time outside the academy for once."
"That's reasonable."
She studies me again.
"You're still watching the crowd."
"Yes."
"You're supposed to relax."
"I am relaxed."
She follows my gaze across the street.
"What are you looking for?"
"Nothing."
But something catches my attention.
Across the street a group of workers push a wooden cart down the road.
Large crates stacked on top of it.
The boxes are reinforced with iron bands.
Unusual for normal cargo.
One of the crates shifts slightly.
I watch it.
The workers keep moving toward the inner city.
Elara notices my focus.
"…Ren."
"Yes."
"You're doing it again."
"Doing what?"
"Investigating lunch."
I nod toward the cart.
"Those crates."
She glances across the street.
"Storage shipments?"
"Maybe."
One of the crates moves again.
This time harder.
The worker pushing the cart quickly presses the lid down.
Elara frowns slightly.
"…that's strange."
"Yes."
The cart continues moving toward the central district.
Toward the inner city.
Toward the palace quarter.
I stand.
Elara looks up.
"Ren."
"Yes."
"We were in the middle of lunch."
"Yes."
She sighs.
"You're going to follow the suspicious crates."
"Yes."
She stands up.
"…this still counts as a date."
I start walking toward the street.
"That depends."
"On what?"
"Whether the crates explode."
She shakes her head and follows beside me.
"Your idea of romance is concerning."
We cross the street just as the cart turns into a narrower road.
The workers look nervous.
One of the crates shifts again.
Then—
A faint scratching sound comes from inside.
Elara hears it this time.
Her expression changes instantly.
"…Ren."
"Yes."
"…those are eggs."
I look at the crate again.
The wood shifts slightly.
Something inside taps against the lid.
Once.
Then again.
I exhale slowly.
"…those are not normal eggs."
Elara nods.
"No."
Above the city—
A distant screech echoes across the sky.
Both of us look up.
Dark shapes circle high above the clouds.
Elara's eyes widen slightly.
"…wyverns."
"Yes."
The scratching inside the crate gets louder.
Elara looks back at the cart.
"…Ren."
"Yes."
"This is going to ruin lunch."
"Yes."
Behind us—
Another wyvern scream echoes across the capital.
And the sky begins filling with wings.
The alarm bells begin ringing across the capital.
Deep iron chimes echo from tower to tower.
Once.
Twice.
Then the entire city erupts with warning signals.
"WYVERNS!"
Guards shout from the walls.
The marketplace explodes into panic.
Merchants abandon stalls.
Parents grab children.
Carts overturn as people rush toward the nearest shelters.
Above the rooftops—
Wings fill the sky.
Dozens of wyverns circle the capital.
Their massive shadows sweep across the streets like storm clouds.
Elara watches them carefully.
"They're searching."
"Yes."
Another crate on the cart suddenly shifts.
Then—
CRACK.
The wooden lid bursts open.
A scaled head forces its way through the splintered boards.
Yellow eyes blink in the sunlight.
The hatchling screeches.
High pitched.
Loud.
The sound echoes through the entire district.
Above us—
Every wyvern reacts instantly.
Their heads snap downward.
Then they dive.
"MOVE!" someone shouts.
The workers abandon the cart.
People scatter across the street.
A massive wyvern slams into the cobblestone road with enough force to crack the stone.
Its wings spread wide, knocking over a fruit stand as it lands beside the cart.
The creature roars.
Its jaws snap toward the hatchlings.
Elara already has her blade drawn.
"Ren."
"Yes."
"I assume lunch is over."
"Yes."
The wyvern lunges.
Then an arrow punches through its eye.
The creature jerks violently.
Another arrow slams into its throat.
More follow.
A rain of arrows pours from the rooftops.
Adventurers.
Archers line the nearby buildings, firing in coordinated volleys.
The wyvern thrashes.
Its massive tail smashes through a wooden stall.
Then a fire spell slams into its chest.
Flames explode across its scales.
The creature collapses with a violent crash.
But the sky is still full of wings.
Another wyvern dives toward the street.
This one doesn't land.
It sweeps low over the rooftops and snatches an adventurer from the edge of a building.
The man screams as the creature climbs into the air.
Elara's expression tightens.
"Ren—"
I'm already moving.
I grab a fallen spear from the ground and throw.
The weapon spins through the air.
It punches straight through the wyvern's wing joint.
The creature screeches.
Its flight collapses instantly.
Both the wyvern and the adventurer crash into a nearby roof.
Wood explodes outward as the structure collapses.
The wyvern tries to stand—
Then three adventurers leap from the rooftop.
One drives a spear through its neck.
Another slams a lightning spell into its chest.
The creature dies thrashing.
But the battle is spreading across the city.
Three more wyverns dive toward the market district.
One crashes through a tower window.
Stone explodes outward as the creature bursts into the building.
Another sweeps across the street, its claws tearing through carts and market stalls.
A mage on a nearby rooftop raises both hands.
"DOWN!"
A blast of ice erupts into the sky.
One of the wyverns slams into the frozen spikes mid-flight.
The creature spirals downward and crashes into the road.
But another wyvern answers with a roar.
It slams into the rooftop where the mage stands.
The impact shatters the stone ledge.
The mage barely rolls aside as the creature's jaws snap inches from his head.
Guards rush in from the side street.
Shields raised.
Spears forward.
"FORMATION!"
The wyvern lunges.
Three spears drive into its chest.
The creature thrashes violently.
Its tail smashes two guards aside.
One man hits the wall hard enough to crack stone.
Then a lightning spell erupts from the rooftop above.
The bolt tears through the creature's spine.
The wyvern collapses.
Dead.
But the sky still screams with wings.
More wyverns dive toward the egg cart.
Protective.
Aggressive.
Another lands in the street beside us.
Its wings slam into a building, cracking the stone wall.
The creature roars and snaps toward the cart.
I step forward.
Elara moves with me.
The wyvern lunges.
I duck under the bite and drive my fist into the side of its jaw.
The impact snaps its head sideways.
Elara's blade flashes.
Her strike slices deep across the creature's neck.
The wyvern thrashes wildly.
Its tail smashes into a nearby stall.
Wood splinters across the street.
Then an arrow punches through its throat.
The creature collapses.
But the fighting continues.
Wyverns crash into rooftops.
Adventurers leap between buildings.
Magic fills the sky.
Fire.
Ice.
Lightning.
Arrows rain down constantly.
One wyvern tries to escape.
A mage launches a chain of lightning into its wings.
The creature spirals into the street.
Then—
The tower beside the egg cart cracks.
The damaged structure finally gives way.
Stone collapses downward.
The street explodes with falling debris.
The cart shatters instantly.
Egg shells break beneath the rubble.
The hatchlings are crushed under the falling stone.
Dust fills the air.
The last wyvern in the sky screams.
Then collapses under a volley of arrows.
Silence slowly spreads across the district.
Smoke drifts through the streets.
Broken buildings.
Dead wyverns.
Injured adventurers.
Guards begin moving through the wreckage.
Confirming kills.
Helping the wounded.
Elara steps toward the rubble where the cart once stood.
"…almost all of them."
I follow her.
Most of the eggs are broken.
Crushed.
Destroyed by the falling debris.
Then she stops.
"…Ren."
"Yes."
"This one survived."
One egg rests beneath a broken plank.
Dark scaled.
Completely intact.
Elara lifts it carefully.
"…it's warm."
The shell cracks.
Then—
CRACK.
A tiny wyvern head pushes through the shell.
Golden eyes blink up at the sunlight.
The hatchling chirps softly.
Then looks directly at Elara.
It crawls into her arms.
Curling against her wrist.
She freezes.
"…Ren."
"Yes."
"…I think it likes me."
I look at the hatchling.
"…interesting."
Elara gently holds the small creature.
The wyvern wraps its wings around her arm.
Like it belongs there.
She looks at me.
"We can't leave it here."
"No."
"It would die."
"Yes."
She pauses.
"…so we're keeping it."
I consider that for a moment.
Then shrug.
"That seems likely."
Above us the sky finally clears.
The guild hall is louder than usual.
Adventurers crowd the room, some injured, some still covered in blood from the battle. Wyvern scales and broken arrows litter the floor near the entrance where equipment is being sorted.
The smell of smoke follows us inside.
Elara walks beside me, calm as always.
The small hatchling is hidden inside her coat.
Only its eyes occasionally peek out.
The guildmaster stands near the central table with the captain of the city guard and the headmaster of the academy.
A large map of the capital is spread across the table.
The prince stands nearby with several nobles.
The conversation stops when we enter.
The guildmaster nods.
"Good."
His voice carries easily across the hall.
"The Pale Executioner has arrived."
Several adventurers glance toward me.
The nickname spreads quickly.
I walk to the table.
"You wanted a report."
The guildmaster gestures to the map.
"Yes."
"Start from the beginning."
I point toward the market district.
"Elara and I were eating nearby when a shipment of crates passed through the street."
The guard captain nods.
"We recovered the cart."
"Eight crates."
"Sixteen eggs."
"Most were destroyed during the battle."
The headmaster folds his arms.
"And the wyverns?"
"Protective behavior," I say.
"They responded to the hatchling calls."
The guard captain nods again.
"That matches the attack pattern."
"They weren't hunting civilians."
"They were trying to reach the eggs."
The prince scoffs slightly.
"So someone smuggled wyvern eggs into the city."
"Yes."
"And the wyverns came to retrieve them."
"Correct."
The guildmaster leans over the map.
"That would explain why they ignored most of the city."
The guard captain gestures toward several marks across the district.
"They focused on the storage area."
"Once the eggs were destroyed…"
He shrugs.
"…the fight ended quickly."
Several adventurers nearby nod in agreement.
The headmaster exhales slowly.
"Then the situation is contained."
"Yes."
The guildmaster looks around the table.
"We'll still investigate who brought the eggs into the capital."
"But the immediate threat is gone."
The prince folds his arms.
"Good."
His tone suggests the matter is already beneath him.
I don't argue.
The wyverns are dead.
That part is true.
The guildmaster rolls up the map.
"Adventurers who participated in the defense can claim materials from the corpses."
Several adventurers immediately begin discussing which creatures they helped kill.
Wyvern parts sell well.
The guildmaster looks at me.
Then—
A small chirp echoes through the hall.
Everyone freezes.
The sound is soft.
But unmistakable.
Several adventurers immediately reach for their weapons.
"What was that?"
The guard captain's eyes narrow.
"…did that come from the room?"
Another chirp.
Louder this time.
Every head turns.
Elara sighs quietly.
Then opens her coat.
The small wyvern hatchling pokes its head out.
Golden eyes blink around the guild hall.
Silence explodes into chaos.
"WYVERN!"
Several adventurers draw weapons instantly.
A mage begins forming a spell.
The guard captain grabs the edge of the table.
"Stand down!"
The hatchling chirps again.
Completely harmless.
Just confused.
The guildmaster stares at it.
"…well."
Lysandra leans against a nearby pillar.
"That explains the noise."
The prince's eyes narrow.
"You brought a wyvern into the guild hall?"
Elara lifts the small creature carefully.
"It survived the collapse."
The hatchling curls slightly against her arm.
The guildmaster watches the interaction closely.
"…it imprinted."
Elara nods.
"Yes."
Wyverns raised from hatching often bond with the first creature they see.
Rare.
But valuable.
The guard captain slowly relaxes.
"Well."
He sits back down.
"That certainly changes the situation."
The guildmaster strokes his beard thoughtfully.
"Captured monsters belong to the adventurers who secured them."
He gestures toward Elara and me.
"You two were first on the scene."
I nod.
"Yes."
"Then the hatchling is your claim."
The prince frowns.
"You're letting them keep a wyvern?"
The guildmaster shrugs.
"It's already bonded."
"Trying to separate it would be more dangerous."
The captain writes something on a document.
"Surviving hatchling claimed by Ren Caelum and Elara Windmere."
He slides the paper across the table.
Elara signs calmly.
The hatchling chirps again.
Several adventurers nearby laugh.
"Well that's one way to get a pet."
"Careful," another says.
"That thing will be the size of a horse in a year."
Lysandra grins.
"I'm naming it."
Elara sighs.
"No."
The meeting slowly dissolves after that.
Guards return to searching the city.
Adventurers begin claiming materials from the dead wyverns.
Most people now believe the situation is finished.
As Elara and I step outside the guild hall, the capital is already calming down.
The sky is clear.
No more wyverns.
Elara glances down at the small creature curled against her arm.
"…we definitely need to name it."
"Yes."
Behind us the guild doors close.
The capital relaxes.
The wyvern attack becomes just another story.
And far beyond the northern mountains—
Something enormous continues moving south.
The capital is quieter by evening.
Smoke still hangs over parts of the market district where the battle took place, but most of the fires have been extinguished. Workers move through the streets repairing damaged stalls while adventurers haul wyvern corpses toward the guild for processing.
Elara walks beside me through the quieter side streets.
The hatchling rests comfortably in her arms.
It looks much smaller now that the chaos is over.
Still ugly.
But less threatening.
The small wyvern chirps softly and curls its tail around her wrist.
Elara watches it carefully.
"…this might be a problem."
"Yes."
"It's definitely a problem."
"Yes."
She glances at me.
"You're not helping."
"I'm observing."
She sighs.
"Observation does not solve the problem."
"What is the problem exactly?"
She gestures down at the hatchling.
"This."
The wyvern tilts its head and chirps again.
It seems pleased with itself.
"You can't keep a wyvern in the academy," I say.
"No."
"You can't keep it in the guild either."
"No."
"You definitely can't hide it in the royal palace."
Elara laughs softly.
"That one might get me executed."
"Yes."
We stop at a small stone bridge crossing one of the narrow canals that runs through the city.
The evening sun reflects off the water.
The hatchling stretches its tiny wings and yawns.
Elara looks down at it again.
"…it's going to get bigger."
"Yes."
"Quickly."
"Yes."
She sighs.
"So we need somewhere to keep it."
"Yes."
Elara thinks for a moment.
Then glances at me sideways.
"Well…"
Her tone becomes slightly teasing.
"I suppose we could just buy a house."
I nod.
"That would solve the problem."
She pauses.
"…Ren."
"Yes."
"That was a joke."
"I know."
She studies my face carefully.
"You're still thinking about it."
"Yes."
She blinks.
"…you're actually considering it."
"Yes."
Her eyebrows rise.
"A house."
"Yes."
"With me."
"Yes."
She stares at me for a moment.
"…you're impossible to read."
"I'm thinking about logistics."
"That's romantic."
The hatchling suddenly chirps again.
Elara looks down.
"You're not helping either."
The tiny wyvern crawls up her arm and settles on her shoulder.
It seems very comfortable there.
She sighs.
"…we really are keeping it."
"Yes."
She glances at me again.
"You're suspiciously calm about this."
"It imprinted on you."
"Yes."
"That means it's your responsibility."
She narrows her eyes slightly.
"…our responsibility."
I shrug.
"That's negotiable."
She laughs again.
"You're unbelievable."
We start walking again through the quiet street.
For a while neither of us says anything.
Then Elara speaks again.
"…you didn't think lunch was a date."
"No."
"But you're seriously considering buying a house with me."
"Yes."
She shakes her head slowly.
"You skip several steps in normal relationships."
"I'm efficient."
"That's not what that means."
The hatchling chirps happily on her shoulder.
Elara gently scratches under its chin.
"…it still needs a name."
"Yes."
She glances at me.
"Any ideas?"
"No."
"That was also a test."
"I know."
She sighs again.
"You're terrible at this."
"Probably."
We reach the edge of the academy district.
The buildings become larger and quieter.
Students move through the streets heading back to their dorms.
Elara looks down at the small creature again.
"…we'll figure something out."
"Yes."
Behind us the capital slowly returns to normal.
People repair buildings.
Merchants reopen shops.
Guards patrol the walls.
Everyone believes the crisis ended with the wyverns.
And for now—
It feels like they're right.