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If she allowed the elves to take a few of her hatchlings each year then she'd be allowed to live with relative freedom. She might even be granted some form of protection. She moved closer. Leaning down to observe us even closer. Each breath was laced with a powerful affinity similar to water.

This was a slight variant that was specific to ice. It was the first time I'd come into contact with a variant affinity since Ethan, and that freak Letty. I was genuinely curious, and fascinated. I cocked my head as I peered within her using all the senses available to me. Her affinity was rather easy to grasp, and I started digesting the information immediately.

She cocked her head as well. Mimicking the slight movement. Her emotional hues showed me that she was just as curious about me as I was about her. A tendril of mana tentatively reached for me slowly. Almost as if it were asking permission.

I refrained from reaching out with my own mana to avoid detection as he nose pushed in closer. Sekka was desperately trying to keep his birds under control while this was all happening. I didn't really care though. I was curious what would happen if that tendril of mana was allowed in. I reached out.

Gently placing my hand on the beast's nose. She wasn't here to attack. She'd clearly come here peacefully. She'd felt some reason to seek me out, and I saw no reason to deny her. I allowed that small tendril of mana to enter my body.

To say what happened next shocked me would be an understatement. Her whole being was open to me. She was more intelligent then the other wyverns on this planet. That clever resolve to survive was the main reason she'd settled in the caverns at the center of the capital. Only leaving to hunt or to mate.

She had grown old, and didn't have much time left. She had been looking for someone to take as her own all this time. It almost made me feel guilty that I hadn't come sooner. This bond was not the same as a rider bond. No.

It was more like a dog or a wolf with their master. She was more intelligent then a dog, but not by much. She'd stay mine no matter how long I lived. I felt affection for her immediately. I wanted to keep her near me at all times, but I knew I needed to send her away now before the elves realized what happened.

She seemed to understand what I wanted, and pulled away from me. Flaring her massive wings, and roaring. Her wingspan was bigger then my own so I knew that if we were to fly side by side she would be larger then me. Many of the beasts nearby attempted to flee. There were many roars responding to her own as she kicked off the ground, and leapt back into the sky.

I wondered how many of the wyverns surrounding us were her offspring. She'd been waiting for a proper master for a long time, and she'd sensed my potential when she spotted me. I wondered if all wyverns had this innate sense of who would be the perfect master for them. Maybe that was why the wild flight preferred to live away from the others. Perhaps they didn't want a master, and that was why the stayed away from the elves.

She'd obeyed me without a second thought. If I'd shown the slightest amount of fear then she would have tried to kill me without hesitation. I could sense her location, and give her orders from afar. I did sense a limit to the distance at which I could order her around. If she left my range then I wouldn't be able to ask her for anything.

The range at which we could communicate was around a hundred miles which was impressive for such a primitive bond, but it paled in comparison to the strength of my rider bonds. Still it was an unexpected gift to get a pet out of all of this. I smirked to myself with a little wonder in my eyes. It was nice that everyone was too distracted at the moment to notice the pleased expression on my face. I turned my eyes to Sekka as he struggled on his mount to get the other bird under control while he barely had control over the bird he was riding.

Both birds suddenly stilled under my stern gaze. Sensing just how much danger they were in if they kept acting up. They settled quickly, and then started moving toward Sekka quietly. Behaving like a perfect little birds once again. I smirked slightly now that they were behaving properly again.

I moved back over to Sekka, and started moving slowly toward the city once again. My muscles tensed tightly as I felt out my new connection to my new pet. She was at the center of the capital just like I suspected. I'd be able to rely on her for a surprise assist or escape if I really needed to so that was a nice little added benefit. I was actually kind of disgusted by normal wyverns so it was surprising that I didn't find her repulsive like I did the others.

We wouldn't be able to cross the distance from the capital for another few days. I was more then a little irritated that this was taking so long yet I was also frightened by the danger that capital posed. I needed every advantage I could get for the time being. I wanted to spread my wings, and join her in the sky later this evening. I just didn't have the patience for it right now.

That was with me ignoring the danger of the leaders in the capital. I really did want to fly, and be free of all the stress I was putting myself through, but no amount of preparation could get me ready for a confrontation with the monsters that lived on the hill above where my pet had made her home. I was kind of surprised she didn't choose any of those powerful monsters. There were at least three of them from what I could tell. It was hard to tell them apart with how much mana they were casually releasing.