[center] [h1][b][color=f72f39]Alexander Kherol[/color][/b][/h1] [/center][hr] [center][b]There was something about him that made us feel we could do more than we ever imagine...[/b][/center] Draken'vina, Fehtzaal's Military Base, 2456 AD "So this is the situation." Various holographic photographs were laid out by the Lieutenant before the Staff Sergeant and the rest of his squad. On his left side's were something coming straight out of a disaster movie. Entire towns frozen in ice, even the tall crops of some poor farmer living there were at the time were frozen it its place, the icicles sideways. On his right was multiple angled view on a huge creature, toweringly soaring through the sky with its gleaming silver blue wings. Its entire body was plastered with uncanny silver fins, with occasional spikes along its spine, ending at its diamond-tipped tail. Unlike a dragon, this beast only had two legs. "An ice wyvern has been terrorizing towns around the east of the Vanguard Mountain Range. It has destroyed many houses and halted the production of crops of these towns. Luckily, the local militias of the area have been able to evacuate the civilians to safety, so human casualties are minimal. Nevertheless, we are trying to keep the creature dormant, but it is behaving very aggressive and continuously lashing out against intervening soldiers." The Lieutenant, with an insignia belonging to his clan family, let out a deep sigh. "So you are tasked with putting it down." It wasn't at all desirable, but it had to be done. This was supposed to be a paradise planet, or at least the areas where humans live are, and this wyvern is threatening it. [color=f72f39]"Lieutenant? How old is the wyvern?"[/color] A voice suddenly came from the ranks. It's that nerdy kid again. "Corporal Kherol. I have not given the authority to speak." The Staff Sergeant barked, visibly annoyed. He had been fed up with this 4-eyed kid for quite a while, ever since he transferred to this unit. He had been asking so many questions and so freely that it is making people think he couldn't control his men. "Permission granted." The Lieutenant overruled the Staff Sergeant instead, curious to see the kid noticing this detail. "It's relatively young. If I'm going to give an analogy, it's probably around your age in dragon's lifespan." Wyverns do grow quite fast, so under untrained eyes they might not be able to differentiate between an adult wyvern and a young one. [color=f72f39]"Hmm, thank you Lieutenant."[/color] "You are to deploy your squad quickly. We have cornered the dragon now and we do not want it to lash out anytime soon and ruin all of our work." [hr] Strangely enough, the wyvern wasn't in a cave or something that could encapsulate it like Alexander initially thought. It was rather in front of a massive vertical mountainside. Soldiers donning both the militia and the Ascendancy's military uniform were swarming the increasingly agitated wyvern, as its standing ground was getting smaller and smaller. But occasionally, Alexander could see the wyvern covering its mouth with the upper-side of its right wing. Why such a thing? That is unnatural posture for a wyvern, and why would it do such a thing that could leave it vulnerable to attacks from the soldiers. Once he was on the ground with his fire squad, however, it became clear to him what was going on. There was a huge gaping slash wound on its right wing. That explained why the wyvern felt the need to cover its mouth by it: it was actually licking it. As Alexander approached the other men who were keeping the wyvern in place, he could have a closer look at the wound itself. It looked messy, as if something coarse had inflicted upon it. It probably meant that this was not inflicted by a sword by a human being. It also explained why the creature is behaving so aggressively. Well, they behave aggressively on a daily basis against humans anyway, but wyverns don't tend to lash out in his previous sorties against them. "I didn't expect you here sir. 3rd Platoon reporting in." The Lieutenant saluted two men Alexander recognized. The first one he had met a couple of times but never spoke to. The commander of the Dragon's Brigade, Leon. Alexander already heard of him through stories, but he personally didn't find those stories particularly entertaining, as they seemed to be packed with so much aggrandizing that it does not sound realistic, but he overall found him to be a decent guy. The other man he knew particularly well though. [color=82ca9d]"Hey Alexander."[/color] He also recognized the young Corporal just as soon, giving him a handshake even when Alexander was still standing in formation. [color=82ca9d]"I was supposed to come to base to visit, but me and Leon also came across this. Sorry that we have to meet right here."[/color] Governor Saxon of Earth. He was the one taking in Alexander after he left his parents and got him into the military in the first place. He also arranged him to Draken'vina as a trainee soldier, and hopefully be a part of the Dragon's Brigade as well, or at least having a post here, where things were relatively peaceful. It might sound cruel to be sending a kid into the military, but this is the Ascendancy they're dealing with. [color=f72f39]"That's ok. We can't help it."[/color] Alexander replied, his eyes more interested in Leon and the wyvern. [color=f72f39]"Can I speak to Mr Leon?"[/color] [color=82ca9d]"Sure, I guess."[/color] Saxon called the man in question over, followed by the Lieutenant. "Is there something you want to say to me young man?" Leon politely asked as he gave Alexander a handshake as well. [color=f72f39]"Yes sir. I want to know if the wyvern was attacked. I saw a big wound on its right wing"[/color] "Well, I don't know for sure, but all I know it's already there when I had my men deal with it. Good observation." He nodded. [color=f72f39]"It may be aggravated by the wound, causing it to rampage. Is there any ways we can heal its wounds?"[/color] "We have special tools to seal it at least, but good luck calming it down. You can't reason with wyverns." Can they? That was exactly what he was taught, as well as any books he could lay his hands on about this place. Intelligent beings but lonely and never hunt in packs. But they hated humans. To their very guts. They came to the planet and chased them out of their habitats, so in turn they hunt humans. They don't even speak like humans even though they can. Reasonings to them are weaknesses, natural instincts triumphs everything. Smart for a species, but primitive compared to human beings. That is the reason why they are not meant to be reasoned with. You just force them to be dormant or kill them. But is it truly so? It was all but a trend, a trend unbroken, but it is a trend. Alexander observed the wyvern carefully. Its right wing twitching slightly, still threatening to soar from the humans grasp at any moment. Its breathings surprisingly slow, while its eyes trailed the soldiers back and forth. [color=f72f39]"Please get it for me, Mr Leon. I'll calm it down."[/color] Leon was obviously not convinced. "Are you crazy? It's gonna kill you. It won't listen to humans." [color=f72f39]"Yes it can."[/color] Alexander pointed firmly. [color=f72f39]"To me."[/color] "What will we do then if it lashes out again? If it kills someone here because of it." He sternly doubled down. "It's not something I will take from a 14-year old." [color=f72f39]"I will take full responsibility if that's the case. Prosecute me, court martial me or however you handle things here, like adults to adults."[/color] Alexander also wouldn't back down. His eyes trailed over to the governor, who were also a bit surprised that he would raise his voice to the Dragon's Brigade commander. Luckily, this is Leon he's talking to, not some self-endorsing vain captain of the Ascendancy. [color=82ca9d]"Let him be."[/color] Saxon intervened. "What? Are you serious Saxon?" [color=82ca9d]"If there's any danger, get back immediately, ok?"[/color] As if Alexander would let it stop him anyway...