Extra's Descent

"A wraith?"

"Huh?"

Brandon's head tilted sideways. The hell was this pipsqueak talking about?

Flick—!

The wyvern merely flicked his finger, sending Brandon's sword upwards. His strength was no joke.

"No, I don't think that's the right term."

The wyvern leaned close and scanned, pinching his chin.

"You exude their aura. Yet at the same time, you aren't them….?"

"...?"

Brandon couldn't make out what the wyvern was trying to say.

The wyvern leaned even closer, perking his nose.

Sniff. Sniff.

"What are you—"

"Hey."

Once again, a sudden pressure emanated from the wyvern as soon as he stopped sniffing Brandon. Narrowing his eyes, the wyvern placed his hand on Brandon's shoulder.

"Who are you?"

Questions one after another, leaving Brandon baffled. It was already astonishing by the mere fact that he was conversing with a wyvern in a humanoid form.

And that they were both communicating in English.

"Why do you have my daughter's scent?"

"Wha—Ukh…!"

Flick—!

Brandon barely had time to process what was happening.

One moment, the wyvern was bombarding him with cryptic questions, and the next, he was flung into the sky like a ragdoll.

"Hah!"

Brandon's sharp gasp echoed through the air as he fought to regain control. The force of the wyvern's flick had left him disoriented.

His body twisted mid-air, instinctively reacting to the threat of impact.

His hand shot out, and a glowing magic circle materialized on his palm.

"Huuu…"

Gritting his teeth, chains burst forth from the circle, anchoring themselves to the jagged side of the mountain.

Clank—

The chains clinked and tightened, halting his fall just in time.

"Ukh…!"

He grunted as the impact tugged at his body. The chains wrapped around his arm strained, but they held firm, saving him from plummeting down.

"...!"

Looking down, Brandon's eyes widened. If he was late by a few more seconds, it would've been the end for him.

Currently, Brandon was still suspended in the air, holding onto the chains with his life on the line.

Panting, he glanced up at the figure of the wyvern in its humanoid form, still watching him from above. The creature's gaze pierced through him, sending a chill down his spine.

In an instant, the wyvern's figure disappeared.

"Not a Wraith then."

A voice suddenly echoed from the side. Standing on the mountainside's path—was the wyvern, crouching down and staring at him.

Swoosh—!

Suddenly, the wyvern's figure blurred once again.

"I'll give you this one chance. Why do you have my daughter's scent?"

The wyvern's youthful voice rang once again, and Brandon turned his head to the side.

The wyvern, still in its humanoid form, was hovering right beside him. Its wings protruded from its back, keeping him aloft with ease.

Brandon tried to process the bizarre situation. The wyvern was clearly fixated on the question, and wouldn't let him go unless he gave a satisfactory answer.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"You're lying. There's no mistaking it!"

The wyvern narrowed its eyes and exclaimed.

"You reek of her."

The chains anchoring Brandon to the mountain creaked under his weight.

He had to think fast, but he wasn't about to let himself be cornered by the wyvern's strange accusations.

"....If you let me get my footing first, I might be able to fix this…. misunderstanding."

"You think you're in any position to negotiate?"

"If you kill me now, you won't get your answers."

"Tsk."

The wyvern clicked its tongue. Brandon's words must've gotten through him.

At that moment, the wyvern neared him and grabbed the cloth of Brandon's winter–cloak.

"Uh—Haa…!"

Before Brandon had anytime to react, he was sent launching upwards.

Things one after another.

Seizing the opportunity, Brandon grabbed onto the mountain's cliffside and pulled himself up.

"Haaa…. H-haaa…."

Crouching down, and taking deep heavy breaths, Brandon raised his head up, meeting two silver eyes.

He had finally taken a good look at the wyvern's features, and an image overlapped.

A sense of familiarity washed over him.

There was no way.

"Could…. Haaa…. Your daughter be…. Aurelia?"

It shouldn't have been possible.

Aurelia was clearly an elf, not a wyvern.

"I knew it."

Crack—!

A heavy pressure exuded from the wyvern once more, as magic aura emanated from him.

It felt suffocating, and Brandon felt the back of his throat stuck.

"Wait."

Brandon got up and extended his hand forward.

"Aurelia. She's your daughter?"

For some reason, those words tugged at his heart.

"You do know her. What did you do to her!?"

The wraith's eyes narrowed tighter, and the aura around him widened.

"Hold on. Hold on."

Brandon dismissively waved his hand, trying to set the wyvern at ease.

"Firstly, she's safe."

He assured the wyvern.

"Then where is she—"

"Secondly, the Aurelia I know is an elf. You're clearly a wyvern, does this make any sense?"

But it wasn't out of the question. Maybe, just maybe, the two races had crossbred. This seemed highly possible after seeing the wyvern's human form.

But whatever kind of elf would agree to be bred by a little boy like this was rather…. questionable.

But Brandon kept those thoughts strictly in his head.

If he were to voice them out, his life would flash before his eyes.

"Before I answer your question, human. Where did you find her?"

There was a heavy emphasis on 'human.' Clearly, the wyvern was trying to intimidate him.

However, Brandon had already calmed himself, setting his mind at ease.

He wanted a proper conversation with this wyvern, who claimed to be Aurelia's father.

This entire encounter was out of his expectations. He had only come here because of the heavy mana lingering in the air.

He knew wyverns weren't a hostile race, unless provoked.

Needless to be said, Brandon answered honestly.

"In a forest, somewhere far from here. I found her frozen in a shell of crystal—contorted into a tree–like shape. Ever since then, I've taken custody, and took care of her.

"...."

The wyvern's eyes shot wide open, and the aura around him dissipated gradually.

"Human."

The wyvern started.

"Follow me."