"They are late." I said, feeling the tingle of fire come back to me, normally by now they'd be throwing food laced with the anti-wyvern-fire plant but nothing.

I lit a small candle flame on the tip of my finger.

I snuffed it out when I heard a bunch of steps coming my way and sighed, missing my soon to be gone fire again.

"Randi." Weird he never visited. "Get up to your feet now."

"Yes?" I walked to the leader. "What do you want from me? I still will say the same thing. I don't know where she went."

"It is not for that, this will be the day to buy your way back into our esteem."

I took a step back in surprise when the large lock on the bars was open and moved to let me out.

I looked around to see I wasn't the only one let out, Thora too, her fake leg given back to her... Huh I never saw them take it away.

"And why would you neither either of us?"

"We need as many men and women as we can afford, a raid is coming."

"So you are letting us fight for you."

"If we survive your transgressions will be forgotten."

"Lovely."

-----------------------------------------------

My shield felt heavy on my arm as I haven't worn it in a long time but I can win my freedom back now I am not giving that chance up.

I was made to follow the leader with Thora, the gazes burning into my back were ignored as best as I could.

we joined the crowed amassed on the cliff side, pushing aside the people and looking at the horizon.

"There is no surviving this." I breathed out, the army of ships on approaching.

"We fought wyverns! A few humans will not bring us down!" Everyone cheered before they were shut up with a loud roar echoing from far.

And we saw it.

A huge black wyvern.

(This beast! Yes! From the start! You saw it at the front of the book!)

"Gods... Please help us." I heard Thora's voice whisper.

There was another roar and a mass of smaller wyverns flew up, all listening to its orders.

"This...." I took a breath. "Is... An Alpha." 

I am more then sure a good number of people heard me but no one wanted to believe the size of this monster flying towards us.

There was a cry of pain and I looked over to see people being launched back, a huge arrow stabbing through them, an 'arrow' is what it was but good gods! The shaft is larger then my fist.

"DUCK!!" I heard someone yell and I just dropped, another ballista shot passing over my head, all the boast approaching were filled with weapons while others stayed back, probably their resource ships or something.

"Yes! Bow to your king!" I looked up, seeing the huge wyvern flying not far from us with the army of small wyverns, all of them having someone on their back. "All those that submit right now will survive by my grace!"

"We didn't give up faced with wyverns! What fighting a few more will do?" The leader said, standing up the first.

"Oh so we have a loud mouth here ey? Well you'll be the first to die!" with a snap of a whip the enemy leader made the huge wyvern he was sitting on roar and all the small wyverns breathed out their flames in sync.

I threw out my arms, my fire barely came back but I can't let them.

"How... Interesting." I coughed from the dust kicked up from throwing the jet of flames down against the cliff face, unable to do more and even this barely worked. "I'll have you as mine fire lady!" I shivered in disgust. "Now kneel down before your leader or you will all die today!!"

Unlike what I knew of myself and thought I would do.... I was the first to kneel down and bow my head, Thora dropping to her knees next, both of us know enough about wyverns to know this is a fight we can't win... Maybe from the inside... An uprising in his ranks or something.... But not right now.... Not right now.

I saw around me people following our example, the leader being the last one.

Better be enslaved instead of dead.

I closed my hands into fists, dammit... I am a coward... Giving up so easily.

There was a huge boom making us pick up our heads.