"I don't believe it... This Wyvern is completely calm."

Basilio, Gregor, Lon'qu and a few of Basilio's men were gathered around me and Ptera. They were still keeping their distance, but edged closer to her in curiosity.

"Sane, what did you do?"

Basilio was astounded at how calm Ptera was. She wasn't snapping at anyone or growling. She was sitting quietly and playing with stone on the ground.

"I've been trying to train her for weeks, and all I've gotten is bruised. You're in here for less than an hour with her and you've turned her into an oversized scaly kitten."

I grinned at Basilio.

"Sometimes you just need to have a woman's touch."

Basilio walked closer to Ptera.

"Alright then, let's see how she is with a Rider."

Ptera growled suddenly and bared her fangs at Basilio. He jumped back and gripped his axe with both hands.

"She says, 'I'm not going to be ridden by some idiotic man'."

Basilio laughed.

"Oh, you're the Wyvern Whisperer now?"

Ptera rested her chin on my head.

"Yes, I am."

"Well... Can you whisper to her to let someone ride her? I paid good money for a Wyvern."

I shrugged my shoulders.

"I was thinking... Maybe we could work out a deal."

Basilio raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? A deal?"

"Yeah. I don't think I have enough money to buy a Wyvern or anything, but I have some tomes that talk about enchanting weapons and armour and stuff. What if in exchange for me trying to improve some of your equipment, you let me keep Ptera."

I looked up at her.

"Or maybe if you ask nicely, she might guard something, just not let anyone ride her."

Basilio narrowed his eyes.

"Are you trying to negotiate a Wyvern out of me?"

I nodded. Basilio folded his arms and looked up at Ptera.

"A good Wyvern is priced at around twenty thousand gold a head. I paid over one hundred thousand for the ones I got. I was planning on forming a Wyvern brigade you see, to get an edge over Flavia. She's too scared to get her feet off the ground, so I figured if I get mine off the ground I'd already be one step closer to a victory. Then it turns out, she's got the same strategy."

"So, you're trying to keep even with Flavia?"

"Yeah."

Basilio put a hand to his chin in thought.

"You know what Sane? I'm not going to let you negotiate me out of a Wyvern."

I took a deep breath and was going to try to persuade him further when he held up a hand.

"You calmed that Wyvern down and got it to stop being so aggressive towards us. I think you've earned the right to keep it."

My jaw dropped.

"You... You're going to let me keep her?"

Basilio nodded.

"I suppose it is better than the alternative. Besides, I've already paid for her and I'm not about to let all that gold to to waste."

I couldn't help it: I jumped into the air and started clapping my hands like a hyper seal.

"Oh thank you Basilio! I promise I'll take really good care of her, and I'll feed her, and make sure she's not lonely and-!"

"Woah Sane calm down! She's a Wyvern, not a puppy!"

I looked over at Ptera. As if on cue, she opened her mouth, stuck out her tongue and began to pant.

"Unbelieveable..."

Taking care of a Wyvern was a lot of work. Ptera did a fairly good job of finding her own food in the wild, but sadly despite how intelligent she was she couldn't clean out her own stall in the Wyvern stables.

"Good Gods Ptera, what are you eating that you're leaving behind thiiiis?"

Another hardship that I wasn't counting on was the fact that Ptera would still attempt to violate the males if she wasn't watched closely enough. Because of this, I had to spend most of my free time with her so she wouldn't do anything she wasn't supposed to. Not that I didn't like spending time with Ptera, but there was more I wanted to to in Regna Ferox other than sit with a Wyvern all day. Ptera was very playful, so I played with her whenever she wanted, but as soon as I would try to stop she would nudge me with her head and beg me with her eyes to stay.

"We've been playing all day Ptera... What more do you want?"

Sometimes we would watch the guys training with their Wyverns. Ptera would have this look on her face that seemed to say 'I could fly circles around you'. Eventually, I started to grow jealous of the guys on their Wyverns. The way they could gracefully cut through the sky and do complicated loops made my heart ache.

'I wish that could be me, tearing through clouds... Playing tag with the birds...'

Ptera would often leave me on the ground to go fly around and harass the males. They usually decided to land and rush to the stables when Ptera took to the skies. One frigid morning I was sitting wrapped tightly in my winter cloak while Ptera flew through the skies. I heard footsteps approaching me and looked up from the dull book I was only half-paying attention to. Lon'qu was walking slowly towards me with a bored and slightly uncomfortable expression.

"Sane. Spending more time with your Wyvern I see." He said stiffly.

I flipped a page of my book back and forth.

"Yeah, she's up thar again..."

He looked up at the sky and frowned.

"You wanted the damn thing so bad, why aren't you up with her?"

I shrugged my shoulders.

"She got so aggressive when Basilio's men tried to saddle her up, I don't want her to get mad with me."

I closed my book.

"Are you learning how to ride a Wyvern?"

Lon'qu nodded.

I waited for him to say something more, but he didn't so I prompted further.

"How's that coming?"

"Duly."

"..."

"..."

"Are you going to become a Wyvern Rider?"

"No. I'm returning to Ylisstol in a week."

I nodded.

I awkwardly tapped my foot and cleared my throat.

"Do you like the Wyverns?"

"I don't care one way or the other."

'My Gods you ass, grow a desirable personality!'

"Ptera seems like... She would be a good mount for you. You should try riding her."

I cocked my head to the side.

"Ride her..? Like with a saddle and everything?"

Lon'qu nodded stiffly.

"I don't know how to ride a Wyvern though."

"Get someone to teach you."

"Yeah, but all of Basilio's riders are busy, Xerric was going to spar with me later."

Lon'qu twisted his hands nervously.

"I could..."

He paused and cleared his throat.

"I could get someone to help you."

I blushed.

"Um... Could you help me?"

I struggled to force something else out so I didn't sound like a desperate schoolgirl.

"Since you're not busy and you already know how to ride."

He looked behind him nervously and took a half-step back.

"I'm supposed to be somewhere..."

He clenched his jaw and looked at me from the corner of his eye.

"But... I have a little time..."

'Oh my Gods, he's going to help me?'

"I'll... Go get Ptera!"

"I'll go with you..."

We walked towards where Ptera was busy flying in large circles in the sky. While we were walking, I kept stealing sideways glances at Lon'qu. He was walking stiffly and his jaw was clenching and unclenching. He also was wringing his hands together. Something about his posture and body language was making me jittery, and I also began to wring my hands together.

'Nothing is out of the ordinary Sane, just keep walking, just keep walking...'

So yeah. This is a thing. Should Sane become a Wyvern Rider? I kind of like her as a Tactician, because if she's going to become a Wyvern Rider she's technically not allowed to use swords or magic so... Granted I broke the rules by having Lissa able to use tomes and such (I confused her with Maribelle, poor knowledge of the game on my part.) and there was the whole fiasco with me accidently leaving out an entire chapter of the game... Murr.

Would you guys be mad if Sane is a Wyvern Rider who uses tomes? I'd be just like a Falcon Knight, just with a Wyvern. Also, happy Valentines Day! Sorry I didn't do anything romantic this year, but I can you guys a kiss! *muah!* And maybe if we're lucky, I can (Wo)man handle Lon'qu into handing out kisses too!