Chapter 12 (J) - The Fruit Basket

I hear the faint sound of birds chirping. Slowly, I open my eyes, and look around. I’m still lying on a blanket in the wyvern’s den. The sun must have risen outside by now, but the inside of the cave is still dark. I reach into my pocket and pull out Calypso.

“Huh? Oh, it’s morning already. Guess I got lost track of time. Damn that book’s good. So, guess we’re going now?”

“That would be ideal. Can you light up? I can’t see without the mask.”

“Oh yeah, whoops! Forgot the mask was gone. Now, let there be LIGHT!” Calypso lights up, rendering our surroundings visible, to an extent.

“...Are the theatrics necessary?”

“Obviously. I mean, do you have any idea how boring this is?”

“You’ve complained about your situation at least once every other day for the last six years. I don’t blame you, given the circumstances, but yes, I believe at this point I do have an idea.”

“Oh, come on. I don’t complain THAT much!”

“You know I don’t exaggerate.”

“Hmph. Well if that’s how you’re gonna be, then no light for you.” Calypso’s light shuts off, punishing me for my honesty. But I had time to get my bearings, at least, so I begin feeling my way across the cave towards the entrance. Almost immediately, I trip over some unseen object and get sent sprawling on the dirt-strewn floor. Calypso flies out of my hand and clatters to the ground a short distance away.

“Uh- Okay, maybe I shouldn’t cut the lights yet…” Calypso lights back up. I crawl to my feet and pick her off the ground, before turning to the object I tripped over. Sitting near the blanket I slept on is a basket of fruit.

“Wha…? Did that wyvern leave fruit for you?”

“I… suppose so…?”

“Huh. Gotta say, didn’t expect it to be a pretty good host!”

Suddenly, I put some pieces together. “This wyvern has cloth and a basket. This wyvern isn’t wild. There must be a person that comes here often.”

“O-oh. Well, uh- I guess we should leave then, huh?”

“Right.” Without hesitating, I make my way towards the cave entrance.

“...Uh, aren’t you at least gonna grab an apple or something? You haven’t eaten in days, right?” ...She’s right. I’ve grown so accustomed to it, I failed to notice my hunger.

“Good idea.” I think for a moment, and lift the basket by its handle. “...On second thought, anyone who can afford a wyvern can afford a new basket. I doubt they’ll miss this one.” With the basket of fruit in one hand, and Calypso illuminating the way in the other, we make our way out of the cave.

“Ah, fresh air. If only I could breathe it. ...So, where should we go next?”

I ponder the question. “...Stormhall Citadel. After the fire beast’s attack, there’s likely agents in Mariville, so we can’t be safe there. And we can’t stay out in the wilderness too long, or we’ll risk discovery. Stormhall’s the closest place we’ll be safe.”

“Alright, sounds good to me. Place seems pretty big, too. Shouldn’t be too hard to stick to the shadows, right?”

“Right. Let’s go.” And with that, we set off.

Given the silence as I walk, I can only assume Calypso has returned to her book. With her distracted, naught but birdsong and light filtering through the trees can distract me from my thoughts. That wyvern clearly has a human or chimera counterpart, or they would never have had that cloth, or basket of fruit. But does that really explain everything? ...I don't know. I know little of wyverns, save for what I'd been told by Regina. But intuition tells me there's more to that wyvern than I'd pieced together.