It took a moment for Rowan to digest what Vulcanus said.

  Walk back on his own?

  He could not even think about how to accomplish the task. Vulcanus had always assigned harsh training for Rowan. At this point he should have expected it. For every new method the dragon could think of, came along a task that seemed impossible.

  However this new training task brought torture to a whole new level. At least with playing with Ember was manageable. He barely survived the wyverns mob, and now he would need to go through them again?Rowan did some quick calculations in his head. By his estimates, he didn't even make it halfway down the mountain. While he had not reached the base of the mountain, he estimated it would take two days if he ran all his might. Afterall it was easier to descend a mountain than climb one.

  That was if Rowan wasn't trying to actively avoid the wyverns. Rowan could not even guess how long it would take to avoid all the flying monsters, if that was even possible. He wasn't like Vulcanus who could scare them away with a single roar.

  Let's say Rowan did make it off the mountain, what then? Traversing the Forest of Death would be next. Honestly in his opinion, going through the forest seems like a much easier task. The teenage boy actually had to pause there for a moment as he took in that thought.

  Rowan never thought the day would come that he would admit the Forest of Death of all places was the easier place to go through.

  However, that was the truth. Rowan had spent hours in Vulcanus library, studying everything that would give him the advantage in the forest. Not to mention all the lessons that Vulcanus had taught, both verbally and physically. The forest environment was much more suitable for Rowan as monsters could not attack in large groups with all the vegetation around. The mountains were just too open which made Rowan completely vulnerable the second he was discovered.

  This task sounded almost impossible at first, but the more Rowan thought about it, the more possible it seemed. Albeit very difficult as the first hurdle of climbing down the mountain was the toughest hurdle to pass through.

  Vulcanus had never assigned Rowan an impossible task before. Extremely difficult task, yes, but he had lived through them.

  And Rowan would live through this one too.

  Rowan steeled himself in preparation and asked “Can I… get one more day of rest? I did say I'm not in perfect shape yet.” He wanted his body to be in perfect condition before he set out.

  The dragon stared at him with one eye and Rowan knew the answer right away. “No. You won't always be in the optimal condition when attacked, so take it as part of the lesson. However, now that you mention it, it does seem like you are not in perfect condition, I will grant you one favor.There is no need to thank me for this.”

  Rowan's eyes went wide open as familiar light flashed below him and his entire vision shifted. The next thing he knew, Vulcanus was no longer there. Rowan looked around and quickly realized where he was.

  Vulcanus lair’s entrance.

  He had only been here once, when the dragon had dragged him in for the the first time. Ever since then, Rowan had never left the lair, that was if you didn't count how the dragon magically teleported him in and out. Rowan knew where the entrance was when he was in the cave, but he never had a reason to leave through this particular exit. Vulcanus kept him busy enough as it is..

  If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  Snow cover ground and wide open sky greeted Rowan. Warm sunlight beamed down on him as he breathed in the fresh air. Already he began to feel rejuvenated..

  Unfortunately Rowan was not quite ready yet to travel. It was a slim shot, but Rowan took a step backwards and-

  Something that could not be seen in the air blocked him from moving back into the cave.

  Vulcanus must have magically blocked off the entrance. If the dragon hasnt done so, Rowan could have waited a bit deeper inside the lair. That way he could wait until his body perfectly healed on his own and then leave. It was a safe spot as the wyverns would be too afraid to come near the dragon's lair.

  Rowan couldn't help but roll his eyes.

  How typical of the dragon. While Vulcanus boasts about how dragons are the pinnacle of magic, Rowan rarely witnesses the dragon perform high level magic except for the times when used to torment Rowan.

  Rowan recalled the other day's experience. The mountain he had been on was empty, until he decided to climb to the peak and unwillingly announced his whole presence to the wyverns. It was a stupid decision in hindsight,

  When the wyverns flew over, they had been cautious at first. Not of Rowan, but of Vulcanus. When seeing the dragon wasn't there, the wyverns decided right there and then they would be having a rare human snack.

  This time would be different as Rowan knew what the incoming threat was. He would have liked some time to prepare himself, but Vulcanus had taken that option out of his hands.

  The boy took a deep breath and calmed his mind. Now that he is here, he may as well start.

  Now how do you get down a mountain without being spotted by a flying monster?

  Rowan pondered his options, and quickly gave up. It ultimately came down to two choices. The first was to dash down the mountain as fast as possible. Dashing down might allow him to descend faster and maybe escape the wyverns notice.

  The second option was to cautious go at a snail pace. Slowing down and being cautious may also have the same effect that might allow him to avoid detection, but being too slow may increase the chances of being caught sooner which would lead to the same experience as last time.

  There was really no good method in Rowan’s mind, so he decided that he would set off at a brisk pace. Not too fast or too slow. Enough to conserve energy but also remain guarded enough around his surroundings.

  The rest would be left to luck

  Just as Rowan made his mind, it would seem fate had other plans.

  Or rather a specific dragon.

  Just as Rowan took a step forward to leave the cave entrance, something grabbed his shoulders from behind and lifted him into the air. Startled by the sudden snatch Rowan was about to elbow behind him in self defense before realizing what had grab him.

  The claws holding onto his shoulder were a familiar sight. Afterall, he was practically beaten by these specific claws many times. He could hear the flapping of wings as he was lifted higher into the sky.

  “Ember,what are you doing here?” Rowan asked as he looked upwards to see the familiar crimson dragon hatchling.

  Roar!

  It was a simple sound, one that Rowan would hear in his dreams after so many beatings. However Rowan had not spent all his time for nothing as he had learned to differentiate between the roars of Ember. She couldn't talk yet, but he could understand what she was implying, at least most of the time.

  “Are you saying you’ll bring me back?”

  ROAR!

  Ember gave off another roar, but this time in confirmation. Rowan pondered over a bit, and a grin spread across his face. Why not?

  Afterall Vulcanus never specified how he needed to get back, right?

  Vulcanus was the king of the valley and Ember was the princess. No wyvern would dare to mess with either dragons. Rowan could already spy a few wyverns slinking off in the distance after hearing the young dragons roar. Ember let out a disdainful scoff at the sight of the fleeing wyverns.

  While not as fast, Ember carried Rowan across the pass and the duo soon reached the Forest of Death. It did not take long for them to reach the location of the Mother Tree. Rowan had not been expecting much change since he had only been gone for a few months.

  However what greeted them instead was a large unexpected surprise.