Chapter 38
The next day, Dax stood in the open training yard outside the Wyvren's court. The morning sun beat down on the cracked stone ground, warming the air but not enough to chase away the tension. Four members of Wyvren's squad waited in front of him, lined up in a rough row.
They stood stiff, eyes fixed ahead, clearly unsure what to expect from their new captain. Dax's hand rested lightly on the hilt of his blade—casual, almost relaxed, but everyone there knew better than to mistake it for carelessness.
"State your name and your realm," Dax said. His eyes moved over them one by one, cold and precise, reading their cores, their posture, the way their energy sat in their bodies.
His gaze stopped and narrowed on the one standing slightly apart from the rest.
"Zain."
"Yes, Captain." Zain answered immediately. His form stayed rock steady, power humming beneath his skin in a way that felt unnatural even to the others. He didn't flinch, didn't shift his weight.
