Chapter Text
In the skies above the holy land of Lythos, Ivy watched the Divine Dragon ride through the air atop her personal wyvern. She felt her lips curl up as Alear waved to her, yelping and grasping tightly to the reptile’s neck. A giggle escaped her as she watched the small guardian creature Sommie hop up on the wyvern’s head, barking cheerfully as they flew off toward magic targets in the distance.
As they drifted from her sight, Ivy softly sighed and folded her arms. Her frown returned to her face and she stepped across the stone tiles of the Somniel’s Training Yard. Her gloved hand traced the broken wall where she gazed off from the floating island and off to the clouds beyond and the world below.
A sigh escaped her, one that did not go unnoticed.
“Another sound from you, Princess Ivy.”
She turned to her retainer Zelkov, who stood by a partially chiseled sculpture that he had been working on occasionally shortly after their arrival in the Somniel. He studied her for a moment, lowering his hands from his work.
“Somehow, I do not get the *sense* that this one is the result of a headache.”
“Perceptive as always, Zelkov.” Ivy folded her arms and gazed back to her normal position near the broken wall. “I suppose that one is simply the result of getting lost in my thoughts.”
“If you do not mind my *inquiring* for such, then, what about?”
“…Home.”
For a moment, Zelkov opened his mouth to reply, yet, nothing more came from him. Closing his lips, he simply nodded and waited in the silence for a moment longer with Ivy. The sound of a somewhat panicked laugh distracted Ivy, as she turned to watch Alear fly by, and Zelkov returned to studying his working project. Though, as she returned to the opening on the island, he cast one more studious, perhaps even concerned, glance to his princess.
As her wyvern returned to the Somniel, Ivy touched a hand to her hips. She listened as Alear exhaled in relief, only to yelp while her guardian Sommie barked in excitement over their return. A rare smirk slipped onto Ivy’s lips at the sight, and she lifted her hand near her face to mask it as quickly as she could.
Rare. No, that wasn’t quite right, not any longer. Since joining the Divine One, she would…
“Ivy?” The princess snapped to attention as Alear slid from her dragon and dropped down before her. “We’re back.”
“Yes. Yes, I can see that.”
“Sorry.” Alear reached behind her head and brushed her long blue and red hair. “You didn’t react the first time, so I just thought you didn’t hear or…”
“My apologies, Divine One.” Bowing to the Divine Dragon, she held her head down for a moment. “You were right, and I did…lose myself. Briefly.”
“Um, thank you, but please don’t bow.” Alear frowned. “Alcryst already does that enough for everyone around here.” She smiled just slightly. “Respectful, but maybe a bit dramatic for my tastes.”
“Well, I did refrain from dropping to my knees before doing such, so I thought that might make a difference.” A pause before a divine chuckle escaped her deity. Another smile slipped through her defense and onto her face.
“You know, you’ve got some surprisingly great jokes up your sleeve,” admitted Alear.
“Glad you think so.” Ivy glanced out to the sky once more. “It’s easier to be so relaxed when I’m here…”
Sommie barked and hopped about, to which Ivy knelt down and pet the guardian over the head. They smiled to one another, and Sommie shook some bond fragments out, which Alear hastily collected. Ivy chuckled and pat Sommie’s head before rising.
“It is an odd way to gain energy from the land, but I do admire how giving Sommie can be with these fragments.” Ivy smiled to Sommie, who beamed up to her. “You offer so many blessings, Divine One.”
“Hey, your wyvern is pretty cute too!” Alear reached out to let Ivy’s dragon familiarize herself with her, and then rubbed along her neck. “She’s really nice, and I’m glad she gets along well with Sommie.”
“Yes, they have bonded rather well, haven’t they?” Ivy chuckled. “She must be impressed from Sommie’s outstanding target breaking skills.”
“Yeah, but she’s also really inviting to let me ride on her, and…huh.” Alear placed a hand on her hip. “…Wow. Ivy, I’m sorry, but, I don’t even think I’ve ever asked you about your wyvern’s name in all of this time.”
“Oh, that.” Ivy twisted away from Alear. “Well, that’s—”
“What is her name?”
“She…doesn’t have one.”
“…Huh?”
“My wyvern, she…doesn’t have a name.” Ivy glanced over her shoulder, frowning to Alear. “I…never thought to give her one, not until recently. In fact, Emblem Lucina had a conversation with me about the matter, and she, ah…had some name ideas.”
“Sounds great!” Alear blinked and then frowned. “Yet…you still haven’t chosen a name?”
“Not from her selection, no.”
“Why not?”
“Well, with names such as ‘Sharpfang Demoncruncher,’ ‘Swiftwing Banditsmasher,’ and ‘Hardscale Mightyroar,’ I found myself…a bit overwhelmed by Emblem Lucina’s name choices.” Ivy paused and checked with her wyvern, who had winced at each name. “Just to make sure, I did run those by her as well.”
“Ah, that…sounds about right for Emblem Lucina,” sheepishly noted Alear, recalling the Emblem’s penchant for strange names. She blinked at the wyvern, who stared back at the Divine Dragon as well. “Hm…we should still probably give her a name.”
“Of course I agree with you, Divine One, but I…” Ivy sighed. “I confess I haven’t any ideas in mind.” She glanced to her wyvern, but then turned away and hung her head. “Something so simple of a task and I fail to have anything prepared…how am I supposed to lead if I can’t even come up with an easy answer on the spot?”
“Ivy, there’s no need to conflate things like that,” soothed Alear. She smiled as Ivy turned her attention to her. “You’re plenty great as it is already, and your subjects clearly still find favor with you, in spite of all we’ve faced so far.”
“Divine One…” Ivy hesitated as she stared over the Divine Dragon, with a gentle gust allowing her blue and red hair to flow freely in the air behind her. A beautiful sight…
“You know you can call me Alear too, right?” Alear tilted her head and blinked at Ivy, suppressing a smirk at the Elusian princess blushing slightly. “Both are fine, but I wouldn’t mind hearing my name from you once in a while.”
“As you wish, Divine One.” Ivy blinked and lowly groaned as Alear chuckled. “I will…work on doing so.”
“Whatever makes you feel most comfortable is fine with me regardless,” offered Alear. “After all, everyone does call me by my title for the most part, so—”
“Divine One,” called a heavy voice from just down the Training Yard. The women turned to see Vander holding himself at attention before the two. “Princess Timerra has requested your presence for her latest cooking dish. It is a very…meat-heavy meal, I believe.”
“Ah, she did tell me about that for today.” Alear placed a hand on her hip and sighed. “Just don’t get as stuffy as he is, Ivy,” she whispered, and Ivy needed to lift a hand to disguise her laughter as a cough. “Coming, Vander.” She made her way to her steward, but turned to share a wave with Ivy. “I’ll come find you later to continue our efforts, Ivy!”
“I will be looking forward to that, Divine One!” Ivy sighed as the two disappeared from sight, and then turned to her wyvern. “Now I’ll need to try even harder to name…you.” The dragon tilted her head to her owner, who scrunched her face in contemplation. “…I still have nary an idea for you…” A one-note chuckle escaped her working retainer. “Your input was unnecessary, Zelkov!”
Frowning, Ivy folded her arms and gazed out from the Somniel, staring at the clouds filling open skies ahead of her. Her wyvern brushed her arm lightly, and Ivy slowly placed her hand over her steed’s head, gently stroking her while a small smile returned.
How hard could a name possibly be…?