Crown Tournament [Chps 5-7]

Hey peeps!

Hopefully you enjoy these chapters. Fun stuff ahead!

Shami

CHAPTER FIVE

I shifted on Roux’s back as she galloped along the uneven desert sands. The wind whipped across me, but my head wrap protected my face from the worst of it. I turned around and bit my lip as I raised my bow.

Three straw targets sat atop a dune. A fourth target floated through the sky, twirling in the winds created by Master Elias’s magic. I pulled the bow string taut, then loosed the arrow. I struck the first target clean in the center. Then I shot again as Roux turned slightly to circle back around.

I hit the second target.

Only two more to go.

The sun set in the far distance, the heat still permeating the desert. Once it got dark, that would be a different story, but until then, sweat filled my clothing and threatened to cascade into my eyes.

Master Elias said bee’s wax could help control the flow of sweat. If I rubbed some over my eyebrows, the sweat would trickle down the side of my face.

But I had forgotten the wax this morning…

Without breaking concentration, I withdrew a third arrow from my quiver.

“Hold on!”

I hesitated for a moment as Roux’s warning sounded in my mind. She almost tripped in the sand dune, and I had to hold onto her until she corrected her gallop. Once situated, I sat straight again, and readied another arrow.

As I was taking aim, Master Elias and Hyperion flew down from the sky. The hot winds wrapped around them, answering their call. I shielded my eyes from the sand as they soared by, Hyperion’s tail slithering back and forth.

“What’re you waiting for?” Master Elias called out.

With a half-smile, I notched my arrow again and then fired on the third stationary target.

The arrow slammed into its center.

Perfect.

I laughed as I pointed to Hyperion sailing away. “Did you see that?” I shouted.

“I still see a target!” Master Elias yelled back.

Excitement coursed through me as I urged Roux to go faster. I wanted to impress Hyperion and Master Elias with my archery skills. I had only started training with them weapon two years ago, but already I was hitting targets with regular frequency. Wasn’t that worth praise? Wasn’t it worth taking note?

When Roux circled back around the dune, I readied by bow. She galloped across the red sands, her cloven hooves kicking up grains as we went. The last target hung in the air, controlled by winds. As we went by, I bit my tongue to concentrate.

Then I let my arrow fly.

Despite the wind being an obstacle, I struck the target.

Just barely. On the edge. But still—I did it!

I threw both arms up into the air. My smile reached both of my ears as Roux slowed her run and then went into a gentle trot.

“Did you see that?” I asked her.

“Of course,” she replied. “I saw every moment.”

When she came to a stop, I slid off her back. Roux panted and shook her mane. I patted her shoulders and whispered reassuring things. Unlike larger draft horses, Roux didn’t have much stamina. She was fast—just thin and delicate. Training like this took a lot out of her.

Master Elias and Hyperion descended from the sky and landed on the sands next to us. When Elias dismounted, his red cape fluttered in the raging winds of his magic. It looked… amazing. Like he was an arcanist from legend.

Master Elias swept his black hair back as he walked over to me. “Well, that wasn’t so bad.”

I rotated my dominate arm. “So, Master Elias—who is stronger? You when you were my age? Or me?”

Obviously, Elias didn’t slide out of the womb with all his magic and skills. He had to develop them like me. When did he become a master archer? Maybe I was developing faster than he was.

Elias blinked several times, obviously taken aback. Then he smirked. “I haven’t been thirteen in decades, so I can’t remember. I can tell you one thing though. I definitely wouldn’t have been arrogant enough to ask my master that question.”

Hyperion snorted. His red scales shine in the desert light, practically glowing like fire. “You’re definitely improving faster than Elias. When he was thirteen, he hadn’t yet bonded. You have an advantage, Amir.”

Master Elias rolled his eyes. “You’re going to give the kid a fat head.”

“I just wanted to give him encouragement.”

“Well, then tell him he needs to improve his aim.” Elias pointed to the target still twirling around in the sky. “The arrow just barely hit the side.”

With a huff, I crossed my arms. It was like I couldn’t do anything right. With narrowed eyes, I asked, “Why are you pushing me so hard? I hit the target!”

“You can’t be the best if you settle for good enough,” Master Elias snapped back. He matched my glower with one of his own. “I’m not out here training you because I want to see a mediocre kirin arcanist. I’m out here training you so that you take the world by storm.”

“I don’t even visit the world.” I motioned to the blazing hot desert. “It’s just us!”

“You need peace and quiet to properly train your mind. You’ll understand when you’re old enough.”

I exhaled and turned away from him. Roux was by my side, her blue eyes staring into mine. I grabbed her and patted her mane. He wasn’t impressed with my archery. Even after I hit all four targets. Even after all my training.

Master Elias sighed. He shuffled across the hot sands and swallowed a dry swallow. “Listen, why don’t we call it a day?”

“I thought I needed to work on my aim?” I snapped.

He grabbed my shoulder. I turned to face him. The salt and pepper white patches by his ears made him seem so much older and wiser. I sometimes forgot we had such an age difference. “I need to take some of my own advice. Patience is a difficult skill to teach.”

I said nothing.

“The thing is… Someday soon, you’re going to have to use all the skills we’re teaching you. As in, your life will depend on it. And when that comes, I don’t want you to fail because I wasn’t a good enough instructor.”

His words were slower than normal. Thicker with emotion.

“But you need to take rests, too,” Elias eventually said.

“Why will I need the skills?”

“You’ll—”

“—understand when you’re older,” I said before he did, mocking his same tone. With an exaggerated eye roll, I pushed away his hand. “Okay. Fine. I understand. It’s really important I’m prepared.”

“Rest is important, too. Let’s head in for the day.”

After his speech about needing to use the skills, I almost didn’t want to. Why quit now? I could keep going. I wantedto keep going.

Master Elias must’ve sensed my hesitation. He stood near me, examining my expression. After a prolonged moment, he snapped his fingers. “How about… we go home and have a celebration.”

I turned on my heel to face him. With wide eyes, I asked, “A celebration? Of what?”

“Uh…” Elias rubbed at the back of his neck. “Your birthday?”

“It’s not my birthday. And you’ve never celebrated that before.”

“Yeah, well, that’s not really something I celebrated as a kid, either. Our small little town didn’t believe in things like that.”

I lifted an eyebrow. He didn’t celebrate his birthday? Weird.

Elias motioned to his eldrin. “Look—how about we go home, and we’ll have one big birthday party for all the parties we missed, okay? And we’ll celebrate how well you shot those targets, and how quickly you’re learning to ride, and—”

“R-Really?” My eyes went huge. “You think I’m doing a good job?”

Master Elias held up a hand, his expression set into something disapproving. “I never said that.”

“But you want to celebrate.”

“Well, yes…”

I grabbed Roux and threw myself up on her back. “I’ll race you home!” I couldn’t wait for this celebration. “Last one there has to clean up once it’s done!”

CHAPTER SIX

It was… a bizarre occasion.

Master Elias and Hyperion went into town—leaving me and Roux by ourselves in our underground house. We cleaned until Master Elias returned, figuring that there would be decorations that needed to be placed around.

Hyperion entered the underground carrying a barrel and a small crate stuffed with baked good. He placed the food on the table, and Elias withdrew small colored ribbons from his coat. With a sarcastic huff, he tossed them across the chairs and benches. They fluttered through the air before limply landing on the furniture and remaining there.

“I asked the locals for recommendations,” Master Elias said, his tone flat. “I said we wanted to celebrate, but we hadn’t done it before. Every stared at me like I was a wagon with only one wheel.”

“But did they give you recommendations?” I asked.

Master Elias motioned to the ribbons. Then he pointed to the baked goods. “Some old hag said we needed colorsto be festive.”

Hyperion’s red scales flared with heat. “The old hag’s name was Neeva, and she helped us more than the others.”

“Some old man said it wasn’t a real celebration unless we had booze.” Elias pointed to the barrel. “That’s full of arak. Don’t drink too much, or I won’t be able to wake you in the morn.”

Hyperion carefully moved around the table, careful not to knock over any of the chairs with his considerable weight and size. Once situated, he wagged his tail from side to side. “Well, an arcanist in a bakery said it wasn’t a celebration unless we had sweet treats.” Hyperion poked his drake nose down into the pastries. Several were covered in berries. “So, we got colors, booze, and confections. The perfect party.”

Our entire home smelled of sugar and fun. I practically hopped around the table. Roux followed me, her cloven hooves clopping along. I finally took a seat and examined all our food. It was a banquet fit for a king.

“So, happy birthday,” Elias said with a huff and a dismissive wave of his hand. “Or whatever.”

Once he sat down, I grabbed a pastry and bit straight into it. My eyes watered with delight. Despite the fact that it had been squished into a crate, and was now cold, it was the tastiest thing I had ever eaten in my life. The sugary goodness melted in my mouth. I gobbled it down and then reached for another.

Elias motioned for Hyperion to open the barrel. Then he got up, gathered us cups, and sat back down. Arak smelled potent. I had never had any, but I knew it was common in these parts. It was an alcohol made of rice. Elias poured himself a full cup and then gulped it down like he hadn’t had water for a full week.

I hoped he would be okay.

Once finished, Elias slammed his cup on the stone table. After a short exhale, he half-smiled. “Not bad. Not the best. But not bad.”

Hyperion sniffed the cup. “That seems… highly flammable.”

“It probably is.”

“Don’t you remember what happened last time?” Hyperion grabbed the cup with two of his clawed fingers and dragged it away from Elias. “I don’t want to have to make a third home.”

“Shush! Don’t mention that in front of the kid!”

Hyperion snorted out a laugh. Embers wafted from his mouth, and master Elias waved them away from the barrel. He seemed more paranoid about the situation than before.

As soon as I grabbed a third pastry, Roux poked her snout over my shoulder. I giggled as I patted her forehead. “Want some?”

“Congratulations,” she telepathically said. “I hope this is the kind of celebration you desired.”

“It’s amazing.”

“What’s amazing?” Master Elias asked, his eyebrow raised.

“This,” I said, motioning to our surroundings. “Thank you. I feel… really lucky.” I didn’t have any more words than that. That was just what I felt. Before Elias could respond, I met his gaze and asked, “Why don’t you, uh, like celebrating? And why haven’t youhad any birthdays? I mean, even my old orphanage would do something to celebrate a kid’s birthday, and we had nothing.”

Master Elias ran a hand down his face. He glanced at the barrel, but then decided not to have any more arak. With a sigh, he replied, “I grew up in a small village. It’s… a secluded place. It’s a secret, really. It’s one of the few places were kirin are born.”

Both my eyebrows shot up. I scooted forward and leaned on the table, trying to hear every word he spoke.

“Kirin are special,” Elias stated matter-of-factly. “They only bond to people who they believe have the potential to be great rulers. And that doesn’t mean good rulers—tyrants are greatin their own way. And since kirin are so powerful—and allow an arcanist to bond with a second mystical creature—my village protected them from evil.”

“Wow,” I murmured.

“But that meant the kirin were all consuming. We fed them, watched over them, protected them… It was a daily ritual that dominated our lives. Most considered themselves mere caretakers. Like we were shepherding destiny, if that makes any sense.”

I nodded once. “Yeah…”

“We didn’t celebrate our birthdays. Just the birth of new kirins. And it was boring. No colored ribbons and drinks.”

“Will you take me there one day?”

Master Elias narrowed his eyes. He had a cold and hard glower that revealed none of his true emotions. When he stared at me like that for too long, a shiver always ran down my spine.

“Maybe,” he said. “But you have to get better at your archery, first.”

“W-What? Why?”

“Because I can’t go back to my village with a kirin arcanist unless you’re fully trained. Trust me—you think I’mharsh? Wait until you meet my father. He never lets any mistake go.” Elias scoffed and rolled his eyes. “He still reminds me about the time I spilled my food on the floor. When I was two.”

I chuckled to myself. It amused me to think someone would yell at Master Elias. He never made any mistakes! Was his father the same? It made me wonder…

Elias shrugged. “So, to make a long story short, I was assigned to help Roux find her arcanist—and here you are—and now I’m going to train you so that, when the time comes, hopefully you prove yourself to be a kind and noble ruler, rather than a tyrant.”

“When will my time come?”

“Soon,” Elias muttered, his gaze falling to the table. For a long moment, he said nothing.

When I glanced over at Roux, she also remained quiet. They both knew something, and they weren’t telling me. They had known for years now. An event was coming, but they weren’t sharing any details with me. Why?

I supposed I would find out.

“How come you never take me into town?” I asked as I glanced down at the half dozen pastries still on the table. “Why couldn’t I go with you to get the ribbons and things?”

Hyperion leaned his drake head over us, his hot breath streaming down. “It’s best if you train away from corrupting influences, Amir. You must be strong in both mind and body before you strike it out on your own.”

“But… why?”

Master Elias held up a hand. “Enough questions. I’m your master, and you’re my student, and you just do as I say, all right? And I say, other people are dangerous. You should focus on yourself. When the time is right, we’ll head into town. Together.”

That was it.

No more discussion.

I slowly chewed another pastry, unable to taste a thing. Both dread and frustration welled in me. The East-Sea Raiders were out in the world, so I knew there was evil, but wasn’t there good, too? I wanted to see it. All of it.

I would just have to wait.

Like I did with everything.

***

Finally.

The day had come.

My fifteenth birthday.

Today, I had come of age. Soon, I would find a second eldrin, and our long-awaited trio would finally be complete.

As I sat meditating, Roux observed me from her bed in the corner of the room. While she was the size of a horse, her delicate frame meant she could comfortably curl herself into a loaf-like shape. Her horn glittered as she tilted her head.

“Do you think you’ll find your partner today?” Roux telepathically asked.

“Probably not,” I replied in my thoughts.

“Oh?” She sounded surprised, but not entirely displeased. “What are you going to do instead?”

“Well, I think Elias and Hyperion want me to go out today, but first I got to deal with that big dumb rock. I could’ve finished it last night, but it just didn’t feel right.”

“I understand. Sometimes destiny wants to arrive in poetic verse, rather than a bluster.”

After a long exhale, I stood from my spot on the floor. “Now is the time, Roux.”

“Of course, Amir. Let’s ride.”

We dashed through the underground house. Even if there were no glowstones, I knew my way around. This place had been my home for nine years. I knew every crack, crevasse, and creak. Even the smells were ingrained into my memories, burned there forever, like a tattoo upon my soul.

When I came to the front door, I pulled it open without much effort. The stone rolled aside, and allowed Roux out first. Then I shut the entrance behind me. With the fluidity of water, I leapt onto Roux’s back and urged her faster. The moment she stepped out into the harsh sun, I wrapped my face. It was a smooth motion for me—something I did without thought.

Several large birds circled above us. They drifted closer to the ground, their feathers shimmering in the light, much like Roux’s horn. They were mystical creatures, likely.

As we rode closer, I realized they were large, about the same size as Roux, and had strange pink bald heads that looked undersized compared to the rest of their body.

“Roux, what are those?” I telepathically asked.

“I believe Elias said they are called akbuba vultures. They are mythical creatures that live in the desert. Some say they can ferry people into the underworld.”

“Are they undead?”

“Yes, they are.”

I shivered. “Oh,” I whispered. “I’m not a fan.”

I didn’t have nightmares about the East-Sea Raiders anymore, but I still thought of them occasionally. Bonding with an undead or aquatic creature just felt… wrong. I didn’t want anything to do with these akbuba vultures.

Roux sensed my discomfort. She always did. Before long, we were streaking away into the desert, with Roux’s graceful hooves kicking up a large cloud of sand behind us. Between Roux’s growth and our training, we rode as one, sailing over the dunes like the desert winds.

When we made it to rock plateau, I slid off Roux and headed for the rock. It was almost completely smooth after years of dogged palm strikes. There was just a small spiky bit in the middle, down at the very base of the stone.

I walked up to it, then turned to Roux. “Ready for this?”

She briefly bowed her horn, regal in all regards.

Then I struck. I didn’t even need to hit it at full force. I just brushed the base of my palm against the stone, chipping off the final bit of rough rock.

I heard a tinkling noise, and then the smoothed over rock cracked. I stepped back, stunned. Was I supposed to crack it? Would Master Elias be angry at me for damaging the rock, rather than smoothing it?

“Is something wrong, my arcanist?” Roux asked as she lifted her head.

“Uh…” I rubbed my hands over my headwrap. “How angry do you think Master Elias will be if… I broke the rock?”

“You… broke it?”

“Uh, maybe? It’s just a crack.”

The crack groaned and splintered into a bigger and wider gash. I held my breath, my heart hammering. What was I going to do? Master Elias still hadn’t taught me anything about magic! I didn’t know if I could heal the rock, or mend it, or maybe repair it. What was I going to tell him?

The crack fractured and deepened a third time.

Then…

The whole damn boulder split open like a gigantic drake egg. The rock shattered around the crack as it fell into two equally huge pieces. I jumped away and gasped, completely taken aback. The whole rock just exploded open!

And inside…

I had never seen anything like the inside. Ever.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Inside was a beautiful geode of rainbow crystals. A treasure trove of beauty.

The inner crust of the rock glimmered white, but veins of color ran through the tips of the crystals. Pink, purple, sky blue—the more I examined, the more color I found. I glanced at Roux. “This is amazing. It reminds me of your fur.”

She was white, but when the sun hit her scales, there was an iridescent flash of rainbow color.

Roux nodded. “I find it ironic. Imagine this beauty hiding inside—what did you call it?—a dumb old rock.”

A shadow fell over us. I whirled around on my heel and turned my attention to the sky. The familiar silhouette of an adult syrocko drake sailed across the sun. Master Elias! I waved to him as he rode the wind to our rock platform.

“Amir!” he called down to me as his eldrin landed. “I’ve been searching for you.” He half-smiled. “I thought you might be here. Decided to finish up the rock the day you came of age, huh? A little dramatic, don’t you think? I thought I taught you to be more pragmatic.”

Hyperion touched down on the ground, his claws scrapping across the rock. “I’m proud of you, Amir. And I like a little drama. Don’t let Elias get you down.”

“What happened?” I asked. “The rock… it just… It broke. I didn’t mean to break it.”

Elias smiled as he slid off the back of his eldrin. “Don’t worry, kid. I knew it would break. I thought it would’ve broken open before today.”

“Why does the inside look like this?”

“Rocks form like this when there are pockets of air trapped in them. They are common around volcanoes.”

How did Elias know that? It was another reminder that my master had seen a lot more of the world than me. After leaving the orphanage, I’d only been training in this desert for ten years. I wanted to now more.

“We’re near a volcano?” I asked.

Elias shook his head. “No. But we are close to pyroclastic dragons. They evoke magma, and sometimes they create these geodes on accident.”

Pyroclastic dragons, huh? They sounded tough. And powerful.

“So, did you have me hit this rock to prove how strong I was?” I asked.

Elias scoffed. “No. I already know that you’re strong.”

I appreciated the compliment, but that just even confused me even further. “So… what was the point of all this?”

Master Elias walked over to the broken rock and touched the jagged crystals. “I wanted you to learn the importance of patience.”

Patience?

“Even mountains crumble to the might of a persistent river, Amir. Sometimes it isn’t raw strength that wins. It’s tenacity.”

His words sank into mind, soaking into my thoughts and filling me with understanding. “Roux,” I telepathically said. “This rock… It’s like the prickly pears. It takes a while to rid the fruit of spines, but there’s something wondrous inside.”

Roux clopped across the rock plateau to my side. She poked me with her twisted horn. “Yes. It is exactly that.”

“You’ve been teaching patience with every lesson,” I said, coming to the final realization.

Master Elias nodded. “You’re finally seeing clearly, Amir.”

I ran a sweaty hand down the side of my face. “Uh. I think I knew all along… I just didn’t want to admit it.”

“Well, now that you’re of age, you have skills you need to develop. You can ride Roux, and you’ve mastered basic stances, you’ve improved your strength, and you’ve become a damn good archer—but now we need to focus on magic.”

Magic! These were the lessons I had been waiting for. I wanted to become a powerful arcanist, like Roux spoke about. “I’m ready,” I said.

Master Elias pulled himself into Hyperion’s saddle. “Let’s head back. You’ve had a long day, and while I might not know much about celebrating, I think tonight is a good night for—what do kids call it?—a party.”

I couldn’t stop myself from smiling. I leapt onto Roux, patted her neck, and urged her back into the desert. We rode across the sands at speeds I had never seen her achieve before, but it still wasn’t fast enough to keep up with Master Elias and Hyperion. They shot through the sky, unburdened by the dunes, the winds their ally.

I watched with a smile as he pulled away from me.

Today, I was a man.

Tomorrow, I would start my journey to become a powerful arcanist.

***

To celebrate my coming of age, Master Elias had prepared a roasted boar. He also peeled half a dozen prickly pears for me. That was the real prize—it must’ve taken him an hour to do that alone. Or perhaps Hyperion had done it? Either way, I was grateful. It was a small gesture, but one that spoke volumes.

Why did I ever doubt him? Of course he cared about me.

For dinner, I served everyone else first. It was tradition to show respect to mentors. Master Elias had taught me that, and Roux echoed the sentiment. I was only the man I was today because of them.

So, I served Master Elias and Hyperion first. They received a loin’s share of the boar. Then I served Roux, giving her half of the prickly pears. She didn’t eat meat. Apparently, kirins were vegetarians.

It was only then that I got food for myself. The four of us ate in quiet contentment. I enjoyed every second together with them.

They were my family.

Once Master Elias finished, he set his plate down on the massive stone table and leaned back in his seat. “So, now that you are fifteen, you’ll be able to bond with a second mystical creature.”

I swallowed a mouthful of boar and stared at him with wide eyes.

“There are mystical creatures all around the world, with all sorts of abilities, but I would suggest you search for one in the desert.”

I nodded eagerly. That’s what I was thinking, too.

It just felt right.

The desert was my home. I’d lived my life ever here, ever since Elias brought me into his care. The scorching heat and dry air had become positives that I looked forward to. Besides, my master was a desert arcanist, and I wanted to follow in his footsteps.

“Amir, there are plenty of powerful creatures in the Sunset Desert. I’m sure you’ve seen a few from time to time.”

I nodded. “Roux and I see akbuba vultures constantly.”

Elias huffed out a dismissive scoff. “Bah. You don’t want those carrion creatures. They aren’t big enough to ride, and they aren’t very powerful.”

A lot of my training with Roux involved communicating with my eldrin and fighting together. I knew that my second partner also had to be one that could remain on the battlefield with me.

Master Elias continued. “Mystical creatures are often categorized by their overall power. Their final limitations, once fully grown.” He leaned onto the table. “Roux wants you to become a great arcanist. The greatest arcanist, actually. Which means you shouldn’t limit yourself to a second-tier creature.”

“Second… tier?” I asked.

“That’s right. The higher the tier, the more powerful the creature. The fire of a pyroclastic dragon is far hotter—and more deadly—than the fire of a salamander. That’s why pyroclastic dragons are categorized as a fourth-tier creature, whereas salamanders are merely third tier.”

“What are kirins? Is Roux high tier?”

Hyperion snorted. A puff of smoke and embers wafted over the table. “You don’t need to worry about Roux. Kirin are special, remember? While other arcanists are limited to just oneeldrin, a kirin arcanist has two. And kirins empower the second eldrin… Which makes your second choice all the more important.”

I dwelled on his words for a long moment. “So, if I get a fourth-tier creature, and Roux empowers it, can it be, like, fifth tier?”

The room went silent for a moment. Roux, Master Elias, and Hyperion all exchanged glances. Was my question bad? Why were they so hesitant?

“Something like that,” Master Elias finally stated. “They’ll be stronger than ever before, that’s all you need to know. Which is why it’s important you bond with the best of the best.” He held up a finger. “And not something as silly as an akbuba vulture.”

I tapped my fingers long the edge of the table. My whole life, I had practiced martial arts, and combat. Why hadn’t Master Elias instructed me more about mystical creatures? This felt like important information that I should’ve known before now.

It was important.

“There are lots of low-tier creatures in the Sunset Desert,” Master Elias said. “Grifter crows. Will-o-wisps. I think even shade rats come out in the evening. Maybe even ghouls and skull scorpions. You want to ignore all of them.”

That was fine by me. I liked the desert heat, but the unforgiving environment meant it was also a source of death. I’d seen ghouls shambling around before—they were reanimated corpses infused with magic. Meanwhile, skull scorpions were massive toxic creatures that decorated themselves in the skull of their prey.

I hated the undead.

Hated them.

I’d never bond with anything like that.

“What should I bond with?” I asked.

Master Elias locked his gaze to mine. “You want to bond with a pyroclastic dragon.”

My eyebrows shot to my hairline. Pyroclastic dragons were very powerful. They were practically monsters that kept to themselves. Roux and I never ventured near their lairs, for fear that one would burst out of the sands from under us.

“Are you sure?” I asked with a shaky breath. “I mean, aren’t there stone golems and basilisks out in the desert?”

“Those are both lower tier creatures,” Master Elias stated.

“O-Okay. But what about the amphisbaena? I heard they were powerful. And rare.”

Amphisbaena were amazing, actually. They were gigantic snakes with a head on each of their serpentine body. They controlled insects and had healing abilities unlike other creatures. Roux told me all about them. Apparently, people ventured into the desert all the time to bond with them, but most never returned…

“The amphisbaena can’t fly,” Master Elias said with a dismissive wave of his hand. “Don’t bother looking for those recluse creatures.”

“What about griffins? Are they nearby? And they can fly.”

“They’re weak. A second-tier creature.” Elias sighed as he sat back in his chair. “There’s no stronger creature in the Sunset Desert than a pyroclastic dragon. I’m telling you—that’s what you need to bond with. You need to become a dragon arcanist.”

His tone had a harsh finality to it.

Again, I tapped at the edge of the table. “I need one? But… why?”

“Because you’re going to be fighting a lot of arcanists in the future,” Master Elias said, no hesitation in his voice. “You need to win.”

“Fighting?” I asked.

My question stilled the whole room. Roux stopped eating. Hyperion tensed. It seemed as though Elias shouldn’t have said that.

“I need to fight people?” I asked again. “Why? I thought you taught me that words could solve conflict just as well as weapons if I used them properly?”

Master Elias stood from his chair. He had a restless energy about him. “Listen, Amir. Right now, I just want you to focus on the task at hand. You trust me as your master, right?”

I nodded.

“Then trust me when I say that you’ll be fighting a lot of arcanists in the near future. And you need to win. So, you need an eldrin that can make that happen.”

He sounded adamant about this point. I thought back to my training.

As relentless as the desert sun, as flexible as the shifting sands…

No matter which second eldrin I bonded with, my strength would come from my own determination and training. If I had to fight other arcanists, I needed to know their strength and weaknesses as well. I needed to know how to use my skills to overcome theirs.

But raw strength wasn’t always the way to win…

Wasn’t that what Master Elias had taught me?

“Pyroclastic dragons are extremely powerful,” Master Elias said as he sat back down. “Their arcanists can evoke magma and harden their bodies like stone. Not only that, they also have a useful innate ability. You will be immune to flames and the heat of your body will automatically protect yourself from incoming attacks. It will burn most projectiles before they reach you.”

I couldn’t help but nod.

The pyroclastic dragon sounded perfect. I clenched my fist, and my muscles hardened in my arm. The thought of throwing a devastating magma punch sounded amazing.

“But… I thought pyroclastic dragons can’t fly?” I asked.

Elias shook his head. “Well, no. But they can tunnel through the ground. It’s almost as good. Almost.”

“I see…”

“Listen—whatever eldrin you pick will determine your destiny. Tomorrow, you need to go out into the Sunset Desert and prove yourself to a mystical creature, and I want you to keep in mind that this step will affect all other steps in your life.”

“If I get a strong creature, all the other steps will be easier?” I asked.

Hyperion nodded. “You got it.” He huffed out some more smoke. “See? You convinced him, Elias.”

I got to my feet, my heart pounding. Destiny? This was about my destiny? The weight of the decision was heavy. But in a strange way, my path was clearer than ever before. I knew what I needed to do.

“Alright then,” I whispered. “Tomorrow morning, Roux and I will go out into the desert to find our destiny.”

Elias stood so fast he knocked over his chair. “That’s the spirit, kid. I knew you’d make the right choice.”