Crown Tournament [Chaps 1-9] (Patreon)

Hey peeps!

This is to tide you over until I start dumping Grandmaster Arcanist chapters. I hope you enjoy these! They are meant to be fun.

And very martial arts.

Shami

CHAPTER ONE

Everyone in the orphanage dreaded being picked.

When House Mother Mila had us clean the common room and line up for a shower, we all knew what was coming. The others were afraid, but I became icy.

“Amir, you’re next,” House Mother Mila called. “Hurry, child.”

I stepped forward, trying not to think.

House Mother Mila’s gentle hand pressed against the center of my back as she pushed me under the showerhead. She rinsed my thick and curly black hair and then lathered the soap across my tan skin. She was hasty with the washing since there were twenty-five kids to get through.

Icy water cascaded over me, numbing my body as much as my mind. I closed my eyes and took deep breaths. I hated the water ever since my mother was… Ever since her death.

The East-Sea Raiders had invaded our shore town just a few days after my fifth birthday. My mother had tried to flee with me.

I shuddered.

This was why I hated thinking.

Images of that day played at the edges of my thoughts, clawing their way into my imagination. A raider whose face was riddled with pockmarks. Timo, the kind blacksmith, being dragged beneath the sea. I couldn’t shake those images. Every day in the orphanage, a parade of dark thoughts trumpeted through my mind.

“Amir,” House Mother Mila whispered. Her comforting voice brought me back to the present. “You’re all done. Get ready now. Quickly, quickly.” She ran a hand over my head, pushing my hair to the side of my face so it wouldn’t get into my eyes.

I stumbled away from the shower, trembling as I gathered my ratty clothes and pulled them on. Rosewood Orphanage was too small for the number of people who lived here. And new kids arrived every day. The East-Sea Raiders had been more active, or so I heard the adults whisper.

Kids disappeared on the regular, too, but they didn’t go on to live glorious new lives.

Plenty of “parents” only wanted children so they could work them death. The adopted kids to send them to the rice fields or help build ships or even mine for them. The children they adopted were free workers, not a family. Sometimes, the kids ran away from their forced labor and returned to Rosewood.

They were the lucky ones.

Some other kids…

Some were never heard from again. They were taken by vile men. I didn’t know what the men did for a living, but House Mother Mila never looked them in the eyes when they came.

What if they were secretly East-Sea Raiders? What if they were adopting kids to put them to work on their boats? What if I was taken by them one day?

Once boys reached a certain age, they were always picked up to be workers. I was six and a half now. Big enough. They could take me. They would.

Luna was the next to stumble from the icy showers. We all shared one room—the boys and the girls—and she hurried to her bed to grab her clothes. We all wore the same outfit as well. A gray shirt and pants, worn at the edges since it had been passed down from one kid to the next for who knows how long.

Once dressed, Luna turned to me, her brown eyes wide and innocent, like a little deer. She hurried to my side, still shivering.

“Amir,” she said, her throat tight. “I don’t want to go.”

I nodded. I didn’t know what else to say.

Luna held her hands together and kept them pressed against her chest. “The older girls said Rebecca was taken b-by men who fed her to manticores. Do y-you think that’s true, Amir?”

I had no idea. I hoped not. Desperately hoped not.

My silence didn’t help her. Luna’s eyes grew watery. She pulled at her short brown hair, her fingers laced in her locks.

“I don’t want to be picked,” she whispered, staring at the floor. “I-I don’t want to be eaten.”

I placed a hand on her shoulder. Luna glanced up, tears streaming down her face. She was the same age as Rebecca. Seven. Maybe Luna would be picked. Unless, for some reason, she wasn’t allowed at the lineup…

With my chest knotting in anxiety, I glanced around. The shabby beds had wool blankets and feather-stuffed pillows. I walked over, tore open a bit of the casing, and removed one of the soft tiny feathers. Occasionally, a kid inhaled one in the middle of the night. They would cough for several minutes straight. Sometimes an hour. The tiny feathers always got stuck in their throats, and refused to come out.

I offered the feather to Luna as another child walked into the room to get dressed.

“Swallow it,” I whispered. “And then tell the house mother you’re sick.”

Luna grabbed the tiny feather from my palm, her own hand shaky. It took her a moment to realize my plan. She’d have a fit of coughing the moment she swallowed it. And House Mother Mila never put sick kids in front of potential parents.

When Luna met my gaze, her eyebrows were knitted. “You swallow one, too.”

If we were all sick…

Maybe… No. That was silly. House Mother Mila would see right through our childish plan. Adults were smart. But if it was just one… Maybe Luna would get away with it.

A bell rang throughout Rosewood Orphanage. That meant the new parents were here.

House Mother Mila hurried everyone to their beds. Most of them hadn’t bathed, but we were out of time. They changed into a new outfit and quickly took their place at the foot of their beds. I did the same.

Luna went to the house mother and swallowed her feather, just as I told her. She started coughing, so loud it drew everyone’s attention. Her face turned red, her eyes watered—she couldn’t stop, even when House Mother Mila scolded her.

“Go outside,” the house mother said, guiding Luna to the back door. “Go to the well and get a drink. Wait there for me. I’ll see you afterward.”

Which meant Luna had gotten her wish. She wouldn’t be here for the lineup.

Then House Mother Mila clapped her hands and straightened our hair as she walked down the center of the room. “Everyone stand straight,” she said with a smile, but there was no smile in her tone. “You might find a loving home today!”

Not a single word. Most of us didn’t even look up.

House Mother Mila exited the room to gather the potential parents. Everyone listened to the creak of the floorboards as she walked the small hallway, and then back down a moment later. When she returned, she was accompanied by a single man.

He had eyes like smoldering coals.

The man’s stiff hair was more silver than black, but despite his obvious age, he stood tall and proud. I always thought House Mother Mila was so taller—so much taller than me—but compared to this new man, she seemed small.

The man had obvious muscle. It reminded me of the East-Sea Raiders.

Maybe he was one of them.

He even wore a bizarre outfit. A chest piece made of black scales, thick pants, leather boots, and a pair of gloves. His cloak was a dark red—blazing scarlet—and it hung over him like a silky waterfall of blood.

I already hated this man. I hoped beyond hope he wouldn’t even look in my direction.

“Here are all the children,” House Mother Mila said. She motioned to us with a short gesture. “They’re all so well behaved. If you have any questions—”

“I don’t,” the man said, cutting her off with a gruff voice as coarse as sand.

“O-Oh. Pardon me. Perhaps you want to at least speak to the children?”

The man stepped forward. Each footfall was heavy. The floorboards groaned. Everyone stood stiffer and straighter than before.

When he drew near, I chanced a glance up at his face.

His forehead…

It was marked with a seven-pointed star.

An arcanist star.

I almost gasped. Some of the other kids must’ve seen as well, because a few of them whispered with excitement.

Arcanists were the most powerful people ever! They could wield magic so powerful it could control the weather, or tide, or rearrange a mountain! They were both feared and respected—the best of the best! Some arcanists used their magic to protect people and improve life, while other arcanists used their magic to terrorize the world…

Like the arcanists in the East-Sea Raiders.

This man—the strange man with the red cloak—had a star laced with a wingless dragon. A drake of some kind. The beast in the star represented the mystical creature the arcanist had bonded with.

The raiders who attacked my shore town…

One of them had a whale. A murderous, undead whale. It was as rotted as a corpse in a graveyard but animated through vile magic.

I would never forget.

“This one.”

I shot my gaze up the moment the man spoke.

He was pointing at me.

“Amir?” the house mother asked. “Perhaps you want to spend some time with him before—”

“I’ve made up my mind,” the man said, his words practically a growl.

House Mother Mila never denied the people who came to “adopt” us. No matter how scary or mean they were, she took their money and sent the kids away. If this strange man said he wanted me, there would be no fighting it.

“Very well.” House Mother Mila walked over and gently touched my shoulder. “Come, Amir. Gather your things.” She forced a smile. “Today is your lucky day.”

No one said anything. They watched with wide eyes, some of them smiling to themselves. I bet they were happy they weren’t the ones picked.

I grabbed a small sack and stuffed in my one other outfit. Then I reached under the mattress and pulled out a thumb-sized scale. It had belonged to a dragon—maybe. I didn’t actually know. All I knew was that my mother loved it.

The scale changed colors. During the day, it was white, and at night, it was black. She always kept it with her. Well, before the East-Sea Raiders came.

Now it was my sole possession.

Once everything I owned was all put together, the house mother walked with me and the strange man all the way to the front door of Rosewood Orphanage. The man handed over a bag of coins—far larger than I had ever seen anyone pay—and then said something under his breath to House Mother Mila.

She took the bag and glanced inside, her brow furrowed.

Then House Mother Mila glanced down at me. “Behave yourself, Amir. And stay strong.”

Stay strong.

I mouthed a goodbye, but the words never formed.

She patted my head one last time.

I held my small sack close to my chest, my thoughts cold, my body shaking. I stepped outside with the man in the red cloak. The orphanage door shut behind me, the harsh snap a reminder that I’d probably never see anyone inside ever again.

The man grabbed my shoulder, his grip like an iron handcuff. He walked me across the yard, his footfalls as heavy as ever. We reached the gates, and the man placed a hand on the wrought iron bars. Before he opened the age, he stared down at me.

He was just… so much larger than me.

“My name is Elias,” the man said.

I said nothing.

He narrowed his piercing eyes. “Didn’t the orphanage teach you any manners?”

“O-Oh,” I said, my throat so tight, it was difficult to breathe. “I’m Amir Thee—er, I’m Amir Rosewood.”

My birth name had been Amir Theeno, but everyone who arrived at Rosewood Orphanage always took the last name of the building. I liked it better, anyway. Theeno was my father’s last name, and he left my mother a while back. He wasn’t there to protect her from the raiders. He had abandoned us—which was why I would abandon his family name.

A warm and pleasant breeze drifted towards me, heating my face. A stray grain of desert sand almost hit me in the eye, forcing me to blink.

“Let’s go,” Elias said as he pushed open the gate. “She has been waiting a long time. It would be rude to make her wait any longer.”

I didn’t question him. I didn’t even ask who she was. I just wanted to get this over with. I wanted him to just tell me what my fate was. A worker? A raider slave? A manticore’s dinner? Questions ran around my head like the children in the orphanage did after a sweet treat.

We stepped onto the main street of town. The sun set in the distance, lighting the sky up with a flash of crimson. Merchants in tents shouted at us, hawking their goods. People bustled by, staring at Elias’s arcanist mark. Some pointed.

Elias ignored everyone.

He took me straight to our town’s sole inn. It was made of wood, but larger than most buildings around. We entered, and the serving woman behind the bar nodded to Elias.

“Welcome back, Ronald,” she said.

Ronald?

When I turned to Elias, he stared down at me with half a grin.

Then he took me to the stairs. We walked up the first few creaky steps before he said, “I don’t give many people my real name, kid.” He crossed his arms. “Don’t go tellin’ anyone, got it?”

I nodded once, both confused and curious.

But I couldn’t bring myself to speak.

We reached the top of the steps, and Elias guided me down a long and empty hall. It was dark. The lanterns hadn’t yet been lit. Elias didn’t seem to care. He strode forward with confidence. I hurried my steps to match his pace.

When we reached the door to his room, my thoughts filled with dark imaginings. What was going to happen?

Elias knocked on the door before he opened it. “Hyperion. I’ve returned.”

In one quick movement, Elias pushed me into the door as the door fully opened. Then he stepped inside and shut the door behind him, like he wanted to make sure no one else would even get a glance inside.

I couldn’t breathe.

Inside the room…

Was a giant, monstrous drake.

It a long serpentine neck and a deadly spiked tail. Its scales were as burnt crimson as Elias’s cloak. Its eyes were as golden as the sand in summer. Its claws… They were large enough to slice through a man.

The drake was larger than the bed, and just a little bigger than a horse. When it moved, its muscles rippled beneath its fiery scales.

I stumbled backward and ran into Elias’s legs. He pushed me forward, and my vision tunneled.

She’s been waiting a long time.

Now I understood what Elias had meant. This drake…

It was going to eat me.

All the stories were true. Kids being feed to mystical creatures. I’d never leave this room alive.

“I think the boy’s gonna faint,” the drake said, a huff of embers and smoke wafting out of its serpentine mouth as it spoke.

Elias grabbed my shoulder and tightened his grip. “He’ll be fine.” Then Elias glanced down and narrowed his gaze. “Hm? What’s wrong with you? Never seen a drake before?”

“He’s paler than bone,” the drake hissed.

Elias shook me with a hard jerk of his hand. “Damn kids getting afraid of nothing.” He pushed me over toward the sole bed in the room. “Pick yourself, kid. Hyperion isn’t going to hurt you. He’s a friendly little syrocko. Most of the time.”

Hyperion—a male drake, then—huffed a laugh. “I’m nice for a syrocko drake. Maybe not so much when compared to a sapphire drake.”

“Knock it off,” Elias growled. “The damn kid is about to pass out. We don’t any more of this.”

Their banter confused me. I wasn’t going to be eaten? What was happening then? Why had Elias brought me here? There was so much I wanted to ask him, but I just couldn’t find the words. I wished I were an adult—so I could be brave and just do and say whatever I wanted—but the smell of smoke reminded me of the raiders…

Elias positioned me next to the bed.

It was oddly lumpy.

Was someone sleeping?

Elias threw back the blanks. A strange creature was curled up on the mattress. One I had never seen before. It looked like a cross between a dragon and a unicorn.

It had the body of a foal, but its cloven hooves reminded me of a deer. It had dazzling white fur and a long mane of hair. Or maybe it had scales? The little creature shimmered when it attempted to stand. Its blue eyes were like precious stones—too valuable for anyone but royalty.

The mystical creature had a horn on its head. It was twisted, but pointed, and was a clear blue crystal, just as wondrous as its eyes.

The little creature stared at me for a long time. It was like… we were staring into each other’s souls.

I couldn’t look away. I could barely breathe.

“We’ve been looking for you for a long time, Amir,” Elias said as he reached over and patted the little foal. “This is Roux. She saw you in the orphanage courtyard when we got into town. She’s a kirin. Do you know what a kirin is, boy?”

I shook my head.

“It’s a special kind of mystical creature. Normally, a person has to prove themselves to a mystical creature in order to bond. But kirin… they know who they want to bond with the moment they’re bond. Roux has been looking for you. She’s been searching for her entire life.”

She looked like a little fowl, but when I stared into her eyes, I somehow knew she was much older than that.

Mystical creature didn’t grow older unless they were bonded. That was what House Mother Mila had taught us.

So Roux… this little kirin… had been looking for me?

And she knew she would bond with me when she saw me in the orphanage courtyard? Why hadn’t they approached me then? Why wait? Why adopt me?

When the kirin spoke, it wasn’t with her mouth, like a normal person or creature—she spoke directly into my mind, filling my thoughts with her words.

“Amir,” she said, though no one else could hear. “I’ve waited so long to meet you.”

I lifted my hand, nervous and still confused. “Hello.”

“Don’t be frightened. It’s my job—my destiny—to lead you to greatness. I’ve seen it in my dreams.”

“R-Really?”

“That’s right. Elias and I are going to make sure you grow to become the most powerful arcanist of them all. That’s your destiny, Amir.”

CHAPTER TWO

This morning I awoke as an orphan, but now I was to become an arcanist?

“Really?” I whispered. I felt awkward for asking the same question again and again, but I just couldn’t believe it. Why me? I was nobody.

Roux nodded. Then she moved to the edge of the mattress, her thin foal legs wobbling due to the soft surface. When she drew near, she lowered her head so that her crystal horn pointed at me.

“It’s true,” she said directly into my thoughts.

“But… how? Why? I… I don’t know anything.”

“We’ll teach you. And when the time is right, you’ll prove your worth in front of the world. But first, we must bond. We will accomplish this momentous goal together.”

I didn’t know what momentousmeant, but I could tell this was important. With a shaky hand, I touched the kirin’s horn. It was warm. I hadn’t been expecting that. Then a feeling filled my thoughts. A kind feeling. Something forever and wondrous.

I closed my eyes.

Then warmth spread from my fingertips and traveled throughout my whole body. My forehead burned as I was marked with the symbol for arcanists. I developed a seven-pointed star with a kirin woven throughout the points.

It felt right.

Then Roux lifted her head. “We are bond together. You are my arcanist. I am your eldrin.”

Eldrin. That was the term for mystical creatures who had bonded. Roux was my eldrin. Just like the syrocko drake, Hyperion, was Elias’s eldrin.

Elias’s stern voice cut through my thoughts. “Time to leave.”

I opened my eyes as Elias walked over to his syrocko drake and secured a single saddled on its back. It was made of worn leather that seemed well loved. Once it was tightly fastened around his giant drake, Elias turned to me and glared.

I picked held my sack of belongings in one hand and gripped at the hem of my shirt with the other. “Um…”

“What’re you waiting for, boy? Get over here.”

“W-We’re going to ride him in the room?” I asked as I glanced around the tiny area.

Elias walked over to the window. It was night, and the glow of the white moon drifted in through the glass. Then Elias opened the window, and a rush of cold air filled the bedroom.

“We’re going to fly to our destination,” Elias stated.

I stared at Hyperion. The massive drake met my gaze with a smile.

“He doesn’t have any wings,” I whispered.

“We don’t need wings.” Elias walked back over to his eldrin. “Now come. I don’t want to stay another moment longer in this dusty old village.”

I stood still.

Roux leapt off the mattress and trotted to Elias’s side. The man effortlessly scooped her up and held my kirin in his arms. She was so small, and Elias was so large…

Then Elias glowered in my direction a second time. “I said we need to go. Hurry.”

“But…” Again, I glanced at Hyperion. “He can’t fly?”

“Syrocko drakes control the desert winds,” Elias said with a growl.

“They do?”

Elias nodded. “Like I said, we don’t need wings. Now come. You’ll learn everything you need to know in due time.”

“So where are we going?” I walked over to Hyperion.

“My home.”

“Where’s that?”

“The Sunset Desert.”

“Really? But nobody lives in the Sunset Desert.”

The Sunset Desert was on the west side of the Pale Dragon River. House Mother Mila said it was an empty wasteland raging with deadly twisters. Humans didn’t live there. Only mystical creatures.

“I live in the Sunset Desert,” Elias said. “Now can we please stop asking questions? I’m your master, and you’re my student. I say things, and you listen. That’s our relationship.”

I frowned.

That didn’t sound fun. What if he ordered me to act like a raider? What if he wanted me to kill people?

“Aren’t I supposed to be a powerful arcanist?” I asked. “Powerful arcanists don’t have to listen to others.”

Hyperion snickered and a flame unfurled from his nostril. “The boy has a point.”

Elias scoffed. “No, he doesn’t. Amir. Just ask your kirin.” He pointed to the kirin. “She’ll tell you to listen to me.”

Roux stared at me with her beautiful blue eyes. “The kind of arcanist you become is completely up to you. Whether you take the advice of your mentor or do things all your own—I will back your decisions.”

Elias waited a moment and then half-smiled. “Well? What did she say?”

That was odd. Elias couldn’t hear Roux? Were her words only in my head? It seemed that way.

I fidgeted with my sack as I replied, “Roux said I don’t have to listen to you.”

Elias frowned, his eyes practically half-lidded. With a sigh, he brought Roux to his chest and held her protectively. “I carried you around for close to two decades,” he whispered, but his voice was deep enough I could hear. “This is how you repay me? You could’ve at least played along.”

Hyperion laughed. “You’re a better fighter than teacher, Elias. Day one of our training, and you already created a tyrant.”

Elias turned to his eldrin, his frown somehow deepening. “I should just give him to the raiders. Theycan train him to be a tyrant.”

My eyes widened and my heart plummeted.

The raiders?

They wanted to let the raiders train me?

“What? No!” I cried.

Elias and Hyperion glanced at me strangely.

“I can’t go to the raiders!” I said. “I don’t want to be like them!”

“Calm yourself, my arcanist,” Roux said in my thoughts. “Elias and Hyperion would never give you to the raiders.”

Elias walked over and grabbed my shoulder. “Calm down,” he said, practically parroting Roux’s words, even though he couldn’t hear them. “I’m not going to give you to the damn raiders.”

My lower lip quavered as I stared up at him. “R-Really?”

“Well, as long as you don’t disobey.”

Hyperion snorted and then lashed his tail. “Don’t scare the kid.”

“Fine, fine!” Elias pulled me over to his drake eldrin. “Don’t worry. Hyperion and I won’t let the raiders have you.”

I gulped. “I’ll listen. Just don’t send me away to the raiders! I don’t want to be like them.”

“Good,” Elias said. “Because those dastards aren’t worth emulating. Just listen to me, and I’ll steer you right.”

“Right?” I asked as Elias helped me onto the saddle.

“Yeah.”

The syrocko drake was so big and warm, I felt comfortable the moment I shifted my weight around on the saddle.

Elias effortlessly climbed on behind me. The saddled was large, but it clearly wasn’t designed for two people and a little foal. Despite that, Elias hooked my feet into little straps, and made sure I was nice and secure. Then he tied himself down and wrapped one around me.

“Once you’re done with my training, you’ll see,” Elias said. “Those raiders think they know what true power is, but they’re just thugs. Even the arcanists—they don’t know how to wield magic any more than they know count to ten.”

“You’ll teach me to be powerful?” I touched the rough scales of Hyperion and felt the muscles of his large drake body move with each subtle twitch of his tail.

“You’ll be powerful enough to defeat villains and protect the innocent. To right the wrongs of the world. To sit upon a throne and govern with justice.”

Defeating villains and protecting people who needed protecting… I liked the sound of that. I didn’t know what he meant by the rest of it, though.

Before I could ask any more questions, Hyperion turned to face the window. Then he carefully climbed over the sill and leapt into the sky.

At first, I thought we were going to fall and crash into the ground. I gasped and grabbed hold of the saddle, my heart pounding loud in my ears. Elias held me tight.

Then a rush of hot air lifted up around us. It whooshed and howled, and Hyperion tucked his legs close to his body. We rose with the wind and glided into the sky, going higher and higher at a steady pace, slowly gaining speed.

The town disappeared beneath us, growing tinier and tinier with each passing moment.

Hyperion didn’t stop. The winds took us closer to the clouds before helping us toward the desert. I had to gulp down breath because my chest was so tight.

“Everything is fine,” Roux said to me in my thoughts. “Enjoy the scenery.”

She spoke to me like an adult. I liked that. My eldrin was so mature…

And when I glanced over and looked at the ground below, my fears melted away. The desert sands shimmered under the glow of the moon. The dunes rolled out in all directions, all the way to horizon.

Hyperion flew like a snake swimming through water. His tail flickered behind him, and his head swayed back and forth as we went. I thought the wind would bother my eyes, or mess up my hair, but it was like we were surrounded by a bubble of calmness. I barely felt anything as we sped onward.

***

I didn’t remember falling sleep.

When Hyperion landed, and my eyes fluttered open, I realized it was morning. The sun was peaking over the distant dune, filling the sky with orange and red.

Elias let go of me and slid off the saddle. Then he unhooked my straps and held me down. Hyperion also made the process easy by lying down.

Where were we?

I didn’t see any buildings. We weren’t near any towns. All I saw was sand and rocks.

“Home at last,” Elias said with a smile.

Hyperion nodded. “Thank the good stars.”

“Home?” I asked.

Elias waved his arm out in front of him. The sands answered his command and moved along with his motion. The grains all shifted away to reveal a conceal staircase. “It’s cooler underground.”

“We’re going to live underground?” I asked, my voice loud and high-pitched. “Really?”

“Settle down, kid.” Elias guided me over to the top of the stairway. “Today, we’re going to take it easy, get you all set up, and then tomorrow, right at dawn, we’re going to start your training for real.”

CHAPTER THREE

According to Elias, the Sunset Desert had once been the bottom of a great ocean. The water all dried up, leaving the red sands and strange rocks in its place.

Elias lived underground, in a dwelling carved from stone and opal. The shimmering open veins brightened the walls at odd points, giving color to the otherwise drab abode. By being underground, we were protected from the harsh desert winds and the unforgiving temperatures. Elias also had a way to get water—a well of some kind.

I felt safe in the underground home. All six rooms were pleasant.

Roux and I had our own sleeping space, which was amazing. I hadn’t had my own room since I lived with my mother. I even had my own tiny bookshelf. Elias had books stacked on the shelves, but I made a small spot for my dragon scale.

We had no windows. Our light came from glowstones—rocks imbued with ambient magic. They glowed no matter the time of day. It was a dim glow, and pleasantly warm.

However, since I couldn’t see the sky, my dragon scale acted like a clock. At night, it became black, no matter what. During the day, it was white, even if I didn’t expose it to the sun. And it reminded me of my mother, so I kept it prominently displayed in my room.

***

I didn’t leave my new underground home often.

Elias wanted me to learn the basics, so for months, I just followed his routine.

Once I woke, I threw off my thin blanket, yawning and stretching my arms. The glowstones—and the light of Roux’s crystal horn—were enough for me to see everything in my bedroom. I glanced over at my scale. Black. Still night.

Elias told me that deserts grew terribly cold at night. Much colder than normal places. I didn’t know why, but because of that fact, I was forbidden from going outside at night unless I had Hyperion with me.

I didn’t mind.

Hot and dry was a lot better than cold and wet. I preferred the daytime.

Dread tickled the back of my mind, and my muscles tensed. I shook my head and slid out of bed. Ever since Elias adopted me, I’d slept on a firm straw mattress. It was better than Rosewood Orphanage, and I would’ve happily slept longer, but that went against my training.

I needed to wake before the sunrise to meditate and clear my mind for the day.

Meditating on my bed was wrong—according to Elias. The bed was for sleeping. I wouldn’t have the right mindset if I prepared for my day while lying there.

I made my bed, then sat cross-legged on the floor. I closed my eyes, pushing away the intrusive thoughts. There was no point worrying about the raiders. Elias said worrying about things in the present only poisoned the now and weakened my future. I needed to be as strong as possible—in mind, body, and soul.

I didn’t know what that meant, but it sounded important.

The negative thoughts and energy slowly seeped away from my body. My heart beat evenly, my muscles loosened, and Roux’s magic danced in my veins.

Fifteen minutes later, I stood and did my morning stretches. I braced my hand against the stone wall, and then pulled back my leg and loosened my muscles.

Roux slept at the foot of my bed. She always woke at the same time I did and watched over me as I performed my meditation and morning routine.

She watched me now, even as I finished my stretches and walked over to the calendar hanging on the wall. I used my charcoal pencil to cross off another day.

Then I smiled.

“Hey, Roux, it’s my eighth birthday,” I said through our shared telepathy.

“Congratulations,” she replied as she bowed her head, the crystal horn almost touching the rug covering the stone floor.

I stared at the calendar and frowned. “When is your eighth birthday?” I asked aloud. Sometimes I would forget to use our telepathy, which was awkward for Elias.

Roux’s ear twitched. “I celebrated my eighth birthday centuries ago.”

I turned to her, my eyes wide. “Really? You’re that old?”

“Yes. But us ladies don’t like to discuss numbers.” She stood and trotted over to me, lifting her legs high with each step. “I don’t need to celebrate my birth. I wasn’t truly born until I met you, after all.”

Roux talked like that, occasionally. Like her life wasn’t complete without me. I didn’t know how to respond.

“Roux, let’s get some food.”

“Sounds good, my arcanist.”

We left our room and went to the central living area, which had a very wide dining table. Someone looking at it for the first time would have thought we had a dozen people living here. It was ten feet long, and five feet wide—practically a small boat. It was so Hyperion could eat at the table with us, which was why I loved it.

As always, Elias had left a plate of fruit on the table. There were berries and agave leaves, but the prickly pears were my favorites. The bright pink fruits grew on cactuses, and they were delicious. Unfortunately, I had to pluck the spines out first.

I grabbed the fruit and pulled the needle-like spines out three at a time. In my haste, I pricked my finger. A red bead of blood appeared on the tip of my finger.

“Agh! Curses.”

My cry of irritation echoed through the empty house. Elias and Hyperion always left early in the morning for fresh food and other supplies. If he was here, Elias probably would have laughed at me.

Elias said I should take the needles out one by one, but that was so slow!

Roux chuckled. “Pricked again? My arcanist, wouldn’t it be easier to have some of the berries? At least those don’t have spines.”

“But the pears are so good,” I groaned, telepathically sending over my irritation. “They are way sweeter than the berries!” I worked through the pear again, tearing it apart as fast as I could. “Why doesn’t Elias just pluck these? I don’t get it. He brings them back each time, then just leaves them on the table.” The faster I went, the more I hurt myself. With gritted teeth, I powered through it.

Arcanists healed themselves faster than normal individuals. The magic in their veins helped to mend all injuries—especially minor ones from prickly pears. I would be fine. It was just… so irritating.

“Perhaps it’s part of your training,” Roux replied.

I grimaced. “Right. If I keep getting these spines stuck in my fingers, I can eventually use them as a weapon.” I swung my hand around. “I’ll grab my enemies and prick them, too! Amir the Human Porcupine will be the greatest arcanist ever.”

After plucking out all the spines from the first pear, I tossed it to Roux. Her ears went straight as she leapt to catch the freshly plucked pear. Her hooves slopped against the stone floor with each movement.

With the pear in her mouth, Roux tilted her head to the side. “For me?”

“I’ll take the next one,” I said.

She nodded, though she waited for me to finish pulling out the spines out of the second pear before starting on her own. The moment I took a bite, the pain in my fingers melted away.

Prickly pears were delicious.

They were like… superior watermelons. And I loved watermelons. I had them only twice in my life, but each had been its own glorious experience. Prickly pears were even better, and every time I took a bite into one, I closed my eyes and allowed the flavor to wash through my entire body.

They were the best. Worth every prickle.

After the first serving, I went back for seconds, painstakingly plucking the spines out again. I would eat them for every meal if I could.

Roux turned to me when I finished eating.

“Let’s get started on our training.”

I nodded to her. Then, as a pair, we walked into the deeper set training room. Elias—well, MasterElias—said that I needed a wide-open place to study martial arts. He said it was important to treat my body like a weapon that needed sharpening. I was never sharp enough. I could always improve.

The training room was set apart from the others. Taller ceilings. A large floor. Stone pillars were erected in a few places to hold everything up. The glowstones cast an inviting orange hue over everything.

A weapons rack was propped against the wall. I grabbed two of the wooden sticks—they were heavy, and short, and made from wood that didn’t splinter, according to Master Elias. Then I practiced my footwork and strikes. I would stand with my feet apart, for a steady stance. Then I’d swing my faux weapons.

When I made a mistake, Roux was there to correct me.

“Remember,” she chided. “Elias said to twist your hip.”

Right. Twist my hip.

Master Elias said I had to master all these stances and motions before I could move on to anything substantial. It felt like I had to wait for everything. My prickly pear, my training—my adulthood. It was frustrating to think about.

Roux clopped around me. “You’re not focusing. Stay in the moment, Amir. That’s how you become great. Your mind and body work together on a single project.”

Focus. I had to focus.

If my mind and body operated as one, I’d be deadly. At least, that’s what Master Elias said. I tried to wrap my mind around my stance and my strikes.

One.

Two.

Three.

I kept going. More strikes. Better footing. Sweat poured down my back and face.

Fifty-five.

Fifty-six.

Roux watched with her blue eyes, her beautiful white scales shimmering, even in the dull orange glow of the magical stones. Her observation kept me honest. I couldn’t miss a count or just stop because I was tired. I didn’t want to let her down. I had to keep going.

Roux wanted me…

To be a great arcanist.

Sometimes, when I swung my training weapons, I imagined striking raiders. If I was strong enough to stop them, I would be happy. I didn’t need to be the strongest ever. Just… strong enough.

With gritted teeth, I wondered what it would be like to go back in time and save my mother from the East-Sea Raiders. Too bad no arcanist had the ability to time travel. That would be amazing.

Even if Roux gave me that ability, Master Elias said I couldn’t practice my magic just yet.

People didn’t normally become arcanists until they reached adulthood. I was much too young—I was only eight. Master Elias was afraid I would hurt myself, or my kirin, so he said I should focus on the physical first, and then I could go to the magical.

“You’re doing a great job, my arcanist,” Roux telepathically said.

“Thank you.”

For hours I pressed on.

Until lunch, really. The moment my stomach growled, I happily stopped with my training. I returned the weapons to their rack and headed for the stairs up—my legs burning with each step, but I pushed that all aside.

A familiar sound echoed throughout the underground home. The loud scrape of stone on stone, followed by a slam. It was the front door—a circular stone that rolled in and out of place. Only Hyperion seemed t move it with ease. Elias could, he just struggled at times. The door prevented the hot air and sand from getting into the house. As long as we kept out the heat, the cool temperatures from the deep underground water helped keep the place livable.

“Let’s go meet them,” I said aloud.

When I tried to hurry my step, my legs almost gave out in protest. Roux clopped to my side, her crystal horn glittering. “You should rest.”

“I’m fine.” With a grunt, I forced myself to stand straight on the stone steps.

Roux stood on the step just below me, her ears leaning back. “A man peddling a raft as fast as he can is at risk of smashing his vessel on the rocks. A man who takes him time avoids such perils.”

“But one makes it to the riverbank first.” I hopped up the last of the steps, and with a powerful huff, I headed for the front door.

“Kids…”

Elias and Hyperion were in the kitchen, unloading their packs they’d brought back from town. Elias always appeared grumpier than usual after going into town, but the moment he spotted me entering the kitchen, he softened up and half-smiled. “I see you’re panting and sweaty. Did your eldrin keep you training all morning?”

“Roux didn’t have to tell me,” I said as I crossed my arms. After a deep inhale, I continued, “I did what you said. I’m learning.”

“Uh-huh. Let me see a defensive stance.”

I spread my feet and dropped my center of weight. Master Elias nodded once in approval. His syrocko drake watched from the corner of the massive kitchen.

“What about an agile stance?”

I shifted my weight to the balls of my feet, so I could pivot and move faster if needed. Again, Master Elias seemed pleased.

“You might be ready for the next step.”

With a smile, I asked, “Really?”

He only nodded.

“Oh, when do I bond with my second eldrin? Today is my birthday, after all. Maybe it could be my present?”

Technically, arcanists only bonded with one creature—ever. But that wasn’t true with kirin arcanists. They were a special creature that allowed their arcanists to bond with one other. Kirin magic was said to be one of empowering, so kirin arcanists were at their best with they had a powerful mystical creature to boost to even greater heights.

Someday, I would have two eldrin.

I couldn’t wait.

“You’re much too hasty,” Master Elias replied. “About everything.”

“I can handle it. Kirin arcanists are special, right?”

Apparently, if a normal arcanist attempted to bond with a second mystical creature, they would die. A mystical creature fed from someone’s soul—slowly, steadily. Like a leech that drains blood from a person. Eldrin didn’t consume too much, but if there were two, the arcanist would waste away, like someone starved to death. Or someone consumed from the inside out by too many leeches.

But not kirin arcanists.

“Roux bonded with you because she’s a kirin, and they don’t care about your age. But other mystical creatures don’t tend to bond with anyone until they’ve come of age. You need to be fifteen.”

That made sense. Eight years old was too young to impress other mystical creatures.

I groaned. Elias got irritated when I complained too much, but the good thing about having a telepathic eldrin was I could silently complain at any time. Roux never seemed bothered by my words, either. “Do I really need to wait until I’m fifteen to find my second eldrin?”

Roux chuckled. “Imagine waiting four hundred and seventy-two years for your first arcanist.”

I laughed. That definitely put things in perspective. With a smile, I said, “Alright, so I just need to wait another seven years. I can do that. Then I’ll just go out and find the strongest eldrin, and then I’ll become an unstoppable arcanist.”

Elias shook his head as he spread out the food for lunch. Rice and fish. Always rice and fish. “It’s not going to be that simple. Like I said, kirin are a special case. Other mythical creatures have a Trial of Worth.”

I Took a seat at the table. “Oh, I know. I’ll just pass one of these trials, and I’ll be good.”

“It isn’t that simple.” Elias held out his hand and flames fluttered out from his palm. He cooked the fish without any spices—just heat. Once charred on one side, he flipped it over to the other. “A mystical creature’s Trial of Worth is difficult. You can’t go into thinking you’re just going to pass.”

“So, they’re all challenging?”

Elias nodded. “That’s right. Each mythical creature has their own challenge potential arcanists must face before bonding with them. Not only that, the challenges are harder the stronger the mythical creature is. There are plenty of people who go their whole lives without passing one.”

“So how am I going to get good enough to pass a Trial of Worth?” I asked, though part of me already knew the answer. I stared at the table in front of me, wondering how all my strikes and stances would help.

Elias smiled and then motioned to the cooked fight. “First, grab some lunch. Then we’re going outside. The desert is a harsh teacher, but a fair one. Once the sand is done with you, there won’t be any Trial of Worth you can’t handle.”

CHAPTER FOUR

Training in the desert was harder. I had to wear protective gear, but even then, my skin burned and darkened, and I had to make sure I drank enough water.

Sometimes, I didn’t realize how much time had flown by until I noticed subtle differences in my physical capabilities. I grew taller. Stronger. So did Roux. She was… a fully grown horse long before I was a fully grown man. The day I started riding practice was interesting. She moved like water, as fast as the wind, and my body felt as stiff as a stone at first.

Thankfully, Roux wasn’t a normal beast of burden. Every day, when we went out into the sands, she would help me. Soon, it was second nature to hop on her back and head out into the Sunset Desert.

A lonely place with no people.

Just me, Roux, and the dunes.

Two and half years of practice really paid off. In all that time… I hadn’t seen another individual. No one. Master Elias and Hyperion were my sole family. Well, and Roux. Sometimes that thought amused me, and other times it made me sad. Today, I pushed it from my mind.

“Quickly, Roux! I can handle it!”

I held onto my eldrin with all my might, my legs squeezing her sides.

Hyperion’s shadow snaked over the desert sands. He flew high above us, taking Master Elias farther ahead. Roux and I raced along the dunes, unable to fly. My clothes fluttered around me—baggy pants, a tight vest, and a head wrap to protect my ears and eyes from the harsh sun.

Roux chuckled. “Don’t fall!”

I laughed along with her.

Roux was so fast. But delicate. Speedy.

Every so often, her hooves sank into the loose sand, but I shifted confidently to make up for the uneven ground. It felt like we were one.

The familiar desert became a blur. Stones and cacti streaked past us. In the distance, something small hopped back and forth—likely a jackrabbit, but perhaps some kind of small mystical creature.

It didn’t matter. I was only ten years old. Ordinary mystical creatures wouldn’t want to bond with me for another five years.

Hyperion slowly flew towards the ground. Roux and I met him during his descent. Master Elias clung to the spines on Hyperion’s neck like a veteran drake rider. He held himself with confidence, and even with the sands buffeting him, he didn’t lose balance.

At the last second, he leapt off and Hyperion glided to dune below, like a leaf slowly descending. Syrocko drake arcanists manipulated the wind like experts.

“Here we are, Amir,” Master Elias called as Roux came to a trot next to him. “Are you ready? Today, we’ll start a longer-term training project.”

I couldn’t help but remember the first day I met Elias, when he’d introduced me to his home in the middle of nowhere. He liked surprises. That much I was certain of.

Master Elias motioned to a large wedge of stone jutting out of the desert. It created a plateau devoid of sand. Like a stage. In the center, alone and forgotten, was a single boulder. Elias hopped up on the rock as Hyperion flew around us, chasing anyway any vultures.

I followed my master. Roux, too. When her cloven hooves hit the stone plateau, she made a delicate clopping noise that was different from when she clopped around our home. I smiled at her. Her horn glittered brightly in the daylight.

“This here,” Elias said as he approached the lonely boulder. “Is your new assignment.”

I glanced around. “What is?”

“This rock, obviously.”

I stared at it, then stared at Elias. “Um, are you going to move it? Is there a secret training area?”

Elias laughed, slapping the rock playfully with his hand. “This rock is the training! Come. Strike it with your palms.”

I frowned. “My palms? Not weapons?”

The outside of the boulder was rough and almost porous. Where had this boulder even come from?

“Well?” Elias said. “Strike it with an open palm. Come now.”

I was familiar with punches, chops, and grabs, but Elias had never taught me to just slap things. I held up my hand and stared at the lines across my palms. Then I frowned.

Elias nodded. “Yes, your palms.”

“But… How will this help my fighting?”

“This lesson isn’t about fighting. Hit this rock with your palm.”

I walked over to the boulder and full-on slapped it with my right hand.

“Yow!”

I jerked my hand away and shook it out. The rock wasn’t just spiky, it was hot! There was a small cut on the side and my palm was turning red.

“Are you okay?” Roux asked. She moved forward, her head held tall.

I nodded. “Of course. I’m not going to lose to a dumb rock.”

“This isn’t about losing,” Elias stated. “It’s about smoothing. Do it again, but this time, drag your palm a short distance along the stone.”

I tried hitting it again, but before long, my right hand was sore. Not only was my palm red and cut, I’d also hit it hard enough to bruise the inside of my hand.

I scowled and took a few good hits with my left, but it didn’t make a difference.

The rock was still standing there, and my palms were injured. “Can I stop now? Or maybe I can kick it?” I eyed the rock. If I kicked it at the base, I might be able to topple it.

Elias shook his head. “Don’t you dare kick it. You need to hit this rock every day until it’s smoothed all the way around. And you can only use your palms.”

I raised my red and bloodied hands. “Are you kidding me? Why would I ever do that?”

The desert wind howled by, as if it was also disgusted by the training. Elias’s black hair was tossed around for a moment as he just stared at me. In a calm voice, he eventually said, “If your strikes are true, the stone will smooth.”

“Yeah, in like, years from now!”

Elias nodded once. “You’ll come out here several times a week for now on, all right? It’ll be great riding experience, and I can check on your progress by visiting this boulder. Only once it’s smoothed all the way around, will I consider it complete.”

It still seemed insane to me. I glanced over at the boulder, and then back to my hands. Roux just tilted her head.

Elias wouldn’t lie to me…

So I guess this was my new training, now.

***

“Alright, Roux. I’m twelve and a quarter years old now. Two years and three quarters later, and I’ll be of age, and we can get that second eldrin.”

I rolled to the side of my bed. Roux rested in the corner, atop her plush blankets and surrounded by baskets of grass and hay. She rarely ate, though. She said that magic kept her full and healthy, and I wondered how true that was.

“Two years and three quarters,” she telepathically replied, her voice lyrical and beautiful. “You’re keeping close track, my arcanist.”

I laughed and rolled my eyes. “Come on, Roux. You’re so old that you only keep track of the hundred mark at this point.”

Roux laughed. “That’s not true. I waited centuries for you, and I’m just as eager to meet our destined third. It’s just that I think of things in terms of decades rather than months… After a while, everything blurs together.”

To Roux, all of this was a short period of time, but that didn’t change my thinking. It still felt like an eternity until I could find my second eldrin, pass their Trial of Worth, and become the greatest arcanist ever.

“So, hear anything from Master Elias?” I asked.

“No. He’s in town getting supplies. I saw him leave with Hyperion. He probably wants you to smooth the rock until he gets back.”

I smirked and then glanced over at the dragon scale on my bookshelf. It was white. Daytime. “Getting supplies, huh? I bet he has a secret lady in town. That’s why he’s making me spend so much time hitting that dumb rock. It’s just a distraction.”

“I don’t think so. Elias isn’t the type of arcanist to engage in flirtatious behavior.”

“Yeah,” I muttered aloud. “He’s only got two emotions: angry and disappointed.”

Roux tilted her head. “My arcanist?”

“He just… doesn’t seem happy with me sometimes.” For years I did what he wanted, but it never seemed enough. I rolled onto my back and stared at the stone ceiling. “Do you think he hates me?”

“Elias doesn’t hate you.”

“How do you know?”

“I know him well. Elias was tasked with helping me find you. We traveled the world once over for a long time.”

The stone ceiling was the same as it always was. Boring. Flat. Reddish in coloration. I ran my hands down my face. “I need to meditate.” I rolled off my bed, tucked the sheets around the hay mattress, and then took a seat on the floor.

No negative thoughts. I couldn’t start my day like that.

After a deep exhale, I cupped my hands and held them in my lap. Then I dispelled all the negativity I had toward Master Elias and my situation. I needed to focus. Perhaps smoothing the rock wasthe best course of action.

Roux watched me the whole time.

As soon as I had cleared my head, I stood and smiled.

She did the same. “Excellent. You’re prepared for the day.”

I rubbed my nose. “I’m prepared for anything.”

“Even a sandstorm?”

“Especially a sandstorm. Nothing can take me down.”

Together, we exited our room. I grabbed my pack, and some prickly pears, and then I headed for the front door. It was closed. When I got close, I took a deep breath and then slid my fingers into the hand groves. With all my strength, I spun the circular stone door open. Bits of sand rushed inside, along with a wash of heat, but I kept my eyes shut and just ignored it until I was outside.

Roux followed me, and then I rolled the stone door back into place.

Hyperion made it look so easy. I was winded afterward.

Then I climbed on top of Roux and pointed in the direction of our training rock. Before she took off across the dunes, I secured my head wrap over my ears and face. The sands were rough, and if we went too fast without protection, the little grains would cut right into my skin.

The desert was unforgiving.

Together, we headed straight for our destination. The sun was rising, the heat climbing with it, so we couldn’t stay out too long. I’d get an hour or two with the stone before I had to turn back for home.

As we rode, I patted Roux’s mane.

After years of striking that rock, my hands had grown permanent callouses. At first, I thought my hands would become stiff and unusable, but the heat of the stone, coupled with my arcanist healing, left me with leathery palms. They were soft, but thick, and durable. Very few things cut—or stung—whenever I touched them anymore.

Roux brought me to the stone plateau in the middle of the desert.

I dismounted, climbed up, and then went straight for the lonely rock. One half of it was smoothed. Years of my “training.” The northern side was still jagged, however. I walked over and struck it a few times, just prepping myself mentally for the task ahead.

“You don’t even flinch anymore,” Roux commented.

I worked my way around the rock, smiling in satisfaction as my toughened hands hit the stone with loud smack after loud smack.

I grinned at Roux. “I’m relentless as the desert sun.”

“Yes, but you must remain as fluid as the shifting sands.”

“Don’t forget swift as the desert wind.”

If anyone could hear our conversation, I was certain they would laugh, but I liked hearing the poetic words. I wanted to be as strong and powerful and forceful as a desert. No one ever defeated a desert. It was impossible.

But I knew what those words really meant. It was about keeping an open mind and always learning from new challenges. I had to draw inspiration from all new experiences and grow even stronger.

I didn’t know exactly what this lesson was, but I’d continue working on it.

I smacked the stone again.

“As hard as this stupid rock…”

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.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

Destiny.

I glanced down at my hands, confident in my decision. It felt like I was holding a piece of the sun in both my palms. The heat warmed my fingers and the roughshod scales scraped against my hands, almost like a smaller version of the geode I had broken out in the desert.

My new eldrin was shockingly tiny.

I knew he’d grow strong big and strong, though. He was just a little hatchling right now. And he was sleepy. I swaddled him in a blanket and placed him on Roux’s back. He was the size of a puppy, but he weighed as much as a few bricks.

Roux and I rode back to our house, chasing the dying sun as the day came to an end. My second eldrin slept the entire trek.

When I arrived at the house, I was surprised to find Master Elias and Hyperion waiting. They must’ve been anxious to see what I had bonded with.

Roux galloped to my master’s side before she stopped quickly in the sand. I slid off her back and scooped up my blanket. My headwrap cover my arcanist mark, and I could practically feel Master Elias’s impatient frustration.

“Well?” he asked, stepping forward. “Did you find the lair of the pyroclastic dragons? Did you bond with one? What happened, Amir? Tell me already.”

Funny how his patience sometimes left him. It made me smile.

His frowned deepened. “Boy, if you think this is funny, I’ll—”

I held up a hand. Master Elias fell silent. Hyperion loomed over, also curious. I had to choose my words carefully. At the time, my decision had felt right, but now that Elias and Hyperion were here, I worried they would be angry.

“I found the pyroclastic dragons,” I muttered. “But I thought about all the lessons you taught me. And… how you’re the person who made me into the man I am today.”

Master Elias nodded. “And that gave you the courage to face them? I know their Trial of Worth can be daunting.”

I shook my head, almost unable to look him in the eyes.

“You… didn’t?” he whispered.

“No. I decided the pyroclastic dragons weren’t for me. Their Trial of Worth required that I…. Th-The hatchling dragons required a human heart. They said a human’s heart was the jewels of their body. I just…” I shook my head. “I didn’t want that. It didn’t feel right for my destiny.”

How could I bring them a heart? It was wrong. Roux was kind and gentle, and Master Elias was gruff, but he cared. Neither of them would’ve ever looked me in the eyes again if I had cut the heart out of someone just for power.

I never would’ve been able to look at myself in a mirror again.

Master Elias was silent for a long time. Then he looked me up and down. “So? What did you do?”

I held the blanket out.

Then I pulled it aside to reveal the hatching syrocko drake.

“I realized I wanted to be more like you,” I said, offering him to hold my second eldrin.

“You wanted… to be like me?”

“Hyperion is a syrocko drake. And he can fly. And he’s powerful. Maybe not as powerful as a dragon… But something raw strength isn’t the most important thing, right?”

Master Elias slowly took the hatchling from my arms. His hands were unsteady as he held the little drake close to his chest. The scales of the beast glowed in the dim evening light. “You bonded with a syrocko drake…”

“I thought it was fitting.” I offered a weak smile. “And it felt like destiny would approve.” I just hoped that Elias would as well.

Hyperion chuckled, his warm breath washing over us all. “My, my. I’m surprised. You’re just as sentimental as Elias, Amir.”

Master Elias petted the hatchling drake. He was barely awake, but when he opened his eyes, the gold of his irises practically glowed with the warmth of the sun.

“What’s your name?” Elias whispered to the hatchling.

“Wren,” the syrocko drake replied. Next to Hyperion’s growling voice, Wren’s was practically a warble.

“So, how did the Trial of Worth go? You were surprised at how easy it was for Amir, weren’t you?”

Syrocko drake’s had a difficult Trial of Worth—for normal people. Wren required that I survive the scouring heat of the desert for five full hours. The Sunset Desert was a cruel place. Master Elias said most people die within the first couple hours. They become dehydrated and faint.

But not me.

I had learned all the techniques to conserve my water and keep the heat from damaging my body. The five hours were still rough, but I had managed.

Wren’s eyes narrowed. He snorted out a small ball of flame. “Hmph! Yes, Amir passed the Trial of Worth. But I’mthe lucky one here. With a arcanist and a kirin, I’ll become the strongest drake of all time!”

To prove his strength, Wren blasted out a large gout of fire. I would need to train my kirin magic in order to empower him, but once it happened, we would become unstoppable. I didn’t know if we would become stronger than a pyroclastic dragon, but something in my gut told me we would.

Elias laughed. “Well, congratulations, Wren, it seems. You and your new partner are sleeping on the floor tonight.”

Wren’s eyes narrowed. “Why? Are you jealous of my power?” He squirmed in Master Elias’s arms until he managed to shake free. Then he fell to the ground—landing on his feet—and lifted his head as high as it would go. The point of his nose reached Elias’s belt.

“Because you’re going to set everything on fire,” Master Elias drawled. “The bed. Our table. The whole house.”

Hyperion lowered his snout and exhaled over Wren. It was adorable to see those two side-by-side. “Don’t worry. I’ll show you the ropes.”

Wren ducked his head away from Hyperion and then scurried over to my legs. He gave the giant syrocko drake a fearful glance. “Don’t think you can take my arcanist from me.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it.”

I laughed. “Don’t worry, Wren. I hear that sleeping on the floor is good for your back.”

Wren frowned. “Really? If that’s the case, I should do that, too. Usually, syrocko drakes sleep on their stomachs.”

Hyperion groaned. “Yes, because we aren’t humans.”

I smiled. My new eldrin might have been too headstrong, and a little foolish, but he had the same ambition to become the strongest that Roux and I had. That was the most important thing. It was like we were made for each other.

Which reminded me…

I held out my arms and then walked over to Master Elias. Before he could question my actions, I wrapped my arms around him in a tight embrace. “Well! I did it. I have two eldrin now.”

He awkwardly patted my back. With one eyebrow raised, he said, “Okay?”

I released him and smiled wide. “Well, I’m ready to become the strongest arcanist now. Right? I just needed two eldrin?” I motioned to Wren and Roux. “I got that. All done, right? Mission accomplished?”

Master Elias half-smiled. Then he turned to his eldrin. The two shared a quiet moment, one where they had an entire conversation in looks alone. Then my master turned to face me again, this time with an icy seriousness.

“Amir,” he whispered. “Now that you have two eldrin, your real challenge is about to begin.”

I hadn’t been expecting that. With my breath held, I nodded once. “My real challenge?”

“Roux has a special mission. You see… There are magical artifacts that contain great amounts of power. One such artifact is called the Crown of Ascension.”

“The Crown of Ascension?” I whispered. With a nervous chuckle, I added, “What’s that?”

Wren wrapped himself around my legs. “It sounds powerful. We definitely want it.”

“It’s a crown meant to be worn by kirin arcanist.” Master Elias held up a hand. “But no one knows that. Instead, it’s regarded as a simple trophy. Every ten years, at the end of the Crown Tournament, the Crown of Ascension is given handed to the winner as a ceremonial prize. Well, that and a boat load of riches.”

“People join the tournament for the riches,” Hyperion added with a nod. “The crown is their trophy until the next tournament, where the previous winner hands it to the next. Or, in some cases, the previous winner keeps it for themselves.”

“And I need this crown?” I asked. “To become the strongest arcanist ever?”

Master Elias glanced over at Roux. Then he returned his attention to me. “That’s right. Roux has been searching for that crown for some time. I… tried to steal it once.”

My eyes widened. “Really?”

He waved away the comment. “It didn’t go well.”

“We also tried to win the crown,” Hyperion interjected. He snorted. “That also didn’t go well.”

“You failed?” I asked. “But you’re so strong. There’s no way you would lose a fight.”

In a rare moment of embarrassment, Master Elias’s face brightened a bit. He folded his arms over his chest. “W-Well, it’s nice that you think I’m undefeatable, but I wasn’t to blame for my failing.”

Hyperion lowered his drake head and smiled enough to flash his fangs. “The Crown Tournament is a team event.”

“Teams?” I almost choked on the word. I glanced between Elias and Hyperion. “Does that mean… We’re going to fight together? Me and you? All of us?”

Master Elias nodded once. “Calm down, kid. But yes. We’re going to be a team.”

I clapped my hands together once and held back a cheer. This was going to be amazing! I was going to fight alongside Master Elias? And I was going to have Roux and Wren with me? And even Hyperion?

We were going to completely dominate the Crown Tournament. Who could possibly stand against us?

And if the Crown of Ascension was meant for a kirin arcanist, obviously it was meant for me. It was practically mine—I could already envision wearing it in my imagination. And what would it do once I had it?

As if Roux knew my thoughts, she stepped close to me. “The Crown of Ascension will allow you to become the strongest kirin arcanist of them all.”

“Sounds amazing,” I telepathically replied. Then I patted her long neck. “You know, you’re more my partner in all of this, Roux. Don’t call me your arcanist. Just partner, okay?”

“But… why?”

“I want you and me to have something unique. Different. Wren can call me arcanist. But me and you… It’s different.”

Roux bowed her head until her crystal horn nearly touched the sands. “As you wish, partner.”

I turned back to Master Elias. “Okay, well, if I need that crown, what’re we waiting for? Let’s go enter the Crown Tournament and claim our prize!”

CHAPTER NINE

It was time to leave the desert.

I thought this day would never come.

Master Elias clambered up onto Hyperion’s back. Then he motioned to me. I mounted Roux, and Wren got into my lap. Roux was slender and delicate, but she managed to hold us both. The moment Hyperion took to the sky, Roux raced through the sands after him.

She pushed herself to her limit.

Wren watched Hyperion sail through the desert air. Then he turned his bright eyes to me. “You’ll be able to fly on me in just a year or two,” he boasted. “It’ll take me a bit longer to take Roux, too, probably. Unless I grow faster with her empowerment?”

“Amir,” Roux telepathically said. “Tell Wren that isn’t the case.”

A kirin never spoke to anyone but their arcanist—not even the arcanist’s second eldrin. Roux couldn’t speak with Wren telepathically, so any communication between them would have to go through me.

“Wren, Roux wanted me to tell you that she will only increase your strength, not your growth rate.”

When Hyperion flew closer to the sands, he kicked up a bit of storm behind us. The gigantic syrocko drake soared close to us, his body snaking about. With a smile that showed his fangs, he grinned down at Wren.

“You’re so tiny,” Hyperion said, his voice being carried away by the winds.

Wren flared his scales. “Not for long!”

With a laugh, Hyperion returned to the sky. Roux panted as she ran, her beautiful scales shimmering in the desert sun. I patted the side of her neck, encouraging her to continue. She was majestic and wonderful. Nothing would stop us now.

After a few hours, we took a break to rest.

Hyperion and Master Elias flew down and brought us lunch. We ate rice, prickly pears, and drank cactus water until Roux had recovered long enough to ride again. Then we returned to the trail, blazing our way closer and closer to civilization.

It had been a long time since I had seen anyone other than Master Elias and Hyperion. I remember the orphanage, and House Mother Mila… Or was her name House Mother Melona? My memories were fuzzy. It had been so long ago.

An hour from town, Hyperion swooped down and landed in a sand dune. Master Elias hopped off, and he motioned Roux over. Then he gestured for me to dismount. Confused, I did as he instructed.

Master Elias grabbed my head wrap. He secured it tight over my head, and pulled the cloth down over my forehead, hiding my arcanist mark.

Unlike Elias, who had a seven-pointed star with a syrocko drake laced in the points, I had two creatures. Both the kirin and the drake were in my marking. It was usual. Arcanists didn’t normally have that—or so Master Elias had said.

“You can’t let anyone see your mark,” he said with a huff.

“Okay,” I replied.

Then Master Elias withdrew a horse blanket from a saddlebag on the side of Hyperion. He threw the blanket over Roux, hiding her beautiful white scales. “No one can see her, either.”

“But—”

Master Elias shot me a glower.

I swallowed my words. This was important, apparently. I just didn’t understand. Why wouldn’t he take the time to explain it?

Without another word, Master Elias grabbed some reins out of the saddlebag as well. The reins were for a fancy horse of some kind. The top of them had a leather strap meant to go onto a horse’s head. Once Master Elias fixed it onto Roux—careful to put her horn through the leather fastening—it looked like her horn was part of the rein’s decoration, rather than part of her body.

“She’s just a normal horse,” Master Elias said.

I nodded along with his words. “Right. Okay.”

Roux shook her head and snorted. “How demaning.”

“I’ll still talk to you like this,” I replied telepathically.

That seemed to cheer her up.

Wren scurried over to Master Elias’s boots. Then he sat on his back legs and reached up with his front claws. He made little grabbing motions. “Where’s my blanket? And my headdress? I want to look fancy.”

“You’re not a horse,” Elias quipped.

“Yeah. I’m better than a horse. I can fly.”

Roux stomped the sand next to him. Wren flinched and then drooped his head. With a frown, he stared up at Roux. “I didn’t mean it. You’re not a horse. You’re a majestic kirin.”

Master Elias carefully observed me and Roux for a moment, then crossed his arms. “Not quite good enough.” He pulled a bigger piece of cloth from his saddlebag, then threw it at me. “Use this. Around your shoulders. If anyone gets to close, pull it over your head as well, so they don’t even get a glimpse of your arcanist mark.”

I did as he said, though I still felt confused. Clearly, my master wanted me to hide my identity while walking into the town, though I didn’t understand why.

Once I finished wrapping myself in a blanket, he nodded in approval.

Wren coughed up a ball of embers. “Everyone gets a blanket but me!”

Master Elias patted me on the shoulder. “Excellent. If anyone asks, you’re a new member of a mythic seeker organization. We’re hunting baby mystical creatures. We found one baby syrocko drake, and that’s it.” Elias glared down at Wren. “A normal, not that powerful, baby syrocko drake. Can you keep that story straight?”

With all the pouty energy of a child, Wren flopped onto the sand. “Why should we hide our power? Don’t you want everyone to know that we’re big powerful arcanists?”

Master Elias grumbled something under his breath. Then he pinched the bridge of his nose.

But… wasn’t Wren right?

“If you’re worried about trouble, isn’t it better to look super strong? People are already afraid of arcanists to begin with. Nobody is going to mess with somebody with two eldrin.”

Elias shook his head. “You’re thinking about it the wrong way. If you walk in with Roux and Wren by your side, you’re right. People will be afraid of you. But the people who want to do you harm will also know where to find you. And we can’t have that.”

“Who wants to harm me?” I asked as I tilted my head.

“Assassins. Mythic seekers. People who hunt rare eldrin to make into magical items. Your kirin will attract a lot of unwanted attention, and until we get through your magical training, I don’t think we should risk it.”

Wren just continued sulking. He didn’t even move. He was a lump on the dune.

“But maybe if I’m reallypowerful, no one will mess with me.”

“Never play an ace when a two will do,” Master Elias barked. He pointed. “Don’t tell anyone.” Then he hardened his expression. “Remember the raiders? Some people think might means right. Don’t let them think they can take something valuable from you.”

I shivered.

The East-Sea Raiders would definitely do something like kill me to take my eldrins. Dying was bad enough, but leaving Roux all by herself again? That just wasn’t right. I grabbed at the cloth around my head, and tied it a little tighter just to be safe.

Master Elias had taught me a lot about martial arts, but he still knew a lot more about dealing with evildoers. It would be best to keep his advice in mind.

“You’re right,” I said. “I should hide myself. And Roux, too. What do you think about keeping her at the stable at our inn? That way, people will think she’s just a horse. That should keep her safe.”

“Are you alright with that?” I telepathically asked her.

“Your wish is my command, partner.”

Wren grumbled. “I say we just attack everybody who looks badly at us. With our kirin powers, we could do it.”

I knelt and patted his head, trying to cheer him up. From the sounds of it, he’d been looking forward to picking a fight and proving himself. “Don’t worry. It’s like Master Elias said. This is just to keep the assassins and raiders from messing with us. If thugs try bothering us, I’m sure we’ll take them down in no time.”

After a little pouting, Wren got to his feet and sulked to my side.

With me and Roux appropriately disguised, Master Elias and Hyperion pointed to a road at the edge of the sands. We all walked together—no flying, no riding—until we came to a wooden sign that pointed down the path.

To Morrumbi Town

“What’s in Morrumbi Town?” I whispered.

“It’s where we’re going to train,” Hyperion replied. “And it’s where the first regional qualifiers will be held.”

“What’re regional qualifiers?”

“The Crown Tournament is massive, and enjoyed by many arcanists from different nations. Too many arcanists, really.”

Master Elias scoffed out a laugh. But he didn’t add anything.

Hyperion continued. “Hundreds and hundreds of arcanists want a chance to fight and compete for the massive prize. All those coins and star shards… Everyone is eager, but most are untalented.”

“That’s harsh,” I said.

“It’s true.” Wren held his head high. “Because we’re the only ones talented enough to win.”

Hyperion swished his tail a bit. “You need to win in the region qualifiers to prove your might and talent. If you can demonstrate skill, you’ll be allowed to advance. If you fail to win, you’ll be barred from entering the tournament.”

“And since it only comes around every ten years, we need to get this right,” Master Elias stated.

Every ten years? If I failed this now, that meant I’d have to wait a whole decade before I could ever try again.

When we reached the edge of town, I couldn’t control the excitement of my heart. Morrumbi Town had a little wood wall, a small gate, and two guards dressed in leather armor. One was old, and the other was probably my age. They both held spears, but the weapons looked older than even the geezer.

The younger one straightened his posture when we approached. “May the sands be kind, arcanist.” Then he glanced at me and nodded once. No words.

His skin was tanned by the sun, just like mine. I waved to him. The guard didn’t reply. He just stared at me with a lifted eyebrow. I wondered why.

When we entered the city, I spotted several citizens going about their daily life. One woman was beating a rug to rid it of dust. A man rolled a cart through the street selling fresh stone bread. A few kids stood by a well.

It was so exciting!

There were so many peoplehere. So many. At least twenty! That was… almost too much to comprehend. And there were probably more in the buildings—all of which were made of stone and clay bricks.

“How many people live here?” I asked, my voice filled with awe.

“I dunno,” Master Elias said with a groan. “Too many.”

“I suspected five hundred,” Hyperion casually remarked.

Five hundred?! That was intense! Did they all know each other? How could they keep track of everyone? Why didn’t they live underground, like Master Elias? This wasn’t the desert—it was more scrubland—but wouldn’t it be colder under the dirt?

I had too many questions. My head spun.

Wren giggled excitedly. “All five hundred of these people will be talking about us once we win! You, me, and Roux!”

Elias glared at him. “What did I say before we got here?”

Wren sighed. “Fine. Fine. I’ll downplay it.” Then he turned and his drake eyes grew huge. “Is that… a sign about the tournament?” He scurried over to a billboard in the middle of the town. It had pieces of paper pinned to the wood. Wren pointed to one of the posters. “Is that for the Crown Tournament?”

There was a picture of a crown, and also a picture of stars, and flames. I walked over, glanced at the words, and smiled. “It is.”

But before I could read all of the details, someone snatched the poster off the billboard. I flinched and turned to find a giant man in leather armor. He was bald—his skin glossy and smooth, practically sparkling in the sunlight—and his gut was trying to escape his leather chest piece.

“I need this,” he said with a grunt.

“I was reading it,” I replied.

“Well, we need it down at the pub. We’re taking bets, ya see. We need to remember the rules of the tourney.” He tapped the poster and then offered me a smile. “You gonna be makin’ bets, lad? Do you have a favorite arcanist?”

I shook my head, a smile creeping onto my face. “Do people have favorite arcanists?”

“A few tournaments back, the Red Wind was everyone’s favorite.” The man ran a hand over his smooth head. He chuckled to himself as he said, “Ah, yes. Everyone was disappointed when he lost. I, myself, want to see the Red Wind return and claim the prize.”

“Who is the Red Wind?”

This strange man just sneered and snorted all at once. “I just told you, lad. Get your ears cleaned. He’s a legendary arcanist.”

“Does he have a normal name?”

“No around these parts remembers it. They just remember his skill with a sword, and his way with flames.” The man tucked the poster into his trousers and then headed for the pub. “Keep your ears open, lad. Don’t be so deaf.”

I waved to him, happy to have a conversation like a regular person. He even called me deaf. That was probably a good sign.

Arcanists lived a long time, according to Master Elias. I hurried back to him, Wren following me the whole way. When I reached his side, I smiled. He just stared at me with a frown.

“What?” he practically barked.

“Do you have any idea who this Red Wind is?” I asked. “Will we need to worry about him? Like, what if he enters the tournament this time around?”

Master Elias shook his head and half-smiled. “No. Don’t worry about that nonsense.”

I should have known that Elias wouldn’t care about some martial artist with a grand name. My master was a no-nonsense man who never got intimidated. All he cared about was winning.

Elias gestured to a tent at the edge of town. It was made of blue fabric, and stood out more than anything else. At the top of the tent was a large sign with flowing script—CROWN TOURNAMENT REGISTRATION.

There wasn’t a line, but the tent looked worn and used. The footprints outside of it told me plenty of people had come and gone.

“When is the regional qualifier?” I asked.

“In a few weeks,” Hyperion muttered. “We should register, and then get to training. We don’t have long before your first real combat.”

“Come on,” Master Elias said. He headed for the tent. “Let’s hurry. Hyperion is right. We need to start training right away.”