The others remained fixed in rapt attention, while Drake’s words lingered in my mind. It was an impending threat, and it was coming because of me. I placed a steady hand on his shoulder, offered a small nod, and quietly stepped back, leaving the others behind as I slipped into the forest’s deep shade.
I needed silence. A place to think. To breathe. To train.
Behind me, Bristle’s paws rustled through the undergrowth, and the serpent’s scales whispered faintly against the soil as both decided to follow, making my attempt at a stealthy escape anything but subtle. Still, with a glance back and an exchange of smiles, the others said nothing.
I soon found what I sought: a small clearing tucked within the tropical foliage, humid air waving through my nostrils.
The serpent coiled at the edge, black scales rippling with slow pulses of crimson light, its tongue flicking rhythmically in and out, tasting the air. Bristle, in contrast, stopped just long enough to look at me then launched himself forward, barreling into my chest and plopping squarely into my lap, tail whipping like a fan.
“Alright, alright—good boy.” My arms circled around his warm body, pressing gently against his sides to settle him down. The pressure worked; he relaxed with a rumbling sigh, and I brushed my hand along his flank, drawing out a low, contented growl.
“Extraction, huh?” I murmured, my fingers moving absently over his fur as he panted, tongue lolling without care. “How can something like you wield elements?” I sighed, the edge of envy slipping into my tone at the beast’s effortless talent.
You shouldn’t dwell on the danger so much, Wyrem’s voice resonated suddenly, nearly making me jump. You and your allies are evolving. Focus only on ensuring that no one can stand against your collective strength.
His advice carried weight, but it did little to ease the tension tightening in my chest. When I’d fought Sei, every ounce of power I had amounted to nothing. Not a mark, or a single scratch. Against someone like him, what did numbers even mean?
A hundred ants couldn’t dent a boot. Even if they grew slightly larger. Then again… if an ant grew to the size of my foot, and there were a hundred of them—yeah, that’d be a nightmare worth fearing.
I glanced down at my pup. His tail slowed, his eyes half-lidded as sleep tugged at him. Luna, you could absorb multiple elements, right? Back when you started cultivating?
She tightened around my wrist, her mental voice lazy and drowsy, stretching into a yawn. Yeeah. It wasn’t even on purpose.
She was rare though, exceptional, as Wyrem would say. Bristle wasn’t likely the same, but still… couldn’t he grow the way I had? Form a core, then absorb a new element? Through me, it should be possible, right?
I’m going to enter this guy’s head, I told them both, determination hardening my tone.
When you’re done, I’d like a word with the baby dragon,
Wyrem replied. If you could—Invite me too! Luna cut in sharply, her voice bright with boredom. I need something to do besides training.
Sure, I’ll get everyone, I said, already deciding to include the mutt. Maybe he could even speak in there.
Without another word, I pressed my palm against Bristle’s thick fur, channeling Beast Force, and sending it into his body. His tail froze mid-wag, ears twitching as the energy spread.
I closed my eyes, and when they opened again, I saw from an entirely new vantage point. But I didn’t linger on the disorienting view through Bristle’s senses; instead, I sent my awareness deeper, diving into his consciousness.
What I found there stunned me.
A core.
Not of Nature Force, but Water.
Had Bristle ever formed one of Natural Force before? He knew the process, technically, but I didn’t remember ever completing it for him. Maybe instinct had guided him this far. Either way, it was something I’d have to watch closely from now on.
First, I drew out every trace of his remaining Inner Force, extracting it completely until the energy hung like faint vapor before me. I shaped it into temporary cores, and let them dissolve one by one into nothingness. Only then did I reach inward to summon my own sensation: the attunement to Fire Force.
It didn’t take long before the fiery essence responded, threading through the air before seeping into him. The process came easily, and once it was done, I withdrew my consciousness from his body, returning to my own with a faint shiver of disconnection.
I turned toward the serpent, debating how one was supposed to summon a creature like that. “Uh… hey! Snake,” I half-called, half-yelled, my voice echoing awkwardly through the clearing. “Can you come here?”
It reacted immediately, uncoiling, scales sliding over soil as it slithered toward me. I placed one hand on its cold, muscular form and the other on Bristle’s fur, channeling four synchronized waves of Beast Force through both. A pulse of pressure burst through my temples, leaving behind a dull ache as reality folded inward.
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The world slipped away. Everything collapsed into the familiar nothingness of that shared inner space where four lights shimmered faintly, each pulsing with quiet life. It reminded me of my own Inner World, though this felt broader, emptier… a hollow chamber with no seed to anchor it.
Time for the first test.
“Bristle?” I called.
The green light to my left flickered, and a rough-edged voice answered. It was simple, but undeniably real.
“Warm.”
“YES! I KNEW IT! YOU’RE SMART!” I burst out, elation flooding me.
“Warm. Scratches?” came the gruff reply.
“Doesn’t sound that smart,” Luna muttered dryly, her tone slicing through my excitement. “Pretty sure he just wants you to keep petting him.”
I didn’t care. The fact that he understood anything at all was monumental. “You’re such a good boy,” I said warmly, my words swelling with pride. The green glow brightened… and then abruptly dimmed, vanishing from sight.
“Uh—what? Where’d he go?” I asked, glancing around the void.
The red light opposite me hissed, its tone sharp and slithering. “Not a ssstrong enough mind.”
A low chuckle emanated from the earthy glow that marked Wyrem’s presence. “Perhaps when he grows stronger, Peter.”
Progress, however small, was still progress. “I’ve got a question for you,” I said, turning my attention to the red light.
The serpent didn’t respond, though I could feel its focus.
“The new technique,” I continued, “from the man. Did you understand it?”
“To take life force?” it replied smoothly. “Intersting. Quite similar to your irritating friend’s method.”
“Eating your prey to absorb their power is totally different!” Wyrem protested, his voice rising, making me jolt with sudden realization. He’d once mentioned his method wasn’t quite the same as , but based on something else entirely. But with extraction?
“You knew about Animora the whole time?!” Luna’s voice cracked through the void. “Why didn’t you ever say anything?”
I wasn’t sure if she meant to learn it herself, but I appreciated her outrage all the same.
“It is not the same,” Wyrem repeated with firm irritation. “First: you need wings, and the bloodline of dragons, to even attempt it.”
Of course it’s wings, I thought grimly.
“Second,” he went on, “you must consume your prey entirely. Similar, but far from identical. Now—” His dark, earthen glow shifted, turning toward the serpent’s crimson flame. “This time, I have something of true value to offer.”
“Not interested,” the serpent replied instantly, venomous amusement lacing its tone. “Last time you shared your so-called wisdom, it was useless. I. Don’t. Have. Wings.”
“This is fun,” Luna chimed in, her multicolored light shimmering in laughter.
Before the chaos spiraled further, I cut in, raising my voice. “Wait. I have a question, or I guess, a request.”
Sensing my intent, the serpent preempted me, its tone calm. “Keep aiding my growth,” it said. “And don’t drain so much that my training halts. Those are my terms. If your progress comes slow, so be it.”
My soul-light flared with surprise. I hadn’t expected such swift acceptance. “Thank you,” I said sincerely.
“AND I’LL SWEETEN THE DEAL!” Wyrem thundered, as if the bargain hadn’t already been sealed. “YOU CAN TAKE ONE STEP CLOSER TO TRUE DRAGONHOOD! I CAN GIVE YOU WINGS!”
His voice rolled through the void with commanding grandeur, far louder and prouder than usual.
Wings? Was he was serious.
“Can I grow them?” Luna blurted, her voice bursting with excitement. “I’ll be a Rose Dragon!”
The void fell silent at her proclamation. For several heartbeats, none of us spoke. Even the lights themselves seemed to dim, as if stunned by the absurd sincerity of her wish. Finally, Wyrem’s glow pulsed again.
“I believe you’re already capable of growing wings, aren’t you?” he asked, amusement curling faintly beneath his calm.
A pause, then Luna’s sheepish tone followed. “Oh, yeah…” She sounded almost embarrassed. “But I like the name. And you said dragons are the most powerful beings in existence. How could I be stronger than one unless I become one?”
Her question trembled with uncertainty.
Wyrem’s tone softened, his next words almost tender. “You think you’re not the exception? A creature like you needs no borrowed bloodline. You are power incarnate. Dragons have only held the crown until now. After all, even they…”
He trailed off.
Again, that fleeting emotion slipped through him. But, whatever memory stirred in him, he chose to bury it. And I didn’t press. If Wyrem wished to unveil those fragments of his past, he would do so in his own time.
“Anyway!” he declared suddenly, tone brightening with forced enthusiasm. “You should be ecstatic! Imagine the ocean’s bounty awaiting you. Every creature, every morsel. You will fly, feast, and evolve beyond recognition!”
“I have evolved,” the serpent replied dryly, its voice edged with annoyance.
Their banter continued. Wyrem’s booming laughter, the serpent’s curt retorts, and Luna’s occasional interjections that made no sense. I smiled, then felt something brush against my arm.
The problem was, I didn’t have an arm here.
“Ow…” I muttered, confusion turning to alarm as a dull ache began to pulse through the phantom limb. “Ow—OW!”
Pain flared. My awareness snapped back. My eyes flew open, breath sharp, sweat beading down my temples. The ache sharpened into a stabbing burn, and then I saw why.
Bristle’s jaws were clamped around my forearm, teeth sunk deep enough to draw blood. His eyes were wide, wild with desperation, a whimper trapped beneath his growl.
But before I could speak, another sensation crept in. A chill like frost sliding around my waist. Something grabbed my collar. Another skeletal arm, pale and bony, thrust out from a gaping portal behind me, its fingers digging into my side and pulling.
“Wha—?” I managed to gasp, summoning Force too late.
With a violent yank, the world shifted. My body jerked backward. Bristle howled and dug in his paws, pulling with every ounce of strength he had. For a heartbeat, it almost worked, and he held me there, straining against the pull.
Then the void split open wider. Another pull from beyond it.
Both of us were dragged through.
The last image that burned into my sight was the serpent’s eyes snapping open before the world shattered into chaos and swallowed everything whole.