The morning sun shined across the eastern cliffs of the Sanctum, casting long shadows over the towering statues of ancient tamers that watched the night at the gates.
##The bell tower rang five times but the Sanctum was already alive with movement.
Kelvin stood at the edge of the South Arena with his eyes closed while breathing slowly.
Xerion hovered in his lesser form beside him with a coiling silhouette of smoke and heat with molten eyes. Today was a different day for Kelvin, it is not a class day, not a drill day but a trial one.
A formal challenge was issued by another student between him and Kelvin.
Words had spread throughout Sanctum overnight that Kelvin, the SSS-Class Novice boy had been called out by a third-year Elite boy named Rowan Vex.
The formal challenge was sanctioned by Sanctum under the Rite of Peer Ascension, a public trial that allowed students to test their strength before an audience of their peers and masters.
Kelvin didn't fidget. He only stood still filled with faint scars from his past battles when he was just a scavenger.
A light breeze swept across the arena where he was standing, it carrys the scent of the earth like a burning sulphur.
Darius approached Kelvin from behind, fastening his cloak. "Rowan is not a joke do you think you can really go through with your trial with him?
His beast is a Tier-6 Titan-class, a mountain wyrm named Boragos. It is nearly thirty feet long and armored like a fortress."
Kelvin did not look back to see Darius, rather he answered and said. "I know."
"He is doing this to humiliate you. He wants to prove that you are just a fluke with a strong beast that has no real control and no real technique."
"That is what makes it necessary for me to indulge him."
Darius paused, then gave a short nod, saying. "Then make it worth it, prove that Xerion did not choose the wrong one."
The bell rang again and in a few minutes the doors opened. Spectators flooded into the coliseum seats.
Tamers of every rank, instructors including Grandmaster Belrick and Master Arwen took a seat high in the observer's box, his green eyes were glowing with curiosity.
As everyone was well seated the announcer's voice echoed: "By right of the Ascendant Circle, we call forth! Rowan Vex of the Emerald Wing versus Kelvin of the Outer Fringe!"
Rowan stepped out, to the center of the field first, he was radiating in confidence.
His beast, Boragos, moved behind him like an avalanche of muscle and stone, covered in emerald plates and crimson runes, the wyrm let out a rumbling snort that shook the ground as it moved.
Kelvin followed after Rowa, walking calmly beside Xerion, whose smoky-form began to reveal itself. Flames licked outward as his full form emerged like a towering draconic figure, sleek and coiled with power.
A wave of silence swept over the crowd. Although many had seen Xerion in the joint drill. Few had believed what they saw.
The referee, a middle-aged Adept man with a mechanical hawk perched on his shoulder, raised his hand.
"This is a regulated trial with no fatal strikes, no beast-breaks and you must fight with honor not with strive."
The both of them nodded in agreement.
The man's hand dropped down and he screamed.
***** "Begin!" *****
Boragos surged first, slamming the earth with a thunderous force as its massive tail swept toward Kelvin.
The arena cracked under its weight. Rowan barked a command, "Stone Wall formation, crush and coil!"
The wyrm obeyed, attempting to trap Xerion between his spiked plates and molten stone.
But Xerion did not meet the charge head-on.
"Now!" Kelvin shouted.
With a roar that split the air, Xerion ignited. He launched upward and released a fire, curling above Boragos' strike and retaliating with a spiral of molten chains that wrapped around the wyrm's midsection body and pinning its limbs for a half a second.
Kelvin moved forward with no weapon in his hand, just his own movement. At the last second, he slammed his palm on the ground, sending a ripple through the bond with Xerion.
The beast understood instantly and erupted into three shadow-clones made of ember and smoke.
Boragos roared, trying to break free but the real Xerion was gone from its front.
He appeared behind him with its jaws wide, unleashing a roar that wasn't fire but pure pressure. The audience leaned forward, astonished.
Rowan clinched his teeth.
"Earthen Mantle, rebound and ram!" Boragos glowed with earthy runes, then twisted and smashed the ground, sending up a wave of jagged stone spikes toward Kelvin.
He didn't dodge. Instead, he raised his hand. "Now, synchronize."
Xerion unleashed a burning wall of blue fire. But this time, the flames were not chaotic. Each lick of fire was controlled, timed to dance between the spikes, melting the tips and redirecting the momentum.
The crowd was surprised.
Kelvin stepped through the smoke and pointed at Rowan. "Your beast is powerful... but he fights alone."
"What....."
Before Rowan could react, Xerion appeared above him not to strike, but to land behind Boragos with a slam, triggering a shockwave.
At the same time, Kelvin threw a flare-sigil to the ground. It rested not with fire, but with silence.
The connection between Rowan and Boragos stuttered.Rowan staggered. "What did you do?"
"Beast Disruption Field," Darius whispered from the stands with his eyes wide. "That is a Master-level technique... how the hell did he learn that?"
Kelvin did not leap up. He charged forward with his eyes locked with Rowan. Xerion matched his pace, surrounding Boragos with a splash of ash and fire.
Rowan tried to re-summon his link, but Boragos was confused and alone.
"You rely on domination," Kelvin said, stepping a few inches from Rowan and saying to him. "You have lost."
The referee leaped between them and said, "The match is over! Kelvin is the victor!"
The arena erupted into a stunned silence, then went on with cheering.
Rowan collapsed to one of his knees, not from injury but in shame.
Kelvin turned to leave but paused and offered Rowan a hand. "You fight with pride but not yet in unity with your beast."
Rowan stared... then took the hand and stood up.
Grandmaster Belrick stood quietly in the observation box, then clapped once and muttered. "This is a rare display of insight... and control."
Darius rushed down and grabbed Kelvin in a bear hug. "That was an insane move."
Kelvin smiled faintly, but his eyes were not on the crowd. They were on Xerion, who lowered his head.
We are flame, the draconic voice echoed but we are more.