The Royal Tamer Academy stood like a monument to human ambition against the backdrop of the Astoria Mountains. Its towers of white marble and enchanted crystal reached toward the sky, while sprawling grounds housed training facilities, monster sanctuaries, and dormitories for the kingdom's most promising tamers. As Aeris approached the main gates alongside Marcus and Edmund—now recovered enough to travel—he felt a mixture of awe and trepidation.
This was where it all began in Tamer Chronicles. Where Leon Hartwell would arrive in just a few days to begin his legendary journey.
"Impressive, isn't it?" Marcus observed, noting Aeris's expression. "The Academy has trained every major tamer in the kingdom for the past three centuries. Kings, heroes, explorers—they all walked through those gates as students."
The gates themselves were a marvel of magical engineering, carved from single pieces of adamantine and inscribed with protective runes that hummed with contained power. Two guards in Academy blue stood at attention, their own bonded monsters—a pair of identical Crystal Hawks—perched on specially designed stands.
"Aeris Draemor," one of the guards announced as they approached, consulting a list. "You're expected. Instructor Valdris wants to see you immediately upon arrival."
Aeris's stomach clenched. He'd hoped for at least a day to settle in and observe the Academy's rhythms before meeting the legendary instructor. But apparently, his reputation had preceded him more thoroughly than he'd realized.
"Go on," Marcus said, clapping him on the shoulder. "Edmund and I will handle the administrative details. Your belongings will be delivered to your dormitory—Tower of Winds, Elite Track housing."
Tower of Winds. Even Aeris's knowledge of the novel couldn't fully prepare him for what that meant. In Tamer Chronicles, only the most exceptional students were housed in the specialty towers. Leon himself had started in the common dormitories and only moved to Tower of Elements after his third year.
Silvermoon and Stormchaser flanked him as he entered the Academy grounds, drawing stares and whispered conversations from every direction. Most students had a single bonded monster, and those were typically common breeds like Forest Cats or Ember Lizards. The sight of someone their age with not one but two legendary-tier companions was unprecedented.
"Is that really a Sky Wolf?" a girl whispered to her friend as they passed.
"Impossible. Sky Wolves can't be tamed. Maybe it's just a really pale Forest Wolf?"
"Look at the way it moves—that's definitely storm affinity. And those eyes..."
Aeris kept his expression neutral, but through his bonds, he could feel both wolves' amusement at the attention. Stormchaser, in particular, seemed to enjoy the effect his presence had on the crowd.
The Academy's main building was even more impressive inside than out. Corridors lined with portraits of famous graduates stretched in all directions, while floating crystal displays showed real-time updates on student rankings, upcoming events, and monster care advisories. The air itself seemed to thrum with magical energy, creating an almost electric atmosphere of possibility.
Instructor Valdris's office was located on the fifth floor of the Central Spire, accessible only by a magical lift that required special authorization. As the crystalline platform rose smoothly upward, Aeris found himself face-to-face with his reflection in the polished walls. He looked older somehow, more confident than the frightened boy who had fled his father's estate just days ago.
The office door bore no nameplate or decoration—just a simple wooden barrier that somehow radiated authority. Aeris knocked twice and waited.
"Enter," came a voice from within, crisp and commanding.
Instructor Valdris was not what Aeris had expected. Instead of the elderly sage he'd imagined, the man behind the desk appeared to be in his early forties, with sharp features and piercing green eyes that seemed to catalog every detail of Aeris's appearance. His dark hair was streaked with premature silver, and when he moved, it was with the fluid grace of someone whose bond with his monsters had enhanced his physical capabilities.
"Aeris Draemor," Valdris said, rising from his desk. "The young man who has single-handedly disrupted our understanding of monster bonding theory."
Behind the instructor, Aeris caught sight of two creatures that made his breath catch. A Phoenix Hawk perched on a golden stand, its feathers shimmering with barely contained flame. Beside it, a Void Serpent coiled in a specialized containment field, its scales seeming to absorb light from the room around it.
These weren't just rare monsters—they were mythical-tier companions, the kind that appeared perhaps once in a generation.
"Instructor Valdris," Aeris said, offering a respectful bow. "I'm honored to meet you."
"The honor is mutual. Please, sit. We have much to discuss."
As Aeris settled into the chair across from Valdris's desk, Silvermoon and Stormchaser positioned themselves on either side of him. The instructor's eyes lingered on Stormchaser with particular interest.
"A juvenile Sky Wolf," Valdris mused. "Bonded at what appears to be seventy-eight percent strength, if my assessment is correct. Tell me, Mr. Draemor, how exactly did you accomplish something that has eluded master tamers for centuries?"
The question hung in the air like a challenge. Aeris realized that this wasn't just a welcome meeting—it was an examination. His answer would determine not just his standing at the Academy, but potentially his entire future.
"I think," Aeris said carefully, "that I was in the right place at the right time, with the right mindset. Stormchaser was injured and alone, separated from his pack. Instead of trying to dominate or impress him, I simply tried to understand what he needed."
"Empathy over authority," Valdris nodded. "An interesting approach. And your Forest Wolf?"
"Similar circumstances. Silvermoon had been cast out from her pack, and she was starving when I found her. I offered food and companionship without expecting anything in return."
Valdris leaned back in his chair, studying Aeris with those penetrating green eyes. "You speak of these encounters as if they were coincidences. But bonding with one legendary-tier monster might be luck. Bonding with two suggests either exceptional skill or..." He paused meaningfully.
"Or what, sir?"
"Or an extremely high luck attribute. Higher than anything we've seen in recent years."
Aeris felt his heart skip. How much did Valdris know about his stats? Could instructors somehow assess student attributes directly?
"Which brings me to the real reason I wanted to meet you," Valdris continued. "Tomorrow, we'll be conducting placement trials for all incoming students. Normally, these are routine affairs—students demonstrate their current capabilities, and we sort them into appropriate tracks and housing assignments."
"But?"
"But this year, we have an unusual situation. Another student is arriving tomorrow who has already generated significant attention. Leon Hartwell—perhaps you've heard of him?"
Aeris's blood turned to ice. Of course. Leon would be arriving for the trials, just as he had in the original story. But this time, instead of being the only remarkable new student, he would find himself sharing the spotlight with someone who had already achieved legendary status.
"I've heard rumors," Aeris said carefully. "Something about bonding with a Thunder Wolf?"
"Indeed. Young Hartwell rescued an injured Thunder Wolf from poachers and formed what appears to be a very strong bond. Under normal circumstances, he would be the most promising student in his year."
The implication was clear. Aeris's presence had disrupted the natural order of things. Leon Hartwell, destined protagonist of Tamer Chronicles, would find himself overshadowed by a character who was supposed to be long dead.
"I understand there may be... tension... when exceptional students are placed together," Valdris continued. "Competition can be healthy, but rivalry can be destructive. I trust you'll keep that in mind during tomorrow's trials."
"Of course, sir. I have no interest in conflict with other students."
"Excellent. Now, let me explain how the trials work..."
The next hour was spent in detailed discussion of Academy procedures, course requirements, and expectations for elite track students. Aeris absorbed every word, but part of his mind was racing ahead to tomorrow's encounter with Leon.
In the original story, Leon had been confident, even arrogant, secure in his status as the most gifted student of his generation. How would he react to discovering that someone else had already surpassed his achievements? Would he see Aeris as a rival to overcome, or a threat to eliminate?
As the meeting concluded, Valdris stood and walked to the window overlooking the Academy grounds. "One final thing, Mr. Draemor. Excellence breeds attention, and attention can be dangerous. There are forces within and without this Academy that take great interest in students who show unusual promise. Be careful who you trust."
"Forces, sir?"
Valdris turned back to him, and for a moment, his controlled expression slipped, revealing something that might have been concern. "The same people who were trafficking rare monsters in the borderlands have connections here. Your involvement in disrupting their operation will not have gone unnoticed."
As Aeris left the instructor's office, his mind was spinning with implications. He'd thought that reaching the Academy would be the end of his immediate troubles, but instead, it seemed to be just the beginning of much larger complications.
That evening, as he settled into his new quarters in Tower of Winds—a spacious suite with separate areas for himself and his bonded monsters—Aeris found himself staring out at the Academy's moonlit grounds. Somewhere out there, Leon Hartwell was making his own journey toward this place, expecting to arrive as the most remarkable student of his generation.
Tomorrow would bring their first meeting, and with it, the first real test of whether Aeris could navigate the complex social and political dynamics of Academy life. More than that, it would determine whether the protagonist of Tamer Chronicles would view him as an ally or an enemy.
Through his bonds with Silvermoon and Stormchaser, Aeris felt their confidence in him, their unwavering loyalty regardless of what challenges might come. Whatever tomorrow brought, he wouldn't face it alone.
But as he drifted off to sleep, one thought echoed in his mind: in a story where he was supposed to be dead by now, what happened when the real protagonist finally took notice of the character who had stolen his spotlight?