I instantly felt a warm sensation, like a gust of hot air flowing in and out of my pores.

  I felt my body reaching its limit—then a loud explosion startled me out of my concentration. I looked around in time to see Gramps being flung back; Tess fell back into her chair as well.

  An unbearable pain surged through my body, as if my very skeleton was trying to crawl out of my skin. I couldn’t summon even the strength to scream. My vision darkened and I welcomed it, because I knew it would relieve me of my pain.

  Iwoke up back in my bed.

  I sat up, feeling surprisingly refreshed. Sitting at my side, her head resting across my legs, was Tess. Looking at her sleeping like this, I was reminded of when I had escorted her back home after saving her from the slave traders.

  After a few minutes, Grandpa walked in and sat down on the other side of the bed, not bothering to wake his slumbering granddaughter.

  “How do you feel, brat?” His lips curled up into a half grin.

  “I should be asking you that, Gramps. I saw you get sent flying; even Tess was knocked over.”

  He let out an embarrassed chuckle. “I have to admit, I wasn’t expecting such a great force. I know you probably have a good reason for not wanting to answer me, but I’ll ask just one more time: What sort of beast gave you its will?”

  Memories of my time with Sylvia ran through my mind. Mentally, I replayed the scene where she had cautioned me never to tell anyone I had met her. But Virion was one of the only people I could trust, and he had the right to know. If it weren’t for him, I probably wouldn’t even be alive.

  “Well, using her own words, it was what we would call a ‘dragon.’”

  A thick silence filled the room, and Virion’s face seemed frozen into a stricken expression. At last he began mumbling to himself, the only words I could make out being “possible” and “never happened.”

  “Dragon…” he finally managed to wheeze, his eyes staring blankly at me. “Dear lord… a dragon tamer. In all my life, I never thought I’d live to see the birth of a dragon tamer… And I… I’m even the one who trained him!” He was becoming more animated by the second, and now he burst into wild laughter, shouting, “A dragon tamer!”

  His shouts and whoops woke Tess up, and she stared at him, confused.

  He suddenly sobered, then grabbed both my shoulders and looked at me intently. “You did right in keeping this a secret. Do not tell anyone else. This power of yours must be kept a secret until you have the strength to protect yourself and those around you.”

  “I'm beginning to believe that more and more, Gramps,” I responded seriously.

  “Good. Although I would like to know the whole story, I am more than satisfied with what you’ve told me for now.” He beamed at me.

  “What is it, Gramps? What did Art tell you? That’s not fair, keeping secrets from me.” Tess was beginning to pout.

  “You’ll know when the time is right, little one. Now, Arthur! I have good news. The teleportation gate wasn’t supposed to open for another two years, but it will be opening early. There will be a tournament in the city of Xyrus four months from now. It’s a very important event for the future, because both the dwarves and elves are sending youths—both as representatives for the tournament and as preliminary students to your human academy. With the hubbub of the tournament, we can sneak you back into Sapin without the humans knowing,” Virion said with a smile on his sharp face.

  “Really, Gramps? I can go home soon?” I shot out of bed.

  I would finally be able to see my parents again! I had been sending messages to my parents every once in a while through Elder Rinia, but hadn’t been able to see them again using the water divination technique, which was very taxing for the ancient diviner.

  “Y-you’re leaving soon, Art?” Tessia asked, crestfallen.

  “Yeah. I have to go back to my family soon. Don’t worry, though—I’ll visit you again! And maybe you can come visit me in Sapin,” I said, hoping to cheer her up.

  “We still have four months, Arthur,” Gramps said. “Until the day the teleportation gates open, I expect you to train harder than ever, brat. Your mana core hasn’t developed at all these past three years because of the assimilation you had to do. Don’t focus on training your beast’s will—that should only be used as a trump card. Understood?”

  He was right. Though I had yet to activate even the acquire phase of my dragon will, I knew that using it would only bring unwanted attention. I should avoid using my beast’s will, if possible.

  Grandpa slapped my back and said, “Now! Take a bath and rest some more. You reek of something rotten. Little one, let’s leave Arthur alone so he can recuperate.”

  Tess still looked depressed at the sudden news of my leaving. Living with her for the past three years had given us a bond as close as any siblings. More than that, although she was only nine years old, she was already showing signs of blossoming into a beautiful woman, and I did feel a twinge of regret that I wouldn’t be here with her as she grew up.

  “Tess, cheer up, okay? I’ll still be around for a few more months—and even after I leave, it’s not going to be permanent. I’d like for you to someday come and meet my parents too.” I gave her a sincere hug.

  “What are you doing?” she squealed with flushed cheeks as she pushed me away and ran out of the room.

  “Ah, youth! Sleep well, Arthur.” Gramps chuckled, shaking his head as he closed the door behind him.

  Was Tess going through puberty already?

  I hopped back into bed, feeling too lazy to start my day just yet.

  “I’ll just lie down for a little while first, then take a shower,” I muttered aloud.

  I was distracted by a rustling sound. At first, I thought it must be the wind, but then I realized I didn’t usually hear the rustling of leaves in my room. Just when I was about to put the sound out of my mind⁠—

  *crack*

  I sat up and looked around, trying to locate where the sound was coming from. More crackling noises filled the room.

  I turned my gaze toward my robe, which was lying on the chair.

  “Kyu, kyu!”

  Kyu? My robe was making “kyu” sounds? My brow furrowed as I tried to assess what was going on.

  There was another, sharper cracking sound, and I tensed.

  “Kyu!”

  The stone!

  Chapter 16

  Companion

  Ijumped out of my bed and carefully rummaged through my robe to locate the gem Sylvia had entrusted me with.

  My breath caught in my chest as I fell back onto my butt, staring at what used to be the rainbow-colored gem. “Holy shit.”

  “Kyu!”

  The stone wasn’t a gem.

  It was an egg!

  And what used to be an egg was now something I couldn’t put into words.

  The first thought that came to mind was, It’s a dragon. And it did look somewhat like a dragon to me, but at the same time, it didn’t. It was all black. It reminded me of a kitten with scales.

  The sclera, which in a human’s eyes would usually be white, was yellow, and the irises were a shiny black. The pupils were sharp slits; they should have looked menacing, but in the body of something akin to a small feline, it was just adorable.

  The most noticeable difference between a dragon like Sylvia and this little… thing was that it had two little horns poking up from the top of its head, more like the illusion Sylvia had cast around herself than the dragon form she eventually revealed. Its head was shaped like a cat’s, but the snout was just a little bit more pointed.

  The tail, though, looked exactly like Sylvia’s tail: reptilian, with two spikes at the end. It didn’t have wings; where the wings would normally be located were, instead, two small bumps. I could see that its belly didn’t have scales, although it looked sort of leathery.

  It sat on all fours with its head tilted to one side while each of us studied the other. Then the newly hatched creature let out a toothless yawn, lost its balance, and toppled over onto its back.

  I felt an overwhelming urge to embrace this creature.

  “Kyu?” Its sharp eyes locked on mine, and seemed to show an intelligence that didn’t match its appearance.

  “Hi there, little fella. I’m Arthur.” I stretched my hand out toward it as if it were a dog that needed to know my scent.

  “Kyu!” It jumped off the chair and onto my lap, gazing up at me.

  I could feel my hands twitch as I suppressed the urge to squeeze it. It lacked Sylvia’s majesty and fearsomeness, but this creature was dangerous in a different sense.

  Unable to resist, I carefully petted the adorable menace. The scales were surprisingly velvety; it seemed all young animals, whether humans or monsters, were squishy and soft. Closing its eyes, it started purring.

  I could feel my tension melt away, and I let out a soft laugh.

  It rolled onto its back, asking for a more thorough rub. The belly felt like very soft, smooth leather. I took a closer look at its claws and was interested to see that they looked more like paws than actual claws. Its only hard feature was its horns, which were surprisingly sharp as well—rather like the egg tooth a chick would use to crack itself out of its shell.

  “Aren’t you just a cute li’l fella?” My smile widened as I stroked this adorable newborn, and I felt almost intoxicated.

  Eventually, I began to wonder what to name it—which was when I realized I didn’t even know the gender of this mysterious creature.

  The newborn shot its tongue out and licked the underside of my left forearm. I yelped and reflexively pulled my arm back from the scorching sensation, but a glowing black light had begun to envelop my arm.

  The prickling pain subsided almost immediately, so I relaxed and waited. After a moment, the creature pulled its tongue back, revealing a black marking on my forearm.

  It closely resembled the tribal markings that had covered Sylvia before she passed her will on to me, but this pattern was that of a wing—just one open wing—made up of several dashes and sharp, branching curves. It looked intricate and mysterious.

  Only eight, but I already have a tattoo. I’m such a rebel.

  ‘Mama?’

  The creature was looking up at me, its mouth closed. But I’d definitely heard a voice just then.

  ‘Mama?’ This time, I heard it clearly in my head.

  Was this… telepathy?

  Shaking my head helplessly, I responded aloud, saying, "I guess I’m your mother. But I’m a boy, so you should call me ‘Papa.’”

  ‘Papa!’ It jumped up and licked my nose.

  I’m a rebel with a tattoo and a child.

  Some sort of telepathic connection had been established between us when the mark had appeared on my forearm. I spent a few minutes trying to communicate with the creature, but it felt more like a guessing game. The voice I heard in my head sounded like a girl’s, so I decided to name the creature Sylvie, after her real mother.

  ‘Seevy?’ she responded with her head tilted.

  Picking her up and bringing her close to my face, I smiled at her. “That’s right! Your name is Sylvie.”

  She nuzzled her nose to mine, closing her narrow eyes.

  Sylvie was remarkably intelligent for a newborn; she already seemed to have the mental capacity of a toddler. Our telepathic communication didn’t take place in any language I recognized—I just understood what she wanted me to know. It was a very odd feeling, not knowing what words she was saying yet knowing what she meant. Aside from simple words like “papa,” most of her communication came through as emotions. I was able to get the gist of what she meant by how she felt.

  “Okay, Sylvie, I need to wash now. Do you want to come with me?”

  “Kyu?” She tilted her head again while she looked up at me. She seemed to be asking me what “wash” was, so I just laughed and took her with me.

  When I stepped under the shower, she seemed to be crying “noooo” as she wailed a shrill “Kyuu!”

  “I guess you don’t like water that much, do you, Sylvie?” I chuckled, setting her down in a dry area.

  Sylvie shook herself off like a wet dog, wandered around for a few moments, then plopped herself down on the floor next to the shower, her tail wagging. She sat there, patiently observing me, as I finished washing up.

  She exhibited behaviors of both a dog and a cat. Never would I have imagined her lineage to be that of a mighty dragon—assuming, of course, that she was actually Sylvia’s child.

  That got me thinking, though.

  Was this tiny creature really a dragon? She sure looked like a baby dragon… but why was she completely black when Sylvia’s true form had been pure white? What baffled me most were Sylvie’s horns, which were eerily similar to those of the demon-king illusion Sylvia had assumed at first—and also to the demon who had confronted her.

  I got out of the shower and dried myself off. It was no use thinking about all this now. The important question was: How was I going to explain this to Gramps and Tess?

  I left the bathroom, Sylvie toddling behind me and “kyu”-ing for me not to leave her behind.

  I gathered up the pieces of the shell Sylvie had hatched from and set it aside. Then I took the feather that had encased the stone and wrapped it around my forearm to cover the mark little Sylvie had left.

  My mind drifted back to Gramps’ news. Four months. In four months, I would be reunited with my parents. I wondered if they would recognize me.

  Sylvie must have felt my sense of longing as I thought about my parents, because she cuddled in close to my face and licked my cheeks.

  “Thanks, little Sylv.” Petting her horned head, I fell asleep.

  The sound of a shrill scream pierced through my ears, jolting me awake.

  “What is it? What happened? Who’s there?” I jumped to a standing position on my bed, using my pillow as a makeshift sword, bed hair ablaze.

  “Oh my gosh! What is this? It’s so cute!”

  The noise seemed to be coming from Tess, who was tightly grasping the squirming Sylvie in her arms.

  'Papa, help!'

  Letting out a defeated breath, I fell back into bed. Come back, my beautiful sleep…

  “Her name is Sylvie and she just hatched from her shell yesterday. You should let go of her, though. I don’t think she likes being strangled.” My words were muffled by the pillow covering my head.

  It’s too early in the morning.

  Sylvie had finally freed herself from Tess’s grasp and was hiding behind me, glaring at her. She let out a high-pitched growl.

  “Don’t worry, Sylv, she’s a friend,” I said, petting her head and giving up my hopes of being able to go back to sleep.

  “She’s adorable!” Tess exclaimed, staring at my cautious hatchling with her mouth agape. I could practically see hearts come out of her eyes as she inched herself closer to us, her hands twitching like a predator’s.

  “Okay, now you just look scary, Tess. Get out of my room so I can change,” I instructed, pushing the enthralled princess out the door.

  I dressed in a loose robe and pants. As I was putting on my shoes, Sylvie jumped onto my head and nestled into my hair, hitching herself a ride.

  “Kyu!” She sure sounded happy.

  I walked downstairs, saying good morning to the shocked and confused maids, who couldn’t take their eyes off the top of my head. They all ended up having the same reaction as Tess, though, and I had to pick up my pace as I began to fear for our safety.

  “Gramps! We’re here!” I shouted.

  Grandpa Virion was sipping tea as he read a book. Turning his head at my entrance, he smiled. “Ah! Here you are, Art! Tessia just left. Why was she fussing about some sort of pet that…”

  His voice trailed off, and his cup dangled limply in his hand when he noticed the horned black lump sitting on my head.

  “T-that’s…” He stuttered and spluttered before finally managing to ask, “What is that?” His eyes never left the top of my head.

  “Er… I think she’s something like a dragon, although I’m not entirely sure myself.”

  “Kyu?” I could sense Sylvie’s caution about Virion through our mental link.

  Hearing that I had arrived, Tess burst through the door into the courtyard, practically bouncing up and down.

  “It’s a dragon? But it's so cute! Art, can I hold her? Can I? Can I?” she begged, eyes sparkling.

  Sylvie began growling and hissing at Tessia as if they were mortal enemies, and her claws stabbed into my scalp.

  “Ow! Ouch! Sylvie, your claws!” I tried peeling her off my head, but she wouldn’t budge.

  Grandpa Virion—still half-dazed, trying to make sense out of the creature on my head—finally spoke up. “If that really is a dragon… How did you come across an egg? How did you get it to hatch?”

  “The dragon who gave me her will entrusted me with a stone. I thought it was just a keepsake, or at most maybe a valuable gem. I didn’t know what it actually was until it hatched. What do you mean by ‘get it to hatch’?” I was confused now as well.

  “Dragons’ eggs—assuming that really is a dragon—require more than just the passage of time to hatch,” he explained. “It is said that the dragon inside must sense that something capable of protecting and loving it is close by before it will hatch. Even then, there must be a very close bond between them.”

  I tried to think what might have triggered the hatching, and almost immediately came to a conclusion.

  “Activating the will, Gramps!” I exclaimed. “I think that’s what made her come out!”

  He scratched his chin, nodding slowly. “That is a viable explanation. The draconic races haven’t been seen for hundreds of years, and we have very few records of them, so I can’t say for sure—but there’s no use thinking about it now. Just be sure to keep the hatchling close by at all times. It does look very much like one of the draconic races, but I am one of the few who would be able to make that connection. Most people wouldn’t know that creature was a dragon, so you should be fine if you pass it off as a sort of rare mana beast.”