Tale of the Mythical Beast Tamer

**Chapter 2: The First Step to Mythic**

The morning after the Awakening Ceremony, Kai stood at the edge of Windspire's farmland, his Rock Sparrow perched on his shoulder. The bird pecked idly at a strand of his tousled black hair, its beady eyes scanning the horizon. To the villagers, it was a pitiful sight—a boy and his runt of a familiar. But Kai's mind buzzed with plans.

*Dawn Dew. Ten drops.*

The Azure Songbird evolution path was the simplest. According to the glowing text only he could see, transforming the Rock Sparrow into an Azure Songbird required gathering Dawn Dew, a shimmering liquid found only in the petals of moonbloom flowers that grew in the Mistveil Gorge. It was a rare but obtainable material, unlike the Stormheart Crystal or Phoenix Down. *Start small,* he told himself. *Prove the path works.*

But first, he needed supplies.

---

**The Archive's Secret**

Kai slipped into the village archives again, the sparrow fluttering behind him. Dust motes danced in the slanted sunlight as he pulled a cracked leather journal from a hidden shelf—*The Travels of Elias Thorn*, a disgraced Tamer who'd documented forbidden regions a century ago. Flipping to a dog-eared page, Kai traced a faded sketch of Mistveil Gorge: jagged cliffs shrouded in perpetual fog, moonbloom flowers glowing like pale lanterns.

*"Beware the Silverbacks,"* the text warned. *"Wolves with coats like liquid moonlight guard the gorge. They hunt in silence, drawn to the scent of magic."*

Kai's stomach tightened. Silverbacks were mid-tier beasts, faster and smarter than common wolves. Even seasoned Tamers avoided their territories. But he had no choice.

"We're going tonight," he whispered to the sparrow. It chirped, as if in agreement.

---

**A Mother's Fear**

"You're *what*?" Kai's mother, Lira, nearly dropped her clay water jug. The sparrow hid behind Kai's neck, sensing her distress.

"Mistveil Gorge isn't a playground!" she snapped, her calloused hands gripping his shoulders. "Children don't wander into beast territories alone. Even if…" She trailed off, her eyes flicking to the sparrow.

*Even if your beast is useless,* Kai finished silently.

"I have to try," he said, meeting her gaze. "The Awakening gave me a chance. I can't waste it."

Lira's stern facade cracked. She pulled him into a hug, her voice muffled against his hair. "You've always been stubborn. Like your father."

Kai froze. His father, a Tamer who'd vanished on a quest years ago, was a forbidden topic. Before he could ask, Lira stepped back, wiping her eyes. "Take this." She pressed a small bone dagger into his palm—a family heirloom, its edge dull but its hilt carved with wolven runes. "And *run* if you see glowing eyes."

---

**Into the Mistveil**

The gorge lived up to its name.

Kai crept through a labyrinth of fog-cloaked boulders, the sparrow tucked inside his tunic for warmth. Moonbloom flowers glowed faintly ahead, their petals silver-blue and translucent as glass. But between him and the flowers sprawled a clearing—and in its center loomed a massive wolf.

The Silverback's coat shimmered like polished steel, its muscles coiled beneath fur thick enough to deflect arrows. Frost steamed from its maw with every breath, and its eyes… they weren't the feral gold of common wolves. They were *sapphire*, intelligent and piercing.

**[Species: Moonlit Silverback Wolf (Elite)]

[Potential Evolution Paths:

1. Frostfang Direwolf (Mythic) – Requirements: Glacier Core (1), Spirit of the North Wind (1), ???

…

3. Shadowstalker Wolf (Epic) – Requirements: Eclipse Shard (1), Veil of Umbral Mist (3)]**

Kai's pulse spiked. *Elite-tier.* Worse, the text flickered—an incomplete path. The wolf's evolution required a material even his ability couldn't identify.

The Silverback snarled, catching his scent. Kai stumbled back, but the sparrow burst from his tunic, wings flapping wildly. It dive-bombed the wolf's snout, pecking furiously.

"No!" Kai lunged, but the wolf batted the sparrow aside with a paw. The tiny creature hit a rock with a sickening *thud*.

"Stop!" Kai shouted, desperation clawing his throat. "I don't want to fight! I just need the moonblooms!"

The Silverback paused, ears twitching. Its gaze locked onto Kai's wrist—the silver rune of his Beast Insight talent. Then, impossibly, it *spoke*. Not in words, but in images that flooded Kai's mind:

*A pack, slaughtered by human Tamers. A pup, the sole survivor, hiding in the gorge. Years of loneliness, guarding the moonblooms as the only remnant of its family's territory.*

Kai's breath caught. "You… you lost them too."

The wolf's snarl softened. It nudged the sparrow with its nose—the bird twitched, dazed but alive.

**[Moonlit Silverback Wolf – Bondability: 45%]**

Text flashed in Kai's vision. Bondability? Was his talent evolving?

"I can help you," Kai said slowly, raising his palms. "I see paths. Ways to grow stronger. You want vengeance? I'll help you get it. But I need the moonblooms."

The wolf's tail flicked. It stepped closer, sniffing Kai's dagger, then his sparrow. Finally, it sat, its massive head level with Kai's chest.

**[Bondability: 60%]**

---

**The Pact**

An hour later, Kai knelt beside a moonbloom, carefully collecting dewdrops into a vial. The Silverback watched, its presence keeping smaller predators at bay. The sparrow, now recovered, hopped onto the wolf's paw, chirping indignantly.

"They're… friends?" Kai blinked.

The wolf huffed, a sound almost like laughter.

By dawn, Kai had ten drops of Dawn Dew. But as he turned to leave, the Silverback blocked his path. It lowered its head, blue eyes blazing.

**[Moonlit Silverback Wolf seeks temporary pact. Accept?]**

Kai hesitated. Bonding a second beast so soon was reckless—Tamers usually waited years to build their first bond's strength. But this wolf was Elite-tier, stronger than any village guardian.

He placed a hand on its forehead. "Together, then."

A silver thread of light wrapped their wrists. The wolf's true name surfaced in Kai's mind: *Vyr*.

---

**Azure Dawn**

Back in his cramped attic room, Kai set the vial of Dawn Dew on his windowsill. The sparrow perched beside it, tilting its head.

"Ready?" Kai whispered.

Following the instructions in his vision, he poured the dew over the sparrow. The liquid ignited, bathing the bird in azure flames. It screeched, wings beating wildly as its form *shifted*—gray feathers molting, replaced by iridescent blue plumes. Its crooked wing straightened, muscles sleek and powerful.

When the light faded, the Azure Songbird trilled, a sound that made the air hum.

**[Species: Azure Songbird (Rare)]

[New Ability: Sonic Screech – Emits a high-frequency wave to shatter obstacles or stun foes.]**

Kai grinned. But his triumph was short-lived.

A rock shattered his window. Below, Lian stood with his Flame Lynix, its claws sparking. "Freak!" the boy shouted. "You think we didn't see you skulking back with that wolf? Elite beasts don't bond with failures!"

Vyr growled, fangs bared, but Kai held him back. The Songbird flared its wings, ready to attack.

"Don't," Kai muttered. "He's not worth it."

But Lian wasn't alone. Elder Vorn emerged from the shadows, his own beast—a hulking Stonehide Boar—grunting beside him. "A Silverback? Explain, boy."

Kai's mind raced. Revealing his talent's true power would make him a target. But denial was impossible.

"I got lucky," he said flatly.

The Elder's eyes narrowed. "Luck doesn't tame Elite beasts. Come. The Council will decide your fate."

---

**The Wolf's Warning**

As Kai was marched to the village hall, Vyr's voice growled in his mind—a new perk of their bond. *"Liar. They smell fear. They'll cage you."*

*I know,* Kai thought back. *But if I run now, they'll hunt me.*

*"Then fight."*

*Not yet.*

The Council chamber loomed ahead, its doors carved with scenes of Tamers conquering beasts. Kai clenched his fists. Let them think him a lucky upstart. Let them underestimate.

The Songbird's evolution was just the beginning.

And somewhere in the shadows, a cloaked figure watched, their own beast—a serpent with scales like shifting smoke—coiling in anticipation.

---

**End of Chapter 2**

**Author's Note:** Kai's first evolution catapults him into danger, both from jealous rivals and the village's mistrust. With Vyr's bond and the Azure Songbird's new power, he's no longer the boy they mocked—but revealing his true strength might cost him everything. Next chapter: The Council's trial, the mysterious watcher, and the first whispers of the Stormheart Crystal's location…