The sun’s brilliant rays shone down on the earth, signaling to the beasts that it was the start of yet another day. Wispy leaves fluttered in the wind, while some got separated from their branches and silently drifted towards the bottom.
Three figures peacefully slept under a giant tree – a human, a wolf pup, and a white lion. The pup slumbered on top of the human’s chest, while the young lion lay not far from them.
As the three companions continued to quietly sleep, a mysterious stranger soundlessly crept towards them. When the stranger got close to the human figure, she bent down to his left ear and began chanting.
“Shaa, sha-shaa… Shuu, shu-shuu…”
Hearing an uncomfortable sound on his left, Calron abruptly woke up as his eyes flashed open and sparks of lightning danced around his fingertips.
However, after seeing who the stranger was, he grunted out a curse and stated with exasperation in his voice.
“What in the heavens are you doing?”
“Laris told me that doing this to males while they were sleeping would cause them to subconsiously urinate themselves. I had always wanted to try it, but alas, I never had a male student until now, bahaha!”
Tarnila roared with laughter, as she gave the routine slapping on Calron’s back.
Hearing a commotion, both Avi and Rebran gradually woke up as well, groaning their protests.
Knowing that nothing that he did would make a difference, Calron sighed in resignation and spoke up.
“You left yesterday without telling me where to meet for my training.”
“Yes, that is why I’m here. Hurry up, and let’s go! I already have breakfast ready for you three, haha.”
The crafty raccoon exclaimed as she bent down and picked up the excited wolf pup, who had begun to jump up and down on the mention of food.
Meanwhile, Calron was contemplating if he should inform Tarnilla of the previous incident with the reptilians. There was just something very eerie about that whole situation, and he did not know how to go about it.
I don’t know much about her yet, so I better wait it out for a while.
Calron mused to himself, slowly standing up and stretching his body.
“What food do you have?”
Rebran mumbled while rubbing his paws against his eyes to dispel the sleepiness.
“I’m not sure… I just told little Laris to sneak some food away from the palace. Now human, change back into being a birdy so we can all quickly get to my home!”
The grey raccoon shouted, urging Calron to shape-shift into his beast form.
Grinding his teeth at being treated like a beast of burden, Calron gradually began to transform.
*chi-chi-chi*
Gazing at the brilliant golden scales shooting across the human’s body, Rebran let out a gasp of astonishment.
Beautiful…
Even though he had seen the golden bird before, just watching the transformation was a sight that evoked a sense of true awe.
“C’mon, you fluffball, let’s go!”
Tarnilla chuckled, as she eagerly leapt onto Calron’s back with Avi and called out to Rebran, who was still standing on the ground.
Rebran was going through a mix of emotions. On the one hand, he did not know who these people really were, and they were clearly very powerful, but the human had also saved his life twice in a row.
Sensing something wrong, Avi turned her head to face the young lion.
“woof?”
Staring into her bright purple eyes, Rebran knew one thing for sure: She was his first friend.
“Hehe, wait for me, I am coming!”
“Pay attention! If you lose your concentration, your lightning will ramapage within your body.”
A grey raccoon admonished a seated human boy, while she walked around him.
“This is not fair, why can’t we do this after I eat? I’m starving!”
Calron complained, as his stomach let out a loud growl.
Watching the two little beasts stuff themselves with meat and milk a few yards aways, he knew it was only a matter of time until all that food would gradually disappear. Both Avi and Rebran paid no attention to Calron, and continued to munch down on the delicacies.
“There is more food, do not worry about it. What I need right now is for you to concentrate. Close your eyes and visualize the lightning within you.”
Tarnila stated in a calm and solemn voice, as she sat in front of Calron.
Detecting the abrupt change in the raccoon, Calron knew that she was finally turning serious. Pushing away any thoughts of food, he slowly closed his eyes.
“Imagine a current coursing through your veins. Imagine its path, its form… its emotion.”
The racoon whispered in a soft voice.
Emotion? Lightning has emotions?
Calron doubted, but still followed her instructions.
Delving deep into his inner mind, Calron began this new mental excercise. Imagining the lightning was easy, as he had always done that whenever he released his essence.
It was a ball of pure energy, with torrents of lightning darting around it.
However, the ball simply floated in front of him and did not move.
“It’s not working.”
Calron murmured while keeping his eyes shut.
“Your mind is subconsiously containing the lightning’s power. Do you think that the true form of lightning is a mere ball? Break the chains within your mind, kid, and let your power free!”
Tarnilla spoke in a heavy tone.
It was true.
Calron had been unknowingly suppressing his normal lighting for so long in fear of the Azure Lightning accidently unleashing itself, that he had mentally constricted its true power.
“Lightning is infinite and has no form besides its flashes of bright light. Imagine it flowing like a river within your veins and embrace it to find what is deep inside it.”
The raccoon continued speaking in a quiet voice.
Gradually, the energy ball in Calron’s mind started to crack until a sound of glass shattering could be heard and streams of lightning burst out from the golden ball.
He stood floating there, as torrents of lightning crowded into the space in his mind and charged straight at him.
Warm.
Calron had gotten used to this feeling of warmth whenever lightning rushed into him. Although it was not usually as powerful of a sensation as it currently was at this moment, he knew this feeling.
Delving into the channels of lightning passing through his body, Calron tried to touch it with his mind.
*Bzzt*
“Easy… this is your own mental world, so everything depends on your emotions. Steady your mind and get rid of that nervousness.”
Calron heard Tarnila speak next to his ear.
What Calron failed to notice was how the raccoon knew exactly what was happening within his mind.
Taking deep breaths, Calron calmed his heart rate and once again tried to touch the stream of lighting within him.
*sha-sha*
A string of emotions rapidly trailed into his brain.
These emotions… are mine!
A sudden thought entered Calron’s mind when he realised that the emotions he was receiving from the lightning were actually a reflection of his own.
Detecting the expression on the human’s face, a hint of a smile spread on Tarnila’s face.
“Yes, your emotions are also a part of your lightning. It feeds it and if your mind is weak, then your lightning will be weak as well. I do not know why you have been restricting your power, but remember, lightning’s true power stems from its wildness and raw violence.”
Tarnila explained while abruptly standing up.
“Now, remain in your mental world and see the face of my lightning.”
The raccoon laughed, as bolts of golden lightning danced around her claws.
“Xardoth, is that right?”
A feminine voice entered his royal tent, while the Griffin King was lying down on his bed. He was currently in his humanoid form.
“Who are you?”
Xardoth asked with fury when he saw a hooded figure in his tent, and quickly got up. The fact that someone dared to address him with such blatant disregard, caused him to seethe internally.
“It doesn’t matter who I am, I am only a messenger.”
The cloaked figure laughed in a sweet voice.
“What is your message?”
Xardoth inquired, while simultaneously alerting Orpen and the others of an intruder within their camp.
The hooded figure let out a quick grin, as she said slowly.
“Your son, Rebran, was killed by the Dragon King.”
[A/N: Changes have been made to , and you now have the option of reading up to the next five unreleased chapters!]