“Are you sure about this?” Bruno asked, tapping his foot as they stood near the guards headquarters. Around them, people were gathering their belongings and leaving their homes as they prepared to leave for the capital.

  “What do you mean?” Mira replied. “This was your idea!”

  “But you agreed to it! Besides, the pn was mostly Akira’s.”

  Mira raised her paw, a green glow around her finger. “It’s one of the very few offensive spells I know, and the only one useful to us now.”

  “Mira, if Remus does betray us, are you sure you’re willing to kill him?”

  Mira stared at her paw, then lowered it, a hint of discomfort in her eyes. “He must not know that I’m the one who can do it. It would break our fragile trust and embolden him to betray us, since he knows about my oath.”

  “I know, but that’s beside the point. In the end, you are the one who can do it. If he does get any funny ideas–”

  “I know,” Mira sighed. “I will do what must be done. What’s a broken healer’s oath in the grand scheme of things, right?”

  Bruno’s ears fttened, feeling the disdain in her words. “Mira, I’m sorry. I truly hope you won’t have to do it.” He pced a reassuring paw on her shoulder.

  Mira nodded. “Me, too.”

  “I…I want you to know you’re a great person and healer, even if you end up breaking your oath! You will stay the same Mira in my eyes. That will never change.”

  Mira eyed him, then shifted her gaze elsewhere, a tiny smile gracing her lips. “You’re quite the ftterer, aren’t you?”

  Bruno beamed at her reaction.

  Shortly after, Akira and Alexander arrived, dragging a handcuffed Remus along with him. “Is everyone ready?” Akira asked.

  Bruno nodded. “We are, but we’re still missing Kumiko and Irina.”

  “And you, Remus?” Mira asked, peeking at the wolf in question.

  Remus scoffed. “Feels great to be used.”

  “You will not be harmed, but the rest of us want to pce a…safety measure on you.”

  “Good morning!” Kumiko excimed, hopping towards them until she was standing next to Remus. She gasped, smiling widely at him and leaning forward, closing the small gap between them. “I see our guest is ready to cooperate!” She dropped her voice to a whisper, although Bruno could still hear her. “If you py nice, my offer still stands.”

  Remus’ eyes widened, before taking a quick, wide step away from the vixen.

  Kumiko straightened up. “Ah. That hurts my feelings, you know.”

  “Kumiko, focus,” Akira commanded.

  Kumiko raised her paw to her head in a salute. “Understood!”

  “I need you to turn around for a bit,” Mira said, walking up to Remus.

  Remus scowled at her for a moment, but obeyed.

  Mira gestured silently for Kumiko to approach. “Kumiko will pce a spell on you. If you try anything suspicious, she can activate it, and it will kill you.” Mira pced her paw on Remus’ back for a minute, glowing green, then retracted it. She stepped back and let Kumiko take her pce.

  “It’s done!” Kumiko excimed, gripping Remus’ shoulders and spinning him around to face her. “Now for the final part!” She unsheathed her sword, causing Remus to flinch, then swung it downward, causing him to tense up and close his eyes. The sword struck the chain between her wrists and severed it. “There you go! Now don’t try anything funny. I’d hate to have to end the life of a young stud like you.” She held his chin, forcing him to meet her gaze.

  Remus scowled and spped her paw off him.

  Shortly after, Irina joined them, donning her usual armor and sword.

  “Irina, how are the preparations?” Akira inquired.

  “They’re going well, but…” Irina trailed off, then sighed, eyeing the floor somberly. “It’s…difficult. Seeing so many people forced to abandon their homes.”

  Akira closed his eyes and nodded. “It’s never easy.”

  Irina squeezed the hilt of her sword. “I wish I could help take down those…bastards.”

  “I know how you feel, but you will be more useful staying with the guards and vilgers.”

  Irina nodded.

  “Bruno, are you ready?”

  Bruno nodded. He wished he could join his father in hunting the draconivores, too, but he had already argued about it enough to exhaust them both and decided to stick with the vilgers.

  “Oh, right! One more thing!” Kumiko announced, turning to face Remus and nodding in the direction of the others. “Go on, don’t be shy.”

  Remus sighed. “Wait,” Remus said, catching everyone’s attention.

  Bruno pointed at himself. “Me?”

  “Yes,” Remus approached him. “Were you already born when the dragon imprinted on your mother?”

  “I don’t believe that’s any of your business at the moment,” Alexander interrupted, arms crossed and gring at the draconivore.

  Remus scoffed, crossing his arms and shifting his gaze away from the two wolves. “As you wish. I wanted to show you something interesting, but I guess I can’t be trusted.”

  “Give him a chance, Bruno,” Kumiko said, leaning on her knees. “It’s worth it.”

  Bruno’s eyes darted between Remus, Kumiko, and his father. He knew they should be wary of their prisoner, but his curiosity got the better of him, and Kumiko’s words were encouraging. “No, I wasn’t born yet. But I was on the way.”

  Remus returned his gaze to Bruno, raising an eyebrow. “Interesting.” He stepped closer to him. “And both of your parents can use magic?”

  “Yes. Just get to the point already!”

  “But you can’t use magic yet?” Remus stated, standing in front of Bruno. He stuck a finger in his own mouth, seemingly biting on it.

  “What are you up to now? Is this another one of your weird–”

  Remus smmed his fist into Bruno’s abdomen, knocking the air out of him. Bruno folded over, clutching his gut and trying to breathe. He felt as if the strike reverberated throughout his entire body, and something fshed across his vision.

  “You son of a…” Alexander held Remus by his colr, shaking him violently. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”

  “This was the vixen’s idea. Besides, it’s for his own good.”

  Finally catching his breath, Bruno straightened up, gring at Remus. “Are you…out of your mind?!” Bruno clenched his fists. “I knew you couldn’t be trusted! Kumiko! Kill…” Bruno stopped when he noticed everyone was staring at him with expressions that ranged between shocked and awed. “What? Is…there something on my face?”

  Irina pointed somewhere behind him.

  Bruno hesitantly turned around, and saw countless rocks floating in the air, starting to form a vague shape, then they fell to the ground. Bruno stared in awe, mouth agape. “Is this…my doing?” He concentrated, slowly moving his paw upwards, and rocks rose from the ground again. He smiled. “It is! I can finally use magic!” He noticed a faint glow in the rocks before they fell to the ground. He turned to face Remus again. “Why…how did you even do that?”

  “It’s simple,” Remus replied. “Both of your parents can use magic, and on top of it, a dragon imprinted on your mother before you were born. The chances that you had magic as well was basically around ninety-nine percent. What I did to make it appear was a small but risky dragon blood ritual. It’s meant to replicate life and death situations that usually awaken people’s magic, only for a brief moment. If you didn’t have magic, though, you would've died from it.” He smirked.

  Bruno stared at him with a gaped mouth, then clenched his fists. “That…was possible?!”

  “No need to thank me.”

  “You can thank me instead, I wouldn’t mind,” Kumiko chimed in.

  Bruno growled, his thoughts racing. This could be a trap, even with Kumiko vouching for him.

  “Let me have a look,” Mira approached Bruno, hovering a glowing paw over his body. After a minute, she retracted. “You seem fine. Usual surge of mana and magic for a first time user.”

  Bruno pced a paw on his head. “I feel somewhat…lightheaded. And I feel like I have…too much energy to spare.”

  Mira chuckled. “That is to be expected.”

  Akira shook his head. “We shall proceed, then. Everyone, prepare, do anything you need to do. We will start in an hour.”

  Everyone went their own ways to prepare. As Bruno and Irina headed to the bcksmith, Bruno’s magic symptoms got worse; he started feeling hotter and more restless, but he tried to brush it aside. “Did you take care of your equipment?”

  Irina nodded. “Cleaned and sharpened my sword, double checked my armor for damage. I also got this.” Unsheathing her sword, she showcased a small red gem stuck to the crossguard. “It has some magic in it. It’s finite, but better than nothing.”

  Bruno smiled and patted her on the shoulder. “That’s good.” He then clutched his head and winced.

  “Are you alright?”

  “Magic surge symptoms are no joke, but I will be fine. I will just grab my armor and spear from the smithy and then practice my magic. That should help.”

  Arriving at Maximus’ smithy, Bruno fitted himself into a set of armor, mostly leather to not restrict his mobility, with metal shoulder guards and forearm braces. He didn’t like it much, as he was already feeling hot, but that wasn’t the time to compin. Next, he grabbed his spear, which was now bigger, heavier, and looked deadlier than before. “Thanks, uncle.”

  “You’re welcome,” Maximus scoffed, ruffling his mustache and beard. “And don’t call me ‘uncle”. I ain’t that old yet.”

  Bruno chuckled, then clutched his head once more. “Alright, I really need to blow off some steam.” He then looked at Irina, studying her for a moment.

  Irina took a step back, trying to avoid his gaze. “W-What is it? What are you thinking?”

  Bruno hummed and rubbed his chin, then tore his eyes off her. “Nah, that won’t do.”

  “What are you even talking about?”

  Bruno groaned. “I was thinking of trying my magic on you, but I don’t know the extent of it yet. I could harm someone like you.”

  Irina narrowed her eyes at him. “Are you calling me weak?”

  Bruno looked her in the eye, and with all seriousness and confidence said, “I am.”, then bolted. He could hear her shouting and running after him.

  His run led them near Mira’s house. He kept running until he saw his father, now fitted into his own armor, sitting and tinkering with his Extension. Skidding to halt near him, Bruno could hear Irina behind him trying to do the same, and crashing into the wall of a nearby hut instead. “Father, I need your help.”

  Alexander peeled his gaze away from his gauntlets and faced Bruno. “It’s your magic surge, isn’t it?”

  Irina recovered and yanked Bruno from behind. “I can fight you anyday!”

  “Let go, woman!” Bruno yelled. “Killing an innocent human isn’t on my bucket list. Yet.”

  Irina groaned. “As if a knave like you could kill me!”

  “Enough,” Alexander said calmly as he stood up. “As much as I’d like to see you beat some manners into my knave son, I need to help him practice first.”

  Bruno freed himself from Irina’s clutch and extended his tongue at her, to which she did the same.

  “Bruno, have you tried casting any spells?” Alexander asked.

  Bruno shook his head. “I don’t know any yet.”

  Alexander rubbed his chin. “I see. Then you simply need to try. After you use your magic a few times, spells should flow into your mind and you should be able to manifest your tree. Now, remember your mana training, and try to apply it with magic.” Alexander inhaled, then readied himself, pcing one leg behind the other and raising an arm in front of him. “I’m ready to deal with it if it goes out of hand.”

  Bruno sighed and nodded, then inhaled deeply and calmly. He let the mana flow through him as he remembered his training, trying to focus on his newfound magic. Then, something popped into his mind. The spell started casting as the information was revealed to him, and he recoiled. “Are you kidding me? I can do that?!”

  Alexander’s gaze became more concerned. “What’s wrong?”

  Bruno rushed to his father and stood by him, Irina doing the same. “Well…just watch.”

  A rge amount of rocks rose from the ground, slowly taking a draconian shape. The rock dragon stood slightly shorter than Onyx, but it had no wings. It had two horns that curved forward, and once it was complete, its empty eye sockets shone green, then it roared.

  Alexander took a step back, his fur standing on edge.

  The dragon fell on all fours, then sat on his hind, panting as his rocky tail wagged.

  All three of them stared at the construct in bewilderment. Bruno cleared his throat before speaking. “Uh…good dragon?”

  The dragon bent forward, his chin meeting the ground while his arms stretched, his rear raised and his tail still wagging.

  Is…he a dragon, or a dog? Bruno mused.

  Irina stifled a giggle. “Is it weird that I find it cute?”

  “Yes, it’s weird,” Bruno answered, earning him another extended tongue from Irina. The golem then tackled him, his tongue darting out. “Oh no! You’re not licking me with that! I’d like my face to keep its flesh!”

  The dragon tucked his tongue back inside, his shoulders slumped and his eyes turning down.

  “How dare you,” Irina scolded, walking up to the golem and petting his head, to which he wagged his tail again.

  Bruno slipped from beneath it. “That’s nice at all, but I don’t want to die under a rockslide.”

  “At least he’s friend–whoa!” The golem interrupted Irina by licking her armor, which knocked her to the ground.

  Bruno snickered. “Alright, boy, time’s up.” He moved his paws around. “How do I stop the spell?” He snapped his fingers a couple of times, then the dragon crumbled and turned back into shapeless rocks. He heard an “Awww” from Irina.

  “That…could be really useful,” Alexander said, his stance easing. “But it could also be dangerous, if you can’t control it.”

  “We should give it a name!” Irina said, raising her hand in the air.

  Bruno hummed as he thought it over. “How about ‘Boulder’?”

  Irina stared at him bnkly. “You couldn’t think of anything more generic?”

  Bruno scratched his head. “I’ll come up with a name ter!”

  “Right, let’s practice some more, first,” Alexander said.

  Bruno cracked his knuckles. “Of course. I still have plenty of energy to spare.”

  In what time they had left, Bruno summoned the rock dragon a couple more times, then learned a few earth spells. He didn’t know if his affinity was exclusively Earth or if it had something else in it as well.

  With the hour of preparations over, it was time to part ways. They gathered near the gate one more time. Akira, Alexander, Kumiko, and Mira would take Remus and try to save Maki, while Bruno and Irina would stay with the vilge guards and protect the vilgers as they journey to the capital.

  “Remember,” Akira instructed, regarding Bruno and Irina. “If things go south, send the signal. I informed the guards of it. We will see it and help you if we can. Regardless if that happens or not, I will join you once our battle is over.”

  Bruno nodded. Seeing Mira, he stepped closer to her, thinking of what he should say. “Mira, wait.”

  The she-wolf faced him and tilted her head. “What is it?”

  “It’s just…” Bruno scratched his neck, trying and failing to act tough. “Be careful, okay? I don’t know if…”

  “You don’t know if we’ll ever meet again.”

  Bruno’s eyes darted to her, wide in shock. “I didn’t say that!”

  Mira smiled and nodded. “You don’t have to.” Closing the gap between him, she embraced him for a brief moment, then faced him with another smile. “You be careful, too.” Her smile turned into a frown. “Don’t you dare get injured.”

  Bruno was still in shock after the hug. He took a moment to register her st comment. “Oh…s-sure! I would never!” He chuckled and puffed his chest. He noticed Irina eyeing him smugly. “Save it.”

  Alexander approached his son, holding him by the shoulders. “Well, this is it.”

  Bruno eyed him with determination. “It is. Kick their ass, and bring Maki back to us.”

  Alexander smiled faintly and nodded, before embracing him. “I will.”

  With that, the two groups parted ways. The guards gave Akira a salute as he and the others passed through the gate. The houses were nearly all empty now, with the vilgers and guards preparing to depart.

  “I’m sorry,” Bruno said as he gazed at the sight before him.

  “For what?” Irina asked as she turned to face him.

  “For…mocking you earlier.” Bruno clenched his fists and stared bnkly at the ground. “I always do things like that when I feel pressure or something serious is about to happen.”

  Irina smiled at him. “I figured as much.”

  Bruno inhaled deeply. “Boulder.”

  Irina facepalmed. “Could you please reconsider?”

  Bruno chuckled, shaking his head. “Nope.”