Kael pushed open the heavy wooden doors of the tamer guild, Vera padding silently beside him. The familiar sounds of the common area washed over them—conversations, laughter, the occasional roar or chirp from various mythbeasts. It was busier than usual, the evening crowd settling in for drinks and food after a day's work.
"I'll wait outside with Granite and the cart," Lyssa said from behind him. "Someone needs to keep an eye on all those mythbeasts and our prisoner. Besides, trying to fit Granite through those doors would be a logistical nightmare."
"Makes sense," Kael agreed. He glanced around, noticing Ember had flown back to the cart where she was entertaining some of the small mythbeasts with aerial displays. "Ember seems happy out there, too. We'll be quick."
It was just him and Vera then, walking into the guild to complete their quest. The thunder-type eagle had followed them to the guild entrance but seemed content to stay near the cart as well, its sharp eyes constantly tracking Kael's movements even from outside.
A line had formed at the reception desk—not long, just three or four people ahead of him. Kael settled in to wait, using the time to observe the other tamers in the guild. He was still learning the rhythms of this world, the unspoken hierarchies and social dynamics that governed tamer society.
The line moved steadily, and soon Kael found himself at the front, facing the same male receptionist from earlier. The man looked up, recognized him, and his eyebrows rose slightly.
"Back already? That was fast for a collection quest. How many did you manage to catch?"
Kael placed the job posting on the counter. "We got more than what was required. Forty-three small mythbeasts total, all healthy and suitable for bonding."
The receptionist's jaw actually dropped. "Forty-three? The job asked for five. You brought back... forty-three?"
"Yes," Kael confirmed, trying not to smile at the man's shock. "We had a very successful day in the western forest."
"I'll say." The receptionist made some quick notes in his ledger, then called out to someone in the back. "Torin! Need you for a verification. Large collection job."
A younger guild worker emerged—probably an apprentice or assistant—and the receptionist gave him instructions. "Go with tamer Veyrin here. He's claiming forty-three small mythbeasts for the bonding program. Count them, verify they're all healthy and suitable, then come back and confirm."
Torin nodded eagerly and gestured for Kael to lead the way. They walked back outside together, Vera following with her usual grace, and approached the cart where Lyssa stood guard.
"This is Torin from the guild," Kael explained to Lyssa. "He's here to verify our catch."
"Forty-three mythbeasts," Torin breathed, his eyes wide as he took in the cart full of small creatures. "I've never seen a collection this large from a single quest. This is incredible."
He pulled out a small notebook and began the count, moving around the cart methodically to make sure he didn't miss anyone or count anyone twice. The small mythbeasts were cooperative, many of them curious about this new human who was studying them so intently.
"Thirty-eight, thirty-nine, forty..." Torin continued counting, his lips moving silently. "Forty-three. Yes, confirmed. All appear healthy, appropriately sized, and temperamentally suitable." He made notes in his book. "Now I'll need to guide them to the guild's holding area, where they'll be prepared for the bonding ceremonies."
"Actually," Kael said, noticing the thunder-type eagle had positioned itself firmly next to Vera and showed no intention of moving, "make that forty-two. This one—" he gestured to the eagle "—seems to have other plans."
Torin looked at the small bird, then at Kael, and understanding dawned on his face. "Ah, it's already chosen you. That happens sometimes. Small mythbeasts are perceptive about these things." He adjusted his count. "Forty-two for the program, then. If you follow me, we'll take them through to the back entrance. The holding area is specially designed to be comfortable and secure."
Kael and Lyssa said their goodbyes to the small mythbeasts they'd collected. It felt oddly emotional—they'd only known these creatures for a few hours, but they'd fought together, traveled together, shared an experience. The mythbeasts chirped and chimed and made various sounds in response, many of them pressing close for final pets or nuzzles.
"Good luck," Kael told them. "You're all going to make wonderful companions for your new tamers."
Ember performed one final aerial loop for her new friends, her flames blazing bright in farewell. Then Torin began leading the group of forty-two mythbeasts toward the guild's rear entrance, the small creatures following him with surprising discipline.
The thunder-type eagle remained firmly at Vera's side, showing no interest whatsoever in joining the others.
"Guess you're stuck with me," Kael said to the small bird, which responded by staring at him with those intense, unblinking eyes.
He and Lyssa returned inside the guild, approaching the reception desk together this time. The receptionist had clearly been waiting for them, his ledger open and a small lockbox sitting on the counter.
"Verification complete," he said. "Forty-two small mythbeasts suitable for bonding, all healthy and appropriate for the program. Base payment is forty basilisks for five mythbeasts, plus five basilisks for each additional beast beyond that requirement." He did the math aloud. "That's thirty-seven additional mythbeasts, times five basilisks each, equals one hundred eighty-five basilisks. Plus the base forty. Total payment: two hundred twenty-five basilisks."
The receptionist counted out the coins—all basilisk denominations, the larger bronze coins that Kael had learned were worth about ten dollars each. He stacked them neatly on the counter, and Kael carefully collected them into his coin pouch. The weight was substantial, satisfying in a way that went beyond just the monetary value. This was proof of a job well done, demonstrating that skills had been successfully applied.
"Congratulations," the receptionist said sincerely. "This is one of the most successful collection quests we've had in years. The bonding program coordinator will be thrilled."
For the points added to your guild rank, I will discuss with my colleagues, and we will let you know tomorrow how much you've gained if that's okay with you.
"Thank you," Kael said, and he meant it. The recognition felt good, the validation that he was becoming competent in this new life.
Outside the guild, Kael pulled out the coin pouch and began counting out coins. "Okay, so that's two hundred twenty-five total. Half would be one hundred twelve and a half, but we can't split a coin, so..." He counted out one hundred thirteen basilisks and handed them to Lyssa. "One hundred thirteen for you."
Lyssa looked at the coins in her hands, then back at Kael with surprise. "Wait, what about the porter fee? You're giving me half, but I should only get fifteen percent for providing Granite and the cart."
"We're more of a team than that," Kael said firmly. "We fought together, traveled together, worked together. An even split seems way more fair to me than sticking to some standard porter rate."
Something complicated passed across Lyssa's face—gratitude, relief, and what might have been the beginnings of trust. She closed her fingers around the coins and nodded. "Okay. Thank you, Kael. That's... that's more generous than I expected."
"You earned it," Kael said simply. "Now, we've got a bounty to collect."
They headed toward the main garrison, the fortress city's military headquarters. Marcus Vren was still tied to the back of Granite's cart, the bandit leader having been forced to walk the entire way to the guild and now facing another journey to his final destination. Kael didn't feel even a shred of pity for him.
Actually, a thought occurred to Kael as they walked. "We could put him in the cart now that the mythbeasts are gone. Make the journey easier for him."
Lyssa glanced back at the stumbling, cursing bandit. "We could. But do we want to?"
Kael considered for about half a second. "No. No, we really don't."
"Then he walks," Lyssa said with satisfaction.
They stopped the first guard they encountered on the street, a middle-aged woman with a no-nonsense expression and a large lizard-type mythbeast at her side.
"Excuse me," Kael said politely. "We need to collect a bounty. This is our first time doing this—could you direct us to the right place?"
The guard looked past them at Marcus Vren, recognition flickering across her face. "That's Marcus Shadowfang. You two caught him?" She didn't wait for an answer. "Bounty collection is at the main garrison, central building, third floor. Take the east staircase, look for the office labeled 'Bounty Verification and Payment.' Can't miss it."
"Thank you," Lyssa said.
They followed the directions, Granite pulling the cart with its single, unwilling passenger behind it through the garrison's main gates. The guards there waved them through once they explained their purpose—apparently, word had already spread about Marcus Vren's capture.
The garrison was impressive—a fortress within the fortress, with training yards, barracks, armories, and administrative buildings all contained within high walls. They found the central building easily enough, a three-story structure of grey stone that radiated official authority.
"Vera, Ember, Granite—you'll have to wait out here," Lyssa said apologetically. "Military buildings usually don't allow mythbeasts inside unless they're bonded to active guards."
The three mythbeasts settled in to wait, with the thunder-type eagle taking up its usual position near Vera. Kael and Lyssa untied Marcus from the cart and began dragging him toward the entrance, the bandit's broken legs making him unable to walk properly. He cursed and threatened them the entire way, but Kael tuned it out. Empty threats from a captured criminal held no power.
Inside, they found the bounty office exactly where the guard had said it would be. A bored-looking receptionist sat behind a desk, barely glancing up as they entered.
"Here to collect a bounty," Kael said. "Marcus Vren, also known as Shadowfang."
That got the receptionist's attention. His eyes widened as he took in Marcus, then Kael and Lyssa. "I'll need to call a captain to verify. Wait here."
He disappeared into a back room, and Kael heard a muffled conversation. A few minutes later, a guard captain emerged—a tall woman with iron-grey hair and numerous scars marking her as someone who'd seen extensive combat. Her sharp eyes assessed them quickly before settling on Marcus.
"Marcus Vren," she said, her voice cold. "Been looking for you for eight months. How'd these two young tamers manage what we couldn't?"
"We got lucky," Lyssa said. "He ambushed us on the road with six other bandits. We fought back, won, and brought him in."
"Give me a quick summary of events," the captain requested, pulling out a form to fill out.
Kael explained concisely—the ambush, the fight, the defeat of Marcus and his gang, turning the others over to the gate guards while bringing Marcus here for the bounty. The captain made notes, asked a few clarifying questions, and then approached Marcus to verify his identity.
"It's him," she confirmed. "Scars match, mythbeast matches the description, and he's got the brand on his left shoulder from his time in the underground fighting rings." She turned to her receptionist. "Process the bounty payment. Five hundred basilisks."
The receptionist moved to a large safe, unlocked it, and began counting out coins. It took several minutes—five hundred basilisks was a substantial amount, requiring multiple stacks to be counted and recounted for accuracy.
Finally, the coins were piled on the counter. The captain gestured to them. "Your bounty. You've done the city a service today. Marcus Vren was responsible for at least a dozen kidnappings and probably twice as many robberies."
"Happy to help," Kael said, collecting the coins into a larger bag that the receptionist provided. The weight was impressive—fifty pounds of bronze coins, roughly.
"One more thing," the captain added. "If you encounter any information about the rest of Vren's operation—hideouts, accomplices, smuggling routes—bring it to us. We pay well for intelligence that leads to arrests."
"We'll keep that in mind," Lyssa said.
They left the garrison, and Marcus Vren was now officially the guard's problem. Outside, their mythbeasts waited patiently, with Granite dozing in the late afternoon sun and Vera watching the garrison entrance alertly. The thunder-type eagle was perched on Vera's back, apparently having made itself comfortable there.
"Five hundred basilisks," Kael said, hefting the heavy bag. "Okay, let's split this the same way. Half each."
They counted out two hundred fifty basilisks for each of them, and Kael's coin pouch was now quite literally overflowing. He'd gone from near-broke to having three hundred sixty-three basilisks in a single day. That was over three thousand dollars in his mental conversion—more money than he'd ever had at one time in either life.
"So," Lyssa said, securing her own coins. "Same time tomorrow? Pick out our next quest?"
"Sounds good," Kael agreed. "Meet at the guild at dawn?"
"Dawn, it is." Lyssa paused, then added, "Today went well. Really well. I'm glad we're partnered up."
"Me too," Kael said honestly. "See you tomorrow."
They parted ways, Lyssa and Granite heading toward wherever she lived, while Kael, Vera, Ember, and the still-unnamed thunder-type eagle made their way to the Sleeping Drake. The walk was pleasant, the evening air cool and comfortable, the streets still busy with people finishing their daily business.
Merra was behind the counter when Kael entered, and her eyes widened when she saw him. "You're back! And in one piece! How did it go? Any bad luck?"
"Well," Kael said, thinking back, "a pot almost fell on my head when we were leaving the city this morning. But after that? Nothing major happened. The quest went great, actually. I'm really glad I worked with Lyssa."
Relief washed over Merra's face. "That's wonderful to hear. I was worried all day. Lyssa's a good person, but her luck..." She trailed off, then smiled. "But it sounds like things are looking up for her. And for you."
"Dinner?" Kael asked hopefully.
"Coming right up. Mother!" Merra called toward the kitchen. "One dinner for Kael!"
Elara emerged, took one look at Kael's satisfied expression, and beamed. "Successful day, I take it?"
"Very successful," Kael confirmed.
Dinner was another of Elara's excellent meals—roasted chicken this time, with herbs and vegetables that somehow made even simple food taste extraordinary. Kael ate at his usual table, with Vera curling up beside his chair and Ember perched on the table's edge. The thunder-type eagle had followed them inside and now sat on the floor near Vera, watching Kael with those intense, unblinking eyes.
After finishing his meal, Kael bought several large portions of raw meat for his companions. Vera, Ember, and the eagle all ate eagerly, especially the eagle, who seemed to have worked up quite an appetite from the day's adventures.
Fed, tired, and satisfied with the day's achievements, Kael retreated to his room. The moment the door closed behind them, providing privacy from prying eyes and ears, he turned his full attention to the thunder-type eagle.
"Okay," he said, sitting down on the floor to be at the bird's level. "We need to talk. Really talk. You've been following me all day, refused to go with the other mythbeasts, and fought alongside us against the bandits. I need to understand what you want."
The eagle stared at him, and Kael opened himself to communication through intent and emotion rather than words. Vera moved closer, positioning herself to help translate the more complex concepts that Kael might miss.
Images and feelings began flowing from the eagle—not words, but pure meaning that Kael's mind translated into something comprehensible.
Want to be strong. Strongest possible. Saw you. Saw how you treat your mythbeasts. Saw Vera. Saw Ember. They're powerful. You make them powerful. Want to join. Want to become strong with you.
The eagle's determination was absolute, its desire burning like a flame. This wasn't a creature looking for an easy life or simple companionship. This was a warrior's spirit trapped in a small body, desperate for the opportunity to become something greater.
"You want to bond with me?" Kael asked. "To become part of our team permanently?"
The eagle's affirmative response was immediate and emphatic. Yes. Choose you. Want to grow strong. Want to fight alongside you.
"It won't be easy," Kael warned. "I push my companions to train hard, to constantly improve. And the world is dangerous—we've already been in multiple fights, and there will be more."
Good. Want a challenge. Want to grow. Will train. Will fight. It will become the strongest.
Through Vera, additional nuance came through. The eagle had watched Kael carefully all day—seen how he communicated with his mythbeasts, how he strategized in battle, how he'd coordinated their attacks against the bandits. It had seen Vera and Ember's strength and discipline, and understood they were powerful because of their training and bond with Kael.
Most importantly, it had seen that Kael treated his mythbeasts as partners, not tools. As companions worthy of respect and care. For a young mythbeast eager to prove itself, that combination of strength and kindness was irresistible.
"Are you absolutely sure?" Kael asked one more time. "Once we bond, it's permanent. You'll be stuck with me for life."
Sure. Want this. Choose you.
"Alright then." Kael felt that familiar presence in his mind, preparing to accept another bond, his psychic strength—enhanced by Vera and now Ember—providing the capacity for a third companion. "Let's make it official."
He reached out and placed his hand on the eagle's head. The bonding happened naturally, effortlessly—that gentle, non-intrusive weight settling into his mind alongside Vera and Ember. The eagle's presence was different from that of his other companions. Where Vera was steady and powerful, and Ember was bright and enthusiastic, the eagle was fierce and determined, a burning ambition that crackled like the lightning it commanded.
[Beast Resonance Activated]
Mythbeast Tamed: Thunder-type Eagle (Unnamed)
Bond Established: 3/???
Ability Acquired: Lightning Strike
- Generate and direct electrical attacks with increasing precision
Trait Gained: Enhanced Reflexes
- Significantly improved reaction speed and agility
Optimal Growth Path: Available
The bond settled, solid and real, and Kael felt his team expand. Three companions now, three partners who'd chosen to walk this path with him.
"Would you like a name?" Kael asked the eagle through their new bond. "Something that's yours, that defines you?"
The eagle's response was eager. Yes. Want name. Give me name.
Kael sat back, thinking. This wasn't a decision to make lightly—a name was important, meaningful. It would shape how he thought of this companion, how they related to each other.
He studied the small eagle, taking in its fierce expression, the blue-grey feathers that crackled occasionally with electricity, the intensity in its sharp eyes. This was a creature that wanted to be the strongest, that had chosen challenge over comfort, that burned with ambition and determination.
A name formed in his mind, perfect and fitting.
But before he could speak it, exhaustion from the long day caught up with him. The name would keep until morning. Better to give it proper thought, proper consideration.
"Tomorrow," he told the eagle. "Tomorrow I'll give you your name. A name worthy of who you're going to become."
The eagle accepted this, settling down near Ember's small bed. Vera had already claimed her usual spot on Kael's bed, and Ember was dimming her flames in preparation for sleep.
Kael changed into his sleeping clothes and collapsed onto the bed. Vera's warm bulk pressed against his side. Through his three bonds, he felt contentment, satisfaction, and eager anticipation.
They'd completed an incredibly successful quest, earned a small fortune, and gained a new team member.
Tomorrow they'd choose their next adventure, continue their training, and keep growing stronger together.
But tonight, Kael needed to think of the perfect name for his newest companion.
A name that would capture the eagle's fierce spirit and unlimited potential.
The answer was there, hovering just out of reach in his tired mind.
Tomorrow it would come to him.
Tomorrow, he would give his thunder-type eagle a name that would define their partnership and mark the beginning of the small bird's journey to becoming the strongest it could possibly be.