Eclipsed Realms: The Tamer's Path

The tension in the burrow was palpable as Voltis carried Akira and Asura to the chamber at the back. The little ones and the elders huddled in a corner, their wide eyes filled with fear. Voltis glanced at them, his usual confidence giving way to a grim determination.

"They're safer here," he muttered to himself, but I caught the doubt in his tone. I could see it in his eyes—he didn't believe in these Kinnelbuns or their ability to survive. To him, they were weak, little more than bait.

He unleashed his mist outside the burrow, shrouding us in a dense veil, then coiled up near the entrance. "I'll need my strength," he said simply and closed his eyes, leaving me to handle the rest.

I didn't blame him. His burden was heavy, and he was carrying more than just Akira's weight.

I turned my attention to the Kinnelbuns, hoping to find some clue, some shred of information that could explain their confidence. As I conversed with the tribe, the truth emerged, piece by piece.

Their guardian was evolving. At the very back of the burrow, within a sealed chamber, the transformation was taking place. It was a different kind of evolution, one that required days of vulnerability. And it had been discovered.

The Mistfang Wolves' ruler had sensed the energy signature. Despite the Kinnelbuns' attempts to hide it, the wolves hunted them too often and too closely. They knew the stakes now. This attack wasn't just another hunt—it was a genocide. The wolves wouldn't risk a potential threat to their territory.

I asked why they had hope, why they were so certain their guardian would be enough. That's when they showed me.

A cache of ore—gleaming, silver-blue metal veins unlike anything I'd ever seen. They called it Elytrium. The Kinnelbuns were naturally drawn to it, a trait unique to their species. Over the years, they had collected and stored vast amounts of it.

Holding a piece, I felt its power: it was dense, magically conductive, and alive with potential. Not just a simple resource, but something that enhanced every aspect of a creature's being—strength, speed, resilience.

This was why they believed. Their guardian wouldn't just evolve; it would be forged, molded by this extraordinary material.

Still, the guardian wasn't ready. We had to survive the night.

I spent time with the little ones, their innocent laughter and wide-eyed wonder a brief respite from the tension. I told them stories—tales of my battles with Akira, of the strength that came from unity and courage. But even as I spoke, my mind was heavy with doubt.

---

The first howls cut through the night like blades.

Voltis was awake in an instant, his scales shimmering as he swam through the air toward the entrance. He glanced back at me, his eyes fierce and unyielding. "It's time," he said simply.

I nodded, planting my roots into the soil. I reached out to the trees above, the ancient network of life that sustained the burrow. Their whispers filled my mind, and with their strength, I extended roots around the burrow, forming a barrier.

The wolves arrived in a wave of shadow and frost, their glowing eyes piercing the darkness. They stopped when they saw the moving roots, hesitating just long enough for me to strike first. I lashed out, my roots whipping toward them like spears.

But they were ready.

A blast of freezing air erupted from the pack, shattering the roots with ease. My confidence wavered, fear creeping in as I realized the sheer power we were up against.

I released a cloud of spores, hoping to paralyze them, but it only slowed them down. It was enough, though, for Voltis to act.

He unleashed his lightning terrain, covering the area in a web of crackling energy. Lightning arced from the skies, striking the ground and forcing the wolves to retreat into their mist forms.

They regrouped, circling just beyond the lightning. Then, the pack leader stepped forward.

The creature was massive, larger than any wolf I'd ever seen. Its horns gleamed like frostbitten silver, and its eyes burned with an intelligence far beyond its kin. Voltis stiffened beside me.

"Frostfang," he whispered, almost reverently. "A descendant of Fenrir himself."

I didn't fully understand, but I saw the weight of it on his face. This wasn't just a pack leader. This was a creature tied to legends of apocalypse and destruction.

Voltis let out a low growl, his body sparking with renewed energy. "I'll handle it," he said, his voice steely. "Keep the others safe."

He roared, the sound echoing through the forest as he issued his challenge. The Frostfang's eyes narrowed, and the battle began.

---

Voltis moved like a comet, a streak of lightning against the dark. He struck with speed and precision, forcing the Frostfang to dissolve into mist again and again. But the wolf was cunning. It countered with solidified mist, trapping Voltis momentarily before he broke free with a discharge of electricity.

The battle was brutal, and it became clear we couldn't win. The wolves were too many, too strong.

Desperate, I reached out to the Great Blushwood. I begged, pleaded for its help. I told it the truth: Akira could save us. He had the power to turn the tide, but he needed to wake.

The tree hesitated, its presence heavy with thought. Finally, it relented. It would heal Akira and Asura, but only if we succeeded in protecting the Kinnelbuns.

I didn't care about the conditions. Relief flooded through me as I felt the tree's power flow into the burrow. Akira stirred faintly, his breathing steadying.

Voltis' Point of View

My body ached with every movement. My sleek, scaled form—once nimble and untouchable—was battered and torn. Blood trickled from countless gashes along my shimmering blue body, painting the ground beneath me. Yet, I coiled myself tighter, forcing the trembling to stop.

The wolf king was watching me. Its hulking form loomed over the battlefield, its cold, glowing eyes filled with predatory amusement. This beast wasn't like the others. It wasn't just a predator—it was a ruler, one that relished the opportunity to grind me into the dirt.

A low growl rumbled in its throat as it stepped forward, its massive paws crushing the ground beneath them. Frost spread out in jagged lines with each step, a cold so deep it made the air shimmer.

I couldn't afford to stop moving.

With a flick of my tail, I darted to the side, leaving a trail of crackling lightning in my wake. The wolf king's jaws snapped where I'd been a moment before, but I wasn't fast enough. Its claws lashed out, raking across my side, sending a searing pain through my body.

I hissed in agony but channeled the pain into power. Twisting in mid-air, I launched a bolt of lightning from my mouth. The bright arc struck the wolf king's shoulder, forcing it to skid back a few paces, but it only shook its massive head and growled again.

The attack hadn't even scratched it.

"Is this all you've got, little snake?" it seemed to say with its mocking glare.

I didn't answer. There was no time for words. Summoning every ounce of energy I had left, I spread my small wings and surged upward. The storm above crackled in response to my call, and I unleashed a rain of lightning down on the wolf king.

For a brief moment, the battlefield was alight with brilliant flashes of blue and white. I poured everything I had into the storm, hoping it would be enough to even the odds.

But when the smoke cleared, the wolf king was still standing.

Its fur was singed, and its eyes burned with anger now, but it hadn't been slowed. Instead, it let out a bone-chilling howl that seemed to freeze the very air.

Before I could react, it turned into mist, its form dissipating and surging toward me like a shadow.

I darted back, trying to avoid it, but it was too fast. The mist solidified around me, locking my body in place. I thrashed, discharging bursts of electricity, but the fog-like grip only tightened, freezing my scales as it seeped into my skin.

The wolf king materialized in front of me, its jaws wide as it lunged.

At the last second, I unleashed everything I had in a desperate discharge of lightning. The resulting blast threw both of us apart, the ground beneath us scorched and crackling with residual energy.

I collapsed, gasping for breath. My vision blurred, and my small body trembled with exhaustion. I couldn't take much more of this.

But then, through the haze of pain, I felt it—a pulse through the bond. Akira.

Warmth flooded my body, healing some of the worst of my injuries. My wounds began to close, and I felt my strength return, if only slightly. It was enough.

"Just a few more moments, Voltis," Laila's voice whispered in my mind.

I tightened my coils and surged forward again, weaving around the wolf king's strikes with the last of my speed. I didn't have to win—I just had to keep it distracted.

Akira:

When I opened my eyes, everything felt heavy. My head was pounding, my body sluggish, but the sense of urgency gripped me instantly. The room was dimly lit, and all I could see were small bunny-like creatures huddled together, their large, watery eyes staring back at me.

I turned, trying to find Laila or Voltis, but they weren't there. A nagging sensation burned at the back of my mind—warning signals through our bonds. Something was wrong.

I closed my eyes and reached out, focusing on those threads of connection. When I saw what was happening, my blood boiled.

Voltis was on the brink of death, his once-pristine scales shattered, his flesh torn and bleeding. His breaths were shallow, ragged. And Laila—my gentle Laila—was rooted outside, draining her very life force to keep him alive. She was pushing herself past any limit she should ever reach.

The wolves outside were monstrous. Towering Mistfangs, their ghostly forms surrounded the burrow, their freezing auras biting even through the vision I shared. And then there was the wolf king. It stood there, regal, massive, and radiating a deadly confidence.

It was toying with Voltis, knowing he couldn't land a single critical hit. Mocking him. Torturing him.

Something inside me snapped.

They weren't just allies to me. They weren't just companions I had bonded with. They were family. My family.

I surged to my feet, ignoring the pounding in my head, and reached out through the bonds. I sent a wave of healing energy to both of them. It wasn't much, just enough to close the worst of their wounds and give them a moment to breathe.

"Hold on," I whispered through the connection, my voice calm but seething with rage. "Just a little longer."

Laila's voice came back, faint and trembling. She explained everything. The guardian of the Kinnelbuns, the wolves' relentless assault, and the Great Blushwood's deal.

I took a deep breath, grounding myself. If there was a way out, I would find it.

That's when I noticed Asura. He was standing by a strange silvery-green metal, his fiery aura unusually subdued. The moment I saw it, I understood.

It was Elytrium. One of the rarest natural metals in existence, a material that could channel wind energy and dramatically enhance a creature's power.

I studied it through our bond, envisioning what could be done. A temporary evolution. It would push Asura's power to unprecedented heights for five minutes, long enough to turn the tide. But the cost was steep—he would be severely weakened for a day, maybe more.

I didn't care.

I called for the remaining Elytrium, and the Kinnelbuns complied without hesitation. They brought it to me, their tiny hands trembling but determined. Their trust in me was overwhelming, and I vowed I wouldn't let them down.

Asura absorbed the metal, his body glowing with a brilliant green light as the evolution began. I shielded him with a barrier just in time as the transformation erupted, releasing waves of energy that shook the burrow.

When it was over, Asura stepped out, transformed. His golden armor was replaced by silver-green plating that shimmered with a metallic sheen. Emerald flames danced across his body, sharper and hotter than ever before. The air around him crackled with power.

His form was leaner, sleeker, but it radiated raw strength. His weapons—once extensions of his armor—were now a part of him, as though he had become the weapon.

"Ready?" I asked, my voice steady.

He nodded, understanding the stakes without a word.

---

The battlefield was chaos. Voltis was barely standing, his attacks feeble now, and the wolf king loomed over him, ready to deliver a killing blow.

A deafening roar split the air, and a fiery streak slammed into the battlefield, sending shockwaves rippling outward.

Asura emerged from the flames, his new form blazing with power. His silver-green armor shimmered like a storm-tossed sea, and emerald fire danced along his massive frame. His eyes locked onto the wolf king with a fury that made even the predator hesitate.

I watched in awe as Asura shot forward, a trail of flames erupting behind him. He was faster than I'd ever seen, his lance glowing with molten energy as he struck the wolf king head-on. The impact sent the beast skidding back, its fur singed and smoking.

The wolf king stood his ground, his massive form crackling with icy energy as he barked orders to the pack. They moved as one, surrounding Asura like a synchronized dance of predation. Despite their earlier losses, the wolves were not deterred; if anything, they seemed more desperate now, their movements sharper, their misty forms deadlier.

Asura, clad in his silver-green armor, stood tall amidst the chaos, emerald flames licking his body like a living aura. He raised his lance and unleashed a powerful dark roar, a pulse of oppressive energy that rippled outward. The mist wolves froze momentarily, their abilities disrupted, their cohesion shattered.

Seizing the opportunity, Asura hurled a barrage of iron bullets from his hands. Each bullet, glowing with molten energy, tore through the air like meteors. They curved mid-flight, seeking out their targets with deadly precision.

The battlefield was illuminated by explosions as the bullets struck home. Three wolves fell instantly, their misty forms dissipating into nothingness as the bullets detonated within their heads. Others yelped in pain, the molten shrapnel tearing through their bodies, leaving them limping or retreating.

The wolf king growled furiously, rallying his remaining pack. His deep, guttural roar reverberated through the forest, infusing the wolves with renewed vigor. Their wounds began to close as his frost aura surged outward.

Then, in a display of cunning, the wolves melted into mist, swirling together into a massive tornado around Asura. The air grew frigid as shards of ice rained down from the vortex, each one sharper and colder than the last. The mist wolf took shape, an enormous ethereal predator with glowing, icy eyes. Its frost aura spread across the battlefield, freezing the ground and turning the trees into crystalline sculptures.

The temperature plummeted, the cold biting even at Asura's flames. But his emerald fire roared brighter, a defiant blaze that consumed the frost wherever it touched.

"Your tricks won't save you," Asura growled, his voice echoing with molten authority.

He ascended into the sky, his lance glowing with fiery energy. A storm of green lasers erupted from him, each beam a streak of concentrated destruction. They rained down upon the mist wolf, cutting through its form like blades of light.

The giant wolf roared, its body breaking apart under the relentless assault. Shards of icy mist scattered across the battlefield, unable to reform under the searing heat.

Desperate, the wolf king commanded the remaining wolves to distract Asura. They swarmed around him, releasing bursts of frost and mist to obscure his vision and slow his movements.

The wolf king, sensing the tide turning against him, began to retreat, his massive form shrinking as he called the remaining wolves to his side. But Asura was relentless.

Flames burst from Asura's back, acting like rocket boosters. With a blinding flash of speed, he surged forward, his lance trailing a curtain of emerald fire that carved through the battlefield.

The wolf king, now part of the giant mist wolf, roared one final time as Asura closed the distance. With a sweeping motion, Asura's lance ignited into a colossal arc of flame. The green inferno expanded outward, slicing through the giant mist wolf like a blade through paper.

The battlefield erupted in an explosion of fire and mist as the wolf's form shattered.

The wolf king emerged from the destruction, battered and limping, a shadow of his former self. He managed to gather a few surviving wolves, their bodies frail and their spirits broken. Without a backward glance, he fled into the forest, his tail between his legs and fear etched into his very being.

Asura landed, his armor glowing faintly as the energy of his temporary evolution began to fade. He stood victorious, his emerald flames dying down as he surveyed the battlefield.

"We've won," Asura said, his voice steady despite the toll of the battle. "But we must be ready. This isn't the last we'll see of them."

Akira appeared a moment later, his face set with a mix of relief and pride. He placed a hand on Voltis battered form, and he felt the energy from the battle flow into him.

Akira smiled, his voice steady despite his exhaustion. "You fought well, Voltis. You've earned this."