The cat breathed raggedly, one eye barely open. A deep gash stretched across its belly, and blood pooled in front of it, staining the ground a dark crimson. Damn it. It's going to die like this. Riven clenched his fists, helplessness gripping him as he stood over the creature.
Zephyr's words echoed faintly in his mind: "You may have very little space for bonds, but there's still space."
Riven stared at the dying beast, mind racing. He wasn't sure how to save it, but he remembered something his father once mentioned—a creature on the verge of death could recover almost completely through the formation of a new bond. It wasn't guaranteed, and trying it on an unfamiliar beast was reckless at best. But watching it bleed out wasn't an option either.
He crouched down beside it, exhaling slowly. If I can link with it now, maybe… His gaze lingered on the tiny creature's faintly glowing fur. Space magic—there was no mistaking it. And that, more than anything, made no sense. Creatures with such affinities only appeared among higher bloodlines, yet Riven knew this couldn't be one.
The last time he'd tried to bond with a Rare-blood beast, the backlash nearly killed him. Whatever this creature was, it had to be weaker than that—Uncommon, maybe even Common. Still, something about it felt… different. He'd never read about a beast like this before.
He pressed his hand gently to its head. His pink mana stirred, sluggish but obedient, gathering faintly around his palm. "Please work," he whispered. "Don't die on me."
The mana pulsed, glowing softly as it seeped into the creature. To his surprise, it flowed smoothly, finding its way into the beast's soul space without resistance.
A flash of light bloomed behind his eyes, and for a brief instant, everything went still. When his vision cleared, the creature was gone. Panic surged through him. Did I fail? Did it die?
Then a soft sound made him turn.
The cat was perched on his left shoulder, perfectly healed. Its fur shimmered faintly with every breath, and its amethyst eyes studied him with a calm, almost curious intelligence. It let out a small, casual meow.
Riven exhaled in disbelief, a shaky laugh escaping him. Whatever it was, it wasn't something the bestiary had ever mentioned. He'd have to get it examined back in the city—the Magitech Department could determine its bloodline. But that was something he would deal with later.
"Why is your left eye amber now?" he murmured, studying the cat's mismatched gaze. One eye gleamed like amethyst, the other now a vivid topaz. A chuckle escaped him despite the situation. "Quite the look you've got."
The cat tilted its head, meowed again, and turned to glance behind them.
The moment of calm shattered as a deafening roar pierced the air, tearing through the eerie silence that had blanketed the forest. Riven spun, dread pooling in his stomach. The Fangleon leapt from where it had been felled, landing with an earth-shaking thud a few meters away. Its glowing green eyes burned with unrestrained fury.
Riven gulped. You saved the creature, but now what? The logical part of his brain screamed at him to run, but his legs refused to move. The Fangleon's gaze flicked to the cat on his shoulder, and its aura flared, green energy radiating off its body in waves.
Before Riven could react, the creature blurred, claws outstretched as it lunged. His amber mana flared to life, surging from his core into his limbs. He rolled away just in time, feeling the rush of wind as the beast's claws missed him by inches. The Fangleon skidded to a stop, wheeling around for another strike.
Riven's eyes darted to his shoulder. The cat was gone. He scanned the area frantically before spotting it perched on a low branch to his left. It meowed and, in the blink of an eye, reappeared on his shoulder.
Understanding dawned on Riven, and a sly grin tugged at his lips. "So that's what you're saying," he muttered. Without wasting time, he delved into his soul space. It appeared as he remembered—two glowing cores and his massive bond. But deeper within, a faint, pulsing light caught his attention. He moved toward it, finding a small orb of shimmering purple. The new bond.
Riven entered it, and a wave of memories and sensations washed over him. They embedded themselves deep in his mind, sharpening his understanding. When he opened his eyes, his grin turned savage.
The Fangleon growled, reorienting itself. Riven dashed forward, the amber mana thrumming through his veins. Mid-sprint, he returned most of the mana to his core, conserving it for the critical moment.
The Fangleon's paw came down, radiating deadly green energy. Riven blinked—disappearing and reappearing beside the beast's head in an instant. The disorienting sensation sent him crashing into a tree instead of landing on his feet.
"Ugh, that's... going to take some getting used to." He grimaced, quickly assessing his reserves. The blink had drained alot of his remaining mana. He glanced at his shoulder—the cat had followed him. Its intent gaze remained fixed on the Fangleon.
Interesting. It blinks with me.
The Fangleon snarled, shaking off its confusion. Its glowing eyes locked onto Riven as it pawed the ground, preparing for another attack. "Not this time, you overgrown fur ball," Riven growled.
The creature's paw sliced downward, splitting the air with a sharp green tear. A blade of compressed wind screamed toward him. He blinked again, narrowly avoiding the attack—but the beast anticipated him, swiping a massive claw where he reappeared.
Riven blinked once more, appearing above its head, and brought his fist down hard. The impact snapped the Fangleon's head downward, and Riven landed on its back, gripping with his legs as he unleashed a flurry of punches on its backside. The beast roared in rage, and Riven's instincts screamed at him. He leapt away just in time as green energy exploded outward, tearing through the forest.
Perched in a nearby tree, he stared at the aftermath—the shredded ground and felled trees told him all he needed to know. That could've been me. His pulse thundered in his ears, but the soft meow of the cat on his shoulder steadied him.
"Yeah," he muttered, "best not to dwell on it."
The Fangleon panted, its energy clearly drained from the attack. Riven smirked. This is my chance.
Blinking toward another tree, he miscalculated the distance and landed awkwardly, rolling to a stop. "Damn it. There's a limit," he muttered. The cat meowed from a higher branch, looking smug.
"Yeah, yeah, I get it," he said with a chuckle. "I've got a long way to go." The cat purred and reappeared on his shoulder.
The Fangleon's howl shattered the moment. Riven grimaced. "Already recovered? Damn."
With only enough mana left for three more blinks, Riven dashed through the forest, each blink timed with careful precision. Branches whipped past in blurred streaks of green and shadow until, finally, his strength gave out. He landed atop a broad oak branch and slumped against the trunk, chest heaving. Every breath felt heavy, his limbs leaden, and his mana reserves nearly dry.
The forest had grown quiet again—only the whisper of wind through leaves remained. Riven exhaled slowly, the tension draining from his body as he let himself rest.
A soft thump drew his attention downward. The small black cat had followed him, leaping gracefully onto his lap before curling into a perfect ball. Its fur was warm, faintly shimmering under the fading light.
Through the faint thread of their new bond, Riven could feel its presence clearly—a gentle, steady rhythm pulsing in sync with his own. It wasn't just any beast. The sensation, the shape of its soul… it really was a cat.
He smiled faintly, one hand rising to stroke the creature's soft fur. "Since you're a girl… I'll call you Luna," he murmured.
The name came to him easily—familiar, almost nostalgic. Luna… He hadn't thought of that name in years. She'd been one of his few childhood friends—the daughter of one of his father's old companions. Whenever her family visited, she'd drag him outside to play, never caring that most other children avoided him because of his half-noble status.
A quiet meow answered him, as if in approval.
Riven chuckled softly, leaning his head back against the trunk. "Guess it suits you," he whispered.
As the sky darkened and stars began to peek through the canopy, he let the comforting warmth of his new companion lull him toward rest. The exhaustion, the battle, the fear—all faded into the background, replaced by the faint pulse of their bond and the steady rhythm of Luna's breathing.