Star tilted his head, then scampered into the mine's entrance, silver eyes sharp with purpose. Zephyr and Fenna followed close behind, blades drawn.
Inside, the mine was a maze of shattered tunnels and broken tracks. Water dripped from overhead beams. It collapsed carts and rusted tools littered the path.
Star led them deeper, paws silent on the rock.
A faint glow pulsed ahead, a shard of broken crystal embedded in a collapsed wall. But as Zephyr reached for it, Star froze, frills flaring.
Zephyr dropped into a crouch without thinking, pulling Fenna down with him.
Around the corner slithered a Cave Maw, a massive serpent-beast whose flesh shimmered like wet stone. It flicked a tongue toward the faint crystal light, sensing intruders.
[Name: Cave Maw
Rank: B-Rank Beast – Tunnel guardian variant. Extreme mana sensitivity.]
Fenna's eyes widened. "We can't fight that."
Zephyr's mind raced. "Distraction." He pulled another packet from his belt. This time it was ash-dried river fish, pungent even through the wrapping. He tossed it high into the air.
The Cave Maw twisted, lunged upward, and Zephyr seized Fenna's wrist, dragging her through a side passage Star had already darted into.
They ran, breaths ragged in their throats, until the serpent's angry screech faded behind them.The tunnel opened into a wide cavern.
At the center lay a black crystal formation jutting from a cracked pedestal—ancient, pulsing with deep violet light.
Star chirped triumphantly, racing toward it. Zephyr hurried after, examining the readings flashing across his System:
[Object: Obscura Veil Stone (Fragment)
Status: Stable
Use: Core masking, stealth enhancement.
Warning: Will shatter after extended use (>60 days). ]
"Perfect."
Zephyr pressed his hand to the cool surface. The stone trembled, then cracked apart willingly, as if recognizing the dragon's presence. A shard the size of his palm floated into his hands.
The System chimed:
[Ding! System notifications: Veil Stone Acquired. Temporary Dragon Core Suppression (Success Rate: 97%).]
Relief broke over him like a tidal wave. "We have it," he whispered to Fenna. "Now we just need to get to the academy before the check."
They retraced their steps through crumbling tunnels, Zephyr clutching the Veil Stone, Star tucked deep in the sling against his chest. Every sound seemed louder now, every shadow deeper.
It was dusk when they stumbled out of Hollowfell and back into the misty woods. Zephyr's legs shook with exhaustion, but his heart burned with fierce pride.
At the academy's outer fence, Fenna paused, brushing hair from her face. "We made it."
Zephyr smiled. "We did."
Above them, the last of stars disappeared in the clouds, distant and silent.
He touched the sling where Star slept and whispered, "One more secret kept. One step closer to flying free."
They vanished into the orchard shadows, silent as ghosts, bearing with them the future of a forgotten bloodline and the dawn of a legend no one yet dared imagine.
Morning lay thick and grey over Lowmoor Academy, weighed down by clouds that threatened snow. A hush hung in every corridor, too many whispers had spoken of the Royal Guild's artifact, and now its hour had come.
Zephyr and Fenna reached the herb cellar at first bell. Star, still drowsy, poked his head from the sling, silver eyes luminous in the dim light. Against Zephyr's palm, the Veil Stone fragment pulsed a slow violet, steady as a heartbeat.
"This is it," Fenna murmured. "We have maybe few hours before they scan every wing."
Zephyr set the shard on a crate. It floated, humming gently. "System, how do i bind the Veil Stone?"
[Ding! Temporary Core-Mask Procedure
Clamp fragment against dragon chest.
Host channels Five mana into shard. The duration linked to charge.
Suppression lasts thirty hours at full capacity.
Warning: Drains host stamina. ]
Zephyr flexed sore fingers. "I have enough mana for one full charge (his mana is 6). After that we'll be vulnerable again." He knelt, coaxing Star onto his lap. "Ready, little scout?"
Star chirped with flaring his tiny wings in the air.
Fenna produced a strip of soft leather. Together, they pressed the shard to Star's breastbone and bound it snug. Veils of purple light seeped into scales, then faded.
Zephyr felt the bond quiet, a blanket folded over a flame. He squeezed his eyes shut, directing mana through his palm into the shard. Heat pricked behind his ribs, but he kept channeling.
[Ding! System notifications: Charge 100 %. Masking successfully activeed.]
When he opened his eyes, Star's aura was faint as a candle behind thick glass. Relief surged.
Fenna handed Zephyr an herb tonic. "Drink it. You look pale."
He gulped the bitter liquid, then smiled. "I fell better. Thank you Fenna."
By mid-afternoon, every student, caretaker, and instructor assembled in the Grand Drill Hall, a vast chamber of stone pillars and arch windows. At its center stood a plinth bearing the Guild's silver chest, now open to reveal a crystalline orb the size of a melon. Inside swirled shifting light of amber, azure, and crimson.
Seer Kalthis raised his gloved hands. "Resonance sweep will commence. Everyone must Keep their beast calm. Tamers, stand firm."
Guild soldiers fanned out, each clutching a chain of runes that anchored the orb's growing glow.
Zephyr's pulse beat so hard he tasted iron. Star rested inside the sling beneath his cloak, the Veil Stone was cool as ice.
Fenna took Zephyr's hand among the caretakers' line. She squeezed his hand with a silent promise. "Don't worry, together we will overcome all difficulties."
The orb flashed.Light rippled across the hall like a silent wave. Zephyr felt it pass through his coat, skin, and bone. It felt like a cool tingle, searching. Around them all beasts shivered or preened nervously. Callen's Bristle Fang snarled but stayed seated.
Zephyr held still, drawing slow breaths. He pictured calm, wrapping the bond in quiet thought.