The forest wasn't just a place to wander—it was a hunting ground. Icaris knew that better than most. If he wanted to grow stronger, he had to test himself. Not against other dragons—yet—but against the creatures that lived and breathed the pulse of Aether itself.
A strange shimmer caught his eye—a faint flicker, like light bent in a way it shouldn't be. There. Moving between the trees.
He crouched low, claws digging into the mossy floor, eyes sharp as knives. The creature wasn't big—about the size of a fox—but it wasn't ordinary. Its body glowed faintly, an aura of pure Aether swirling around it like smoke.
Aether Wisp. A rare beast that fed on the world's energy. Dangerous in small doses, a prize for anyone who could catch one.
Icaris's fire flickered on his claws, bending reality in a subtle twist that only he could manage. The god blood stirred, quiet but hungry.
"Come on, then," he muttered, voice low and full of that familiar edge. "Let's see what you're made of."
The Wisp darted through the underbrush, faster than expected. Icaris pushed off, moving with the kind of speed and grace that only a dragon's body could manage. His flames licked higher, warming the air around him, but still careful—too much fire would scare the prey away.
The chase twisted through thick trees and tangled roots. Icaris felt the hum of Aether in the air, pulling at his senses. The Wisp was more than a creature; it was a fragment of the world's lifeblood. Catching it meant power—knowledge.
After a sharp turn, the Wisp vanished into a dense thicket. Icaris slowed, scanning. Then it flickered, appearing on a branch just above him, glowing like a tiny star.
Icaris smiled—a real, sharp smile. "Gotcha."
With a quick twist of flame, he sent a thread of fire curling around the branch. The Wisp shrieked—a high, piercing sound—and tried to slip away. But Icaris was faster. He snatched it with his claw, feeling the sudden surge of Aether pulse through him.
The fire around his claw flared, bending reality just enough to trap the Wisp in a shimmering cage of heat.
Icaris's eyes gleamed. "Not bad for a first hunt."
The Wisp pulsed wildly, energy crackling, and in that moment, Icaris caught a glimpse—a shadow in the distance, a darker pulse in the Aether, like something watching.
He tightened his grip, fire flickering steady. This wasn't just about hunting.
It was about survival.