Aurin held the heavy rock in his arms, sweating profusely as he attempted to show Ethruki his own form of stasis. He kept his eyes on the flickering flame within the lantern, ignoring his own steaming breath as he tried to breathe through the strain. Eventually, his arms were spent, and he released the rock, which broke in two upon hitting the ground.

  “There,” he gasped, throwing his head back and shaking his arms out. “Not bad… for a human… right?”

  Ethruki had no benchmark with which to compared, but his master struck him as someone of good character. If he said that it was not bad for a human, it was not bad for a human. The bull bowed his head, accepting what his master had said.

  “Thanks, mate,” said Aurin, rolling his arms around. “What sort of tamer would I be if I didn’t train alongside you? Kyle, that rancher from the other day, taught me that. And pretty much everyone I’ve trained under has agreed with that. I’ve been put through the wringer like you wouldn’t believe.”

  Ethruki said nothing, choosing to stare at his master instead.

  Aurin stretched his chest. “It’s what has to be done to be the best,” he said, “so I’m not going to complain about it. Lead by example, Ethruki. That’s my training philosophy. I can’t do any of your elemental tricks, but I do what I can.”

  Ethruki presumed that this was an attempt to bond with him. He did not much care for the notion of empathy, but he did appreciate the content of his master’s words, regardless of his intentions. Truthfully, he would much prefer silence.

  “I think it’s time we got some rest,” said Aurin, marching over to his pack.

  He pulled out a sleeping bag for himself, unfurling it and setting it on the floor, and grabbed a heavy bag of feed with his still-aching arms. He set it at Ethruki’s feet and told him that he could eat as much as he wanted because they’d be heading back down the mountain in the morning.

  Aurin squirmed into his sleeping bag, having not bothered to unzip it properly, and tried to stay warm. Now that he was lying still, he really felt the chill on his face. He watched the flickering flame on the candle as it continued melting, now a sixth of the size it had been when he had first lit it.

  Training had been productive. Ethruki had been able to hold a dozen stones for almost two minutes on his final attempt, which was all the more impressive considering how visibly tired the bull-like beast was. It showed what Aurin already knew about giving his Minakai one-on-one time. It was the best method of training hard to master abilities. Training with Master Lucius in the Castle Dojo had worked wonders for Breminia.

  Training Zeera with Vai in the mountains had been similarly effective for taming the once-unruly dinosaur, who was now one of Aurin’s most obedient powerhouses. He still had an attitude and a bad temper, but he would have followed Aurin into hell itself, especially if there was a good fight to be had.

  Aurin continued watching the flame and drifted off only when Ethruki had curled up on the floor a few yards away. It had been a good day.

  *

  “Urgh,” groaned Aurin, stirring from his slumber. His face was almost numb from the cold, but at least his feet were toasty, clad in thick socks.

  It was still dark outside, but there was a faint light at the edge of the cave mouth. It must have been close to seven in the morning to have even as much as a trickle of light. The winters of Bretonia were usually enchanting, but Aurin cared little for dark mornings and afternoons, much preferring late springtime when things were bright, but not swelteringly hot.

  He glanced over at Ethruki, who was already awake and staring at him. The sight of the amber eyes through the darkness caught Aurin by surprise and he very nearly yelped, but managed to mask it as a groaning yawn.

  “Rested and recovered?” Aurin asked his Minakai, who bowed his head. “Glad to hear it. I think that before we head back down the mountain, we’ll climb a little higher and get a good view of the sunrise. We’re basically on the east side already, so we won’t have to go too far. What do you say?”

  Ethruki did not know how to respond, but he was content to go along with what his master intended. If this would help him with his training, he would certainly not fuss. After a pause, he grunted.

  “Glad to hear it,” said Aurin, wriggling out of his sleeping back. He massaged his face to try and restore the feeling to his cheeks. Once he had put on his hiking boots, he packed his gear and set it by the mouth of the cave.

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  The duo resumed their ascension up the mountain, already more than halfway to the top. Aurin had no intention of reaching the summit or heading to his favourite lookout spot, knowing rightly that it was much too deadly in these conditions. Instead, he brought Ethruki to an outcropping that gave the pair a wide view of the horizon.

  “See that?” asked Aurin, pointing towards a towering structure. “That’s Harmony Tower. It’s the same one we can see from our house. If you look a little to the left, you’ll see Kyle’s ranch. He’ll already be doing the morning round of feeds. If you look past both the ranch and the tower, you’ll see some lights in the distance. Over by the large river, yeah? That’s Hazelton. You’ll see it up close soon enough, Ethruki. There’s a stadium there, where we’ll do battle in the spring against the toughest tamers the town has to offer.”

  Ethruki’s ears pricked up at this. While he had been listening to what Aurin had been saying, nothing had been of particular interest to him until now. Battle. That was what he wanted. He wanted to battle, and to win. The cosmic elemental snorted with enthusiasm.

  “You’re keen, are you?” asked Aurin with a chuckle. “Good. So are the rest of the team. That’s why I want all of you training hard to be in peak condition come the start of the Hazelton Tournament. I’ll need each and every one of you if I’m to become the champion of the town. You’re going to be a member of a championship team, my friend. We’ve come so close to the throne, only to just fall short. Perhaps you’re the secret weapon that’ll carry us through not only the Hazelton Tournament, but the National Championships too?”

  Ethruki grunted, bowing his head.

  “I defeated one of your kind at the last National Championships, Ethruki. It went berserk, and it took the combined efforts of Gorunze and Desparee to bring it down.”

  This alarmed Ethruki, who considered Gorunze and Desparee to be opposite creatures. Gorunze was quiet and strong, while Desparee was irritatingly emotional. To think that he had the power to bring down a fellow cosmic elemental? Perhaps there was something to be learned from him after all.

  “That’s right,” said Aurin, giving a firm nod. “The Ethruki’s tamer, Moon, had only recently hatched it. She gambled, deciding to let it fight in the tournament despite inadequate preparations. That’s a mistake that I’m looking to avoid. While I believe you respect my strength enough to not go feral, I know for certain that we’re not close to being ready. It’ll take weeks to even get us to a suitable base level of strength, and possibly months to have the skill required to fight at an advanced level. If you want to truly reach your peak, we’re talking years, but I’ll be with you for every step of that journey, if you’re willing. What do you say?”

  Ethruki snorted as he watched the top edge of the sun cresting the horizon.

  “Good,” said Aurin. “Now let’s enjoy this moment of respite before the toughest work begins. You think yesterday was strenuous? You think taking a few smacks from your teammates was the height of pain? You’ve seen nothing yet, my friend. But, all of our efforts will be worth it. You’ve got my solemn promise on that.”

  The pair sat in silence, watching the sunrise. It brought the white world before them back to life as it cast away the darkness. Each time Aurin observed the sunrise from this mountain, he felt lighter; peaceful. No matter what the outcome of his future battles, he knew he would be able to centre himself in another moment like this and keep pushing ahead. It was his nature to strive for greater and great heights. With Harmony Tower conquered and its prize—Breminia—now his, the titles of both Hazelton and National Champions were his next goals. Perhaps one day, he would strive for World Champion, but he would take things one step at a time. The current champion, Tobias, stood in his way already, and the man was a major roadblock. A near victory against him had only spurred Aurin’s determination to succeed, but Tobias would no doubt be training hard to prepare for a rematch with Aurin.

  With the world bright once again, Aurin and Ethruki began their journey back home. Along the way, Aurin retrieved his pack, slinging it over his back. Traversing the mountain downwards proved to be an even greater challenge than ascending, with the morning dampness making the ice extra slippery. It was almost half nine by the time the two were walking towards the back of Aurin’s house, passing by Glacibot’s icy cave.

  Aurin grabbed several bags of food, ranging from crunchy bran pebbles to dried meats, and set about feeding each of his teammates, many of whom were already eagerly awaiting their breakfasts. Once the Minakai were merrily downing their meals, Aurin headed inside to fix up some breakfast of his own.

  Stepping into his kitchen, he saw a welcome sight. Luna was fast asleep on the small sofa by the window, curled up in a ball while holding one of his t-shirts. He sat down beside her and brushed her red hair away from her face, upon which, she stirred.

  “Good morning,” she said, yawning. She immediately bolted upright, almost knocking Aurin from the sofa. She gazed out the window. “Oh no! It’s morning!”

  “Did you forget to let your parents know you’d be staying here?” asked Aurin with a chuckle.

  “Yes,” said Luna, rushing over to the kitchen table and grabbing her phone.

  “Better late than never,” shrugged Aurin.

  Luna hurriedly dialled her father’s number and waited for him to answer. Once she had pleadingly explained to her father that she had slept on the sofa and that Aurin had been training in a cave all night, she dropped her phone and slumped back onto the sofa.

  “Crisis averted,” she said, blowing her hair out of her face. “I only meant to lie down for a couple of minutes, but it was too comfortable.”

  Aurin picked up his t-shirt and dangled it in front of her face. “Did you miss me that much?”

  “Yes,” said Luna, snatching it back. “And don’t tease me.”

  “I think it’s sweet,” said Aurin, putting his arm around her and kissing her on the forehead.

  Luna’s cheeks flushed as she put her head on Aurin’s shoulder. “Are you hungry?” she asked.

  “Starving,” said Aurin. “I haven’t eaten since last night. The pork rib soup was a late evening meal for me while Ethruki was training.”

  “Bacon, eggs, and pancakes?” asked Luna, grinning.

  “Please,” said Aurin.

  “Graw!” screeched Shamtile from the doorway, making the pair jump a mile. He marched into the room, hopped onto a chair, and drummed the kitchen table with his fists, eagerly awaiting a second breakfast.

  Aurin's Team:

  Luna's Team: