The world was spinning—well, it felt like it. Bao's vision was a blurry haze of starry blackness as he struggled to make sense of the weightless sensation in his chest. A strange warmth, like the sun's rays filtered through murky glass, kept ebbing and flowing. Was this the afterlife?
"Hold on, kid. Try not to throw up," said a smooth, steady voice that radiated a sort of calming authority.
Bao's eyes fluttered open, and through the dizziness, he saw Daiki's sharp features: the long black hair neatly tied back, those piercing yellow irises that looked more calculating than concerned, and that calm, almost smirking expression. Bao groaned, realizing that Daiki was the one holding him, like some damsel plucked from danger. Great, Bao thought. Now I owe him a thank-you and maybe a smashed potato or something.
"Why… does it feel like I've been tossed in a blender?" Bao rasped.
"Space travel," Daiki replied nonchalantly. "A little disorienting for non-elemental beings, but you'll get over it."
"Space?! You mean we were actually in—wait, WHAT?!" Bao's voice cracked, his confident and heroic facade faltering.
Ping, the hulking, plump white tiger beast, let out a coarse chuckle. "Yeah! Outer space! Isn't it nerve-wracking? You turned so blue I thought we'd have to eat you up for good."
"Ping," Daiki interrupted, his tone carrying just enough of an edge to the tiger shut up. "Now is not the time."
Before Bao could recover enough to confront Ping, the strange swirling feeling dissipated, replaced by the sharp, biting chill of icy wind. They landed—or rather, Ping dumped Bao unceremoniously—on the crunchy snow. Bao groaned and sat up, his body aching all over. He blinked and looked around, realizing that they were standing on a snowy peak that seemed to pierce the sky itself.
"…Wait a second," Bao murmured, squinting at the misty horizon and the faint golden glow rising with the sun. "This is… Mount Qi!"
Daiki smiled faintly, though the expression barely warmed his face. "Impressive. You've retained some sense of direction despite nearly passing out; I guess that comes with being an elemental beast tamer."
Ping, meanwhile, clapped his hands, sending snow flying in every direction. "Oooh, this place is kinda nice! So much snow! Can I eat it? Is that a thing humans do?"
"Ping." Daiki's voice was flat and unamused. "Shut the fuck up for once," he muttered under his breath so that only Ping could hear him.
"Right," Ping muttered, looking down at his thick humanoid hands.
Bao shook his head and tried to focus. "Why… why are we here? The village is way down the mountain—this is the peak!" He suddenly remembered the stories he'd heard as a child. "Wait… This place… It's got the highest Qi energy levels in the entire region!"
"Correct," Daiki said smoothly. "It's the perfect place for a wounded tamer to recover. The Qi energy here will flow through you, accelerating your healing process."
"But… why take the risk? You elemental beasts lose your powers in Mount Qi's energy fields, don't you?" Bao asked, suspicion creeping into his tone.
Daiki's expression didn't falter. If anything, his confidence seemed to grow. "True. But the risk is worth it." He leaned down slightly, his piercing gaze locking onto Bao's. "I need you, Bao."
Bao blinked, flabbergasted. "Me? Why?"
"I need you to tame me," Daiki said, his tone steady but laced with urgency. "My lineage—the black tortoise beasts—faces extinction. If I don't evolve soon, it will throw off nature's balance irreparably. You're the only one who can do this."
Bao's mouth fell open. "Tame you?! Are you nuts? I just got the revealation! I can barely handle chickens at my level now, let alone—you!" He admitted at the sudden task.
Ping laughed, his voice echoing like a cheerful foghorn. "Don't sell yourself short, kid! Daiki doesn't usually trust anyone, so if he picked you, you must be special! Or lucky. Or both!"
"Shut up, Ping," Daiki snapped, his smooth veneer cracking for just a moment.
Bao groaned, clutching his aching head. "Look, I get that you're desperate, but even if I wanted to help, how could I? I don't even have the Qi level to tame an elemental beast yet—let alone one as powerful as you!"
Daiki stepped back, giving Bao a moment to breathe. "The Qi energy of this mountain will guide you. And I will help you. You are not a prisoner, Bao. You have a choice. But I brought you here because… Yui and Shiro would've killed you before you even realized your potential."
Bao froze. "Yui? Shiro? Who? Oh the dragon, and the bird? Why would they—"
"They're afraid of you," Daiki interrupted. "You're more powerful than you realize, Bao. Yui would see that power as a threat, and Shiro… well, he'd follow orders. That's why I removed you from that situation. But you're free to walk away if you wish."
Ping opened his mouth to add something, but Daiki shot him a withering glare. "Ping, if you even think about saying anything, I will bury you in this snow and leave you here."
Ping's mouth snapped shut.
Bao looked between the two of them, his head spinning. It all sounded too insane to believe, but something in Daiki's voice—his calm certainty—made Bao pause. "So, let me get this straight: you need me to tame you to save your species, and you brought me here because it's the best place to heal and use my… untapped potential?"
Daiki nodded once. "Exactly."
Bao sighed, feeling a flicker of sympathy despite himself. "Alright, fine. I'll help. But after this, I'm going back to my friends."
"Fair enough," Daiki said smoothly.
Bao dragged himself to his feet and trudged over to a large, flat rock that seemed perfectly positioned for meditation. "Alright. I need a moment."
He plopped down on the rock, crossing his legs and closing his eyes. At first, he felt nothing but the cold biting at his skin. But then, gradually, he began to feel a warmth spreading through him as he focused, like a fire igniting deep in his chest.
Daiki and Ping watched in silence as a soft glow began to emanate from Bao. The fog that hung around the mountaintop seemed to part, as if bowing to an unseen force.
Ping leaned toward Daiki and whispered, "Is this supposed to happen?"
"Shush, Ping," Daiki muttered, though his normally calm expression betrayed a flicker of surprise.
Bao's body began to glow brighter, the energy around him swirling in visible currents. And then, with a sudden surge, a plume of flame erupted into the air above him, its heat palpable even from a distance.
Daiki's eyes widened. "Fire Qi… He's a Fire elemental tamer."
Ping scratched his head. "Wait, doesn't that mean—"
"Yes," Daiki said, his voice hushed with a mix of awe and apprehension but also disappointment. "He's destined to tame the Blood Phoenixes."
Bao opened his eyes, the glow around him fading but the fire still burning in his chest. He looked at Daiki, the overconfident aura back to its place. "So… Shall we?"
Ping whooped with excitement, a wrong reaction. "You're indeed an elemental beast tamer!"
Daiki, ever the smooth talker, simply nodded. "It means you're more important than you ever imagined, Bao. And it also means…" He smiled faintly. "You have no use for me."
Bao groaned. "What do you mean?"
Daiki sighed, his smooth voice suddenly turning cold as he tapped Bao's shoulder. "You emit Fire Qi. You can never tame me."
As the snowy winds howled around them, Bao couldn't help but feel a strange mix of dread.