2 more days to go and Ren will leave town to go to the kingdom and join the Tournament of Tamers. It's a festival so they are holding an event for tamers who want to make a name for themselves.
Every year, people from all across the world come to the Kingdom of Nieva for the Festival of Albatross. People say it's the celebration of freedom, but few know its real origin.
Long ago, a beast of immense power flew across the skies of Nieva. A creature so grand, its wings could cast the entire kingdom in shadow when it soared. Some call it Albatross, a guardian of ancient times. It was said that anyone who could find it and earn its favor would unlock powers beyond their wildest dreams. But that story is buried under the books in the Library of Nieva.
"No, stop running! Let me tame you!"
Ren runs as he chases a beast that looks a bit like a panda. Its body is small but not smaller than a dog, its head is as big as its body and its hands and feet have thick fur. A spiral leaf is resting on its head as if it were a hat.
"Alright, Zardlite, don't let it get away. I need that beast."
He pointed at the panda-like beast and Zardlite quickly ran to chase it. Its orange scales and fur are warping from one color to another as it minimally increases its speed.
The panda-like beast suddenly stopped to face Zardlite, it adjusted its leaf hat and smirked in the face of danger.
Zardlite stopped and stared at the panda-like beast as if it wanted to beat it up. The panda-like beast's confidence was accepted by Zardlite as an insult to its pride.
"Hey Zardlite, what are you doing? Attack it now."
Ren said to Zardlite. But Zardlite didn't move from its place, instead it stuck out its tongue and extended it until it reached the hand of the panda-like beast. It wrapped its tongue around and lifted the panda-like beast into the air, the panda-like beast tried to remove the wrapped tongue from its hand but it couldn't remove it.
So instead of trying to remove it, the panda-like beast use its other hand to grab the tounge of Zardlite. For a moment, it looked like the panda was winning, inch by inch pulling Zardlite forward.
But just as the panda-like beast was about to make its escape, Ren leaped into action. With a grin, he twirled a rope above his head, waiting for the perfect moment.
"Not so fast, little guy."
Ren had said, tossing the rope with ease. The loop settled around the panda-like beast's middle, tightening just as it tried to dart away. Caught between Zardlite's tongue and Ren's rope, the panda flailed, realizing its escape plan had been foiled.
"Now, it's time for the contract."
A soft glow surrounded his fingers, and as he focused, he felt the familiar pulse of energy – a gift from the Goddess of Tamers herself. Every tamer knew the legend, whispered since they were children, the Goddess granted each tamer the ability to connect, to forge a bond of loyalty and understanding with their chosen beasts at the age of 16, but you can't do anything about it if the beast declines, you just need to earn its trust.
Ren closed his eyes and silently repeated the words of gratitude to the Goddess, feeling a warmth spread through him. The glow extended from his hand toward the panda-like beast, illuminating the clearing.
"Come on, accept the contract."
The panda-like beast struggled to get free from the rope and tongue that wrapped around it but it couldn't.
"Just accept the contract! Stop being stubborn!"
The glow faded and the panda-like beast finally calmed down. A red stone appeared in Ren's hand, indicating that he had to earn the beast's trust before it was fully tamed.
Ren sighed and ordered Zardlite to put the panda down. Zardlite looked at him before putting the panda down and removing the tongue wrapped around its body.
"Now what do I have to do to earn your trust?"
Only 2 days and the tournament will start, he needs to earn this beast's trust and give it to Alianna before he leaves.
Ren sat cross-legged in the clearing, setting a small pile of fruit on a flat stone between him and the panda-like beast. The panda watched him warily, its beady eyes darting between Ren, the fruit, and Zardlite, who hovered nearby with an almost protective stance.
"Alright, no tricks. Just some food."
The panda beast tilted its head, the spiral leaf on top of its head flopping slightly, as if considering the offer. Then, with a quick, nimble motion, it padded forward and snatched one of the fruits.
"Good start, not so bad, right?"
But before he could finish, the panda beast lifted its paw and chucked a piece of fruit directly at Zardlite's face. It smirked, clearly pleased with itself as Zardlite snarled, barely containing its urge to retaliate.
"Hey! That's not exactly what I meant."
Ignoring him, the panda beast tossed another piece of fruit at Zardlite, and then another, aiming for the lizard's nose and getting a perfect hit each time. Zardlite glanced at Ren, clearly asking for permission to retaliate.
"Just… ignore it, Zardlite, we're supposed to be bonding."
The panda beast looked at Ren with a glint of mischief, as if it understood exactly what Ren was trying to do – and had no intention of making it easy.
Ren tried to stay calm, reaching for another fruit.
"Alright, no more playing around."
He tossed a piece to the panda beast, who caught it deftly, but the second Ren held up another, it batted it out of the air and threw it back at him.
Ren wiped the juice from his face, groaning.
"This is going great."
Taking a deep breath, Ren tried a different approach.
"Alright, fine. Let's do something simple. Sit."
He motioned downward with his hand, hoping the panda beast would catch on.
Instead, the panda beast gave him a blank look, then promptly rolled onto its back, legs flailing in the air like a toddler having a tantrum. It flashed him a smug look, then looked over at Zardlite as if daring it to respond.
"You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?"
The panda beast let out a small huff and rolled back onto its feet, sniffing around as if bored by Ren's commands. But it stayed nearby, still interested enough to stick around, even if just to see how much more it could push him.
"You know, you're lucky I'm patient."
He tried again, calling, "Stay!" as he raised his hand firmly. The panda beast paused, cocking its head, as if actually considering the command for a split second.
But then, with a mischievous gleam in its eye, it darted forward, swiping another piece of fruit from the pile and darting just out of reach. It then proceeded to throw a final piece at Zardlite's feet, goading it one last time before running a circle around Ren.
"You're impossible..."
****
In the kingdom, people are preparing for the upcoming festival, banners are hanging around and the stalls are full of food for sale.
Mona was walking while looking around with a carefree smile. Her round eyeglasses reflected the light coming from the sun, she stopped in front of a large structure, her smile widens as she starts to walk inside.
There are three large statues surrounding the Colosseum, one holding a sword, one with a raised hand as if there is magic surrounding it, and the largest of all is the statue of the Goddess of Tamer. A figure of timeless beauty and serene strength.
The goddess is sculpted with a gentle yet commanding expression, her eyes cast down toward the Colosseum floor, as if watching over all who seek her blessing. Her hair, carved to flow gracefully down her back, is intertwined with delicate vines, and a single, winding vine crowns her forehead, framing her face in an elegant halo of nature's touch.
The statue's robe drapes around her form like flowing water, its folds captured in smooth marble, giving the illusion of movement as it descends to her feet, where small stone animals, representations of tamed beasts, rest beside her, their heads lifted toward her in reverence. In her right hand, she holds a small crystal orb, symbolizing the tamers' ability to connect with their beasts. The orb glows faintly, enchanted to radiate a soft, warm light at dusk, as if the goddess herself watches over the tamers in the night.
Inside the colosseum, Mona stands in the middle of a long hallway where a bunch of pictures are fixed on the wall. Pictures of the past champions of the tournament.
"Man, feels like I'm back home."
Mona took a deep breath and continued walking down the long hallway, her fingers trailing along the stone wall as she took in each of the framed portraits. One after another, past champions gazed back at her, fierce, proud, each with a unique beast by their side. But as she reached the end of the row, she stopped in her tracks.
There, framed in gold and slightly larger than the others, was the portrait of a man with a sharp, almost haunting gaze. His hair, a wild mess, framed a face marked by a scar running from his temple to his jawline. Beside him stood a beast of terrifying beauty – a sleek, midnight-black creature with glowing eyes and smoke-like wings. Its claws curled around his shoulder protectively, as though they were inseparable.
Underneath the portrait, a plaque read: "Champion of Champions. The Vanished Victor."
"Ah, there you are."
Mona whispered with a smile, taking a step closer. Her hand brushed the plaque, tracing the engraved words: "Von Orion."