The sun was barely rising over Astral when Qiris opened his eyes. He lay still for a moment, staring at the ceiling of his room, his mind already buzzing.
"Little Idiot, it's time" he whispered as he sat up.
The small green frog, sleeping on a cushion near the bed, slowly opened its large orange eyes. It stared at Qiris momentarily before letting out an enthusiastic "Ribbit!" and leaping onto the bed.
He got up and started gathering his things. On his desk, the books he had bought the day before were neatly stacked. He took one titled "Survival in the Astral Tower: Beginner's Guide" and quickly flipped through it.
"Let's see... recommended equipment: durable backpack, provisions for at least three days, first aid kit, rope..."
As he listed the items, Little Idiot hopped around the room, occasionally stopping to intensely stare at a random object.
Qiris pulled out a reinforced leather backpack from under his bed. It was a gift from his mother before they left for another country to visit family and do business as if she had known he would need it. He began methodically filling it energy bars specially designed for summoners, bandages, basic healing potions, an enchanted water bottle to purify water...
"Little Idiot, stop staring at that sock and come here" Qiris called. The frog leaped onto the bed, its orange eyes shining with excitement.
"We need to work on our coordination. The tower will be dangerous, and we need to be ready."
Qiris spent the next hour practicing simple movements with Little Idiot. He started with basic exercises, trying to establish clear communication with his frog.
"Little Idiot, jump on the red book" Qiris ordered, pointing to a manual on the floor. The frog stared intensely at the object for a few seconds, then leaped... directly onto Qiris's head.
"No, no, not like that" Qiris sighed, gently dislodging Little Idiot from his hair.
"Let's try again."
He placed several objects in a circle: the red book, a green ball, a blue cushion, and a brown sock. Then, he tried again to direct Little Idiot.
"Jump on the green ball" he said clearly. This time, Little Idiot seemed to understand. He stared at the ball intensely, gathered himself, and leaped... but with so much force that he overshot the ball and crashed into the wall.
Qiris winced. "At least you have enthusiasm" he muttered, helping the little frog up.
After several attempts, Little Idiot began to show signs of progress. He managed to land on the correct objects, even if his approach remained... energetic.
"Well done!" Qiris exclaimed when Little Idiot succeeded in jumping precisely onto the blue cushion. The frog puffed up its throat and croaked, seeming proud of itself.
Encouraged, Qiris decided to move on to the next step. He took out his Cascades wand and concentrated on creating a small floating water bubble.
He had just felt his affinity with water, but with the help of his expensive wand and his talent coming from his elven blood, creating a small bubble wasn't complicated.
"Now, Little Idiot, try to jump through the bubble" he said, holding the aqueous sphere at frog height.
Little Idiot stared at the bubble, his orange eyes reflecting the light dancing on its surface. He gathered himself, ready to leap, when suddenly...
"Woof!"
Ralls, the black demonic dog, entered the room, his tail wagging enthusiastically. Distracted, Little Idiot changed targets at the last moment and propelled himself straight towards Ralls.
"Watch out!" Qiris shouted, but it was too late.
Little Idiot hit Ralls' snout with a loud "splat". The dog, surprised, shook his head, sending the frog flying across the room. Qiris dove and managed to catch Little Idiot before he crashed into the wall.
"Well" said Qiris, holding the stunned frog in his hands, "I guess we also need to work on your concentration."
Ralls approached, looking sheepish, and gently sniffed Little Idiot. The frog, coming to its senses, stared at the dog with renewed intensity.
"No, no" Qiris said quickly, recognizing the challenging look in Little Idiot's eyes. "Ralls is a friend, not a target."
He put Little Idiot on the floor and motioned for Ralls to sit. "Let's see if we can work together" he said, an idea forming in his mind.
For the next hour, Qiris attempted to coordinate Little Idiot and Ralls in a series of exercises. He asked Little Idiot to jump on Ralls' back, then the dog to move gently with the frog. At first, it was chaotic Little Idiot leaped with too much force, or Ralls moved too abruptly. But gradually, they began to find a rhythm.
"That's it!" Qiris encouraged as Little Idiot managed to stay on Ralls' back while the dog circled the room. "You're working well together!"
Towards the end of the session, Qiris attempted a more complex maneuver. He created several floating water bubbles and arranged them in a course.
"Ralls, guide Little Idiot through the bubbles" he ordered.
The demonic dog set off gently, Little Idiot perched on his back. At each bubble, the frog leaped, passed through the water, and landed back on Ralls. It wasn't perfect - Little Idiot missed a few bubbles and nearly fell several times - but it was undeniable progress.
Exhausted but satisfied, Qiris sat on his bed, Ralls at his feet and Little Idiot on his shoulder. "We might not be ready to face terrifying monsters yet" he said, patting Ralls' head "but we're making progress. The Astral Tower awaits us, and we'll do our best."
He looked out the window, where the imposing silhouette of the Tower rose into the sky. A mixture of excitement and apprehension bubbled in his stomach. Whatever challenges awaited them, Qiris knew one thing with Little Idiot by his side, it would certainly be an unforgettable adventure.