Rain was anxiously holding her breath, uncertain if her plan would succeed. She observed as the Arrow sliced through the air like a scalpel, but it wasn't alone. Right behind it, a bolt of Lightning was desperately trying to catch up. Normally, lightning would be much faster than an arrow, but Rain, who had control over electromagnetic charges, managed to slow it down.
The Arrow entered the cave and struck something inside—whether it was just a wall or the Abomination itself didn't matter. All she wanted was for the creature to awaken and charge outside. The angrier and faster it came, the better her plan would work. Moments later, a deafening roar erupted from the cave, and the ground shook as the Tyrant emerged with incredible speed, fury burning in its eyes.
Remaining calm, Rain dismissed the Arrow, secured her bow behind her back, and summoned the Arrow back to her. She then took hold of the rope beside her, waiting patiently for the creature to rush out. It didn't take long for the Abomination to appear, its terrifying gaze fixed on her. Unfortunately, there was no visible wound, but her plan had still worked.
With all her strength, she pulled on the rope while activating her Aspect, sending a powerful current through the rope, which she had soaked in salt water beforehand. The rope ensnared four of the creature's legs, causing it to fall to the ground, shocked by a lethal amount of electricity. Rain didn't expect to kill it; she merely wanted to buy herself some time.
After securing the rope around her wrist, she grabbed her bow and a metal arrow, aiming for the creature's exposed belly, which was wide open since the massive lizard had rolled onto its back. She drew the bow and let the Arrow fly, this time without any lightning. In an instant, the Arrow struck the belly, embedding deep into the soft tissue.
"So far so good, let's see if that can kill you."
Rain didn't truly expect the Arrow to finish off the Abomination. A cold smile crept across her face as she called upon her Aspect once more. The clouds above began to stir, and she felt her hair lift toward the sky. A moment later, she unleashed a devastating attack in the form of purple lightning aimed at the Tyrant. The lightning struck with a deafening boom.
At that moment, something slammed into Rain's chest. Though she wasn't seriously hurt, she fell to the ground. Looking back at the spot where the lizard had been, she noticed it was gone, leaving her puzzled.
"Where did it go?"
The realization hit her as she glanced around.
"Oh, it's… everywhere."
She may have underestimated the impact of her innate ability, [Overcharge], combined with the powerful lightning she had been charging. The result was quite frightening. A second later, something dripped onto her face, followed by more. Everything that rises must eventually fall, and even the floating Chained Islands were slowly crumbling to the ground.
Consequently, pieces of flesh, innards, and dozens of liters of blood also had to descend. Rain found herself in the midst of a brief shower of blood and meat. The scene was gory, but having bathed in blood before, it didn't faze her much.
[You have slain Awakened Tyrant, Dragon of the Mountain]
[Your Soul is Charging]
[You have received a Memory…]
Rain could hardly believe her ears. For the first time, the spell was communicating with her, not just announcing her kill but also granting her a Memory? She was so thrilled that she forgot to pay attention to the Memory's name.
"Ahhhhh, I love when a plan comes together."
Instead of checking the Memory right away, she headed into the cave to investigate the suspicious spot on the wall. Upon entering, she spotted where her arrow had struck, and to her surprise, it was indeed the very spot that had seemed off.
"What a shot, Kai would be proud. Though it was more luck than skill. But like Sunny always says…"
She chuckled, a big smile on her face as she said aloud, "What matters are the results."
Her smile wasn't just because of Sunny's saying, but because of what she saw behind the breached wall: dozens of soul shards piled high, more than she could carry. She picked one up and crushed it in her hand, feeling her body absorb the soul fragments. She opened her runes and continued crushing more shards.
Arc Fragments: [83/1000]
"The Tyrant gave me quite a bit, it seems. This must be linked to my innate ability. I should aim to kill everything this way in the future. Finding cover when I do, though, will be essential; getting showered with chunks of meat and blood isn't something I want to make a habit."
She kept crushing the shards and absorbing the fragments into her core. It took her some time—over half an hour—just sitting there, breaking down soul shards. As the pile diminished, she noticed something lying among them.
"Are those… eggs?"
She was correct. They were eggs, revealing that the Abomination was female. Three eggs in total rested beneath the shards. Two were slightly green, while one was black and much larger.
"Huh, that's probably why she was so furious. After all, I hit the spot where her eggs were. I should destroy them before they hatch."
She commanded the serpent on her arm to transform into a knife. After charging the eggs with her innate ability, she struck them, and the spell announced the kills.
[You have slain Awakened Beast, Baby Mountain Dragon]
[You have slain Awakened Beast, Baby Mountain Dragon]
[You have slain Corrupted Beast, Baby Mountain Dragon]
She froze, unable to believe what she had just heard.
"Did it just say, Co… Corrupted?"
A moment later, the spell spoke again.
[Your Soul is Charging]
[You have received an Echo, Baby Mountain Dragon]
"Huuuuuuhhhh? WHAT THE… HOLY SHIT, THAT'S AMAZING."
She didn't fully understand why one of the eggs was classified as Corrupted, but she had a theory.
"It must have consumed most of the essence. By starving the others, it could grow much faster and stronger."
Her theory was indeed correct. One of the eggs was a mutation, destined to be something greater until Rain intervened and turned it into an Echo. She opened her runes and focused on the Memory she had received from the mother.
Memory: [Hope for a Better Future]
Memory Rank: Unknown
Memory Tier: Unknown
Memory Type: Relic
Memory Description: [A cry from a heartbroken mother echoes through the realms from beyond her grave. Filled with sorrow, the mother uttered one last wish: to save at least one of her children from suffering the same fate she did. She placed all her faith in her murderer, a divine creature named 'Arcstrider'. She sent the lonely creature her own heart, hoping that the being born from a storm would give one of her children a second chance.]
Memory Enchantment: [Fusion of Hearts]
[Fusion of Hearts]: When used on one of the children the mother of dragons left behind, it can grant not only a second chance at life but also the true will of a dragon that the mother had forgotten after becoming corrupted.
Rain was stunned and confused. She had never encountered a Memory like this before. Shaking off her confusion, she focused on the runes below.
Echo: [Baby Mountain Dragon]
Echo Type: Beast
Echo Core: Corrupted
Echo Attributes: [Earthquake]
[Earthquake]: This Echo commands the ground beneath its feet. A dragon cannot exist without ruling authority over something, after all.
Echo Description: [A dragon that was once banished from the sky due to its corruption is now forced to live among the creatures it once looked down upon. In the end, it had to adapt.]
Rain was eager to see her Echo but didn't want to go outside since it was still raining. Instead, she decided to check it out in her Soul Sea. She sat down and closed her eyes. Moments later, she found herself standing in shallow water beneath an ocean of dark clouds illuminated by occasional lightning strikes, with her Soul Core—a massive sphere of blue and purple lightning—levitating just beneath the cloud cover.
She concentrated on her Echo, and suddenly a ball of ethereal sparks floated down from the sky, beginning to take shape.
"There you are, awwwww… aren't you a cute little fella?"
The little dragon was indeed a baby. Unlike its mother, it had darker scales, almost black with a hint of green. She reached out to touch the Echo when a message appeared before her.
[Evolve Echo into a Spark?]
[Yes] [No]
Rain was once again at a loss for words. She hadn't expected to see something like this. It was surprising, but she quickly regained her composure. Transforming an Echo wasn't a new concept for her; Sunny could do it too. All his shadows had once been Echoes, except for Serpent, which he had received from his Aspect Legacy and was a shadow from the start.
"I guess I have no reason not to do it."
She hesitated for a moment before choosing [Yes] in her mind. Instantly, her Soul Core began to react, and a massive bolt of purple lightning struck the Echo. It swayed slightly before undergoing a transformation. Its scales darkened to a deep black, adorned with white lightning patterns that covered its entire body. The creature's eyes glowed with a purple light, flickering with tiny sparks of electricity. Aside from these changes, it didn't seem to alter much. After a minute, the transformation was complete.
"Interesting, can you sit down?"
Although the little creature was a baby, it was still taller than Rain when it stood on all fours. Obediently, it sat down and looked at Rain with curiosity.
"What? You're hungry, right? Well, unfortunately, I have nothing to give you... Wait, actually, I do."
Rain summoned the Heart of the Mother and stumbled back as it appeared in her hands. It was enormous, much larger than her head, and she had to hold it with both hands since it was still beating.
"Here, little one, this is for you. Just make sure to use it wisely."
Rain brought the Heart closer to the baby dragon and activated the enchantment. After a moment, the Heart began to glow softly before crumbling to dust.
[Your Memory has been Destroyed]
"What?"
Rain panicked for a second, realizing that the dragon in front of her started to sway and then collapsed to the ground. Groaning and breathing heavily, the baby began to transform again. Its body grew larger, resembling a real dragon more and more. It became slimmer, and small wings sprouted from its back. Its head elongated, and its teeth became sharper. The entire process took some time, but soon a baby Storm Dragon stood before her. The creature let out a deep groan and opened its mouth wide. It looked like it was about to attack Rain, but instead, it was recognizing her as its mother and began to affectionately lick her from head to toe with its massive tongue. Rain couldn't help but laugh.
"Stop it, big guy! I already have someone who does that. I don't need you to do it too."
Immediately, it stopped and sat back down. Rain stood up and looked at her new companion.
"I should give you a name, right? How about... Apollo?"
(Note: That's the name of my childhood Rottweiler. I remember when he peed on an electric fence once; it was hilarious to me at four years old. Eleven years later, I did the same thing at night while drunk.)
Apollo seemed to like the name, as his tail began to wag, much like Rick did when he got excited. Rain smiled and checked her runes.
"Let's see what you can do now."
Echoes:/
Sparks: [Apollo]
Spark Rank: Ascended
Spark Class: Beast
Spark Fragments: [0/100]
Path of the True Dragon: [1/7]
Spark Attributes: [Earthquake] [True Dragon] [Storm Born]
Rain beamed as she read the new runes.
"You gained two new attributes, good boy."
[True Dragon] As a True Dragon, you are an incredibly adaptable and refined being that rules the skies with elegance and fierce authority.
[Storm Born] A divine being has made you its loyal servant. As a gift, you have inherited some of its abilities.
Spark Description: [Once, a mutated Mountain Dragon was killed by the ambitious Arcstrider. After its death, the Arcstrider reignited the spark of life in the young dragon, transforming it into a loyal companion suited to stand by her side.]
Rain chuckled heartily and turned to her new friend.
"I have a challenging journey ahead. I hope you don't mind."
Apollo tilted his head slightly and then bowed to her. Rain patted him on the head and dismissed the spark again. Before leaving, she checked her runes once more.
Name: Rain
True Name: Arcstrider
Rank: Sleeper
Arc Core: Dormant
Arc Fragments: [186/1000]
"It was quite costly to transform him into a spark. Otherwise, I'd have a lot more fragments by now, but it was totally worth it. I should head out before anything gets drawn in by the smell outside."
She exited the cave and made her way back to her camp. Of course, she washed up first, as she was still covered in the mother's innards and blood. Soon, she reached her cave and packed her belongings. Even though she had two more days until they were set to leave for the Academy, she felt that heading out a bit early wouldn't hurt, especially since she missed Rick by her side.
Stepping outside the cave, she summoned Apollo. The dragon was still a baby but was already much larger than Rain and had wings. She wanted to see if he could fly her home, as walking would take several hours, and who wouldn't want to make a grand entrance on the back of a dragon after being away for just a few days?
"Let's see if this works."
She summoned a rope and tied it around her waist, connecting it to one of Apollo's legs.
"Better safe than sorry. It would be embarrassing to fall like this. Okay, let's give this a shot. Come on, Apollo, show me what you can do."
Apollo spread his wings and took off running. After a few seconds, he leaped high into the air, and they flew briefly before landing back down. His wings were not yet strong enough to carry both of them. After a somewhat rough landing, Apollo looked a bit embarrassed. Rain patted his head and smiled.
"It's okay, Apollo. You're still a baby. One day, we'll soar through the skies together. I'm sure of it."
They continued their journey on foot. Although Apollo couldn't fly yet, he could run much faster than Rain. They made their way to Bastion and reached Sunny's Café in no time. It took them about an hour, and they arrived in the middle of the day. Rain was pleased to have returned earlier than expected, especially since she had a date planned with Rick. She felt it was well-deserved after defeating an Awakened Tyrant, two Awakened Beasts, and one Corrupted Beast—all while being a Sleeper.
Entering the café, Apollo tried to follow her inside. However, he was too big for the door. Rain considered asking him to wait outside, but suddenly Apollo began to shrink, transforming into a creature no larger than a puppy, resembling a cute lizard again. Rain stared at her companion in surprise.
"You can do that? That's amazing. Good boy, Apollo."
'It must be because of his [True Dragon] attribute.'
[True Dragon] As a True Dragon, you are an incredibly adaptable and refined being that rules the skies with elegance and fierce authority.
"It seems like changing your size and form is part of it. Unfortunately, it looks like you can only shrink, right?"
Apollo tilted his head, perhaps too young to grasp the question. Regardless of the reason, it didn't matter. Rain and Apollo entered the café through the back entrance. She instructed him to stay by her side and remain calm, as she didn't want Sunny to get a bad impression of her new companion. She searched the café, even checking the basement, but Sunny was nowhere to be found. Looking down at Apollo, she said,
"No wonder— I was supposed to return the day after tomorrow. He must be at the Ivory Tower. I can guess what he's doing there, so let's just visit Rick."
Talking to a baby dragon might seem a bit crazy, but Rain didn't mind. After all, people talk to their goldfish. So, conversing with Apollo wasn't the most outrageous thing in the world. Perhaps one day he would understand and even respond. Sunny's shadows could do so, after all—some better than others.
Rain could have dismissed Apollo, but she didn't like the idea of him being alone in her Soul Sea. Plus, he looked adorable now that he was the size of a puppy and resembled a gecko. After taking a shower, she wore a plain white hoodie and white sweatpants, as the weather was getting colder around Bastion. Winter was approaching, bringing with it the Winter Solstice, which made her a bit anxious but also excited. She wondered where she would end up and who she would meet. But one thing was clear: she would do everything to achieve her goal.
Walking to the hotel where Rick was staying took her about twenty minutes. Having a gecko-sized puppy beside her drew many curious looks from the residents of Bastion. It wasn't illegal to have an Echo walking or flying beside you, but Apollo was special. Not just because he was a dragon—something no one could know—but because he appeared more alive than other Echoes. This wasn't surprising, considering he was a Spark, not merely an Echo.
"They like you, Apollo. I hope you enjoy being outside."
Apollo's tail wagged happily the entire time, indicating he was very content. Fortunately for Rain, Apollo wasn't a real dog; otherwise, he would need to relieve himself from time to time.
They soon arrived at the hotel and headed to Rick's room. Rain fixed her hair and knocked on the door. She heard footsteps approaching, and the door swung open to reveal Rick, grinning widely. Unable to contain her excitement, Rain leaped into his arms, burying her face in his chest and taking a deep breath. Her heart settled, and all the exhaustion from her adventure melted away. Rick chuckled and kissed the top of her head, taking a deep breath himself.
"You're early! That's wonderful. I missed you so much."
"I missed you too. Can we come in?"
Her voice was muffled as she hugged him tightly, pressing her face against his chest.
"Uh, you mean 'Can I come inside?'"
Rain laughed and shook her head.
"No, I meant what I said. APOLLO, GET OVER HERE!"
Rick frowned and glanced down the hallway, spotting a small gecko scurrying toward him.
"What's that? Did you get an echo?"
Rick was taken aback, his mind racing with questions about how Rain had acquired the creature. When Apollo reached them, he sat down beside Rain. Rick examined the little guy and smiled.
"He's adorable! How did you get him?"
"I'll tell you everything once we're inside."
Rick chuckled and began to walk backward, with Rain clinging to him, forcing him to navigate the room with her attached. He fell back onto the bed, and Rain lay on top of him, resting her head on his chest as she recounted her adventures—from slaying the mountain dragon to how she came to have Apollo. She shared every detail, and when she mentioned the markings on the wall, Rick blushed deeply, realizing they were remnants of their first date that he thought no one would discover.
"You can't imagine how happy I was when I found the heart."
"Well, it's hard for me not to think about you. It always has been."
He gently lifted Rain's chin, not to kiss her, but to show her the beautiful white rose in a vase on his nightstand, glimmering in the sunlight. Rain couldn't help but kiss him right away.
"I love you so much! You're so sweet. I looked at my rose every night before bed."
"Me too! I couldn't take my eyes off mine. I even brought it with me when I went out to eat. It reminded me of you and reassured me that you were okay."
Just then, Apollo jumped onto the bed. Rain laughed and patted the little guy on the head. Rick tried to do the same, but Apollo wasn't having it. He was annoyed that his mother was lying on top of Rick. Apollo growled at him, prompting Rain to frown and say sternly,
"No, bad boy. This is a friend, understand, Apollo?"
Apollo stopped growling, though he wasn't pleased. He jumped down from the bed and curled up beside it, resting his head on his tail in a show of defiance. Rick watched the scene, amused, and said,
"He really is a cute little guy. I hope we get along in the future. It's amazing that you can transform echoes like Sunny can. Must be a family trait."
"Yeah, I guess so. I'm excited to introduce him to Sunny and the others."
"Sounds good. Want to go see them?"
"Not yet. They don't know I'm back. I left the little serpent in the cave, so even Sunny has no idea."
Rick chuckled, lingering for a moment.
"So, you're saying we can just go on a date?"
Rain kissed him and laughed.
"I love when our minds connect. So, what should we do? It's going to get dark in about five hours, so we have plenty of time."
"Hmmm, let's see. There's a new movie in the theater. Want to go watch it? After we grab some food, of course. I can hear your stomach growling."
"That sounds lovely! Let's go."
Rain patted Apollo on the head with a big smile.
"Come on, Apollo! There's not much for you to do here, so you're coming with us."
Apollo stood up and walked to the door, waiting patiently for Rain. They stepped outside and headed to the pizza place they had visited on their first real date. After that, they went to see the movie. Rain was surprised to find it wasn't a new Mongrel movie but rather a film about Nephis and her heroic adventure in the Dream Realm. The director was none other than Cassie, though that wasn't revealed to the audience.
"I didn't know propaganda could be this exciting."
Watching the movie about Nephis and her companion made Rain a little sad, as one member was missing, and only she and Rick noticed that Sunny had lost his fate and been forgotten. The film was good, though; Cassie did an excellent job portraying Nephis as a strong, aloof character that one would want to follow.
After the movie, they returned to the hotel. Rain noticed that Apollo was swaying slightly. She chuckled, picked him up for a hug, and said,
"Someone's getting tired. I think it's time for you to return to my soul sea. Goodnight, Apollo. I'll summon you later."
As Rain dismissed Apollo, she thought she saw a hint of a smile on his face. It seemed he enjoyed the warmth of his mother's touch. Meanwhile, Rain and Rick lay on the bed, cuddling and discussing what they would do at the academy.
"Have you decided which courses you're going to take? I know you don't need them, but it would be a waste not to take at least one class."
Rick asked after a while. Rain had thought about it and even discussed it with Sunny and Neph regarding which classes would be worthwhile. She sighed and replied,
"I think I'll take some exercise classes. Nephis suggested that even if I don't learn anything new, sparring with others will be good training. Sunny mentioned taking science classes, which makes sense. I still need to understand electromagnetic charges better to wield my aspect effectively. That's about it; maybe I'll take a few classes just for fun. What about you?"
"Pretty much the same. I'll take the same classes as you. Plus, I'll attend something I enjoy. There's not much I could learn there, but lounging around in my room all day isn't really an option. I already have a plan for our little issue."
Rain laughed heartily, curious to hear more.
"Oh, please enlighten me! How do you plan to solve that?"
Rick chuckled and pretended to grab an invisible chain from the air. He pulled on it, and suddenly he was in his bathroom. Rain yelped as she fell back onto the bed, confused by what had just happened. A moment later, Rick opened the bathroom door and leaned against the doorframe.
"That's how! I'll put a chain from your room to mine. That way, I can travel between our rooms without being seen. Coming and going from your room would look suspicious, especially since you're not exactly quiet. The storm will muffle the sound, just like it always does."
Rain chuckled and lay flat on the bed, pulling her hoodie up to her neck, revealing that she wasn't wearing anything underneath.
"I think I've forgotten what you mean exactly. Care to remind me?"
Rick walked over, removed her hoodie completely, and began massaging her breasts.
"I'd be more than happy to jog your memory. I even learned a new trick while you were away."
Rain bit her lower lip and whispered, "Show me."