If there was an easy way out, Damian would never say no to it. Especially if it ant getting information from soone who, for so strange reason, seed to like his furry little beast a bit too much.
The trust she placed in him wasn’t really his. It belonged to the little silver fox perched on his shoulder, and if that was the key to unlocking secrets, well... he was going to milk it for all it was worth.
So, he allowed Lyra Veyrin and her bouncy blue sli to follow him through the trees, all the way to a part of the forest that sounded like it had borrowed its soundtrack from a haunted techno jungle. Distant drone hums. The occasional beastly scream. So poor Beast Master yelling their lungs out. They were fun fucking tis!
Lyra led him to what looked like an artificial cave nestled between two massive trees, all tangled roots and shadowy leaves. She gestured him in with the casual flair of soone inviting a friend into their lair.
The small cave of overlapping roots provided a canopy of shade thick enough to swallow light. Once inside, Damian and Kitsuul practically vanished into the shadows even with the silent silver glow around them.
Lyra, humming like a lullaby was playing in her head, turned to her sli. "Little Bluey, can you shield us?"
Barely a whisper. But Damian caught it, watching with narrowed eyes as the blue sli burbled cheerfully and released a faintly glowing white-blue barrier. It expanded, covering a six-to-seven ter radius.
Only then did Lyra exhale like she could finally breathe.
Gone was the shy, clumsy girl from earlier. What stood in her place now was sharp-eyed and cool-headed—soone who knew what they were doing. Soone potentially dangerous.
Damian tightened his guard. Stackborn Rule #1- Never misjudge soone based on first impressions.
He had just violated such a rule earlier!
But Beast Masters weren’t like normal Stackborn. They wore their secrets like armor. Facades were just another accessory.
Lyra noticed the look he gave her and frowned.
"Hey, don’t punish for letting the act drop. You’re one of the few people I don’t pretend to be shy around. I’m doing this for your own good, you know. My aunt, Guardian Flaborn, is overprotective and hates Stackborns. Judging by your clothes, you’re from the Hollow Stacks, right? Do you see treating you any different?"
...!
She was talkative now. Too talkative. Damian raised a brow but relaxed slightly.
If she could play roles, then so could he.
"Okay. And I’ve never looked at you any differently just because you’re a Glassblood."
He said it evenly, and it worked.
Lyra’s smile was bright enough to stop a heart. "Stackborn, Glassblood... I’ve always found those labels ridiculous. Even as Beast Masters, we can’t escape them. But I am curious about you and your silver fox, Therion. If she’s not a Synthesized Hybrid, and still has Bluey this obsessed, she must be sothing special. Will you tell about her?"
Fishing.
But two could fish.
Damian gave her a small smile. "How about this- you get a little about Kitsuul, and in exchange, you tell what I should expect for the second part of this Trial. And what it ans to beco a Trial Guardian for ZENTHRA."
...!
She smiled sweetly and clapped her hands. "Let Little Bluey play with Kitsuul too, and I’ll spill secrets even the Guardians don’t talk about."
"..."
She really was sothing.
Hella suspicious too!
Damian sent a quiet ssage to Kitsuul, who gave a resigned huff and floated down from his shoulder.
Bluey hopped off Lyra’s head like a spring-loaded marshmallow and started bouncing circles around Kitsuul, chirping like a hyperactive bird. Kitsuul rolled her eyes, clearly regretting having agreed to play with this sli, but it was all for her Master!
So she chirped back regally.
Lyra watched the interaction with stars in her eyes. "I’ve never seen Little Bluey this happy. Guess I’ll go first."
She looked toward the playful sli before continuing, her tone softening.
"This Trial. Becoming a Trial Guardian. ZENTHRA...Well, let start with the Beasts. Whether it’s one born in an Entropic Rift or grown in a lab by a Beast Corporation, I don’t care. Bluey isn’t so science project to . He’s my partner. My family. Skyglass Heights might look pretty, but it wasn’t always easy. When things got dark... Bluey was the one who lit the way for . That’s why I’m talking to you right now. Because I’ve never seen him connect with another Beast like this. And that has really curious about your silver fox."
She smiled again, brilliant and honest- and Damian listened, reassessing everything he thought he knew about her.
Not all Beast Masters were the sa. So were complicated.
This particular one had her attention going between Kitsuul and Bluey, thoughtful, as she continued to spill small secrets and knowledge regarding Beast Masters!
—
Above them, far above the veiled grove and tangled roots, the command room buzzed with faint energy.
Guardian Flaborn leaned forward, eyes locked on the screen showing nothing of the shadowy outlines of her niece and the boy she now knew as Therion Dark who were covered by darkness.
"Why is it that Stackborns get one little bond with a Beast and suddenly think they’re equals? Happens every ti. One minute they’re nothing, and the next, they think the world owes them status. Hmph. And now Lyra is giving him attention? I’ll lecture her about it later. She needs to stay close to other Glassblood Beast Masters—not strays from the Hollow Stacks."
...!
The other evaluators exchanged glances. One tapped her screen and smiled.
"Lyra’s breezing through this. And since she seems to favor the Trial Beast Master, he’ll probably pass the first test without breaking a sweat. But there was a little tension with one of the jealous Trial Guardians. The second Trial? Might be less kind for him. Wouldn’t be surprised if Therion gets beaten bloody or killed."
...!
"Oh?" Guardian Flaborn lifted a brow, smiling like she already slled blood in the water.
Below, the Trial continued. Beasts roared. Beast Masters faltered. So competitors fled or fell.
Until...
"Initializing terrain change..."
An Evaluator tapped a few keys. The floor shuddered.
Cracks spiderwebbed across the earth. Molten light pulsed beneath.
Lava.
Lava!
"Ahh," one evaluator sang, "the fun part. Anyone betting on which Beast Master falls into the lava pools first? I’m calling two!"
Laughter followed.
For the evaluators, it was all just a ga. For everyone else?
Shit was about to get very real!
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