The realm of the wind dragon is not an unpleasant one. Ryukaze does seem somewhat, lonely though. Mateo is not bothered by keeping her company.

  “Would you like some more biscuits?” Ryukaze asks.

  “Biscuits, is that something dragons like?” Mateo questions sipping his tea.

  “Some of us like to keep a stash of them,” she replies pleasantly.

  “I’m fine, I think I’m ready to meet Borgal.”

  Ryukaze stands removing Mateo’s plate of tea. Mateo falls to the ground as the seat beneath him and its corresponding table disappear. The landscape turns to a desert ruin and Mateo prepares himself for battle.

  A large creature, nearly ninety feet in length dives in and out of the sand as if swimming through it like water. Casting a ward Mateo readies Drako’s Razor. The sand before him erupts into a plume of unbreathable mist. Mateo’s ward shields him from the cloud of sand. A large creature with a snake like body and the head of a dragon rises before Mateo.

  “I am Borgal the Wyrm, you may know me as Borgal the Destroyer,” the creature states.

  “No, never heard of Borgal the Destroyer,” Mateo replies.

  “Mateo, maybe you should indulge him,” Natalia whispers.

  “Never heard of Borgal the Decimator? strange,” the Wyrm states.

  “That’s different from the first title,” Mateo says nervously.

  Borgal spawns two ethereal claws to scratch his lightly bearded chin.

  “Never heard of Borgal, and who stands before Borgal that lives in a time where he is not the king of the sands?”

  “Ryukaze sent me to challenge you,” Mateo replies.

  His ethereal claws dissipate, and his golden eyes fix on Mateo.

  “Did she now?” Borgal asks curiously.

  “I mean, she didn’t send me here to make sandcastles, I hope.”

  Borgal laughs. Then he laughs some more. His laugh becomes increasingly unsettling the longer it continues. Mateo casts void lightning and Borgal grunts angrily as the spell pulses through him.

  “Fine, no pleasantries,” Borgal yells diving into the sand.

  Quest activated: Wyrm’s Wrath- defeat Borgal the Wyrm and claim proficiency over his power.

  Natalia- Mateo, how are we going to beat this thing?

  Mateo- I’m going to need you Natalia, you’re going to have to be more than a backseat driver.

  Natalia- I am not a backseat driver!

  Mateo- sorry, not what I meant, I mean you’re going to have to take action instead of giving advice.

  Natalia- if I manifest physically in battle, it will cost you spirit points, then you won’t be able to void walk.

  Mateo- I know, and I also know that I’m not the only one in this body, we need to work together, we are in this together Natalia.

  Natalia- You’re right Mateo, we are in this together.

  Borgal the Decimator has activated the Pit of Sarjack.

  “Natalia, prepare to return to the sky,” Mateo says descending into the maw of the massive sand beast.

  Falling below the sand Mateo descends into rows of jagged bone resembling the teeth of a massive shark. The further he falls the less he can stand the stench. The unbearable stench of thousands of decaying corpses bloated and festering in the heat. Mateo covers his face trying to avoid it and remain conscious.

  Finally, he descends into the throat of the beast. A flicking tongue is crushing its prey before lapping them down into the esophagus to be digested. Mateo equips his Del Toro armor and activates Raging Bull. He charges the tongue ramming it with his ethereal horns. The attack is without success, and he falls back.

  “Wyrm’s Wrath, ram that tongue into it’s throat and it will suffocate,” Natalia says.

  “We’ll see,” Mateo replies.

  Ability activated: Wyrm’s Wrath.

  Mateo bolts forward gripping the tongue and tossing it as an ethereal tail slams it down the throat of the beast. The Wyrm chokes violently ejecting Mateo from its sandy maw.

  Borgal appears again as a Wyrm. He raises his maw letting out a loud laugh. Mateo readies himself for battle once more.

  “What’s so funny sand worm?” Mateo asks.

  “Ahahahahaha, ahahaha, a man who chases tail but doesn’t know how to use one, I find this entertaining,” Borgal continues.

  “I’m not chasing tail, and ofcourse I don’t know how to use a tail, I don’t have one,” Mateo complains.

  “For a man soaked in the scent of beast girls I find it improbable that you are not chasing tail, even your sprite of a dragon can sense the shifting of your hormones,” Borgal proclaims.

  Mateo steps forward ready to charge in with another raging bull attack. Borgal rises nearly standing on the tip of his tail. His form overshadows Mateo by almost ninety feet.

  “I only jest young realmwalker, but, if you seek to use my tail for combat, you will need to feel it in your blood, dragon kin.”

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  “Dragon kin?” Mateo asks.

  “You aren’t of dragon rank so you know not of affinities, your name, Ryusane, it’s a dragon affinity, it is why Ryukaze appeared before you when you read the mortal arts tome, instead of Gareth the lion, or Dawn the phoenix, both harbingers of their respective orders,” Borgal explains.

  “What do affinities entail?”

  “Nothing you can comprehend at your rank, worry not though,” Borgal says slamming his massive form down beside Mateo.

  Mateo coughs as a large plume of sand overtakes him. After a few moments it settles and he finds himself inside the coiled form of the Wyrm, Borgal. Borgal rests his head face to face with Mateo examining him.

  “Yes, maybe, perhaps, or, is it, undeniable?”

  “What, what are you talking about?” Mateo asks.

  “I can teach you, you can learn, Borgal is your mentor, and he will teach the young drakeling, a mighty dragon you will become, more than most but less than some, this is all that Borgal can offer you, do you accept?”

  Borgal moves his large gnashing maw close to Mateo biting his words as if they are a meal to be savored. Mateo steps toward his gnashing teeth fearlessly holding out an open palm.

  “If you are here to teach, then I am here to learn.”

  “One decade, it will take one decade to learn a Wyrm’s ability, time will not pass in Gottes, as we do not reside in that realm, a fleeting moment for them, but for us, much time will pass, you will learn my skills and develop my ability.”

  “Mateo, are you sure about this?” Natalia asks.

  Mateo holds out his hand and Natalia lands gently in his palm seeming distraught. He pulls her close to his face rubbing his nose against her and she wraps her arms around it her raven wings fluttering.

  “Ok, let’s get stronger,” Natalia agrees.

  Borgal uncurls himself from Mateo and dives into the desert sand before emerging from it in a strangely humanoid sand form.

  Ten years later.

  The ninety foot Wyrm Borgal looms over Mateo.

  “Hit me with all you’ve got,” Borgal yells.

  “Don’t worry, I’m not going to hold back,” Mateo replies charging him.

  Ability activated: Wyrm’s wrath.

  Mateo charges forward grabbing the massive Wyrm and lifting it into the air, before summoning an ethereal tail that slams it into the ground. A huge plume of sand fills the air shrouding Borgal. After a few moments it dissipates and he rises.

  “That will do, that will do, I must hand you off to your new teacher now, I hope they train you well,” Borgal says his humanoid avatar bowing.

  Borgal summons a portal directing Mateo through it. He bows to Borgal thanking him for his guidance before entering. On the other side, Mateo finds himself afloat atop the clouds. The realm of the Amphithere.

  A large dragon-like creature with brilliant rainbow wings appears before Mateo. He takes in its beauty and raises his hand palm pointed toward the creature.

  “My name is Mateo Ryusane, under the guidance of Ryukaze I am here to train with the Amphithere,” he states.

  The creature remains hovering over him as a small humanoid girl with the horns and hooves of a fawn approaches him. Her legs covered in fur she wears not but a brightly colored summer dress adorned with flowers and vibrant colors. Mateo crouches down lowering his open hand to her.

  “My name is Mateo, what is your name?”

  The girl twists her hoof in the clouds nervously.

  “C-Connie,” she stutters.

  Mateo lowers himself sitting cross legged in the clouds.

  “Are you afraid of me Connie?” Mateo asks.

  The girl runs a soft hand over her curled horn nervously. She’s all but shaking in fear. Natalia has hidden herself away, perhaps that is better in this situation. Mateo doesn’t know how Amphitheres or fawns might react to pixies, though they surely know he has one.

  “You kind of remind me of a fawn I know, haven’t heard from her in a bit, her name was Rachel,” Mateo states.

  “Rachel, from a tavern?” The girl questions.

  “Yes, pretty, kind, long dark hair.”

  “Do you like, fawns?” She questions.

  Mateo stands equipping his armor and drawing his dagger. He moves around Connie placing himself between her and the Amphithere.

  “Are you in danger, do you need help?”

  The Amphithere flaps its wings and a rainbow of light washes over Mateo. The young fawn disappears leaving him armed and ready for combat. The Amphithere speaks, her feminine voice both commanding and alluring.

  “I’m glad you know Rachel the fawn, the projection I put upon you was of her as a child, vulnerable and innocent, before she was, dangerous, I am Iris, the Amphithere of the spectrum.”

  “I’m not sure I know what that means,” Mateo replies.

  “Light is a spectrum, and so I am light, Rachel holds the essence of light, though she is ignorant to this, I only mean to make you aware of this, my true purpose is to show you the use of my wings, for you hold the power to wield them.”

  “Is Rachel in danger?” Mateo questions.

  “That is not why I am here,” the Amphithere replies.

  Mateo steps toward the brilliant, winged dragon.

  “I don’t give a shit about why you are here, is Rachel in danger?”

  A grin spreads across the scaled maw of the Amphithere.

  “If she was, what would you do to protect her?”

  “Whatever I had too.”

  The Amphithere, Iris, shoots above the heavens. Mateo steps forward taking his footing in the clouds. Iris descends like a comet from the atmosphere into the clouds forcing Mateo through them. Only his ward keeps him from being obliterated. As they descend from the heavens Iris takes a humanoid form, well, more of a Garren.

  Blue skin, four arms, and raven colored hair. The Amphithere Iris descends from the heavens with Mateo.

  “We’re falling, can you feel it, the rush of descent?” Iris asks.

  “Yes, I’ve felt it before, when I was at war,” Mateo replies.

  “How did you get into the air?”

  “A metal construct known as a plane.”

  “So, you couldn’t fly yourself?” Iris asks.

  “No.”

  “Would you like to?”

  Mateo stares down at the impending death awaiting him below before returning his gaze to the desirable Garren form Iris has taken.

  “I’ve heard Garren give good hugs,” Mateo jokes.

  “Better to be wrapped in the wings of an Amphithere,” Iris replies with a smile.

  Her body glows returning to that of an Amphithere. Brilliant wings wrap Mateo in a warm and colorful embrace as his eyes roll back in a fit of ecstasy.

  Soaring above the three planets Terramundus, Daedalus, and Zoi Mateo watches entranced by the three moons that orbit them. Iris returns to her Garren form offering Mateo one of her four hands.

  “Gottes is an infantile realm, having only existed for a little over ten thousand years, the taskmaster brings in realmwalkers to protect it, some do, some do not, if you are here to protect this realm I will grant you my power, if you are not, then kill me now for I will not aid you in harming its people,” Iris says staring down at the three planets.

  Mateo glides through space toward Iris gripping her hand. He stares into her brilliant spectral colored eyes and smiles.

  “I want to protect this realm, I want to protect my friends.”

  “Then a kiss will seal it,” Iris replies with a grin.

  Natalia appears as Mateo leans into Iris.

  Natalia- you don’t have to kiss her.

  Mateo- why not?

  Natalia- it isn’t necessary.

  Mateo- so she’s messing with me?

  Natalia- she’s an Amphithere, so it’s probably been a while since she’s been intimate with anyone.

  Mateo- … would you kiss her?

  Natalia- she is pretty cute, hold on, did you just bate me?

  Mateo- I’m kissing the Amphithere.

  Mateo leans in pressing his lips to the Amphithere. Iris pulls back confused.

  “Oh, you just went for it, I wasn’t expecting that, don’t you have a girlfriend or something?” Iris asks.

  “Not really, just broke up, was I not supposed to kiss you?” Mateo asks.

  “Not really, we were supposed to train for ten years, but I guess we don’t have to now because intimate touch has added all that knowledge to you,” Iris says nervously.

  Amphithere Ability activated: Intimate touch. Knowledge has been transferred to you from the Amphithere Iris via an intimate touch. You have learned flight of the Amphithere proficiency I.

  “Oh, that’s something, maybe I should have done this with Borgal,” Mateo says scratching his chin.

  “Borgal doesn’t have a female form, at least not that I’ve seen,” Iris says.

  “If kissing a dude means I don’t have to punch sand for ten years then I think that’s a fair trade, anyway, you wanna get something to eat, I’m hungry,” Mateo says with a smile.

  “Food for how many?”

  “Well, I’ve got a pixie and a mini map, Nat and Ana,” Mateo replies.

  “Is poultry ok?” Iris asks.

  “That’ll be fine,” Mateo replies.

  “Can I have another kiss?”

  “Only if you don’t tell Ryukaze.”

  “It’ll be our secret.”