Eldrin flew steadily through the sky, his massive body cutting through the air with calm control.
Garion stood firmly on his back, arms relaxed.
Dahlia sat near the front, eyes sharp and excited.
The twins held on behind her, arguing quietly.
Clara leaned forward, clearly enjoying the ride, while Eliza stayed low and silent, her presence almost blending with Eldrin’s scales.
As they descended, the air below changed.
It felt heavier. Darker.
Eldrin’s eyes narrowed.
"...Cindor is here," he said quietly.
Garion looked down and saw it.
Below them, flas burned without smoke.
A bird wreathed in vermilion fire stood calmly on the ground.
Nearby, Silvar waited in silence.
Bastor and Varyn remained unmoving, like they had always been there.
Garion clicked his tongue lightly. "So these are the other guardian beasts from the fallen sects, huh."
Dahlia leaned closer. "That one looks grumpy."
"Very grumpy," Rynor added.
"Hot too," Rynar said. "I don’t like hot."
Eldrin landed smoothly.
The ground trembled slightly as his claws touched down.
Cindor did not move.
She waited until Eldrin fully folded his wings and stepped aside. Only then did she speak.
"Eldrin," Cindor said. Her voice was calm but sharp. "Why have you fallen so low?"
The disciples stiffened.
"To think you would ask humans for help," Cindor continued. "Have you forgotten who we are?"
Eldrin did not react angrily. He simply smiled faintly.
"I have not fallen," Eldrin replied. "I adapted."
Cindor’s eyes flicked toward Garion and the others. "Adapted by relying on humans?"
"Yes," Eldrin said calmly. "Because the situation has already reached that level."
He turned his head slightly. "The seal is weakening faster than expected."
Cindor’s flas flared for a brief mont. "And you believe humans can fix what we could not?"
"These humans are different," Eldrin said. "They are stronger."
Dahlia crossed her arms. "Hey, at least pretend we’re not standing right here."
Clara grinned. "You could say please first."
Cindor ignored them and looked at Eldrin. "Stronger?"
"Yes," Eldrin answered. "They can fight us."
That finally caught Cindor’s attention.
Her gaze sharpened as she looked at Garion. Then Dahlia. Then the twins. Then Clara and Eliza.
"...They are still human," Cindor said.
Garion stepped forward casually. "That again."
He stretched his neck once. "You beasts really like saying that."
Cindor’s eyes locked onto him. "You speak boldly."
Garion shrugged. "I train boldly."
Eldrin added, "I have tested them."
Silence followed.
Cindor slowly walked forward, flas shifting with each step.
She stopped a short distance from Garion.
"I doubt that," Cindor said. "Words are easy."
Garion smiled. Not arrogant. Just confident.
"Good," he replied. "Doubt is healthy."
Dahlia grinned. "Master, she’s challenging you."
"I know," Garion said calmly.
He took a step forward and rolled his shoulders once, like he was about to start a light warm-up.
"And that’s exactly why," Garion continued, "we’ll do this."
Everyone froze.
Garion looked around at the gathered beasts.
His gaze moved from Silvar to Cindor, then to Bastor and Varyn, and finally back to Eldrin.
"All of you," he said casually. "Four of you... no, five."
He tilted his head slightly toward Bastor’s shell. "I’ll count the two of you together."
Dahlia’s grin froze. "Master?"
The twins blinked at the sa ti.
"...All of them?" Rynor asked.
Rynar swallowed. "At once?"
Garion nodded. "Let see how strong the talking beasts really are."
The air tightened.
Eldrin stepped forward imdiately, his expression calm but serious. "Human. I know you are confident."
He looked straight at Garion. "But do not mistake confidence for invincibility."
Silvar said nothing, but his eyes sharpened.
Cindor’s flas flared slightly. "You insult us."
Eldrin continued, "I already acknowledge that you are strong. But fighting all of us together is another matter."
Garion turned his head and smiled. Not mocking. Just honest.
"Co on," he said. "You heard my disciples."
He glanced back briefly. Dahlia, the twins, Clara, and Eliza were all staring at him in disbelief.
"They’ll tell you," Garion went on. "I’m never serious."
Dahlia groaned. "Why do you say that like it’s reassuring?"
Garion stretched his neck once. "So now, I’ll take this chance."
He looked back at the beasts. "To see if I can."
Cindor stepped forward, wings spreading slightly. "You are reckless."
Garion shrugged. "Maybe."
Silvar spoke at last, his voice cold and short. "If you fall, we will not stop."
Garion nodded. "Fair."
Eldrin watched him closely. "...Very well."
The ground felt heavier.
Mana shifted.
The ancient beasts adjusted their stances, not rushing, not hesitating.
Garion stood at the center, hands relaxed at his sides, breathing steadily.
"Alright," he said. "Show what decades of existence looks like."
The answer ca imdiately.
All four beasts moved at the sa ti.
The ground shuddered as Silvar stepped forward first.
His body lowered, muscles tightening, claws extending until they glead with killing intent.
The air around him sharpened, pressure focusing into a narrow line aid straight at Garion.
Eldrin lifted his head slightly.
The surrounding forest responded at once.
Roots tore free from the soil. Vines snapped upward. Leaves hardened, twisting into cutting arcs as nature itself turned hostile.
Cindor spread her wings.
Heat rolled outward in waves. Flas gathered along her feathers, compact and controlled, not wild.
The fire did not roar. It waited.
Behind them, Bastor remained planted like an immovable wall.
The earth beneath him thickened and compressed.
At the sa ti, Varyn slid forward along the shell, water gathering in tight spirals, and pressure building as currents wrapped around the battlefield.
The disciples watching from afar froze.
"...They didn’t even hesitate," Rynor muttered.
Rynar clenched his fists. "They’re not holding back."
Dahlia swallowed once. "Master..."
Garion did not move.
He stood there with his arms crossed, posture relaxed, as if nothing was happening at all.
Silvar struck first.
His claws ca down in a clean, direct arc, carrying the weight of judgnt behind them.
At the sa mont, the ground beneath Garion rippled as earth surged upward, water following right after, pressure twisting together.
Vines lashed from all sides. Fire swept in from above.
Garion smiled.
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