“The chosen ones!” Etzar announced when Arg landed in his den. He waved at them, gesturing for them to come closer. David looked dubiously at the wild beast circling him. Some lurked, glowering at them with golden eyes within the shaded, tree populated part of the den. Chloe held David’s hand, standing so close to him that she was half hidden.

“What? You are scared of my children?” Etzar asked. The dragon was bare from the waist up. His chest was lean compared to Jaresh, yet he was well built. His arms were long, strong looking, perfect with his broad shoulders. What he lacked in muscle, he had in grace. He carried an air of godlike radiance, even when he tossed something red and bloody to a spotted winged beast.

It leapt up, catching the meat in great jaws and then softened its fall with two quick flaps of its wings. It turned ruby eyes to Zoey when she took a step forward. David ignored it, instead focusing on the other animals.

Like Veenar, David could see Etzar’s fascination with animals. And like in Gea, there was no animal he recognized here. Some strolled lazily about, snapping their necks to the dragon every time he tossed food in the air. Others laid down, crouched, or covered themselves with their feathered or bald wings.

The animals parted for them, giving way as David and Chloe led the others to Etzar. When David got closer, he realized Etzar was unlike the others. His skin was mud brown, almost red. His hair was short and golden, like noon sun rays filtered and thinned into fibers. He was beautiful. And at the same time terrifying. His face was long, carved perfectly, except his four eyes and his crown of eight short horns.

“How are you?” Etzar asked Chloe, focusing all four eyes on her, each one dim red, like a glowing clot of old blood. It shone against the black of his sclera, making it intensely disturbing when he stared at any one person.

Etzar grinned when Chloe took a step back. Then he came close to David, staring deep into him, as if in an attempt to see past flesh and into his soul. They stood for a long moment, holding each other’s gaze until Etzar became a blur to David, and then the dragon moved, his fist moving swiftly like a spooked beast.

David caught the blow and winced. He felt the crack of a finger, but gritted and ignored the pain. He was thinking of attacking too when he saw that Etzar was laughing.

“That was good!” Etzar said, walking back to the large bag from which he pulled out a slab of meat and tossed into the air, blood spraying in the wind. The beasts leapt, about six of them. They snarled at each other and then a loud roar tore through the den, and they all bowed, retreating from the meat.

“Jokal, that is for you,” Etzar said. A dark short furred beast walked out of the bunch. Its mouth stressed in a lazy yawn as it sauntered towards the food. Its tail, long and barbed at the tip, snapped from side to side with fury. It picked the meat and went back into the dense crowd of ferocious eyes and low snarls.

“There is food for everyone,” Etzar said.

David stared at the dragon. It was like the male version of Veenar—playful and beautiful. David looked around, wondering if there would be creatures that served him too. There were none. He could only sense the rumble of growls in the shadows. And he knew that if he looked closely, he could see eyes filled with malice. Animals, especially beasts like these were not to be trusted.

“Can we get through the trial?” David asked. He was not sure how long he wanted to be in a place like this. Chloe’s anxiety was beginning to creep up on him too.

“What if this is your test?” Etzar asked, grinning. “What if the test was for you to defeat my collection of fantastic magical beasts?”

David stared at the dragon for a moment, unsure how to answer that. There was mischief dancing in his eyes, all four of them. David wondered if he should pull his sword or see that as a bluff. Before he could decide, he sensed Zoey summon her bow and Etzar laughter boomed, stirring the beasts around. David waved for Zoey to stop.

“You are just as my sister said,” the dragon turned to another magical beast, giving his bloody hand to be licked clean. The beast’s large head moved side to side as it cleaned, the ground vibrating faintly as it shuddered in pleasure.

“Borlls are very easy to please,” Etzar explained. “They are deadly, but they love to serve.”

Etzar patted the Borll’s giant head, stood up and folded his hand over his chest. Wings sprouted out his back. Red as his eyes with feathers that seemed to shimmer. Not dragon wings as David had expected. The wings beat softly, but heavily. The animals growled and groaned. And David was forced to one knee. It all happened suddenly, as if the dragon had snapped.

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David looked up and his chest heaved with panic. The fun loving Etzar was gone, replaced by something completely demonic. His feathers burned continuously, the smell of burnt hair filling the den. His horns were tipped in dark-red flames and all four eyes shone.

The wings beat and dust floated like mist, obscuring the dragon’s frame, making him even more godlike. But he was still in his human form.

“I am Etzar, second born of Ziel and it is my time to decide your fates.” His voice echoed, and the dust was tossed into chaos, as Etzar’s wings created wind. It lashed again and the force of essence almost crushed David’s ribs. He groaned, trying to fight against Etzar’s power while protecting Chloe. There was no time to react, no space to for a counter attack. Everything has happened in a moment. David swore, screaming into the raging storm that was building.

And suddenly it all disappeared and Etzar was laughing again as he descended. The dust settled and David realized he’d been wrong. The beasts seemed unperturbed by what had happened. Some even yawned, as if bored.

“What just happened?” Elisha asked.

“That was what you expected, right?” Etzar asked, grinning as he came closer. Chloe shuddered, even though he was back to normal. There was something intimidating about the dragon still. “You expected that I would pour fire and brimstone on you or perhaps call some underlings to fight you to the death?”

David stared, confusion stark on his face.

“This trial thing is old and pointless,” Etzar said, sighing. He walked past David to where Zoey stood. She’d summoned her bow and as the dragon came close to her, she brought it up and dragged. Etzar grinned, not stopping until he was standing right in front of her.

“You are the reason I asked that you be brought to me,” He said, smiling. She frowned. “You can feel it, don’t you? The string pulling at you with all these beasts around. You can see into their souls, maybe not yet or not as much as I can…but you feel the calling.”

Zoey looked away from his eyes that seemed to bore into her, reading her thoughts like unrolled scrolls. Her eyes fell on a Faeling. A spider-like beast. Its many long legs scuttled away from her sight, and as it ran for the trees, she heard a screech in her head…her mind. It had said something, she was sure of it.

I just don’t understand it.

“You are still unskilled,” Etzar said. “Still a young druid…ah! So exciting!”

“What are you talking about?” David asked.

“Your sister’s affinity for beast bonds, of course,” Etzar said and then touched her bow and it vanished. Zoey stumbled back but the dragon caught her hand, pulling her back to him. She stood, too shocked to move. And then she wailed. It was a guttural cry. Her neck snapped back and her eyes widened.

You began a forced bond!

There will be resistance as you are attempting to bond with a beast under Lord Etzar’s command. A severe penalty for will be given for your breach of domain!

Bonding confirmed and permitted!

Lord Etzar, Beast King and Son of Ziel has given you his blessing!

You have bonded with a Vjognir.

The pain stretched unending, and as it crushed Zee, she wondered if she would die. She felt something shatter within her, and then an invasion—subtle and comforting. A presence that was both her own and independent of her will. She grasped at it, the warmth, the relief.

She opened her eyes, her heart racing and her breathing heavy. Etzar was grinning, his eyes brimming with excitement. Zee pulled her hand from his. Behind the dragon, she saw that David had pulled his sword and Elisha’s shadow was stirring like a large dark storm. She looked at her palm where a mark had burned into her flesh. The mark was red and blistering.

“What is that?” Chloe asked, pointing at Zoey. No, Zoey realized, not at her. Chloe was pointing at the furry, large eyed magical beast floating beside her head. Its eyes were huge, but it was just a blob of fur otherwise. She couldn’t see any limbs or mouth. Yet she could tell that it was smiling. She could feel it.

“That is a Vjognir,” Etzar said, smiling. “My child, and now yours.”

Zoey’s shock made the dragon laugh again. He went on for a while, not stopping even when Arg descended. The other beasts in the den sniffed at the bird, snarling and hissing at it. Arg crouched, waiting for them to come to it.

“What is it?” Zoey asked, pointing at the floating beast. She could sense essence flowing through and out of it, but it didn’t look like anything she could use in a fight.

“You will learn its uses as your bond grows,” Etzar said, still smiling. “For now, she will be your burden, but soon she will help you advance. You will learn. Survive long enough and you will learn.” And then he turned away from them, focused again on feeding his many beasts.

“That’s a weird one,” Elisha said, and Zoey snorted.

“The weirdest so far,” she replied, climbing on Arg’s back. Before Arg took off, David took a glance at the dragon again. For some reason, he sensed Etzar’s dislike for him. Or perhaps, it was his sword. It was unsettling, but he was grateful they didn’t have to fight. He was sure Etzar would have destroyed them completely. The thought made him shudder, and their destination made him feel even worse.