Tyrodon stood and pulled a large, coiled length of earth tendon from his inventory. He got to work laying it out in a back-and-forth pattern that circled back to the cage on the table in front of Tasar. The stoic warrior had his eyes closed, already meditating in preparation.

Pax took out the sleek bone Taming stick he’d infused with earth mana last night, knowing they’d be attempting this soon. He slid it into the hole at the top of the box until it hit the bottom, prompting an angry snarl and movement that made the entire thing jump on the smooth surface of the low wooden table.

Grinning, he held it stable until the stonepaw calmed down. It was late, which would make the baby more agitated than if they’d tried this during the day. Still, Pax didn’t think Tasar would put this off any longer.

Tyrodon held up the end of his earth tendon. When Pax nodded, he leaned forward and wound it firmly around the end of the bone stick jutting out of the box while Pax held it still. Pax could feel tremors moving up through the stick as the baby shifted. It was definitely not happy.

“Is Horrid ready to help?” Pax asked as he mentally nudged Talpa.

Amil nodded, and both companions moved in close before hopping up on the table next to the trembling box.

“If everyone’s ready, let’s review how we hope this goes.” Pax waited for an acknowledgement.

Tasar’s eyes opened halfway, and he gave Pax a slow nod.

“Good. Tasar, you and I will take the end of the tendon. Bryn, you add your hand too and do your best to sense what you can of the process. On the off chance we can unlock Taming for you, your warrior’s mana might do this better than my light.”

Bryn nodded and shifted a chair so she was closer.

“And the rest of you, too. If this works, I don’t want to be the only one helping warriors Tame beasts.” He motioned to the other three mages. “Just crowd in and get a hand on mine.”

Amil, Rin and Dahni shifted their chairs to find a suitable spot. Finally, they were all in position, clustered together over the top of the still moving cage holding Tasar’s stonepaw.

“Tasar, when you feel ready, you’ll bring your mana up to your right hand and send it into the tendon. This is the first obstacle. If it’s the same as Bryn, you’ll have a hard time forming a shape with your mana. You’ll need a narrow, sharp point, like a funnel or spear, to force it out and into the tendon.”

“I can do that already. I’ve been practicing.”

Pax stopped and gave Tasar a penetrating look, before he realized exactly what Tasar was saying. “You have Mana Sight and Manipulation already and have been practicing it.”

“Yes.” Tasar didn’t elaborate.

Pax didn’t know why it surprised him. Tasar had been there when Bryn tamed Onyx and had obviously asked her about it. Of course he would approach it like everything else he did, with hard work and dedicated practice.

“Me too,” Tyrodon said with a tentative voice. “I’ve got both, and they’re actually a big help in crafting. So, I’ve been advancing them to help when you had a chance to help me tame a new friend, too.”

Pax looked at him in surprise before shaking his head and chuckling. “I should have known. If you both have the skills already and have practiced them, then maybe tonight will go even better than I had hoped.”

Tyrodon shot an inquiring look at Tasar. When he nodded, Tyrodon looked back at Pax with a tentative grin. “We’re at level 2 with both skills.”

“Seriously?” Rin asked. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

Tasar shrugged. “It was a surprise.”

They all stared at him. He didn’t even crack a smile, though everyone else did.

“Fair enough,” Pax said. “Then let’s get started. And if this goes easily, maybe we move on to Tyrodon?”

That got a big smile out of Tyrodon, who shot an eager glance back at the doors to the beast room before turning back to focus on Pax and Tasar.

The first steps went so smoothly, Pax’s expectations rose. Tasar had a lot more control of his mana than Bryn had with her first awkward steps back at the start of the Purge when she’d tamed Onyx. It took little effort for Tasar to shape a thin piercing awl to send out of his hand and into the winding length of earth tendon. He could feel the presence of the others in the background struggling to follow along.

When both his and Pax’s mana made it to the Taming stick, Talpa’s and Horrid’s mana joined them so smoothly, it felt as if they’d practiced it before. It was only when they reached the stonepaw’s body that they ran into trouble.

The beast’s mana was a roiling storm, twice as large as Onyx’s had been, and many times angrier. It reacted instantly to their intrusion, buffeting them with rapid slaps of whirling mana, trying to smash them instead of just pushing them out.

“Move back and wait, everyone,” Pax said, shoving his light mana forward with more power than he’d used so far, as the others obeyed his instructions and scurried back to the edge where the Taming stick touched the stonepaw.

Gritting his teeth, Pax fed more and more power into the finger of mana he held steady within the beast, suddenly struck by how much bigger his pool was than it had ever been. The huge boost from reaching level 3 was incredible.

It took a few long moments gripping his light mana so it would stay intact against the attacking storm before something in the cub slowed. Like an angry toddler who finally stopped their tantrum long enough to notice the meal being offered, it stopped attacking and made tentative contact with Pax’s mana.

The effect was almost instantaneous and dramatic. Like every beast before it, the stonepaw latched onto Pax’s mana like a starving stray and began feeding. It did its best to drain the mana in starving gulps, but Pax had been doing this long enough that controlling the stream was second nature. And his new mana skill levels made limiting the amount almost child’s play.

As the stonepaw’s mana subsided into calm satiety, Pax whispered, “Time to join back in.”

The rest of the process went smoothly, despite Pax expecting another problem to crop up‌. It wasn’t long before Talpa and Horrid had enticed the stonepaw’s wild earth mana to merge with Tasar’s aspectless gray mana. When the two finally connected, it was just as awe-inspiring as every other successful Taming. Pax never got tired of that part.

As he pulled out, he sat back with a smile and watched the normally stoic Tasar blink in shock at the experience. With quick, efficient movements, he leaned forward and had his new companion out of the box in seconds. With hands under the front legs, he held the small cub up to his face, staring into its eyes with an intense gaze.

Everyone held their breath, watching their first meeting. Pax remembered that first connection with Talpa and figured the others were also reminiscing. Even Tyrodon looked happy for his friend instead of jealous at being the last of their group to get a companion.

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Tasar finally set the stonepaw on his lap, hands wrapped possessively around the small, rocky body. “He’s agreed to be called Warden. And he’s hungry.”

Bryn already had pieces of earth meat ready and handed them to Tasar. With exquisite care, Tasar fed them to the cub. Despite how fast Warden snapped them up, almost swallowing them whole, Tasar made him wait for each piece until he’d finished the other.

It was a quiet, intense moment, one that filled Pax with happiness and a closeness to his friends that he wanted to remember. Around him, he could feel the others also relaxing, letting the stress of a hard day drain away in the simple pleasure of watching Tasar feed his new companion his first meal.

Remembering the other goal of the taming, Pax found Bryn’s gaze and sent her a questioning look. She shook her head. So, no Taming skill. He gave her an encouraging look and hoped it was just a matter of more experience.

Warden’s voracious hunger ebbed, and he’d slowed down by the time Tasar fed him the last piece. With a huff of contentment, Warden waddled in a little circle on Tasar’s lap before collapsing into a small ball that looked more like a melon-sized stone than a pet. Though, with careful attention, Pax could see the subtle rise and fall of breathing.

After long moments of watching Warden sleeping, Tasar looked up and found Pax’s gaze. “Thank you.”

It was short and abrupt as Tasar’s words usually were, but Pax felt the intensity and emotion behind the two words. “Of course,” he said. “We are friends, and you know I’ll do everything I can to help you and Warden.”

A smile slowly emerged on Tasar’s face and he seemed to blink back unexpected emotion. He gave Pax a quick nod before turning his attention back to Warden.

“So—” Tyrodon said slowly with a hopeful look.

“You’ve got Mana Sight and Manipulation, too?” Pax wanted to make sure.

“Yes.” Tyrodon’s voice almost squeaked with excitement. “At level 2.”

“What beast are you thinking about?” Rin asked. “It can’t be flame because we don’t have one of ours to help with the taming.”

“Actually, the cinder chimera I want is flame-based, at least to start. Its main head is pretty much a portable heat torch to aid with my crafting. And they’ve been known to develop unique abilities with their other heads.”

“But we don’t have—” Pax started to say.

“And I talked with my friend Alaric. Hex, his solar salamander, is flame-based. He said he’d hang out for a bit with her, practicing the mental training stuff, you know, just in case tonight worked out. I figured it was good to be prepared. And even if it didn’t happen tonight, he’d be able to help when we were ready to try. That is, if helping a crafter tame works the same as with a warrior. You know, if it’s not completely different or anything—” His voice trailed off as he flushed. “Sorry for blabbering. I’m just nervous and excited at the same time.”

The others stared at him. Then Amil grinned and did a slow clap before turning to Pax. “Tell me you’re going to let the kid try. He’s got everything prepared. I’m guessing he’s got another coil of flame tendon ready, right?”

Tyrodon bobbed his head, but managed to stay quiet.

“That means there isn’t a lot of risk. You shouldn’t kill the baby, and if Alaric and Hex are willing to help—”

Pax gave Tyrodon a slow nod. “As long as the mana inside you is the same as the warriors, I don’t see why we couldn’t try. The extra agitation Warden had because of the late hour wasn’t anything my new pool of light mana couldn’t handle.”

Tyrodon switched chairs quickly to the one across from Pax and held out a hand trembling with excitement. “Please look.”

“Start meditating and when you feel calm enough, send a bit of your mana up to your hand. Remember, you have to let me in, even though it won’t be very comfortable.”

Tyrodon shut his eyes and took a deep breath. Pax felt the muscles in his hand relax and was impressed with how quickly Tyrodon reached a peaceful state.

Pax mirrored him, sending his own mana to where their hands connected, hoping he’d find what he expected. When Tyrodon muttered he was ready, Pax felt his mana pushing at their connection. With only the slightest of difficulty, Pax pushed his way inside and looked.

Shoulder tension he hadn’t noticed left him as he saw a similar landscape of vital but colorless mana pulsing back and forth in gentle waves. Pax saw a small finger of mana that Tyrodon had obviously worked to form into a shape. And the rest was identical to what he’d seen in Bryn and Tasar. Excitement flared in his chest. If the pattern held true, they’d be able to help all classes Tame, even the merchants and workers. This really could become empire-changing.

Pax pulled back and let go of Tyrodon’s hand.

Tyrodon’s eyes popped open. “Did it work? Is it the same? Can I tame a companion?” His expression began to fall, as Pax didn’t answer.

“Hey, dunder.” Dahni bumped him. “You have to stop talking so he can answer. Besides, look at his face.”

When Tyrodon’s hopeful eyes looked back at Pax, his grin widened.

“Yes, Tyrodon,” Pax said. “Your mana looks the same as the warriors’. We can try.”

Tasar gave the stunned Tyrodon a gentle shove. He jolted before jumping up.

“I'll get it all ready.” With rapid movements, Tyrodon pulled out a coil of tendon from his inventory and tossed it to Amil. “Spread this out for me while I go get Alaric and Hex.” Then he bolted for the door leading back to the hall.

Amil chuckled as he stood and did as told. “I can’t say it won’t be nice for all of us to have companions.” He switched to his Echo. I’ve been feeling bad about leaving you guys out of all the crazy upgrades we’ve been getting.

“Me too.” Pax nodded toward Bryn and Tasar. I was just thinking the same thing and added that to my list to ask Fenix and check my manual for anything light mages can do for the other classes.

Even if it doesn’t, Bryn sent. We’re extremely happy you’ve helped us Tame our companions. And if we can gain the Taming skill, too, it will change everything.

Then we’ll keep working until you do, he sent with determination. There has to be a way to make it work.

The two nodded back at him just as they heard the door behind them open again. Tyrodon raced past them making a beeline toward the doors to the beast room.

Alaric headed their way with a grin and a bright red lizard-looking beast on his shoulder. It had crisscrossing patterns that drew the eye like an intricate painting. Alaric’s brown tattoos curling up around his forearms reminded Pax that he was an experienced fourth-year earth mage. With a coppery red hair that fell messily across his forehead and a short stature, he didn’t look much older than a first-year. The scar, barely noticeable, that traced a thin line across his left cheek made it clear, though, that he was someone who faced danger instead of running away.

He gave them a cheerful wave as he got closer. “I hear you guys could use some help from my little Hex here. We’d love to help Tyrodon out. That guy can make literally anything and has helped us out more than a few times.”

“Glad you’re willing to help, Alaric.” Pax gave him a grin and waved for him to take one of the seats. “I can’t remember if you got the Taming skill.”

His face fell. “No. I wasn’t one of the lucky ones.”

“Then this might do you as much a favor as you’re doing us. If you’ve got Mana Sight, you can try following along as we help Tyrodon. Though if he’s anything like the warriors, his mana is going to be totally different than a mage’s.”

“Oh really? You’d actually let me have a peek at your top-secret experiments?”

“Hey, we’re all on the same team here. If you get stronger, it helps all of us.”

Alaric grinned happily and scooted his chair closer to the taming table. “Just tell me what to do.”

Over the next few minutes, Tyrodon returned with a small cage before checking all the preparations over twice. When it was all ready, he sat across the table from Pax with the end of the flame tendon in a trembling hand.

Pax placed his hand over Tyrodon’s to grip the tendon, before he said, “Everyone, let’s see if we can all squeeze in to see how much of the process each of you can follow. Make sure to only use Mana Sight, no Manipulation, got it?”

Tasar looked surprised to be included, but quickly squeezed in close enough to get a hand on the others holding the tendon. Alaric carefully added Hex to the mix, the tiny claws at the end of her small feet both ticklish and pokey at the same time.

Everyone slowed their breathing, focusing inwardly on calming their mana. When Tyrodon’s soft words told them he was ready, they got started. Pax dove in, time passing unnoticed as he helped calm the wild mana of the companion that his friend hoped to tame. Prepared for the more chaotic mana this time, it went even smoother than taming Warden had.

When everyone pulled back and let out relieved breaths, they watched with cheerful looks as Tyrodon pulled his new companion out of the cage. Much like everyone before him, he looked both excited and stunned.

Pax looked at the strange-looking cinder chimera and thought that at least Talpa wouldn’t be the only companion causing double takes anymore. The beast’s oblong body had multiple small legs tucked in all around it. But the most striking features were the multiple heads that were very reminiscent of Talpa’s tentacles but with tiny eyes and mouths on the end. One was much bigger than the others, but Pax thought maybe the others would develop as the pet grew.

“Scorch,” Tyrodon announced to the entire group. “His name is Scorch.”

Amidst all the congratulations, Alaric leaned back with a stunned look.

“What?” Pax asked. “Did you get Taming?”

“No. I wish.” He turned to meet Pax’s eyes and motioned toward the ecstatic Tyrodon and Tasar with his new pet. “Do you have any idea what this will mean?”

Everything that had been running through Pax’s mind came back with a rush. He gave Alaric a somber nod. “I can make some guesses.”

Alaric returned his nod before they turned back to join in Tyrodon’s celebration. They could worry about the consequences of what they’d done tonight later. Now, they’d celebrate with their two friends who had new companions.