Chapter 7

image [https://i.imgur.com/Vrij3F1.jpg]

“Are you ready?” Ace said, looking at Elvyra, his taming staff in his hand, as he prepared to engage in a friendly battle with her. But this was more than an exhibition battle, she had asked him for a real taming battle with him. The determination in her eyes had shown him that this was a battle she was determined to win. Her piercing green eyes which were normally soft showed a fire in them that he was prepared to meet head-on as a fellow tamer like her.

Elvyra stood ready to show not only her determination as a tamer but also her eagerness to continue in this tournament. For this was a tournament she couldn't lose. She gripped her staff tightly, and for a moment it felt like her hand had become a part of the staff. Feeling the roughness of the wood on her skin dig inside her hand made it feel as if the staff was a part of her. This had been her dream for so long that she couldn't think of anything else but to be a tamer and become better.

Ace looked at her and his curiosity peaked for a second, he wanted to ask her why she was so eager to advance to the next stage of the tournament. There was always next time, curious about why she had to meet Aria. What did she mean by "Elf reasons" when she first mentioned her. But he figured he would ask her in due time. Now he needed to focus on ensuring Elvyra was prepared for her next two matches.

Two important battles she couldn't afford to lose if she wanted to meet Aria.

“Yes, I'm ready!” Elvyra said, determined to improve her taming skills for her next match. She had lost the first match but she was not going to lose another one, she couldn’t afford to, for both Gaia and her mission.

She needed to win.

“Very well, I won’t hold back,” Ace said, nodding at her,

“Good,” Elvyra added, she needed Ace to fight seriously, she needed to see how a tamer of his skill fought in order for her to learn and get better if she wanted to to advance and meet Aria. The last battle had shown her how unprepared she had been.

"Don't think about that," she told herself, she couldn't dwell on that loss.

"Very well, LETS! BATTLE!"

“Go Snowmon !” Ace said, and a light blue light shot out of his tamer staff which materialized into a 3-foot monster made of snow. It had sharp icicles as claws in both arms and legs and two eyes peeking out of its white snowy head.

“This is Snowmon, an aqua-type monster, and my partner which you saw earlier in my match.”

“Snowmon,” Elvyra repeated, he had seen Ace’s monster partner in battle, he was strong, a monster she couldn’t let her guard down.

“GO! DINO!” she said, and a light green light shot out of her staff that turned into a small green dinosaur monster before her.

“Ready Dino?” she said, as she looked at her monster partner, they had lost their first battle but it wasn’t over yet, they just needed to win the last two battles, which they were going to do. She trusted her partner and she was going to improve as a tamer for him as well.

"Ready! Set! Batte! " Ace said, swinging his tamer staff in front of him,

“Snowmon use ice shot!”

Ace commanded, and his monster partner obeyed shooting small dagger-like icicles at Dino.

“Dino! Dodge them by moving to the side,” Elvyra said, and Dino obeyed, moving to the side and letting Snowmon's attack hit the trees that surrounded them inside of the forest they found themselves this morning.

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“Not bad,” Ace said,

“Is always a good idea to dodge projectiles being launched at you, but dodging is not enough to win a battle, Snowmon use ice claw!”

Snowmon dashed toward Dino, its ice claws in its hands glowing as it began to swing at Dino.

“Dino be careful, dodge them by using swift,” Elvyra said, as she watched Dino move swiftly back and forth, its body dodging Snowmon’s icy claws and leaving behind nothing but speed ghosts of himself.

“You two have the speed but I'm afraid is not enough when it comes to battling, you must not only dodge your opponent’s attacks but think two steps ahead as well, allow me to show you.”

Snowmon use ice breath!”

“Snowmon!” Snowmon said as it let out an icy breath toward Dino,

“Dino watch out!” Elvyra yelled as she watched Snowmon's attack hit Dino.

“Dino!” Dino said as its body began to freeze slowly.

“This battle is over,” Ace said, as Dino was completely frozen.

“Dino....” Elvyra said as she rushed toward Dino.

“Dino! Can you hear me?’ She said as she brushed her hand over his frozen body,

“Is ok, Snowmon's icy breath-freezing effect only lasts a few seconds.”

And just as he had said that, Dino’s frozen body began to thaw, and the next thing Dino knew it was on the floor, its body wet from the ice it had been encased in just a few seconds ago.

Elvyra felt a sigh of relief wash over her, Dino was ok.

“Are you alright,” She asked

“Dino, “ Dino said smiling at Elvyra.

“We should take a break,” Ace said, walking toward them,

“Here taking this. ”

"What this?”

“A health potion it will heal Dino right back up,”

"Thank you."

Elvyra watched as Dino gulped down the red liquid and a small red light washed over Dino, healing him to full health.

“How many moves does Dino know,” Ace said, as both he and Elvyra sat on a tree stump as they ate their lunch,

“He only knows bite and claw,” she said, those were the only moves he had learned.

“ Most monsters know at least four moves, especially in a tournament, one attack, one defensive, and two support.”

“But I'm pretty sure those moves by Snowmon were two attack moves, “

Ace let out a grin,

“You are half correct,” he said,

“Ice breath serves as both an attack move and a support move as Dino so coldly witnessed.”

“Dino,” Dino said, as a small shiver ran through its body.

“Snowmon,” Snowmon said, its ice claws shining as the sun hit it.

“You only saw two moves by Snowmon, we still had two others, and in this tournament, you can expect your opponent to know four moves, whether those moves are attack, defensive, or support, you always have to be prepared. “

“There's more to taming than just attacking,” Elvyra said, petting Dino’s head.

“Yes, there is, there is always strategy that you have to know in order to better utilize your monster partners' strengths, for example, Snowmon is of the aqua type, which means he has great support moves.

"He does?" Elvyra said,

Ace looked at her with a puzzled look, she was still a beginner and perhaps it was too early for her to compete in this tournament.

"Do you know the five types that all monsters are a part of?”

“No,” Elvyra said, disappointed in herself,

Ace noticed it, and smiled at her,

"Is ok, that’s why we're training.”

“Thank you,” Elvyra said,

“Of course, that's what friends are for. “

Elvyra was so glad she had met Ace that it almost felt like he had been sent by Gaia herself to aid her, and she wondered if perhaps Gaia was also in this journey of hers helping her.

“We have the Aqua type which Snowmon is a part of, then we have Beast type, Nature type, Arcane type, and finally the Blaze type.”

“What type is Dino,” She asked,

“Dino?” Dino said puzzle, wondering just what type he was as well,

“That’s a good question..." Ace said, looking at Dino,

“He’s for sure part of the dragon familia, which if you are not aware, we have monster familias that monsters are a part of. We have the dragon familia which Dino is a part of, who are known for their strength, resilience, and often fiery breath, making them quite the fierce opponents. Then we have the Glacial familia which Snowmon is a part of, then we have the Terra familia which as you witnessed earlier are quite formidable opponents imbued with strong defensive abilities. “

Elvyra thought about Forearm, the rocky monster she had lost against. She had witnessed just how strong they were for sure.

“Then we have the Thundra familia, the Gale familia, and finally the mysterious Ethereal familia. Which we don't know a lot of information about."

"Why's that?" Elvyra asked, puzzled and intrigued for there was so much she didn't know about the taming world despite being a tamer herself.

"Well," Ace said, scratching his hair,

"They are quite elusive to tame so not a lot is known about them. Every familia has its strengths and weaknesses and is up to the tamer to find and work around those unique abilities of their monster partner. "

Elvyra looked at Dino, there was so much she needed to learn about taming, and about Dino her Dragon familia monster partner. She wondered what kind of strengths Dino had, he was fast, perhaps that was a good starting point she thought.