Guided by Damian’s firelight cast by the Fuoco Fatuo spell, the trio made their way down to the hunting site.

“Aura, may I make a selfish request this evening?” Chiara asked as they walked along.

“What’s up?” Aura shot a glance at her new Resonator.

“I want to hunt Scherzando tonight,” Chiara requested. Before Aura could comment, the dragon continued. “I know I said I shouldn’t be your main Resonator in battle, but I want to stretch my wings a little, I have been asleep for about 200 years now.”

The tuner-tech’s words from earlier came to mind, specifically about dragons having certain needs. Aura smiled. “Sure. Dames, you can stay by me,” the Maestro told her Doberman.

“Sure sure, will be nice to be off the chopping block for once,” came the gruff chuckle.

The trio went through the usual process. Registering at the hunting grounds, then being sent off to join the main group.

However, this time, rather than being ignored until the very end, Aura would be selected to join another group of Maestros.

“Uhhh, actually – would it be cool if I went with him instead?” Aura asked, pointing to the ignored Makani and Rynda, who had been quietly standing off to the side.

“I guess.” The leader of the hunting party frowned, wondering why a fellow dragon tamer would want to go with a lunar bird of all Resonators.

“Oh Aura, you got a new friend!” Makani greeted the trio as they joined up.

“An ally of yours?” Chiara asked her Maestro.

“We met up here before and they’re cool,” Aura told her new dragon.

“Ah.”

With that matter settled, the dragon curtsied before Makani and Rynda. “I am Chiara, Aura helped me pass my rites of adulthood, so I am accompanying her in return for her kindness,” the dragon informed the newcomers to their little group, sticking to their earlier story.

“Nice to meetcha, I’m Makani.”

“And I’m Ryn!”

Introductions out of the way, Rynda was tasked to scan the area and find some good Scherzando spots, which was a simple affair with the Fangs of the Dragon looming overhead. As they walked to their first hunt of the night, Chiara motioned for Aura to lean down.

“Keep our spells at the bare minimum, I’ll try to ease up on the damage I’m dealing so we don’t look too suspicious,” Chiara quietly advised her own Maestro.

Aura flashed a quick thumbs up and stood back up straight to review the spells available to her.

“Damn,” Damian breathed out, trying to avoid vocalizing his surprise too loudly.

A huge list of spells were available, all at the maximum possible rank. Even Ossia spells in every elemental combination with solar were present.

And then…

La fine di una stella

Ultrissimo

“Scary.” Aura gulped.

“That one just straight-up kills you,” Damian recalled.

“In exchange for enough power to annihilate a small city,” she whispered back.

“Well, at least we have the scorched land option in case we really don’t want someone getting their hands on her,” the dog offered.

“Yeah, no fucking kidding.” Aura shook her head.

It was a terrifying amount of power to possess, even if casting the spell would cost Aura her life in the process. Glancing back, she saw the lights of Drahgo flickering away alone in the desert. If she was sick in the mind, it’d only take six words to completely wipe that city off the face of Riterra.

The woman shook her head. What a dark, terrible thought. It just confirmed Chiara was the genuine article – the legendary Shine Flute of myth. It still didn’t even feel real.

“Hey look alive back there!” Rynda shouted to Aura and her Resonators.

The trio perked up, seeing some big cat-shaped Scherzando in the distance. The shadow beasts crouched down, ready to strike. They slowly closed the gap between themselves and Makani, waiting for an opportunity to pounce.

The tenured Maestros, however, kept a close eye on the beasts. "Okay, what’s the plan?” the pilot Maestro questioned his counterpart.

“Chiara wants a go at Scherzando hunting. She hasn’t done it before,” Aura replied, muttering a small “in this era” to turn her claim into truth.

“Sounds good to me. Ryn?”

“Easy peasy.” The bird extended her wings out.

Chiara was tempted to throw back some bravado of her own, but instead simply stretched out her own pair of wings.

Makani whistled, impressed by the visual strength of the dragon girl’s extra appendages.

Rynda puffed her cheeks out, shooting a small glare at the dragon. “Try to keep up,” she decided, taking flight.

In the sky, the nightingale girl was quite fast; however, Chiara was able to match her fellow winged Resonator, easily reaching the same height with no trouble. “Heh, you’re pretty good huh?” Rynda chuckled.

Once more, Chiara bit her tongue – she wanted to snark about this being a mere shadow of her abilities, but knew better. Quietly she blamed Aura’s rhythm for corrupting her into such urges of bravado.

“Luce del Sol, Pianissimo Staccato!” Aura commanded.

“Luce Lunare, Forte Staccatisimo – focus on backing up Chiara!” came Makani’s order.

The two maidens in the sky dive-bombed the group of cats, easily scattering them in a hellfire of solar and lunar magic. The poor Scherzando stood no chance.

Hovering over where the Scherzando once stood, the girls waited for further orders. “Solar-Healing huh? She’s got a hell of an arm and excellent aim,” Rynda noted, another healing Resonator coming to mind.

“She’s not half bad. Would probably give me a run for my money even if I wasn’t holding back,” Chiara mumbled to herself.

Landing with their Maestros, Chiara played the part. “How was I Aura?”

“You did great.” Aura placed a hand on her Resonator’s head, gently stroking the dragon’s silky blonde hair.

The night continued in a routine fashion, with Chiara and Rynda dealing with any Scherzando that came their way while Damian played the much easier role of light manager.

By the end of it, Rynda was draped over her Maestro, having worn herself out trying to showboat. “Wehhh… Freaking prodigy Resonator,” the nightingale whined.

“Looks like we’re gonna tap out for the night,” Makani chuckled, supporting his exhausted companion. “Thanks for working with me again.” He extended his free hand out for Aura, who smiled and accepted the handshake.

“See you around.”

“See ya!”

And with that, the trio was left alone. “That was fun,” Chiara decided, stretching out.

“Yeah, I’ll say,” Damian laughed in his usual gruff manner, lighting up a cigarette with one of his fireballs in celebration.

“Either way, a good night. Let’s get back to the office.” Aura motioned for them to head back.

However-

“What the hell!?” Aura cried out as one of her tuners flew off her waist and into the darkness seemingly of its own accord.

“That was almost too easy,” a sickeningly familiar voice spoke.

Damian quickly directed a couple of his fire lights towards the direction of the voice. It was the man and his lunar Resonator that had kidnapped Aura before. Horrifyingly, he held the white tuner bound to Chiara in his grasp. “You caused me a lot of grief with the stunt you pulled, but in the end, you ended up in my hands,” the man taunted. He shifted his thumb to the red control button. “Now come.”

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

Chiara perked up before her head hung low and she began to walk over to the other Maestro. Aura grabbed her other tuner – she wasn’t defenseless this time. “Damian!”

“I’m on it!” He rushed the other Maestro.

“Fissare la Ombra, Lento!” came the counter command.

Before Aura could get a spell of her own out, Damian’s shadow was pinned, stopping him dead in his tracks. “Fuck!” the dog-man cursed, unable to move his legs.

“Bolide, Forte! Use the light to get rid of your shadow!” Aura thought quickly.

“Mente Offuscatta, Fortissimo!” another counter command by the lunar Maestro.

As Damian received Aura’s rhythm to cast the advanced fireball spell, he suddenly cried out in pain. “AUGH!!” His hands whipped to his head as a massive force inside his skull crushed any concentration he had and as with it, Aura’s rhythm ended up wasted. The Doberman fell to his knees, the force of the mental assault also having snuffed out his Fuoco Fatuo in the process.

Cast into darkness, only the moon from above provided enough light to watch the horror unfold before Aura and Damian’s eyes as Chiara stood directly in front of their assailant.

“Ah, it feels so nice to win,” he taunted. “Now, Shine Flute, if you would, kill that Maestro!” the command was pointed directly at Aura.

Chiara turned back around, facing Aura and Damian. The pair’s blood ran cold. This was it. There was no way they could muster even an ounce of resistance against an Ethereal like the Shine Flute. Her wings extended out.

“Luce del Sole, Fortissimo! Sever your link with her by your own hands!!”

Chiara formed a ball of blindingly bright solar energy; it was practically popping from the raw power contained within it.

Damian struggled against the bindings at his feet. Seeing the futility of escaping himself, his head whipped back to the only one that mattered: “AURA RUN!” he screamed as loud as he could muster. His Maestro remained rooted in place, her gaze wide, legs refusing to move frozen in place. Though, when Aura’s eyes met Chiara’s…

BOOM!!

“What the HELL!?” the lunar Maestro cried out - as it was not Aura who received the brunt of the boosted Fortissimo-level solar spell, but his own Resonator. With no time to brace for the impact of the enhanced attack, the lunar-elemental was blown clear; well away from the battlefield. If they even survived the attack, they would not be getting back up any time soon.

With their defeat, Damian was freed from the shadow bindings. The Doberman instantly rushed the other Maestro.

“HOW?! THE BUTTON IS ABSOLUTE!” The lunar Maestro turned tail and fled.

“You insolent WORM!! Do you really think that a mere tuner can tame the wrath of an Ethereal!?” Chiara boomed with such a crushing fury it almost took tangible form, making the man run faster out of fear of her rage.

However, it was not by her hand that he ultimately fell. Not a spell, but a fist – specifically Damian’s.

THWACK!!

Right in the back of the head, the lunar Maestro ate dirt having been slugged with enough force to dislocate several of Damian’s fingers from the intensity of the blow. (Though it was probably the most satisfying punch of the Doberman’s life.)

“Motherfucker!” The fire Resonator raised his foot to give the now unmoving enemy a second taste of the desert floor.

“Stay your hand, Damian!” Chiara landed next to her fellow Resonator.

“I’m using my foot!” the dog barked back.

“Either way! Don’t do it!” she snapped at him.

Begrudgingly, the fire-dog complied, stomping his foot down into the sand with a huff.

The dragon knelt, plucking her tuner from the unconscious body. “Aura, please come over here!” Chiara waved the tuner to its rightful owner.

Hesitantly, Aura made her way over to where her two Resonators stood. “So what do we do with him?” Damian questioned since a good old-fashioned curb stomp was seemingly out of the question.

“Simple. He’s nature’s problem now,” Chiara said.

It was at this point that Aura arrived. She couldn’t feel sorry for the unconscious man – he had kidnapped her and attempted to kill her several times now. What’s worse if they let him go, he wouldn’t stop.

Hopefully, in his hubris, he was the only one who knew about the Shine Flute.

“Aura, if you would do the honors.” Chiara held out the tuner for her Maestro.

“Wait, what do you expect me to do?” Aura refused to accept the device, shocked gaze now turned on the Ethereal.

“L'orizzonte Scudo in Rallentando – it will attract a horde of Scherzando to this spot after I cast it. We will have enough time to leave and the beasts will do what comes naturally to them,” the dragon stated coldly.

“You… want to kill him?” Aura felt ill at the thought, despite everything he had put her through.

Chiara did not waver, however. “Must I remind you of his crimes?” she questioned.

Aura looked at Damian. “I was ready to crush him like a melon. This way’s cleaner,” he offered his own thoughts. “The fact that he was willing to kill to get a hold of her – this guy is rotten to the core,” Damian added.

With a resigned sigh, Aura placed her hand on the offered tuner. There had to be another way. But no matter how the Maestro thought about it in her head, this man was a criminal. What’s more, if the legal system failed them and he got free… “L'orizzonte Scudo, Rallentando,” she spoke.

Rhythm passed from Maestro to Resonator and Aura accepted her solar tuner back. “Please take your leave. I will cast the spell once you’re a safe distance away and rejoin you once it’s done.”

“C’mon Aura, let’s get. Ethereal or not I can’t imagine holding that spell is pleasant for her,” Damian urged his Maestro.

Stealing one last glance at the man she tried to spare, Aura turned away and left with Damian.

----------------------------------------

“Tonight sucked,” Aura decided, sitting on a bench in town.

“Agreed,” Damian grumbled, still nursing his aching hand. He had managed to pop his digits back in place, but he’d be the first to admit that it hurt like hell.

A few Maestros ran by with great urgency. From what Damian had heard as they passed by, an emergency situation had come up in the western desert – a huge pack of Scherzando. Neither woman nor Resonator moved from their seat. After all this “emergency” was directly caused by them.

Wouldn’t be too smart to return to the scene of the crime.

Speaking of, Chiara made her return, floating down from the sky and landing in front of her Maestro. “It is done, only a couple of minutes for the Scherzando to have their way with him.” she stated.

Aura sighed. “I think we need to lay low for a while,” she decided.

“For the best.” Chiara nodded in agreement.

Silence.

“Are you… upset with me?” the dragon asked.

“Not at all. I’m mad at the situation,” Aura clarified.

Before the dragon could question the meaning of that, Aura leaned forward and pulled the solar-dragon into a hug. “You’re not an Ethereal; you’re just Chiara, okay?”

Chiara blinked twice, unsure of what to say, though the meaning of Aura’s words wasn’t lost on her. “Of course, my beloved Maestro."