A giant shadow appeared within the clouds, illuminated by lightning. It was difficult to make out its exact shape but one thing was unmistakable. It had majestic feathered wings, so massive they could cover half the sky.

Boom!

The ground shook. The waves turned turbulent. Zachary lost his footing and landed painfully on his butt.

Boom!

The clouds came alive once more, displaying the majesty of this strange creature that could seemingly change the weather and bend the world to its will. But then, he noticed something else, multiple smaller shadows around the larger beast. They were moving around at high speed, surrounding the thing like tiny flies before an elephant.

The skies flashed again, but this time with many different lights. It wasn’t just lightning. It was a kaleidoscope of colors; crimson red, deep blue, forest green, toxic purple, and more.

“Summoners!” Zachary exclaimed.

A furious battle broke out within the clouds. An unseen and unknown number of summoners challenged this saint-like existence of the sky. No doubt riding flying mounts, they summoned an array of Ensouled to attack the much larger beast.

Faced with this onslaught, the mass of dark clouds slowed but didn’t stop. It continued along its path as it batted away the insignificant insects bothering its day. The skies flashed with lightning and trembled with thunder. A fierce snowstorm followed out of nowhere, casting the ocean and the shoreline where Zachary was in a wintery purgatory.

Crack!

A large object fell from the sky and crashed into the rough waves, creating a mighty water spout.

Another object followed and Zachary was able to make it out. It was a piece of ice. Or more accurately, it was probably something that had been flash-frozen by the wrath of the mysterious creature. This misshapen piece of ice crashed into the cliffs nearby and disintegrated into icy dust.

Crack!

Boom!

The lights within the clouds seemed to intensify. The battle reached a critical point. In addition to snow, it started to hail. Large and small hailstones joined the countless humans and their summons fell from the sky, entombed in ice.

“Ah! Ow! Crap!” Zachary shouted in panic.

He ran blindly for cover but there was none to be found. Ice crashed down all around him, a few landing so close that the impact knocked him off his feet. He finally huddled behind a large rock and covered his head.

Ice and snow continued to fall. Large waves crashed onto the rocks. Flashes of light cast bizarre shadows around him. He shivered from the cold. He felt like he could die at any moment. Growing up in the peaceful seaside town of Warton, this was his first time experiencing the dangers of the world and what summoners had to face.

“Ah!”

“Dang it.”

“What the heck, ah…”

Then it was over. The bright sun returned. The dark clouds that swept over the land were gone just like that.

Zachary emerged from his hiding spot to a scene of devastation. The beach was covered in snow and large chunks of ice. Among the ice were countless broken bodies… those of various Ensouled and their human summoners.

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“Ugh.” He covered his mouth and suppressed the rising discomfort.

He gave these corpses a wide berth and headed for the path back to town. But he had only made a few steps before he sensed something. It wasn’t sound, smell, or anything he saw. It was simply a mixture of feelings; pain, fear, grief, and confusion.

There was something nearby, something that had survived the battle in the sky.

Curiosity got the better of him and Zachary rushed in that direction. He found it amidst the rocks, a spherical piece of ice the size of a pumpkin. Strangely, it had split into two perfect halves as if by some mysterious force.

Curled up within was a small mass of white fur. It had dark stripes that ran along its entire body and down to its four little paws. Its face was hidden away but it couldn’t hide a pair of magnificent wings. They were lined with fluffy white feathers that folded neatly against its small frame. They were gorgeous.

“Wow.” Zachary breathed, not quite believing what he was seeing.

“Yao…” The little thing let out a weak cry.

“Crap!” He jumped back in fear.

But nothing happened. The little beast quivered slightly but seemed too weak to do anything else.

Zachary tip-toed over, drawn by the strong emotions radiating from it. He couldn't bear to leave it here. Thinking about the battle that had just taken place in the sky, he had a feeling that this little creature would grow up to be incredibly strong.

After a little while, the beast stopped moving as if it had fainted. He prodded it but it didn’t even stir. He didn't have to think about it and made the decision. He picked up the little beast and bundled it carefully in his coat. He then dashed back home as fast as his short legs could carry him.

When he reached Warton, many people were in the streets, having heard the commotion in the distant skies. Some went out to investigate, with their summons leading the way. Nobody stopped him but a few gave him strange looks. Only when he went inside his family’s bookstore could he breathe a sigh of relief.

“Zach!” His mother cried out, “Are you alright? What happened?”

She rushed over to check on him. Thankfully, she ignored the bundled-up coat tucked under his arm.

“Mom, I’m fine. See? Nothing happened. I thought a storm was coming so I came home.”

“Alright, go wash up. Also, I need your help around the bookshop the next few days so you can’t go out and play without asking me.”

Zachary smiled and nodded. He understood her meaning and he had no intention of going outside anytime soon.

He waved to his mother and rushed to the upper floor. He dropped his prize on the bed and went to wash his face. He also went to the kitchen and pilfered some small fish and a piece of bacon.

“Yao?”

A small cry greeted him when he returned. His coat had become unfurled, revealing the cutest little face he had ever seen. Big blue eyes as profound as the sky, furry cheeks with long whiskers; he was instantly smitten.

“Yao!”

It displayed defiance as well as a warning to the thing that had taken it captive.

Zachary stared in wonder. It was a little tiger! A little white tiger with wings. Amazing!

He had told his parents that he didn’t want a cat as his first summon. Cats were most popular Ensouled across the republic. Many summoners started out with a cat as their first. He didn’t want to be like everyone else so he insisted. However, he would make an exception for this little thing. After all, a tiger was not a cat.

“Little tiger, don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you.” He said softly.

“Yao…” It mumbled weakly.

Its body swayed after the momentary exertion. It eventually tumbled to one side and let out a pained cry.

Zachary rushed over and examined it. He gently brushed its soft fur with his fingertips, checking for any obvious wounds. He felt a great sense of discomfort from the little tiger and quickly stopped.

“Sorry. Sorry. I was just worried you were hurt.”

It closed its eyes, seemingly ignoring him.

“Are you hungry, maybe this will help you regain your energy?”

He offered the small fish his mother had bought from the market that day. The tiger took a few sniffs and didn’t react. But he could definitely sense rising hunger so he tempted it again.

“What about this?”

He presented the piece of bacon. It still ignored him but its sense of hunger rose by a level. It was stubborn, it didn’t even look in his direction.

Zachary waited silently. He didn’t leave the room nor did he leave the food on the bed. He kept it in his hand, just out of the tiger’s reach. He sensed that it would give in.

Another child in his place might have done things differently. He, instead, relied on his intuition, a unique sense that came to him after he unlocked his first soul path. He had never told anyone about this, even his parents.

It took a long time but, in the end, the little beast finally turned towards him. It opened its mouth wide, revealing small white fangs. Its head swayed blindingly from side to side as if it expected food to fall into its mouth.

Zachary chuckled and fed it a piece of bacon, “Here you go. Don’t choke on it.”

“Yao, yao, yao…” The white tiger cub made happy noises as it chewed.

It quickly finished and begged for more. He watched it eat, happiness swelling up in his soul.

“I will call you Yaoyao. From now on, you’ll be my first summon.”