Watch out! Bastet’s warning is all that alerts me. I automatically dodge sideways. That movement may have saved my life as massive talons slice right through my armour to bury themselves in my shoulder.

I shout in pain as they clench like a vice and tug. I shout again in alarm as I feel my feet actually leave the ground.

Another set of teeth bury themselves in my ankle and I automatically activate Sensation Management to deal with the pain. Looking down, I see Bastet clinging onto me, her face twisted in a snarl. Catch grabs onto my legs a moment later as Bastet is lifted too.

The addition of a samuran is enough to prevent the flying creature from carrying us away. It’s a relief which allows me to get my panicked thoughts under control and actually start to plan.

Agony sends fire through my veins as the flying creature’s unsuccessful attempts to lift me off the ground start tearing even bigger holes in my shoulder. I dial Sensation Management up just enough to be able to feel if it gets worse, but not to prevent me from moving.

I get to work.

Marshalling my magic, I send it to the wounds, using part of my consciousness to direct its efforts to stopping the blood flow – bleeding out will weaken me and my ability to fight.

At the same time, I grab onto the creature’s legs to ease the pressure a little. It means that I start feeling like I’m being stretched on a rack, but at least the claws aren’t being forcibly torn out of me.

I need to bring it down to the ground. At the moment, it’s too high in the air for any of my Bound to attack. Flesh-Shaping might work, but that’ll take time….fire!

Focussing on the fire elemental who is casually bobbing around and lighting up the area, I send it the request to burn the creature’s wings. It takes a couple of tries, but as soon as it understands, it responds in eagerness, as happy to burn a creature alive as it is to burn sticks of dry wood.

I feed it extra fire mana to help it out and Aingeal glows brighter as it ascends.

For the first time, I have a decent view of the creature which has attacked me. Almost exactly what I would have expected of a pterodactyl, only with a feathered body and wings, it screeches angrily as the ball of fire goes past its toothed beak.

I feel it release its claws from my shoulder – perhaps it has decided that I am too dangerous prey. It should have realised that before it attacked: I’m not letting it go now. Gripping its legs tighter even as I increase the magic I’m sending to my shoulder, it’s now the pterodactyl which is caught.

The pterodactyl screeches again, this time in pain. Aingeal has set light to one of its wings. It redoubles its attempt to escape, its wings flapping strongly enough to lift even Catch from the ground. He grips onto my legs almost as strongly as I’m holding onto the pterodactyl.

A moment later, Catch cries out in pain. I look down to see that Pride has mimicked Bastet and bitten into his leg to hold him down.

“I’ll heal it after,” I force out, my own muscles starting to protest the length of time under such strain.

The pterodactyl screeches again, and then a fourth time, its sounds full of pain and fear now. I didn’t think it possible, but it manages to summon up even more strength, lifting us further off the ground and even succeeding in dragging Pride forwards a little. But with his added burden, the flying creature isn’t going anywhere.

Within moments we are set heavily on the ground as it collapses out of the air. Its wings are ragged and on fire – in a short time, I suspect that it will be unable to fly at all.

But it’s not completely out of the fight. On fire and maddened by pain, it struggles to its feet. I let go as we landed so it is now free, but still grounded. Bastet releases her bite and I quickly send some magic to that area too, just to slow the blood flow. I’ll deal with both injuries properly after the fight.

The pterodactyl lunges for Pride. Big mistake. Pride dodges its attack and bites back, getting a mouthful of bloody feathers.

“Don’t kill it!” I shout as I lunge forward, meeting its eyes. Dominate.

Entering the Battle of Wills, I find that it’s not hard to push forwards. Either it’s not particularly strong-willed or its mental state has been affected significantly by the fight. It would have been helpful to cast an Inspect, but I’ve been rather mentally occupied elsewhere.

Stop! I hear shouted at me as I reach halfway between the creature and my starting point. What are you doing?

I ignore it, pushing forwards further. It repeats itself several times, adding in some pleading as I’m almost in arm’s reach. And then I’m there – right before the creature.

“You attacked me,” I said.

I was hungry! it replied – she replied.

“And I was merely crossing the area to come to the aid of an ally. We both have reasons to be there, but the point is that you attacked me, and lost. Now, you can either accept the Bond you can no doubt feel around you, or my friends will kill you when we exit this space.”

Have I become too comfortable with threatening creatures with my Bond or death? I didn't like doing it to the samurans, but I had a good reason there – they were too dangerous to let go.

Stolen story; please report.

But then is that not the case here too? This creature was strong enough to lift me off the ground. She even managed to lift me, Bastet, and Catch when she was riled. That means she could take any samuran and almost any of my Bound. She clearly hunts at nighttime, but what if she hunts during daylight too? The route between my den and the village is going to be frequently travelled. I can’t have a creature picking us off one by one.

Sure, I could get her to move away, potentially. I might even be able to create an Alliance Bond just to make sure I’d know if she had broken its word or not. But then if she does? All she would need to do is be more sneaky about her hunts and we’d have a major problem. On the other hand, if I can convert her to a Bound, I could actually have a solution to this problem in the future.

Put like that, my resolve is strengthened. Letting her go will only create problems. Keeping her will solve them. And ultimately, she attacked me – and lost. Normally, the consequences of that would be her life, but I offer a different option.

I will still be able to fly the skies, mate, and hatch eggs? she asks forlornly, clearly sensing my resolve.

“Of course,” I answer. “Two of my Bound are currently guarding their eggs.”

Then I will accept the Bond, she sighs, lowering her head. That’s fortunate as, standing, she’s almost twice my height, though a good portion of that is her neck. Reaching up, I manage to touch her beak and the space dissolves around us.

*****

Healing the creature, newly named Ptera, takes some time, but we travel while we’re doing it, so it’s not a complete waste. The whole thing has delayed me a bit, though, especially since Catch and I could only limp until I fixed my ankle and Catch’s leg. Fortunately, neither Pride nor Bastet are venomous – I was rather glad that Fenrir didn’t decide to join in on the fun. He probably would have while I was in the Battle of Wills space, but my warning just before it stopped him.

Much as I’d expected, Ptera is Tier two and has one main ability: Lighten. It seems that she’s able to lighten herself and her load to an extent, explaining why she was able to lift so many of us. She doesn’t have any other abilities, but in the end she doesn’t really need them – with her claws and teeth and air advantage, she’s easily a match for most ground-bound Tier twos. And now she has access to a single daily attack borrowed from one of my other Bound if she needs it.

Ptera is still hungry, so once her wings are healed and I’ve managed to regenerate her feathers – one more benefit of Flesh-Shaping over Lay-on-hands – she takes off to look for some food. I offered her a carcass from my Inventory, but she turned her beak up at it because of the lack of Energy. I shrugged and warned her off hunting any samurans or any other Bound. She agreed a little sulkily and took off.

We arrive at the den not long after.

Raven? Can you hear me? I ask as we enter the den. I wait for a response. If he’s down near the Pure Energy, he should be able to hear my words. If he’s somewhere else, he might not.

I can. Are you finally almost here? he asks impatiently.

I was down in the village, I defend, and was attacked on my way here. Are you OK? Are you under attack?

I’m fine. Why would I call you for an attack? If I can’t win against the opponent, neither will you prevail.

I gape at the open air, stopping in the middle of the central area. A moment later, I facepalm. Why had I expected anything else from the arrogant draconic creature?

“I don’t think I’m going to need back up,” I say absently to Bastet as I continue heading towards the Pure Energy stream. That will definitely be a shortcut to Raven considering he seems to be within his lair. She checks if I’m sure, then, when I say I am, she curls up with the juveniles who came to greet her at our entry.

We almost beat you, remember, I remind Raven then shake my head to focus on the topic at hand. What was so urgent that you needed to call me in the middle of the night?

I have an answer to your question.

And it couldn’t have waited until morning? I ask incredulously.

No.

I stop dead again, raise my eyes towards the ceiling and ask for strength from the heavens – or the rocky earth above me. Sighing, I get moving again. I’m already awake; I might as well deal with it.

Alright. I’m coming.

A bit of Earth-Shaping gives me entrance to the Pure Energy stream. I close it up again behind me – I don’t want any curious raptorcat juveniles, for example, finding an open door and falling into the stream. Because they would totally do that, cough Trouble cough.

It’s not long before I’m hoisting myself out of the Pure Energy tunnel on Raven’s side of things.

“So? What’s your response?”

Raven shuffles slightly, his eyes fixed on the three hatchlings curled up near his feet. They…don’t look comfortable. Their deformed shapes prevent them from curling up in the sinuous shape that their father takes, and their sleep seems restless.

They are not improving. I have done everything I can to help them since we spoke, and they are not improving. If anything…they seem to be deteriorating.

“The Pure Energy….” I say meaningfully to him.

What?

My eyes flick up to meet Raven’s gaze.

“They have been poorly affected by the Pure Energy. Being this close to the stream cannot be healthy for them.”

Raven makes a sound of frustration.

Yet anywhere else I take them will be more dangerous.

I can’t help chuckling. Raven feels my amusement and affront rolls across the Bond from his direction.

“Sorry,” I apologise. “I know it’s not a funny situation. But I was just thinking that that is really the least of the issues here. I can easily cover the hole with rock. I’ve done the same on my side, anyway. I have to build in holes to allow some of the Energy to leak into different spaces.”

Then I would ask you to do that here, Raven answers quickly.

“Even if it means you lose your nice Energy density?”

I care for my children’s wellbeing more, he responds firmly. I can’t help a pang of sorrow going through me at his words. If only all parents were like Kalanthia or Raven in their attitude.

“Alright. I’ll do that as soon as I leave. Now, you said you had an answer for me?”

I do. He hesitates for a moment, closing his eyes, then opens them again. I see the sincerity within them – and the pain. I know his answer before he gives it. I accept your price. Please help my children however you can. I will owe you three favours regardless of the outcome, and I will accept my children’s decision of whether they wish to stay when they are healed. If none choose to stay, I will owe you three more favours.

I take a deep breath.

Alright then. Let’s do this.