Evan turned to the lab entrance as three people entered.

“I thought you said he was smart?” a female voice chimed from the distance.

R'hazul strode into his laboratory, followed by a stunning woman, and a man, both dressed in strange gear. R'hazul tilted his head towards her “He is, just give him time”.

The first thing Evan was struck by was the woman's eyes. They gleamed like polished chrome, their reflective surfaces seeming to hold the natural sheen of metal within them, capturing and magnifying the surrounding light. She had flowing locks of hair that cascaded down her back and swayed with each movement.

Her companion, on the other hand, was a man of lean build and towering height. He moved with an ease that suggested he was constantly relaxed and comfortable, and had few other natural states.

The second thing he noticed was the garments they wore. The clothing they wore was a curious mix of styles, foreign and exotic, with high-quality materials and intricate designs that suggested great wealth and refinement. They were like the clothes he would see in the wealthy district, except of much higher quality, with more dyes and less pageantry - a fusion of strange and unfamiliar fabrics that clung to the two's bodies. The designs on the fabric were intricate, and the colours were vibrant and seemed to complement each other. The clothing was form-fitting and flattering. The way they moved in their strange clothes was natural and fluid; as if the fabric was made for them.

It was a stark contrast to the armour that Evan was used to seeing, which was heavy, clunky, and utilitarian. These foreign clothes were clearly the work of a master, someone who had evolved their skills many times, and seemed to be made for style as much as function. He wished he could show them to his mother. Evan, despite himself, felt almost annoyed by the luxury and refinement they exuded, he had been led to believe that wealth was only possible through the safety of the city.

Is everyone outside of the city walls just rich? How could they even have that made out here? He wondered. If so, he would, of course, gain wealth too. He would need a few pairs for himself, once he found the answer.

“Evan, my boy, come!” His mentor called out, motioning for Evan to come closer, as his voice boomed across the building way more than it possibly should have.

“Allow me to introduce you to my daughter, Esme,” R’hazul said, gesturing to a young woman who stood at the far end of the room. “And this is her familiar, Darren”.

She bound over to him and gave him a warm hug. “Hey, Evan!” Esme said, her voice ringing out like a bell, "Dad speaks highly of you, It's so nice to meet you!" Evan returned the hug, feeling thrown off guard and surprised he could even feel the weight of her hug, soft as it was. Which was weird, considering his strength had just entered the realm of dragons.

“Evan” Darren said, nodding his head towards him and extending his hand for a shake. Evan took his hand and shook it. “Hi, Darren” His grip was normal, at least.

Evan blinked in surprise, remembering what he’d heard R’hazul refer to him as earlier.

"Her...familiar?" he queried. That was impossible.

"Yeah," Darren said, nodding. "I'm a human from Earth, I was summoned by Esme a while back. I guess you could say I'm her personal assistant.”

"So… you're a familiar?” Evan asked slowly, drawing out each word, “As in a magical creature, beast, and spirit… that's formed a magical bond… and has their soul and essence stored in the skills of a… [Summoner]?" Evan asked, doubt dripping in each syllable as his stare drifted from Darren to Esme Incredulously. He was beginning to question the nature of their relationship. They were deviants. "Oh, I see," Evan said, nodding in faux understanding. "You're one of those couples who like to roleplay as a master and familiar."

Esme turned to face Evan, looking affronted, as Darren guffawed, "Sorry to disappoint you, Evan," Darren said. "But I'm not into that kind of roleplaying.”

"And actually, Evan," Esme began, "Darren is my familiar, but I'm not his master. We're more like partners in crime, or business partners."

“And plus, she's not my type” Darren added, shaking his head.

“I’m everyone's type," Esme replied with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "And besides, I don't need a familiar who's only good for fleeing monsters and making coffee," she added

Darren rolled his eyes and muttered something about being misunderstood, but Evan was too busy trying to wrap his head around the concept of humans being used as familiars to pay much attention.

Oh, Evan thought, So they were being serious. “So your soul is stored inside her skill? Wouldn't that make you re-summonable? Immortal? As long as she's alive?” to Evan, It was just too hard to believe.

Darren grinned. "That's right, buddy. I'm Esme's familiar. Nice to meet you, by the way."

"Nice to meet you too," Evan replied, looking back and forth between the two, still confused. "I always thought familiars were supposed to be, you know, magical beasts?" Evan said, still eyeing Darren skeptically, “and not people” he added.

"But I just look like a regular guy in cosplay, right?" Darren seemed to be enjoying Evan's display “Well, technically”, He gestured, arm sweeping wide across the halls of R’hazuls laboratory “We’re all magical beasts”

Well, he’s got a point there, Evan thought, and ‘cosplay’? What’s up with that? Are these two just obsessed with inventing words every two seconds? Evan could tell from the context, Darren's tone, and expression as he used the word, that it probably referred to some form of ineffectual gear.

Evan felt a smirk forming, but suppressed it. Considering everything he had experienced over the past few days, his idea of the impossible had become more than flexible. He decided to suspend his disbelief, and give them a chance to enlighten him "Familiars are supposed to be animals, beasts or monsters, though. How can you be a human?"

Esme, sensing the change in his body language, smiled. "We get that a lot. We just came from a world where magic and advanced technology coexist, and they still lost their minds. Darren is from Earth, from one of the earlier dimensions I visited. My summoner-type skill and my other dimensional one are blended skills. He’s pretty useless as a familiar but sometimes he pulls through”

“Hey,” Darren looked up from a small meal he’d apparently pulled out of thin air.

"I see," Evan replied, still taking in the new development. Blended skills, skill synergy, and skill evolution were things most people dreamed of, But dimensions?, as in, different planes? Another impossibility. Evans' mind was malfunctioning, but he quickly recovered, sensing an opportunity, "So, what kind of skills do they have on ‘Earth’?"

Darren's grin grew wider. "On Earth? None. But once here? Probably none too. Those are private, my friend. Can't just go blabbing about everything, you know?"

Esme chimed in, her voice like a song. "Don't mind Darren, he's just being modest. He's got some pretty impressive skills."

"Really?" Evan asked, intrigued, He could do with some inspiration for his next biological changes.

Darren chuckled. "Sorry, kid. That's all you're getting from me. You'll have to get to know me better before I spill the beans. Skills, though, huh? the only good thing about this nightmare of a world. Are we staying long?"

“Don't disrespect the home turf” Esme threw a metal construct she'd picked up at Darren, who seemed unfazed as the small mythril ball with black metal casted symbols around it sped toward him. R’hazul glanced back and raised an eyebrow and a hand, as the ball seized in mid-air and now sped towards him, growing arms and legs along the way.

“And no, not really," Esme continued. "We're just helping Dad and Gideon with something before we check out the new place. He wants us to take the new guy to get him some samples. He thinks it'll help Evan develop his Skill. Three birds, one stone.”

They all left the halls of R’hazuls lab and entered the desert, Esme gestured at the empty space beside her. A swirl of mana, sand and flowing wind began to coalesce, spinning faster and faster as it drew upon the magical energies of the world. The shifting winds carried the mana in all directions, forming a vortex of power that pulsed and surged with each passing moment. A large portal was forming. With each passing second, the portal formed and reformed, images of worlds, stars, and planets constantly shifting and blending into a spectrum of colours and sights. Strange beings and contraptions appeared, only to blur into each other the next moment. The portal was a constant motion of infinite possibilities, with no single image staying long enough to truly see. Evan didn’t need anyone to tell him this was a gateway to other dimensions.

He’d assumed they were being honest about their skills, but knowing, and seeing, were two very different experiences.

Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.

“This place is something else," He said, marvelling at the sheer amount of magical phenomena and knowledge that surrounded him.

"Isn't it?" Esme said with a smile. "I've grown up here, and with this, but I still find new things every day." Her eyes, like polished silver, reflected the light of the portal in all directions.

Darren nodded his head in agreement. "It’s definitely something”

Esme and Darren turned to Evan, as the portal began to shift, warped images shifting across its form.

“You coming?” They asked, in unison.

Esme placed a hand on Evan's shoulder. "I promise you, we'll be careful. And besides, think of all the new knowledge you could gain from travelling to another dimension."

Evan considered this for a moment. She did have a point. “Okay, I'm in. But what exactly are we doing in this new dimension?”

“You’ll be collecting some minerals and metals for Dad, and once that’s done” Esme's eyes sparkled with excitement. "We’ll be developing my skill, your skill, exploring, hunting, maybe even nothing, it's a new dimension I unlocked so who knows? That's a part of the fun”

Evan's schooled his expression, heart racing at the possibility of foreign beasts and capabilities. "That sounds incredibly dangerous."

Darren & Esme shared a knowing glance Evan couldn't quite read.

He turned to look at R’hazul, who was busy pouring over a pile of scrolls surrounding a large metal humanoid skeleton and muttering to himself under his breath. “I'm ready to leave,” Evan said, feeling a little impatient, he had been inspired by R’hazuls living weapon, and wanted one of his own; he’d need more beasts to study to achieve that, the stranger the better. “what do we do now?” Esme asked her father, as the images of worlds and stars constantly shifted and blended together in her portal.

R’hazul looked up from his work, his eyes narrowing as he considered the question. “We wait,” he said finally, “for Gideon to arrive.”

***

Evan stood in the center of the desert wasteland, his eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of movement, pausing as the sign was found. The sun was beating down on his skin, scorching him with its unrelenting heat. He really needed to work on his resistances, he decided.

As the hot, dry air wafted along the breeze, the four of them stood waiting for the new arrival that had appeared in the distance. Evan could feel the sand shift beneath his boots as the newcomer approached.

They continued to watch as a figure drew closer, walking towards them across the shifting sands of the desert. Even from this distance, he could feel the intensity of the newcomer's presence, an energy that seemed to draw all attention with each confident step and measured movement, the desert landscape seemed to fade in vibrancy, and Evan could almost swear he could see the figure's eyes from this impossible distance. It was difficult to look away, as if his own eyes were drawn by a powerful almost magnetic force.

Each step the newcomer took was deliberate, the heavy sound of his footsteps impacting into the sand causing a thud. He was muscular, his frame imposing and powerful, in contrast to the fluidity of his movements that suggested a perfect control of his form. His pointed ears marked him as one of the elves, a muscular one at that, but not much else. His eyes though, were strange. They seemed to shift and change with every new angle, reflecting the light like a kaleidoscope. One moment they were the swirling colours of the magical portal beside them, the next they were the cold, hard metal of a machine, and with the next movement, a star, a nebula, or another land. What skill is that? Evan wondered.

Evan could see him clearly now. So this was R’hazul's son, Gideon.

As he drew closer towards the four, to stand in front of them, the sand around Gideon shifted and swirled, as though it were alive and dancing to Gideon’s every step. Evan watched in amazement as the grains of sand rose and fell in time with his movements, creating patterns that seemed to shift and change with every passing moment. He must weigh a ton. Or have some skill that drastically increases his density, Evan mistakenly thought.

When Gideon finally arrived, he stood tall and looked from Esme, to R’hazul, his eyes seeming to penetrate their very souls. He said nothing, a comfortable silence filled by his presence. R'hazul stepped forward and put a hand on Gideon's shoulder. "Son," he said, his voice full of pride. "It is good to see you."

“And you, Father. Esme” He replied, his voice devoid of emotion.

"And I'm assuming the boy is the genius enigma you found, Father" he said, his eyes flicking over each of them in turn, the bass and chime of his voice still devoid of emotion.

Gideon nodded towards Esme while he responded, but his eyes turned to become fixed on Evan. He seemed to be assessing him, judging him.

Esme stepped forward then, a smile on her face. "Gideon," she said, her voice warm and welcoming. "It's good to see you too."

Gideon's eyes flicked toward her, but they quickly returned to Evan. There was something in his gaze that made Evan feel uncomfortable, like he was being studied under the weight of his own skill. He felt as if every cell and strand of his being was being scrutinised by that strange constantly changing gaze. He shifted his weight from one foot to the other, feeling awkward at the sudden attention.

“Oh wow, you have three skills.” emotion and animation crept into Gideon as he regarded Evan.

“And you're not really here, are you? I had wondered why everything was so weird here. Is this your own dimension? I wonder what happens to it when you leave?” Gideon then took an animated step forward, the sand shifting and rumbling around them under the weight of his step.

Evans' jaw went slack.

Then, the homunculi smiled “...you know what… that's really interesting. I think I’ll find you when you get back”.

A silence hung in the air as they seemed to digest his words.

R’hazul paused, slowly turning to face Evan beside Esme, and narrowed his eyes. Esme and Darren didn't seem to care about the revelation and were engaged in a conversation of their own.

R’hazul raised a finger.

R’hazul’s finger twitched, and a beam of pure heat ripped across the space between them. The sand beneath them parted violently in arched waves before turning to glass, travelling halfway towards Evan in less than a second. It was aiming for his legs.

Evan's heart seized in his chest “wha-”

Time seemed to freeze as Evan processed what was coming towards him.

His newly enhanced reflexes & draconian musculature reacted before he had even finished processing the danger and he leapt out of the way, shooting across the sand, sending waves of sand and dust scattering in all directions as the scorching beam of heat sliced past, completely missing its target.

“You're fast, much faster!” R’hazul said, with interest, re-assessing Evan.

Flames appeared beneath R’hazul’s feet as he rocketed towards Evan, immediately crossing the distance, intent on catching his suddenly more interesting test subject.

Evan cocked back his fist and charged as much energy as he could in the milliseconds before R’hazul would be in front of him, and his arm whipped forward, lightning-fast. The two combatants collided in a thunderous crack of sound and sand, with Evan's fist slamming into R'hazul's chest, sending him flying backward through the air.

“And strong!” R’hazul yelled with glee as he flew backwards through the air. He dug his hand into the sands to arrest his momentum, sliding to a stop with a heavy thud, and flung himself back towards Evan. As he soared through the air, his armour transformed into a strange, winged humanoid, leaping off him in concert.

The air sizzled with mana and heat as R’Hazul lunged at Evan, his form low towards the sand, his dark metallic body glinting in the light of the hot sun and the flames beneath his feet as he drew closer. Evan’s eyes narrowed, taking in the form of the metal-armour creature descending on him from above its owner. It rushed towards Evan, its metal wings held still as it streaked across the hot air. He would need to take it out first. Evan leapt, a streak of sand rising into the air, as he charged and built as much energy as he could while soaring upwards. He teleported before the creature, catching it by surprise, and flesh impacted on metal as they clashed. Evan unleashed a wicked hook with everything he had, as a loud shockwave resounded through the desert, throwing sand back in all directions as the armour went soaring. But Evan knew it would be back.

“That punch must've been 400 miles per hour!” The molten smile on R’hazuls face seemed to grow with every exchange. He leapt off the ground with a heavy thud, an explosion of sand and fire hurling him upwards to meet Evan in the air.

“I was going to let you go,” He yelled, as the flames beneath him turned from orange to red, then to blue “A human with dragon physiology, but you're actually so much more!”

Evan teleported towards the ground, landed in a plume of sand, and leapt, triggering another use of his skill to bring him instantly soaring up beneath R’hazul, his arm cocked back. His agility and altered bone structure had allowed him to move with incredible speed. R'hazul blocked Evan's punch with his metallic arm, creating a ringing sound that echoed through the barren wasteland.

“Why fight? We’ll get you back to my laboratory!” The dragon called, the strange quality and chime to his voice seeping into Evan. His words were beginning to sound reasonable.

Hmm, that's not so bad...Why am I even fighting him? Evan wondered.

They both fell through the air, landing on the ground some distance from each other. Evan glanced towards the portal to another dimension, considering just taking his chances and leaving. Coming to a decision, He started heading for the portal.

R’hazul called out from across the dunes, his low voice still carrying more volume than should have been possible “Once we're back, we'll find out how to strengthen your cells with mana, breaking past their limits.”

That's possible!? Evan slowed down. Maybe I should go with him? He wasn't such a bad guy after all. Evan thought, he was only a few paces away from the portal now.

Crack.

Evan deflected a large shard of ice that had suddenly appeared in front of him. The resulting shockwave erasing the foreign mana from his system, clearing his senses. Wait, what the hells was I thinking? His voice! But how?! That's not even a skill!? The jarring transition in his thoughts had alerted him to the nagging feeling he’d had ever since he had met R’hazul, and the strangeness of his voice.

R’hazul had completely blocked the entrance to the portal with a thick pane of ice the melted with each second in the desert.

“Stop manipulating me!” Evan yelled, before teleporting towards his assailant once more.

“You're a success, Evan, much better than what I'd hoped for” R’hazul continued, waves of mana still extending from his voice as an explosion of heat rocked the sand where Evan had just stood. R'hazul continued his barrage.

As Evan drew closer, landing in front of him, a combination of leaps, twists, and teleports evaded the flames, ice, and grasp of his mentor. His body moved in ways that should have been impossible, twisting and turning in mid-air as he deflected R’Hazul’s attacks. The sand beneath their feet had been reduced to a glassy, obsidian-like substance, a clear sign of the heat and power that R’Hazul wielded. The air was thick with smoke and dust, making it hard to see anything clearly. And yet, Evan kept fighting, each blow sending a jolt of energy racing through his body.

“And once we’re done with the procedure, we'll schedule extraction, and dissection after that!” R’Hazul roared, his voice ringing out like a furnace. Waves of heat radiated out from him, the sand boiling beneath his feet. Evan barely managed to deflect a massive shard of ice that appeared out of nowhere, the shockwave from the impact throwing sand, steam, and debris up into the air, obscuring his vision.

Right. Evan thought, Hells no to that.

***

“What's up with them?” Darren asked Esme, shielding his eyes from the explosion

“Dunno, Dad's doing ‘Dad’ stuff. Mad scientist is kind of like, his whole vibe,” she shrugged, metallic eyes gleaming behind her sunglasses.

Darren looked on, He was surprised Evan was lasting so long.