Night had settled over the northern camp. The firelight flickered gently, casting long shadows across the snow-dusted ground. Everyone else had gone to sleep: Ventis dozing in the warmth of the tent, Clarisse curled in her small bedroll, and Meryl and Selene resting quietly nearby.
Cel stirred, his icy-blue eyes glowing faintly in the dim light. The covenant formed with Baker had given him more than a bond — it had gifted him knowledge and insight. He remembered Baker's movements, the pulse of Enduring Body magic, the subtle flow of healing and reinforcement through his muscles.
Tonight, he would practice.
Silently, he padded to a small open space near the fire. The frost around him shimmered faintly as he concentrated, recalling the sensation of Baker's magic coursing through his veins. Carefully, he mimicked the movements he had observed in dreams and memories, reinforcing his body while infusing himself with the chill of his frost mana.
A small pulse ran through him — the magic worked. Enduring Body, combined with his natural frost affinity, flowed through his muscles, cooling strained areas, numbing minor aches, and subtly reinforcing his limbs. He experimented further, recalling Baker's light healing practice, and cautiously applied it to minor scratches and bruises from earlier in the day.
It was slow at first. He faltered occasionally, stumbling over the coordination of body reinforcement and frost energy. But he remembered every detail Baker had unknowingly shared through the covenant: the way muscles flexed, the rhythm of breath and pulse, and the careful balance between energy and overexertion.
After several attempts, Cel paused, tail flicking thoughtfully. His muscles felt stronger, warmer yet cooled, and minor injuries were already easing. A small glow of frost mana circled him, almost like a halo, invisible to the sleeping humans.
He sat back on his haunches, ears twitching, observing his own reflection in the faintly frozen surface of a nearby puddle. He had learned more tonight than he had before: healing, body reinforcement, and endurance magic. All without anyone knowing.
The pup yipped softly, as if whispering a promise to Baker: he would grow stronger, silently, until he could support his human companion in ways no one expected.
Satisfied, Cel curled up near the edge of the tent, frost-tinged fur puffing around him, and drifted into sleep, careful to hide his secret training from everyone — even Baker.
The bond between them had grown beyond trust; it was now a shared path of growth, training, and quiet strength, unseen by the rest of the camp.
The next morning, the sun rose pale and crisp over the northern trees. Baker stepped out of the tent, stretching his arms as the frost-tinged air bit gently at his cheeks.
Cel was already waiting, tail flicking and icy-blue eyes alert. At first, Baker thought it was normal puppy energy, but as the day went on, he noticed subtle differences.
When Baker moved into his morning Enduring Body practice, reinforcing his muscles and testing frost mana pulses, Cel mimicked some movements almost instinctively. Not perfectly — it was more a rhythm than exact technique — but his limbs flexed and twisted in ways that mirrored Baker's magic-infused training.
During light sparring, Cel darted in at precisely the right moment to distract Selene, giving Baker a split-second opening he didn't consciously notice. Later, when Baker shifted his frost mana to cool an overworked arm, Cel seemed to instinctively lean close, subtly nuzzling the same area, as if helping regulate the magic.
"Hmm…" Baker muttered, kneeling to pet Cel. "You're… a little faster, aren't you? And stronger somehow."
Cel wagged his tail, yipping softly, as if acknowledging the compliment while hiding the truth.
Even during their mid-morning exercises, the pup's healing instincts appeared. When Baker accidentally scraped his forearm on a branch, Cel padded over, nose glowing faintly with frost mana, and the minor wound stung less instantly. Baker blinked.
"Did you… just help that heal faster?" he whispered, astonished. He flexed the arm and found it already tingling with warmth and ice, the swelling reduced. Cel's eyes glimmered knowingly, but he said nothing — his secret training continuing quietly.
By afternoon, Baker noticed Cel anticipating minor hazards during exercises. If a branch threatened to trip him, Cel would step in, gently nudging or blocking. It was subtle, almost instinctive — but unmistakable.
Baker laughed softly, crouching beside the pup. "You're learning fast, little one. Faster than I expected. I guess our covenant… works both ways."
Cel yipped, curling up at Baker's feet. The bond they shared had become more than companionship; it was a living, mutual growth, strengthening them both without the rest of the camp noticing.
Ventis peeked from the tent entrance later, a soft smile on her face. "He's behaving… differently, isn't he?" she murmured to Baker. "More careful, more aware. And you… seem calmer when he's around."
Baker nodded, scratching Cel's ears. "I think he's been practicing at night," he admitted quietly. "I didn't even notice. But… it seems like he's learning Enduring Body magic on his own."
Ventis's eyes widened slightly, both worry and pride mingling. "Just like you… he's remarkable."
Baker smiled, feeling a warmth spread through him. The pup was no longer just a companion — he was a partner, growing silently alongside him, sharing in the path of training, survival, and magic. And Baker knew that together, they would only grow stronger.