The beast lunged like a torpedo.
Myles barely twisted out of the way, the creature's mossy horns tearing through his shirt as he was launched backward—crashing hard into a tree.
Flat against the bark, dazed, he blinked. Then groaned."…Right. I can fly."
He face-palmed as he peeled himself from the splintered trunk. But just as he pushed off the ground, a crushing force slammed down on him—some invisible pressure anchoring him in place.
His ankle snapped under the weight.
"Argh—seriously?!" he hissed through gritted teeth.
Dragging himself up the tree with labored breaths, he climbed until he had a clearer view of the beast.
It was magnificent.
Its horns were green and mossy, with shimmering blue tips. Rust-colored fur draped its hulking frame like ancient armor, and four emerald eyes—two on each side—gleamed with intelligence and wrath.
"How can something so beautiful be so mean..." he muttered.
As if on cue, the beast tensed. Muscles coiled like springs. Myles could almost see the raw force vibrating through its limbs.
His ankle throbbed, but the bones had begun to knit. Just enough.
He leapt to a nearby tree.
Crack!The beast was beneath him in an instant, steam hissing from its nostrils as it glared up at him.
"Oh lord… what did I ever do to him?"The beast exhaled sharply—like a snort, but almost… a reply.
"Wait... can you understand me?" Myles asked, swinging himself into another tree, then another.
The chase ignited again.
Tree to tree, branch to branch, he flew like a squirrel on adrenaline. Leaves whipped past his face, his heartbeat thudding like drums in his ears. And always, just behind him, came the crashing of branches—the relentless rage of the emerald-eyed beast.
Leaping toward the next tree, Myles missed the branch completely.
He crashed face-first into the dirt with a painful thud. But there was no time to whine about it. Gritting his teeth, he sprang up and took off running, darting through any path thick with trees—anything to slow the beast down.
"Damn it," he growled. "At this rate, I'm never going to find it!"
As if summoned by the thought, something hard caught his foot. He tumbled, rolled, and scrambled to his knees—eyes locking onto a glint just ahead.
There it was.
Half-buried in the soil, shining silver-green with the lustre of polished metal, the helmet. Verdure's helmet.
But before he could move, the beast slammed to a halt—right on top of it.
"You ever consider someone might be trying not to kill you?!" Myles shouted, fire flickering wildly across his body. His patience had finally run out.
"I wouldn't," he muttered darkly.
In a flash, he vanished.
Reappearing mid-strike, his fist collided with the beast's face, sending the hulking creature crashing through a line of trees. With no time to admire the hit, Myles snatched up the helmet and took off, shouting at the top of his lungs:
"Verdure!"
But her voice struck like lightning from above.
"Hm. You lost. You still have much to learn."
Before he could react, her figure appeared out of nowhere—graceful, unreadable—then casually waved him backward with a surge of force, sending him tumbling once more.
"What are you talking about?!" he snapped, jumping to his feet and waving the helmet in frustration. "I have it!"
"Take a closer look," she said, folding her arms with a smug smirk. Her gaze shifted toward the sound of approaching footsteps—the beast hadn't given up.
Myles glanced down at the helmet—and froze.
Etched faintly along the rim were childlike scratches, like someone had carved into it with a nail.
"Sorry about your ankle."
There were more.
He stared at it in disbelief.
Then sighed.
Letting the helmet drop from his fingers, he slumped forward in utter submission.
"It's okay," Verdure said softly. "For your penalty, you'll gain a new pet."
Before he could react, she was already beside him—appearing so effortlessly, he didn't even feel her move.
"Make it submit," she whispered, resting her hand gently on his shoulder before vanishing again, the space between them widening like a ripple in water.
Myles steadied his breath. He extended his arms, bracing himself, palms open wide.
The beast barreled toward him, horns first.
The moment of impact rocked him—his feet skidding back, the ground trembling beneath him. He caught the horns, just barely, the force threatening to launch him back again. Gritting his teeth, he leaned into the pressure, muscles screaming.
Man versus beast.
It was an impressive display, but something clicked in Myles' mind.
It doesn't have to be a contest of strength…
Eyes narrowing, he slammed his foot into the earth, burying it deep for grounding. Flame surged around him—wild, chaotic, yet controlled. The heat danced across his skin like a second aura.
And then—he bent backward.
In a sudden, fluid motion, he redirected the beast's momentum, twisting its charge with the help of a few nearly invisible Criole strings. The energy snapped, bent, and curved around him like a guided current.
The beast couldn't stop.
Its massive body flipped mid-charge, crashing down onto its back with a thunderous boom. Dust and leaves burst into the air.
It let out a sharp, pained yelp.
It wasn't over yet.
The beast thrashed on the ground, yelping, kicking up clouds of dust as it slammed its massive body into the earth. Panic, pain, and pride boiled over in every movement.
Myles rushed to its side, throwing himself onto its head, pressing it down with both arms."Stop it!" he barked, his face inches from its ear. "You've lost!"
The beast let out a sharp, heated breath—then finally stilled.
Its limbs fell slack.
Silence returned to the forest.
Myles let go and collapsed backward, breathless. He sat in the dirt, letting out an exhausted sigh that seemed to carry the weight of the entire morning.
Then—clapping.
Verdure stepped out from between the trees, her hands gently applauding."Well done," she said with a small smile. "That was... interesting to watch."
She offered him a hand and pulled him to his feet.
"What would you name him?"
They both turned to look at the beast, now lying still, eyes open but calm.
Myles thought for a moment, then said softly,"Clav."