"To master the wild, one must first master trust."
Eliakim's pace slowed as he descended into the next chamber, his body still aching despite the healing energy pulsing gently from the Waters of Lirael. Skyling, now perched outside of his cloak for the first time in a while, shifted uneasily, chirping and glancing back toward the tunnel.
"It's alright," Eliakim whispered, brushing a hand over Skyling's head. "We keep going. Just a few more."
The corridor opened into a vast hollow—this one shaped like an ancient amphitheater, with seats carved into the stone in concentric rings that descended to a central platform. Light streamed in from above through cracks in the ceiling, illuminating a single pedestal at the center, where a sleek, metallic collar hovered suspended in the air. Silver with obsidian inlay, it pulsed with faint arcs of energy.
The Collar of Veyrun.
Eliakim's heart pounded. He had read about tamers in the old books—warriors who bonded with wild beasts not through domination, but mutual understanding. If this collar was what he suspected, it was meant not just for control, but for communion.
But as his boots touched the lowest tier of the amphitheater, the trial began.
The ground shook.
From the shadows of the upper balconies, massive creatures emerged. Not beasts of flesh, but constructs of stone and elemental power. A quadrupedal jaguar-like form wreathed in flame. A great horned owl sculpted of ice. A serpent formed of crackling storm clouds. All three leapt from their perches, circling the arena in silence.
Skyling hissed and burrowed beneath Eliakim's collarbone, quivering.
A voice resonated in the chamber—not cruel, not welcoming. Neutral.
"The bond between beast and bearer must be forged in adversity. Show your worth. Show your trust."
The elemental beasts struck together.
Eliakim rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the swipe of the fire-jaguar's claw, the heat singing his cloak. He drew his dagger, but the storm-serpent coiled and sent a bolt of lightning crackling toward him. It slammed into the ground at his feet, knocking him back.
Skyling shrieked.
"We can't win with brute force!" Eliakim shouted. "They're testing us—our bond!"
The owl dived, wings outstretched like glacier-blades. Eliakim closed his eyes.
"Skyling," he whispered. "We do this together. I trust you."
A glow flared from his chest. Skyling erupted outward, surrounded by a pale blue light, hovering before him.
Its body began to shift.
Feathers elongated. Its stubby wings unfurled, growing sharp and radiant. Small horns curved from its head. Skyling doubled in size, now looking like a sleek, phoenix-like creature with streaks of silver along its back.
Its eyes—once childish—now shimmered with resolve.
Skyling had evolved.
The beasts paused, recognizing the shift.
Together, Eliakim and Skyling moved. The fire-jaguar charged, but Skyling intercepted it with a flash of wind magic, disrupting its form. Eliakim darted through, rolling under the owl's dive and slashing the serpent's tail. But instead of attacking relentlessly, he pulled back each time they faltered, showing mercy.
He wasn't here to destroy.
He was here to prove he could lead—without cruelty.
As the last strike of coordinated motion ended, Eliakim stood still, arms wide.
"I won't strike you again," he called into the arena. "You've seen what we are. You've felt our unity. That's the bond you're guarding, isn't it? One forged in loyalty—not command."
A stillness followed.
The beasts circled once more. Then slowly, they turned inward—toward the pedestal.
The collar descended, its dark metal shining in the torchlight. It hovered to Eliakim, and he extended his hand. When he grasped it, a fourth sigil lit on his bracelet.
The Collar of Veyrun pulsed warmly, and Skyling—still in its evolved form—fluttered down beside him. It chirped once, then rubbed its head against his shoulder.
From the pedestal, a scroll unrolled itself, revealing ancient writings of taming and beast speech. Eliakim read it, eyes widening. It contained forgotten knowledge: how to sense emotions through a companion's aura, how to calm a wild heart, and how to forge telepathic links through shared trials.
The scroll dissolved into light and flowed into the bracelet.
A low rumble sounded.
The far side of the amphitheater opened, revealing a dark stairwell.
Eliakim turned to Skyling.
"No more hiding in the cloak, huh?"
Skyling chirped, then spread its wings proudly.
They descended together into the next trial.