Cade returned to the cottage as the afternoon sun began to cast long shadows. The walk back from the stream felt lighter than the journey out. The weight of the Earth Root in his pack was a promise, a tangible piece of his future. He pushed open the wooden door to find Sienna waiting, her hands clasped together nervously.
Her eyes, the same shade of green as his own, immediately scanned him for any sign of harm. Seeing him whole and with a smudge of dirt on his cheek, she relaxed, a warm smile easing the worry lines on her face. "You found it," she said, her voice full of relief and pride. It wasn't a question.
Cade nodded, pulling the pale yellow root from his pack. "Zara showed me where to look."
At that moment, Raven came in from the backyard, her sharp grey eyes noting the root in Cade's hand. A grunt of approval was all she offered, but it was enough. Vera and Eris looked up from their sewing by the fire, their identical blue eyes curious and hopeful.
"The ore?" Sienna asked.
Cade patted the leather bag still at his hip. "Right here. All five chunks."
A collective, silent sigh of relief passed through the room. He had done it. He had retrieved both ingredients without disaster.
"Good," Sienna said, her tone shifting to practical. "Then there is only one thing left to do. The sun-basking must be for one full day. We will begin at first light tomorrow."
The rest of the evening was quiet, filled with a sense of anticipation. After a simple dinner of stew, Cade went to the small wash basin to clean up. He splashed cool water on his face, washing away the grime from the mine and the stream. He looked at his reflection in the still water of the basin for a moment. He saw his mother's kind, green eyes looking back at him. His hair was a messy mop of dark brown, constantly falling across his forehead. At sixteen, he was lean and tall for his age, but still needed to fill out with more muscle. He looked ordinary, but he knew now he held an extraordinary secret inside.
Later, as Cade prepared for bed, Sienna came to his small room. She sat on the edge of his bed, her movements graceful even in the dim light of a single candle. She looked at him, her expression soft.
"You were very brave today," she said, her voice gentle. "Raven told me what happened at the mine."
Cade shrugged, suddenly feeling shy. "It was nothing. I just got scared for a second."
"It wasn't nothing," Sienna insisted. She reached out and gently pushed his messy hair from his forehead. "You faced your fear and completed your task. Your father would have been so proud of you."
Cade's breath caught. She rarely spoke of his father. "He would?"
"More than you can know," she whispered, her eyes glistening in the candlelight. She had long, honey-brown hair that she often tied in a loose braid, but now it fell over her shoulders like a curtain. Her face was kind and warm, but her green eyes held a deep strength and a shadow of that old sadness he sometimes saw. "He believed that true strength wasn't about being unafraid. It was about moving forward even when you are terrified. You did that today."
She leaned over and kissed his forehead. "Get some sleep, my brave son. Tomorrow is a big day." She left, closing the door quietly behind her. Cade felt a warmth spread through him that had nothing to do with the blankets. He fell asleep with a determined smile on his face.
---
Dawn came, painting the sky in shades of pink and orange. The family was already awake. The twins, Eris and Vera, had prepared a large, flat basket filled with soft blankets. Zara had chosen the sunniest spot in their small backyard, a sheltered nook against the cottage wall that caught the light from morning until evening.
Raven carried the basket outside. "This is the best spot. No shadows will cross it until sunset."
Cade gently placed Rocky in the center of the basket. The little lizard, sensing the warmth of the early sun, stretched out contentedly.
"Now," Zara said, "the materials. They must be placed with him. The energy needs to transfer."
Cade took the five chunks of Grey Iron Ore and arranged them in a circle around the lizard. Finally, he placed the Earth Root right in front of Rocky's nose. "Go on," he whispered. "It's for you."
The lizard sniffed the root, flicking its tongue out. It seemed to understand. It settled down, its dull grey scales soaking up the sunlight, the ore and root beside it.
Now, there was nothing to do but wait.
The day passed with an agonizing slowness. Cade couldn't focus on anything else. He tried to help Eris and Vera with their mending, but he kept pricking his fingers. He tried to sort herbs with Zara but kept mixing them up. His eyes were constantly drawn to the backyard, to the small lizard baking in the sun.
His aunts understood. They didn't give him difficult tasks. Raven even sat with him for a while on the back step, not speaking, just keeping him company. She was tall and strong, with defined muscles earned from hunting. Her hair was the color of a raven's wing, black and cut short for practicality. A thin, pale scar ran down her left arm, a reminder of a past battle. Her presence was solid and reassuring.
As the sun began its descent, painting the sky in fiery shades of red and purple, the air around the basket seemed to change. It began to hum with a low, barely audible energy.
"Cade," Sienna called from the doorway, her voice tense. "Look."
Cade, who had been staring for hours, jumped to his feet. The others gathered behind him, their faces filled with a mixture of hope and anxiety.
The setting sun's light seemed to focus on the basket. The Grey Iron Ore chunks began to glow with a faint, dull light. The Earth Root started to shrivel, its essence turning into a visible, pale yellow mist that drifted towards the lizard.
Rocky was changing.
He wasn't just basking anymore. He was absorbing the light, the ore, the root. His small body began to glow with a soft, golden light. A cracking sound filled the quiet evening air, like pebbles grinding together.
Cade's heart hammered against his ribs. This was it. This was the moment of truth.
The lizard's form began to shimmer and warp. It grew. Its tail thickened and lengthened. Its legs became sturdier, ending in small, sharp claws. The dull grey scales darkened to a deeper, slate grey and became larger, overlapping like pieces of stone armor. Its head shape changed, becoming more defined, a little nub of a horn pushing out from its snout.
The light grew so bright they had to shield their eyes. There was a final, brilliant flash.
When they looked again, it was over.
The basket was a mess. The ore chunks were now dull, lifeless rocks, crumbled to dust. The Earth Root was gone, completely absorbed.
Lying in the center was a new creature.
It was no longer a lizard. It was the size of a large cat. Its body was covered in tough, slate-grey scales that looked like rock. Its claws were black and sharp. Its eyes, once small and black, were now a bright, intelligent yellow. It let out a small, rumbling sound that was nothing like the squeak from before.
Cade's ability activated instantly, the words flashing in his mind with a new, powerful clarity.
Beast: Stone Drake
Rank:Bronze 1-Star
Potential:Gold
Evolution Path:→ [Data Missing] Materials Required for Evolution:???
A stunned silence fell over the family. They could all feel it. The new power radiating from the creature. It was no longer a Copper-rank beast. It had truly evolved.
Sienna was the first to move. She stepped forward, her hand over her mouth, her green eyes wide with awe and joy. She looked from the magnificent little drake to her son's stunned, ecstatic face.
Tears welled in her eyes. Not tears of sadness, but of overwhelming pride and vindication. She pulled Cade into a fierce, tight hug.
"You did it," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "My son, you really did it."
The four aunts stood behind them, their expressions a mix of shock, wonder, and dawning belief. Raven's usual scowl was gone, replaced by a look of pure astonishment. Zara was smiling widely. The twins held each other's hands, their blue eyes shining.
Cade hugged his mother back, his own eyes wet. He looked over her shoulder at his new partner, the Stone Drake. The creature looked back at him and gave a small, happy chirp, a sound that held the echo of a future roar.
The first step of their incredible journey was complete.