The success of Rocky's evolution hung over the cottage like a blessed rain after a long drought. For two days, a light, hopeful energy filled the rooms. Cade spent every waking hour training with his Stone Drake. The connection between them grew stronger with each command, each shared moment of effort. He could feel Rocky's thoughts more clearly now—simple feelings like hunger, curiosity, and the satisfaction of a sun-warmed rock.
But as he trained, Cade's mind kept drifting. His ability was not just for him. His mother's words echoed in his head: "You will help them, too." He looked at the women who had raised him, who had protected him, and a new determination settled in his heart. It was time to use his gift for them.
His first and only choice was his mother, Sienna.
He found her in her small vegetable garden behind the cottage. Sitting on a simple wooden stool beside her was her beast, an Emerald Finch she called Lily. The bird was preening its vibrant green feathers, chirping a soft, melodic tune. Sienna was whispering to it, her voice gentle, but Cade saw the faint shadow in her eyes. She had been a Silver-rank Tamer for as long as he could remember, her progress stalled.
Cade took a deep breath and walked over. Rocky followed at his heels, his heavy steps quiet on the soft earth.
"Mom?"
Sienna looked up, her face instantly softening into a smile. "Hello, my dear. Is training going well?"
"It's good," Cade said, kneeling so he was at her level. He looked at the little finch, its bright black eyes watching him. "Mom... can I look at Lily? Really look at her?"
Sienna's smile became curious. "What do you mean?"
"With my... ability," Cade said, his voice low even though they were alone.
Understanding dawned on her face, followed by a flicker of something vulnerable—hope, mixed with fear. She nodded slowly. "Of course, Cade."
Cade focused on the Emerald Finch. He poured his will into his gaze, asking the silent question. The familiar, clear words materialized in his mind.
Beast: Emerald Finch
Rank:Silver 9-Star
Potential:Gold
Evolution Path:→ Storm Finch Materials Required for Evolution:
· 1x Sunstone
· 3x Feathers from a Gale Sparrow
· Bathe in the first dawn light atop a high cliff
Cade's breath caught. Not only did he see her potential, but he saw the next evolution. A Storm Finch. It sounded powerful. And the materials... they were specific, but they didn't sound impossible.
"Well?" Sienna asked, her voice barely a whisper. The hope in her eyes was so raw it made Cade's chest ache.
"Her potential isn't Silver, Mom," Cade said, his own voice filled with awe. "It's Gold."
Sienna's hand flew to her mouth. Tears instantly welled in her beautiful green eyes. "Gold? Lily can reach Gold?" It was a rank she had only ever dreamed of.
"And I can see how," Cade continued, excitement bubbling up. "She needs to become a Storm Finch. She needs a Sunstone, three feathers from a Gale Sparrow, and... she needs to bathe in the first light of dawn on top of a high cliff."
He watched the emotions play across his mother's face: disbelief, overwhelming joy, and then a sudden, practical worry.
"A Sunstone?" she murmured. "Those are not common. And Gale Sparrows... they are fast and rare. They live in the high canyons near the Jagged Peaks." She looked away, her shoulders slumping slightly. "It would cost a fortune to buy those things. We don't have that kind of money, Cade."
The reality of their situation crashed into Cade's hopeful plans. He had been so focused on the "what" that he hadn't considered the "how." His family was not poor, but they were not rich either. They had enough to live on, but not enough for rare Tamer materials.
"How much?" Cade asked, his jaw setting.
"Too much," Sienna said softly. "A single low-grade Sunstone could cost ten gold crowns. That's more than we make in a year from selling herbs and pelts."
The number was staggering. The small pouch of silver and copper coins they had was a pittance in comparison.
Just then, Raven walked around the corner of the cottage, having overheard the last part of their conversation. Her sharp eyes took in Sienna's tearful face and Cade's determined one.
"What's going on?" Raven asked, her tone direct.
"Cade says he can evolve Lily," Sienna explained, her voice thick with emotion. "To Gold rank. But she needs a Sunstone and Gale Sparrow feathers."
Raven let out a low whistle. "Expensive. Very expensive." She crossed her arms, thinking. "Can't buy it. So we have to get it ourselves."
"How?" Cade asked, looking between his mother and his aunt.
"The Gale Sparrows nest in the high cliffs of the Serpent's Fang Canyons," Raven said, pointing east towards the distant, rocky mountains. "A day's hard travel. It's dangerous footing, and the sparrows are skittish. They vanish at the first sign of a threat. Catching one, or even just plucking a few feathers, would be a challenge."
"And the Sunstone?" Sienna asked.
Raven's expression turned grimmer. "The old Sunstone Caverns. They're picked clean of easy stones on the surface. The only ones left are deep inside, and that place... it's not just unstable like the iron mine. It's got creatures living in it. Light-loving bats and insects that don't take kindly to thieves."
The tasks sounded difficult and dangerous. Cade felt a knot of anxiety form in his stomach. But he looked at his mother's face, at the hope that was so close to being crushed, and the knot tightened into resolve.
"We have to try," Cade said, his voice firm. "For Mom."
Raven studied him for a long moment, then a fierce grin spread across her face. "Finally, a real hunt." She looked at Sienna. "We'll get your materials, Sienna. I'll take the boy to the canyons for the feathers. Zara knows the old paths to the caverns better than anyone. She can lead us there after."
The plan was forming, wild and risky. But they were Tamers. Risk was part of their lives.
Sienna looked from her son to her sister, her eyes shining with fresh tears, but now they were tears of gratitude and love. She pulled both of them into a tight hug.
"Thank you," she whispered. "My brave, wonderful family."
Cade hugged her back, feeling a new purpose ignite within him. This was what his power was for. Not just for himself, but for them. For his family. The path to power was no longer a solitary road. It was a path they would walk together, and he was now their guide.
The first mission to help a loved one had just begun.