Morning mist clung to the river camp as horns echoed across the cliffs. Candidates stirred from tents and fires, Arclings stretching, wings beating, tails snapping sparks. Word spread fast: Trial Four would be the Twin Duel.
A flat plateau had been cleared at the cliff's edge, ringed by stone benches carved ages ago. The floor bore faint chalk lines in a wide circle. Guards stood at posts, each wearing bands heavy with stones—proof that the duels would be kept fair.
Jett walked with Sparkpup at his heel, Clawfin gliding low, Flamebeak sealed at his belt. The Bond Band pulsed steady on his wrist, but his chest tightened. This wasn't sneaking through caverns or chasing wild Arclings. This was standing across from someone with the same goal—and stopping them.
The crowd of candidates buzzed. Some whispered, some laughed nervously. At the center stood the guard captain, voice booming:
"Trial Four is Keeper against Keeper. Twin Duel. Each candidate will face another, chosen at random. Two Arclings each, no more, no less. Victory by clear knock-out or concession. Bonds must not be broken—fight with care, but fight true."
His eyes swept the group. "Cheating, outside aid, or cruelty beyond the rules will end your trial here."
He unrolled a leather strap marked with names. A guard drew slips and read the first pairing. Cheers went up as two candidates stepped into the circle.
Jett barely heard the first battle. His mind stayed tight around the thought: Who will I face? Please not Kael. Not yet.
But fate doesn't ask.
"Match three—Jett Ember versus Kael Rynne."
The plateau filled with gasps. Some whispered "dock-boy" with doubt, others hissed Kael's name like it already meant trouble.
Kael stepped forward with that same half-smile, Nightfang a shadow at his side. He met Jett's eyes, steady, storm-dark.
"Looks like the wait is over," he said.
Jett swallowed, then stepped into the ring. Sparkpup's fur bristled, sparks buzzing. Clawfin screeched overhead.
"Yeah," Jett said, heart loud. "Let's do this."
Rules of the Ring
The captain raised a hand. "Each Keeper chooses two Arclings. Call them now."
"Sparkpup, Clawfin!" Jett called. His partners answered with a bark and a wingbeat.
Kael's hand brushed his band. "Nightfang, come." The Shadow wolf padded forward, mist curling around its paws. Then Kael tapped a second stone. "Razorfin."
Light flashed. A Tide-type beast appeared—sleek, scaled, with a dorsal fin that gleamed like polished steel. Water dripped from its teeth as if it had just left the sea.
Jett's throat tightened. Shadow and Tide against Glow and Wind. A bad matchup—but not impossible.
The captain's hand dropped. "Duel begin!"
Opening Moves
"Clawfin—Gale Slice! Sparkpup—Quick Pounce!"
"Nightfang—Shadow Blink. Razorfin—Aqua Jet."
The field exploded with movement. Clawfin's wind cut the air, Sparkpup dashed, sparks trailing. But Nightfang vanished into its own shadow and reappeared behind Sparkpup in a flash, snapping at its flank. Razorfin shot forward on a burst of water, sleek as an arrow, slamming into Clawfin's chest mid-dive.
Jett's heart lurched. Both his Arclings stumbled.
"Stay together!" he shouted. "Clawfin—cover Sparkpup with wind!"
Clawfin spun, wings blasting a circle that shoved Nightfang back. Sparkpup darted inside the safe zone, tail bristling.
Kael's voice stayed calm. "Razorfin, circle. Nightfang, press low."
The wolf melted into shadow again, while Razorfin glided in a curve, spraying water that slicked the stone.
Jett's boots slipped. His mind raced. They're splitting me, forcing mistakes. I need a bind, not a chase.
Spark Against Shadow
"Sparkpup—Zap Pop, spread!"
Sparks snapped across the wet floor in quick bursts. Nightfang reappeared mid-blink and yelped as static clung to its paws. Its shadow mist sputtered.
"Clawfin—Wind Hook, pull it in!"
Clawfin whipped a stream of air that snagged Nightfang's stumble, dragging it toward Sparkpup.
"Now—Bolt Bite!" Jett roared.
Sparkpup leapt and sank teeth into Nightfang's leg, lightning bursting. The wolf howled, eyes blazing.
Kael's tone sharpened. "Nightfang—Shadow Roar."
Nightfang threw its head back and released a dark howl that shattered the wind ring and flung Sparkpup off. The pup skidded, sparks dim.
Clawfin screeched and dove, slashing wind at the wolf's side. Nightfang bared teeth, mist curling again.
"Hold your ground," Jett called. "We fight steady, not fast."
The Tide Turns
Kael's second Arcling moved silent and deadly. Razorfin's scales flashed blue, its body darting in and out like a knife in water.
"Razorfin—Fin Slash!"
It leapt, fin gleaming, and struck Clawfin's wing. Feathers scattered. Clawfin reeled, nearly toppling.
"Clawfin, high! Sparkpup, shield!" Jett shouted.
Sparkpup braced under Clawfin's fall, sparks forming a thin crackling wall. Clawfin landed rough but safe, panting.
Jett's breath came quick. If Razorfin cuts Clawfin's wings again, we're done.
"Sparkpup—Arc Lantern—full beam!"
The pup's forehead mark glowed, casting a steady cone of light across the slick stone. Razorfin flinched, scales gleaming too bright in the glow.
"Clawfin—aim for its shadow, not its body!"
Wind sliced the long shadow Razorfin cast, throwing its balance. The beast stumbled, fins slapping the ground.
Kael's calm broke for a breath. "Recover!"
"Now!" Jett shouted. "Sparkpup—Howl Charge! Clawfin—Gale Burst! Together!"
Sparkpup howled, sparks circling its body, then dashed straight into Razorfin's chest. Clawfin blasted wind at the same moment, doubling the push. The Tide beast slid back, slammed into the chalk ring, and skidded out of bounds.
"Razorfin—down!" the guard judge called.
The crowd roared.
The Final Clash
One down each. Sparkpup and Clawfin panted, battered but standing. Nightfang prowled, eyes glowing. Kael's face stayed tight.
"This ends now," Kael said.
"Yeah," Jett answered. "It does."
"Nightfang—Shadow Blink, throat strike."
"Sparkpup—Bolt Bite, hold center! Clawfin—Wind Guard, circle him!"
Nightfang vanished and reappeared in a blur. Sparkpup braced, teeth sparking, and clamped down the instant the wolf lunged. They locked mid-ring, lightning and shadow clashing.
Clawfin swept a wind ring around them, shielding sparks from scattering. The air filled with crackle and hiss.
Nightfang snarled, shadow mist boiling, pushing back. Sparkpup growled, sparks flooding brighter, Arc Lantern flashing wild.
Jett felt their struggle in his chest, the bond lines straining. "Don't let go," he whispered. "Trust each other. Trust me."
Clawfin's wings beat harder, feeding Sparkpup air. The pup's sparks surged into its bite, climbing Nightfang's body in sharp blue lines. The wolf yelped, body shaking, then collapsed, rolling free. Its mist flickered out.
"Nightfang—down!" the judge called.
The ring fell silent for a breath, then erupted. Cheers, claps, shouts of Jett's name.
Sparkpup staggered, sparks dimming, then wagged its tail once before flopping onto its belly. Clawfin landed beside it, chest heaving.
Jett dropped to his knees, arms around them both. "You did it. You really did it."
Rival's Acknowledgment
Kael recalled Nightfang into its seal. For once, his storm eyes weren't sharp with disdain but steady with something closer to respect.
"You're better than I thought," he said. "Not luck. Not accident. Real fight."
Jett stood, still holding Sparkpup. "Told you we'd last."
Kael gave the faintest nod. "Don't get comfortable. Next time, it won't end the same."
He turned and walked off, Nightfang's seal at his belt, Razorfin's too.
The guard captain raised his voice. "Jett Ember—winner of Trial Four. Crest road continues."
Jett lifted Sparkpup high, Clawfin spreading its wings overhead. The crowd's cheer washed over him like a wave.
For the first time, he didn't just feel like he belonged. He felt like he could win.