CHAPTER 46: LOYALTY TEST

The midday brought them to Master Caelum’s Runic Workshop, where the forge-like chamber rang with the hum of carving styluses. Caelum’s stern voice cut through the heat as he guided them through crafting runes of loyalty, which is designed to strengthen a bond’s resilience under stress.

"Loyalty is your anchor," he said, with his eyes scanning the students. "A flawed rune betrays that trust."

Kelvin etched a loyalty rune into a soulstone, his gauntlet steadied his hand as he channeled Xerion’s fire. The stone glowed, accepting the rune, and he felt a surge of pride as Xerion’s approval rippled through their bond.

Lyra carved a shadow rune with her amulet amplifying her precision, while Darius, his focus was a razor-sharp, which produced a clean strength rune for Rhoam. Caelum’s grunt of approval was a small victory, their hands aching but their spirits were high.

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The afternoon was consumed by Master Veyne’s seminar in her circular lecture hall, Veyne’s lecture explored courage resonance, the art of channeling a beast’s fearless instincts into a tamer’s actions.

"Courage is not the absence of fear," she said with her serpent weaving threads of light. "It is the will to act despite it."

Kelvin took feverish notes and linked Veyne’s techniques to their stand against Gavric, his gauntlet thrummed with potential.

Lyra’s diagrams mapped their resonance patterns, her amulet glowed as she worked. Darius, his discipline were sharpened and he took detailed notes, Rhoam’s presence grounding him.

The seminar ended with a practical: channeling a courage pulse to stabilize a mock soulstream rift. Kelvin’s gauntlet amplified their pulse, synchronizing perfectly with Xerion’s fire.

Lyra’s amulet enhanced her control and her pulse was flawless. Darius’s pulse wavered briefly, but Rhoam’s nudge steadied him, earning a passable result. After the class they went for their lunch.

The evening brought a final drill in the Obsidian Yard, Torren announced a new challenge: a mock battle against constructs mimicking apex predators, designed to test their loyalty under pressure. "Your bonds are your strength," he growled. "Prove it."

The constructs materialized—a Level 6 Stone Drake, a Level 5 Flame Wyrm, and a Level 4 Shadow Raptor, their movements were lethal.

Kelvin, Lyra, and Darius fought as a unit, their synergy runes blazed. Kelvin’s gauntlet formed a soullight blade that sliced the drake’s hide as Xerion’s flames weakened its core.

Lyra’s shadow runes bound the wyrm and Salaris’s talons stroked its heart. Darius’s soulstone detonated, staggering the raptor and Rhoam’s claws tore through its wings.

The drake’s tail grazed Kelvin’s leg, a sharp jolt, but his bond with Xerion kept him standing. Lyra’s amulet healed a claw mark on Salaris’s flank, while Darius took a wyrm’s flame to the arm, his bond with Rhoam was unyielding. Their combined assault felled the constructs, and Torren’s nod was clear. "You are ready." After the class the the all retired to their rooms to rest so as to be strong to face the next days challenge.

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Dawn broke, and the trio stood at the Obsidian Crucible, a vast, ancient arena was carved from blackened stone, its walls etched with runes that pulsed like a heartbeat. The air was thick with the scent of ash and wild magic, and the floor glowed faintly, radiating soulstream energy.

Students were packed at the stands, their murmurs was a tide of anticipation, while Masters Kaelus, Veyne, and Torren stood at the arena’s core, their beasts were silent and imposing.

Kaelus’s voice boomed, resonant as the soulstream. "The Forge of Valor tests your bonds against the forces of courage and loyalty, the heart of a tamer’s soul. The three trials await: Bravery, Devotion, and Unity. Conquer them, and you will stand as champions of the Inner Sanctum."Veyne raised a hand with her serpent hissing as she said. "Begin."

A portal of obsidian light opened, its edges crackled, and the trio stepped through with their beasts, the world dissolved into a storm of fire and shadow.

Trial of Bravery

The portal spat them into a realm of cliffs, their peaks wreathed in flames under a sky of churning storms. The ground trembled with latent power. Kaelus’s voice resonated: "Prove your bravery. Defeat the Flame Warden and claim its spark."

Kelvin felt Xerion’s fire surge, their bond was a blazing anchor. "Stay bold," he said, as his gauntlet glowed. "This place tests our nerve."

Lyra nodded, her amulet pulsed as Salaris took flight, her wings were steady against the storm. Darius gripped a soulstone, Rhoam’s plates clinked as he braced.

A pack of Cinder Hounds emerged which were Level 5 beasts with molten fur and fiery jaws, their howls shake the cliffs.

Kelvin and Xerion charged, their Convergence was a tempest of flame and soullight. Kelvin’s gauntlet formed a blade that sliced a hound’s flank, while Xerion’s flames countered their fire.

A hound’s jaw grazed Kelvin’s arm, searing his flesh, but their bond dulled the pain.Lyra and Salaris darted through the pack, the raptor’s talons stroke their eyes as Lyra’s shadow runes bound their legs. A hound’s claw nicked Salaris, but Lyra’s amulet healed her, and they cleared the pack.

Darius and Rhoam barreled through, the panther’s armor deflected flames as Darius’s soulstone explosion scattered the hounds. Rhoam’s claws tore through a beast’s core, and the pack dissolved.

The Flame Warden appeared-a Level 7 colossus of molten stone and fire, its spark glowing at its heart. The trio attacked as one. Xerion’s flames weakened its stone, Salaris’s talons struck its joints, and Rhoam’s charge cracked its form.

Kelvin leaped, his soullight blade pierced the spark, and Lyra claimed it, its heat pulsing in her hand.The cliffs faded, and the arena returned, the crowd leaped for joy. Kaelus nodded. "Bravery proven. Prepare for Devotion."

Trial of Devotion

The portal opened into a cavern of glowing crystal, its walls pulsed with loyalty and loss. The air was heavy, pressing against their hearts, testing their bond’s depth.

Kaelus’s voice echoed: "Prove your devotion. Face the Keeper of Bonds and claim its chain."The keeper emerged-a Level 6 spectral beast with eyes of starlight, its form shifted between beast and tamer, demanding a test of trust.

Kelvin faced a vision of Xerion faltering, Lyra saw Salaris weakened, and Darius saw Rhoam’s armor cracked.Kelvin dove into his soulstream, feeling Xerion’s fire. "We are one," he growled, offering his trust, his gauntlet blazed as he struck the keeper. Xerion’s flames burned away the vision, and the chain glowed.

Lyra wove shadow runes, her amulet glowing as she offered her faith, her bond with Salaris steadyied her strike. Salaris’s talons dispersed the vision, and the chain pulsed brighter. Darius, offered his loyalty, his soulstone cracked the keeper’s form as Rhoam’s roar anchored him. The vision shattered, and Darius claimed the chain.The cavern faded, the arena returned with cheers. Veyne’s serpent hissed. "Devotion accepted. Unity awaits."

Trial of Unity

The final portal plunged them into a realm of merged forces, which were fire, shadow, earth, and light. They swirled in a primal storm. Floating platforms drifted, which were connected by bridges of soulstream energy.

Kaelus’s voice boomed: "Forge unity with your bonds. Defeat the Sovereign of Valor and claim its essence."The sovereign appeared—a Level 8 beast with four forms: a lion of fire, a serpent of shadow, a stag of earth, and a hawk of light.

Its presence shook the realm, and the platforms quaked. Kelvin signaled his friends and they split with their beasts ready.

Kelvin and Xerion faced the lion, their flames clashed in a fiery storm. Kelvin’s gauntlet amplified their Convergence and his blade sliced its mane. Lyra and Salaris tackled the serpent with shadow runes binding its coils as Salaris’s talons struck its core.

Darius and Rhoam faced the stag, Rhoam’s armor deflecting its earth as Darius’s soulstone cracked its antlers. The hawk dove, but their synergy rune linked their Convergences, countering its light.

The beast’s true form emerged-a fusion of all four, its essence pulsed. The trio united, their bonds was a symphony. Kelvin’s gauntlet, Lyra’s amulet, and Darius’s soulstones flared, their Convergences merging in a blinding blast that shattered the essence.

Its light flowed into a runic crystal, claimed by Kelvin.The realm faded, and the arena roared. Kaelus raised a hand. "You have forged the Forge of Valor. The Inner Sanctum crowns you champions."