THE FIRST BATTLE - 2

Kane muttered under his breath, feeling the weight of his disadvantage.

"I'm at a good disadvantage." His voice was tight, almost defeated, as he kept his eyes on the swirling storm of stone conjured by Carass and his master.

From the sidelines, Aldine’s voice cut through his thoughts. "If you don't do something, then your Sciro is a goner." Her tone was steady, but the implication was clear.

Kane winced, clenching his fists by his sides. He felt powerless, and the realization only made his frustration grow. "Ugh. What do I even do... Reche can only defend himself because I don’t even know the source of my power."

He had only once seen the strange black swirl manifest back on Earth, but he still had no understanding of it. There was no knowing how it had appeared or what it was capable of. His only strategy now was to stall. To let Carass’s owner exhaust himself. But even that was a gamble, a dangerous one. What if Reche couldn't hold out long enough?

Reche hovered close, his wings fluttering rapidly as he struggled to evade the onslaught. A sharp stone clipped his right ear, and the creature let out a pained yelp, recoiling from the hit. Kane gritted his teeth, watching as his Sciro struggled. Reche was wounded, and it was all his fault. If only he had more control, more understanding of what he could do. His uselessness was hurting his companion.

Reche, despite his pain, darted toward Carass, lifting his injured ear as he tried to slap at the rival Sciro. The hit landed, making Carass flinch, the blow landing squarely on the antennae. The impact, while minor, forced Carass to stagger under the assault of the flying stones and rocks.

Kane watched in tense silence as Carass’s owner, the boy with the glowing green aura, clenched his fist. A swirl of green magic enveloped his hand, radiating power. Carass’s glowing gem-like eyes narrowed as he looked at Reche, and with a sweeping motion, he unleashed a storm of dust and rocks, hurtling toward Kane’s Sciro.

"Reche! Fly away, please!" Kane's voice was desperate, his heart hammering in his chest. Reche, wings flapping unsteadily due to his injured ear, managed to swerve out of the way just before the storm could engulf him.

As Reche flew closer to Kane, the boy whispered, voice laced with uncertainty. "Reche... do you have magic? Can you do anything on your own?" His Sciro glanced back at him and nodded, though it was clear he wasn’t sure how to proceed.

Suddenly, Reche’s expression shifted, as if an idea had sparked. Without hesitation, he charged toward the swirling storm, his wounded ear batting at the stones with precision. Though each hit sent waves of pain through him, Reche continued to swat the stones out of their trajectory, sending them flying back toward Carass. It was working—at least temporarily. But this small victory wasn’t enough to win.

"I seriously should have not agreed to this battle," Kane muttered under his breath, despair creeping into his voice.

Then, Carass's owner, his expression full of confidence, raised his hand. "Okay. I think we should end this. Carass, let's combine our magic." His voice boomed, echoing through the battlefield.

Kane's heart sank. "Wait, what? He can do that? What does that even mean?" His eyes darted to Aldine, who remained standing behind him, watching the battle unfold.

She nodded, her tone calm but serious. "Sciros have magic too. When a Sciro master unlocks at least two spells, their Sciros can use a part of their own magic. Since all Sciros eventually evolve into magic dragons, their power is immense. Carass, being an earth dragon, makes it even worse. The boy's an earth mage, and they share the same attribute. It'll be harder to evade."

A swirl of green aura enveloped Carass and his master, merging their energies. The air seemed to thrum with power as Carass’s bladed hands gleamed, sharpened to a deadly edge. The ground began to rumble beneath their feet, an ominous sign of what was coming.

"It's going to trap Reche in rock cages," Aldine warned loudly, her eyes darting toward the stones gathering in the sky.

Panic surged through Kane. "Reche, come down!" He yelled, his voice breaking as he watched the earth magic begin to take form. Reche found himself face-to-face with Carass, both creatures locked in a tense moment before the battle would explode again.

"My master is strong," Carass declared with a sense of pride in his voice.

Reche, injured but defiant, retorted, "And mine is unique."

"Oho? Well, we'll both be working for the same master soon, so it doesn’t matter."

"Get to know my master before you make a mess," Reche said sharply.

"It will be my master we serve, Reche."

"Sure. Keep dreaming, insect."

"You’re as cocky as ever."

"Of course I am."

The exchange between the creatures happened quickly, their voices unheard by anyone but themselves. Meanwhile, Kane’s frustration grew. He could feel the tension rising as the stone cages began to descend from the sky.

"Reche, please, just do something! I’m sorry I’m relying on you, but we can’t lose!" Kane’s voice broke through the silent chaos as Reche looked back at him, determined.

As the stone cages crashed toward the earth with immense speed, Reche dodged them skillfully, but the effort was wearing him down. He was tiring. Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through his ears, causing him to screech. And then, something unexpected happened. A swirl of wind gathered around Reche, growing larger and more violent with each passing second.

The force of the wind was so strong that Aldine, standing at a distance, had to shield her eyes. Kane, caught off guard, dropped to the ground, his hands digging into the grass to keep from being blown away. Even Carass's owner was forced to brace himself against the storm, his feet planted firmly in the earth.

The wind around Reche intensified, growing into a massive whirlwind. It lifted Carass from the ground, throwing him high into the air. The force detached from Reche and engulfed Carass entirely, swirling violently as Reche descended. Kane, quick on his feet, dove to catch his Sciro as he fell, sliding back against the grass and bruising himself in the process.

Carass crashed to the ground with a heavy thud, the windstorm dissipating. He lay motionless, completely defeated. Kane glanced down at the metal band around his wrist as it glowed, the number 1 appearing. Across the field, the boy’s band displayed a 0.

Aldine stepped forward, her voice filled with awe. "Oh my god, you actually did it."

Kane’s chest rose and fell rapidly as he caught his breath. "I don’t even know what that was," he admitted, still in disbelief.

The boy, holding Carass’s limp form, muttered something under his breath, causing his Sciro to vanish in a flash of light. "But I refuse to hand Carass over."

Aldine’s face darkened. "Oh no. It’s a double battle," she said, chewing on her lip nervously.

"What’s a double battle?" Kane asked, wiping the sweat from his brow.

"It means after the Sciros battle, the owners sometimes fight themselves," she explained.

Kane frowned. "I can just refuse, right?"

"No. He refused to give you Carass. The battle isn’t over yet."

Exhaustion weighed heavy on Kane’s shoulders. "This is so tiring already."

The boy stepped forward, his expression resolute. "Shall we continue?"

Kane sighed, standing to his feet. "Yeah, okay. But listen, I have no idea what my powers are."

The boy raised an eyebrow. "What? That wind magic was obviously yours. Why are you so clueless?"

"What?" Kane blinked, utterly confused.

The boy shrugged. "Doesn’t matter. Carass is important to me. I’m not giving him up."

Kane groaned. "Look, Reche matters to me too. Why don’t you just give me something else? I don’t need your first Sciro."

Silence hung between them for a moment before the boy spoke. Kane was right to assume Carass was his first Sciro. "...Fine. Take this one." He held out a different creature, one Kane hadn’t noticed before.

"Is this a new capture?" Kane asked.

"Yeah. It’s recent."

"Alright, thanks, man. Uh… what’s your name?"

"Sirohari Loer," the boy replied.

"Got it. Thanks, Loer."

Loer hesitated. "Are you headed to Eortes City?"

Kane, kneeling beside Reche and patting his head gently, glanced back. "Why?"

"I don’t have a partner. Can I join you?"

Aldine, standing nearby, spoke before Kane could respond. "Sure, you can."

Loer bowed gratefully. "Thanks."

Kane, still focused on Reche, muttered, "I’ve got to figure out what my magical powers are."

Aldine nodded thoughtfully. "That wind magic came from Reche. He’s probably going to evolve into a wind dragon."

"How did you know Carass is an earth dragon?" Kane asked.

Aldine smiled slightly. "If you haven’t studied Sciros, you can usually guess from their appearance and abilities. Carass is an Earth Dragon because of his rocky texture, the earth-based magic, and the connection to stones during the fight. It’s not a perfect science, but it helps. While I know this also because I studied Sciros." She glanced at the exhausted Reche resting in Kane's arms. "Based on Reche’s abilities, I’d say he’ll grow into a Wind Dragon. Not very sure because there is no mention of his dragon form in any Sciro books I have read so far."

Kane looked thoughtful. “That makes sense, I guess. The way he used the wind earlier…it felt like it came from both of us.”

Aldine nodded, considering his words. "That’s common in early stages. Sciros tend to channel their master's latent magic, even when the master doesn’t realize they’re doing it. But eventually, Reche will be able to tap into his own powers without relying on you as much. For himself, I mean."

Kane gently stroked Reche's fur, watching his Sciro breathe steadily. "I need to figure out what my own magic is, though. I can't keep depending on Reche alone. And how do I heal him?"

Loer, who had been quiet until now, suddenly spoke up. "We could visit Mister Grengar. He’s a Spell Keeper. He might be able to help you unlock your powers."

Kane raised an eyebrow at Loer. "I already have a spellbook, genius. That is how I could enter the forest, right?"

Loer blinked in confusion. “Oh yeah. But you haven’t used it?”

“No," Kane said, pulling the spellbook from his pack and flipping through the pages. "Look, it’s blank. There's nothing in it."

Loer leaned forward to inspect the book. His eyes widened in disbelief. “What? That’s impossible. There should be at least one basic spell written in every beginner’s spellbook…”

Aldine moved closer, glancing over his shoulder at the empty pages. "That is strange," she muttered.

Kane stared down at the book, a wave of frustration washing over him. "Of course, it’s empty. Nothing about this makes sense. I didn’t even know magic was real until recently."

Loer’s face lit up with understanding. “Oh! That explains it. You’ve never been taught any spells, have you?”

“Nope," Kane replied dryly. "I was a regular kid in a regular world until I got dropped into this magical chaos.”

Loer nodded sympathetically. "That explains why the book is blank!"