Ten Years Later...

I woke up as the ground shook slightly just before the light changed to signal a new cycle, Storm day. I wasted no time and quickly emerged from the sleeping box. However, the dees had yet to arrive with my morning meal.

I huffed, then began to pace around the limited space. After a few rounds, I jumped atop the black box of my sleeping den and surveyed the room beyond the bars of my cage. I laid down with a huff. I can only wait. The tip of my tail twitched slightly, but otherwise, I did not move.

Soon, a dee arrived with a silver food bowl held atop its head by its round paws. It looked to me, then opened the cage door. It jumped into the cage, switched the empty bowl for the new one with food inside of it. Once it hoisted the bowl above its head, the dee briefly waved to me, then calmly walked out of my cage and secured the door shut.

I jumped off of my perch and approached the bowl. It was just a small amount of rice and meat mixture, but that was normal for the meal at the start of the cycle. I ate the food without complaint. I was still hungry, but the mixture was enough substance for now. I did not want to be full and fight anyway.

I looked up to the cage door, half-tempted to unlock the cell door myself and walk to storm day. After a pause, I snorted and shook my head in dismissal of the idea. No, don't be stupid. I have to wait, even if it is hard. After a pause, I laid down on my side and exhaled. Waiting is boring. I exhaled again.

After several long and dull moments, an I.D.R.O. finally arrived and opened my cage with light from its hidden metal arm from the bottom side of its flying body. "STORM BZZZZZZZ DAY BZZZT," It unhelpfully announced in the same emotionless voice all of the dish-shaped robots spoke in as it snapped a collar around my neck. For a brief moment, I thought one of its unblinking elliptical yellow glowing lights briefly flickered, but I could have been imagining it.

Great, one of the more defective ones. I did not resist as it beamed me off the ground and carried me through the maze of passageways. I wish they would let me walk around on my own. I know this place well. Turn left here, then right there, and then the door is down the third passage on the left.

Just as I expected, the drone followed my mental directions. It flashed a light at the door. In response, the sheet of metal that blocked the exit slid out of the way. "BZZZT YOU KNOW BZZZZ RULES." It nonchalantly dropped me onto the wet grass-covered ground and covered me in the mud.

Every time... I sigh as I roll onto my feet and stand. I briefly shook a bit of the mud off of my fur, then summoned my armor. I glanced up to the rain as it splattered against the barrier around me as I trotted into the forest.

I walked until I reached the edge of the designated area for monsters my size. My collar buzzed in warning as part of the barrier became visible. I was getting too close to the typically invisible wall, but I did not care as I continued to travel down the gentle downward slope of the terrain.

BOOM. Thunder roared; lightning illuminated the heavily monster-damaged trees around me, but I continued on my journey. The storm, though heavy with large droplets of rain, contained less roaring thunder and lightning than usual. I wish Master would let us out when it wasn't raining. Walking out here would be much more pleasurable. I lifted a paw and shook a bit of mud off of it before I continued my unhindered gait.

Soon, I heard a sound of repeated crashing ahead of me distinct from the occasional rumble and booms of thunder as I a typically invisible barrier glowed to life in front of me. I quickly took a step back as the wall faded back into nonexistence, as I needed it to be invisible to see beyond it. I stared between the dense plumes of tall grasses and shrubbery.

Though the small gaps between the seemingly impenetrable wall of underbrush, I could see a grayish-blue expanse: the ocean. I knew what was out there: the enemy, just waiting to die by my claws.

"Starin' inta the plants instead of fightin' again, pipsqueak?" A familiar voice taunted behind me.

Killico... I emitted a growl as I faced the striped sabertooth. "Looking for a fight, Killico? I've beat you before, and I'm not afraid to do it again if you keep coming for more defeat."

The slightly larger beast remained unaffected by my glare as he snarled back. "Ya only win because of ya'r armor! Ya couldn't beat me without it!" Lightning gleamed off of his rain-coated fangs.

"I could beat you with a broken paw!" I counter furiously as my anger blinded my mind from any rational thoughts.

BOOM. CRACK!

"Well then," Killico taunted as he whipped his long tail back and forth, "prove it unless you are scared." He slowly lowered his body into a crouched position with his ears flattened and his fangs bared.

"I am not scared of you or anyone," I glowered as the rain suddenly increased in severity. As I dropped into a threatening stance, I reabsorbed the magic that surrounded my form. I need to save energy anyway.

Immediately, Killico lunged with a massive grin spread across his fanged muzzle. I attempted to dodge, but his long extended claws raked across my back despite my rapid movement.

Boom. Boom... rumble...

Black liquid ran down my back as Killico landed next to me, and I swung an energy-coated paw across his shoulder as I increased the space between us. My magic-filled blood continued to drip down my side, but there was no time to worry about it now. I just had to hope I could win swiftly and have enough energy left to complete the evaluation Master had planned for me.

"Lucky shot," Killico glared as mist continued to leak from the deep gashes on his shoulder. "Savor it while ya can, because I will not allow ya to win this battle."

I bellowed in laughter, then flashed a toothy grin. "You know I always win; what makes this any different?"

Killico roared in anger and furiously kept towards me with his claws fully extended as if he was ready to claw my eyes out.

I dodged under his lunge and breathed a small bit of magic-filled breath at his exposed underside as I passed. I braced one of my front paws into the ground, then jumped with my hind feet and spun around the paw. When my back limbs landed, I once again faced my opponent as he rose back up onto his feet.

Killico angrily glared at me as my grin widened. "Angry I used one of your tricks against you?" I taunted.

For a brief moment, my opponent remained frozen with his face contorted in a snarl of pure rage. His eyes were thin slits, the fur along his back stood on end. His muscles tensed. Just as I expected, Killico eventually blindly lunged towards me with his large now-outstretched claws aimed for my face.

I moved slightly to the side, then grabbed his hind paw as he flew by and slammed him into the ground before he could react. Killico exhaled in a pained cough as a plume of mud and wet leaves that coated both of us. I pounced on the other mud-covered monster and pinned him to the mud pit. My claws dug into Killico's side, "Give up," I demanded with a growl.

Killico growled and briefly struggled, then snorted and fell limp. "Fine, you win," he begrudgingly huffed as lightning illuminated his defeated countenance. He continued to growl under his breath and refused to meet my victorious gaze.

I immediately jumped off of my deleted opponent as my collar released a warning BEEP. Once I stood on the ground, I inhaled as much of the loose magic from the air as it quickly dispersed.

Thankfully, the collar did not shock me or summon one of the metal flying robots. That was close. As I watched Killico wallow out of the mud with his bobbed tail low, I stood upright and proud. Even though mud clung to my fur, I did not allow that to affect my imposing stature.

I unsuccessfully attempted to shake the mud off of my form as a gentle rolling thunder accompanied the attempt. The rain slowed again; it won't wash anything off. I scowled in pure disappointment as I continued to weave through the trees and dense underbrush. I guess I'll go to the hot springs.

I winced as a low-hanging palm tree front brushed across the still-bleeding gashes torn across my back. After I passed the tree, I glanced black at the dark liquid that stained the dangling greenery. I crinkled my nose as the rain slowly washed the blood off of the leaf and onto the ground.

It's worse than I thought. I glanced at my back and frowned at the still-bleeding gashes across my back. I growled in annoyance, then refocused and continued my walk towards the spring, though a bit faster. Blood is only fun when it's not my own. I look weak and defeated with these gashes on my back.

Running was for weak prey, not powerful hunters like myself. I ignored the slight feelings of weakness as they arose and used the slowly increasing level of pain to fuel my annoyance and anger. At first, the difference had been unnoticeable, but now I felt the effects of the magic loss. I need to stop the bleeding soon if I am going to win whatever Master has planned for me. I doubt whatever he gives me will be easy. I quickened my pace to just below a jog; I needed to hide the fact my injuries bothered me. The weak are the prey, and injured monsters are weak.

Soon, a gentle bubbling reached my ears, and I scowled threateningly as my head emerged between the two bushes that hid the narrow dirt path. Many monsters hung around the various pools of the cascading hot springs. Some of them battled, while others stood around the uppermost pool and bowed to the griffin creature reclined on the massive rock atop the falls.

Lightning briefly flashed and glared off of the moving water and gleamed off of the soaked monsters.

I growled a bit, and when all of the monsters failed to notice my presence, I gathered all my rage and bellowed in a mighty roar. "LEAVE!" Though I kept my furious snarling countenance, it amused me to see all of the other monsters scatter at my appearance. All of the monsters fled, except one.

"Hoshiryu?" The griffin-like monster atop the falls blinked and flattened the halo of red-tipped feathers around the back of his head so I could no longer see them as he turned his focus to me. "Here to collect? So soon? Usually, we meet away from the spring, and later in the day."

"I doubt this storm day will last much longer," I snort as I fully emerge from the bushes, "so I am going to collect my dues now. I can sense that you have collected quite the haul in such a short amount of time this storm day, Grypharo." I calmly approached nearest basin deep enough for me to submerge myself.

The monster atop the stone pedestal stood and eyed the gashes across my back. "So you aren't invincible," he hummed as he stood from his perch.

"I can still easily beat you." I threatened and briefly made my eyes glow with magic as I submerged the wounds beneath the steaming water. I remained composed and did not flinch, but I allowed the pain to fuel my anger further as the water around me darkened, stained by my black blood.

Grypharo winced at the sight of my stare; he staggered as his hind paw slipped off of the rock. A plume of water erupted into the air and decorated his plummet into the shallow pool of water that surrounded his previous perch.

"Remind me why I let you be the king?" I climbed out of the pool and gracefully leaped up to the edge of the uppermost pool.

"Because you got bored because almost no one would challenge you?" Gripharos stood and shook the warm water out of his golden plumage. He kept his halo of golden feathers hidden behind his head as he walked out of the water.

I paused, then chuckled as I remembered, "Ah, yes, because they would always lose." I slyly grinned at the other monster. "Now, onto business. You know what I want from you. Do not make me fight you; you know the deal."

Grypharos sighed and exhaled through his beak, then pointed his talons upwards. "Here," he summoned a ball of swirling black magic between his claws.

I deeply inhaled the magic through my nose and grinned as I felt the energy flow through me. My wounds tingled as they finally stopped bleeding and healed slightly. I knew they were still there, but at least I was no longer losing my power. Once I consumed all of the energy, I silently turned and left with a flap of my wings. I glided to the trees and landed at the treeline, then silently slipped into the undergrowth.

Now, perhaps I can get a bit of hunting in before those pests come to retrieve me. I glanced up at the slowly lightening sky and crinkled my nose as I glared up to the clouds. The storm is so light they will come any moment now. I raised my head and sniffed the scents in the air, then grinned at the smells of weakened monsters.

However, before I could step towards the sound, a beam of yellow light captured me and lifted me off of the ground. "STORM DAY IS BZZZT OVER," the I.D.R.O. blared in its robotic voice as it carried me deeper into the island.

Disappointing. I huffed, then looked up to the steel door that guarded the entrance to the base just as the robot opened it. The same door as usual. I rolled my eyes as the robot carried me down the winding halls, then blinked as I realized the robot took a different turn than the regular path. It took me a moment to gather my bearings again, but I soon realized we were nearing a part of the fortress where Master created new monsters. I had been here once before to test a new monster, and I had beaten it.

The robot suddenly flung me into a dark room and removed my collar in one swift motion. "BEGIN EVALUATION PROCESS." It released a high-toned beep as a wall appeared and closed me into the dark room.

I growled as I rose to my feet. One of these days I am going to toss one of them around. I snorted, then traveled down the long corridor in the opposite direction of the door in front of me. A familiar scent reached my nose from deep down the hall, and I grinned darkly in excitement. It's time to prove to master that I am still his best monster. 

Author Notes!

Sorry about the time skip if you hate those, but I promise there will only be one more in this entire book! But Hoshiryu is all grown up!

What is this big evaluation? Will Hoshiryu pass or will he fail? Find out next time!