I stood awkwardly in the training arena, staring at Argonax. Argonax stared back.
Somewhere behind me, Selene let out a long, suffering sigh. "This is painful to watch."
I ignored her and cleared my throat. "Alright, Argonax, let's try synchronization. Just… uh, follow my lead, okay?"
I took a step forward.
Argonax blinked.
I took another step.
Argonax… rolled onto his back and yawned.
Selene snorted. "Wow. Incredible teamwork."
I shot her a glare. "Hey, this is harder than it looks!"
She crossed her arms. "No, it's really not. Watch."
She turned to Nyx, her black panther, and simply nodded.
Immediately, Nyx sprang into action, weaving through the air in a perfect dance of movement and precision. It was flawless. Like they were truly one being.
I swallowed. "How… do I make Argonax do that?"
Selene smirked. "Easy. Form a proper bond."
"Okay, cool, how do I do that?"
She shrugged. "No idea. Mine just listens to me."
I resisted the urge to scream.
Headmaster Voss finally stepped in. "Selene, stop tormenting him."
She rolled her eyes but didn't argue.
Voss turned to me. "Synchronization requires trust. Your beast won't follow you if he doesn't respect you."
I frowned. "But Argonax is already following me around?"
"Yes, but does he truly see you as his partner?"
I hesitated.
Then, I looked at Argonax again.
He was still lying on his back, staring up at the sky.
Huh. Yeah. Maybe I had a problem.
Voss continued, "A beast tamer isn't a master commanding a pet. You are equals. You must understand each other."
I nodded slowly. "Okay… but how do I do that?"
Selene scoffed. "Simple. Fight together."
My brain lagged. "…Fight?"
Selene smirked. "Nothing builds trust like battle."
I narrowed my eyes. "You just wanna beat me up, don't you?"
Her smirk widened. "Maybe."
A few minutes later, I found myself standing across from Selene in the dueling arena.
This was a terrible idea.
"Don't die," she called out casually. "I'd hate to have to explain to the headmaster why the newbie lasted five seconds."
I gulped. Oh, I am so dead.
The headmaster raised his hand. "Begin."
Selene didn't hesitate.
"Nyx—Shadow Fang!"
Her panther vanished in a blur of speed, then reappeared right in front of me, fangs glowing with dark energy.
"AHHHH!" I screamed, throwing my hands up—
And then—
BOOM.
The entire battlefield shook.
When the dust cleared…
Nyx was on the ground, twitching.
Argonax was sitting on top of it.
Selene and I stared.
"…Did Argonax just… body slam your panther?" I asked.
Selene's eye twitched. "YOU CHEEKY LITTLE—"
Headmaster Voss laughed.
"Interesting," he mused. "It seems Argonax respects you after all."
I blinked. "He does?"
Voss nodded. "He chose to protect you. That is his trust."
I looked down at my dragon, who blinked up at me innocently.
Then he let out a little burp of fire.
I grinned. "Heh. Maybe we are a team."
Selene groaned. "I hate you both."