Dominion of The Beast Masters

The first light of dawn broke across the plains, casting long, golden shadows on the dew-covered grass.

Eratz stood with his aces assembled before him. The Thunder Lycaon, the Aetheri, the Terrakrus, Raijinara, and their newest member, Cinderblaze, lined up like a formidable team of legends.

Eratz took a deep breath, feeling the crisp morning air fill his lungs as he looked at each of his aces, each a powerhouse in its own right, possessing unique strengths and distinct quirks, yet all obeying the alpha of all alphas.

“Alright, everyone,” Eratz began. “I want to introduce you all formally to our newest partner.” He gestured towards Cinderblaze, who took a step forward, making an exaggerated bow with a cocky grin plastered across its face.

The fire beast’s long, flamelike ears fell back, swaying playfully as if it was putting on a show.

The Aetheri floated closer, its form shimmering with curiosity, and its bright eyes observed Cinderblaze with an almost childlike fascination.

The Thunder Lycaon cast a sidelong glance, one sharp eye sizing up the new recruit.

The Terrakrus and Raijinara, however, remained indifferent. The dragon’s heavy, stony gaze didn’t waver, and Raijinara’s keen eyes simply flicked over Cinderblaze before looking back at Eratz, as if waiting for what came next.

Cinderblaze, noticing the mixed reactions, shrugged it off with a confident grin, flames flickering at its fingertips. It gave a playful wink, clearly unbothered.

Eratz smirked, then raised a hand, drawing their attention back.

“With Cinderblaze joining us, I want to add a new layer to our training,” he announced. “Up until now, only Raijinara has stayed out permanently, coming to me through our energy link. But I believe you can all do it. It’s time we expand this to everyone.”

He looked at each of his aces, his eyes filled with resolve.

“For the time of our training, I want you all to remain outside. No more resting in the shadows or retreating into the energy link unless absolutely necessary. You will roam freely, hunt, and train. I’ll be sharing a big chunk of my power with you to sustain this.”

The Thunder Lycaon let out a low, rumbling growl of agreement, itching to test this new freedom, the Aetheri glowed brighter, clearly excited by the prospect, and the Terrakrus gave a slow nod.

Cinderblaze, of course, took the news with its usual flair, giving a mock salute, flames igniting along its arms in a show of confidence.

“Good,” Eratz said, nodding. “While you’re out there training and growing stronger, I’ll be focusing on mastering my beastification with Cinderblaze and combining it with Aetheri to increase my energy reserves. Next, let’s work on the next steps with the agency.”

He took a step back, spreading his arms wide as a surge of energy flowed from his body.

The ground beneath him turned dark, and a massive flock of flying beasts emerged, their wings beating in unison, creating a powerful gust of wind that swept across the plains.

“I’ll be sharing a great portion of my power with you guys as well,” Eratz explained. “Your mission,” he called out to the assembled flock, “is to take to the skies and spread out in every direction. Aetheri, you will be the control tower. We’ll share our mind so you’ll have access to my mind state and share it with everyone. When you get it, I want you all to follow every thread of energy you find. Locate all the unique beasts, wherever they may be, and stay hidden near their location.”

The Aetheri floated higher, its form glowing with a radiant, spiritual light, ready to coordinate the movements of the entire swarm. The flying beasts let out a collective cry, acknowledging the command.

Eratz clenched his fist, his gaze intense.

“This is the start of a new hunt, from now on, our hunting area is the world, and the hunter is every single one of us.”

He looked back at his aces, his smile widening.

“I promised you all that we’ll shake the world, and we’re doing this today onward. Are you with me?”

The ground trembled as the Terrakrus roared, the Thunder Lycaon howled, Raijinara screeched, the Aetheri pulsed with light, and Cinderblaze, standing at the forefront, let out a fierce, warlike cry, its flames blazing brighter than ever.

On Eratz’s command, his beasts dispersed like shadows fading into the light. The Thunder Lycaon, the Terrakrus, and the flying beasts, within moments, were all gone, blending into the vast landscape.

The Aetheri, Raijinara, and Cinderblaze remained by Eratz’s side, Cinderblaze practically bouncing on its toes, flames flickering at the edges of its fur with barely contained excitement.

Eratz stood with his hands on his hips, watching his beasts leave with a satisfied smile. He could feel the rush of energy flowing from him, maintaining the link with each of them. It was a challenge, but one he was training to master.

He clapped his hands, turning his full attention to Cinderblaze.

“Now,” he said, grinning, “you and me, it’s time to really deepen our bond.”

Cinderblaze’s ears perked up, its eyes lighting up with a wild, eager glint. It uncrossed its arms and gave an excited hop, flames dancing along its fingertips.

Eratz took a deep breath, starting to focus. He could feel Cinderblaze’s fiery energy surging around him, the idea of performing their first beastification together sending shivers down his spine. He closed his eyes, ready to merge their spirits, but then… something nagged at the back of his mind.

He paused, opening one eye slightly, then glanced over his shoulder at the rising sun. A realization struck him slowly. He frowned, trying to piece it together.

How long had it been since he left Lugina?

He’d been so caught up in training, Rex, hunting, and then tracking down Cinderblaze, on Raijinara’s back, at full speed and for so long, and he hadn’t kept track of his surroundings.

“Wait a minute…” he muttered, lowering his hands.

It hit him suddenly, he was still in a foreign country, but… which one?

Rex had mentioned Ferindale, but with Raijinara’s insane speed, who’s to say he hadn’t crossed into yet another territory by now? He couldn’t be sure.

He’d made a point of avoiding any sign of civilization, steering clear of even the smallest traces of human presence. And now that he thought about it, he couldn’t even remember the last time he’d bothered to check.

“Where the hell am I? And when the hell am I…?”

Cinderblaze noticed the shift in Eratz’s demeanor, tilting its head curiously, the flames at its feet flickering.

Eratz took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. No one had called him yet, so it shouldn’t be too bad. It’s probably fine, he thought, trying to reassure himself. He needed to check, just to be sure.

He patted his pocket, reaching for his phone. The moment his fingers brushed the broken pieces, his heart sank.

“Oh no…”

Times later, in a magnificent house, Mercury sat at a small desk, a notebook open in front of her. Next to her, Milo scribbled away with a concentrated look, his tongue peeking out from the corner of his mouth as he focused on his writing exercises.

“You’re doing great, Milo,” Mercury said, smiling encouragingly. “You can finally write from 0 to 100 without any mistakes.”

Milo grinned ear to ear, his eyes sparkling with pride.

“Really?! I did it! I am a winner! Nothing can stop me now!”

Mercury chuckled, ruffling his hair.

“Yes, really. You’ve worked so hard.”

Milo puffed out his chest, brimming with confidence, until Mercury’s tone turned sly.

“Tomorrow, we’ll try going from 100 to 110.”

Milo’s eyes widened.

“There’s… more?!”

Mercury laughed, pulling him into a hug. Just then, her phone buzzed on the desk. Mercury glanced at the screen, expecting a familiar contact, but her brow furrowed in confusion.

It was an unknown number. She opened the message.

[Unknown Number]

Merc, it’s me. HELP!

Mercury’s eyes widened, and then she gasped, her heart skipping a beat.

[Mercury]

Eratz?! Is that you? Where the hell have you been? You disappeared for 3 days!

[Unknown Number]

I messed up! I really messed up this time! I went too far with Raijinara’s speed and now I’m in deep shit!

[Mercury]

What kind of shit? Where ARE you?

[Unknown Number]

I think I’m in Port Valoria?

I don’t remember this flag, no one here speaks my language. I can’t understand a word!

Mercury blinked, then frowned, trying to process what he just said. Port Valoria was a bustling city all the way on the southern coast of the continent, facing the ocean. Aurelia was in the west, miles away.

[Mercury]

Wait… you’re joking, right? That’s on the other side of the continent! Did you seriously fly all the way there?

You’re just making excuses because you didn’t want to see me. Just say you went to buy cigarettes where the girls are more… girly. You… heartbreaker!

Mercury smirked, feeling clever until her phone buzzed again with a picture message.

She opened it.

Eratz stood in the middle of a crowded dock, next to a smiling, posing sailor and a second with his arm around his shoulder. Next to them, a huge pelican-like beast with a massive beak swallowing a fish. The sea stretched out behind them.

[Mercury]

WTF?!

[Unknown Number]

I know! HELP!!!