Sure, I’ll admit that, despite its modern image of being entertainment like a sports league, the Tamer Consortium has a history that stretches back to just after the arrival of magic. But that’s because, for as long as humans have existed, there have been those too cowardly to want to fight their own battles. A magian knows how to actually get things done on their own, instead of relying on monsters!

Comment from an argument between users on a forum dedicated to discussing and sharing essence accumulation techniques, 452 Modern-Era

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Working on a hunch, I had Scales use his Boost Scales spell, but even as he was cycling his anima, the Serest had exploded across the distance, its mouth wide open in a fangy hiss, one that glowed with a spell’s power—probably Pneuma Bite—just like Scales had.

That was bad, but it wasn’t as awful as I’d feared. If Laurel was opening with a bite, that meant the Serest must not have an offensive wood spell, and Scales’ defenses were powerful enough that his pneuma was only chipped.

Scales finished his own move, and the battle form’s scales grew thicker and larger as the spell began to mingle with the pneuma shell, making it more effective against some attacks. It might not stop a flamethrower spell, but against more corporeal blows, it was perfect, and it seemed like that was what the Serest had to rely on.

Laura had her primal draw back, then flicker forward for another bite. A small smile formed on my face as I had Scales chomp down on the Serest, and I felt it dissolve a large chunk of the pneuma shell.

Yes! It had paper-thin defenses, just as I’d expected.

Before Scales could get another bite in, the Serest shot backward with a burst of speed that Scales couldn’t match.

The two primals began to circle one another, and I had Scales begin preparing another layer of Boost Scales. At the same moment he started, the Serest hissed. Spores poured from its mouth, floating right toward Scales.

The spores sank into Scales’ battle form, and he began to slow, small jolts of anima spiking through him occasionally and throwing him off balance.

Some sort of paralytic spell, then. Curses. Probably a wood element status spell of some kind, like Paralyzing Spores. That spell was still used even in some of the battles against Regents, for its low anima cost and moderate utility.

Scales completed his Boost Scales spell, layering on more defenses right as the Serest flashed across the space and bit him, going for the throat. This time it took a considerable amount of his pneuma, almost a full third.

That was… not great. Holding onto a defensive position was all well and good, but without the ability to attack, it was less than worthless.

How could I get past that, though? The Serest was so fast…

Laurel pressed the advantage with several more Pneuma Bites, and within moments, Scales’ battle form was starting to visibly crack, a sure sign that it was at half of its maximum pneuma.

I focused, helping Scales begin his own Pneuma Bite, then we waited. The opposing primal got another shot in, but I didn’t attack.

When the Serest came in for another attack on Scales’ throat, we moved. Scales’ jaw snapped down on the serpentine primal, and its own form cracked, then began glowing. It was on the edge of shattering completely, at which point I’d win. I just needed to—

The Serest twisted in Scales’ mouth and drove its fangs into his gills, causing more cracks to rapidly spread through his shell of pneuma. It didn’t cause any pain, since it was entirely absorbed by the pneuma, but it still caused me to wince.

I tried to have Scales bite down again, since the Serest was still in his jaws, but the jolting, paralytic spell caused him to spasm, and the other primal used the time to rush out of Scales’ grip.

I frowned, tightening my focus. Luring the Serest into range of Scale’s jaws for an easy throat attack probably wouldn’t work a second time.

I had Scales bull-rush the serpentine primal, who easily darted out of the way. The Serest circled Scales. It waited, keeping out of the range of Scales’ jaws until the paralytic spell caused him to jitter again.

The Serest used the opening to launch in for an attack at his side, but I hadn’t had him use Boost Scales twice for nothing. Without being able to strike more vulnerable spots, the fangs were only able to deal minimal damage.

Then it happened again.

And a third time.

Scales’ battle form began to glow as he dropped to around a tenth of his total pneuma.

I wracked my brain for a plan, glancing at Laurel where she stood across from me. Her green eyes were relaxed, confident in her new strategy.

I sent a plan to Scales. Scales wasn’t sapient—to my knowledge, no primal was—but he trusted me, and he froze his body in place. The Serest lunged in for the finishing blow, just like it had before.

But Scales wasn’t actually paralyzed this time. He was faking it, just like I’d told him to.

Scales turned and crunched down with a final Pneuma Bite. There was a flash of green light as the Serest’s battle form dissolved into smoke, and enchantments inlaid in the storage gem pulled the Serest back to Laurel. The Serest appeared a moment later, wrapping around the girls’ arm once again, clearly sulking and refusing to look at me.

Scales’ own battle form dissolved, and I felt a rush of essence from the atmosphere, as well as from Laurel and her Serest. The atmospheric essence was thin and diffuse, but the power that flowed out of our opponents was the densest I’d ever personally felt. As it burned through Scales and through me, I shivered. It felt good, like finally taking a sip of water after hours of working in the sun.

“Well done, both of you!” Vince declared, clapping. “Now, let’s review. What can each of you do better? Laurel, why don’t you go first?”

I glanced at the neon green-eyed girl, curious to see what she had to say. She didn’t look happy that she’d lost.

“I got too greedy in the middle,” Laurel said, her voice flat and emotionless. “If I’d worn him down slowly and kept at range, he wouldn’t have been able to surprise me at the end, and I’d have won.”

Vince nodded, then added, “You also could have opened with a status move. Serests have excellent speed, yes, but don’t lean on it as the only tool to victory. Good! Aiden?”

I ran a hand through my grayish hair.

“I should have anticipated a status move,” I said. “Wood elements get access to a ton of status moves, after all. Plus, I shouldn’t have used Boost Scales twice. If I’d gotten a good Pneuma Bite in the opening, I’d have won easier.”

Deciding to mimic Vince, I continued.

“A Sharmond might have excellent defenses, but I shouldn’t lean on it as my only tool to victory.”

Vince let out a delighted-sounding laugh, one that did not fit at all with the image of a competent, composed master tamer.

“True enough,” he said, “Well fought, both of you. Shake on it, and no hard feelings.”

I walked over to Laurel, holding out my hand.

“Good job,” I said. “You almost had me. I was on my last legs there at the end.”

She looked down, and for a second, I thought she wasn’t going to shake. She sighed and gripped my hand.

“You were good,” she said. “I shouldn’t have underestimated you just cuz you’re from the middle of nowhere.”

I frowned, but didn’t object to what she’d said, just glancing at my feet. Syenite Village was pretty much in the middle of nowhere.

“Are you done with your bruised ego, or am I going to have to hear about this tonight?” came a voice. I started, not having seen or heard anyone approach.

I looked at Laurel to see a man standing behind her. He was tall, at least six feet, muscular, and very classically attractive. He had dark skin like Vince, black hair, and deep blue eyes. But these weren’t the average blue eyes of a normal person, but rather the glowing ones that indicated an awakening.

And most interesting of all, he radiated anima. My tamer app wasn’t built to scan people, but with the half-felt impressions he left, I guessed he was higher level than Scales was.

He was a magian, then, someone who forwent bonding to a primal and instead learned spellcraft on their own.

“Ugh!” Laurel said, throwing her hands in the air. “I swear, I am gonna sic Zaza on you if you do that again!”

She threw a punch at him, and his body dissolved into a swirl of royal blue light. A matching swirl appeared next to Vince and reformed into the man’s body.

I felt my eyebrows raise. Teleportation spells were arcane element spells, and while I didn’t know a ton about them, it was certainly impressive to watch.

Vince sighed and pushed a pick comb into his hair, then looked at me.

“We should probably talk about why I put that ad up,” he said.

"Probably,” I agreed.

"Alright, RGBY!” Vince said, pitching his voice to carry to the squabbling pair. “Back to the hotel!”

The two stopped and stared at him. I did too, completely lost by what he was even trying to say.

“Red eyes,” Vince said, tapping his chest as if it were obvious.

“Green,” he pointed to Laurel, then pointed at the tall stranger. “And blue.”

“Finally, yellow,” he concluded, pointing at me. “RGBY. You know. Like a screen.”

He laughed as Laurel booed him, and the man joined in. I still felt awkward booing a Regent, so I just shifted uncomfortably and started heading in the direction of the Amber Swan Hotel. There were only three places to stay in the village, and I doubted that someone like Vincent Angon would be staying in the free hostels or the mid-range hotel, which left only the fancy one that the wealthier beach tourists tended to rent.

As we walked, the blue-eyed guy caught up to me and held out a hand.

“River, River Kings,” he said. “Nice to meet you.”

“Aiden Scipio,” I said, shaking back. “Same here. You’re a magian?”

“Yeah, I’m working to become an anima technician,” he said. “Which means eighty percent of it is just patching up technology, ten percent is just using Convert Element to pump anima into a device people have drained past the recovery point, and only about ten percent actual casting of spells or forming cores.”

He gave a good-natured laugh.

“That’s still really cool,” I said. “You and Laurel can’t be much older than I am, and she’s studying under Vincent Angon, and you’re a magian.”

“It wasn’t too hard,” he shrugged. “Mostly just online courses and a lot of theory. And don’t be down on yourself, you beat my girl in a battle. Maybe I should be worried you’ll steal her from me.”

He said it with enough humor that it was clear he was joking, but I gave a worn-out smile and shook my head. That sort of joke had always felt weird to me, like it was implying Laurel couldn’t make her own decisions. Plus, I definitely wasn’t.

“I don’t think you need to worry,” I said. “I’m mostly interested in men, anyway.”

“Oh, so I need to worry about you stealing him?” Laurel said, turning from where she’d been following Vince.

Maybe I’d been too quick to judge River if Laurel talked the same way. I still wasn’t sure I really got it, but as long as they were happy.

“If this is some sort of weird way to try and flirt with me, no,” I said. “I barely know either of you.”

Laurel actually gave a half-cocked smile at that and shook her head.

“No. Just messing with you.”

I gave an awkward smile, not even sure how to respond to that. Thankfully for me, our discussion was cut short as we entered the hotel. Vincent ushered us to take a seat in the empty common area, then leaned in.

“Alright. The reason I want you to act as a guide, Aiden? And why I decided to drag you out here, Laurel, and am paying for your assistance, River?”

I straightened, hanging onto his words, and the others did the same. Vince smiled, and his eyes burned brighter red with clear passion.

“We’re going to track down a legendary primal.”