I am Just an Average Tamer

They walked through the twilight haze for nearly half an hour.

Feet crunching against the gravel path as the forest gave way to signs of civilization.

The town wasn't large—just a cluster of buildings with soft lantern glow spilling into the dusky street—but it had walls, guards, and warm food.

That was enough.

Raven and Theron had both activated small circular talismans, illusion artifacts that shimmered faintly before blending over their faces, dulling their features into that of average travelers—plain clothes, soft eyes, no hints of their true heritage.

No one batted an eye as the trio walked through the gates.

They booked two rooms at a modest inn near the square.

Raven took the key and quietly disappeared into hers without a word. J

ust a brief glance back at the boys—cautious, thoughtful—before closing the door.

Kai and Theron entered theirs a moment later.

The room was simple—two narrow beds, a small table, and a single window overlooking the street.

The door had barely shut behind them when Theron moved.

In one swift motion, he lunged, aiming to pin Kai down—fast, quiet, surgical.

Whoosh!

But there was a soft whoosh of air.

Kai vanished like smoke.

A blade kissed the side of Theron's throat from behind.

Stillness.

"What was that for?" Kai's voice was cold, sharp as the dagger resting on Theron's skin.

Theron froze, hands still half-raised, lips parted—but he said nothing.

Kai's other hand gripped the boy's shoulder, fingers tightening just enough to remind him how easily things could go wrong.

"You don't try that with me," Kai whispered. "Not unless you're ready to bleed."

Theron clenched his jaw. "I had to know."

"Know what?" Kai asked, blade still unmoving.

But Theron didn't flinch.

Instead, he clenched his fists and hissed, voice low and edged with protective rage, "What do you plan to do with my sister?"

Kai blinked, the blade still hovering an inch from the boy's neck.

That… caught him off guard.

"What do you mean by that?" he asked, brows furrowing.

"Don't play dumb with me," Theron growled. "You said you wanted something from her, remember?"

Before Kai could even begin to respond, a familiar ding echoed in his ears.

Kai's eye twitched.

'Oh, right...'

His cheeks flushed—not much, just a faint tint, barely visible, but enough to crack his composure.

He clicked his tongue, pulled the blade back with a sigh, and muttered, "I didn't mean it that way."

Theron spun around, glaring. "Then what did you mean?"

Kai didn't answer immediately. Instead, he turned away, opening his soul space.

A soft white glow formed a magic circle beside him.

From it, a lithe, blue-scaled creature stepped out.

Its long tail flicked once, lightning flickering along its spine.

The Thunder Drakelet's Blue eyes scanned the room before letting out a low, guttural growl.

Kai crouched next to it, gently placing a hand on its scaly forehead.

The creature leaned into his palm with a low hum.

"Can you feel it?" Kai asked, voice softer now.

Theron blinked, still tense. His gaze shifted from Kai to the Drakelet.

He studied it for a few seconds… and then his eyes widened.

"That's—its core," Theron murmured, stepping closer, ignoring his earlier tension. "It's damaged. I can feel the imbalance in its flow."

Kai gave a faint nod.

Silence lingered in the room, broken only by the subtle crackle of static from the small dragon's body.

Kai stood up. "Raven's affinity is lighting. She might be able to help. I need her to try… that's what I meant."

Theron's expression shifted, the tension in his shoulders easing, though his brows remained drawn.

He looked at the Thunder Drakelet again, then exhaled.

"…You could've just said that."

Kai rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, well. You tried to tackle me, so let's call it even."

Theron scoffed. "…Fine."

Kai then sat down at the edge of the bed, pulled off his coat, and with absolute seriousness, grabbed a spare piece of cloth from his storage bracelet.

He laid it across the middle of the mattress, dividing the bed in two clean halves.

Theron raised an eyebrow. "What… are you doing?"

Kai didn't even glance at him. "Setting boundaries."

Theron blinked. "Boundaries?"

"I'm straight," Kai said flatly, as if that explained everything.

There was a pause—then the corner of Theron's lip twitched. "...Seriously?"

Before he could retort further, Kai crossed his arms tightly across his chest and shifted slightly to the side of the bed, speaking with mock drama.

"Don't even think about touching me."

"I'd rather die than even consider it," Theron shot back with a grunt.

Kai scoffed. "Good. Then we understand each other."

He lay back, folding one arm under his head while with the other he summoned the Thunder Drakelet back into his soul space. The soft glow flickered before vanishing with the creature in a pulse of light.

Theron shook his head in disbelief, muttering under his breath, but didn't press further.

He walked over, flopped onto the other side of the bed—careful not to breach the invisible border—and folded his arms behind his head.

Silence filled the room for a while.

Then, finally, Kai spoke—quietly.

"So…What exactly happened. To your clan."

Theron's arm shifted slightly, but he didn't answer immediately. The silence stretched.

"We were betrayed," he said at last. His voice was low, thick. "By someone close."

Kai turned his head slightly, watching him in the dim light.

Theron continued. "We lived on the edge of the continent of Velmyra. Peaceful. Strong. Kept to ourselves. Most of the world didn't even know we existed." He paused. "But someone sold us out to a human empire from the west. They came with warships. Mage fleets. Contracts signed in blood. We never stood a chance."

Kai's expression remained unreadable. "And you two…?"

"We were out hunting when the attack happened," Theron murmured.

"By the time we returned, everything was burning. Bodies… everywhere. Raven was the one who held it together. She pulled me out. We ran. Hopped ships. Hid. Stowed away in cargo for weeks."

He exhaled sharply. "Eventually ended up here. This continent."

Kai looked at the ceiling again. "No one's chasing you now?"

Theron shrugged slightly. "Not that we know of. But we learned not to trust the quiet."

There was a beat of silence again. Then Kai said, without looking, "You're lucky she kept you grounded."

Theron let out a breath that was almost a laugh. "She's the only reason I'm still breathing."

Kai smirked faintly. "Don't worry, she'll be fine with me around."

Theron snorted. "That's what I'm afraid of."

Kai rolled his eyes. "Don't flatter yourself. She's not my type."

"Good," Theron grunted. "Because I'm watching you."

Kai reached over, patted the cloth line like it was sacred. "Cross this, and I'll feed you to Vex."

Theron laughed under his breath. "Huh."

Finally, both of them closed their eyes and drifted into sleep.

------

The morning sun spilled through the window in lazy golden strands.

The town had just started to wake—vendors setting up their carts, a few children running barefoot past the inn.

Inside the modest two-room lodge, Kai and Theron emerged, both still a bit stiff from the previous night.

Downstairs, Raven was already waiting at the corner table, her hood off but disguise artifact still active.

She had tied her silver-blonde hair into a loose braid and sat stirring a bowl of oatmeal halfheartedly.

"You two sleep well?" she asked without looking up.

Kai yawned, scratching the back of his neck. "He kept kicking in his sleep."

Theron scoffed. "Liar. You snore like a dying boar."

Kai grabbed a chair and slumped into it. "At least I'm still alive."

Raven blinked at them, a smile tugging her lips. "You two bicker like old friends already."

"I wouldn't go that far," Theron muttered, but there was no real heat in it.

They had a quick breakfast—eggs, bread, and warm tea.

Then Kai stood, brushing crumbs from his coat.

"Alright," he said. "Get up. I want to show you both something."

Raven and Theron exchanged glances but followed.

They exited the inn, passed through the quiet town, and made their way beyond the wooden gates into the wilderness again.

The woods stretched wide and peaceful in the early morning, sunlight dappling through the trees.

After walking deeper for nearly twenty minutes, Kai led them off the path into a rocky outcrop veiled by moss and vines. Hidden between two giant roots was the mouth of a cave.

He stepped inside without a word.

Raven hesitated. "He's not… luring us in to kill us, right?"

Theron shrugged. "He wouldn't have waited until morning if that was the case."

Inside, the cave was dim, but dry. Kai moved to the center and raised a hand.

A flicker of blue light rippled outward as a dome-shaped barrier sealed the area, shimmering faintly.

"Okay," he said, turning to them. "No interruptions now."

Then he summoned the Drakelet.

A glowing white circle appeared beside him, and a blue-scaled creature materialized from within.

It was the size of house dog, built lean with a ridged back and sharp, narrow horns curling behind its ears.

Its eyes gleamed blue, but one of its legs dragged as it shifted, and its breathing came unevenly.

Raven stepped forward instinctively.

Kai looked at her. "Check him."

She crouched and placed her palm just above the Drakelet's head, letting her lightning affinity hum faintly to scan its energy circuits. Her brows furrowed.

"…His core is fractured," she murmured.

Kai spoke, "Can you help him or not?"