Page 231 of Elemental Becoming

Valen remains at the edge of the field, silent, leaning on hisstaff as though he has all the time in the world. But I can feel his eyes tracking every movement.

Calryx, on the other hand, has absolutely no intention of staying quiet.

“Your stance is too narrow,”she chimes in as I circle Rian. “And you’re leading with your dominant side. Predictable.”

I grit my teeth and refocus.

“Don’t grit your teeth. It tenses your whole body. By all the Guardians, have you learned nothing?”

Rian raises an eyebrow, recognizing the twitch in my expression. “Getting helpful advice?”

I roll my eyes. “You could say that.”

He grins. “Tell her she’s welcome to join in if she wants a real challenge.”

Calryx huffs with indignation. “I would not lower myself to sparring with a two-legged creature who sweats.”

After twenty minutes of nonstop commentary about bending my knees, pivoting faster,“that’s not a feint, Amara, that’s a flinch,”I remember something important I learned with Thane this morning.

With a flick of focus, I draw a wall of air around my mind.

The bond remains intact, a slight buzzing beneath the surface, but Calryx’s running commentary fades as the shield settles into place. Unlike the bond with Thane, a dragon’s voice is not a constant presence. It only exists when they choose to reach.

Blessed silence.

Across the field, Calryx jolts in offense. She lets out a long, disgruntled growl and slams her tail against the ground with a satisfying thud.

She narrows her eyes at me, as if a dragon can squint, but doesn’t say a word.

It’s glorious.

With Calryx’s voice muted, the world sharpens.

The wind cools my skin. My grip steadies. I finally stop reacting to Rian and start anticipating him.

Rian feints left, but I don’t bite. I pivot, blade raised, and catch his strike with a satisfying clang. The vibration travels up my arm, but I hold firm, the past few months of training finally locking into place.

His eyes light up with approval. “There she is.”

I press forward, but without the recklessness and urgency that once defined my sparring. I let instinct and training take the lead, and when the opening comes, I take it.

Our blades lock.

This time, I don’t falter.

From the sideline, Valen lifts his chin. Still silent. Still watching.

And though Calryx knows I am intentionally ignoring her by keeping the wall of air around my mind, I can feel her pride through the bond. Muted but undeniable. Like a dragon nodding once from a great height.

I duck beneath Rian’s blade, sweep his legs, and pivot with just enough space to avoid the counterstrike.

My breath is controlled now. Muscles warm, no longer trembling.

The rhythm is mine.

Rian grins, impressed, as he gets up. “Didn’t know you had that move in you.”

“Neither did I,” I reply, lungs burning, but in a good way. Clean. Earned.