Chapter 6: The Sky Beckons

Kael'thir stood over his fallen prey, his breath slow and measured, his claws still dripping with blood.

The mana was still surging through him, twisting, stretching, reshaping.

His body ached, but it was a good pain. A pain that meant growth.

This warrior had been different.

Not an instinct-driven beast.

Not a mindless scavenger.

But something stronger.

Something that had fought with purpose.

Kael'thir licked the last traces of blood from his fangs.

It did not matter.

In the end, it had fallen like all the others.

Because it had faced a dragon.

And dragons never remained beneath lesser creatures.

The fox was watching.

She always was.

But this time, something was different.

She was closer now.

Still silent. Still unreadable.

But she had moved forward.

A single step.

Kael'thir's tail flicked, his crimson eyes locking onto hers.

She did not flinch.

She did not look away.

She only tilted her head slightly, as if acknowledging something.

Something had changed.

Kael'thir didn't know what.

And right now, he didn't care.

His body was still changing, still burning with the mana of his kill.

He turned away from her, focusing inward.

Feeling the shift in himself.

His wings twitched.

His tail curled.

His instincts whispered—

Soon.

Not yet.

But soon.

The canyon stretched ahead, winding and vast, filled with untouched land and new prey.

Kael'thir could feel it.

The mana in the air had grown richer.

His kills had changed something.

He had stepped beyond simple beasts.

And now—

The creatures watching from the shadows knew it, too.

The balance had shifted.

And Kael'thir was no longer the hunted.

He was the predator now.

And he was not stopping.

His body was stronger.

His senses sharper.

His core deeper, heavier.

But it was still not enough.

Not until he could fly.

Kael'thir's wings itched.

The mana had settled into them, pooling in the bones, stretching the tendons.

He could feel the weight of them now.

They were no longer useless appendages.

But they were still grounded.

He hated it.

The sky was his birthright.

And yet, he remained chained to the earth.

It was temporary.

But even temporary was unacceptable.

Kael'thir's tail lashed, his claws flexing against the stone.

There was only one way forward.

More mana.

More strength.

More devouring.

Until his wings could carry him to where he belonged.

And when that moment came—

The world would finally look up.

Kael'thir moved through the canyon, his claws pressing into the stone, his body light, controlled, efficient.

He was faster now.

Stronger.

His core was deeper, his limbs carried more power, and his hunger had only sharpened.

But it was still not enough.

His wings still felt heavy.

Still useless.

Still chained to the earth.

Kael'thir hated it.

The sky was where he belonged.

The earth was temporary.

The ground was a place for lesser creatures to crawl and struggle.

He would not remain among them forever.

He refused.

The canyon's walls loomed high, jagged cliffs stretching toward the dull gray sky.

Kael'thir's gaze flicked upward.

The air here was thinner.

The wind was stronger.

Higher ground.

The instinct burned in him.

If he could not fly, then he would climb.

Until his wings were ready.

Until they were worthy.

Kael'thir's claws flexed.

The stone would be his next prey.

And he would conquer it.

His first attempt failed.

Kael'thir leaped from the ground, his claws latching onto the rocky cliffside.

The instant his wings tried to open, his body faltered.

Too heavy.

Not ready.

His grip slipped.

And he fell.

Kael'thir's body twisted midair, his tail snapping to control the descent.

He landed in a crouch, claws digging into the dirt.

The impact sent a sharp jolt of pain through his limbs, but he barely acknowledged it.

Pain meant nothing.

Failure meant nothing.

Only growth mattered.

His eyes narrowed.

He would try again.

The second attempt lasted longer.

Kael'thir clawed his way upward, his limbs burning, his wings twitching as they fought to balance his weight.

He made it halfway up before his wings folded incorrectly, throwing him off-balance.

He fell again.

This time, he landed harder.

Dust rose around him as he stood immediately, shaking off the ache in his legs.

Still not enough.

Again.

The third attempt nearly worked.

Kael'thir climbed higher, his movements smoother, his muscles adapting to the strain.

His wings spread slightly, catching the wind—

For a brief second, he felt weightless.

His instincts screamed—

Yes.

Almost.

Then the wind shifted.

He lost his footing.

And for the third time, he fell.

But this time, he did not crash.

He twisted his body just in time, landing on all fours, his tail snapping into place, his muscles absorbing the impact better than before.

Kael'thir exhaled, his crimson eyes burning.

He was close.

Very close.

His wings were not ready yet.

But they were trying to be.

And soon—

They would be.

He would make them ready.

No matter how many times he had to fall.

The fox was still watching.

She had not moved, her golden eyes locked onto him as he climbed, fell, climbed again.

She did not look amused this time.

Nor did she look concerned.

She only watched.

Waiting.

Kael'thir flicked his tail once, meeting her gaze.

She did not look away.

For the first time, he felt something almost like understanding.

Something unspoken.

A dragon would not remain grounded.

A fox that carried something unnatural in her blood would know this.

She was waiting for something.

Kael'thir did not know what.

And right now, he didn't care.

He would keep climbing.

Keep hunting.

Keep devouring.

Until his wings were strong enough to claim the sky.

And when that moment came—

Nothing would be able to bring him down again.