Me, myself and I

Leo stood in the heart of the Targari training grounds, the scorching desert sun casting long shadows over the vast, shifting dunes. Warriors stood around him, forming a semi-circle, some whispering bets, others watching with arms crossed, their expressions unreadable.

In front of him, the ground trembled. The earth groaned, cracked, and then—burst open. A monstrous earthworm, its segmented body gleaming like burnished bronze, emerged, its gaping maw big enough to swallow a warhorse whole.

Nayomi, standing beside him, smirked. "Taming an earthworm is about control, presence, and trust. Show weakness, and it will sense it. Show fear…" She trailed off, shooting him a knowing glance.

Leo swallowed. He could hear Cassian from the crowd. "Ten gold says he gets eaten in five seconds!" The warriors burst into laughter, a few actually pulling out coins.

"Enough talking," Nayomi commanded. She turned to Leo, eyes gleaming with challenge. "Step forward, mute boy. Prove you belong here."

Leo clenched his fists, took a deep breath, and stepped toward the beast.

The worm sniffed the air—if worms could even sniff—and twisted toward Leo. He mimicked Nayomi's stance from earlier, raising his hands in a steady, controlled motion. The creature hesitated.

Then it lunged.

Leo barely had time to roll out of the way as a massive gust of sand exploded around him. Warriors dodged back, laughing at his panicked scramble.

Cassian wiped a fake tear. "I didn't know 'taming' meant 'getting buried alive in sand.'"

Segrit grinned. "Maybe the worm just doesn't like mutes."

Nayomi sighed, hands on her hips. "Pathetic. Again."

Determined, Leo steadied himself. He closed his eyes briefly, shutting out the distractions, and focused. His heartbeat slowed, his presence deepened. When he raised his hands this time, it wasn't out of fear.

The worm hesitated. Then, unexpectedly, it recoiled slightly. A murmur passed through the crowd.

Nayomi narrowed her eyes.

For a moment, the worm seemed to bow—ever so slightly.

Silence.

Then Cassian, utterly unimpressed, shouted, "Well, that's boring!"

The tension shattered as laughter erupted. But Nayomi wasn't laughing. She was watching Leo, something unreadable flickering in her gaze.

Leo himself wasn't sure what had happened—but whatever it was, it had caught everyone's attention.

Later that evening, as the warriors celebrated and mocked each other's training failures, Nayomi approached Leo. She leaned against a wooden post, watching him closely.

"You did something back there," she said.

Leo tilted his head, questioning.

She hesitated, then smirked. "I'll find out soon enough, mute boy. Until then, train harder. Next time, I expect you to ride the worm, not just survive it."