The battle had gone sideways fast.
We were outnumbered—twenty beasts, half of them corrupted, all of them too fast for the clearing's tight terrain. Lyra was hurt, blood dripping from a gash along her ribs, her breathing ragged as she held off two flamehounds on her own. I could feel her mana flickering—sharp, focused, but burning low.
I was barely holding back a berserker wyvern with pulse blasts and raw panic.
That's when I saw it.
The sigils on Lyra's arm—old, faded, more scar tissue than ink—began to glow.
Not with mana.
With flame.
But not ordinary flame.
Ash-colored. Quiet. Ancient.
She dropped to one knee, eyes wide—not in fear, but awe. "No," she whispered. "It can't be—"
And then I felt him.
A presence, massive and calm, like an old inferno smothered beneath centuries of ash. It roared across the bond we shared, not in words, but in memory.
Pain. Loyalty. Fire.
I staggered as the mana in my body surged, my own core vibrating with foreign energy that wasn't mine—but wasn't hostile either.
Lyra's voice cut through the haze: "It's Emberfang."
My eyes locked with hers.
"You bonded with him again?" I asked, incredulous.
She shook her head. "He bonded with you. Through me. Through the Taming System."
And then the System chimed in my mind:
SYSTEM NOTIFICATION:
Ancestral Spirit Bond Established.
You have acquired: Flame Sigil: Emberfang's Legacy
Passive Buff: Beastfire Resistance +70%
Skill Unlocked: Ash Rebirth (One-Time Use) – Upon fatal damage, your body ignites in Emberfang's fire, cleansing corruption and reviving you with 25% health. Can only be used once per arc.
Mechanically, Emberfang becomes a passive spiritual entity that enhances the protagonist's connection to tamed beasts and fire-type enemies—sort of like a guardian specter bonded through Lyra's past and the System's interference. It's also a subtle symbol of the growing bond between Lyra and the main character.
Narratively, it opens the door for a LOT:
Emotional flashbacks between Lyra and Emberfang through dream-visions.
A confrontation with the Arcanum Guild over lost ancient beasts.
A future arc where the protagonist might be able to "reform" corrupted spirit-beasts into bonded allies.