Alyx's conscience surfaced as she was torn off Kelstor's back by the paladin captain.

Warning: Too many Concepts. One may only possess 3 Concepts. Please fuse Concepts until you possess 3 or fewer. Refusing to do so may result in Breakage.

He slammed her against Kelstor's side, his sword stabbing through her chest and into Kelstor's flank.

Pain consumed her. His blade burned her insides. Its edge sliced through soft organs and twisted through flesh.

"Have a nice nap?" the paladin sneered, leaning over her.

Behind her, Kelstor shifted. A low groan escaped his lips. "Not really. Why does everything hurt?"

The white bands around him dissolved. By the door, Pellen slumped against the wall.

The paladin's sneer darkened, his eyes flicking up to the dragon. Sarcastically, he said, "You bound yourself to the demon. Congratulations."

Alyx hurt too much to follow what he was saying. But the pain was followed by a wave of energy. More than she'd ever felt in her life. More than any level up. More than any skill milestone.

It rushed over her. Overwhelming. Like a waterfall dumped over her head. Like lightning striking her nerves. So much it was its own kind of pain. But the kind of pain that promised power.

You have bound your soul to the dragon, Kelstor.

[Your bond has permanently changed you.

You are now a Dragon Knight.

Your dragon reveres Strength, Endurance, and Fortitude. This will be reflected in future growth.

Retroactively applying Dragon Knight stats from level ups, please hold.

Str 64 -> 97

End 47 -> 82

Frt 33 -> 63

Retroactively applying Dragon Knight stats from skill milestones, please hold.

Str 97 -> 103

Dex 38 -> 55

End 82 -> 100

Wll 22 -> 28

Ala 19 -> 25

Res 16 -> 18

Frt 63 -> 68

Per 24 -> 34

Vit 15 -> 24]

Her body spasmed as the stats rushed through her. It hurt and then it didn't. She was out of breath, and then she wasn't. Her muscles screamed, then relaxed. And then it all started again and again. A body wasn't meant to increase in stats like this.

And all the while, her Concepts pressed down on her. They squeezed and screamed.

The paladin pulled his sword from her chest, and her body slid to the ground.

The ground was wet. Sticky. Hot. Or was she cold?

"Leave her alone, monster." Kelstor snarled. He reared back to his full height, his wings flaring out protectively around her and glowing faintly with a maroon aura. His voice whispered in her ear, Shielding Wings.

"Rich words coming from a beast!" The captain swung at Kelstor, but his blade rebounded off Kelstor's skill-enhanced scales.

Alyx put a hand to her abdomen; it came away bloody. That was a lot of blood. That stuff was supposed to be inside her body.

Hold on, sprout, Kelstor's voice whispered in her ear. Use this.

Your dragon believes in second chances and miracles.

[Your Human skill (Second Wind) has been converted to the Dragon Knight skill Draconic Rebirth, level maintained.]

Draconic Rebirth (lvl 3) (Dragon Knight)

[The dragons of ages past were powerful and prideful peoples. Their divine curse has forced them low, yet all dream of glorious rebirth in glory and power. May you herald that era for them.

Immediately recover all Stamina and Focus. Immediately heal all injuries. Consume a considerable portion of remaining Health. Cannot be used again until Health has recovered to a minimum threshold (it may have since fallen below that threshold again).

Minimum Health Threshold: 98%

Modified by your End.

Modified by your dragon's Vit.]

The skill activated on its own.

Maroon flames erupted from her skin and burned over her body. They raged through muscle and bone, scorching away the pain, until only the pressure of her Concepts on her was left.

Scales formed behind the flames, pressing her wounds closed. She propped herself up with her sword. The exhaustion burned away as she moved. By the time she was standing, fresh Stamina ran wild through her muscles.

The scales flaked off, leaving behind not a scratch. The only evidence of her previous injuries was her tattered armor.

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At her side, Kelstor burned as well. He burned so bright in amber flames she could barely look at him. After a moment, the light left behind a transformed dragon. His tawny scales had transformed, glistening golden amber, glowing with a light within. The open wounds and scabbing sores were gone. His horns shone, lustrous and bright. The rends in his wings were whole.

He roared in approval, his voice echoing powerfully, triumphantly, through the hall.

And Kelstor wasn't done.

Your dragon believes in stubborn resistance.

[Your Medium Armor skill has been converted into the Dragon Knight skill Dragon Scale, level has been maintained.]

Dragon Scale (lvl 20) (Dragon Knight)

[Legend tells of dragons with impenetrable scale. Your dragon wishes the same for you, wrapping you in his considerable Frt.

Manifest armor from your aura. Any armor you are familiar with may be created.

Alternatively, create a layer of draconic scales over your skin with your aura, increasing your effective Frt.

Modified by your Frt.

Modified by your dragon's Frt.]

The skill flared to life around her, her body glowing with her amber aura. The skill was waiting for something. Waiting for her to choose the armor she would wear.

She pictured her mother's armor. Was there anything she was more familiar with? She had spent so many afternoons helping her polish it. So many mornings begging to help her put it on. She could have traced every scratch and rivet blind.

The skill didn't form around the image.

Not that kind of familiarity? Unfortunate. It needed to be something she had worn a great deal then.

She pictured the armor Marco had helped her pick out. The gloves Telis had surprised her with. She could feel the weight of the plate on her hips. Could feel where the gambeson Telis had quietly had embroidered with a second set of protections pressed against her skin beneath the metal.

In a flash, she was fully armored again.

Well-Loved Armor Manifested.

[Original Stats:

- Average Collective Effective Frt +15%

Manifested Stats:

- Average Collective Effective Frt +20%

- Weight Reduction -10%]

It felt good. Better than she remembered. Her aura crown flared to life on her forehead, anointing her from head to toe in glowing amber armor.

She burst forward, surprised by how fast and far that single step propelled her. Heaven's Strike built on her blade, her aura flaring with her approach. It crashed into the captain, her aura digging at his raised shield.

[Endless Assault: + 1 Str, + 1 End]

His shield flashed green and Alyx was thrown back.

Kelstor lunged forward in the gap, his jaws clamping down around him.

Alyx charged another Heaven's Strike while Kelstor held him.

The captain slammed his sword pommel against Kelstor's skull. It clipped his eye, and the dragon flinched.

But Alyx was already swinging. Her blade struck his unguarded shoulder as he tried to shake the dragon off him. Her sword glanced off his plate armor as he broke free of Kelstor's jaws.

He charged her again.

Warning: Too many Concepts. One may only possess 3 Concepts. Please fuse Concepts until you possess 3 or fewer. Refusing to do so may result in Breakage.

She flinched as her Concept pulsed for her attention.

Kelstor pushed between them, his claws swiping at the paladin.

The paladin blocked with his shield.

Scorching Lance, Kelstor's voice echoed in her head.

A beam of piercing light shot from the dragon's mouth and struck the paladin's shield. This was nothing like the billowing heat of his feral dragon breath. This was a concentrated beam of death, burning too bright to look at and hotter than hot.

The shield glowed red hot under the onslaught. The captain staggered under the force, only to lunge away as the flames burned through the shield's center.

Alyx gave chase, her sword dripping with her amber aura.

[Endless Assault: + 1 Str, + 1 End]

The captain parried her attack, or tried to. Shadow Strike moved the line of her attack to the opposite side. His sword destroyed the aura shadow while her blade slashed across his chest.

Sword scraped across metal. Strength tested metal and Fortitude.

Absolute Might, Kelstor roared in her soul.

Her muscles flared. She felt her Strength multiply. Two times? Three times?

The plate armor crumpled before her blade. The paladin stumbled back. Neither Alyx nor Kelstor gave him a moment to recover.

Kelstor lunged at the man, his claws shoving the off-balance man to the ground.

Alyx was only a step behind. Her sword slammed into his chest, the full might of Kelstor's buffing skill still coursing through her.

It still wasn't enough. It left a sizable dent in the armor, but the man just grunted, his teeth bared in a grimace. His Fortitude was just too much.

She raised her sword again, Heaven's Strike building on the blade. Amber sparks fell around her.

Not for the first time, she wished she had the Lightning Concept. The offensive power of that Concept could surely blow through even his Fortitude.

Warning: Too many Concepts. One may only possess 3 Concepts. Please fuse Concepts until you possess 3 or fewer. Refusing to do so may result in Breakage.

Could she make it with what she had?

[Current Concepts:

- Light

- Sword

- Flame

- Vines]

Maybe if she combined Light with something? Light and Flames? Light and Sword?

What was Sword, anyway? She hadn't had it long. Not long enough to apply it to any of her skills.

But it sang as she swung her sword. It was a constant humming in the back of her mind.

Her blade scraped across the captain's armor again. The Concept hummed.

He struck back, his sword glancing off her summoned armor.

[Endless Assault: + 1 Str, + 1 End]

Would a fused Lightning Concept even be the same as a pure and properly won version?

Would it even be enough if she had the power her grandmother wielded?

Would she be enough if she could call Lightning to her blade?

Their blades crossed again. Her Strength surged and pushed him back. Kelstor snapped at the captain as he reeled.

Her Concepts roared in her ears. Her aura rippled along her blade.

No. They screamed, no.

She would never be enough of a Veldor. She could never be her grandmother.

They exchanged another volley of strikes. She moved faster than she'd ever moved before. Her body surged with Strength. Her blade dripped with her aura.

But it still wasn't enough to break his defenses.

It still wasn't enough. She would never be enough.

Would Fioreya struggle this much? With her genius swordsmanship and peerless skills, would she be able to overpower even an opponent as over-leveled as the captain? With a dragon at her side, could she be stopped?

Would Alyx be like her if she had the family's Lightning Concept to support her? Or would even that fall short?

Alyx dove in again, her sword slamming into his armor, her every thought shoving Light and Flame together in hopes it would make Lightning.

Her sword deepened the dent in his plates, but her amber aura didn't spark with lightning. Her blade once again failed to breach his armor.

Useless. How many times would she need to repeat the action before she accepted she couldn't do it?

She was just Alyx.

Apex Declaration, Kelstor roared and the entire building shook. The captain flinched.

Cass appeared behind him. "Ahryn, now!"

A bolt of white light struck the captain; his armor rippled like water.

Cass drove a dagger into a gap in his shoulder plates.

He grunted, twisting after Cass, but she slipped away before he could grab her.

Alyx couldn't miss this opportunity. She darted forward, her aura pooling over her sword.

Yes, she was just Alyx.

She wasn't a genius like Fioreya. She didn't have the Lightning Concept like her brothers.

She could only be Alyx.

If Cass could repeatedly beat the odds by forging her own way, why couldn't Alyx do the same?

Flame burned in her chest in agreement. It flared around her, her aura burning with the Concept's light.

Her blade burst with light, the aura shining brighter than daylight. It burned, hot and bright. Brighter than it had ever glowed before.

Why couldn't she forge her own way?

Flame consumed Sword, fusing into something new. Not Lightning. Certainly not Lightning.

She didn't have time to look at what it was. All she knew was that the pressure evaporated as her four Concepts became three. Her sword swung faster as she threw off the status affliction. Her aura burned brighter still.

It was almost too hot to hold. Too bright to see through.

With a war cry, she drove her blade at the man's heart. The sword struck metal with a clang. But she didn't stop pushing.

She couldn't stop pushing.

The physical blade could go no further, but she refused to be stopped.

She refused to fail here.

Light refused to be stopped.

Concept Applied: [Light - Str, Dex, End

Be a force unstopping. Undaunted. Uncompromising.]

Her aura burned a hole in the metal, cutting through fabric and flesh like it wasn't even there.

Its tip hit something hard in his chest, where the heart should have been.

She roared. Kelstor roared with her.

He placed the palm of his claw on the pommel of her sword and, together, they pressed. Light and draconic might pierced the metal heart and the paladin fell still.

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