"Sebastian Hawthorne!! Join me on the podium to claim your prize!!"
Storm made his way to the podium and after shaking his hand, accepted the Lightning core that was presented to him.
After giving a few respectful waves to the crowds, he left the battleground and made his way to the figher pits.
As he entered the waiting area, he saw the official hand a large bag of gold to the man who sponsored him into the tournament.
When he noticed him, the sponsor came over to congratulate him.
"Well fought, Hawthorne!!
Your opponents weren't easy foes, and yet you won spectacularly!
I don't suppose I could convince you to take up the sport permanently!?" Asked the man.
Storm shook his head without hesitation.
"I'm afraid not! I suppose this concludes our partnership!?"
"Not quite yet, I realize that our agreement didn't require this, but considering how well you did, I still feel obligated to give you this."
He held out a small bag of gold to Storm.
"10% of the betting pool. Consider it a bonus."
Storm nodded his head and took the gold from him, before turning around and leaving the fighter pits.
He found Aurora waiting for him with a scowl at the side entrance.
"I should pin you and bite your ear off for ditching me like that!!
But I'm proud of you!!
I trust you got this foolishness out of your system now and won't be doing it again?!" Asked Aurora.
Storm nodded his head and pulled out the lightning core he had received as a reward.
"What were you planning to do with it?" Asked Aurora.
I was thinking tha..." Started Storm.
The core suddenly started acting violently as lightning started arcing from it.
Aurora yelped and Storm dropped it to rush to her side in order to protect her.
Instead of dropping to the ground, the orb hovered in the air as Storm's staff materialized in front of it.
The orb flew towards the Serpent's mouth and when the two objects touched, a bright flash and a loud boom of thunder sounded, scaring the crowds of people in the area and causing them to flee.
The moment the flash dulled down, Storm was stunned by what he saw.
Both the orb and the staff was gone. In it's place was a small serpentine dragon that was no bigger than a house cat.
It was made entirely from living lightning, it's eyes were two glowing golden orbs without irises.
Two horns extended from the back of it's head and below them were two pointed ears.
Much like Mimereus, two tendrils extended from below his nostrils like a mustache.
It had 2 clawed, four fingered talons, though no back legs, just coils like those of a serpent.
Despite lacking wings, it seemed to have no difficulty hovering in the air.
It gave a long yawn and stretched out it's coils as if waking up from a long slumber.
It spun around happily and cried out.
"I can move again!!!"
"Who are you!!? 'What' are you?!" Asked Storm.
"Storm!! I think you might have just created a Djinn!" Said Mimereus.
The serpentine creatures eyed them curiously before making it way to them.
"The dead one is indeed correct! I am a Djinn."
Mimereus was stunned.
"You can see me!!?" Asked Mimereus.
"Of course I can see you!! I'm not blind!!" Replied the Djinn.
"What is a Djinn exactly!!? And what happened to my staff!!?"
"Djinn are extremely powerful elementals that have broken their bonds of servitude and who have become fully sentient. "
The little dragon seems to take offense at the comparison, his fangs were bared and the lightning that made up it's body seemed to react more violently.
"Don't compare me to those dull brutes!!
We are nothing alike!!" Said the djinn.
"I should also point out that they are not proud of that heritage!" Exclaimed Mimereus.
The djinn nodded his head.
"Would you be if you were nothing but a slave that did what it was told without question?!" Asked the Djinn.
"How is this even possible!!? I didn't do anything!!?
And what happened to my staff?!!" Asked Storm.
"I was already on the edge of gaining true awakening!
But the infusion of that elemental core into my being sped up the process.
As for your 'weapon', I am still that, and so much more now!"
His shape changed and his staff appeared in front of him for a moment, only to change back into the serpentine dragon a moment later.
"I prefer this form however and will be staying like this when you don't have need of me!!"
"Storm! I should point out that Djinn are no longer bound to their former master!
And usually one of the first things they do is attack them!!" Said Mimereus.
"You realize that I can hear you, right?! It's true that I am no longer obligated to obey him!
But I like you!
You gave me sentience, even if it was unintentional.
It's why I bonded with you on the ship." Replied the Djinn.
"Is that why you resemble a...."
"Dragon? I didn't choose this appearance!
Just like how you couldn't choose your appearance at the moment of your birth!
But I'm sure our past bond influenced my form.
In a way, you're my parent, and shouldn't a child resemble their parent?"
"So, what happens now? Do we part ways?" Asked Storm.
"Nothing changes unless you want it to!
I will continue to aid you if that is your wish.
The only difference is that I'm doing it of my own free will now!" Explained the Djinn
The little dragon suddenly turned around as if he heard something, before flying at high speed towards Storm's arm.
As they touched, the Djinn dissappeared and Storm felt a searing pain travel up his arm as if he was being branded.
A white robed mage approached them.
"I've been receiving complaints about a disturbance here?
Care to explain what is going on?" Asked the mage.
"Ohh... Sorry!!... That was us!
Just had a ... lover's quarrel... that's all..." Stammered Aurora.
The mage just stared at them.
"Well... would you mind taking it elsewhere!!?
You're upsetting the rest of the passersby!!"
"Sorry, sir!!! Won't happen again!!"
The mage gave no reply and returned to his rounds.
The moment he was gone, Storm pulled up the sleeve of his robe and was suprised to find a glowing blue tatoo of a serpentine dragon coiled up his arm.
The tatoo winked at him, when it saw him looking.