The room was a mess.

The boy sunk once again unconscious. Eztli was getting tired and frustrated of the process, yet somehow still found the situation funny.

He was the ruler of the world and now here he was, sitting in a metal cage screaming at a boy throughout the night. Cursing him. Wishing him dead. At one point in the night Eztli grew tired of all that and started giving the boy pointers. Explaining how to counter his own attack and prevent the binding process from failing—not that the boy understood any of it. After all, he was a rabbit now—an angry one.

He could imagine how nonsensical it would have looked if he waved his fist, or rather paw, in the air. He would have loved to see the kid's confused face. It would at least take his mind away from the betrayal, anger and sadness he currently felt. Unfortunately, that was impossible. His soul was still adapting to his new body structure. He could move, but was limited to simple and slow movements.

Eztli gave up squeaking and shrieking as his throat hurt and he had grown very tired. His body refused to listen to him any longer and his eyelids felt like they weight a ton. Probably caused by his soul changing. However, he forced himself awake and sat in the cage, trying to make his eyes look evil as he stared at the boy.

He's waking up again. Eztli thought, sighing. I hope he stops. The boy had kept this going all night. Every time he failed the backlash caused him to pass out, but as soon as he awoke he tried again. It was getting to him. He barely fought him off last time; he was losing his soul energy too fast. He needed rest. Bah! Who am I kidding he will probably do it again. He's persistent. I could give him that.

"Just what am I doing wrong." The boy said, rubbing the back of his neck. He studied a journal for some time and then moved his cage, analyzing the circle. "Everything is perfect. And I almost succeeded this last time. So why isn't the link being established? Why?"

It is perfect and the link is getting established. I'm just breaking it before it completes. Eztli mocked, giving a faint squeak, trying to stay awake.

The boy turned his head making eye contact with him. "What are you? The fact that this circle is not working means that you are probably not a rabbit, but something else. Maybe what Roan said about mutation…could that caused the normal contract circle to be unsuccessful?"

Finally! Eztli said. Will you stop trying already, kid? I’m not a stupid rabbit. This circle will never bind me.

"Ok. Let's try it one last time. If it doesn't work I'll have to go research in the library. There has to be some sort of records about strange mutations…” the boy said, gabbing the link stone again and pumping himself up. “I can't fail this test. I can’t let dad down."

Heavens kid! Just stop. Eztli bellowed, his throat hurting again.

The kid placed the cage back inside the circle and sat back. Grasping the link stone he pressed it against the outer layer and controlled the energy within the stone through the patterns.

Perfect execution. Eztli couldn’t help but praise. The kid had talent. Seeing him perform the ritual countless perfect times urged Eztli to just let the boy bind him. Then at least they would be able to communicate, but his pride wouldn't let him—the Blood Emperor—be bound to anybody. He ruled over the world and was at the peak of binding, not even needing a link stone or contract circle; just his Blood Arts. Former peak. He reminded himself. Wes has risen beyond you.

He sighed, feeling the shackles around him, he once again broke them. The boy gave a grunt and flopped to the ground like a rag doll, unconscious.

##

Kael's head ached as he swam in the darkness.

Failed once again, he thought. Slowly he regained his senses—one by one—beginning with hearing, ending with touch.

Opening his eyes, Kael glanced at the rabbit. He sat there staring at him as if he was intelligent. Sometimes during the night, he had felt that it was somehow mocking him. At others, he felt that it was sad, angry and annoyed. But that wasn't possible. No one could feel what a beast thought if there was no link. Not without a complete link. He rubbed his temples. Maybe all this fainting, he thought, is causing me to imagine things.

He held the link stone in his palm. It still held energy. Kael had read about how link stones would remain filled until the contract is complete no matter how many times it was used. Something to do with the stones properties that sucked the energy back inside if a strand was left unbound. At least I figured it is really true. He thought, sighing.

Standing up, Kael left the stone on the desk. He opened the door and stopped to look back. I could have sworn I heard a voice right now... He muttered under his breath. He shook his head and closed the door.

##

Damn! I thought he would never leave. Eztli said, watching the boy go towards the door, but awkwardly he stopped and looked back. No don’t come back. Just leave. Fortunately the boy just shook his head and left. Eztli sighed in relief. Now I can escape.

He closed his eyes focusing on his mind space—an inward world created when one reached a high level in cultivation. It would expand the more you understood about your soul. Eztli’s was the size of a whole world. Now, however, it was reduced to the size of a small house. He sighed at the extreme changes. All because my soul needs to adapt. He thought and began examining the small glowing light in the center—his soul. It had shifted its form to that of a fuzzy rabbit—giving off dark red light. The merging was almost complete, meaning that he would regain full control and finally be able to gather qi.

A sudden shock passed through him giving him a slight boost of energy. Washing the previous tiredness away. Finally! He thought, opening his eyes. It feels like I am in control again. I wonder how strong this rabbit really is.

He willed his mind to move qi. Nothing happened. He did not feel anything. There really is not a strand of qi inside. He thought. Well, I’ll just have to gather some.

Eztli relaxed his body, steadied his breathing and focused his mind on absorbing some qi from the atmosphere. Particles of light became visible. They danced chaotically in the air, swirling about. Their colors colliding and merging.

Focusing on a few of them, he willed them to merge into a strand. The ribbon of light kept growing as it swallowed the nearby qi particles. Reaching a comfortable size, Eztli finally guided it into his body.

It went inside—passing through his vessels—but his body rejected it and pushed it out. Unbearable pain coursed through Eztli and he convulsed slightly. What the hell was that? He wondered and tried again. This time he used his soul to hold the qi in forcefully. The pain was greater this time. His whole body convulsed and contorted, but Eztli still held on to the strand. It wasn’t until his body expanded to twice its size that Eztli finally released the qi.

Any longer and I would have exploded. He thought, trembling as his body collapsed. He was exhausted. Why can’t I gather qi? Despair stabbed his heart. It was over. No qi meant no Blood Arts. No strong body. No revenge.

Fuck! He cursed. Just when I was thinking I had a chance to return. My body can't handle qi. It’s like those people who change arts. That sparked his muddled mind. Wait. Damn it. Of course! He had been trying to cultivate as if he was in his previous body. As if he was at the peak again. That was his mistake. This body hasn't even refined its blood so of course the Blood Art Cultivation won't work.

Quickly, he recalled the early parts of his Blood Art. He had been too eager and blinded by his lack of power that he almost caused his own death. It would have been a laughable end. He just needed to be patient and refine this body before gathering qi. He smiled.

I will rise again.