~~~ Days 15-20
---
## Day 15
Knox woke to teeth in his ear.
Not painful, more of a firm nibble, but definitely teeth. Sharp, tiny, dragon teeth, attached to a sharp, tiny dragon who was apparently displeased about something.
"Wha... OW. Stop that!"
*You were sleeping too long.*
"It's barely dawn!"
*Exactly. Dawn was MINUTES ago. You should be awake at dawn. I have been awake at dawn. I have been waiting.* The dragon's mental voice carried profound disapproval. *Waiting is boring. I do not approve of boring.*
Knox sat up, dislodging the hatchling from her perch on his chest. She tumbled onto the cave floor with an undignified squawk, then immediately righted herself and glared at him with all the wounded dignity a cat-sized dragon could muster.
Which, it turned out, was quite a lot.
*You DROPPED me.*
"You were biting my ear!"
*A gentle wake-up. Standard dragon protocol. You should be grateful.*
"Grateful for ear-biting. Right."
Knox scrubbed a hand over his face, trying to shake off sleep. His body was still recovering from the mana transfer that had helped the egg hatch, his MP sat at a measly 60 out of 285, but he felt better than yesterday. Strong enough to move, at least.
The dragon had no such limitations. She'd spent the night gorging on his remaining dried meat stores and was now practically vibrating with energy. Her wings kept half-extending and folding, her tail lashed back and forth, and her ember eyes tracked every movement in the cave with predatory intensity.
She reminded Knox of a new building, all that potential energy, all that structure, just waiting to be put to use. The foundation was there. The framework was there. She just needed time to develop.
*I am hungry,* she announced.
"You ate all my food last night."
*Yes. And now I am hungry again. Dragons require much sustenance. This is biology. I cannot control biology.*
"Convenient excuse."
*It is not an excuse. It is a FACT.* She sat back on her haunches, somehow managing to look imperious despite being small enough to fit in a shoebox. *You will provide. This is your role.*
"I will provide," Knox repeated flatly. "Just like that."
*Yes. You are my bonded. Providing is one of your purposes. You should embrace it.*
```
[COMPANION NOTE: SHADOW DRAGON DIETARY REQUIREMENTS]
[HATCHLINGS REQUIRE APPROXIMATELY 2-3 LBS OF MEAT DAILY]
[PREFERABLY FRESH]
[THEY ARE OBLIGATE CARNIVORES]
[THEY WILL LET YOU KNOW IF THE FOOD IS UNSATISFACTORY]
[LOUDLY]
[VERY LOUDLY]
[THE SYSTEM HAS ALREADY HEARD HER OPINIONS ABOUT DRIED MEAT]
```
"Great. So I need to hunt." Knox looked at his hands, still a bit shaky, mana channels still depleted. "While I'm running on fumes."
The dragon tilted her head, and through their bond, Knox felt a flicker of something unexpected: concern. It was quickly buried under her usual demanding presence, but it had been there. A crack in the facade.
*You are still weak,* she observed. *From saving me.*
"I'm fine."
*Lie. I can feel you through the bond. You are tired and your mana is wrong. Your internal structure is compromised.* She padded closer, her claws clicking on stone. *But you will hunt anyway. Because I need food.*
"Because you need food," Knox agreed.
*This is...* She seemed to struggle with the concept, her tail drooping slightly. *This is not how it should be. You saved me. You should rest. But I am hungry and cannot hunt myself yet.* Frustration. *I am useless. A burden on our resources.*
Knox blinked. He hadn't expected self-awareness from her, she'd seemed so confident, so certain of her place in their dynamic. So absolutely convinced that demanding things was her right.
"You're not useless. You're three days old."
*Dragons should not be useless at any age. Dragons are apex predators. We hunt. We kill. We provide for ourselves.* Her tail drooped further. *I cannot even walk properly yet. My foundations are... insufficient.*
As if to demonstrate, she tried to take a step and stumbled, catching herself awkwardly. Her wings flared for balance, oversized and ungainly, and she hissed with frustration.
*See? Useless. Structurally unsound.*
"Did you just use a construction metaphor?"
*I have been listening to your mind. Some concepts are... useful.*
Knox knelt down, bringing himself closer to her eye level. Through the bond, he pushed reassurance, warmth, absolute faith.
"Listen to me. You're not useless, you're new. Everything takes time to learn. Walking, hunting, flying. You're like a building in the early stages, the foundation is there, but the framework needs time to set properly."
*How do you know the framework will set properly?*
"Because you're a dragon. And because you're stubborn as hell. I've known you for two days and I can already tell, you don't give up. You'll keep pushing until you get it right."
She met his eyes, ember to void-black with flame pupils. Something passed between them through the bond, not words, but understanding.
*You believe this. Truly.*
"I do."
*Then I will believe it too.* She straightened, her earlier vulnerability vanishing behind renewed determination. Her tail rose back to its imperious position. *But I am still hungry. So you should still hunt. My belief in my future capabilities does not fill my stomach NOW.*
Knox laughed despite himself. "Yeah, yeah. I'm going."
---
Hunting while mana-depleted was an exercise in frustration.
Knox's traps were still set around the territory, but checking them required walking through the swamp, which required energy he didn't really have. His Survival Instinct worked, warning him of dangers, but without Mana Sensitivity he felt half-blind. Every shadow could be hiding a predator. Every sound could be a threat.
The Shadowfen, as always, was delighted to remind him that it wanted him dead.
A patch of moss tried to eat his boot. A tree branch swung at his head for no apparent reason. Something in the water made a noise that sounded disturbingly like evil laughter.
And he had a passenger.
*Why are we stopping?*
"Because I need to catch my breath."
*You have been catching your breath for many minutes. This is inefficient. We should optimize our route.*
The dragon had insisted on coming along, claiming she needed to "observe hunting techniques for future reference." In practice, this meant riding on Knox's shoulder, her "spot", and providing running commentary on everything he did wrong.
*You are too loud when you walk.*
"I'm trying to be quiet."
*Try harder. I can hear your footsteps from here and I am ON you. Predators will hear you from much further away.*
"Helpful."
*I am very helpful. You should appreciate me more.*
Knox bit back a response and kept moving. Despite her criticism, having her with him was... nice. Her weight on his shoulder was grounding, her presence in his mind a constant warmth. He'd spent so long alone, on Earth after Emma's death, and here in the murder swamp, that having someone with him, even a demanding someone, felt like a gift.
Not that he'd tell her that. Her ego was already substantial enough.
*What was that sound?*
Knox froze. The dragon's tiny head had swiveled to the left, her ears pricked forward, every muscle tense.
"What sound?"
*That, there. Again.*
He heard it now, a rustling in the undergrowth. Something large, moving deliberately.
Knox's hand went to his makeshift spear. His Demonic Presence flared, projecting menace, weak compared to his full strength, but hopefully enough to discourage whatever was out there.
The rustling stopped.
For a long moment, nothing happened. Knox counted heartbeats. One. Two. Five. Ten.
Then a creature emerged from the brush.
It was... a mushroom.
A walking mushroom, about three feet tall, with stubby legs and what appeared to be googly eyes on stalks. It looked at Knox. It looked at the dragon. It made a sound like a disappointed sneeze.
Then it waddled away into the swamp, apparently unimpressed.
*What,* the dragon said flatly, *was THAT?*
"I have no idea."
*It looked at us like we were BORING.*
"I think we failed to meet its entertainment standards."
*This is INSULTING. I am a dragon. I am not boring. That mushroom should have been TERRIFIED.*
```
[CREATURE IDENTIFIED: WANDERING SPORECAP]
[LEVEL: 2]
[THREAT: MINIMAL]
[BEHAVIOR: GENERALLY APATHETIC]
[NOTE: THEY'RE HARMLESS UNLESS YOU EAT THEM]
[SECONDARY NOTE: DON'T EAT THEM]
[TERTIARY NOTE: THE HALLUCINATIONS ARE NOT FUN]
```
"Apparently it's harmless," Knox said, reading the System notification.
*I do not care if it is harmless. It was RUDE.* The dragon huffed, smoke curling from her tiny nostrils. *I will remember that mushroom. When I am large, I will find it again. I will show it who is boring.*
"You're going to hold a grudge against a mushroom?"
*I am a dragon. Grudges are part of our cultural heritage.*
Knox resumed walking, shaking his head. The Shadowfen was ridiculous. Everything about this place was ridiculous. A murder swamp full of deadly predators, poisonous plants, and one judgmental mushroom.
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
This was fine.
Everything was completely fine.
---
They found the first trap empty. The second had been triggered but the prey escaped. The third,
"Finally."
A Scale Hare dangled from the snare, very dead, probably from exhaustion and stress. It wasn't fresh, had probably been caught yesterday, but it was meat.
*That is small,* the dragon observed.
"It's what we have."
*I require more.*
"Then we'll check more traps."
She made a dissatisfied sound but didn't argue further. Knox collected the hare, reset the trap, and moved on.
By midday, they'd collected two more Scale Hares and something the System identified as a "Marsh Hen", a bird-like creature with too many legs and iridescent feathers. Not a feast, but enough to keep the dragon fed for a day or two.
*Acceptable,* she declared when Knox laid out the haul back at the cave. *You have provided adequately. I will not starve today.*
"High praise."
*Do not be sarcastic. Sarcasm is my domain. You may not use it without permission.*
She fell on the food with enthusiasm, tearing into the Marsh Hen with her tiny fangs. Watching her eat was both fascinating and slightly horrifying, she was efficient, methodical, wasting nothing. A predator in miniature.
When she finished, she cleaned her claws fastidiously, then curled up near the fire to digest.
*You should eat too,* she said. *You are thin.*
"I'm not thin. I'm a seven-foot demon."
*Thin for a seven-foot demon. Your structural mass is insufficient. Eat.*
Knox didn't have the energy to argue. He cooked one of the Scale Hares over the fire, his body could handle raw meat, but cooked tasted better, and ate mechanically. The food helped. His strength was returning, slowly but surely.
*Knox.*
"Yeah?"
*Thank you. For hunting. Even though you are weak.* A pause. *I will remember this. When I am strong, I will hunt for you.*
"Looking forward to it."
*You should be. I will be an excellent hunter. The best hunter. Our territory will be overflowing with meat.* She shifted, pressing closer to his leg. *You will be very impressed.*
"I'm sure I will."
She made a satisfied sound and closed her eyes. Within minutes, she was asleep, her small body rising and falling with each breath.
Knox watched her for a long moment, something warm uncurling in his chest.
She was demanding. Imperious. Absolutely certain the world revolved around her.
But she was also trying. Learning. Growing. Building herself from the ground up, same as he was building this cave into something defensible.
*We're going to be okay,* he thought. *Both of us. Together.*
---
## Day 16
The dragon was getting better at walking.
Not good, exactly, she still stumbled every few steps, still overcorrected with her wings, still face-planted at least twice an hour. But she was improving. Her movements were becoming more coordinated, her balance more stable.
Knox watched her practice from his spot by the cave entrance, marveling at her determination. She'd been at it for hours, pacing back and forth across the cave floor, refusing to stop despite her obvious frustration.
"Take a break," he suggested.
*No.*
"You've been practicing for three hours."
*And I will practice for three more. Until I can walk without stumbling. Until my movements are CORRECT.*
She took another step, wobbled, caught herself. Her tail lashed with irritation.
*Why is this so DIFFICULT? Other creatures are born walking. Deer walk within hours of birth. I have been alive for DAYS and I still cannot, *
She stumbled again, nearly falling. Knox reached out instinctively to catch her, but she righted herself with a furious wing-flap.
*Do NOT help. I must do this myself. Independent ambulation is a fundamental capability.*
"Okay. But maybe you could, "
*Silence. I am concentrating.*
Knox held up his hands in surrender and went back to working on the cave's defenses. If she wanted to exhaust herself into the ground, that was her choice. He'd learned quickly that arguing with her stubbornness was pointless.
Besides, he had his own work to do.
The cave's original entrance was too wide, defensible against small threats but vulnerable to anything large. Knox had been slowly narrowing it, using his Earth Manipulation to shape the stone into something more tactical. A choke point. A kill zone if necessary.
Construction basics: control the flow of traffic through your structure.
His mana was still recovering, so progress was slow. Each manipulation cost more than it should, and he had to rest between efforts. But the work itself was satisfying, something concrete he could do while waiting for his strength to return.
*Your wall is crooked,* the dragon observed.
"It's not crooked."
*It is. The left side is three centimeters higher than the right. This is suboptimal.*
Knox stepped back and looked. She was right, barely, but she was right. The left side was slightly higher.
"How can you tell?"
*Dragons have excellent spatial perception. Also, I have been staring at it for the last hour while practicing walking. I have memorized every imperfection.*
Knox adjusted the stone, evening out the discrepancy. "Better?"
*Acceptable.* She resumed her pacing. *You are competent at stone-shaping. This is good. Our shelter should be structurally sound.*
"Thanks for the quality control."
*You are welcome. Supervision is one of my many skills.*
They worked in companionable silence after that, Knox shaping stone, the dragon practicing walking. Occasionally she would offer commentary on his work ("That corner is too sharp. Predators could use it as cover.") and occasionally he would offer commentary on her progress ("Try leading with your front right paw instead of your front left.").
By late afternoon, the cave entrance had been narrowed to a defensible width, and the dragon had achieved twelve consecutive steps without stumbling.
*Progress,* she declared, finally allowing herself to rest. *Tomorrow I will achieve twenty.*
"That's ambitious."
*I am dragon. Ambition is my birthright.*
She crawled into Knox's lap, a spot she'd claimed as secondary to his shoulder, and curled up for a nap. Within moments, her breathing had evened out into sleep.
Knox continued shaping stone, one hand resting on the dragon's back, feeling oddly content.
---
## Day 18
The dragon discovered she could breathe fire.
Not the shadow-fire from before, that had been instinct, a defensive burst. This was different. This was controlled. This was intentional.
It happened during their afternoon training session. Knox had been teaching her about mana manipulation, how to feel it, how to channel it, how to shape it with intention rather than instinct.
*Like this?* She'd gathered a small ball of energy in her chest, ember-colored and warm.
"That's it. Now try to push it out slowly. Controlled release."
She'd tried. She'd really tried. But "controlled" wasn't in her vocabulary yet.
The fire erupted from her mouth in a gout of orange-black flame, scorching the cave wall and leaving a char mark roughly the size of Knox's head.
For a moment, they both just stared.
*I did not mean to do that,* the dragon said.
"That was..."
*An accident. A LARGE accident. I was trying to be controlled.*
"That was actually amazing."
*...It was?*
"You just breathed fire. Real fire. Not a defensive burst, actual intentional fire-breathing." Knox grinned. "You're a fire-breathing dragon."
The dragon processed this. Then, slowly, her posture shifted from embarrassed to proud.
*I AM a fire-breathing dragon. I breathed fire. With my mouth. ON PURPOSE.*
"Well, semi-on-purpose."
Knox was about to respond when Gerald, who had been hovering near the cave entrance, suddenly went rigid. His tiny arms waved frantically in a pattern Knox recognized as WARNING.
"Something's coming."
The dragon's playful mood vanished instantly. She pressed close to Knox's leg, her body going still, her ember eyes fixed on the entrance.
*Big,* she said quietly. *I can feel it. Something big is approaching.*
Knox grabbed his spear. His mana was still recovering, but he had enough for one or two good bursts if needed. His Demonic Presence flared, projecting threat, warning, stay away.
For a long moment, nothing happened.
Then a shape appeared at the cave entrance.
It was a bear. Or something that had probably been a bear once, before the Shadowfen got hold of it. Its fur was matted with moss and glowing fungi, its eyes held too much intelligence, and its claws were the length of Knox's forearm.
But it wasn't attacking. It stood at the entrance, sniffing the air, clearly aware of Knox's presence but not approaching.
*Why is it not attacking?* the dragon whispered.
"I don't know."
The bear-thing made a sound, not a growl, but something almost contemplative. It looked at Knox. It looked at the dragon. It looked at Gerald, who was doing his best to appear invisible.
Then it turned and walked away.
Just... walked away. Into the swamp. Gone.
```
[CREATURE ANALYSIS: ELDER GROVE BEAR]
[LEVEL: 15]
[THREAT: HIGH]
[BEHAVIOR: UNEXPECTEDLY NON-AGGRESSIVE]
[NOTE: YOUR DEMONIC PRESENCE GAVE IT PAUSE]
[SECONDARY NOTE: IT'S BEEN WATCHING YOUR TERRITORY FOR DAYS]
[TERTIARY NOTE: IT APPEARS TO HAVE DECIDED YOU'RE NOT WORTH THE TROUBLE]
[QUATERNARY NOTE: TAKE THE WIN]
```
"It's been watching us," Knox said, reading the notification. "For days. And it just... decided we're not worth attacking."
*We should be offended,* the dragon said. *We are CLEARLY worth attacking. I just breathed fire. FIRE.*
"I think it's a compliment, actually. It saw us as enough of a threat that fighting wasn't worth it."
*Oh.* The dragon's posture shifted. *That IS better. We are too threatening to fight. Yes. I accept this.*
Gerald emerged from his hiding spot and did a barrel roll of relief. Crisis averted. For now.
Knox looked at the empty cave entrance, then at the char mark on the wall, then at the tiny dragon who had somehow become the most important thing in his life.
"We need better defenses," he said.
*Yes. We also need for me to be bigger. When I am bigger, I will eat that bear.*
"Let's focus on defenses first."
*Fine. But I am registering my future bear-eating intentions.*
---
## Day 19
That night, they had a conversation that changed everything.
The dragon was curled against Knox's side by the fire, tired from a day of flight practice and magic exercises. Her body was warm, almost hot, and he could feel her contentment through the bond. A good day. A day of progress.
*Knox,* she said drowsily.
"Yeah?"
*What do you call me?*
"What do you mean?"
*In your head. When you think of me. What word do you use?* She turned her ember eyes up to him. *I have been 'dragon' and 'her' and 'she' but those are not names. What is my name?*
Knox had been thinking about this. Ever since she'd hatched, he'd been turning names over in his mind, looking for one that fit. Something that captured her essence, the darkness and fire, the stubbornness and pride, the fierce love she tried to hide under demands.
"I've been thinking about it," he admitted. "Names are important. I want to get it right. A name is like... the cornerstone of identity. It has to be solid enough to build on."
*Then tell me your thoughts. Perhaps I can help. I have many opinions.*
"I've noticed."
She nudged him with her snout. *Share your ideas. I will evaluate them and tell you which are wrong.*
Knox smiled despite himself. "Well... you're a shadow dragon. Made of darkness and ember. You were alone in that egg for so long, but you never gave up. You kept calling until someone came."
*You came.*
"I came. And when I found you, you were like... a light in the darkness. A spark that refused to go out. Even when you were trapped and alone, you kept burning."
*This is poetic.* Through the bond, he felt her approval. *I approve of poetry about my magnificence.*
Knox's smile widened. "There was a goddess in my old world. From ancient myths. The goddess of night."
The dragon's ears perked up. *A goddess?*
"Nyx. She was the personification of night itself. Darkness made divine. One of the oldest beings in mythology, even the other gods respected her. Feared her, some of them. She was powerful and ancient and nobody messed with her."
*Nyx.* The dragon tested the name, rolling it through her mind. *NYX.*
"What do you think?"
She was quiet for a long moment. Through the bond, Knox felt her processing, the name's meaning, its weight, its implications. A goddess. Darkness made divine. Something powerful and ancient and worthy of respect.
*I am Nyx,* she said finally, and her mental voice was different, deeper, more resonant, as if the name itself had changed her. *Goddess of night. Darkness made divine.* She raised her head, ember eyes blazing. *Yes. This is my name. This is who I am.*
```
[COMPANION NAMED: NYX]
[BOND UPDATED]
[EFFECT: NAMING A MAGICAL COMPANION STRENGTHENS THE BOND]
[BOND LEVEL: PARTNER → BONDED]
[NEW ABILITIES UNLOCKED:]
[? HP LINK (5% - SHARE DAMAGE)]
[? ENHANCED TELEPATHY (RANGE: 500 FEET)]
[? SKILL SHARING (PASSIVE BONUSES NOW APPLY TO BOTH)]
[TITLE UPDATED: DRAGON'S CHOSEN → SHADOW AND ASH]
[DESCRIPTION: YOU HAVE NAMED YOUR DRAGON AND SOLIDIFIED YOUR BOND]
[BONUS: +15% TO ALL SHADOW AND FIRE MAGIC]
[BONUS: COMPANION GAINS +10% TO ALL STATS WHEN NEAR YOU]
[SYSTEM NOTE: THE BOND IS NOW PERMANENT]
[SECONDARY NOTE: NO TAKEBACKS]
[TERTIARY NOTE: NOT THAT YOU'D WANT TAKEBACKS]
[QUATERNARY NOTE: LOOK AT HER, SHE'S ADORABLE]
```
*We are bonded,* Nyx said, wonder in her voice. *Truly bonded now. I can feel you more clearly. Every thought, every emotion. The connection is... solid. Like good stonework.*
"Is that okay?"
*It is PERFECT.* She climbed into his lap, still small enough to fit, and pressed her head against his chest. *You are mine now. Officially. The bond says so. The System says so. The universe itself has acknowledged our connection.*
"I was yours before the bond said so."
*Yes. But now it is FORMAL.* Her tail curled around his wrist, possessive and content. *Knox and Nyx. We sound good together.*
"We do."
*We will be legendary. The demon and his dragon. Everyone will know our names. They will speak of us in whispers. They will build monuments.*
"Let's survive first. Then we can work on legendary."
*Boring. But acceptable.* She yawned, showing off her tiny fangs. *I am tired. Naming is exhausting. Being magnificent takes energy.*
"Sleep then. I'll keep watch."
*You always keep watch.* Her eyes drifted closed. *My Knox. My protector. My foundation.*
"Your Knox," he agreed quietly.
And sitting there, with Nyx warm in his lap and the fire crackling softly, Knox felt something he hadn't felt in a very long time.
He felt whole.
---
## Day 20
Nyx was determined to earn her name.
"You're pushing too hard," Knox warned as she prepared for another flight attempt. "You just named yourself after a goddess. You don't have to prove it immediately."
*I am not proving anything. I am simply... demonstrating. Demonstrating that the name is CORRECT.* She spread her wings, which had grown noticeably in the past few days. Still oversized, but less awkward. More proportional. *Watch me soar like the divine being I am.*
She launched.
This time, something was different. Her wingbeats were synchronized, powerful, catching the air with purpose. She didn't fly, not really, but she glided. Actually glided, covering maybe ten feet before touching down.
*I DID IT!* Her joy exploded through the bond, bright and fierce. *I GLIDED! REAL GLIDING! DID YOU SEE?! WITNESS ME!*
"I saw! That was amazing!"
*I am amazing.* She pranced, actually pranced, back to her starting position. *Again. I must do it again. I must glide FURTHER.*
She glided three more times before exhaustion forced her to stop. Each attempt was a little longer, a little more controlled. By the end, she was managing nearly twenty feet of sustained glide.
*Soon I will fly,* she declared, flopping onto Knox's lap in a dramatic heap. *Real flying. I can feel it coming. My structural development is proceeding excellently.*
"I believe you."
*You should. I am Nyx. Goddess of night. Flying is merely a matter of time. The sky will have no choice but to accept me.*
Knox scratched behind her ears, a spot he'd discovered she loved, though she'd never admit it, and felt her contentment purr through the bond.
*Knox?*
"Yeah?"
*I am glad you found me.* She turned her head to look at him, ember eyes soft. *Of all the beings in this world, you are the one who came. You are the one who saved me. You are... mine. And I am yours.*
"And you're mine."
*Yes.* She settled more firmly into his lap. *Yours and mine. Together. That is how it will be. That is how it will ALWAYS be. Do not forget.*
"That's how it will be," Knox agreed.
And looking down at the small fierce dragon who had claimed him so completely, he couldn't imagine wanting anything else.
---
```
[END OF CHAPTER 4]
[KNOX ASHFORD - STATUS UPDATE]
LEVEL: 5 (RECOVERY PERIOD CONTINUES)
HP: 230/240 (NEARLY RECOVERED)
MP: 180/285 (RECOVERING WELL)
COMPANION: NYX (SHADOW DRAGON)
BOND LEVEL: BONDED
BOND STRENGTH: 89%
CURRENT ABILITIES (NYX):
? Shadow Burst (Uncontrolled)
? Fire Breath (Semi-controlled)
? Gliding (Basic)
? Walking (Improved)
? Telepathy (With Knox)
? Being Extremely Demanding (Master Level)
? Supervision (Advanced)
NEW TITLES: Shadow and Ash
FRIENDSHIPS:
? Gerald (Aerial Koi) - Fish Friend Tier: MAXIMUM
NEXT CHAPTER: GROWTH
[SYSTEM NOTE: THEY NAMED EACH OTHER]
[SECONDARY NOTE: THE BOND IS STRONG WITH THESE TWO]
[TERTIARY NOTE: NYX IS GOING TO BE A HANDFUL]
[QUATERNARY NOTE: KNOX SEEMS TO LIKE HANDFULS]
[QUINTARY NOTE: GERALD IS VERY PLEASED WITH THIS DEVELOPMENT]
```
---
