Aether Beasts

All three of us were eager the next day to face Zirani even though I knew better than the other two just what sort of beating we were in for. I didn't think for a moment that we were going to be able to beat an aether beast that was over four hundred years old and with a hundred of those years dedicated to nothing but the arcane and combat. She had become a jungle queen after all, and you didn't get to that point by being weak. As far as I knew only the strongest could be Zigan's, though perhaps it was different. It wasn't like I had asked Zirani about it. I was impressed that she was a jungle queen but it's not like that was the reason I loved her. It wouldn't have mattered to me if she were a dryad or some other form of a humanoid beast.

"Don't think flattery will help you," Zirani said mentally, having read my thoughts.

I sent her the equivalent of a mental shrug. "It was worth a shot."

We were in fairly large clearly just next to one of the mountains, and the three of us were stood over fifty feet away from her, each of us, ready in a combat stance. We had talked for a few minutes and had decided that for this first match we'd wing it and see how long we'd last. We would communicate through our bonds and see how well we last without any form of planning because situations like that would occur.

"On one." Zirani raised three fingers, then began counting down.

"Three."

I steadied my breathing and focused on my storage core. I had refilled it just for this match and was ready to let loose.

"Two."

I glanced over to Misty and Zirani who both looked just as focused as I. Dark smoke was rising around Sandra and Misty's fangs were bared as she brought up the beast within her. Over the past month, she had gotten better control of it, and while it could be difficult at times, at least we no longer had to worry about her attacking us.

"One!"

Sandra and I burst forward, each taking a different side to flank her. I took the left while she took the right. Her cloak formed around as my improved bark armor formed around me. I had made many changes to it, and now it was layered for extra defense and one of those layers was made up of fleet wood.

As Misty sped past us, I pulled solar aether from my core and shot a solar beam at Zirani who was still standing still, her eyes bored. Sandra's dark lance, its acceleration enhanced by gravity, followed my beam, but just before they struck along with Misty, Zirani made her move.

Two extra sets of arms appeared, and she tapped a foot upon the ground. Roots shot up, followed by a large four petals which wrapped themselves around her. Misty smashed into them, and instead of ripping through with her death claws, she bounced off.

My beam hit one and was absorbed, while Sandra's lance dispersed the moment it made contact.

"What the hell!" Sandra sounded confused.

The petals were white with streaks of bright pink and orange that glowed brightly.

"Be on your guard," I said. 'We have no idea what it is."

"Indeed you don't."

I spun around with a kick, but Zirani, who had teleported behind me, simply sidestepped and countered with a punch to my gut. My armor blocked it but I still felt the force reverberate through me. I struck out with a left jab, dodged a hook from her, and then sent a kick to her left shin.

She dodged and blocked all of my attacks easily, and after only a moment of going back and forth roots burst from the ground nearby to wrap around me and before I knew it, she turned and pulled me with her. Before I could do anything, I felt something hard and fast hit me.

"Shit, sorry," Misty apologized.

I gritted my teeth and formed two scythe thorns on my gauntlets to cut the roots. They were tough but I managed to free myself, but when I turned, Zirani was not there, and instead, I was being held up by a root. I cut it and then turned as I heard a shout from Sandra.

I looked up to see her in the air, attempting to dodge a hail of seeds with seemed to be tracking her.

"Where is she?" I asked, glazing around.

"Here, there, everywhere."

Her voice came from above and I reacted just in time to dodge her heel kick, which slammed into the ground and sent a spiderweb of cracks spreading in all directions.

Misty shot towards her while forming a technique that created blackish and red strings that shot towards Zirani who snapped her fingers. The strings dispersed, and Misty shocked face was met by Zirani's knee.

I hadn't been idle and was preparing my own techniques. As Zirani backed away from the blonde, I used a solar flare, and then a solar wave. Somehow, Zirani wasn't affected by the light and she easily jumped up high to avoid the wave of destructive energy.

"To slow, and too predictable." Her face was like stone as she pointed a finger at me.

I waited for her attack, but it didn't come from her, and by the time I realized and sensed the roots, it was late. They rose from the ground and wrapped themselves around me before a few pierced my skin, and started injecting something into me. I struggled, but soon my body began to go numb, and even my ability to speak was impaired.

All I could do was stand there, and look up as I listened to the sound of ZIrnai and Sandra being beaten. Soon, it was over, and I felt the numbness retreating.

"How long was that?"

"Forty-three seconds," Zirani said. "Not bad."

"We got destroyed," Sandra said as she rubbed her head.

"That's an understatement," Misty grumbled. She had cuts all over her body, which were healing quickly thanks to her rapid regeneration.

Zirnai sighed. "You should have never expected to beat me. I mean, Aiden, anything you can do, I can do better, and far more. Misty, you're fast, but not fast enough, and your fighting style could do with some work. I understand your love of the claw, but some of your attacks are highly telegraphed. Sandra, you are not utilizing your techniques to their fullest and are lacking synergy. In fact, you are all lacking synergy. Don't get me wrong, against anybody of your level, I would say each of you would have a great chance, but there is still much for you to learn. That's why I wanted to do this. To show the three of you that there is still much to learn and do."

She smiled. 'That said. I am incredibly impressed. The speed at which you three have grown is incredible. In just a month you have made so much progress, and once we cross the great scar, I can't wait to see what you will be able to accomplish. Also, don't forget you are all still wearing the weights and have limiters active. I don't think having them off would have allowed you to best me, but just think how capable you'll be with them off."

Her words didn't sting me as they might once have. I had known there was no way to outmatch her. She had taught me everything I knew and had far more experience than any of us, not to mention her level of intelligence. If I could one day do that along with my other cores and abilities, just how powerful would I be? Would I be like one of them? I could only dare to imagine such a thing, and well, dare I would.

"All three of you get up," Zirnai commanded. 'We're going to go a few more times. Remember to take my words to heart and continue to improve yourselves as you have been doing. All three of you have great potential."

We sparred for hours, and though each time we lost, we learned from our mistakes. I learned that trying to beat her in an obvious way wouldn't work. She knew everything I could do. Against another arcanist near my level, I wouldn't have that problem and it might have worked, but against her, I needed to think tactically. I started using my techniques in ways she didn't expect and while I never managed to hit her, I got close, and there was a definite improvement after each match.

"I think that's enough for today." Zirani stretched as I panted on my back. This last match had been the best for the three of us, and through we had lost, compared to our first there had been big improvements. From forty-three seconds to a minute and though Zirani had she wouldn't, I knew she was holding back alot. After all there needed to be something for us to learn from. We wouldn't learn from her wiping the floor with us in ten seconds flat.

"We're probably going to reach Evenord tomorrow," Zinrai said. "We need to get ourselves into the expedition by wealth or by some other means. If they have representatives from the green court then I can easily get us in, though it will be a big shock."

Zirani looked over at Sandra who was leaning against a large rock. "There might also be servants from your family, Sandra, in which case we will need to be careful. We still have no clue who conspired against you and wiped your memories before leaving you here. I'm going to need to place masking arrays on all of you"

"Trouble?" Misty asked.

"When are we not in trouble," I replied. "We'll get through it like we always do."