Aether Beasts

I woke up before Zirani and left her to rest while I headed to the living room. Misty was passed out with her head on the table and three large empty platers beside her. She must have ordered another cake. I really did underestimate her sweet tooth, or should I say fang. I waited, but there was no emotion from her which meant she actually was asleep. If she had been awake she would roll her eyes at my thoughts like she always did when I made a fang joke.

"Finally awake?" Sandra asked.

"I should be saying that to you." I chuckled as I turned to face the dark-haired arcanist. "You finally rested."

Sandra yawned and stretched, showing off her well-toned body, and cleavage in the process. She had stopped before sleeping and was only in her underclothes. Despite the fun I'd had with Zirani only hours earlier, I was always up for more, and Sandra must have noticed as she grinned. "See something you like?'

"You know I do." I sighed. "But I actually want to have a look around the city."

"Just a look around?" She raised an eyebrow. "Not hunting?"

"I'm still angry, but unless we run into them I don't think so," I said. "You up to tag along or are you going to take another nap?"

"Let me get dressed." She stood and I turned away before I got too worked up. "I'll meet you outside."

I left her to it and made my way out of the suite and towards the ground floor which was far busier than it had been when we had first arrived. Well-dressed merchants and armored arcanists waited to speak with the man at the desk, though even as he nodded in response to a merchant, he caught my eye and smiled politely while giving me questioning look. Since I had the suite he most likely would prioritize me, but I simply shook my head.

I got a few stares from some of the people, interest from the merchants, and assessment from the arcanists, of which there were only two at the third level with two cores. They seemed to be leading a group of lower arcanists who were about my age and were still at their first core. I nodded respectfully which they returned as I walked out into the bright morning. The air was pleasant and the city seemed to be alive with activity, at least on the street I was on. Carriages pulled along by beats and other means traveled the roads while groups of finely dressed people walked about. It was obvious I was in a richer part of the city, not surprising considering the high quality of the inn.

Sandra arrived a few minutes later dressed in her combat robes, though her cloak was no were to be seen. There really wasn't much of a point in wearing it since the expeditions hadn't arrived.

"Where to first?"

"How about we check out the market," I said. "Misty never really got a chance to get anything."

"Are you sure it isn't so we can run into them?"

"No," I said. "Though I wouldn't be mad if we did."

I had a general idea of what they looked like due to my bond with Misty and I knew that if I did see them I wouldn't be able to hold myself back. I wouldn't kill them but I sure as hell would show them what happened to those who messed with those I loved. There was also the fact that I hadn't tested myself against an arcanist since the start of my training a month ago that wasn't Sandra, Misty, or Zirani. I wanted to see just how much of a difference the training had made, though that only plated a little part in it.

We made out way out of the teacher area we were in and towards the market which was just as busy as it had been yesterday. It felt like a completely different palace to the rest of the city. In fact, it was far more like a bazaar than a regular market, and there weren't people just selling items. I saw people preaching about certain things atop a pedestal, a few robes arcanists that seemed to be recruiting, and even some musicians who sand or played instruments in hopes of getting some money. Children ran about, weaving through the crowd, and I was glad that I had my spatial ring as I had no doubt there were a few pickpockets about, though even with a pouch or bag I doubted any of them could get to it with my senses and reflexes.

"Are they arm wrestling?"

I turned and followed Sandra's gaze to a table surrounded by a group of people who were watching two men arm wrestle with one another. As I looked on, one of the watchers handed a crystal to a man who stood closest to the table.

"I think they're betting," I said. "Wanna go give it a shot?"

Sandra shrugged. "Sure, we haven't really tested our strength against anybody besides ourselves."

In the end, Sandra walked away a few dozen crystals richer after besting the man. He was at the third level, surprisingly enough, but hadn't stood a chance against Sandra who had seemed bored. She had just waited for the first minute to see if the man could do anything and then in one swift movement ended the match much to the shock of all the watchers. The baths and elixirs really had paid off if there was such a difference between her and someone who was also at the third level. I wondered why someone like him was doing something so simple to earn money but after thinking about it, I released it was a safe and simple way. There was also the fact that to win you just needed to last a minute, not actually beat him. A simple money-making scheme that probably worked most of the time, and would have this time, if we were normal arcanists.

We moved about the bazaar going from stall to stall, bing anything of interest. We had plenty of crystals and Zirani could make us a fortune anytime so we didn't worry about how much we were spending. I bought plenty of ingredients while Sandra browsed some clothes for all of us. She was sick and tired of the same old robes and ended up buying a few sets of higher-quality clothing that was also more defensible.

We ended up splitting up, and deciding to meet back up at the inn as she had places she wanted to browse and I wasnt keen on going clothes shopping. If there were any problems then our bond would lead us to each other.

The weapons and armor stalls were interesting, but there was nothing that really caught my eye. I did spot a few glaives, but nothing that particularly stood out. I was bout to head away from them when I came upon a dingy and small stall tucked away in a corner. The man running it looked older than anyone I had ever seen. He must have been hundreds of years old considering that he had two cores.

"See something you like?"

"Not sure," I replied as I gazed down at his stall. There were all sorts of odds and ends from potions to armor, to other things I couldn't recognize. I moved my gaze across it all until a stopped on what looked like an odd shard of glass.

I picked it up and marveled at the way the light refracted from it into a multitude of clours, like a rainbow. "Whats this?'

"An old trinket I found in a labyrinth," the old man explained.

"A labyrinth?" I questioned. "Which one?"

"You ever heard of Bullrock?" He asked.

I nodded. "Yes, even been there before."

"Well, it was during my second delve. I found it in the hand of a skeleton, dressed in very fine clothes. I've kept onto it all these years. You're the first to notice it, nobody else seems to even when I point it out."

"It's enchanted?"

He shook his head. "Not with aether."

I was about to ask another question when I felt the lost queen wake up. Her focus immediately landed on the shard of clear glass in my hands.

"Buy it."

Her words came out like a command and with more emotion than I had seen in the past month. I was tempted to put it down just to spite her, but I was beyond that, and I would be lying if I said I wasn't interested in it.

"How much?" I asked the old man.

"Ten crystals?" He asked in a slow voice. It was clear he didn't know how much to sell it for, but I didn't haggle. I pulled ten crystals from my ring and handed them over.

The lost queen seemed to sigh in relief, and I was about to ask her a question when I felt a wave of anger from Sandra. I turned and saw her jogging towards me.

"What is it?" I asked, placing the shard in my ring and looking around. It only took me a moment to spot the problem as the crowd parted to reveal four robed arcanists. The same arcanists that had hassled Misty.

"Either the shard is good luck, or this is just coincidence." I smiled darkly. "Either way, today is not their day."