Aether Beasts

I was surprised to find Misty in bed with me and Zirani the next day, and I tried to think if she had joined us yesterday, but the last thing I remembered was cuddling with Zirani. Misty must have joined us later on then.

I got up out of bed, and made my way to the living area where I was surprised to find Sandra seated at the table with a plate of food in front of her. There were three other plates, and the food on all still looked fresh and hot, which was due to the plate's enchantment.

I gave her a peck on the cheek before I took a seat next to her. The food looked like an omlette, and like what I had yesterday it smelled amazing. My fork cut cleanly into it, and I gazed hungrily at the inside which was full of a multitude of ingredients. My mouth watered, and I quickly took a bite.

"Damn, that is good," I said around the mouthful.

Sandra nodded. "I'm actually on my second plate. They have something similar to the suite, where you can just call for service."

I nodded, too busy stuffing my face to respond with words. Each bite was better than the last, and I was glad that this would be the type of food we;d be eating on the expedition. No stale bread, and dry metas, or basic foods, but these exquisite dishes, which were probably normal for the people of the court. Zirani had said they were probably the largest provider of food goods, so it made sense that they would also have the best cooks, or so I assumed.

Misty and Zirani joined us as I was on my second plate, and after we finished, I leaned back with a content sigh.

"What are your plans for today?" Zirani asked Sandra and Misty.

"I'm going to head over to speak with the Red Ribbons," Misty said.

Sandra bit her lip. "I think I might want to visit the Umbrin clan area, with you Zirani, if you're willing."

Zirani turned to me, and I shrugged. "I'm just going to have a look around, maybe visit some of the other areas. If you want Sandra I can come with you."

"Best not," Zirani said. "Unless you think you can control yourself around Kai."

"Fair enough," I replied. I needed to learn to control my anger as just thinking about Kai was setting me off, and the fact he wanted to marry Sandra, or have her marry someone else. I took a deep breath and pushed those thoughts out of my head. Zirani would be with her, and she could handle anything Kai tried.

We went our separate ways after leaving the building, and I gave all three of them quick kisses and sent over feelings of comfort and reassurance.

Once they were gone, I began walking to the center of the plaza the expedition was camped in and started walking. I had asked yesterday when I had been talking with Garth and Venn if there were any rules about going to other areas, and they had told me that there wasn't really any official rules but most stuck to themselves, though the center was sort of shared by everyone.

It didn't take too long to get there as the areas seemed to be set around the center so that you didn't really need to go through other areas to get to the center.

It was just as Garth and Venn had said, although it seemed to be more of a tensing area as I saw plenty of people sparring and other practicing techniques.

Unlike everything I had seen in the plains, these people's arcane arts were not crude and some of the techniques I saw were decently complex. I saw someone forming what seemed to be a rapidly moving water blade or saw and another that was creating balls of lava and then changing the shape. It was probably a training exercise.

I simply watched for a while, following some of the spars with my gaze and trying to think of how some of them had made their techniques because it was clear they had all learned pattern sets and knew what they were doing rather than the mimicry and simple manipulation of aether the arcanists of the plains used.

After a spar I was watching ended, I walked over to one of the empty spaces that people were using to practice techniques and started absorbing solar energy. I wanted to get more practice with my solar capabilities and see if I could get my finger beam how I wanted it.

I didn't get to train long though as a voice rang out.

"Solar techniques, huh and from a human no less. Rare indeed."

I turned and spotted a short man watching me, his amber eyes full of interest and his robe trialing to the ground. He held some sort of tablet in his hands and glanced down at it every few seconds.

"Ermm, can I help you?"

He tilted his head and smiled. "You could but I don't wish to interrupt your training. I was simply thinking aloud earlier, my apologies."

"It's no problem," I replied. "I'm Aiden, and you are?"

"Isaac." He bowed. "Scholar of Kea Hall, and I assume you are with the court, though I don't recall ever seeing you on the journey."

"I'm from the plains," I explained. "And I came here with my bonded, Zirani. I'm not sure if you know her?"

He nodded. "I do and I must confess I already guessed that the moment I saw you use that solar technique."

"The news has already spread?"

"It has," Isaac replied. "It is big news."

I wasn't really that surprised to be honest. Zirani was a very well-known person and from what I had learned so far, the journey to the plains had been very boring so this was something of excitement to latch onto. I would have to get used to it since I was going to be with Zirani for the rest of my life.

I wouldn't be going around as some unknown arcanist in her lands, at least not after everyone found out that I was bonded to her. It was something I was smiling to go through for Zirani though, and it couldn't be that bad.

Sure they would be a lot of skepticism but as I had done for Zirani I would show them just how capable I was, and once I got her mother's approval things should go much easier.

Isaac and I were suddenly interrupted by shouting and we both turned to see that two people close to the sparring rings were facing off, though not in a friendly spar. I recognized the gruff-looking man as one of the Lycan, and the other was a disciple of the thousand drops sect which, Venn had told me yesterday, was a sect focused on well, water affinity, if the name didn't make it obvious enough.

"This should be interesting," Isaac said as we watched from afar.

I had to agree as I was interested in seeing what a lycan could do and I had yet to see a proper fight between arcanists from the lands beyond the scar. The spars didn't count. A small crowd was gathered around the pair

"I'm guessing you've never seen a lycan before?" Isaac asked me as the lycan turned to the scholar. Isaac nodded and the lycan and disciple moved to one of the sparring areas. It seemed they had decided to settle whatever dispute they had through a fight.

"Do you know him?" I asked Isaac

"I'm paying him," The scholar replied. "He and his brother are my bodyguards. I hired them from the Iron Bulls, a mercenary group."

"Wouldn't Iron Bears be more appropriate?" I questioned.

The scholar chuckled. "The iron bulls aren't a lycan pack, they just allow them to join. Agnar, the lycan who is about to fight, and his brother Levin are packless."

"Packless," I asked.

"it's how most types of lycans work." Isaac pointed to Agnar who had unsheathed his large and wickedly curved black blade. "They form packs which are essentially like families and they hold territory. Those who have never been part of a pack are packless while those who have but have left or been kicked are referred to by different titles, usually depending on why they are no longer part of their pack. An example would be some wolf packs who call coward they kick out the fangless. I can teach you more about them if you like."

I shook my head as Agnar and the thousand drops sect disciple stared at each other. It made sense that Isaac knew so much since he had said he was a scholar, but I wasn't really in the mood to learn, not when a fight I wanted to watch was about to take place.

An arcanist walked in between the disciple and the lycan and said a few words before moving back. After which he raised a hand and then after three seconds brought it down, signaling the start of the fight.