Aether Beasts

As I looked around, I tightened my fists and tried to rack my brain for any ideas as to how to get out of this. To say we were in a bad position would have been an understatement. Not only were we surrounded, but in terms of power we didn't stand a chance. Perhaps if it had just been the four first core arcansts then maybe, just maybe we would have been able to scape out a victory, but with Markem on their side, their was little chance of that, and even if Misyt got a gold of him, there were still the other four and they werent as stupid as a moss troll.

"If you don't fight then we can make it quick" Markem said, a twisted smile appearing on his face, so similar to his usual jovial smile but full of malice instead of joy, then again, had it ever been joy?

I looked over to Sandra and Misty, and tried to see if any of them had an idea, but my hopes were quickly dashed. Sandra just looked pissed as hell and Misty seemed confused and unable to do anything but glance around nervously.

Was this how I was going to die? FIghting a fruitless battle, because if it was then I sure as hell was taking some of them with me. I did contemplate running, but in the dark with low visibility I wouldn't stand much of a chance, but Misty and Sandra might.

"Both of you go," I said, making the decision.

"What?" Sandra asked, glancing at me.

"Both of you can see in the dark and are faster than me, if you run you can make it."

I tried to make my voice sound as calm and firm as possible, but a bit of fear must have leaked out. I liked to think of myself as confident, but I was still afraid of death.

"Aiden," Zirani's voice sounded in my head.

"No," Misty hissed in a far firmer tone than I'd ever heard from her. "We're not leaving you."

"If you stay here you will die," I explained. "But if you run you have a chance of making it out."

There was a sudden burst of laughter from Markem who looked between the three of us with humor in his eyes. "How cute, wanting to play the hero huh? Steel heart mentality till the end."

I opened my mouth to respond but was cut off by a loud yet calm voice.

"And what's wrong with that?"

The air around me seemed to still as another figure emerged between two of the twin horn arcanists. They spun around but before they could do anything the figure struck out, and both were sent flying in opposite directions. As the figure drew closer I let out a shaky breath and almost collapsed right then and there out of relief.

Elder Kaylin looked as he usually did, except his eyes held a coldness to them and as they turned to face Markem, I saw his fists tighten and the beginning of a sneer start on his lips.

"I never wanted to believe," he mused. "But elder Hyphen was so sure we had a traitor in our midst and I am a practical person. I saw no harm in testing it, though I was decidedly angry when he suspected you, afterall how could my friend, who I've known for years betray me, betray the sect. Now… now I just feel like a fool."

Kaylin stopped a few feet away from Markem and I reflexively took a step back as aether began to surge around him, far more than I'd ever seen.

"Do you know why they made an elder at such a young age?" Kaylin asked as more and more aether appeared around him, and the air itself began to shimmer. "It was mainly for my intelligence and loyalty, but another major factor was the natural depth of my first core, but you already know that don't you? Don't you?"

The last words were snapped out and Markem flinched.

Markem's demeanor had changed completely. His cockiness and smile were gone, his face now white and pale, with fear clear in his eyes. His body was half-turned as if he was prepared to run.

"Come now, old friend," Markem said, trying and failing to hide his nervousness. "There's no need for us to fight. The twin horn would welcome you—"

Markem's didn't get to finish his words as Kaylin vanished in a blur and reappeared in front of him. Markem barely managed to get his hand up in time to block, but even then he was still sent flying back. He crashed through several trees and Kaytlin turned to look at us. "Deal with them."

With that said he vanished once again, presumably to finish off Markem.

"How interesting," Ziranis said. "I didn't expect to find someone with such aether stores out here."

"We can talk about that later," I said as I turned to the last two remaining arcanists. "We've got arcanists to fight."

The two twin horn arcanists looked shocked and surprised at the turn of events, but snapped out of it as Sandra and I engaged them. A dozen darts of darkness flew as I closed the gap, my bark armor forming on my hands and legs along with two lashing vines. I angled towards the one to my right and sent a vine to wrap around his leg while the other moved to strike his face. Despite the tactic usually working, this arcanist was clearly above the average lot and managed to dodge the first and catch the second before it caught his face. He turned to sneer at me and caught my fist in his face.

He may have been better than the rest, but it seemed he had the same problems the twin horn were known for. If he'd actually been taking me seriously such a simple attack wouldn't have been able to land, but it had and as Zirani had taught me, I followed it up with a kick to his groin, which sent him to his knees and gasping for breath. Before he could make a move I formed a spike of my left bark falter and shoved it through his left eye socket. He let out a piercing scream before his body went limp and dropped to the ground as I pulled my spike from his eyes.

I turned to see how Sandra was doing and my eyes widened. Her face was set in anger and she seemed to be taking out her rage on the arcanists, and boy was he having a bad time. He looked like a damn pincushion and none of his attacks seemed to be landing on Sandra. Her body seems to blend with the shadows and long tendrils of smoky darkness appeared from her body and struck out whenever the twin horn arcanist got close. They looked thin but they moved at incredible speed as from the long gashes on the twin horn arcanist, they seemed to be sharp.

Sandra dodged a blow to her face and closed in, two daggers of darkness in her hands. Similar to myself, she shoved them both into the arcanists eyes. His screams were cut off as she pulled them out and slashed his throat open. A wave of blood spilled out and the darkness around Sandra slowly dispersed as she took a long breath.

"Better?" I asked.

She nodded. "Much. Is Kaylin back?"

"I don't —"

My response was cut off as I heard a familiar sucking sound and turned to see Misty draining one of the arcanists of their blood.

"You might want to hurry with that," Sandra said, looking away with a grimace. "You don't want elder Kaylin watching you doing that."

The blonde didn't seem to hear Sandra, but luckily she managed to drain both before Kaylin returned, carrying an unconscious Makrem on his shoulder. I was scared that he might notice the state of the drained bodies, but he seemed to ignore them.

"Good to see all three of you alive and well," Kaylin said. "You've done the sect another service in helping to reveal this traitor."

"Alive, yes, well… not so much," Sandra replied. "I could really use some rest and food."

"Same," I added.

"Well then let's get back to camp and we can discuss things further." Kaylin sighed. "Elder Hyphen is going to want to hear this."

As we walked back to camp, I felt Zirani's anger through our bond.

"Sacrifice yourself, really?"

I sighed. "What else could I have done."

"Run," She replied. "There were other options. You could have lured them away, then together we could have escaped. Markem's only a low-level second-core arcanist. You were blocking me out completely. Do you realize how stupid that was?"

"I'm sorry, ok," I replied. "I should have asked you for help."

"Damn right you should have," She said. "But I forgive you. We all make mistakes, just please don't let it happen again. I don't want to lose you or this bond we have."

I smiled at her words as we continued on.