Aether Beasts

There were a few problems we had to face if we wanted to get to the next floor the first of which was figuring out where the portal to the next floor was, but that was solved easily enough as we made our way to the top of the mountain. From the top we could see that there were five floating mountains in total and that the one that would lead to the next floor was most likely the mountain at the center which led to the next problem, getting across the half-mile of open space in between our mountain and the mountain at the center.

"I have a plan," Zirani said as we made our way down to the edge of our mountain. "I can build us a crude skyship, more of a floating barge to be honest, but I'm going to need wind cores. We have earth cores and I can make the ship itself, but I need you three to get me the wind cores."

"I don't think there are any wind affinity beasts on this floor?" Sandra replied to which Misty shook her head. "There are, the flying beasts."

"And how exactly are we going to get them to come down?" Sandra asked.

"With some bait," I said as I realized what we were going to need to do.

An hour later Zirani was shaping a ship from one of the normal trees while I climbed one of the taller ones. The plan was pretty simple, I would get to the top and shout and scream until I got their attention and then I would use my impact seeds to send them to the ground, and if the fall didn't kill them then Misty and Sandra would.

It didn't take too long since the beasts were constantly flying overhead, and after a bit of shouting, I got the attention of a few. They looked like normal birds just larger and with long necks, and large claws.

I pulled aether from my core and formed four impact seeds on each hand. Before the three weeks of training and all my improvements, I would not have been able to form even three in each, but with all the training and with half of my foundation complete, it was actually pretty easy now.

Three fell with ease and the other was easy enough to dodge. I used a lashing vine to pull him down before I formed a bark gauntlet with a spike that I rammed into its skull. I flung it down then using my vines I climbed down the tree.

Misty and Sandra had already dealt with the three that had fallen, and with the one, I'd slain we manage to harvest four wind cores that Zirani put to good use. I didn't really know what she was doing but watching her work was fascinating. Her skill in the arcane was still above mine, though I did find myself understanding a little of what she was doing, far more than I would have before the training.

In the end, the skyship or sky barge was a simple wooden boat with two fins on either side and a large sail made from some sort of leafy material though it was all one piece. It looked far better than I'd expected, and crude was not the words I'd used, maybe quaint?

"You could make a lot of money making these," Misty pointed out as we boarded.

"This thing?" Zirani shook her head. "It's nothing special, now I don't think I should have to say this, but don't fall off. I don't know what will happen if you do, but best if none of us find out."

"Are you going to steer it?" I asked.

"Yes," Zirani said. "It will use wind aether generated from the cores along with the ambient pure aether in the air. If we were In the plains I'd have to use a different design since the quality of the aether there is low, but it's good enough here that it should work."

"Should?" Sandra questioned nervously. "Is that something we should be risking?"

"Don't worry," Zirani reassured. "I tested it out beforehand. It will work."

Once we were all ready and packed, Zirani pressed a hand to an array on the side of the ship and the patterns and symbols she engraved in the wood began to glow with a faint bluish light. The ship rose and then began to slowly make its way off the island. We all held our breath, apart from Zirani who looked absolutely confident all would be fine. To my relief, it was and soon the ship was picking up speed as we moved across the open air.

"It's quite beautiful," Misty noted as she gazed over the side of the ship. "I wonder if they're normal clouds?"

"Best we not find out," Zirani said. "Though I doubt it. I can sense aether from them, although it seems to cut off abruptly."

"Speaking of sense," Sandra said. "Are you going to be teaching us anything like that? I mean I can sense nearby aether and people's core and stuff, but I can't even sense a bit of the clouds."

Zirani nodded. "I will don't worry about that. Once we're done with the foundation it will mostly just be physical training and pushing yourselves until your reach the third level, speaking of which, Aiden you'll have to decide if you want your second core to be like mine or like a traditional core."

"Is there any benefit to me using my bloodline as I did with you, I mean apart from the bond?"

"There are," Zirnai said. "But arcanists with your bloodline generally only make bonds with beasts that have some form of connection to or want a connection with."

"How would you form a connection with a beast?" Sandra said.

"Not all beasts attack people on sight," Zirani said. "Some if raised from birth can be kept as pets or companions. You've seen riding beasts, and even ridden one, there not the only ones."

I didn't really know if I wanted to sue my bloodline again, at least if I did I wanted it to be with beasts that fit me or suited me. I doubted I'd find someone like Zirani, but even so, I didn't just want some common beast for my second core.

"I'm not sure yet," I confessed. "We'll have to wait and see what we come across."

We spent the rest of the journey in relative peace and quiet and I took the time to take in the view on and off the ship. The girls looked beautiful even in their robes and I took Zirani's change that had happened yesterday after her core had gone up a stage in density. She was looking more and more like she had when I'd found her. She looked more regal now, and older looking. She also had an extras set of arms as well, and though she kept them away most of the time, she had shown them to me and the others for a few minutes and to me privately yesterday night before I'd gone to sleep. She predicted that she'd been back to her former strength when I hit the fifth level of infusion and steel stage in her core which was a very good thing. As a beast, she'd been limited but after having become the essence and my first core her essence was now being condensed. All the power she had achieved in her life was still there and would reveal itself along with what she gained with me when we hit crystal stage. The power boost would be immense and even Zirani didn't couldn't predict how powerful we'd be when we hit that stage.

"We might even end up among their ranks," Zirani said to me mentally.

The 'they' she was speaking about were where the arcanists she had said were in a league of their own. She did, however, make sure to let me know that my other cores would be crucial as well and that even if we hit crystal in her core, if the others were all undeveloped then we would not be able to match those at the top.

After around forty-five minutes we made it to the floating mountains and Zirani took apart the ship and stored the pieces in the storage device we'd taken from the twin horn camp. It was a cylinder around the size of an arm, and although it was stone, it wasn't that heavy, especially not for arcanists in the second level of infusion.

"Let's head to the center," Zirani said. "If the portal to the next floor is here, then that's where it will be."

We followed her lead and together made our way to the center. This floating mountain was almost exactly the same as the one we'd been on with the only difference being the color of the leaves on the tall trees. Unlike the green of the tree on the other mountain, these were an orangish color.

As we drew closer to the center, we came across the first sign that we were in the right palace. A two-core beast that looked like a large bull that stood on two feet. It had two large horns jutted from its head and an extremely mean look in its eye. This thing looked like it levied to get into right and cause pain.

"Is that a minotaur?" Misty asked in disbelief.

"It is," Zirani confirmed. "We could go around it, but this is a perfect opportunity to test yourselves and see just how much the training has done for you."

"All of us?" I asked.

Zirani shook her head. "We'll one on one, one of you can take that and then we go round as we come across more."

We glanced at each other, before Sandra and I turned our eyes to Misty who just shrugged. "I don't mind, it looks like it'll be slow."

The blonde stretched and then pulled some aether from her core before marching out to meet the beast.

Its eyes immediately locked onto her, burning with malice and unbridled rage. Its fur seemed to stand on end and red mist poured from its mouth with every breath.

"A technique?" I asked in shock.

"It's a two-core beast," Sandra explained. "Most have at least one innate technique. I think this one is of the earth affinity?"

Almost as if in response, the minotaur raised a foot and smashed it down onto the ground, sending a ripple of an aether through the earth. By the time the spikes of rock shot up, Misty was long gone and already upon the creature, her death claws already formed. She struck and tore a chunk of flesh from its neck, but was forced to dodge back as it swung a fist upwards. The minotaur huffed and Misty stood still as it prepared to charge like a bull.

It let out a loud bellow of rage then charged at the blonde who just smile and waited. When the beast was only a few feet away, Misty ducked under and to the side, straightening her hand. The minotaurs own momentum combined with Misty's strike sent her claws straight into its chest. The beast let out a pained yelp but kept going for a few seconds even after the attack, dragging Misty along with it then it froze and slowly toppled.

"That was easy," Sandra said. "Then again some as slow as that thing would have never been able to land a blow on her no matter how strong it was."

"It would have been more a challenge for you Aiden," Zirani mused. "Its neck is thick enough that you wouldn't have been able to strangle it easily and it probably weighs a ton so using your vines to grab or move it might have been difficult."

"I would have just done the same thing as her," I explained as Misty walked back to us. "Although it might have taken longer and I would have gone for the head."

We harvested the core then continued our way to the center. We ran into a couple more two core beasts but they didn't pose much of a challenge and we were easily able to overcome them, though at one point one of the beats, A large two-headed snake had almost gotten me, but mainly due to its amazing camouflage, another reason I was looking forward to Zirani teaching us how to improve our arcane senses.

"I think that's it," I said as arrived near the top of the mountain.

"It most definitely is," Zirani said as she gazed at the rectangular doorway. It was partially inside the mountain itself, but only the frame. The portal itself was clear and with the same void-like quality the entry portal to the tower had.

"I guess this means the next one will be just as weird as this floor," Sandra said.

"Same thing as last time?" Misty suggested to which we all agreed, linking hands and continuing down from three.

"Three, two, one!"

We leapt into the portal and towards the next floor.