Aether Beasts

"I think I'm going to head to the Umbrin Clan when we stop," Sandra said turning her head up to me from where it was laying on my chest. "You coming?"

I nodded. "I said I would, and I will, though I'm not looking forward to it. No doubt Kai is going to be a problem."

"I doubt that," Zirani said. "He doesn't seem that stupid and I've made it clear to him what will happen if he tries anything stupid."

It had been a few hours since we had begun our trip through the scar and for the most part me and the girls had just spent our time relaxing, and getting up to other activities as well which had been fun, but now I found myself wanting to get out and stretch my feet.

After our fun, I had begun working on techniques to help me survive against the heat when it got strong enough that not even the enchanted clothing Zirani had given me could stop it. Creating a technique that stopped the heat was harder than I thought at first, but after a bit of experimentation, I created a technique that would absorb the heat and actually turn it into energy for me to use. It was the first time I had tried such a technique and I based it on something Zirani had explained to me. Photosynthesis, though I wasn't turning light into energy but heat. At first, I hadn't even thought it would work, but apparently, having a nature core allowed it to. I also wondered if the bond with Zirani didn't also have something to do with it.

It was actually really good, though I would have to be careful. It didn't take too much aether to sustain, but it would take a toll if I used it for long periods of time. I would only use it when the clothing I had was insufficient.

After that had come cold which was pretty easy as all needed to was create a solar technique that would shroud me in a layer of heat. Or so I thought it would be pretty easy. Figuring out how to get it to change in reaction to the cold was difficult as was finding the right way to have the shroud around me. I didn't want to burn those who touched me or my clothes. In the end, I settled with manually changing for now. I would figure out the rest later.

"It should only be a few more hours till we stop," Zirani said. "A perimeter will be set up and arcanists from each group will guard their own areas, but will also alert the others if they spot anything wrong with their area. We are on the safest route but it is important everyone work together or we will end up losing our lives."

"Are the weaker beasts that dangerous?" Misty asked.

"They are only weak in comparison to the average beast of the great scar," Zirani explained with a grim look. "The three of you would be able to take on one, but two would be a struggle and three would most likely be a death sentence. If you get swarmed then you're done for. This is why it's important. If a large group attacks and they get into the camp, everything will devolve into chaos. Not all expeditions have been successful and many enter the scar, never to return. It's usually those who try the route that goes along risky areas."

"Why would anyone pick those routes," Sandra asked.

"Because there are plenty of unique and valuable resources which can be found in the great scar," Zirani explained. "There are some resources which can be sold for small fortunes. Let me give you an example. A single petal from an azure ash flower can be sold for an amount which would buy you an airship, a small estate with armed and automated golems, and a household of servants which you could pay for years just from that single petal."

"What does it do?" I asked. "The petal."

"It possesses unique healing properties," Zirani said. "But its main draw is that it seems to strengthen those with a fire affinity, and a side effect is that it makes their flames blue."

"That's it?" I asked.

Zirani chuckled. "No, it also has no negative side effects on own growth or cores. I once told you that too many elixirs and potions can lead to serious damage and make it harder to grow in power and the boost in strength this petal provides is by no means small. Many think such resources are worth taking risks for, but I don't. It's far too chaotic and dangerous out here, not to mention that the landscape can change in certain areas so in one trip it could be there and in another you'll run right into an aether beast-infested area."

"Desperation and greed can lead people to do foolish and stupid things," I said, remembering the first time my aunt had told me that

"Very true," Zirani said. "All it takes is one story of success for many more to try and replicate it, even if there are a thousand other stories of death and failure. They will always look to those who succeeded and imagine themselves in such a position."

Zirani spoke of more things she knew about the scar and other stories she had heard. She talked about the different areas, and how at one point in her life she had been lucky enough to see a very old recording of a trip into one of the other regions by a group of powerful arcanists.

I was confused as to what she meant by recording until she explained it further and a few things from some of my aunt's books came to mind which filled in some gaps. It was a fairly common piece of arcane technology based on old-world tech and one of the things I would have to get used to.

"We'll be using some for your training," Zirani said. "The court's grand library has thousands of recordings, many of which are used for training purposes, and as princess, I am allowed to view and borrow almost any of them."

"There some you can't?" I asked.

"Some are only for the queen and those of her inner circle," Zirani said with a sad smile. "My mother loves me, but some things she believed I was not ready for and didn't need to concern myself with."

We lapsed into silence after that for the most part and eventually, after a few hours, there was a loud ting, which Zirani explained meant we had stopped.

I was about to rush out but stooped when I saw Misty forming a technique around her, and I realized I needed to put on my heat shroud before I left. It took only seconds to form the technique pattern and release it. The clothes might be enough, but no point in risking it.

After it was done I didn't wait and immediately headed out.

The landscape looked about the sand, and a quick survey showed vehicles being moved into a semi-circular formation to line up with the other groups. We were on a large dune, which made sense since it meant it would be easier to spot things coming toward us, though I couldn't spot anything but sand. An image of large scorpions and things that might be lurking beneath the sand came to mind and I shuddered slightly. I was in a very dangerous place and would need to be very careful.

When we were all out, one of the green court guards hopped in our vehicle's driver seat and led it off to join the others.

"I can't feel the cold," I said with a smile. "Seems it's working."

"You probably don't need the techniques," Sandra said. "I'm not using one and I feel fine."

Which meant the clothes were enough. Misty and I dispersed our techniques and though I felt a slight bit of coolness, it was more pleasant than annoying. Lights were benign setup, though not too many and all were far less bright than they had been in central plaza back in the city. There was a pleasant breeze and the sound of the moving sand could be heard.

The sky overhead was blank for the most part with only a few clouds and no stars. Together it all looked very normal and underwhelming. I'd expected a desert, but I also knew this was the great scar and had been expecting more.

"It looks fairly normal now, but just wait till we get deeper in," Zirani said, her gaze roaming over the nearby terrain. "Then things will take a turn. Some would say we're not even in the scar yet."

I did not like the sound of that, but I didn't linger on it as I turned to Sandra. "Want to head over then?"

She took a deep breath and then nodded. "Yep, let's go."

"We'll be back later," Sandra said to Zirani and Misty. "Or not. I'm not sure how things will turn out or if I'll want to stay with them."

"I'll send a mental message to let you guys know things are going," I said before Sandra and I headed away from the green court area and toward the Umbrin Clan.