Aether Beasts

[PLEASE READ THE NEW AUXILIARY CHAPTER ABOUT THE SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT. IT IS VERY IMPORTANT AND CONCERNS THE FUTURE OF Aether Beasts AND SOMETHING ELSE.]

When the wave of Aether washed over us, for the first time in a long time, I felt a familiar feeling. The same feeling I'd felt all those months ago when the gale wolves had ambushed and attacked, but this time it was worse in a way.

"Zirani." My voice shook. "Is that…"

My words trailed off as Zirani nodded slowly. "Yes, an aether beast and this one isn't a lesser beast like the scorpions."

She glanced down at the outcropping and I followed her gaze to see the Red Ribbons all staring north, to where the roar had come from.

"We need to act now," Zirani said urgently, and I couldn't agree more.

I wasn't able to sense exactly how strong the aether beast was, but I knew that we wouldn't be able to beat it, at least not without serious effort and more than likely injury on our part. The aether was thick in the air and if it could produce this much just by its presence then I didn't even dare to imagine what an actual technique from it would be like.

The plan I'd had wasn't going to work now as we didn't have time to spare. The roar sounded again, closer this time. Next to me, I felt Zirani form a technique, and cup her hands together. I was able to somewhat recognize the pattern and when she opened her hands up, over a dozen impact seeds were visible along with two others which, from what I could tell, would release a toxin that was easily inhaled.

"Eat these," Zirani said and she used another technique, creating three berries. "This will negate the effects of the toxins on us."

I swallowed my berry as I formed my bark armor and pulled my glaive from my storage rings. I was glad I had a full solar core as I had no plans to draw this out. I would hit them with everything I had, grab Sandra, destroy the circle and alchemist, as he seemed to be leading this, and then escape.

Zirani focused and then pushed her hands forward, palms out. The seeds streaked across the distance and a few of the vampires which had started to move quickly under the instruction of the alchemist looked up, but not in time too much. However, they didn't need to as a figure blurred and Juveria appeared with a hand raised. A gust of wind pushed against the seeds, sending them off course.

I cursed as one of the seeds hit nearby and sent sand into the air and running down. I felt Zirani's anger, but there was no time for another volley as we were already charging down the dune towards them.

Misty claws were out and I could sense several techniques enhancing her. Zirani was ahead of both of us, and there was a cold expression on her face. Through the bond, I could feel her emotions, the cold fury, like a blade drawn and ready. These vampires weren't going to know what hit them.

We hit the rock and charged forward as the vampire readied to meet us. Then everything froze. We froze along with the Red Ribbons, the air seemed to freeze, and even another roar which had just sounded cut off halfway.

I was able to barely move my eyes enough to see that a bluish dome had surrounded the entire outcropping, and everything inside had frozen. The ritual circle was glowing white and was increasing in brightness rapidly. I reached through the bond but found I couldn't so I turned my eyes slowly to Zirani who was looking at the alchemist.

I looked to Misty who was inches away from Vita before turning my gaze to the alchemist who was at the center of the circle, and faintly, I could hear muttering coming from him. It was indistinct and I couldn't make any of it out, but the sound seemed to reverberate through my entire body and my mind, like a rising tide.

Something was coming. Something was about to happen, and I could do nothing but stare. For a second I considered my divine bloodline, and perhaps it would save me again. But no luck. I couldn't feel anything within myself. All I could do was watch, and think about all the ways I could have prevented this.

_____

Dylan chanted the words, keeping his shaking hands as still as he could. He had not expected the girl to follow, or the others to come, nor for the roaring, but none of it mattered now. The circle was complete and active. The dome was formed and nothing save for the strongest of this world or those with access to higher powers could break in. He hoped he had done it all correctly. So far everything was going as planned and the circle was creating the construct which would be invisible to all but those who see the energy. Dylan knew that the vampires and the intruders wouldn't be able to. Thye could only view a small part of the energy spectrum that existed across worlds. They could only view and sense Aether. He was much the same or had been. The alchemical elixirs running through his veins currently allowed him a much wider view of the spectrum.

He could see the hundred if not thousands of symbols coalescing to create a sphere that contracted and expanded at ever higher speeds. Within the sphere was a small oval of white and blue light. The portal which would bring over the power he and his fellows at the philosopher's tower had been seeking for years.

The power rose and rose until the spree contracted so tightly that the oval could no longer be seen. This was it, everything he'd worked on for the last few years had been for this moment. He closed his eyes and spread his arms, waiting for the flood of power. He was stood in the center where a smaller circle had been carved. He would be the target of the power, the first to taste it.

However, seconds passed and turned to minutes. Dylan opened his eyes and the world dropped out from beneath him. The sphere which had been made of blue symbols was flashing a bright white. This wasn't meant to happen and as Dylan tried to wrack his mind for a way to fix this, the sphere expanded, revealing an oval no longer. Dylan didn't get much time to ponder on the spiderweb of cracks around an orb of white light as in just a few seconds, the orb burst, and light engulfed everything.

Dylan's last thought was of home in the philosophers tower and all that wasted time.

_____

"What do mean you don't know where they are?" Aeverie snapped at one of her personal guards.

"We followed the trail, my lady, but it just… ended." The guards winced. "We searched the nearby area for a mile in each direction but found nothing. No tracks, no aether scent, just large tracks of a beast."

Aeverie waved the guard away and placed her head in her hands. She had just gotten her older sister back and had already lost her again. She should have never let them go alone. She should have acted or sent a few of her guards. She had argued with her sister about what to do. She had wanted to act quickly and aggressively, to root out the danger while Zirani had wanted to wait.

Her sister had changed, but there were still some things that had remained the same. Zirani sometimes tended to get too relaxed and complacent when things went right. He supposed it was because it hadn't failed much before, but what many hadn't told Zirnai was that a lot of the time it was due to her mother. Zirani had worked hard and had gotten far, but she like everyone had problems.

She had a choice now. It was an hour or so until the time came for the vehicles to move and if she couldn't find them by then, she had to tell the other groups and make sure the Red Ribbons were punished like she should have done. She had been a cat playing mouse. Well no longer.

She snapped her fingers, and a minute passed. Julian entered her private vehicle. "Have the guards check again and prepare my armor."

Julian's eyes widened. "My lady, are you sure."

Aeverie nodded, and stood, stretching. "I am. I'll be taking things in hand now."

She wasn't going to sit back while her guard did everything. Not when it involved her older sister, and she had to admit, she was still very curious about Aiden, and the others were also interesting, especially the Umbrin clan girl. She winced thinking about what the Umbirn clan would do if they found out she had been found just to be lost again. Aeverie took a deep breath and let her aether flow through her.

She needed to find them all.