Aether Beasts

Chapter 245

I felt panic from my bonds with my lovers but its wasnt just because beasts were attacking but also because they were worried about each other and me. I sent back a mental message, letting them know I was alright as I moved my focus from the lost queen to what was happening outside.

When i made it outside it wasnt to see a view of a vast desert, at least not unobstructed. Sand immediately smacked against my sand, and if I hadn't been at the third level, I knew it would've scarped my skin as it was going fast.

"Sandstorm?" I said it aloud, but Zirani must have been reading my mind.

"Combined technique," she replied, and her voice sounded strained. "The beasts made it for covers. It's an ambush."

That was a frightening thought but I didn't allow myself to linger on it for long as the first chittering noise sounded. I was confused as to what it was at first and glanced around for any sign of what was making the odd noise. Then I saw a shadow approaching. We were stopped so it was getting closer, and before it became clear, I could tell what it was from the shape.

"It had to be giant scorpions."

I heard shouts, cries and the rasp of weapons being drawn as the arcanists of the expedition engaged the beasts.

I focused and allowed my layered bark armor to take hold. Each layer was created out of unique wood and with enchantments as well. Most times I wasn't able to create it fully, not just because it took longer but also because it took way more aether, but this time it wasnt taking any chances. I needed it at full power and so I formed four layers.

My glaive was in my hand with a thought, and I spun it once as the beast neared.

I jumped from the side of the vehicle and landed on the shifting sands and more sand blew against me, though I'd forged a helmet with my armor so it didn't bother me.

"What a hideous creature."

I had to agree with the lost queen as the scorpion became clear. It had the body of a sand-colored scorpion to blend in with the environment but that was all. Its face was humanoid and disturbing not just because it was on the body of a scorpion but also because of its constantly opening and closing mouth that split apart at the center and folded outwards rather than opening up like a normal human.

Its arms ended in a trident-like blade, though only the center blade was straight. The two others seemed to point at the center blade at an angle. It became apparent why when they began to turn rapidly.

So they were drills then, good to know. It would not do to get hit by one of those.

There was also it stinger, but I didn't get much time to examine it as it leaped at me with surprising speed. I managed to dodge and bring my glaive around at its legs but once again it surprise me by nimbly jumping over the attacking and using the fact I was overextended to try and hit me with its curved, sickle-like stinger.

It hit the armor of my left arm and while I felt the force, it failed to penetrate even the first layer to my relief. I didn't need to find out first hand this creature was poisonous.

As it drew back the stringer and I struck out, and with an odd human-like shriek it jumped back as its stinger was sheared from the rest of its tail. It chittered once more and then oddly enough began tapping its feet against the sand in an odd cadence.

It took me but a second to see the aether, and realize what it was. Before the technique could finish, I decided it was time to end this. I sent a bar-sized blast of solar power, both heat, and force at the scorpion who only had enough time to look up before it was both cooked and blown into chunks.

I probably should have done that from the start, but I had also wanted to use my glaive. It was clear this beast was weak, but I had an idea as to why. This beast wasn't a lone hunter and the tapping had been a call. A call for backup. A group of four burst from the sands to surround me.

It was worrying since I hadn't sensed them which meant they had either used an earth technique to cloak and camouflage themselves or knew how to hide in another way. It was something Zirani had yet to teach us.

"Are you sure you can take this many?"

I snorted at Aneva's words. "You've seen me fight, and besides I'll end this quickly."

As they leaped at me I spun my glaive in a circle sound me and focused. This technique was by far one of the most difficult to pull off mainly because my solar aether was hard to shape and to keep in a shape, at least for me it cruelty was. I guessed it was because I wasn't powerful enough yet.

My glaive spun and a burst of solar aether blew out from me, pushing the man-faced scorpions back and burning them slightly. They chittered and shrieked in anger creating an odd mix of human and beast-like sounds. I ignored them and continued spinning. I would never use this in a normal fight, at least not against an opponent who seemed smart, and while these scorpions seemed more intelligent than most beasts I'd seen, they were still dumb enough to charge back at me after being burned.

The technique finished just a second before they leaped at me once more, and my glaive which was now glowing spun around me once more, leaving behind a trail of light which remained in the air for a second before it expanded outwards in a flash so fast if you blinked you'd miss it. The burning disc of light cut the scorpions in half. It carried on for only a few feet before it fully dispersed and it had taken a lot, but it had been worth it. It was a technique of pure concentrated solar heat. I essentially focused the heat, turning it into a blade. It was hard and when I'd been developing it, I had burned myself multiple times. Once so bad, that Zirani had lectured me for an hour on knowing my limits.

The battel around me seemed to be dying down as far as I could tell and through my bonds, I could sense the others weren't injured or in trouble, which wasn't a surprise. They were all skilled and powerful enough to take down a few of these man-faced scorpions.

"Zirani, is it over?"

She responded after a long moment. "Yes, they're retreating. It was a small group. They seemed to go after the weakest arcanists."

The storm slowly began to clear allowing me to look around at the nearby vehicles. Some people looked injured and a few were sat down, clearly tired and unable to stand, but thankfully I didn't see any bodies, at least not any of the green court. As i looked around, I spotted a family dryad who looked close to tears.

I was there in a flash, kneeling by her side.

"Whats wrong?"

She spoke through tears of pain. "One of them stung me. I-It burns."

The wound was bad as the sickle had entered and then torn its way out, leaving a long gash.

"Shit. Can't you heal it?"

She shook her head. "It's all i can do to hold it back."

"Healer!" I shouted, pouring aether into vocal cords. "I need a healer now!"

My voice carried and moments later, two other dryads made it to me along with the naga who was in her hybrid snake form.

"The dryads knelt and placed their hands on Shana."

One of them gasped. "We need to be quick, it targeting her cores. It's an arcane poison."

"Let me," the naga said in a soft hiss. "Help her push the poison back."

I felt the dryads add their own efforts to Shana's as the naga placed a hand over Shana's wound. An intricate pattern of life and nature wove itself before diving into the open wound. It was like a living serpent that moved and form what I could teel, it began to consume the posion which was unlike anything I had ever seen. It was still in the form of aether, but not a pattern, and was trying to move to Shana's cores, burning anything it came across. Now it was up against a wall of green and white that pushed it back while the naga's techniques ate away at it. Before long, the mass of sandy-cloured aether was gone and the dryad moved to heal the puncture wound on Shana's left thigh.

Shana shagged into me and I pulled her head into my cheat, rubbing it and whispering soothing words into her ear. She trembled and I knew that she was not used to combat or dangerous situations like this. Once she had stopped shaking, I handed her over to the dryad who took her back to her vehicle and would watch over her.

"Thank you," I said to the naga. "We haven't been introduced yet, I'm Aiden, and you are?"

"I know who you are," she said, and her eyes, slits of gold, contracted on me. "I am Mezareen."