AETHER BEASTS

My head was pounding when I awoke to the feeling of a soft material brushing the right side of my face. I blinked open my eyes and for a long moment I tried to process where I was and how I'd gotten here, then it hit me like a flood and I shot up, my eyes glancing around for the elder, except he was nowhere to be found.

"Zirani he's awake!"

I looked over to my right to see Sandra smiling down at me. She looked fine, uninjured, just like I was. I looked down and frowned at the lack of burns or bruises that the elder had given me. Hadn't we just been in a fight a moment ago? The elder had been charging up an attack and then everything had just gone white.

The sound of footsteps made me tear my gaze away from Sandra and to Zirani who was walking up with a bowl of something in her hands. "Here eat this, slowly."

I took the proffered bowl and gave her a questioning look. "What happened? Did we win?"

I didn't remember anything after the elder's last attack. Just the flash of white and then silence before waking up now.

Zirani sighed and sat down next to the moss bed I was on, which she had most likely made. "You three lost. That last attack of his put you three out while waking me up. I… I was the one who took care of him."

It was then that I noticed my surroundings and the lack of grass and plant life. Instead, black roots that looked like they'd been burned and scarlet flowers covered the ground. It looked rather sinister like the aftermath of a battle. The gate was in the same palace it had been, but no elder was to be seen, which meant Zirnai must be telling the truth. Anger rushed through me, not at Zirani, but at myself for being unable to beat the elder. We'd been outmatched and though it had seemed we were doing well at the end, apparently, that had just been him holding back.

"How did you do it?" I asked. The elder had not been a weak opponent and I didn't think ZIrani could fight that well in her manifested form, not to mention I'd use a fair bit of aether before I'd fallen.

A flash of fear and nervousness crossed her eyes, and she looked away.

"Zirani, what did you do?" I looked over to Sandra who just shrugged. "I'm not going to be angry. You just saved all our lives, I just want to know how."

"I took control of your body, Aiden," Zirani explained, her eyes still not meeting mine.

Control over my body? I hadn't even known such a thing was possible, although we were bonded and she had tons of knowledge so I shouldn't have been too surprised, but why was she so scared. I mean, yes, I wasn't a fan of my body being taken over, but considering the alternative had been death or whatever the twin horn had planned, I had no reason to really be angry. Apart from the fact she could have told me beforehand just in case something like this happened, which it had.

"Zirani I'm not mad," I said, reaching out and taking one of her hands in my own. "I won't lie and say it perfectly ok with it, but you saved our lives. I wish you would've told me about that before, but that's hindsight. Is that all? Did you do this?"

I waved at our surroundings and got a nod from her.

"Can you teach me?"

She snorted and a smirk broke through. "Eventually yes."

"How did you have enough aether?" Sandra asked. "This entire place is covered in nature aether, so much of it. There's no way it all came from your core."

"It didn't," Zirani replied, a distant look appearing in her eyes. "I used a technique to drain the aether and lifeforce from the green around me."

I blinked. "That's possible?"

That sounded like an extremely useful and powerful technique to have, being able to refill you aether. Zirani must have understood the look in my eyes and read my thoughts as she shot me a serious look. "The technique is powerful, but it's also very dangerous. Your essentially killing the green around you. The verdant court forbids any use of it and many other similar techniques."

"Then where did you learn it?" Misty asked as she approached with two bowls, handing one to Sandra who nodded gratefully.

"I learned it from my aunt's people." Zirani sighed. "At the court of thorns. A darker reflection to the verdant court, but that's a topic for another time. We need to get going. That elder had been given power by his master who had latched on his soul. I spoke to it before I destroyed the elder's body."

Zirani gave us a quick explanation of what had occurred, and I marveled at just how much she's done with my body. I could do that if I had the skills and knowledge and it made me wonder just what she could do if she was at her former power' She'd beaten the elder when she was at a severe disadvantage and she'd done it with ease.

"Seals?" I questioned when she spoke about what this great master had said.

Zirani shrugged. "Truthfully, I'm unsure as to what he was referring to. I haven't noticed any aether seals within you, though a thorough check wouldn't be a bad idea. He seemed to have a very great interest in you, specifically your body and bloodlines."

Just what I needed to hear. A powerful being of unknown origin wanted my body for heaven knew what, and had apparently said I had another bloodline, which was sealed away.

"Are you sure he wasn't talking about the archvein bloodline?" I questioned, and Zinrai shook his head much to my dismay.

"That bloodline isn't sealed. You used it on me, remember."

I had known that, but I just wanted to make sure since the idea of this thing, whatever it was, wanting my body was not a pleasant thought, nor was the fact that he wanted to meld Sandra and Misty, which I assumed meant turning them into one of those things. That thought alone was enough to make me both disgusted and pissed off. As if I'd allow that to happen. Another wave of anger hit me. How could I protect them or stop something like that when I couldn't even beat the elder.

"Don't think like that," Zirnai said vehemently, her hand grasping my shoulder to turn me towards her. Her hands cupped my face. "You could not have won that fight, Aiden, nor should you think that every fight is winnable as you are. If the elder had not been powered up by his master then I have no doubt you three would have won. That emotion you're feeling, use it as sunlight for the growing seed inside yourself, to push yourself harder, to get stronger."

She smiled warmly and I felt my body relax somewhat.

"The same goes for you two." Zirani took her hands away and turned to the others. "Don't let this get you down, and don't wallow in self-pity of loathing. Now, finish up the food, it has some herbs that should help with your recovery. Then we head out. We can't let this false king gain a psychical body, certainly not here in the plains. With his knowledge and abilities, I don't think there's anyone who could stand against him."

Which meant if we failed here then my friends and aunt were as good as dead.

I hungrily finished up the soup which tasted very odd but helped my mind greatly as the pounding slowly subsided. Misty had to drink from me after she was done as she needed to replenish some of her power, but I didn't mind. Physically I felt fine, which ZIrnai had said was due to the healing potions she'd made when we first arrived here, a few techniques, and the influx of life force. I had a bit of knowledge on life force that I'd learned from my aunt but not much. I knew it was like blood except for the soul rather than the body.

"If you two are done, I think we should go," Sandra said.

Misty tore away from me, her eyes glowing red. "Thanks, Aiden."

"Your welcome," I replied as I stretched my neck. It always felt a bit sore when she was done, but nothing too painful. I turned to Zirani who nodded and together we all walked forward and grasped hands as we'd done twice before.

I felt nervous as we approached the gate, but a reassuring squeeze from Zirani helped me push the anxiety and fear away, replacing it with determination to see this through and finally put an end to the twin horn.

"On my mark, three, two, one!"

For what was probably the last time in this tower, we jumped through a gateway, towards the final destination and goal of this mission, of this war.

To end the twin horn.