AETHER BEASTS

Once my mind was clear and I could once again think clearly without pain or dizziness, Zirani began to walk me through everything she had sent over, starting with the patterns which wove together. It was the first time I'd truly seen something like this. I had seen her use technique patterns that combined but none that wove together so seamlessly, and that were functional by themselves but together created something just as functional and as though it was meant to be like that.

"I want you to form each of the patterns first," Zirani said. "Just so that we can confirm it worked correctly."

I nodded and focused. It was easy to bring up the knowledge since it felt like it had always been there, as though it was mine. I began with the first and though it was hard, I was able to get it done in just a minute, which was sower than she had down, but she assured me that I would get there and that the transfer didn't completely make training unnecessary as one's body and mind did need a certain amount of time to get used to everything, although she did say that at a higher level and with a greater bond such a thing would be possible as we would almost be one, which was sort of crazy to think about.

"That's not the plan, Aiden." Zirnai chuckled, having ready my mind. "We want to stay separate beings but be as close as possible. We don't want to fuse."

"Fuse?"

She shook her head. "A topic for another time."

She frowned. "I find myself saying that a lot whenever we talk. Oh, well, it's to be expected. Come on, onto the next pattern."

I went from pattern to pattern, forming each correctly on the first try, if slowly, but it was far better than what would have happened if she would have tried to teach them normally. There was no way I could form even one of these patterns correctly within a day. They were different from regular technique patterns.

Once I had gone through each multiple times and Zirani had confirmed the transfer had worked, she had started to weave them together. It was extremely odd, moving the patterns as a whole into one at the center of my body right next to my cores. The pattern seemed to solidify in a way I'd never seen before, and an orb, similar to a core formed right next to my two normal cores. It was empty, but the shell was made up of multiple thick layers and covered in patterns. It lay at the center of the main pattern which hadn't dispersed when the core had been made. It was like the pattern had made a pattern

"Zirani, what's this?'

"That is where you will store the energy?" Zirani explained. "It takes a lot of aether to create and is similar to how you create cores. Actually, it is essentially a core, though this one is temporary and will not store essence, only the energy you absorb from the sun. It will last for an indefinite amount of time if you are careful with how much energy you absorb into it and as long as you don't damage it. This is an advanced technique, and only the highest-ranking within the green court learn it. Most are only able to use solar energy during the day and are unable to store it in such a way. I did send over the required pattens and methods to forgo storage so in a fight, if it's day and you don't need to go through extra steps if you don't already have solar energy stored."

"But you said it's like making a core, and well that doesn't seem too hard?"

"If someone tried to store solar energy within a normal core, the shell would shatter," Ziranii replied. "A normal core is meant for essence and aether. You wouldn't form a fireball in your core so why try and store pure solar energy within it? It's like how an old-world battery can store only electricity and trying to store heat or aether would just destroy it."

"You lost me at old-world battery, but I think I get what you mean," I replied. "so what do I do now?"

"You already know what to do, Aiden?"

She was right, and a moment later, I began to weave the last part of the solar absorption technique. The part of the pattern that dealt with the solar absorption activated and energy entered my body. If not for the experiences Zirnai had sent over, I would have likely broken the main pattern in my core because of shock as the feeling of solar energy being absorbed into me and then coursing through my veins was unusual, to say the least. It was like the feeling of my divine energy, but whereas that had been wholly euphoric, this carried a different sort of weight to it and a heat, unlike anything I'd felt. It was like trying to guide a raging inferno of pure power. It would have damaged me without the main pattern which had aether branching away from it to form layers of aether around my internal organs, flesh, one just beneath my skin and one above. It was clear that one of the pattern's main functions was to protect the arcanist and make sure they could safely absorb the energy.

The part of the main pattern which actually caused the absorption of solar energy had only been active for a short span of time, but even then I felt like I had absorbed too much.

I now understood what Zirani meant when she'd said people had died trying to use solar techniques. If I hadn't been given Zirani's instincts and information regarding the technique then I would have most likely been burned alive from the inside, or just blown apart.

I guided the energy into the storage core, and a string of aether branched off from the main pattern and formed a smaller pattern around the outermost layer of the storage core, and the solar energy seemed to settle down.

I let loose a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. "That was… intense. Is going to be like that every time?"

"You'll get used to it and it'll get easier," Zirani replied. "Now that you have some solar energy stored it's time to combine it with some nature aether and turn it into what is called, solar aether, which is essentially just a sub form of nature aether."

"Give me a few seconds." I took a few long deep breaths. "Ok, what's next."

"You already know," she said. "Combine the nature aether with the solar energy using the pattern I transferred to you. Take it slow. You don't want a volatile reaction occurring within your body and especially not with solar energy. It will not end well."

I nodded, and just like with the main pattern, it was like the information had always been there, and slowly I formed small patterns and like needles, slowly pierced the storage core. I released the patterns when they were fully into the core, and thankfully one of the layers of the storage core had a pattern that regenerated any damage, so the small holes were gone in seconds. I really hoped it worked as I wouldn't be able to do this that many times. The speed at which I could generate aether and the amount I could store in my nature core was great, but not unlimited.

"Ok, it's done." I sighed. "Now should I try solar beam first?"

"Solar beam or flare is fine, they're both very simple solar techniques."

Zirani had sent over the pattens for two solar techniques. The first was a simple flash of light that was bright enough to blind even high-level arcanists and could damage the sight of lower and mid-level arcanists. The second was the one I had the most interest in. It was the beam attack that Zirani had shown. A short beam of pure destructive solar energy made up of force and heat.

I raised my hand and focused. Compared to the patterns for solar absorption, the pattern for solar beam was simple, and in less than a few seconds, I had the pattern ready. I aimed a hereby boulder and fired. The beam shot forward in a flash and the sound of the blast echoed in the forest as the boulder was blasted into pieces that scattered everywhere. Smoke rose up from more than a few, and many definitely looked burnt to say the least, if not ash.

I smiled. With this sort of power, I could do a lot, and would no longer be lacking when it came to raw destructive force. It did take a lot of aether, but in my opinion, it was well worth it to wield the energy of the damn sun, and it wasnt like I couldn't increase the speed of my aether generation and the amount I could store when it came to mine and Zirani's core.

I turned to Zirnai with a grin. "I think I've got the basics down, and we can continue this as we travel to the border. So, what's next?"