AETHER BEASTS

Chapter 94 - 94

The third week of training was almost exactly the same as the first two, although with a few differences. Mainly the fact that Zirani kept a closer eye on us, and had us pushing harder since she wanted all of us to have reached the second level of infusion and to have gone up a core. It was hardest for me since going from hydro to iron was a lot harder than going from smoke to Hydro so not did I have to pugs myself, but when the other two stopped their meditation after an hour, I kept going for another hour.

During this time we kept up with the learning and practice Zirnai had us doing from memorizing and forming basic origin patterns that would work with our affinities to disassembling patterns Zirani made for that sole purpose. It was difficult, but we made it through, and as Zirnai has promised it did get easier with time and repetition. Certain patterns also came easier to some of us which Zirani explained as normal due to our affinities. The pattern for growth came easier to those of the nature and life affinities although other affiliates could use it. She had mentioned that we would find origin patterns that suited us best, but that we should learn as many as we could as she had met some arcanists whose techniques were very similar to one another and used the same origin patterns.

We were all still at a point where we couldn't make our own techniques though we did try. My first few attempts had gotten me no results and the ones that came after created useless effects. One technique I'd made had created a green light which I had thought to be at least a little useful, that is until Zirani pointed out that she could easily make normal light and that my technique used too much aether and was extremely insufficient and well to put it simply, trash.

I didn't let that get me down though, at least it wasn't like Misty attempts. She had to be extra careful as at one point one of her techniques had almost exploded in her face, but luckily Zirani had shouted at her to disperse it before the blonde could set it off. Sandra's weren't as bad, and she had gotten closest out of all us as she had almost made a dark spear technique, although the spear that had formed had flopped to the ground as she hadn't used the right combination of origin patterns to make sure it came out as a hard solid. I had gotten a good laugh at that.

We kept on training, and eventually the first of us reached the second level of infusion. To no one's surprise, it was Misty. The blonde was the best at using the meditation technique. When it had happened it had been very quick. One moment she was at the first level and the next she was at the second. There wasn't a huge difference in appearance, but a quick test showed she was stronger, quicker, and more enhanced in every psychical aspect than before.

That show pushed me and Sandra on, and the next day after Misty growth to level two, I moved up a level. The experience wasn't that odd since I'd felt it once before, and my bond with Zirani made the process very easy. My body was infused with the aether that had been gathering within me and like a wave, it washed through me. The feeling was like what I imagined being hit by lightning was like, though without the pain.

Sandra followed an hour later and we spent the rest of the day testing out our new limits. We were definitely more enhanced now, and running and walking just couldn't get us tired anymore, or at least it would take a very, very long time, and there was also a passive regeneration now though it was nowhere near as strong as Misty's. We weren't at the blonde levels but it was a definite improvement. If I hit a normal person with a punch then I could easily kill them.

Zirani had been pleased of course, but she had reminded us that we still had to condense our cores and move up a stage in density.

"This is good," she said as we ate in the dining room after our training. "But we need all of your to move up a stage in density. Infusion is important but that's just for the body. For your aether and techniques, you need to increase the density of your cores. I want to teach you more advanced techniques but as you are now, only Aiden could perform them."

We pushed on, and as we neared the end of the third week I grew worried that none of us would move up a stage in density, but almost as if fate or some higher power was looking down on us, on the last day of the third week, all three of us moved up a stage in density. It happened was we meditating after we'd gone hunting some more essences cores, and it struck like lightning. It was so unexpected that at first, I didn't know what was going on, but Zirani was there to help all three of us along.

For the others, it only lasted a few minutes, but for me, it was almost half an hour before I was done. I could feel the essence in my core being pushed together and changing from a liquid to a solid. The essence was no longer floating about in my core, now it was a sphere at its center. I knew from what Zirani had said that to reach the next stage I would need to fill my core completely and then condense it once again into the steel stage before repeating it all but then merging it with the core-shell to reach the final crystal stage, but that wasn't going to be happening anytime soon.

"I think we can spend the rest of the day relaxing," Zirani said with a smile. "All three of you have completed what I set forth and we can relax for now, but we do move out tomorrow."

"Straight away?" Misty asked.

"We can't afford to wait and waste time," Zirani said. "We still have no idea where the twin horn is or why the tower is like this, and while we could continue to grow where it would take much longer. We need a rougher environment and greater resources, and even if we don't find the resources on the next floor we collected enough that they will last for a while."

"What exactly can we do?" I questioned. "There isn't really much to do in here."

"Why don't we just relax and talk about other things," Sandra suggested. "We're always talking about problems and training, why not something positive for once."

"I'd like that," Misty muttered.

We did as Sandra suggested and spent the rest of the day on lighter topics, telling stories or talking about weird experiences. Zirani easily had the best tales to tell which wasn't a surprise considering where she was from and how old she was.

I slept peacefully that night with no dreams to haunt me.

The next we woke early and began to pack up everything from the treehouse that had been our temporary home. We might have only stayed here for a little over three weeks, but it had been home, and after a while, we'd all come to like it. It was cozy with a lot of space and a safe haven from any of the beasts of the mountain well perhaps apart from the abominations, but after our initial encounter, we hadn't run into any more of the horrid things.

"I wish we could take it with us," Misty said sadly as we went down the makeshift lift for the last time.

"I do too," I replied. "But who knows that the next floor is. If it's as odd as this was then a place like this might not do well over there."

"A skyship would do well here," Zirani mused. "Although it would need some defense against the flying beasts."

"Skyship?' Misty asked. "Those are real?"

"They are," Zirani confirmed. "And they come in many different types."

"Is that how we'll get across the great scar?" I asked

Zirani shook her head. "No sane person would fly a skyship through the great scar. The expeditions use specific tried, tested, and proven methods to get across the scar. The only other people apart from them are well… let's just say they are in a league all their own. They fall in right alongside the other powerful things in the great scar."

"Have you ever been there?"

"Once." A faraway look papered in Zirani eyes. "Not far in, but I quickly learned why people stay away from it. It's a land of chaos, an amalgamation of lands that are just as odd if not odder than this place, but a hundred times more dangerous, and the beasts… I don't even want to think about them, although at my peak, right before the event and before I met you, I could have ventured deeper."

I shot her a questioning look but didn't push further than that. Zirani hadn't ever talked about how she'd ended up in that warehouse, partially because she didn't know how, but also for a few other reasons. I knew she'd tell me eventually and when the time was right so until then I saw no reason to push for answers.

Misty frowned. "Does anyone actually know why the great scar exists?'

"There's a lot of debate," Zirani answered. "But those who do know haven't shared it and as for those at the top, well like I said they're in a league of their own and best stayed away from like the great scar itself."

We made it to the bottom and I took one last look at the treehouse before I turned away and followed the others towards the next floor of this tower.