Aether Chronicles: Birth Of A Legend-Chapter 328: What If You Hurt Us?

Raegar was standing outside the Sunfire Manor as the women were getting ready to head back to Drakenwood. They spent a few more days relaxing before deciding to head back, thanks to the weather getting better. The sun was beaming down, making him sigh in relief as the cold weather vanished.

Arthur appeared beside him, red eyes gleaming. ''I guess once the ladies are in classes, we're heading south?''

''Yes,'' he answered. ''That's the plan, I bet there are more Fusion Soldiers down there, maybe different ones?''

The Blue Knight nodded. ''We can only hope so, my lord. The Old Ones will reappear to cause chaos.''

''There's no way to stop the Fall,'' Raegar muttered, annoyed at the realisation. ''We can only survive it.''

Following that, Zahara and Alice appeared outside, ready to travel west to go back to school as the others trailed behind. He glanced at the group and offered. ''How about Marlow fly us halfway there? It will save days of walking?''

When Selene, Dominique, and Drusilla heard this, their expressions lit up, causing Raegar to summon the Fusion Wyvern Marlow that burst out of a portal, letting out a roar that shook the ground. Nivara looked taken aback but smiled as she spoke. ''This thing will be able to fly fast, I can feel the power radiating from it.''

''I hope so because it's Tier Ten,'' he replied, laughing. ''And it's one of the strongest monsters I have.''

The six looked excited as Marlow lowered its body, allowing them to get on its back so they could travel across the Southwest, to clear out the grassland that would take over a week to pass. Raegar ushered everyone into comfortable spots as he pulled out some dumplings and shared them with the women.

Drusilla bit into one, and her big blue eyes widened in surprise as she spoke, mouth full of a spicy dumpling. ''This is delicious, Rae. Where did you get them?''

''At a Rest Stop on the way to Alice's,'' he revealed. ''Niv and I stopped off there when we were on the road.''

When the group heard this, their faces lit up before turning to the Dark Elf, whose cheeks went darker as she avoided their gazes, making Raegar laugh as he turned back to the landscape, fields of crops stretched as far as the eye could see. Villages and towns littered the horizon with smaller hamlets in between.

Marlow continued flying, causing chaos below as his wings covered a village in shadow, thanks to growing bigger every day. Raegar was happy, thanks to his Fusion beings growing strong just like he was. He turned to Zahara and spoke. ''Get ready to support me, Za. Gonna make the last element Vapour.''

The Half-Elf's grey eyes widened in surprise, but she shook her head, exclaiming. ''You can't do it in the air, Rae! Wait until we camp for the night, what if you hurt us?''

''Oh right,'' he replied, laughing.

Following that, Marlow continued flying, wings flapping through the wind as they flew above the Kingsway, getting closer to Drakenwood. Hours passed only for the sun to begin to set, covering the landscape in darkness, prompting Raegar to order. ''Land in a discreet spot, we need to camp for the night.''

The Wyvern let out a roar in reply and descended toward the ground, landing with a thud, causing dust to fly everywhere. Raegar jumped off its back as the women did the same and began getting to their tasks, making the camp comfortable for them all as they knew what to do.

Selene, Dominique, and Alice collected firewood as Nivara patrolled the darkness. Lastly, Drusilla was using her Dark Magic to flatten out the land so he could set up a tent for them to stay in for the night. After an hour, everything was set up as Raegar pointed a finger at the campfire, sending a stream of Fire into it, warm air spreading across the campsite.

After doing that, he turned to the Demoness who was nearby, her yellow eyes scanning the underbrush for dry branches while her hands snapped them. Dominique joined, her boots crunching against the ground as she hauled armfuls of bark. Alice was collecting smaller ones and chattering about the journey ahead.

Moments later, the heat radiated outward, drawing the group closer. Shadows danced on their faces as they gathered, each member of the party settling into their roles. Raegar's gaze lingered on the flames. The Wyvern, now curled at the edge of the clearing, let out a low rumble, a guardian silhouette against the starlit sky.

As the campfire's glow softened, casting long shadows across the campsite, most of the women began to retire for the night. Selene, her white hair now tucked beneath a scarf, kissed him before slipping into the tent. Dominique followed suit, her shoulders slumping slightly as she muttered something about needing rest.

Alice lingered a moment longer, poking at the fire until Zahara's stern glance sent her scurrying to her bedroll with a grin. Nivara made one final sweep of the perimeter before retreating to her tent, though Raegar knew she'd sleep with one eye open, her instincts honed by years in the wilds.

Drusilla brushed a strand of blonde hair from her face and murmured a soft goodnight as she disappeared. Only Zahara remained, seated on a log near the fire, bathed in its warm light. Her hair, loosely braided, shimmered as the flames danced, and her sharp, grey eyes studied him.

The Half-Elf leaned forward, elbows resting on her knees, a faint smile playing at the corners of her lips. Unlike the others, she showed no signs of exhaustion. ''Ready to move to Vapour?'' she asked, smiling.

Raegar chuckled at her expression before popping the Lightning Vapour pill, instantly feeling the surge of power. He staggered, the explosive surge of Aether coursing through his veins like a wild storm. The Lightning Aether, volatile and untamed, crackled within him, sending sharp jolts of pain radiating from his core to his fingertips.

His muscles tensed involuntarily, and his vision flickered as he fought to rein in the chaotic energy. Clenching his fists, he focused inward, trying to channel the currents into something manageable, but each pulse of lightning felt like a blade slicing through his nerves. Gritting his teeth, he steadied his breathing, determined to bend the Aether to his will.

Sweat beaded on his forehead as he wrestled with the Lightning Aether, its power threatening to overwhelm him. Each surge sent fresh waves of searing pain through his body, as if his nerves were fraying. He dropped to one knee, the ground beneath him scorched faintly from stray sparks that escaped his trembling frame.

His Fusion Powers, still unfamiliar, pulsed in the background, complicating his efforts to focus and push forward. Raegar's mind raced; he visualized the Aether as a raging river, and with every ounce of willpower, he tried to dam its flow, redirecting the chaotic energy into his Aether Pools.

Slowly, the wild arcs of lightning began to stabilize, coiling into a flickering orb inside, but the pain lingered, a stark reminder of the power he was barely holding in check as he jumped up and let out a roar as his eyes glowed with so much Aether it was burning his skin, but Zahara was there.

Hand held out,t as a glowing book appeared as she started chanting, and the injuries were healed. The couple worked in tandem, Raegar pushing forward as his scream woke everyone up, forcing them to run outside, only to stop when Zahara shouted, focusing on her book so she could heal him. ''Girls, stay away! He's advancing the last element to Vapour!''

''By the goddess name, let me heal him faster than he can burn!'' the Half-Elf muttered.

Raegar was lost to the pain, but when the energy seeped into him, his sight returned as his eyes glowed, dimming, allowing Zahara to come into view, putting a smile on his face as he whispered. ''Thank you, Za.''

''Don't speak and focus,'' she replied, but her eyes said differently.

Following that, the move to Vapour was dragging, but Raegar pushed through, feeling the Aether pouring into his Lighting Pool, expanding it so he could grow stronger. An hour passed as he dropped to his knees, covered in sweat and grim as he spoke. ''Damn, that was tough; it took its toll on my body.''

Drusilla was the first there, wrapping a blanket around him as Zahara used her magic to clean him up. He was shivering, slumped down to get comfortable in front of the fire as he tried to recover from the grueling advancement that he felt flowing through his veins, thanks to the Lightning Pill.

Selene wandered over, yellow eyes full of worry as she questioned. ''Everything okay, Rae? You look like you've gone through a tough battle.''

''It was,'' he answered, chuckling.

After that, he pulled out a bottle of water and down it, the cold liquid making him feel refreshed.