Aether Chronicles: Birth Of A Legend-Chapter 329: Always Battle With You

Raegar was recovering from the aches and pains, thanks to advancing to Vapour with his Lightning Element. Zahara, Selene, and Nivara stayed to keep an eye on him, even though he was distracted when pulling out a red pill that would move his Fire to Mist and make him even stronger.

When the Half-Elf saw this, her grey eyes narrowed as she warned. ''Rae, don't push yourself, I know you forgot about it, remember it isn't your only power.''

''I know,'' he replied smiling. ''But I'm going to advance one Element to Mist at least.''

The three women looked concerned as Raegar threw the glowing pill into his mouth, only to instantly feel his tongue burning. He circled his Aether, but it was too much for him; he slumped to the ground as the energy exploded and the world poured its own into his body, boosting the advancement.

Raegar felt his entire body burning like he had lava rushing through his veins. Zahara appeared, crouching next to him, her Aether book hovering above her hand as her healing magic seeped into his body, but this time, it was useless. The blonde wasn't strong enough as a Tier Two Healer.

''Rae! It's not working!'' she panicked. 𝓯𝙧𝙚𝒆𝙬𝙚𝒃𝙣𝙤𝒗𝓮𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

Moments later, Drusilla appeared in her tiny form, hovering above Reagar as she explained. ''The idiot did it without another healer here to help; it will go on for a while, and he should be fine.''

Zahara sighed in relief as his world went black, as his body still circled Aether even though he was conscious. Selene sat next to him as Nivara jumped up and patrolled the camp, as the darkness had fallen upon the world. The Fusion Wyvern looked up, letting out a growl of worry.

Arthur the Blue Knight appeared, explaining to the beast. ''Our master is growing stronger by doing this; he put it off for too long thanks to becoming the Fusion King.''

The three women glanced at him as Drusilla transformed into her bigger form and agreed with a nod. ''Yes, but doing it on the spur of the moment feeling is stupid, he could've waited until we were back at Drakenwood.''

Everyone nodded and sorted out Raegar so he was comfortable inside the tent. They made sure he was warm was out cold, dreaming about his life on Earth, or more like experiencing the life he left behind. He appeared outside his parents' big mansion just outside London, glancing around and noticing it was guarded by men in suits who couldn't see him.

Raegar shrugged and stepped toward the gate, only to pass through it like a ghost, causing a smile to cross his face as he explored his old parents' house. The first person he came across was his mother, who was sitting at a table going through paperwork. He noticed a bottle of wine was next to her.

'Looks like she drinks more now,' he thought when he saw it was half empty.

Just then, Raegar felt a pull and sat up straight, breathing heavily as sweat poured down his face as if he was pulled out of a river. He noticed he was in one of the rooms inside the tent, but he smelled thanks to advancing his Fire Element to Mist, and he could feel the aftereffects of it.

''Damn, my body hurts too much,'' he muttered when sensing the remaining Aether swirling around his body.

Without hesitation, he channeled his will, completing the ritual's intricate spiral. He rose on unsteady legs, limping out of the tent into the pre-dawn gloom. The Fusion Wyvern loomed nearby, its vigilant eyes glinting as it guarded the campsite. He approached the smoldering fire, extending a finger.

'Let's see how powerful my Fire Element's got,' he mused, smiling ear to ear.

A surge of Aether streamed from his touch, igniting the flames in a sudden, roaring blaze that erupted skyward, bathing the camp in radiant light. He was shocked at the results, prompting him to look inward, closing his eyes and seeing his Fire Pool expanded even more, doubled the size.

Following that, Raegar slumped near the fire and pulled out some milk, dumping some chocolate and letting it melt over the flames as he watched the sky. Stars lit it up like a canvas; they were by the side of a barely used road, and it was peaceful. He loved the feeling of not fighting constantly.

After a few minutes, he had a delicious hot drink that he enjoyed while leaning up against the Wyvern, who got close when seeing him appear from the tent. He rested his head back while drinking the hot chocolate, feeling the warm liquid pouring down his throat, sending warmth across his body.

By the time Raegar finished his drink, Drusilla appeared from the tent, a smile appearing on her pretty face. ''What are you doing out here alone?'' she asked.

When he heard this, his face lit up as he held up his cup. ''Drinking some hot chocolate while admiring the sky,'' he explained.

The Dark Fairy beamed at his words, asking with glinting blue eyes. ''Can I have some and join you?''

''Come here,'' Raegar said, waving her over. ''Let me make us some.''

Following that, he began making more for the two, and once he finished it, he handed a cup to the blonde who slumped next to him, taking a sip as her eyes widened in surprise. ''This is delicious, Rae. Can you make this for everyone?''

''Of course I can,'' he replied, taking out a bunch of dumplings and sharing them with Drusilla, who started eating.

Raegar grinned as he watched her enjoy the meal, blue eyes bright with delight. He took a bite himself, and together they appreciated the quiet moment, gazing up at the star-strewn night sky. He leaned back on the worn blanket, the crackling fire casting a warm glow across their makeshift camp.

The dumplings, steaming and fragrant, sat between them in a bowl. He popped another into his mouth, savoring the savory burst of flavor as he stole a glance at her. She was tracing constellations with her finger, her face lit by starlight and the flickering flames, a soft smile tugging at her lips.

''Look,'' she said, pointing upward. ''The Hunter's Bow. My father used to say it guided lost souls home.''

Her voice was soft, almost lost in the night's hum. Raegar followed her gaze, the dumplings momentarily forgotten. The stars seemed sharper tonight, like pinpricks of Aether scattered across an endless void. ''Never heard that one,'' he admitted, shifting closer. ''Sake called it the Wyvern's Claw. Said it marked the path to battles worth fighting.''

She chuckled, nudging him with her elbow. ''Always battles with you.''

The Dark Fairy plucked a dumpling and bit into it, her eyes never leaving the sky. A crumb clung to her chin, and he fought the urge to brush it away. They ate in comfortable silence, the fire's warmth warding off the night's chill. The Fusion Wyvern, still watchful, let out a low rumble, its scales glinting as it shifted in the shadows.

Raegar tossed it a dumpling, which it snapped up with a contented huff. ''Think it likes these better than we do,'' he said, grinning.

Drusilla laughed, her voice carrying over the crackle of the fire. ''Maybe we should make more for it tomorrow.''

The blonde leaned her head against his shoulder, her warmth grounding him as they gazed upward, the stars stretching out like a promise of tomorrow. Moments later, fire crackled softly as Raegar and Drusilla lingered under the vast, starlit sky, the remnants of their dumplings in the bowl.

A rustle from the edge of the campsite drew their attention, and two figures emerged from the shadows, Selene, white hair catching the firelight like a halo, and Zahara, her cloak blending with the night, a wry smile on her face. ''Smells like we missed a feast,'' the Half-Elf teased, striding forward with her usual swagger.

She dropped onto the blanket beside Raegar, eyeing the bowl. ''Any left for us, or did your Wyvern hoard them all?''

Selene settled on his other side, yellow eyes drifting to the constellations. ''The Hunter's Bow,'' she murmured.

Her voice carried a quiet reverence, as if the stars held secrets she longed to unravel. Raegar chuckled, nudging the bowl toward Zahara. ''Plenty left, but you'll have to fight Dru for them.''

The Dark Elf passed a couple of dumplings to Selene, who accepted them with a nod of thanks. ''You two always show up when the food's ready,'' she said, her tone light but warm.

She shifted to make room, her shoulder brushing Raegar's as she leaned back to admire the sky. Zahara popped a dumpling into her mouth, chewing thoughtfully. "Not bad," she said, then pointed upward. ''See that cluster there? The one that looks like a crooked spear? We called it the Storm's Tip back home. Meant a change was coming, for better or worse.''

Selene tilted her head, studying the stars. ''A change,'' she repeated softly, her fingers tracing the edge of her dumpling. ''The skies always know before we do.''