Aether Chronicles: Birth Of A Legend-Chapter 330: Don’t Sneak Up

Raegar watched as Alice and Dominque stepped out of the tent, the sun hadn't risen yet. He handed the duo a cup of hot chocolate, causing them to smile. The Vampress was the first to speak. ''Thank you, Rae. This smells delicious.''

The others eagerly agreed as the tanned beauty commented. ''I can smell it in the air, makes my belly rumble.'' Raegar smiled at this and ushered the two next to the others as Nivara appeared from the shadows, looking concerned.

He turned to the Dark Elf, asking. ''What's wrong with you?''

She collpased onto a nearby log, revealing. ''There's a bandit camp nearby, I wanted to tell you before doing anything.''

When Raegar heard this, he summoned Arthur and Shadow as the two Fusion Knights appeared beside him from the shadows, surprising the women as he spoke. ''Go clear them out and bring me their wealth. Do you need any soldiers?''

The Blue Knight nodded. ''Give us one hundred each, we'll clear them out of the empire.''

Raegar's eyebrow rose, but he gave them two hundred each, pleasing the knights as they rushed off, completing one of his lingering favours Dahlia asked him to do. Afterward, he turned to the six women, speaking. ''Do you ladies want some honey bread? It's a good breakfast?''

Everyone agreed, and he crouched by the fire, taking the stuff out so he could cook. He placed the pan on the fire and added some oil. It began to spit, but he used Aether to block it while taking out the bread dough. He shaped it into balls and placed them on the scorching metal, causing them to sizzle.

As Raegar tended the fire, kneading and shaping dough, the women started talking about the upcoming classes. Their laughter and whispers filled the air, but he stayed focused, tuning them out as he worked. He coaxed the dough into seven round balls, their surfaces golden and crisp from the flames.

With a steady hand, he drizzled warm honey over each one, the sweet aroma mingling with the smoky scent of the campfire. A soft step behind him broke his concentration, and the gorgeous Demoness appeared at his side, silent as a shadow. Raegar flinched, nearly dropping the honey jar.

''Gods, Selene, don't sneak up on me like that!'' he said, a chuckle softening his words.

She smirked, her silver hair glinting in the firelight. ''You're too easy to startle,'' she teased, eyeing the food.

Raegar passed a honey-drizzled loaf to the Demoness, who accepted it with a grin and sank her teeth into the warm bread. Selene, already nibbling on hers, let out a dramatic moan as her eyes fluttered shut. ''This is divine,'' she said.

Her face was lit up with delight as she had another bite. He smirked, leaning back against the blanket. ''Careful, Selene, you'll make the others jealous.''

Everyone laughed, the fire's glow dancing across their faces. Following that, the fire popped and hissed, casting a warm halo over the group as they lounged on the blanket, the scent of honeyed bread lingering in the cool night air. The Demoness, still chewing her loaf, licked a stray drop of honey from her fingers and shot him a mischievous smile.

''If you keep making these, I might just stick around this camp forever,'' she teased, being the menace she was.

Selene, still basking in the afterglow of her bite, leaned back on her elbows, her white hair spilling over her shoulders. ''Don't tempt him,'' she said, snickering. ''He'll have us all baking for him by the end of the week.''

She tilted her head toward the sky, gaze lingering on the stars. Zahara, brushing crumbs from her cloak, snorted. ''Raegar? Delegate cooking? Not a chance. He's too proud of his little masterpieces.''

She gestured at the remaining loaves, their golden surfaces glistening in the firelight. ''Though I'll admit, these are worth the wait after smelling them.''

Raegar grinned, unfazed by the teasing. He tore off another piece of bread, the honey sticking to his fingers, and offered it to Nivara, who sat cross-legged beside him. She took it with a soft smile, her eyes reflecting the fire's glow. ''You're all spoiled,'' he said, his tone mock-serious. ''Next time, I'm charging you in Aether for these.''

''Or sex,'' Drusilla added, making most of them laugh, but Zahara's dark cheeks went darker.

The group laughed, and Dominique nudged his shoulder. ''You'd spend it all on more honey, and we'd be right back here.''

She popped the bread into her mouth, chewing slowly as she gazed upward. ''Though this sky's payment enough. Look at that.''

Seconds later, Dominique pointed to a faint streak of light, a shooting star slicing across the dark expanse. The group fell silent, heads tilting back to watch the fleeting glow. The Fusion Wyvern, roused by the sudden quiet, lifted its massive head, its eyes glinting as it tracked the star's path.

Selene's voice broke the stillness, soft and thoughtful. ''A sign, maybe. The stars don't move like that for nothing.''

Zahara raised an eyebrow. ''Or it's just a rock burning up. Not everything's a prophecy, Selene.''

Dominique chuckled, her sharp teeth flashing in the firelight. ''Let her have her omens. Makes the night more interesting.''

She leaned forward, grabbing another loaf and tossing a piece toward the Wyvern, who snapped it up with a contented rumble. Raegar stretched out on the blanket, his hands behind his head, the stars a dizzying map above him. ''Prophecy or not, I'm just glad we've got bread, fire, and a night without anyone trying to kill us.''

The women laughed softly and murmured in agreement, their voices blending with the crackle of the flames. As the group settled into a comfortable quiet, sharing the last of the honeyed loaves, the night seemed to wrap around them like a cloak.

Following that, the first pale streaks of dawn crept over the horizon, the sky shifted from black to a soft blue, and the stars faded like embers in the growing light. The fire had dwindled to glowing coals, and the group, still sprawled on the blanket, began to stir. Raegar sat up, brushing crumbs from his shirt, glancing at the Fusion Wyvern.

''Sun's up,'' he said, his voice low. ''Time to move if we're going to make it to Drakenwood before the professors start barking about punctuality.''

The Demoness groaned, stretching her arms dramatically. ''Can't we just tell them the Wyvern ate our schedule?'' she quipped, but she was already on her feet, shaking out her cloak and gathering the empty bowls.

Selene folded the blanket. ''They'd probably make us run laps for lying,'' she said, a wry smile tugging at her lips.

Drusilla yawned, rubbing her eyes before Raegar sent the tent back into his storage. Zahara kicked dirt over the fire's remains, smothering the last wisps of smoke. ''Let's not keep the Wyvern waiting,'' she said, nodding toward the beast, which was stretching its massive wings, impatient to take flight.

Raegar packed the last of their gear, slinging a leather satchel over his shoulder. He gave the campsite a final once-over, ensuring nothing was left behind, then approached the Fusion Wyvern. The creature lowered its head, its warm breath ruffling his hair as he ran a hand along its scaled flank.

''Ready for another ride, big guy?'' he murmured.

The Wyvern snorted, a plume of steam curling from its nostrils. One by one, they climbed onto the Wyvern's broad back, settling between the ridges of its spine. Raegar took the front, gripping the natural handholds of its scales, while his companion slid in behind him, her arms looping loosely around his waist.

Selene and Zahara followed, with the Demoness bringing up the rear, her sharp laughter ringing out as she teased Zahara about her grip. ''Hold on tight, or you'll be Drakenwood's newest crater!''

***

As Raegar and his companions flew toward Drakenwood, the dawn light spilling over the rolling hills, a sleek carriage rattled to a stop at the edge of the citadel's outer gates. Dust swirled around its polished wheels as the door swung open, revealing a young woman who stepped out.

Cecelia Redwood, daughter of Brightwater City's lord's advisor, carried herself with quiet confidence, auburn hair catching the sunrise like burnished copper. A slender staff, etched with runes, rested in her hand, its tip tapping lightly against the cobblestones. She was a prodigy, a Space Aether Mage whose power could bend distance and warp the fabric of reality itself, but her sightless eyes told a different story.

A cruel disease from her childhood had stolen her vision, leaving her to navigate the world through other senses, her staff, her intuition, and the subtle ripples of Aether that pulsed around her. Though she could walk and wield her magic with lethal precision, she relied on subtle cues and occasional guidance to orient herself in unfamiliar places.

Her sponsor, a high-ranking mage of the empire, had sent the carriage to ensure her arrival at the academy, where her talents were expected to shine.