Aether Beasts

"I think that's enough for today," Zirani said and I let out a sigh as I pulled the enchanted weights off myself. Next to me, Misty did the same thing, and we both toppled to the ground. Unlike the first set, these new weights were far heavier and seemed to heat the body, and as far as I could tell, also stimulate certain parts. Zirani had said it was a dangerous piece of equipment, at least for those not used to it and at the lower levels. It increased blood flow via the heart, and affected other parts of the body,

The only reason she was confident that we could use it was because of all the other training we had done, and the physical conditioning she had put us through. It hadn't been obvious at first, but since none of us had gone out of our way to test it, our physical attributes were beyond the boost that our level gave us. It had become clear when Zirani had me spar a member of the green court, a fae, who naturally had greater psychical abilities than a base human. We were around the same level of power, and the rules had been simple. Neither of us could use aether.

It had quickly become obvious that he didn't stand a chance. The sheer difference was staggering in a way. He was fast and strong, but no were near my level.

"Not everyone pushes themselves like you and the girls Aiden," Zirani said when I asked her about it. "Some people will be content with reaching a certain stage and then remaining there. We all seek power, yes, but some seek more than others."

It was a difference that I hadn't really thought about. I guess it was foolish of me to think everyone would be pushing like me. Why would they after all? Why was I?

A question that I still hadn't fully answered yet.

As I got to my feet, I spotted a few familiar faces watching us. Shana was there alongside a few other dryads who looked me up and down with obvious interest. I had taken my shirt off and was only wearing a pair of shorts, leaving my defined muscles bare. With my robes, I looked to have an athletic figure, with a strong yet not overly bulky build. One might think I was average, but underneath was layer upon layer of defined and carved muscle gained through hours upon hours of torturous physical exertion. 𝗳𝘳𝒆𝘦𝑤𝐞𝚋𝗻𝚘𝘷𝘦𝙡.𝑐𝐨𝘮

There were a few people who stared intently at Misty which did annoy me a bit, but I needed to stop caring so much about that. Misty paid no attention to them and at the end of the day, it was I who she was in love with, though one, in particular, a muscular and handsome-looking man with goat legs seemed particularly interested. He had shouted out numerous compliments and had only shut up when Zirani had warned him. He was lucky because I had been about to head over and teach him a lesson. The leers were annoying, but as long as they remind leers and nothing else then I wasn't about to fight every single one of them even if I could, but the satyr was so brazen as to openly hit on Misty and even ask her out in front of me. If he didn't take Zirani's warning to heart then I would teach him a lesson.

After a quick rest, Misty and I followed Zirani toward our temporary home. Sandra had opted out of training and had chosen to remain inside. She needed some time to rest, and I wouldn't argue, though I still planned on checking on Zirani and her later tonight. I wanted to make sure that both were alright since they had both been acting oddly, at least that's what it felt like. The entire thing with this upcoming fight still felt so odd and unnecessary. It didn't feel like something Zirani would allow, and Sandra would do. There was also the lost queen which had been more active, though not through speech. It was the feelings I was getting from her. She was deciding something, or so I thought.

In any case, there wasnt much I could do in that regard.

"There's some food ready so dig in," Zanni said. "Or would you prefer to take a bath first?"

"Bath," Misty and I said in unison.

I reeked of sweat and was covered in dirt. Misty who was wearing a sports bra, and tights was also pretty dirty. Her clothes also didn't have any enchantments as they had been a set she had bought from the plains, and enchanted clothing wasn't common in the plains, not like it apparently was in the lands beyond the scar.

"You going to join us?" I asked Zirani.

"No." She shook her head. "I'm going to go speak with Aeverie."

Zirani had left earlier, apparently to check on Sofia, and had returned with good news. Things had begun and I assumed he was going now to check on how things had gone. If my body hadn't been aching and I wasn't about to take a bath I might have asked to go along, but instead, I just nodded and followed Misty into the bath.

We quickly undressed and though Misty body looked very pleasing and enticing, I was too tired to do anything. Misty probably could have healed me somewhat, but ever since Zirani had started on the weights a month ago, she had told us not to use certain healing elixirs or techniques and to allow the body to naturally recover, to allow the muscle to break and build back up. For a normal human, it would not be possible nor feasible, but at our level alongside all those baths and elixirs, our regeneration was good enough that we could.

It was easiest for Misty as her natural regeneration was far greater than mine and Sandra's.

"Misty." Her eyes opened and moved to me. "Are you actually planning on leaving?"

She smiled and shook her head. "Probably not."

I tried to hold back a sigh of relief but I don't think I was successful as she smirked. "You'd miss me?"

"Of course, I would," I replied. "You seemed interested though, earlier at least."

"I was," Misty said. "But I've been thinking and well, anything they could offer, Zirani could get me. She's a princess and I can't even begin to imagine how wealthy she is. She could probably hire vampire teachers for me. I don't think she wanted to say it because she wanted me to decide and figure things out on my own, and I'm happy she did. The sisterhood is interesting, but not for me. Yes, I do need to spend time around vampires, and I will, but not with them, not if I have to leave you, Sandra, and Zirani. I wouldn't be here without you, Aiden, and I don't—"

She paused. "I don't have a goal besides keeping up with you so I can remain by your side. Right now it just doesn't seem like a good decision and it's not one I want to take. There are the first vampires I've met but not the only others out there. No point rushing into things when there are other better options available and one's I've yet to see. Options where I don't have to leave you."

I smiled. "I'm glad, sweet fangs."

She rolled her eyes and splashed some water at me. "Don't start with that."

I chuckled. "Why, it suits you."

We spent some more time in the bath before we got and dried up. Dinner was still hot and read thanks to the enchanted plates. the food was some sort of meat pastry with potatoes, and a mix of vegetables with a wonderful sauce. we spoke of more joyous things while we ate like what we might see in the scar and the lands beyond it. All the sights and wondrous things that awaited us.

It was going to be like stepping into an entirely different world, and though obstacles awaited us, as long as I had my lovers at my side, I would get through it.

Once we finished, we were about to head to bed, and spend some quality time together, but then I checked on Sandra and stopped. The bond was eerily quiet, far more than normal, and I was about to send a message over when the lost queen suddenly spoke up.

"Don't."

I stopped and turned my attention to her as Misty gave me a worried look. "Are you ok?"

I raised a hand to ask her to wait.

"Don't do what?" I asked the queen.

"If you want your little shadowed friend to come out of this unharmed and with her mental faculties intact then you will do as I say."

"Are you threatening me?" I growled mentally. "If you've done something to her I swear I'll-"

"I'm trying to help, you fool," she bit back. "I've done nothing, now would you rather I be silent and you can helplessly try and solve this problem, which you will be unable to, at least not in time for her to come out of this without some problems. Or, do you want someone whose familiar with her problem to help? Well?"

I calmed myself and nodded. "What do I need to do?"

I might have thought this a trick or some elaborate ruse if not for the fact she had left herself completely bare. I could sense fully that she was telling the truth, and I was also certain if she could disguise her emotions so well and do something like this to trick me, she would have done so already.

I sent over a quick mental message of what was going on to Misty and Zirani then without waiting, headed over to Sandra's room. I was glad to hear Misty's footsteps behind me and Zirani's quick response, though my focus did not remain on either for long as I turned my full attention to the queen as she began to speak.