Aethernea

by Cloe D Frost

  Elaru gives him a small box filled with burrowing windroots – a rare medicinal plant. In return, Ixos gives her three magical pills and a list of ingredients he wants her to track down.

  Ixos thinks Muni is a dangerous place for Elaru and doesn’t like the idea of her enrolling there. Elaru tells him she is out of ideas and that there is a professor there that might be able to help her.

  * * *

  ◈ Canyon near Beyd, Wednesday, 15th of August 1449 A.W. ◈

  (10 days prior)

  Elaru Wayvin stood in front of the orange canyon ridge. The winds howled around her, ruffling her red hair and raising up puffs of red sand. The sun blared down on her as if trying to burn her to a crisp, yet neither her clothes nor her hair were wet with sweat.

  Around her spread an intricate mage-sustained spell that bent light which entered its area of effect. This spell treated rays of light as if they had shape, and as such, that shape could be altered by transmutation magic to curve away from her. Since no light touched her, the warmth of the sun was unable to directly reach her.

  Elaru walked right into the wall of the canyon. Just as her body was about to hit the wall, the rock bent and twisted away from her, creating a hole for her to pass through. She was like a queen, everything moved out of her way.

  Ok, so it wasn’t anything grand like that…she just transmuted the rock around her to shift away from her.

  Her goal was deep inside the wall of the canyon. It took the form of a small, orange root, growing inside the rock.

  Burrowing windroot was a rare magical plant that could only grow in a hot, windy valley inside a special type of canyon rock. It was an expensive, hard to find ingredient because it couldn’t be seen from the outside, nor could it be found by bloodhound’s sense of smell.

  There were very few ways to find the root inside the walls, Elaru’s eyes being one of them.

  Every living creature had a soul that provided it with mana. Including plants. Since Elaru could see mana, living creatures looked like bright flames in comparison to the rest of the world. She could clearly see the root inside of the wall because the mana inside the root and the mana in the rest of the rock were very different in quantity and density.

  She shapeshifted the stone away from the root and caught it before it fell to the ground. She quickly exited trough the path she had created and shifted all the rock back in place.

  When she arrived out in the open, she removed the remnants of the rock from the root, until it was sparklingly clean. Then she found a metal box from her backpack and put the root inside.

  She admired the contents of the box for a while. It was filled to the brim with orange roots. This should be enough.

  She should go back to Ashar now. Uncle Ixos would probably want her to find a few more herbs, and she didn’t have much time to find them. Ashar University of Magic exams were starting in less than two weeks. And after that, she wouldn’t be free to travel the lands and collect rare ingredients.

  She snapped the box closed and returned it to her backpack. She pulled out her Eternal Beacon so she could teleport to Ashar. She twirled it around and looked at the lifeless walls of the canyon in front of her.Adventuring alone sure is boring…maybe I should get a pet like uncle Ixos suggested…

  Hmmm…what kind should I get? It would have to be pleasing to the eye, and useful. It must be a male, don’t want to end up with a litter of little ones.

  As she was about to activate her Beacon, an idea struck her.

  Wouldn’t it be fun if she climbed high up to the top of the canyon and jumped down the cliff? It would be just like flying! And before she became a pancake, she would just teleport away.

  Elaru nodded her head. The people who invented Beacons must have had this in mind as the proper usage.Yes, yes. That’s how it should be used.

  Her eyes glittered mischievously as she climbed the walls as quickly as zuzels climbed trees. Wherever she touched would turn into a place where she could grab or place her foot.

  She had to admit that she didn’t do a lot of mountain climbing in her 18 years of life. But she climbed a lot of buildings. And climbing as an elibu sure was fun! Transmutation magic was the best climbing gear!

  Soon she was towering over the entire canyon, looking down at the rock bellow like an emperor looked down at his loyal subjects.

  She grinned wide and walked back, away from the cliff. She needed to put some distance between herself and the edge so she could run and reach her maximum speed before jumping down the cliff. The faster, the better.

  Her steps suddenly stilled, her excited expression replaced by shock.

  A moment before, everything was fine. A moment later, a bright torch appeared in her mana vision, right in the middle of her chest.

  She looked down towards her chest to see a long crystal, the size of a finger, which was agitatedly quivering left and right. This usually lifeless pendant was suddenly pulsating with life as if trying to tell her something.

  She had been wearing this crystal around her neck for the last 3 years, and in that time, it had never shown any signs of activity. If it weren’t for her Aethernea of Sight, to which this crystal looked almost alive, she too would have thought it to be a mundane object with no magical properties.

  Each time she looked at the object, she would remember the person who gave it to her, and her face would turn sour.

  “What does it do?” She had asked that person. The response she got still caused her face to turn unsightly:“Allegedly it has something to do with the soul. And the return of the gods. Perhaps it can help you find what you seek? Or perhaps it might warn you of the impending crisis? If it is meant to be, I’m sure you’ll figure it out. For now, just think of it as a lucky charm.”

  She humphed in displeasure. Almost two millennia had passed since they received the object, in that time even an idiot could have found out some clues of its actual usage. Yet, instead of investigating their own family heirloom, they left it up to fate. They believed that the one that was fated with it would eventually unveil its secrets.

  Elaru looked around her with all her senses. She spread her mind, employed her Aethernea to its maximum distance and accuracy, she even used her ears to pick up any sounds. Yet no matter how hard she searched, she could not find the reason for the pendant’s strange behavior.

  “Perhaps it can help you find what you seek? Or perhaps it might warn you of the impending crisis?” The words echoed in her head.

  Which one is it? Should I search for the cause, or should I stay away from it?

  She gripped the pendant tightly, her gaze steeled. Even if it is dangerous, if it can help me understand this pendant better, I should investigate.

  Elaru Wayvin wasn’t the kind of person to just wait for fate to find her. She made her own fate.

  This seemingly useless pendant could prove to be of life and death importance. Every clue she found might end up bringing her closer to her goal. She most definitely wouldn’t let a single one slip away!

  The pendant was obviously reacting to something. She just had to find out to what. If she moved closer to the source of the reaction, would the pendant’s reaction intensify?

  Elaru started moving away from the cliff. The pendant started reacting when she was moving in this direction so she decided to continue. As she walked, every few steps, the pendant’s glow would intensify slightly.

  She was indeed coming closer. Her eyes glittered, her heart thumped hard in anticipation.

  What is it? What is it reacting to?

  Her chase of the unknown led her to the forest on the top of the canyon. It was on the outskirts of a small town.

  She walked slowly but surely, sometimes she would proceed in the wrong direction, but the shaking and glowing of the pendant would soon put her back on track.

  It was growing more and more resplendent. If it were someone else, they probably wouldn’t be able to conceal the waves of mana the pendant created wherever it passed, but Elaru’s mana conceali
ng abilities had constantly been polished over 18 years. It wasn’t just a habit; it was her way of life.

  As she spread her Aethernea over the forest, she noticed it was full of wildlife. There were several argel in the forest too. Most of them appeared to be hunters. There was one mage using the forest as his training ground.

  She looked over the people briefly but then paid them no more attention. It was only when the pendant led her deeper in, in the direction of the practicing mage, that she started paying him more attention.

  Her presence was completely erased, and she was under a light bending spell that made her invisible to the eye. Even so, she still didn’t approach him too closely and decided to go around him.

  To her surprise, no matter how she tried to go around him she always ended up going towards him.

  The pendant was pointing straight at him!

  Elaru focused on the mage, this time with profound interest. The trees blocked her vision, but she could still see him with her Aethernea. His mage armor wasn’t very dense, but it was very stable and perfectly under his control. His aura was light, and slowly dissipating as he was using magic. The amount of mana exiting his body was too little to be able to keep up with his consumption.

  Still, even in a scenario where his mana was sparse and light, it still flowed with intricate beauty. In her vision, it glowed prettily, sometimes icy blue, sometimes deep azure. The colors were very pure and extremely beautiful.

  Mana was colored by the mage’s mind. His personality, feelings, and desires reflected on the mana. As her mind came into contact with his mana, Elaru felt a sense of Deja Vu.

  Her first impression was that this mana belonged to a sentimental yet lonely person. It seemed like he was loyal, dedicated and really passionate about that which is important to him.

  Usually, she wouldn’t have been able to tell that much about the person just by sensing his mana. But this feeling…was very familiar…

  Elaru smiled involuntarily. This person…his mana feels a lot like yours Wade… She chuckled. But without all the naughtiness and trouble causing tendencies.

  This time, instead of trying to avoid him, she went straight towards him. The closer she came, the more excitedly the pendant pulsated, glowed and shook.

  Soon she was close enough to see him clearly.

  It was a boy that looked to be around her age. He was extremely good looking, so much that he could be called beautiful. Raven black hair with several blue locks. She focused on his eyes. Icy blue.

  Most likely a Rroda from the main branch. She deduced instantly. This color combination was very unique; it originated from the Rroda family ancestor and everyone with this color combination was blood-related to the Rrodas. Rrodas weren’t the only ones that had a signature color combination, Arites, for example, were the only noble family whose members had violet eyes, and Tanyers inherited eyes the color of molten gold.

  What would a Rroda be doing here? Is this place their vacation spot or something?

  She looked at the boy closely, inspecting his toned body. Is the pendant reacting to him, or is it reacting to something he has on his person?

  As far as her eyes could see, he wasn’t wearing any artifacts or objects of value. But if he wasn’t in possession of an Aetherneal artifact, why would the pendant be pointing towards him? Is he a wielder of an Aethernea?

  * * *

  Author Note:

  The return of the mysterious crystal that was introduced in the second episode. You didn’t pay it much attention back then, did you? ;)

  Coming up in the next episode:

  To Elaru, who could see mana, this side of the boy looked absolutely enchanting.

  This person…is incredible. Elaru’s eyes glittered.

  Elaru shook her head, yet what she felt at this moment wasn’t pity, but a sense of comradery.

  A lucky charm, huh? Tsk…tsk…knowing the person who gave this to me, all of this has to do with fate…

  Elaru rubbed her chin in thought. Am I connected to him by fate? Why?

  If that is the case…should I be fighting against it or embrace it?

  Episode 26 – Coincidence or Fate?

  Episode 26 – Coincidence or Fate?

  Previously:

  Elaru reminisces of what happened 10 days ago that caused her to meet Kiel. She was searching for burrowing windroots in the canyon near Beyd. Just as she was about to teleport to Ashar, her crystal pendant lit up, pointing her towards the forest.

  The pendant brings her to Kiel who is practicing magic in the forest. She recognizes him as a Rroda and wonders why the pendant is pointing her towards him.

  * * *

  As far as her eyes could see, he wasn’t wearing any artifacts or objects of value. But if he wasn’t in possession of an Aetherneal artifact, why would the pendant be pointing towards him? Is he a wielder of an Aethernea?

  As far as she knew, there existed 5 different Aetherneal gifts. (Excluding Aetherneal bond which she speculated to be another Aetherneal gift, however, she was unable to confirm it.)

  Impossible. She concluded. Out of the five, four would have allowed him to detect her presence in different ways. Yet he was still clueless about it. And the last one would have given him extraordinary healing rate, which, judging by the state of his fists, he didn’t possess.

  No surprise there, Aethernea wielders don’t grow on trees.

  After eliminating the possibility of him being an Aethernea wielder, she concentrated on other options. Did the pendant consider him a threat to her?

  She watched the boy get pissed about something and furiously beat a tree into a pulp. She covered her mouth to stop a giggle. The boy seemed harmless, even cute. Dangerous? Him?

  Alright, alright. I shouldn’t dismiss the possibility so easily. Who am I to question the proper function of an Aetherneal artifact?

  She continued observing him as he practiced his martial arts.

  He didn’t have a specific martial arts style. His style was formless and flexible. It looked like something he developed while trying to make sense of a basic hand to hand combat manual. Elaru’s keen eye could tell he neither had a good teacher nor battle experience. However, from his adaptable and flawless usage of the basics, she could tell he had talent.

  He has a good sense for martial arts. Pity that he had no one to guide him.

  The time moved slowly as she continued watching him.

  The blazing sunlight rained down from the clear sky. The tiwi hid in the shadows of the trees and chirped a relaxing melody.

  The body of the boy soon got drenched with sweat. His clothes stuck to him like glue, revealing all his fine muscles. The sunlight danced on the clearing, making the sweat on his body glisten like pearls.

  Elaru sighed inwardly. I wish I had some snacks to nibble on. This is going to take a while.

  After calming his breathing, the boy switched to practicing magic.

  And as he did so, he seemed to turn into someone else.

  While practicing martial arts, he already looked like he was dancing, but now…the glittering light of magic made it seem even more ethereal. When he weaved magic, it was as if every pore of his body exuded elegance and beauty. His magic was flawless, intricate and pretty.

  To Elaru, who could see mana, this side of the boy looked absolutely enchanting.

  This person…is incredible. Elaru’s eyes glittered. Why haven’t I heard about a younger generation genius of a Rroda family?

  Soon she got her answer. She had thought it to be strange from the start, but her suspicions were confirmed after a while of observation.

  This guy’s mana regeneration is almost non-existent…This guy…is he a non-mage?

  Suddenly everything made sense. Why he was here alone, in the middle of nowhere. Why she had never heard of him before. Why he had no one to guide him and teach him martial arts.

  He was a non-mage. A disgrace of the Rroda family. It would be considered merciful if they didn’t disown him.

 
; They deliberately kept him away from the spotlight. He might even be someone’s bastard child.

  Nobles were very picky with who they married. It had to be someone with high status or ability. It would be almost impossible for a legal son of a noble to be a non-mage. The only explanation would be if the noble had an affair with someone with low magic ability.

  What bad luck. To be born into a Rroda family as a non-mage.

  Elaru shook her head, yet what she felt at this moment wasn’t pity, but a sense of comradery.

  ◈ Thursday, 23rd of August 1449 A.W. ◈

  (8 days later)

  For eight days, Elaru had stalked Kiel Rroda hoping to find out the reason why they met. In that period, the only thing she managed to find out was that the pendant was definitely reacting to Kiel Rroda himself and not an artifact on his body.

  She confirmed this fact when he was taking a bath.

  Of course, she didn’t peek on him.

  She had her Aethernea of Sight, there was no need to see him with her actual eyes.

  Her mana vision wasn’t considered as peeking!

  It was always active, there wasn’t anything she could do about it. She couldn’t not see him.

  Ok, fine, she would have peeked even if she had a choice to not peek.

  But it was purely to confirm whether the pendant was reacting to him. Really.

  Ahem! The point is, in this time, she managed to find out so much about Kiel Rroda that he felt like an old friend. However, no matter how much she thought she knew, she couldn’t find anything that would warrant such a reaction from her pendant.

  Currently, Elaru was sitting on top of a large canyon pillar. Just out of pendant’s range. If she came any closer to Kiel, the pendant would start glowing and shaking again.