TBATE | The Fall of Alacrya

Chapter 12: Breakthrough

Grey

I have wondered this weird cave for what felt like a few days now. Apart from the average beast that would attack me, this place was fairly safe. Almost homey. I found a river running somewhere, which provided me with water, and I ate and cooked the flesh of the mana beasts to keep me full...not that it tasted and better than it sounded, however. The best way I could describe it was eating a chewy burnt steak, coated in a thick layer of blue cheese, and than deep fried.

After looking for the exist for every hour of the day, I decided to turn my mind to reading the writings on the walls. If I didn't focus on something else, other than escaping, I would have surly lost my mind. This was one of the tricks I learned before my duel with...

In short, what I learned from the writings was extremely interesting. At first it was only a story. Dragons vs tattooed people. The dragons won with a crushing victory, leading the people to run hide and mostly die. But as I spent more time in the cave, I realized the drawings on the walks changed. Now it was only squiggly lines, no it was more meaningful. It was almost like one giant rune marking engraved onto the wall.

My finger traced alongside the markings. Feeling through every crevice, making sure I wasn't just hallucinating. I tried imbuing the possible rune with mana, but it clearly rejected the mana. Practically shoving it out of its reach...not that the rune had a reach but you get what I mean.

If only I could somehow influence aether. Somehow guide it to a specific location that I want. I thought.

I sat on the ground forcing myself into meditation. I closed my eyes and let aether reveal itself to me. The purple particles danced along the walls the air, and even me. They built up everything, just like the place the dean shoved me into. But this felt more complex...more like nature, fate. Not some kind of man made replica.

I tried to call out to my rune, but ever since my encounter with the Scythe and the man...I could barely feel it. It's as if a giant lock that was placed on it was taken off...but that didn't mean I could now use the rune. I still had to learn how to influence it.

I called for the aether, tried to force it to enter my core. But it would even budge. I hardened my will, and tugged at the particles. But still nothing. More and more attempts were wasted in the same manner, achieving no further success. I was on the brink of giving up. Eyes watering from just how hard they were shut.

Cmon aether...just move with me...

The particles shook, just slightly.

My head shot upward, even though my eyes were closed...

I laughed at myself, look at you getting worked up over nothing.

But it did give me an idea. What if aether, unlike mana didn't like to be controlled or manipulated. What if it wanted a partner who could work with it, not just use it as a tool.

I reached out my hand, just like I had done with Biella.

"Hello, aether...can you hear me?"

...

The particles glowed brighter for a second...and than dimmed.

My heart fluttered with joy.

"What do you say we..." I liked for the right word.

"Bond...me and you, partners"

The particles remained quite.

So they really don't-

My thoughts were interrupted by the particles movement.

At first, they moved slowly, hesitant. But quickly they gained speed and started entering my body. More and more particles making up this place entered my core. And not just my core, those weird empty mana veins too. My whole body felt alive, as if all the rust just fell off. The aether scurried through my body. Removing some parts of me, replacing it with itself. My body felt newer, no...more godly.