Aether Chronicles: Birth Of A Legend

Raegar shrugged and aimed his hand just as a basic fire bullet appeared in his hand, which made the watching students laugh, but he added Wind Aether to speed it up so fast that the flames turned blue.

A whistling noise rang out just before he sent Lightning into the bullet and sent it soaring through the air. A spilt-second later, the projectile hit their target only for nothing to happen, this made people laugh even more.

Just then, an explosion tore through the training ground and sent some students stumbling back. The woman's jaw dropped as the protective shield shook thanks to his power. Raegar chuckled while turning to a wide-eyed Caspian.

''Where the Combat Test? I want to check on the Devil Hunters,'' he questioned.

The dark-haired boy shook his head and replied. ''This way, but why do you want to mess with Devils? They are horrible creatures.''

''That they are,'' he replied. ''My aunt gave me a pass to get into the classes, but I want to fight one of the professors.''

Caspian looked even more shocked, straightening his glasses and leading him toward the combat arena. While walking, his new friend looked at him and asked. ''Your aunt's a Devil Hunter Order Inquistor?''

''Yes,'' he answered.

''Who is she?''

Raeger looked at him and replied. ''Amara Vaelthorne, she's stationed in Willowbank Village due to the Devil attacks in the area.''

Caspian stopped walking, only to mumble. ''You're a Vaelthorne?''

''My mother is, yes, but I'm a Blackwood,'' he answered proudly. ''I'm the last of my siblings to keep the name as they took the Vaelthorne surname. I'm not leaving my father alone, so I kept it.''

''Don't you care about the benefits that could bring you?'' he questioned.

Raegar shook his head. "No, I will earn benefits without using my family name. Don't assume I hate them; I don't. I just want to be judged on my own deeds and merits instead of those of my parents or grandparents."

The dark-haired boy was shocked, but soon enough, they came to the Combat Test area, where an arena was busy with students and professors talking to people. The two of them walked up to a nearby desk and registered.

Afterward, he slumped down while watching the ongoing fights as Caspian sat beside him. ''We should be up in half an hour; the professor isn't here yet and should arrive before then,'' he informed.

Raegar nodded in understanding and pulled out a book named Lemuria: The Death of a Land, which he'd had in his storage ring for a long time. He learned about the super volcano that erupted at both ends of the continent.

'Did the survivors flee to Kaldorra and Mythros? Dawnfirians seem to be descends from the third wave of refugees,' he mused.

Following that, time passed by, and Caspian was nudging him. ''Rae, it's my turn to fight the Professor. She just arrived, and the protection shield was activated by the headmistress,'' he revealed.

Raegar shook his head and glanced at the stage, freezing as his gaze fell on the Professor. Her orange hair, tiger ears, glowing green eyes, and brown skin were unmistakable. 'Elara Crowhurst,' he thought, stunned. 'Why is she here?'

Caspian strode toward the stage, fists clenched for battle, as the older woman's voice rang out. ''Come, student. I've got more to face, so let's make this quick.''

He watched as the dark-haired boy sparred with Elara, who was holding back. A smirk tugged at his lips. 'Still the same tigress,' he thought.

Minutes passed, and the fight was over as the older woman managed to take him out by swiping his legs. The boy landed with a thud, but she held her hand out to help him up, speaking. ''We'll work on your fighting during Combat Class. Now send the next person.''

Caspian plopped into the chair beside him, rubbing his back with a grimace. ''She went easy on me. Tough as nails, but she'll make a great Professor.''

Raegar chuckled and stood up with a smile. ''Now watch me put her through her paces,'' he confidently revealed.

His new friend looked skeptical, but when he approached the stage, Elara's green eyes turned to him, and her face lit up. ''Look who it is! I was wondering when you'd show up, Rae.''

''It's good to see you, Elara. I won't lie, I'm shocked that you ended up becoming a Combat Professor,'' he replied to the beautiful tigress with a teasing smirk. ''Maybe you have another reason to be here?''

The older woman started laughing while taking out her sword and beamed as she replied. ''Maybe, maybe not. Who knows? Now show me what the Ghost of the South has learned since we parted ways.''

Raegar grinned while summoning his daggers with a ching just as the Bloodrose Armor covered his body. This scene shocked the tigress as he lowered his body, which caught her attention.

''I see someone has learned from me,'' she commented with a smirk while preparing for an attack.

He surged forward with blinding speed, startling the older woman. She parried his first slash, but his spinning kick caught her off guard, sending her stumbling back, eyes wide with shock.

''You've improved greatly!'' she exclaimed.

Moments later, Raegar lunged forward, his blade slicing through the air. Elara sidestepped effortlessly, her movements fluid, almost dance-like. She countered with a jab of her blunt weapon, which he barely deflected, the impact vibrating through his arms.

He grinned; this was the challenge he'd craved. They traded blows, his strikes measured, testing her defenses. Elara matched him, her speed steady, parrying with ease while her tail flicked behind her.

''Not bad, handsome,'' she teased, her voice warm yet taunting.

Raegar responded with a feint, then a low sweep aimed at her legs. She leaped over it, landing with a grace that made the crowd murmur. Following that, the two of them continued fighting.

Minutes passed, their blades clashing in a rhythmic blur. He pressed harder, landing a glancing blow on her shoulder. Elara's eyes narrowed, and something shifted. Her movements quickened, her strikes growing sharper, more relentless.

'Oh shit! She's getting stronger!' he internally complained while finally realizing she was a Tier Eight Warrior. 'Just like Father and Uncle Cassian.'

Raegar felt the tide turning as she dodged his thrust and spun, her blade grazing his side, hitting the shield. He grunted, adjusting his stance, but she was already a step ahead and became a whirlwind.

The older woman ducked under his swing, her tail brushing his arm as she pivoted behind him. Her blade tapped his back, a point scored that only made him realize that she was holding back.

He whirled, sweat beading on his brow, and charged again, determined to regain ground. Their weapons locked, faces inches apart, her green eyes blazing with focus. ''Getting tired, Blackwood?'' she whispered.

Raegar broke free, launching a flurry of strikes, but Elara was untouchable now. She weaved through his attacks, her agility outpacing his strength. With a sudden twist, she disarmed him, sending his blades skidding across the floor.

Before he could react, her foot hooked his ankle, and she flipped him onto his back with a thud, landing on his waist with her sword at his throat, which made him smile. Raegar lay there, chest heaving, staring up at her.

Elara sat on him, breathing hard but smiling, her orange hair slightly mussed. She leaned down and teased. ''Good fight. You almost had me.''

Following that, she stood up and helped him as he answered. ''I will beat you one, El, just you wait.''

He watched the older woman's cheeks grow darker as she ushered him away. ''Now get out of here, Blackwood. You've passed the test,'' she said with a giggle.

Raegar stepped out of the hushed arena, the silence catching him off guard. He glanced around, noticing the other students' eyes fixed on him. Suddenly, they erupted into cheers, their applause echoing through the space.

The students' cheers followed him, awestruck by how fiercely he'd matched Elara. Brushing off their stares, he headed toward Caspian, who waited eagerly at the arena's entrance. As he approached, the dark-haired boy's eyes lit up.

''That was incredible, Rae! You moved like a seasoned fighter; I could barely keep track of you!'' he exclaimed while getting too close.

Raegar pushed him away with a chuckle while dismissing his armor back into its ring form. ''I'm only Tier One; wait until I get stronger. I'll beat her, but for now, let's go check on the Devil Hunting Classes. I want to join them and fight one of the professors.''

The duo headed north through the academy, bound for the testing grounds. Upon arriving, they found the area sparsely crowded, barely over a hundred students lined up, each waiting for their chance to prove themselves as Devil Hunters.

Caspian's face clouded with worry as he glanced at him. ''Are you sure about this, Rae? Hunting Devils is no joke, you could get killed. I've heard the stories; many powerful warriors have fallen to those horrible creatures.''