Aether Chronicles: Birth Of A Legend

Raegar killed dozens of Forest Widows, who were charging out of the shadows surrounding the homestead as they destroyed the outbuildings. He was alone and the explosions coming from the town were getting more intense as the battle went on.

Thanks to all his training, the Tier One Monsters weren't a threat to him, but when Tier Two ones appeared, he started growing nervous. Even when using Flash Step, more Deathstingers and Bloodwings attacked from all directions.

'Fuck what are these giant flies doing here!' he thought when ducking under a sudden swoop.

The creature's stinger shot toward him, aiming to impale him, but a Lightningfire Blast erupted from his palm, scorching the air and deflecting the deadly strike before it could reach him.

His eyes flicked around the field he was fighting in, determining the growing threat. More monsters surged at him from every direction, their numbers swelling. Raegar gritted his teeth while thinking. 'If Hogar doesn't show up soon, I risk being overwhelmed.'

Following this, he switched to magic as too many Forest Widows, Deathstingers and Bloodwings swarmed him. Stormfire Bullets tore through their exoskeletons while he bounced around the battlefield.

Thanks to his incredible speed, Raegar evaded most of the incoming attacks, weaving through the chaos like a ghost. But luck wasn't always on his side—one scorpion landed a grazing hit, its venom-laced stinger slicing across his arm.

''Fuck, that hurt!'' he hissed.

Raegar gritted his teeth, ignoring the sharp sting, and activated Flash Step, teleporting away to get some space. But the moment he reappeared, his breath caught in his throat. His face paled while thinking. 'My pools are nearly empty!'

Panic flared in his mind as he realized the dangerous truth. His Thunder and Fire Aether had been draining energy from his other elements at an alarming rate. He clenched his fists, forcing himself to stay calm, but the weight of exhaustion was already settling in.

Without too much time to think as the horde of monsters converged on him when he stopped using magic, he started fleeing into the forest with the Forest Widows and Bloodwings on his tail.

While running, Raegar muttered to himself as he got deeper into Bloodfang Forest. ''I'm sorry Hogar, but I couldn't hold them back anymore.''

***

Hogar slammed a hammer down on a Forest Widow just as his wife killed the last troll. The orc man stood there breathing heavily as the remaining townspeople and Devil Hunters killed the last monsters.

''We should head back to the homestead,'' Mariam said, wiping the sweat from her forehead. Her breathing was heavy, but her gaze remained sharp.

She glanced toward the battlefield, her expression tinged with concern. ''Raegar should be dealing with the stragglers.''

Hogar agreed with a nod before the couple rushed home and when reaching the trail, they saw dozens of monsters lingering around. His eyes widened, but shook his head and charged the creatures.

The two of them started butchering the Deathstingers and Bloodwings until they reached the homestead ten minutes later. When the orc man saw the scene in front of him, his blue eyes widened in shock.

In the meantime, Mariam panicked as she rushed toward the corpses. ''We need to see if his here or escaped.''

Hogar gulped, as there were too many monsters to escape from, but he still followed his wife and started looking for the human they came to enjoy having around. After an hour of searching, the duo stopped.

While catching his breath, Raegar scanned his surroundings, his sharp gaze locking onto something in the distance. His eyes narrowed, and without hesitation, he pushed himself up and followed it.

Mariam noticed his sudden movement and quickly trailed behind. Just as she caught up, he spoke, his voice edged with urgency. ''The boy's alive, I think—but he's headed south, into the swamplands.''

At his words, Mariam's face paled, dread settling over her features. Before she could respond, Zorana emerged from the house, casually wiping blood from her blade, her expression unreadable.

''Have you guys seen Rae?'' she asked in a cheerful voice. ''I want to see if he's okay after the monster wave.''

Hogar turned to her with a sigh before revealing. ''I don't think he'll be back. A pack of Forest Widows, Deathstingers, and Bloodwings chased him south. If I know him well enough, he'll lose them before heading west.''

When Zorana heard this, her eyes widened in shock as her head snapped south, but Mariam spoke up. ''We need you until the vampire reinforcements get here, Rana.''

The young orc woman nodded with a sigh and looked into the forest while mumbling. ''I hope we meet again, Raegar Blackwood.''

***

Raegar was casting Stormfire Bullets that slammed into a Forest Widow's torso, causing an explosion to erupt. This gave him enough time to get ahead of the swarm and had to stop when reaching a river.

The swamp stretched endlessly before him, its murky waters thick and uninviting. Twisted roots jutted out like skeletal fingers, and the surface rippled ominously, hinting at unseen dangers lurking beneath.

Just then, a massive tree trunk drifted past, carried by the current. Seizing the opportunity, he leaped onto it, only for a Deathstinger to lunge at him, its venomous stinger slicing toward him in a deadly arc.

Raegar's eyes widened in shock as the Deathstinger hurtled toward him, its venomous stinger gleaming in the dim light. Instinct took over—he dropped low, narrowly avoiding the strike, and thrust his palm forward.

''Lightningfire Blast,'' he cast his strongest spell.

A surge of crackling energy erupted from his hand, slamming into the creature and sending it skidding backward across the water. The force of the blast sent waves rippling outward, the air thick with the scent of burned chitin.

Raegar grabbed a branch just as the tree shot past the horde that screeched at him. He slumped down and let out a breath while mumbling. ''Well, that was close, but I got away for now.''

Following that, he traveled down the river while looking for a place to jump off. Soon enough, the landscape changed, and he ended up in swamplands, which made him panic as something exploded from the water.

He tried to cast Flash Step, but before he could vanish, a monstrous crocodile lunged from the depths, its massive jaws clamping down on his arm with crushing force. A sharp, agonized scream tore from his throat as the beast yanked him beneath the murky water.

Panic surged through him as his vision blurred, and his lungs burned, but he refused to go down without a fight. Summoning a dagger in desperation, he drove the blade into the creature's thick hide. Again. And again.

The water churned violently, stained with swirling ribbons of blood as he fought like a cornered beast, determined to survive. With a final, savage stab, the beast shuddered and loosened its grip.

Seizing his chance, Raegar ripped free and kicked off the creature's body, breaking the surface with a desperate gasp. His limbs screamed in protest, but he forced himself forward, clawing his way through the muck toward the shore.

The moment his feet hit solid ground, he didn't hesitate and cast Flash Step to reappear high in the trees, his breath ragged, his body dripping with water and blood. Raegar slumped down and started taking off his armor.

He let it drop onto the branch and tore off his shredded shirt, only to gag at the sight of his injuries. Deep lacerations, nearly an inch deep, crisscrossed his skin, raw and vicious. Blood seeped from the wounds, staining his torso with streaks of crimson.

Gritting his teeth, he reached into his magic bag, pulling out the medical supplies he had stored. He had some Atherweave Bandages that Hogar gave him and Aethercleanse that his grandfather put in the kit.

Raegar fumbled with the disinfectant, uncapping it and pouring it over his arm. The instant the liquid made contact, a searing pain shot through him, and he let out a guttural scream, the burn nearly unbearable.

But after what felt like an eternity, the pain subsided, leaving only the dull throb of his injuries. With a shaky breath, he grabbed a healing pad, covering it in Healing Slav before slapping it onto the worst of the lacerations.

He secured the pad with Aetherweave. The material slowly seals the injury tightly. As he finished, he glanced down, realizing with a frown that his remaining bandages would only last a few days.

''It'll have to be enough for now,'' he muttered to himself, bracing himself for whatever came next.

The pain still lingered, gnawing at him relentlessly. Raegar's body trembled with the strain as he fought to steady his breath. ''Damn it,'' he muttered, reaching into his pouch.

His fingers brushed against the small, familiar pill his grandmother had given him, a gift wrapped in stern advice. 'Only take it when things are bad,' she'd said, her voice stern and unwavering.

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