Aether Chronicles: Birth Of A Legend

Raegar watched the last pirate drop dead while his chest started to hurt thanks to the exertion and Aether use. He shook his head and descended into the lower decks until he reached the treasure room.

Just after he blew off the lock, the mosasaur's massive head smashed through the hull and tried to bite him. Without thinking, he used Flash Step to get away, but the beast went crazy by destroying the ship.

Moments later, the icy grip of the sea engulfed Raegar as the monstrous creature sank the ship in mere seconds, dragging it into the depths. Before he could react, the beast lunged at him, its jaws snapping.

Instinct kicked in, and he unleashed a Lightningfire Blast, the searing energy propelling him out of its path. Breathing hard, he was weaving and darting through the water to evade the relentless sea creature.

Suddenly, something seized the scruff of his neck with unyielding force, yanking him away at such blinding speed that a sharp ache throbbed through his skull. He glanced back only to see his new friend.

''It's you!'' he exclaimed.

When the monster heard this, its orange eyes landed on him with a knowing look before a roar echoed out. The fish panicked and turned sharply as the mosasaur snapped its massive jaws.

Raegar was getting pissed off but there was nothing he could do as both beasts were much stronger than him. The chase was intense as the goldfish dodged every attack before heading for a small cavern.

''Big enough for us but too small for this demon creature!'' he exclaimed as his friend entered their safety.

Moments later, a crash echoed out as their pursuer smashed into the rocks, its gaping maw snapping shut just behind them. His heart pounded in his chest, adrenaline surging, but the fish soon slowed before entering a cave.

As they slipped into the darkness, the space erupted in a soft glow of bioluminescent plants and corals, which adorned the walls and floor, casting an ethereal light all around him as he found the place peaceful.

Raegar barely had time to take it in before a swarm of baby fish darted toward him, nudging him playfully with their tiny bodies and chirping adorable, high-pitched sounds. He pampered the little creatures.

His friend watched from the side, after five minutes, the little ones went to eat, and an even bigger fish returned. When the newcomer spotted him, he glanced at the other one who nodded in silent communication that he didn't understand.

After that, the creature that had saved him snatched him by the scruff once more, gripping him like a mother, and swam toward a narrow crack in the cave wall. His brow furrowed in confusion, but the fish flicked its tail sharply toward it.

Raegar tilted his head upward, catching a glimmer of sunlight piercing through the water, a sight that put a smile on his face. He turned back to the monster, its eyes glinting with intelligence.

Reaching out, he stroked its head, and in response, it pressed against him, nudging his body with a soft, almost affectionate push. While doing this, he spoke. ''I'll come back and visit you whenever I'm in the area.''

After that, the fish gave a subtle nod, and Raegar slipped into the crack, beginning his ascent. As he climbed, the passage tightened, the walls pressing in until he had to drag himself upward, inch by grueling inch.

Ten minutes later, he broke through the surface, gasping as he emerged. Raegar tugged off his mask, inhaling a deep breath of fresh air that washed away the tension in his chest and made him feel better.

Revitalized, he resumed his climb, pushing upward with renewed determination until the sounds of wind could be heard. Ten minutes later, he climbed out of the chasm and soon realized he wasn't far from the pirate village, which was good for him.

Raegar sat down behind a boulder and started gathering to recover the Aether he used to terrorize the pirate ships. A few hours later, he opened his eyes and felt slightly better, but the strain on his body was noticeable.

''I need some rest after all this chaos,'' he ranted while drinking a stamina potion. ''Hopefully, the academy is peaceful.''

Following that, he got up and stretched before walking toward the village. When he got close, he heard the sound of an alarm ringing out which caught his attention. This caused him to grow curious and slowly approach.

Moments later, Raegar noticed a monster wave attacking the walls while every pirate was fighting them off. 'Perfect,' he thought, his red eyes glowing with resolve. 'This'll be tough, but I've got this. Father's training prepared me for exactly this kind of challenge.'

He readied his daggers and scanned the crowds for the Tier Three Warriors and found one guarding the northern gate. The man was flinging spells into the horde of monsters, but that gave him a few ideas.

Raegar snuck as close as he could get before throwing a few Fire Bombs at the wooden wall, which went up in flames, shocking the pirates, but as more of them flooded that part as monsters rushed in he made his move.

''Here we go,'' he mumbled as his battlelust soared.

Thanks to Enhancemanet, he shot forward like a bullet. When closing in he used the monsters to jump onto the wall. Before landing, he spun with his blades held out and took out a few pirates.

When landing Raegar grinned before casting Hydra Blades and sent them flying toward the Tier Three leader. As the enemy saw this, he tried to defend himself by blocking, but it was too late.

He used Flash Step to travel toward the Pirate leader and quickly launched dozens of slashes while his Aether blades drew the man's attention, but when he noticed him, the enemy swung at him.

Raegar gulped before spinning over the blade just as he threw the daggers that buried themselves in the pirate's chest. When seeing this, he backed off and summoned them back as enemies swarmed him.

Without waiting, he used the Hydre Blades to kill the weaker pirates while readying for the leader's counter that came seconds later. A massive axe swung toward his neck, forcing him to lean back just as the wind passed by.

He reacted in a heartbeat, vanishing with Flash Step to materialize behind the man. His blade sliced through muscle with precision, drawing a scream of agony from his target, who tried attacking him.

Leaping back, Raegar flung a smoke bomb that burst on impact, flooding the air with a dense shroud. The wall was soon cloaked in a thick, choking layer, tilting the fight in the monsters' favor.

Seizing the chaos, they surged over the barrier like a relentless tide and started attacking the surrounding pirates. The leader roared in anger but soon his senses warned him to move, which he did.

Lightningfire Blast exploded from his feet as he was sent flying just as a greatsword shattered the spot he was just at and spells flew at him which he blocked with Stormfire Bullets.

Raeger soon realized the second Tier Three Warrior appeared to help out the first. 'Fuck! This is bad,' he thought before landing with a thud.

After that, Raegar swept his gaze around his surroundings. He lobbed a handful of smoke bombs in every direction, their explosions cloaking him in. With those precious seconds, he summoned Titanfall, hurling it skyward.

This slipped past the notice of the pirate leaders, their fury blinding them to the looming threat. He chuckled before spamming Stormfire Bullets at them and quickly fled from the village as the metal rod hung overhead.

As Raegar got far enough away, he dropped his hand and moments later, a whistling noise rang out only to slam into the ground, killing everything in the village while he rode the shockwave toward Hollowood Forest.

Before crashing he cast Flash Step to land on a branch as it washed past him. Following that, he quickly jumped to the ground while approaching the now-destroyed village that lay in ruins with no signs of life.

He let out a soft chuckle before pressing northwest, bound for Duskmoor County to reunite with his family. After days of travel, he settled into a clearing as he set up camp for the night, the crackle of a small fire lighting the stillness around him.

Raegar sat by the fire, a sharp snap of a twig behind him jolted him to his feet, senses flaring. He scanned the shadows, finding nothing, until a voice slithered through the air, chilling his skin. ''Arthur. Come over here and help me.''

It was his older brother's voice, but something twisted and unnatural laced the tone, setting his nerves on edge. Before he could process it, another voice cut through, this time a woman's, familiar yet wrong.

''Big brother! Come help me!'' The plea hung in the air, its eerie edge sharpening his unease.

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