Everything was strange since the morning. I was lounging in my kingdom, servant had left not long ago, leaving me with the animated one and the destroyer.
Anger still shimmered in me after having been thrown from my comfortable sleep at sunrise. Then, while I was stretching myself, a strange feeling took over, and I was in the middle of the trees with the servant near me, his face marked with tears. Stranger yet was the lack of food in his arms when I saw him. Instead, he bit his hand and gave me a morsel of something that tasted divine before ordering me around to find the others. And after I so graciously helped him, we were transported to yet another strange area.
It looked like a noisy city, yet it was too clean. There were no noisy cars and it lacked any snacks running around or fallen on the ground. The buildings towered above us, pristine and unblemished, their surfaces reflecting the sunlight in a way that seemed wrong.
The animated one, full of boundless energy, darted ahead, her tail flicking with excitement. "Look at this place!" she meowed, her voice filled with awe, "Everything is so shiny and new! Let's explore!"
The destroyer disappeared almost immediately, blending into the shadows of the alleyways. I knew he'd find something to break or a corner to vanish into as he always did.
I padded along, my paws making no sound against the spotless pavement. My senses were on high alert, the unfamiliar scents and sounds of this place making my fur bristle. The animated one bounced back to me, her eyes wide with curiosity.
"Isn't this amazing?" she purred, trying to nudge me into play.
I flicked my tail in annoyance, "It's strange. There's no food, no noise, and it smells too clean. I don't like it."
The animated one tilted her head, her whiskers twitching, "Maybe it's different, but it could be fun! Let's find out more about this place."
Reluctantly, I followed her, my eyes scanning the surroundings for any sign of danger or something familiar.
Every area we passed by was a copy of the last, the only outliers being the area where the humans gathered. As we passed by the reflective buildings, I couldn't see our reflections, even as I slapped my paws at them, trying to make them show me.
"Where do you think the servant went?" the animated one asked, her voice a soft whisper.
"He's probably around here somewhere," I replied, my ears swiveling to catch any hint of his presence.
As we turned a corner, the sound of raised voices caught my attention. I slowed my pace, my ears pricking up as I tried to discern the source of the commotion.
"That's not fair! I should have won that bid!" one voice shouted, filled with anger.
"You didn't have enough points, deal with it," another voice retorted, equally heated.
The animated one and I exchanged a glance before moving closer, our curiosity piqued. We crept up to the edge of the spotless alley where two humans were arguing, their faces red with frustration.
"You cheated!" the first man accused, jabbing a finger at the other.
"You're just a sore loser," the second man shot back, shoving the first man hard, the force making him hit the building and lose his balance for a moment.
More shouting ensued as spit flew from their mouths like they were spray bottles. The shoving quickly escalated into a physical fight. "YOU SON OF A—" the first punch was thrown, connecting with a loud smack.
The punched man looked incredulous for a split second before launching himself at the other man. Their bodies collided with a series of grunts and growls, the sound of fists meeting flesh echoing down the alley. They grappled, fists flying wildly. The first man swung again, catching the second man in the jaw with a crunch.
With a snarl, the second man retaliated, slamming his fist into the first man's gut, causing him to double over. But the first man recovered quickly, tackling the second man to the ground. They rolled on the around in a tangle of limbs and fury.
"Get off me!" the grappled man shouted, trying to push the other man away.
Grabbing the grappled man by the collar, the first man began smashing the grappled man's head against the pavement. Each impact was accompanied by a sickening thud and a cry of pain. With ragged breath, the top man raised his free fist before slamming it into the grappled man's face, causing his head to bounce against the pavement with a loud crack.
The grappled man cried in pain, but the man on top hit him again and again. After many punches, the grappled man stopped resisting, blood seeping out from the back of his head and pooling on the ground.
The top man, panting heavily, leaned over the limp body of his opponent. "You brought this on yourself," he muttered before reaching down and rifling through the other man's pockets, pulling out a small, glimmering object. "I'll be taking this," he said, holding it up triumphantly.
For a moment, the man just stood there, breathing heavily, the adrenaline of the fight still coursing through his veins. He stared down at the bloodied face of his opponent, waiting for some sign of movement. After none came, his brow furrowed in confusion and concern. "Hey, come on, man. Get up," he said, shaking the fallen man's shoulder lightly.
When there was no response, the man's confusion deepened and he shook the second man harder, his voice growing more frantic. "Come on, man, wake up!"
Drool dripped from the corner of the second man's mouth, his eyes half-open and unfocused. The first man recoiled, a look of horror crossing his face as the realization hit him.
"Oh no... oh no..." he whispered, stumbling backward. He saw the blood pooling beneath the man's head, the lifelessness in his eyes. Panic set in. "I need to get out of here," he mumbled to himself, his eyes wide with fear as he glanced around frantically before shoving the object into his pocket and fleeing the scene, his frantic footsteps echoing down the empty alley.
We watched with curiosity as the dark liquid began to seep from the man's head, pooling on the ground. It looked like blood, yet when the scent hit us, it was a rich, intoxicating aroma that made our mouths water.
The destroyer was the first to move, materializing from the shadows before darting forward with such speed that he left a blur behind him. The animated one followed soon after, and I hesitated only a moment before joining them. We pounced on the fallen man, our tongues lapping eagerly at the dark, divine-smelling liquid.
"This is good," the animated one murmured between licks, "but what the servant gave us was better."
I nodded, not stopping my feast. "Much better," I agreed, savoring the taste.
With each drop we consumed, the man's skin grew paler and the aroma grew fainter, the flavor diminishing with it, until there was nothing left but a faint, sour taste.
I lifted my head, licking my lips. "It's gone," I said, feeling a mix of satisfaction and disappointment, wishing for more.
The animated one pulled back, her eyes glinting with excitement. "Do you think there are more around here?"
The destroyer, ever silent, merely glanced at the other man who had fled the scene, his eyes narrowing as if considering giving chase.
"We should keep moving," I said, "The servant might be looking for us."
"Let's see what he has planned next," the animated one suggested.
As if the world listened to her words, a great force pulled at my form, twisting me as if I were clay, before reforming us in a land of ice and snow.
***
Giuliano and Zac stumbled as they landed in the icy landscape, the abrupt teleportation leaving them disoriented. The landscape around them was a vast, frozen wasteland dotted with sparse, skeletal trees. A snowstorm raged, the wind howling while furiously whipping snow in the air. The Ether flowed with the wind in invisible streams of spectral ribbons swirling around them.
Giuliano shivered, his breath becoming tiny crystals in the freezing air. "We need to get our gear on, quickly," he said, already fumbling with his pack.
Zac nodded, his teeth chattering as he reached for his own equipment, "Yeah, this cold is no joke."
They hurriedly donned their clothes and equipment, their fingers stiff and clumsy from the sudden cold. Giuliano struggled to buckle his belt properly while Zac's gloves slipped out of his grasp twice before he managed to get them on. The wind violently howled around them, tugging at their clothes like a nagging ex, making the task even more difficult.
"Where's my other boot?" Zac muttered, digging through his bag with increasing frustration.
"Here," Giuliano said, tossing it over. "Hurry up, we need to move."
As they fumbled with their gear, three ethereal shapes materialized near them. Myst, Pounce, and Whisker formed out of the swirling snow, their translucent bodies blending seamlessly with the environment.
Zac finally got his boot on and stood up, flexing his fingers. The sound of clinking chains followed. "Alright, I think I'm good."
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Giuliano glanced at him, seeing the bladed chains attached to special gloves on both of Zac's hands for the first time, "So that's why you picked Chainmaster as your alias."
Zac grinned, giving his chains a few test swings, "Yeah, figured it suited me." After trying to show off for a bit, one of the chains hit the other mid-rotation, entangling them, "Where's your weapon?" Zac asked, trying to separate his chains while looking at Giuliano expectantly.
Giuliano flexed his arm, showing a glaring lack of muscle, "You're looking at them."
Zac chuckled, "Not very reassuring, G."
As they finished donning their equipment, they took a moment to take in their surroundings. The icy wind cut through their clothes, making them shiver despite their layers. The landscape was bleak and hostile, with the swirling snow obscuring their vision and making it difficult to see more than a meter ahead.
Myst, Pounce, and Whisker padded over to them, their eyes glowing with a soft, ghostly light. They seemed unaffected by the cold, their forms barely disturbed by the wind.
"Alright," Giuliano said, his voice firm despite the chill. "Let's get moving. We need to find those Frozen Lilies and complete this mission."
Zac nodded, his expression growing serious. "Yeah, let's do this. Stick together and keep our eyes open."
Since the change to his [Etheric Blood], Giuliano's Ether seemed to have settled into a steady rhythm, allowing [Spirit Harmony] to always be active, constantly giving the barest sense of distance and state of his companions, such as the fact that they seemed rather content for some reason. But to send his intent he still needed to consciously command his Ether.
"Please, keep an eye out," Giuliano sent after focusing for a second, creating short-lived link.
Myst leisurely walked over to Giuliano and Zac, rubbing herself against them, providing a comforting presence. Pounce's ears twitched, and her whiskers quivered as she dove into the snow, her form disappearing into the white expanse. Whisker vanished almost instantly.
"How do we start?" Zac asked, tiny crystalized breaths following each sentence. "Do we just wander 'till we find them?"
"Good question," Giuliano said, studying the flow of Ether around them. The underground Ether moved sluggishly, like chunks of rock in a slow-flowing river, while the Ether in the air whipped around like ribbons caught in a storm. Despite their differences, both seemed to follow a similar path.
"Can you see the Ether?" Giuliano asked, analyzing the flow of Ether for a few moments before glancing at Zac.
Squinting his eyes, Zac followed Giuliano's line of sight, "Not really. The ground and the air look a little strange, but I don't know if that's the same stuff you see."
That's better than nothing, Giuliano thought, rubbing his nose with the thick fur gloves, bringing some warmth back to his face. "Let's follow the Ether and hope we end up somewhere."
They began trudging through the snow, the cold biting at their exposed skin. The landscape was desolate, with only the occasional skeletal tree breaking up the monotony of white while the wind howled around them, carrying with it the whispers of the Ether guiding their steps. Giuliano led the way, his eyes trained on the flowing Ether patterns while Zac stayed close behind, his bladed chains occasionally glinting in the sparse light piercing the storm. The ghostly companions moved silently around them, their forms blending seamlessly with the snowstorm.
The journey was arduous, each step sinking into the deep snow, making progress slow and exhausting. The cold seeped through their clothes, and their breath came out in ragged gasps, visible in the frosty air. Despite the harsh conditions, they pressed on, driven by the determination to complete their mission.
"Do you think we’re getting close?" Zac asked after a while, his voice muffled by the wind.
Giuliano paused, knee deep in snow, scanning the area. "I think so. The Ether is starting to converge here. It must be leading us to something."
At his words, Pounce reappeared, her eyes glinting with excitement. Giuliano took that as a sign and quickened his pace, Zac followed closely behind. Pounce led them to an area where the wind seemed to intensify, and the air grew even colder. In the distance, they could make out the shimmering surface of a small frozen lake.
Paying close attention to the Ether, Giuliano saw that the lake wasn't the end point of all the Ether. It more resembled a clogged artery, with the Ether pushing to go past while struggling greatly.
"There it is," Giuliano said, pointing at the lake brimming with cold Ether.
The wind whipped around them with renewed ferocity as they approached the lake, as if trying to push them away from the frozen waters. At the edge of the lake, clusters of plants bloomed out of the ice. The flowers were delicate and shimmered with a pinch of Ether, each one the size of a hand. Looking deeper into the lake, near its center grew larger plants, with each flower being the size of Giuliano's head.
"Are those the Frozen Lilies?" Zac asked, staring at the plants in confusion.
Giuliano squinted at the flowers, noting the thick coating of cold Ether around them, at least ten times as thick as the Ether around the plants at the edge. "They must be. Let's get closer and take a better look."
They cautiously walked towards the edge of the lake, taking a light step that sent the ice creaking. "Those have to be it," Giuliano said, taking his feet out of the lake.
Zac frowned, "If there are only six here, we'll need to find more lakes like this. Gathering 18 Lilies is going to take a while."
Giuliano nodded in agreement, "Yeah, it's going to be a challenge. I honestly lost feeling on my face quite some time ago, after we're done here, let's backtrack to one of the caves we passed by and set a fire."
Zac chuckled timidly, "I don't think it's that bad. I've only lost feeling on my hands and feet."
Thinking for a moment, Giuliano decided to ask something. "Does your manual specifically say something about ice, cold, or anything like that?" Giuliano asked, feeling a tinge of envy at Zac's milder symptoms.
"It's a bunch of mumble jumble, but that's the jist of it."
Tell him to go.
"I'll be going first," Giuliano begrudgingly started, ignoring his urge to send Zac into the lake, "You have an actual weapon, so just keep me safe."
"Will do," Zac said confidently, spinning his chains for a moment before they hit one another, entangling themselves into a knot.
You're gonna die! Giuliano's inner voice giggly said.
Taking a steadying breath, Giuliano sent Zac's fumble out of his mind as he cautiously made his way to the center of the lake, where the larger flowers grew. His steps were deliberate, each one sending shivers through the ice as it groaned under his weight. Zac watched from the edge, his chains untangled and ready to spring into action if anything went wrong.
The center of the lake seemed more frail, spider webbing cracks spread all around the lilies, and as Giuliano reached the middle of the lake, he noticed something peculiar. The lilies seemed to shiver and shift, and looking deeper than their outer coating of Ether, their Ether was oddly muddled, the longer he looked the more types of Ether he saw mixing with the cold Ether. He leaned in closer, reaching out to touch one of the flowers.
Just as his fingers brushed the delicate petals, the lilies suddenly shrank before ricocheting back at him, wrapping around his body. The ice shook and the cracks intensified as large forms battered at it from below.
Before Giuliano could react, the ice shattered, and he was plunged into the frigid water. The shock of the freezing temperature hit him like a sledgehammer, seizing his muscles and stealing his breath. He gasped involuntarily, the icy water flooding his mouth and burning his throat with its sweet, unnatural taste. Panic gripped him as he struggled to orient himself, the cold numbing his limbs and making every movement feel sluggish and clumsy.
Below the ice, Giuliano found himself surrounded by six fish, each the size of his torso, their bodies pulsing with a variety of Ether. The roots of the Frozen Lilies embedded in their backs, glowing in the dark waters.
In a flash, they assaulted his disoriented body, their sharp fins and teeth tearing at his clothes and skin. Fighting to find a grip, his hands found purchase between the sharp scales of the fish, drawing blood from his fingers.
"G!" Zac shouted, eyes wide with horror. He attempted to use his bladed chains, but the first throw missed completely, the chain bouncing on the ice and tangling awkwardly around his arm.
Come on, Zac. Get it together! Zac's thoughts raced, the panic rising.
In a desperate attempt to help, Zac scrambled to the edge of the ice grabbing the closest lily before pulling with all his might, trying to keep it away from Giuliano. The fish, angered by the tugging, thrashed violently, causing more cracks to spiderweb through the ice.
"Hang on, G!" Zac yelled, his voice filled with panic. He fumbled with his chains again, trying to swing them accurately, but his hands were shaking too much from the cold, fear, and exertion of keeping one of the fish from attacking Giuliano.
Giuliano's mind raced, the cold seeping into his bones and numbing his limbs. He needed to act fast. The fish were becoming more aggressive, drawn to the blood seeping from his wounds. His blurry vision caught his cats, standing by the edge of the water, scared of jumping in yet with an undeniable desire in their eyes as his blood colored the water.
An idea formed in his mind, a risky one, but one that might be his only chance.
He felt the Ether inside him, instinctively channeling [Spirit Harmony]. Halfway through a circulation, he cut it off, sending the concentrated Ether into his bleeding fingers, shoving as much Ether as he could between the scales of the fish.
The Ether, so deeply ingrained with his blood, forced it to gush out in a smoky cloud of Ether-rich blood.
Their reactions were immediate. The fish went into a frenzy, the sheer amount of Ether driving them berserk with desire. They attacked each other and Giuliano with a new ferocity, their sharp teeth and fins tearing into anything they could reach. The water churned with their violent movements, the once-clear lake turning dark with blood.
Giuliano gritted his teeth, enduring the pain as the fish tore into him. His plan was working; the fish were more focused on the Ether-rich blood than on him. They bit and clawed at each other, driven mad by the intoxicating Ether
Zac watched in horror from above, having lost the battle against his fish after it went berserk, he was unable to do anything but shout encouragements, "Hold on, G! You're almost there!"
The frenzy reached its peak, the fish attacking each other with such savagery that they began to die off one by one. Giuliano felt a fish's grip loosen on his arm, then another on his leg. The water grew stiller as the fish's bodies floated lifelessly around him.
With the last of his strength, Giuliano pushed himself towards the surface, breaking through the thin layer of newly formed ice and gasping for air. His vision blurred with exhaustion and pain, but he could see Zac leaning over the edge, chains at the ready.
"Grab on!" Zac shouted, his voice desperate.
Giuliano reached out, their hands clasping together. With a mighty heave, Zac pulled Giuliano out of the water, both of them collapsing onto the ice, panting and shivering.
"Are you okay?" Zac asked, his voice filled with concern and guilt.
Giuliano nodded weakly, his teeth chattering, "Yeah... I'm okay. Just... cold."
Myst and Pounce appeared at their sides, their eyes glowing with worry and desire. They nudged Giuliano, licking his wounds.
Zac looked down at his chains, frustration evident on his face, "I need to get better with these. I was useless."
You can say that again, Giuliano’s inner voice mocked.
"We'll train more," Giuliano said, trying to reassure him despite his own exhaustion. "But first, let's get those lilies and get out of here."
They carefully approached the edge of the broken ice, peering into the dark water below. The fish were still there, their glowing backs visible beneath the surface. Sending Giuliano a look, Zac dipped his hands in the glacial water, grabbing the lily and pulling the carcass to solid ground.
Zac felt a pang of guilt as he worked, his movements slow and deliberate. I should've been able to help him better. I need to train harder, he thought, determination hardening within him.
Giuliano, on the other hand, was trying to focus on not freezing in place, eying the general direction of the last cave they passed by.