The campfire crackled softly, casting flickering shadows against the crude tents and weathered faces of the travellers. Rava sat cross-legged on a patch of uneven earth, her golden eyes flicking toward the distant treeline where Vivienne lingered out of sight. A bowl of lukewarm stew sat untouched in her lap, its thin broth doing little to rouse her appetite.
The woman who had greeted her earlier—Drenna, as she had introduced herself—sat on the opposite side of the fire, her expression carefully neutral. The other travellers whispered among themselves, their voices low and wary, but their eyes betrayed a shared unease.
“You said your companion wouldn’t approach,” Drenna remarked, her tone almost conversational but with an edge that wasn’t easy to miss.
“She won’t,” Rava replied evenly. She spooned a mouthful of the stew, swallowing despite its blandness. “She knows how to respect boundaries... when she wants to.”
“That’s a peculiar choice of words.” Drenna’s gaze was piercing, her fingers drumming lightly on her knee.
Rava leaned back slightly, maintaining her composure. “Vivienne is peculiar. But she’s not dangerous to you, if that’s what you’re worried about.”
“Not yet,” Drenna countered.
There was a tense pause, broken only by the crackle of the fire. Rava’s ears flicked, catching faint murmurs of concern from the other travellers. She met Drenna’s stare without flinching.
“I paid for the meal,” Rava said quietly, her tone calm but edged with a warning. “We’ve shown no hostility, and neither has my companion. If there’s trouble, it won’t come from us... unless you start it.”
Drenna’s eyes narrowed, her posture stiff, but after a moment, she inclined her head slightly. “Fair enough,” she said, though her tone remained wary. “Just keep your... friend in check. We’ve had more than our share of strangeness lately.”
Rava’s ears flicked in interest. “Strangeness?”
Drenna hesitated, her eyes darting toward the other travellers around the fire. Her voice dropped to a near whisper. “Aetherbeasts. Bigger, smarter, and a lot bolder than they should be. It’s like something’s riled them up.”
“That’s... worrying,” Rava murmured, finally deciding to brave the thin soup they called a stew. She poked at it with her spoon, trying not to grimace as the watery broth swirled listlessly. “And you’re certain it’s not just a bad hunting season?”
Drenna shook her head, her face tight. “No. We’ve been out here long enough to know the difference. These aren’t just hungry beasts. They’re coordinated. Like they’re being driven by something—or someone.”
Rava frowned, her appetite waning further as her instincts prickled. “That’s not good.”
From her place at the barrier, Vivienne’s voice floated over, casual yet sharp as ever. “Coordinated aetherbeasts, you say? How exciting. Maybe I’ll get that dinner after all.”
Drenna stiffened, her hand twitching toward the hilt of her dagger. “Your companion seems awfully eager about this.”
Rava sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “She has... an unusual perspective on threats. But trust me, she’s more useful against them than you think.”
Another growl rumbled through the forest, closer this time, and the crackle of the campfire seemed to shrink under its weight. The travellers exchanged uneasy glances, their hands instinctively moving toward their weapons.
Vivienne’s glowing eyes glimmered in the shadows, her many heads tilting toward the sound with predatory anticipation. “Oh, it’s getting closer. This is going to be fun.”
“Define ‘fun,’” Rava muttered with exasperation, already rising to her feet. She flexed her padded claws, missing the comforting weight of her gauntlets. She hated being without them.
The forest, which had been full of its usual sounds, fell deathly silent. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath. An unnatural stillness pressed against the very air around them, and Rava’s muscles tensed in response, instinctively preparing for whatever was about to break that fragile silence. Her golden eyes darted around, scanning the treeline.
Then, with a sudden crash that shook the ground beneath their feet, something massive burst through the dense trees. The sound of splintering wood and the thud of heavy footsteps reverberated through the camp, and the source of the disturbance soon revealed itself.
A hulking creature emerged from the shadows, its form a mass of shifting, corrupted aether—a twisting amalgamation of shadows and faint sparks of Dusk Aether. It had the form of a towering wolf, a mockery of a canine shape. Its limbs were bent in disturbing ways and its mouth split its snout far too wide with teeth far too sharp. Its glowing eyes were like twin cracks in the dark, filled with an unnatural, malevolent light, fixated on the camp. Its roar reverberated through the air, a deep, guttural sound that seemed to tear at the very fabric of reality.
Vivienne tilted her head, her many eyes narrowing as she observed the creature with an odd curiosity. “Well, well... That feels familiar,” she purred, her voice smooth yet unsettling, a faint flicker of recognition in her tone.
Rava’s gaze never left the creature. “What do you mean?” she asked, voice steady but with a hint of urgency.
Vivienne’s smile curled into something darker. “It's made of the same thing as me,” she replied cryptically, her eyes glinting with a sharp, predatory gleam. “A creature made of extremely dense dusk aether, like that revenant, but the size of the hydra.”
The aetherbeast, its body a chaotic swirl of dark, corrupted dusk aether, charged at the group of travellers, its massive claws slashing through the air as it bellowed in fury. Each of the warriors in the camp gripped their weapons—swords, spears, and hammers—eyes wide with the primal fear that came with facing such a creature. They took up defensive positions, but none dared to make the first move.
With a deafening crash, the aetherbeast collided with the shimmering barrier that separated it from the group. The barrier lit up violently upon impact, a burst of radiant energy flaring out from the point of contact. The creature recoiled, stumbling back as the force of the impact sent shockwaves through the air. But despite its strength, the barrier held firm, not giving an inch.
Vivienne giggled, a discordant sound that echoed strangely through the tension-filled air. "I know, right?" she called out to the creature, her voice strangely cheerful as her many faces beamed at the hulking figure. "I can’t get in either." Her words seemed almost lighthearted, as if the situation were nothing more than an amusing challenge.
The beast growled low and deep in its throat, furiously ramming against the barrier once more, but once again, its attack was rebuffed by the magical wall that held it at bay. With each failed attempt, its roars grew more frantic, but there was little it could do to breach the shimmering force.
Vivienne tilted her head, her eyes flicking between the beast and the travellers with a faintly amused smirk. “Ah well, if you’re all going to stay in there,” she continued, her voice full of feigned sympathy, “I guess it’s finally dinner time for me, right?”
Her tone shifted suddenly, the playfulness gone, replaced by something far darker. The creature’s frustration was palpable, and she could almost feel the tension building in the air around them. With a sharp hiss, she began to move, her many heads twisting like serpents as she prepared herself.
She could sense the power inside the creature—corrupted, tainted with dusk aether, and full of rage—but she was far from afraid. The creature might be strong, but so was she. Her eyes glinted as her many forms coiled with anticipation, hunger filling the pit of her stomach.
Rava, watching the interaction closely, tensed. "Vivienne... don't get too cocky," she warned under her breath, though she wasn’t sure if Vivienne was even listening.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
The aetherbeast roared once more, its body trembling with agitation, and with a sudden surge of speed, it rushed at the barrier again. But this time, its charge was more calculated. The dark energy surrounding it pulsed, a strange aura growing more concentrated, and the air seemed to thicken with a weighty tension as it pressed against the magical wall.
The barrier flickered as the wolf’s body collided with it, but instead of holding, the barrier cracked—an audible splintering sound echoed through the night, and a jagged fissure formed at the point of impact, spreading quickly like a spider’s web.
Vivienne’s eyes gleamed, a wicked grin spreading across her many faces. “Oops,” she purred, the tone of her voice shifting from playful to something far more dangerous.
She moved before the wolf could strike again, her massive hydra form surging forward with terrifying speed. In a blur, her many heads darted forward, fangs glinting, and she crashed into the creature with brutal force. The impact was enough to send the corrupted wolf skidding sideways, its body slamming into the earth with a resounding thud.
The wolf shook its head, disoriented for a moment, but Vivienne was already on top of it. Her many heads hissed and snapped, each one lunging for the creature’s exposed flesh. The beast growled, its glowing eyes burning with fury as it attempted to push her off.
But Vivienne was quick, too quick. Her hydra form was a mass of twisting coils and snapping heads, a relentless barrage of strikes that kept the beast off balance. She wrapped her body around the wolf, her serpentine coils tightening with a crushing grip, while her heads bit into its corrupted aetheric flesh.
“You’re not as tough as you think,” Vivienne taunted, her voice a low, guttural hiss. She dug her fangs into the creature’s side, but it wasn’t enough. The aether wolf was resilient, its body pulsing with dark energy as it fought back.
With a snarl, the wolf twisted its head to snap at Vivienne’s coils, its jaws wide enough to swallow her whole. She barely managed to dodge, feeling the teeth graze her side. A sharp pain lanced through her, but she quickly recovered, hissing in irritation.
"You’ve got bite, I’ll give you that," Vivienne growled, tightening her grip, but the wolf’s strength was impressive. Its claws raked across her body, causing an eruption of sharp, searing pain.
Vivienne flinched, pulling back just enough to avoid the worst of the damage, but the wolf wasn’t finished. With a deafening howl, it reared back, launching itself into a savage counterattack. Its claws tore through the air, a vicious swipe aimed directly at Vivienne’s form.
The hydra shifted at the last moment, just barely avoiding the blow, but the force of the attack knocked her off balance, sending her sprawling onto the ground. For the first time, Vivienne found herself momentarily dazed, her many heads spinning in a disorienting blur.
She hissed angrily, her vision clearing just in time to see the wolf charge again, eyes burning with malevolent hunger.
"Alright," Vivienne muttered, a smirk still playing on her lips, though there was a trace of something more calculated in her gaze. "Let’s see what you’re really made of."
Vivienne's many heads flicked, each of her eyes scanning the beast as it circled, blood and aether seeping from its gashes. The wolf, though clearly wounded, was relentless, its movements almost unnatural—too fast, too erratic, like the very corruption that formed it had imbued it with an insatiable drive.
The crackling of Dusk Aether around it pulsed with a rhythm all its own, an energy that felt like it was eating the air, thinning it out. The force field around them shimmered faintly as the aetheric energy in the beast surged.
Vivienne inhaled deeply, tasting the familiar scent of Dusk Aether in the air. It was like her. A hiss escaped her as her bodies tensed in response to the dark power rolling off the creature. She swirled her coils, avoiding another swipe from the wolf's claws.
"Come on then," she growled, her voice a low rumble as she surged forward, her many heads lashing out in unison.
Her heads struck, but the wolf, quick as ever, twisted with surprising agility for its size, its jaws snapping dangerously close to her. She narrowly dodged, one of her heads scraping past its jagged teeth.
She snarled in frustration, but the beast was already on the offensive again, charging straight at her. The air between them seemed to vibrate with the raw energy of its body, and Vivienne instinctively recoiled, her fangs catching the faintest glint of moonlight.
This time, she wasn’t fast enough. The wolf’s claws tore into her, slicing through her form with a sickening screech. The pain was immediate, burning and deep, lancing through her like a shockwave of destruction. Vivienne's jaws snapped in a scream that was far too human for comfort, but the sound was lost in the crackle of the battle around her.
For a moment, she staggered, feeling the sheer weight of the blow in her many bodies. The beast didn’t hesitate. It leaped, slamming into her with its full mass, sending Vivienne sprawling into the dirt with an earth-shattering crash. Her coils flung out to catch herself, but the wolf was already on her again, jaws wide, lunging with the fury of a creature too far gone into madness.
A flash of bright pain seared across Vivienne's side as the wolf’s teeth sank deep into her flesh. Her vision blurred. She twisted to strike back, but the beast was relentless, pinning one of her heads beneath its clawed paws. The pressure was crushing, a weight she hadn’t anticipated.
No, no, no. This can’t be happening.
She lashed out with another head, sinking her fangs into the beast’s side, but the creature only howled, a bone-shattering sound that reverberated through her very soul. Its corruption was a cancer, and with every second that passed, Vivienne felt it gnawing at her. Every attempt to break free felt heavier.
It’s too strong.
The realisation hit her like a cold wave, and the beast’s next swipe hit her square in the chest, its claws tearing through her skin. She could feel the aether draining from her body, her energy sapping. She was beginning to lose focus—her heads snapping in frantic movements, struggling against the beast’s overwhelming might.
Vivienne’s vision faltered, her bodies aching with each attempt to fight back. The sensation of weakness reminded her of the dawn aether she ate and it left a bitter taste on her tongue. There was always a way to outlast them. But this thing, this beast, was unlike anything she had ever encountered yet. It was drenched in aether but it wasn’t made of the stuff. It was like a wolf had been corrupted by it.
She growled in frustration, her twisting twisting and shifting in desperate attempts to free herself. A pulse of aether flared from her core, but it was diminished, weaker than usual. The sheer pressure of the creature's Dusk Aether was overwhelming her.
She was losing.
The wolf, sensing its advantage, took a step back and lunged again, its jaws aimed at two of her throats. For the first time in the fight, Vivienne hesitated, feeling unsure on how to proceed, her confidence faltering. The feeling was so alien, yet so familiar to her that she hesitated. The blow came fast, and she barely managed to shift in time—one of her heads was swiped off her body which then hit the ground with a dull thud before dissolving into the air.The sharp claws tore at her, a deep, gnashing pain as her inky flesh was shredded.
Vivienne’s many heads snapped with predatory instinct as she tried to adjust her position, writhing in an attempt to gain ground, but the pain seared through her. The beast was relentless, its corrupted Dusk Aether wrapping around her, binding her in ways she hadn't anticipated. Her many eyes glinted with a sharp, bitter resolve, but for the first time, a sliver of doubt crept into her thoughts. This creature—this beast—was like her, but bigger, more twisted. Its raw strength was overwhelming, and it knew no restraint.
She growled through gritted teeth, her voice a low rumble that rattled her own bones, “Is this all you’ve got?”
But the wolf was faster than her. It lunged again, its claws raking through the air with terrifying precision. Vivienne dodged one blow but wasn’t quick enough to avoid the second. The beast’s claws shredded through her form, leaving jagged rents in her aetheric flesh. Her heads recoiled in agony as the pain spiralled out of control.
The wolf stood above her now, its molten eyes glowing with vicious anticipation. The ground beneath her began to crack and split with every movement of the creature’s massive paws. The wolf’s jaw was open wide, ready to tear through her neck, and Vivienne could feel its crushing weight bearing down on her.
For the first time since arriving in this world, she felt small.
She lashed out in desperation, her bodies writhing and snapping, but the beast was too quick—its jaws closed around one of her heads, its fangs like daggers sinking deep into her aetheric flesh. The force sent shockwaves of agony through her core, and for a moment, her sight wavered.
Then, with a guttural scream, the wolf ripped its head back, tearing another two heads off her and she felt her energy draining rapidly, faster than she could regenerate.
No... not like this.
She struggled to rise, but her limbs felt heavier with every passing second. Her hydra form—once her symbol of overwhelming power—was beginning to feel sluggish, fractured. She needed something. Something to tip the scales in her favour.
The air around her flickered with Dusk Aether, the very substance of her own being.
I can take it. I can eat it. I can end this.
The wolf circled, sensing its advantage, its maw dripping with liquid as black as the void. It wasn’t just a beast—it was the embodiment of destruction.
Vivienne's form rippled, shuddered with a tremor of sheer defiance. She would not lose to this thing, not to something born of the same essence that coursed through her own veins.