"That's not good," Rava muttered, her brows pinched together as she stared ahead from the top of a hill.
"Why? Can't we just go around?" Vivienne asked, shifting slightly at her side, her inky form blending with the shadows.
Rava turned to her with a quirked eyebrow. "Do you not know how watchtowers work?"
"I assume people sit up in them and, you know, watch the area… from their tower." Vivienne gestured vaguely toward the distant structure, her tone dripping with exaggerated innocence.
Rava sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. "I forget sometimes that you're not from this world." She straightened and gestured toward the distant tower, its silhouette stark against the darkening horizon. "These watchtowers aren’t just manned by bored sentries with lanterns and horns. They usually station someone with a Tempest affinity there—or worse, someone with Celestial aether, if we’re really unlucky."
"Celestial?" Vivienne tilted her head slightly, the faint shimmer of her eyes catching the waning light.
"Foresight and prophecy," Rava muttered. "Means they can see you coming before you know you’re there."
"Ah." Vivienne's expression darkened in understanding.
"Yeah." Rava’s tail flicked sharply, betraying her irritation. She pointed toward the jagged silhouette of the horizon, tracing it with a clawed finger. "Several leagues that way and that way, that's the Greyreach Mountain Range. Looks like they’ve been busy fortifying since my last... visit." Her tone was sharp, the edge of frustration unmistakable.
"So, what now? Sneak through?" Vivienne’s uneven gaze shifted toward the tower, glowing faintly in the distance.
Rava snorted, her ears twitching with agitation. "Sure, if you’re feeling suicidal."
Vivienne tilted her head, her amorphous form rippling slightly. "So, we find a gap in the towers?"
"That’d be ideal," Rava muttered, crossing her arms, "but unlikely. They’ll have overlapping lines of sight, patrols, maybe even traps. This isn’t just about keeping people out; it’s about control." She sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "We’d need to get really lucky—or come up with something clever."
Vivienne hummed thoughtfully, her form shifting subtly as she considered their options. "What about a distraction? Something big enough to draw their attention away from us?"
Rava’s ears flicked, and she gave Vivienne a sidelong glance. "You’re awfully fond of 'big distractions,' aren’t you?"
"Big distractions work." Vivienne’s lips curled into a faint smirk, her tone laced with quiet confidence. "Especially when you’re up against people who think they’re invincible."
"Perhaps," Rava said cautiously, her tail flicking as she studied Vivienne. "Do you have something in mind?"
Vivienne’s grin widened, dark and predatory, her body shifting subtly as if the aether itself trembled within her. "I haven’t been idle while you slept."
Rava raised a brow, stepping back slightly. "What does that mean, exactly?"
"It means," Vivienne began, her voice low and measured, "I’ve been testing my limits. Learning what this body can do." Her amorphous form rippled, tendrils of inky blackness sliding outward like the roots of a spreading tree. "And I think I’ve found a way to make quite the impression."
Rava crossed her arms, her scepticism palpable. "I’m guessing this isn’t going to be subtle."
"No," Vivienne admitted, the quintet of her uneven eyes gleaming faintly. "But it’ll work. They’ll see me and think I’m the only threat. All eyes will be on me, and that’s when you make your move."
"You want to play the decoy?" Rava’s ears twitched. "That’s... bold. And reckless."
"Bold and reckless is what I do best." Vivienne’s smirk softened slightly, the predatory edge tempered by something almost human. "Besides, you’ll be safer this way."
Rava scoffed, her tail snapping irritably. "Don’t flatter yourself. I don’t need protecting. But if you’re set on this... distraction, we’d better make it count."
Vivienne tilted her head, her amorphous form bristling with anticipation. "Oh, it’ll count. Trust me."
She turned her gaze toward the watchtower, its faintly glowing outline standing resolute against the night sky. Her body began to shift, mass pooling into her legs as she took on a towering, humanoid form. The inky blackness of her skin shimmered faintly, as if starlight had become trapped within her.
Rava watched, her expression unreadable, as Vivienne’s monstrous new form took shape. Her amorphous body condensed and expanded in pulses, the transformation both fluid and jarring, as though the shadows themselves were being sculpted into something tangible. Her new form loomed impossibly tall, twice the height of her hydra form, her broad shoulders and angular limbs giving her the appearance of a nightmare come to life.
Her ashen grey skin was no longer smooth but covered in dense, interlocking scales that shimmered faintly like polished stone. The scales flowed seamlessly over her arms, which ended in long, clawed fingers, each digit tipped with obsidian-like blades that gleamed even in the dim light. Spiked protrusions jutted outward from her shoulders and elbows, jagged and uneven, as if her body had been forged in the crucible of chaos.
Her face was angular and strikingly beautiful in a way that was almost painful to look at, a perfect harmony of symmetry and distortion. Five asymmetrical eyes glowed faintly with spectral light, their arrangement alien yet deliberate. Two rested in the usual position, sharp and piercing; one sat below her left eye, smaller but no less intense, while another hovered above her right eye like a predatory third. The last rested below her right cheekbone, each pupil darting independently, scanning the horizon with a predatory hunger.
When she opened her mouth, it was far too wide, stretching unnaturally to reveal rows of razor-sharp, needle-like teeth that gleamed with a wet sheen. Her jaw moved with an unnatural precision, the sound of her sharp inhale like a low, guttural growl.
Even more unsettling were the smaller eyes that had appeared across her body, tucked into crevices between her scales or resting within the jagged spines along her back. These eyes, smaller but just as alive, blinked in eerie unison, each one surveying the world around her with an almost instinctive vigilance.
Vivienne’s transformation ended as her limbs solidified, her frame radiating a terrifying, oppressive presence. Her movements were fluid, almost graceful, but carried an undeniable weight, as though the ground itself struggled to bear her. She flexed her claws experimentally, her scaled fingers clicking together with a sound like stone against stone.
Rava’s ears flicked back, her tail swishing low as she took an instinctive step away. "Well," she muttered under her breath, "that’s not exactly subtle."
Vivienne turned her gaze down toward her companion, her mismatched eyes narrowing slightly. The faint glimmer of amusement passed over her jagged features as her voice rumbled out, low and deliberate. "Subtlety’s overrated."
Without waiting for a reply, Vivienne turned toward the tower in the distance, her massive form melting into the shadows with surprising guile. Rava hesitated for a moment, then crouched low, steeling herself. If Vivienne was capable of drawing all that attention, she had to be ready to make the most of the opportunity.
“Don’t waste the opportunity.” Vivienne’s voice resonated through the stillness of the night, low and guttural, carrying an eerie, otherworldly weight. It wasn’t loud, but it didn’t need to be. The words were a command, not a suggestion, as she turned her mismatched eyes toward Rava one last time before stepping forward into the shadows.
Her massive form moved with a quiet grace that belied its size, each step calculated, the ashen scales of her body blending seamlessly with the darkness. The faint glow of her spectral eyes was the only trace of her presence, and even that seemed to dim as she advanced, melting into the night. The oppressive hum of her aether-laden aura subsided, leaving Rava standing alone, her fur bristling as the stillness enveloped her.
For a moment, Rava hesitated. Her sharp eyes darted to the tower silhouetted against the starlit sky. She didn’t know exactly what Vivienne planned, but the sheer force of her transformation left no room for doubt—this was no ordinary distraction. Whatever was coming would be devastating.
----------------------------------------
Vivienne crouched at the edge of the flickering torchlight, her claws digging deeper into the soil as her many eyes scanned the scene before her. The guards moved in lazy patterns, their boots scuffing against the stone, their conversations low and unconcerned. She tilted her head slightly, listening to the cadence of their voices. There were no urgent cries, no sudden bursts of activity.
Good. No foresight. Or none good enough to see her.
She straightened slightly, her spectral eyes narrowing as her lips pulled back into a sharp grin. The thought struck her, though: she really should have asked Rava for more details about tempest magic and how that was used for detection. Her grin faltered, just for a moment.
Ah, well. In for a penny...
Vivienne’s form shifted ever so slightly, the ashen grey of her skin deepening into the inky black of her base form as she melted further into the shadows. She moved in a low, serpentine glide, her amorphous body stretching and contracting, blending seamlessly with the night. The guards, oblivious, continued their idle patrols, their focus more on staving off boredom than on watching for threats.
She crept closer, her body low to the ground, her movement silent as a wisp of smoke. One guard broke from the others, muttering something about needing a break. He stepped into the shadows, away from the torchlight, his silhouette faint against the darkness.
Perfect.
Before he could react, Vivienne surged forward, her amorphous form solidifying into a massive clawed hand that wrapped around his torso, muffling his startled cry. She dragged him into the shadows, her inky body enveloping him as she absorbed the faint traces of aether clinging to his form. It wasn’t much—certainly nothing compared to the feast she’d had from the wolf—but it was a satisfying morsel nonetheless. A tasty little snack.
This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.
His struggles ceased almost immediately, his body going limp. Vivienne allowed him to crumple to the ground, her claws loosening as she regarded him with faint disinterest. He wasn’t dead—she hadn’t taken enough for that—but he would be unconscious for a while. What struck her more was the absence of the usual echoes that came with consuming aether.
No memories. No emotions. Just pure energy, untethered by burdens of thought or feeling. It was... clean. Useful.
A grin crept across her monstrous features. This could work.
She stepped deeper into the shadows, her form melting into the darkness as her many eyes swept the perimeter. Another guard strayed too close to the edge of the patrol route, his hand resting lazily on the pommel of his sword. He didn’t even see her coming.
Vivienne struck fast and silent, her form rippling forward like a wave of shadow. Her claws closed around his throat, cutting off any chance of a cry for help. This time, she didn’t bother dragging him far, letting his limp body slide into the underbrush. The faint taste of his aether was just as satisfying as the first, and just as empty of meaning.
She moved quickly now, circling the patrol like a predator picking off the weakest of a herd. Another guard vanished into the dark, then another. She moved with terrifying precision, her monstrous shape shifting fluidly between solid and formless. Her spiked silhouette loomed in the torchlight one moment, then disappeared entirely the next.
It wasn’t long before the guards began to notice. Their conversation faltered, growing more tense with each unanswered call.
“Alric? You there?”
No response.“
Alric! Report!”
The only response was the silence of the night and the faint rustle of leaves in the wind.
“Damn it! Raise the alarm” Shouted one of the guards.
They waited in tense anticipation, but instead of the toll of a bell, another scream pierced the night, followed by the sharp crack of splintering wood. Looking up, his heart sank— the top of the tower was gone, with neither bell nor guard in sight.
“Everyone stay close!” one of the guards barked, his voice laced with fear.
But it was too late. A scream tore through the night as another guard disappeared into the shadows, leaving only his weapon clattering to the ground.
The remaining men huddled together, their torches shaking in trembling hands. “What is out there?” one whispered, his voice cracking.
Vivienne didn’t answer. Instead, she let her claws scrape across the stone foundation of the tower, the sound grating and unnatural. Another scream followed, this one cut off abruptly, leaving only the echo to linger in the night.
The remaining guards froze, their breath coming in short, terrified gasps. The only sound now was the wind rustling through the trees, carrying with it the faintest whispers of a presence just beyond their sight. Their torches flickered erratically, casting long, jagged shadows that danced like spectres across the stone walls.
“Who’s there?!” one of the guards shouted, his voice trembling as he raised his sword, eyes frantically scanning the darkened perimeter. But his shaky hands betrayed his fear, the sword’s edge glinting in the torchlight with none of the confidence a soldier should have.
From the darkness, a low rumbling growl answered him—something primal, guttural, that seemed to echo from all directions at once. It made their skin crawl, their instincts screaming at them to run.
“Get ready!” the leader barked, but there was no real command behind his voice, just desperation. “Stay in formation, cover the perimeter!”
The ground shifted beneath their feet, and one guard stumbled backward, tripping over his own feet. His panicked movement set off a chain reaction. The group scattered, each man pulling in close to another, torches held high, backs to the tower. They had no idea which way to look.
Vivienne watched it all from the shadows, her many eyes trained on them, her mouth curling into a wicked grin. She could feel the fear seeping into their bones, the energy of their terror singing in the air. But she was patient. She wanted them to feel the dread before it struck.
Another guard broke away from the group, moving toward a shadowed alcove near the tower. A mistake.
She struck before he even saw her, her body lunging forward with the speed of a predator. One of her claws shot out, piercing through his chest in a single fluid motion. He didn’t have time to scream. His body slumped against her, and she absorbed the faint trickle of his aether, a quick snack before she let him fall lifelessly to the ground.
The commander’s orders came harsh and fast, his voice crackling with desperation. “We need light. Solenne!”
The last command hung heavy in the air, and moments later, the sharp edge of aether cut through the darkness.
From the tower emerged a figure, tall and imposing, clad in the brilliant gold and white robes befitting a high-ranking priestess. The ground beneath the caster’s feet seemed to shimmer with light as they raised both hands to the heavens, murmuring an incantation under their breath.
"Solenne," the commander muttered under his breath, his voice taut with a mixture of fear and respect. “I didn’t want to call for her, but this is too much. Light our way.”
The air began to vibrate, the tension palpable as Solenne’s magic swirled around her. The orb of light she summoned was blinding, pulsing with the power of the sun itself. As the orb expanded, the darkness of the night seemed to flee from it, chased away by the sheer intensity of her radiant energy.
Vivienne’s monstrous form—once hidden in the shadows—was now fully exposed under the oppressive light. She froze, her claws gripping the ground as the light struck her directly, a searing burn coursing through her body. The pain was immediate, sharp, and intense. She hadn’t anticipated such a force.
Her ashen skin flickered with the force of the light, burning bright as though her very essence was being scorched. Her many eyes blinked rapidly, discordantly, adjusting to the unnatural brightness as she hissed in pain. The glow was unbearable; it wasn’t just the physical heat, but something about the way it invaded her form, disassembling the darkness she had woven around herself.
“AETHER BEAST!” The commander’s voice rang out, his spear pointed directly toward Vivienne's hulking form. “Form up! We have her cornered!” His voice carried a mix of fear and determination, though the latter sounded more like bravado.
Vivienne’s claws scraped against the stone, finding purchase in the gravel beneath her feet as she recoiled. The light hurt, but it didn’t stop her. It couldn’t.
With a snarl, her gaze locked onto the commander, and her body trembled with the effort of staying focused. She was overwhelmed by the radiant energy, but her hunger for the aether—already tinged with the burnt taste of her earlier snacking—fueled her to fight on.
She lunged, her immense form slamming into the ground with an earth-shaking force as she rushed at the commander. Her claws cleaved through the air, but the guards surrounding him moved with swift precision. A barrier of shimmering golden light rose between her and her prey.
“Solenne!” The commander barked. “Focus on her! Keep her at bay!”
From the edge of the tower’s light, Solenne raised both arms high, her eyes flickering with celestial energy as her voice vibrated with power. The orb of light around her intensified, expanding into a blinding sphere that forced Vivienne to shield her eyes, though it did little to stop the onslaught.
The air around her crackled with the heat of the light magic, searing through her skin. Vivienne screamed—a harsh, guttural sound—as the light burned away her ashen scales in places, leaving raw, tender flesh exposed. Her claws, sharp as obsidian, raked the air, trying to strike out, but the overwhelming power of the light knocked her back with each failed attempt.
“You think you can fight it, monster?” Solenne’s voice rang out with scorn, her eyes filled with cold, unyielding light. “You will burn just like the rest.”
Vivienne roared, her mouth widening to reveal her needle-like teeth, as she lunged forward, pushing through the intense heat with a primal rage. But Solenne's magic wasn’t the only force opposing her. The guards moved with practised precision, their spears thrusting toward her, and their shields raised to block her advances.
One of the soldiers came too close, and Vivienne’s claw shot out, catching his shield. She threw him aside effortlessly, but it cost her precious moments.
The commander was shouting, and Solenne’s golden light shimmered like the sun at midday, casting long shadows across Vivienne’s form. Her muscles screamed, her body threatened to collapse under the weight of it all, but her eyes—those five alien, horrific eyes—burned with defiance.
She was so close.
She lashed out again, this time connecting with one of the soldiers in the front. The impact sent him flying backward, but it also left her vulnerable. Solenne took advantage of the opening, sending a blinding beam of light directly at Vivienne’s exposed side. The beam hit her with such force that she was thrown off her feet, her massive body crashing into the ground with an earth-shattering impact.
Vivienne lay there for a moment, stunned. Her breathing was ragged, the light singeing her skin, the pain almost overwhelming. But she couldn’t stop. She couldn’t fail. She needed to give Rava as much time as she could.
Her claws dug into the earth, dragging herself back to her feet as she glared toward the source of the light. The pain coursing through her was unbearable, but she fought it down, willing herself to continue.
“Commander,” Solenne said coolly, “it is futile. We cannot allow this creature to continue to desecrate our land.”
“No.” The commander’s voice hardened. “We fight until the end.”
Vivienne’s vision blurred, but she could still hear them. She could feel the magic, the aether that radiated off the Dawn exomancer.
She had to get closer. She had to find a way to disrupt the light.
With an enraged snarl, Vivienne forced herself into motion again. Her body ached, her movements slower now, but she didn’t care. She had made a promise, and she wasn’t going to let this magic stop her.
She charged toward Solenne once more, but the priestess was ready. A shimmering wave of light shot from her hands, crashing into Vivienne with even more force than before. The sheer brilliance of it forced Vivienne to her knees, the ground shuddering under her collapse, the searing light tearing into her very soul.
Vivienne’s mind screamed in agony as the light tore through her, her skin blistering and blackened in the wake of the divine magic. Her muscles convulsed under the intensity, and for a moment, she thought she might be consumed entirely by the radiant force. The air smelled of burning flesh, and her heart hammered erratically in her chest.
The pain was unbearable.
She stumbled backward, struggling to stay on her feet, her claws scrabbling for purchase on the stone ground. Her vision swam with spots of light and dark, and her five eyes darted erratically, unable to focus on anything clearly. She couldn’t keep this up. She was weakening, and quickly.
I need to retreat.
For all the strength she had left, for all the fire in her, the Dawn exomancer’s magic was simply too much. Solenne’s light—pale and unyielding—was a force of nature that devoured her strength with every moment she lingered in it. The longer she fought, the more her aether was leeched away, consumed by the light, leaving her vulnerable.
Vivienne launched herself backward with a feral, haggard motion, her massive form stumbling but never breaking her focus on the group. She kept her claws poised forward, ready to strike if they came any closer, but she wasn’t about to make the mistake of facing them down directly. Her retreat was jagged, clumsy, but swift enough.
“It’s trying to escape! Men! This is our chance to kill it!” The commander's voice boomed, his spear raised high as he rallied his troops, a wave of affirmation rippling through the soldiers.
Vivienne grinned, her lips curling back to reveal sharp teeth, black ichor spilling from her mouth in thick rivulets. She slowed her retreat for just a moment, catching her breath despite the agony she felt coursing through her body. “Calling me an ‘it’ is very rude,” she purred, her voice dripping with venom. “I’m a high-class lady, thank you very much.”
For a moment, there was silence. The entire group—soldiers, commander, and even Solenne—stilled, caught off guard by the audacity of the words. The commander’s mouth hung open, his face a picture of disbelief, while the soldiers exchanged confused glances.
The priestess was the first to recover, her hands glowing with light as she prepared another spell, but even she hesitated for a moment, seemingly thrown off by Vivienne’s unexpected bravado. The tension in the air was palpable as Vivienne stood her ground for just a beat longer, then surged back into the shadows, her form disappearing into the night.
"Get back in formation!" The commander barked, snapping them from their stupor. "We can’t let it escape! Get those torches back up and keep your eyes peeled!"
But Vivienne was already gone, slipping into the dense underbrush, her claws scraping against bark and stone as she made her retreat. The pale light from Solenne’s magic barely penetrated the thickness of the forest, and Vivienne relished in the temporary reprieve, her heart hammering in her chest. She was battered, her body bruised and scorched from the onslaught of light, but she wasn’t dead.
As she moved deeper into the trees, the world around her seemed to quiet, the oppressive hum of the aether fading to a soft thrum in her mind. The agony of her burns was still there, raw and relentless, but it was nothing compared to the gnawing hunger inside her, the relentless craving for more power, more strength. She needed to recover. She needed to regroup.
She sprinted through the forest, urgency driving her every step, praying desperately that Rava had made it through.