Chapter 11 Flying coal, battle of wills, or battle of swords?

Aura slipped from my back as I triggered my Aura Domain, waves of silver white light burst from me. In my minds eye I watched my MP drop by 4000 as I max out the charge. Eyes flashing silver I spring up into the air, rear claws gouging chunks out of the solid stone path beneath me.

Midair I shift in a flash of silver light and mist. The sun reflecting off my black blade, hides the flames and lightning sparking along the razor edge. Black feathered wings flare from my back as I send three bluring slashes at the Fallen angel, 3 cresents of white fire and silver lightning tear through the air seconds after each swing. Do to the delay, The fallen barely blocked the first and took the second and third flaming crescents to the chest.

White lines form just before Azareth, cracks in a barrier, now revealed to the naked eye.

"Is that the best you've got Guardian? If so, then you won...' His words cut off suddenly as he was forced to parry 4 sword strikes, each flowing into the next near flawlessly.

"Enough talk." I growl low in my throat, unknown to me my eyes began to glow and spark with silver lightning. The silver crecents of my Direwolf form now framing my eyes. flapping hard, I tuck one wing in on instinct spiraling to the right as a spear of lightning flies up from below. Passing beneath the arch of my fully extended left wing, close enough that a line of feathers were singed. As the lightning spear slams into the spiderweb of cracks, the barrier crumbles, the backlash knocking Azareth into the mountain side.

The unmistakable sound of bones breaking echos through the air as the one wing crumples behind him. Stone gouging into it as the fallen slides 15 feet to the mountain path.

Hovering in midair as I watch the effects of the backlash, lightning dancing up and down along my black blade as I charge mana into my Surge spell. Eyes flashing brilliantly as I lift my blade above my head, gripping the pommel in both hands before me.

CHARGE COMPLETE

A sheath of lightning sparking along my crystalin blade, I blur forward a white line tracing from between the fallens eyes and down to bisect his waist imprinting on my vision as gathered mana bursts away in a cracking arch of white lightning, only to cut in two by a orb black fire engulfing Azareth.

The two halves of the crescent carve twin gashes, several yards deep in the mountain side, sending up a cloud of dust into the air only to be blown away by the delayed release of explosive force.

"Looks like my boss is calling me back, maybe next time Guardian!" Azareth laughs mockingly, even as blood wells up from his throat. Spilling out from his gapping mouth to drizzle down his jaw. Moments later the flaming orb containing the fallen shrinks and vanishes along with the Fallen it contained.

Panting heavily, I glide slowly back down to the widened path before the cave. Stumbling a few steps before small hands catch my arm to steady me. Turning to my right, Aura's eyes meet mine, a hint of anger barely consealed in her eyes as she helps me sit down. Her light touch brushing the inside of my wings, reminding me to pull them back in. In a shimmer of silver mist they vanish.

'Was it an emergency escape measure, or did he really get summoned away at such and opertune time?'

The questions repeated in my mind a dozen times, as Aura slowly wiped my face down with a wet cloth. The worry in her gaze brought a smile to his face, slowly lifting one hand I lightly stroke her right cheek.

"I'll be ok, just used up a bit more of my strength then I should have. Looks like we will need to stay here for another night, though somebody will need to hunt for dinner. I don't have the strength to stand back up." I whisper softly, and shakes my head slowly. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched as Sa'hera as she nods wordless and dashes away.

"I'll go down into the valley to collect firewood. We'll need more if we are to cook and bandage your wounds Alister." Holy spoke up shortly after Sa'hera left to hunt. Patting Edith's neck the dragonling nods and dives towards the forested valley below, her 30 foot wing span kicking up a small dust storm.

'Something is different, this time around. If things go the way they are ment to. I feel this will be the last time I have to go through Transferance.'

Sighing heavily, I lay my head back against the cool stone of the mountain side. My eyes closing as Aura continues to wipe down my face and blood splattered forearms. I could still feel her gaze upon me, as she lookes for injuries.

"They are looking for you Ali, I've no doubt more will follow Azareth, and they will undoubtedly be stronger." Aura whispered softly in his hear, her touch feath light as she brushes his cheek with the back of her hand before standing up and dissapearing into the cave. Her mind whirling through a multitude of recipes she had memoriesed and the herbs and vegetables she carried in her dimentional storage ring. The recipe she would decide upon, would depend on Sa'hera's hunt.

Sitting in silence, Alister sat where Aura left him. Her words ringing in his mind. Echoing continuously as if mocking him. Yes, they were searching for him and everyone with him was risking their lives. Though I was certain none of them would part way from this adventure.

Siting up slowly, my eye remain closed as I settling into the lotus position. My magic circulating rapidly through me, along side the energy pouring into me from nature. This was all familiar to me, yet I noticed a difference. Just below my ribcage, I felt the natural energy converge slowly growing in density and size.

As it grew, it crystalized.

'A magic core? Is this what the transferance has been leading up to?' Confusion clouded my mind for a long moment before fading away. If I had opened my eyes at that time, the looks of shock on my companions faces would have broken my concentration. From what they told me later on, my aura had become visible to all of them. Like a galaxy of stars with me at its center.

While outside I appeared calm, my mind and mana was on a rampage as I fought to complete the magic core that had began forming within me. In my life I had learned that beasts that lived in mana dense regions would form mana cores, a sorce of condesed mana an inferior version of a magic core.

Mana cores were simply a collection of mana with a crystallized shell, if extracted they could be exorbed by others. Where a magic core was fully crystallized, it, like the mana core enhanced the casters and beasts spells and abilities. The difference between the two was rather simple. The Magic Core evolved over time, and as it grew so did the compacity to channal Mana, the very life force of our world and more.

Aura

Alister sat stone still for hours, his aura enveloping the area for fifty feet around calmed me to the point I nearly fell asleep while cooking. The aura he gave off, made me feel as if I stood in the night sky, with stars spiraling around me.

"If he does grow in power like my sister expects. I can see all to clearly why the Fallen want to see him dead. No chains could hold him now, when we finish this quest. I feel that the gods will not be bale to contain him."

All eyes in the cave turned to me as i spoke, nods of agreement all around brought a slight a smile to my face. It was clear to each of us, that there was far more to Alister then any of us knew.

"Alister has been around a lot longer then anyone knows. Adelith the drake monarch told Holy and I that they first met when she hatched. That would me he has lived for over 10,000 years." Valiora spoke softly, her gaze directed to the caves entrance as if she waited for Alister to walk in. "Our mother new him as a child, he was a prince of our people and a Guardian in those times as well. Until we came to be here, nobody knew what happened to him. He is cursed by something called 'Transferance' "

"Trancferance is what my friends and I have come to call my curse, though they are all devided on whether it is a curse or a gift. I have been reborn one hundread and fifty times. After 20 years something accures to drive me to meeting the keeper I entrusted the seal keys to. Adelith has been the barrer of the key to unlock my memories, the memories of all my past lives. I'm on this quest to find my other friends, or their decendents. Who hold the keys to releasing the remaining seals." Alister said with a gentle light in his eyes as he leaned up against the caves wall. His gaze jumping between each of them before resting upon Aura. "I get the feeling that this will be my last life. For I believe I am where I am ment to be, and at the end of this journey will have gained the power I need to complete my final goal, and the goal of the ancient being that started all of this. She died long ago, the elemental goddess Savita also know as...."

"The first Kitsune" I finished for him in a breathless voice, understanding flashing in my eyes. "You pledged yourself to her didn't you?"

"Yes, I pledged to her that I would keep her decendents on the path of light, and to end those that strayed. You all likely know what a Kitsune becomes if they turn their backs on nature. Such a being of purity becomes a source of evil incarnate. Life withers around them and with every spark of death they leave behind, their power grows." Alister whispered softly, his eyes dimmed with sorrow. With silent steps he walks over to us and sits near the fire, the flames seeming to dance with joy at his approach.

Shortly after Alister and I passed around crystal bowls full to the brim with rabbit stew. We sat in companionable silence as we ate before all of us save Alister turnd in for the night.