Regis 5

“Regis, get in my hand,” I ordered.

My companion, although worried, flew into my hand and this time, I could feel the aether coalescing in my grip.

I knew that aether wasn’t supposed to be manipulated but beckoned or ‘influenced’—as the Indrath Clan put it—but what if there was a way to force it into submission—to make it beckon to my will?

I dashed after the disoriented chimera trying to form another arm from one of the other chimera corpses lying on the ground.

I let the aether in my body congregate to my fist where Regis laid inside, focusing on the feeling—memorizing it.

As more and more aura condensed in my left hand, a thin layer of black coated my hand like a smokey glove.

I felt my pace slowing as more and more of the aether powering my body went into my hand.

‘I feel like I’m going to burst here. What exactly did you have in mind?’ Regis said, his voice echoing in my mind.

“Just hold it in until I say so,” I said through gritted teeth. It felt like I was walking deeper and deeper into a pit of tar as my own body worked against me, but I was almost to the chimera.

However, before I could go any closer, one of the chimera’s three heads whirled to face me.

Its remaining two heads twisted to look at me as well, but rather than use its remaining whip and sickle arm to attack me, it seemed…wary.

All six of its eyes concentrated on my remaining hand.

Almost there!

My hand felt like it was being squeezed by two boulders as more and more aether coalesced inside it, but before I could get in range to unleash it, the very room quivered and the sconces flickered off.

I could feel the aether in the atmosphere tremble as a baleful aura spread from where the chimera stood—its six eyes now glowing purple.

It’s using the aether in its body and in the atmosphere to launch some sort of debilitating aura.

My luck finally seemed to be turning around though. Whether it was because of this body, or because of my strong mental strength from living two lives, the aetheric intent had little effect.

Ignoring the intensifying pain radiating from the stub of my cleaved arm, I dashed forth.

The chimera let out a hysterical screech and began wildly swinging its whip arm.

Concentrating on the flow of aether to determine the path of its attack, I dodged one last time and jumped up.

“Now!” I roared, barely able to swing my arm.

My aether clad fist landed right underneath its three heads as a blast of black and purple erupted from my attack.

It felt like every ounce of strength had been sapped clean from my body as I lay sprawled on the ground just beside the remains of the fused chimera.

My eyelids grew heavy as I succumbed to the dark grasp of sleep when a loud cry suddenly snapped me awake.

“Hah! Screw you, I am a weapon!” Regis whooped in glee.

Despite the near-death experience we had just overcome and the fact that I was still missing an arm, I couldn’t help but let out a hoarse laugh.

Barely pulling myself up to my feet, I inspected the fused chimera. I couldn’t tell whether I had used space or life aether, but I had managed to create a crater in its chest, disintegrating most of its head as well.

“Good job,” I said to my companion just in time to hear the soft ‘click’ of the door leading to the next stage unlocking.

“So, pretty boy, did you want to consume this hunk of bone and move onto the next room?” Regis asked with renewed confidence.