Aether Beasts

Chapter 249

Sandra ended up joining us an hour later, long after we had finished our meal and she had a frustrated look on her face. Through the bond, I could also sense annoyance and anger directed at the meeting she had just been at.

"Things didn't go as planned I'm guessing?" I asked as she took a seat and pulled the last plate towards herself. It was still steaming due to the enchantment on the plate.

"It started off well," Sandra replied with a sigh. "But then the argument started."

Sandra went on to explain how things had been going well, but then Darn had gotten into an argument with Kai who had been far more productive and calm than she had expected. Darn had suggested Kai be relegated to a lower position and that he was no longer fit to be a representative. Ashala had made a comment which had angered Darn and what had ensued was a back and forth of insults and shouting before Sandra had finally taken command again.

"It's that Darn," Sandra said with a sigh. "He clearly values position and power over everything else and doesn't seem to care what he needs to do to get it. He must think I'm like so many of the other families or like some of my other family members."

"Sort it out sooner rather than later," Zirani said. "Or else, he'll cause far more trouble. I've known people like him."

We talked a bit longer on different topics before we finally decided it was time to head to sleep, even though we didn't really need to. But we decided it was best if we were fully rested for what might occur tonight. Sandra had the anchor and Aeverie's guards were on watch.

"Remember, I'll alert you and then you let Sandra know."

I nodded. Zirani would be staying with me and she had a device that connected to a similar device that Aeverie's watchers had. If they spotted the Red Ribbons leaving the site then they would let Zirani know and she would wake, in which case I would tell Sandra and she would tail them.

"I'll see you two in the morning or earlier," I said to Misty and Sandra as I leaned back on one of the chairs which could be lowered and changed into a bed. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight," Both Zirani and Misty echoed.

When I next woke it was to the feeling of a soft hand on my face, and when I opened my eyes it was to find Zirani looking down at me. She had both a worried and excited look on her face and once the haze of sleep was gone, I immediately knew why.

"I'll Sandra know," I said, focusing on my bond with her. "Sandra, Red Ribbons have been spotted, you're good to go. Make sure the anchor is with you."

I relayed the information Zirani told me to Sandra and felt her determination in response.

"Got it," Sandra replied mentally. "Wish me luck."

"Good Luck, and be safe."

I felt a hand on my shoulder and I turned to see Misty smiling at me. "She'll be ok, or at least she has a better chance at this than any of us. If she gets caught, she has the anchor and she won't be caught for long."

I nodded, and relaxed. Sandra could do this and if things went wrong, we would be there in a flash.

_____

Sandra for the second time in only a few days formed her shroud and made her way stealthy out of her vehicle and towards the area she had been told my Aiden. The Red Ribbons had left from their own area which made sense as it would be risky to move into any of the others, especially since they were vampires, which also made this slightly more difficult. Vampires naturally had grater senses than most other races, though Sandra wasn't too worried about being spotted. Her shroud hid everything she could hide, and along with her gravity affinity, she might as well have been a ghost.

This time she didn't have to go into the Red Ribbons area, and instead just made her out of the perimeter, which was a bit tricky due to the wards, but most were set to detect things from the outside, not the inside.

Once she was out, she made her way to the edge of the Red Ribbons area, and the trail was fresh. The sand had been disturbed and if not for her dark vision she wouldn't have seen it. It led away from the site, down the dune they were on, and up and over another.​

Sandra steadied her breathing and began her task. She moved with great speed and made no sounds thanks to the shroud and her gravity affinity. She was glad Zirani had talked her into taking the gravity affinity as it was extremely versatile and a perfect match for both stealth and her skirmisher way of fighting.

The burning desert, now icy cold, stretched out before her and was rather intimating, at least the sheer scope of it was. She didn't allow herself to get distracted though and continued on. After only a few minutes she spotted them. There were no lights of any kind on them, and they moved at a sedate pace, their heads on a swivel, all but one. The hooded figure, the alchemist who led the group.

In total, they were six altogether, including the alchemist which meant that if she was caught it would be stupid to fight. If they spotted her, she would run, and no doubt they would chase but with her gravity and dark affinity, they wouldn't be able to catch her as long as she wasn't too close when spotted.

On and on they went for what must have been half an hour before they finally arrived at something that wasn't just sand. A small rocky outcropping that was reasonably flat, but that wasnt what got Sandra's attention. It was hard to tell, but there seemed to be a number of pillars sticking up from the ground, or maybe spikes?

'To far to tell. Need a closer look.'

She lowered her speed as she moved closer and it became obvious that it was pillars, not spikes, and that each seemed to be made out of an odd greyish substance, or like the color had been leached from them.

The alchemist had pulled several objects from a spatial item and was now ordering the vampires about. Sandra strained her ears and was just barely able to hear what they were saying.

"It needs to be as perfect as possible. One mistake and we lost everything, or worse, we call something that we can't handle."

"Just get ready to do your job," A female voice replied. "We're risking a lot on this."

"As am I," the first voice replied.

As the vampires got to work doing whatever it was they were doing, Sandra pulled out the anchor. At the same time, there was an odd humming noise that came from the alchemist or something he had, and he raised a hand.

"Stop, somethings here,"

"Beasts?" A female voice full of authority demanded. Sandra thought it sounded like the Red Ribbon leader.

"No, it's too focused. I can't tell which directions it's coming from."

"I can," Another voice said, and it was only Sandra's shroud that protected her as something impacted the sands next to her. "We've been followed!"

Sandra leaped back, using her gravity affinity to glide across the sands as numerous black figures which had appeared in the sky shot towards her. They looked like lizards with insect wings, and Sandra cursed as several opened their mouths and small projectiles were sent flying at her.

She dodged nimbly and sent out a call for help to Aiden.

"Get her!" A voice cried out. "She's calling for help."

Sandra pushed herself into the air as there was a loud whistling sound just before something cut a line in the sands where she'd just been.

'That was close."

Sandra glanced at the anchor in her hands as she senses four vampires closing in around her. She stabbed the anchor into the ground and hoped they'd arrive soon. Until then she would hold her own.

She focused and formed a pattern. She released and a wave of pitch black darkness shot from her in all directions, and before it was even finished, she was already forming another technique. The gravity within a few meters around her increased while her personal gravity decreased. When the first figure finally reached her, it stood little chance. With her shroud still active, its boost still enhancing her, and the change in gravity, she made short work of the vampire with two daggers formed from darkness. The first was slashed across the vampire's eyes eliciting a cry of pain, but that turned into a gurgle when Sandra plunged her other dagger into the vampire's throat and ripped it out. Blood poured from the large wound and though Sandra didn't think it would kill the vampire, it would keep her down for a few minutes.

And good thing, as another was coming up from behind her. She was preparing for that and wondering why the others hadn't arrived yet when she felt a small stinging sensation on her neck.

She pressed a hand to the area and pulled something out. She looked at the small needle-like projectile glistening with something and was only able to muster a single thought before her body froze and her eyes shut.

'Oh fuck.'