TBATE: Let The Truth Be Known {Completed}

Chapter 35: The Drasea Clan

ARTHUR LEYWIN

'Alright, I'm done absorbing all this aether. Are you sure I can have three?' Regis implores.

I promised. I'm not going to take that back. I don't need any more aether right now. I just didn't think that the aether beam I got hit with would have gone even faster than I could have anticipated.

'You getting caught off guard is worrying. I know it wasn't you being complacent, so it's just a testimony to how fast that thing is."

It obviously has something to do with the speed of aether. I can slow it down to an extent, but it's reasonable to assume that's exclusive to me. It doesn't seem like other creatures that use aether can control that. None of the Djinn in the desert zone had the ability to do an aetheric blast.

'That's true. It must be some kind of constant... like light or something. It's food for thought."

You pull decent ideas out of nowhere sometimes, and I don't know what to think about it. Be smart or be stupid. You can't have both.

'If you can do all these impossibilities, then I can too. Don't argue with me defying logic when you're a walking paradox."

Touché.

After I finish our mental conversation, I find Cecilia digging through the 'carcass' of these Gargoyles. By now she has them segmented by limb and removed their 'core.'

"Here. Take these," Cecilia calls out as she tosses the four orbs toward me. "I think they're similar to beast cores, but they're obviously not full of mana."

Aether beast cores? That could be revolutionary.

"Huh... I can think of two possibilities. First, the beast cores can store aether or second -and the more exciting possibility- they contain beast wills," I guess.

"They what?" Regis asks as he trots over to us. "I absorbed all of the aether from those big bastards, so it's one of those. Do you want me to go into them and see if there's a consciousness in there?"

"I forgot you could do that. Yeah, give it a shot," I reply, holding out the orbs toward him.

Regis reverts to his wisp form and fuses with the orb before rapidly exiting. "AHHHH. What the actual fuck? There's definitely something in there, but it's fucking crazy. This is worse than the Elderwood Guardian."

"What's wrong?" I ask.

"The best I can explain it is that they're um... violent? I got my immaterial ass beat in there. The soul of at least that one is definitely in there. As to if it can work as a beat will? Who the hell knows," he answers.

"Okay then... mind trying with the other three?" I ask.

Regis' immaterial eyes narrow at my question as he sizes me up. "You just want me to get my ass beat again."

"While that's enticing, I want to know if all of the 'wills' survived, or if it's possible that both of my hypotheses are correct," I answer.

Regis keeps his eyes narrowed as he scoffs and reluctantly enters the second of the four cores. It takes him only a few seconds before he reemerges with more shouts. The same process continues for the other two.

"So all of them are in there?" I mutter. "What do we do with them?"

"The lances? I'm not sure if they're compatible, but it's worth a shot. There are only three lances, so the fourth is questionable. If I had to guess, it would be a similar relationship to what you and Regis have," Cecilia answers.