NOVEL NEXT Book 3. Chapter 3. If you're Gonna be dumb, you better be tough.
"What the hell even is an Aether Wraith, anyways?" C.J. asked through the open comms channel as he approached the rest of the crew, who were now fighting a large group of the things.
Tiff grunted as she twisted and slammed the butt of her staff into the gut of one of the wraiths, electricity surging down the shaft and into it's body. "They are Initiates whose physiology couldn't acclimate with the influx of power during their reaping." She spun and after planting a foot into the wraith's knee, causing it to slump to the ground with a growl, she punched forward into it's open mouth and discharged electricity from her fist, causing it's head to explode.
"So you mean to tell me that sometimes the process goes wrong? Why are we just now hearing about this?" I asked from my position above the fight.
"It never came up." Tiff replied. "The percentage of rejection is small and I had only ever heard rumors of it happening. I never actually saw an Aether Wraith before today."
"Hey, Andy! Maybe you and your girlfriend should focus more on communication and less on clapping cheeks! This is the kind of thing we need to be made aware of!" C.J. said frustratedly.
"C.J., I am not responsible for what Tiff does to you, you know that right?" I asked with a chuckle.
Tiff, looked up as C.J. came rushing into the clearing where the rest of the crew was fighting. currents of electricity floated from her eyes like an eerie miasma and only served to amplify the look of pure hatred pointed in C.J.'s direction. Grass and dirt exploded from around her as she shot toward him, coming to an abrupt stop directly in front of where he stood.
"Did you just refer to me in a sentence where you also used the term…clapping…cheeks?"
C.J. gulped nervously and held his hands up defensively. "C'mon, Tiff. It was just a jo…"
An Aether Wraith rushed the pair from their left side, screaming distordedly. C.J., not recognizing the threat, flinched and closed his eyes to prepare for the incoming attack. After a couple of seconds, he slowly opened one eye to see the Aether Wraith suspended in the air, held aloft by Tiff's arm. She hadn't taken her eyes off of C.J. and still stood directly in front of him, glaring daggers.
"If I ever again hear you utter the phrase 'clapping cheeks' or anything even remotely similar in conversation about me, you will share the same fate as this Aether Wraith…" Without a word, her arm electrified, and she stood holding the squirming wraith as it screamed and cooked to death.
"HOLY SHIT, Tiff!" C.J. exclaimed with wide eyes. "Take it easy, it was a joke for crying out loud."
Tiff put on a half smile and dropped the Wraith before leaning forward and whispering in C.J.'s ear. "The same fate, C.J.. Don't test me."
"Ha! Sounds like the XO is laying down the law on little C.J.!" Matty chimed in. "While all this is entertaining, I could really use some help over here. Kaj and Loren broke off to try to flank the larger group to the east with Michael and Kinny. I have about ten of those wraiths left down at the foot of this cliff, and they look really hungry, and as much as I would love to pop those ugly heads like ripe melons, my sniper rounds aren't working because they are protecting their heads under the ledge."
Tiff continued to stare at C.J. as he slowly raised a finger to his ear and responded. "I'm on the way, Matty." With that, he slowly backed away from Tiff and rushed off toward Matty's position.
I opened a private channel to Tiff and chuckled. "Think you might have laid it on a little thick there, girl?"
"I have to establish the hierarchy here, boy. If I let him make those kinds of jokes around me now, then it will never stop."
"You're hot when you're mad, you know that, right?" I flirted.
"Focus on the task at hand, Captain. We need to finish this level eventually."
"Yep, got it. These Aether Wraiths are pretty tough for their levels. It's good experience for everyone but me, you, and Kaj. If the numbers don't thin before we get to the boss, then I think Matty and Loren should be comfortably in the thirties. C.J. might even hit level 10. I gotta say, the pace he is progressing at is pretty impressive."
Tiff looked in the direction that C.J. had run. "Yeah, he is progressing at least as fast as you did early on. To be honest, everyone seems to be leveling at an accelerated rate. I don't know if that has anything to do with you or not. It might be the close proximity to the seed, but that still wouldn't explain Matty and Loren's impressive progression."
"Just another mystery on the ever-growing list. We can discuss it when we get everyone back to the safe room. For now let's see how Matty and C.J. are doing."
Tiff zipped into the forest to link up with them, while I engaged my armors thrusters and,within a couple of seconds, found myself hovering a few hundred yards away from Matty's position. He was standing at the top of a cliff trying to get a good angle on the small crowd of Aether Wraiths that were gathered about 100 feet below him. Matty turned and greeted C.J. with a hand clasp as C.J. emerged from the trees gasping, and resting his hands on his knees.
"What took so long?" Matty chuckled.
C.J. responded with a middle finger before walking over to the cliff and whistling at the sight of the crazed Aether Wraiths. "Damn, they are ugly, aren't they?"
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"Have you seen a Lacertine?" Matty joked in response.
"Fair point. So im guessing you need a little bit of daddy's juice?" C.J. asked, turning back to look at Matty.
Matty shook his head and held up a finger. "C.J., I need you to hear me when I say this. NEVER, and I mean, NEVER use those words in that order, ever again."
"C'mon! Ask me for it, you know you want it!" C.J. pressed.
"Can you just do your thing so I can take these things out?" Matty replied.
"Fine. Geez, tough fucking crowd today." C.J. responded before he held out his palm, and it began glowing red. "One weapons buff, coming right up!"
The red fog from C.J.'s palm drifted over to Matty and outlined his body for a second before Matty grunted and shook his head. "Hell yeah! That shit hits hard!" He raised his weapon and walked to the edge of the cliff, taking aim at the crowd of Wraiths. "Might wanna cover your ears!" Matty fired, and a round of unstable plasma erupted from his weapon, tinged with red energy. The round hit directly behind the group of Aether wraiths and caused an eplosion of energy that destroyed everything for 15 yards around the now obliterated crowd of Aether Wraiths.
"I gotta say, I don't fully understand your class, C.J., but damn does it notch up the destruction of my weapons, like a shit-ton!"
The two men high-fived before Tiff arrived and pointed them to their next fallback point. Once they left she looked back up at me. "I hope you are well rested, your part is coming up soon."
"Hey!" I feigned offense. "If I was down there doing all the killing, these guys would never get any better. What kind of Captain would I be if I didn't put the training and capabilities of my crew before my own greed for XP?"
"Just go get ready, Captain." Tiff smiled and zipped off into the trees once again.
"Captain, we have prepared the horde of Aether Wraiths. The Witch has emerged from her tunnel and is currently surveying the area. What are your orders?" Kaj asked over the comms.
"Hold position, I am on my way. Michael, Loren, I need you to prepare the incendiary mortars. On my mark lets see how these fuckers burn."
"Were incendiary bombs absolutely necesary? I mean isn't there a more efficient way to take these ugly critters out?" Michael asked in response.
"Michael, I believe that Captain Dawes plan is a solid one. Using incendiary rounds will create chaos and confusion in the horde of Aether Wraiths. Mortars will allow us to maintain our position, and lessen the likelihood of casualties from our crew. The Witch is another story though." Kinthragor added. "She just exited the cave, and from what I can see she is level 59, and as C.J. would say, the bitch looks mad."
"Hah, that is exactly what I would say." C.J. chuckled.
"Level 59?" I asked. "Are you sure?"
"I can confirm that," C.J. replied. "I am northeast of Kinthragors position and just saw her. Matty and I are holding position until you are ready."
I hovered over the horde of Wraiths, trying to get a visual on the Aether Witch. After a few seconds she came into view. "Holy shit. That is a whole lot of ugly, and a whole lot of pissed off." I exclaimed.
The Aether Witch emerged from her cave, surrounded by a couple of hundred Wraiths. The Wraiths were mostly mindless drones, and operated as a sort of worker bee for the Witch. The Witch gave orders and controlled the horde, using them to expand her territory. She must have sensed the deaths of the Wraiths C.J., Tiff and Matty killed and was now violently shrieking as waves of purple, black energy emanated from her floating form. The Witch wore tattered, black, loosely fitting robes and had wild black hair. Her face was twisted in a sort of permanent scream and her mouth was filled with black rotting teeth. The eyes gave me chills as she suddenly looked up in my direction. alternating shades of purple and red filled the entirety of her eye sockets and veins of dark black rot surrounded them spreading across her face in all directions.
I quickly looked down to confirm the crew's positions. They had all taken a half moon perimeter around the cave and the horde of Wraiths with the intent of not allowing them to escape as the panicked and ran from the mortar fire.
"C.J.! I am gonna need your boosting power!" I shouted as the Witch shot into the air in my direction. "Lo! Michael! fire those mortars! Matty! start mowing them down. C.J., get on top of the rover and give me a boost as I fly by, then get cover and assist the rest of the crew. Everyone else…kill as many of these fuckers as you can. Do not let them escape!
I engaged my boosters and shot directly toward C.J. who held his arms in my direction and applied his buff as I shot by. I felt the explosive surge of energy pass through my body. "Ses, I need you buddy. You ready for this?"
"I am prepared to assist." Ses replied in my head.
"Captain, are you absolutely sure that engaging this being in head to head combat is the most logical plan of action?" Sherlock asked.
"Nope, not at all. It may in fact be a dumb decision." I banked sharply and headed directly for the screeching Witch. "But you know one thing I learned growing up Sherlock?"
"Oh, goody. You are going to regail me with some sage learning that you got growing up in the backwoods of Texas? I do beleive this will be a treat for my processors." Sherlock replied.
"If you are gonna be dumb… you better damn well be tough." I said with a smile as I met the Witch in mid-air, armor clashing against rotting flesh.