Chapter 22: FANGS OF THE NORTHWIND!1.0

As the dust settled, she met her saviour's gaze. "Mary!" she cried out, relief washing over her. Mary helped her to her feet, her face grim. "No time for explanations," she said, her voice urgent. "Where's Aether?".

"Training," Ana gasped, her chest constricting with fear. "The forest, he's training in the forest!"Without wasting another breath, Mary grabbed Ana's hand and pulled her into a desperate sprint. Smoke billowed behind them, a grim reminder of the devastation unfolding in the village. Ana stumbled over uneven ground, her vision wavering as she tried to ignore the carnage around her.

The air throbbed with screams, each one a searing indictment of the chaos."Do you know exactly where he is?" Ana wheezed, her grip tightening on Mary's hand in a desperate bid for stability."I know," Mary gritted out, her voice a steely resolve.They pushed their bodies to the limit, weaving through the burning embers of their former life.

The sight of fallen villagers sent shivers down Ana's spine, but Mary's unwavering grip provided a lifeline in the storm of terror. Just as exhaustion threatened to consume them, a glint of metal flashed through the air. An axe, hurled with deadly intent, screamed towards them.But Mary, ever vigilant, reacted with lightning speed.

With a whispered incantation, a shimmering barrier materialized in front of them, deflecting the deadly projectile with a resounding clang."Thank goodness for Aether's theories," Mary muttered, catching her breath. "Without his unconventional approach to magic, we'd be defenseless."Magic in Emberhod was a complex system, divided into categories – attack, defense, and utility.

While all magic stemmed from elemental manipulation, Aether possessed a unique understanding that allowed him to leverage magic in new and unexpected ways. He had theorized about this elemental attributes, and in this desperate hour, his pioneering spirit had saved their lives.Aether's untested theories had become their salvation.

While he'd long suspected the possibility of manipulating elemental magic into unique attributes, it remained unproven until now. Mary's desperate act, conjuring a hexagonal, transparent barrier to shield them from the axe, served as stark validation of his ideas.As the dust from the deflected weapon settled, a hulking figure emerged from the smoke. Taller than his companions, he lumbered past Mary and Ana, his sole purpose retrieving his discarded weapon.

Clad in leather gloves and a belt, his bare chest bore the gruesome testament to past battles – a network of brutal scars. He paused, a sinister smile stretching across his face."Well, well, what do we have here?" he boomed, his voice dripping with malice. "Where do you think you're off to, ladies? The fun's just getting started.

"Another bandit materialized behind him, joining the chorus of threats. Soon, Mary and Ana found themselves surrounded by five imposing figures, the only barrier between them and a terrifying fate being Mary's hastily erected shield. The air crackled with tension as the bandits closed in, their eyes gleaming with a predatory hunger.

The effort of maintaining the barrier etched lines of strain onto Mary's face. Her breaths grew ragged, each gasp a testament to the toll the spell was taking. Ana, though powerless herself, stood firm, her body a shield for Mary's back.The hulking bandit chuckled, a sound devoid of humor. "Unique spell, ain't it, missy? But I doubt your mana can hold out much longer. Here's a deal: drop the shield, and I promise you both… safety. As long as you keep me and my brother entertained, of course."

A chorus of lewd laughter erupted from his companions, their eyes gleaming with predatory anticipation. Just as Mary, utterly drained, started to falter, the barrier flickered and dissipated with a faint pop. Exhausted, she swayed, clutching Ana for support."Let's have some fun, boys!" the brute roared, lunging for Mary and Ana.

But just as his hand reached out to grab Ana, a figure materialized from the smoke and debris. A gust of wind, like a physical blow, slammed into the bandit, sending him sprawling several feet away. Aether, eyes blazing with fury, stood between his mother and the attackers.

****

Aether burst out of the forest, his heart pounding with a premonition of dread. He'd been training in the serene seclusion of the woods, hoping for a peaceful return to celebrate Mary's birthday. But the scene that greeted him shattered that hope into a million pieces.The once-bustling village was now engulfed in flames, smoke billowing into the sky like a monstrous shroud.

Screams ripped through the air, a cacophony of terror as men, women, and children fled for their lives. Their pursuers – figures clad in mercenary leathers, their faces twisted with cruel purpose – moved with the predatory grace of wolves.A flag, emblazoned with a chilling image of a wolf and its menacing claws, flapped defiantly in the wind, planted heartlessly in the village square.

It was a symbol of conquest, a proclamation of dominance. Aether's blood ran cold. This wasn't a mere raid – it was a brutal invasion.

A bandit, a glint of cold steel in his hand, charged towards Aether. Reacting instinctively, Aether unleashed a surge of wind magic. The bandit, caught entirely off guard, was flung several feet backward, landing with a pained grunt.

Weeks of training had yielded a single, albeit crucial, weapon in Aether's arsenal – rudimentary wind magic. His weak mana vessels restricted the complexity of his spells, rendering most attempts disappointing failures. But wind magic, in its basic form, had proven to be a reliable tool.

Aether raced towards his house, his heart a drum against his ribs. But before he reached it, a horrifying sight stopped him cold. Mary and Ana, faces etched with fear, were being cornered by a hulking bandit, axe glinting in the sunlight. Rage, primal and hot, coursed through Aether.

He pushed his mana reserves, channelling the wind with a desperate intensity he'd never known before. A powerful gust erupted, sending the bandit flying like a ragdoll.Landing gracefully in front of Mary and Ana, Aether took a protective stance, his eyes blazing with fury. "Mom, I'm here," he declared, his voice tight with barely controlled anger. He stood as a shield between his loved ones and the approaching bandits