A Crow's Dream of Clear Skies Chapter 7

A Crow’s Dream of Clear Skies -- Chapter 7

[Approaching the northern pa.s.s]

The cool air rushed pa.s.sed as the Vahl’Drac’ian brought them to the edge of the valley.

A thought crossed Diva’s mind as they rode for the Northern Pa.s.s, “Isn’t there a guard post up ahead?” She asked, feeling Jasper’s arms brushing against her sides with every stride.

“Yeah, and?” His voice came of calm, as if not a thing could taint his conviction.

“Do you think their just gonna let a couple of Academy students walk out of The Valley?”

“What?” He half chuckled, breaking his calm tone. “Are you crazy? Not in the slightest.”

His response ailed her to the point of anxiety, “Then how do you plan to get past?”

“We’ll take the high road.” Jasper boasted his strong will to proceed.

The gra.s.s began to thin as boulders and spires of rock populated the ground. Ahead of them laid The border, a ma.s.sive mountain constructed eons ago from the crater of a meteor strike.

“What do you mean by high road?” Her words became wary as the guard post came into view – A small garrison made of the very stone around them, with heavily armed guards blocking the path.

“Tucker, up.”

“Caw!” The beast jumped onto the nearest boulder, bouncing onto a spire and climbing the rock face with leaps and bounds.

With every second, the jumps became rougher and more jarring. Diva felt as Jasper’s arms squeezed her securely to the saddle. He leaned forward, pressing her down to the point of neigh laying on top of her, latching on tighter with every jump.

Diva felt as if she was being crushed under him, though for some reason, she could not shake the feeling of comfort – as if it was like a lovers embrace.

Within mere moments, Tucker had already surmounted halfway up the mountain, directly above the garrison and in front of the pa.s.s.

“Tucker, time to go through.” Memories of the jarring race through town brought regret into his voice.

“Caw!” Complying, he jumped into the large pa.s.s, bouncing from wall to wall in quick succession.

Diva peered down and quickly thought it a mistake. Hundreds of meters below, she could see the guards waving their arms frantically, pleading the two not proceed. Jasper didn’t faltered at the sound of their voices, leading Tucker forward.

After a minute of countless jarring wall jumps, their heads felt shaken like a margarita in the hands of a professional bartender. Tucker finally landed on the ground lightly dusted with snow, and allowed the two to regain composure.

“My heads spinning.” Diva messaged her temples as she sat up, colliding heads with her saddle mate.

“Oww… You’ll get used to it.” Jasper rubbed his nose, feeling the tingle of blood flow.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean too.” She turned with honest eyes, reminiscent of a pouting kitten.

“It’s fine.” His words sated her worries. “Anyways, we’ve entered the Northern Plains.”  He looked to the snow-swept horizon. A tundra of ice laid before them with countless demon beasts in the distance. “What do you think?”

“It’s pretty.” She gasped at the sight.

Tucker swiftly lunged to the left as a figure emerged from beneath the snow. It shot high into the air before landing atop the s...o...b..nk.

A long white-fur covered body the size of a large dog gave a nasty hiss as it arched its back.

“It’s only a ten-year frost ferret.” Jasper was disappointed with the nuisance of a beast.

“A ten year? It looks so vicious.”  Diva winced.

“Go ahead and kill it, a couple ice spike should do the trick.” He rushed her, so that they may continue.

“Okay.” Now determined, she raised her palm and discharged a volley of ice spikes that riddled the ferret with b.l.o.o.d.y holes.

From its carca.s.s rose a faint blue flame – its demon soul.

Diva started to shuffle, making movements to get off the saddle.

Before she could get very far, a hand pulled her back, “it’s not even worth your time. Let’s get you a 100 year.”

“A hundred year?” She gulped, considering how dangerous a creature like that might be.

“I wouldn’t want you to have anything as pathetic as a ten year for your first demon soul.”

“I suppose.” She seemed fidgety.

“There’s plenty of ice elements out here. On our way to get mine, I’m sure we’ll find one suitable.”

“K…” she made herself comfortable against Jasper’s chest and Tucker took off into the tundra.

Unexpectedly, the snow didn’t slow down the big Vahl’Drac’ian. He moved effortlessly across the dunes – all thanks to his large wide-spread feet. Four toes in front with large angles between them and a fifth one – like a thumb to the back.

“So, what are we hunting?” Curiosity resounded with a hint of fright.

“Jaded ice prince.”

Her heart skipped a beat, terrified at the name as her voice raised in protest, “That big a.s.s scorpion we always hear stories about?!” She now had reason to back up her fears.

“No, this is its child. A little smaller, and not as formidable.” Jasper explained it as if it was natural to hunt such a thing. “We just have to watch out for its 10,000-year-old mother.” The words rolled off his tongue without a tinge of fright for the creature.

“10,000?!” She tensed at those words.

“We’re almost there, too.”

Diva scanned the horizon in paranoia, spotting the green and white scorpion twice the size of Tucker.

“You want to kill that?!” She objected the idea entirely.

“Not the one I was looking for. It’s a little older than I intended but it’ll do.”

“A-a little older? Are you nuts? Turn around!”

“Yeah, you see the symbol on the head of the tail?” He said – completely ignoring her protests – as they arrived within 200 meters and Tucker started circling. “There’s one piece added for every thousand years. Quite a few, I count 7,000 years.”

“You know… you can do this one on your own.” She gave up on deterring him, opting to protect herself.

“Tucker, let’s set her down.”

“Caw.” He stopped pacing and knelt.

Jasper slid Diva off the saddle, then he and Tucker charged.

“Does common sense not apply to you?!” She shouted as they carelessly jumped into the fray.

What happened next was a ferocious battle between man and giant jaded scorpion.  

Like he and Tucker had rehea.r.s.ed many times before: Tucker charged straight at the scorpion dodging ice spires that suddenly shot from beneath the snow and waited to be within fifteen meters. The Vahl’Drac’ian then would strafe to the left of the creature as Jasper jumped from the saddle and onto the beast.

From there, Jasper grasped the gap between two sh.e.l.ls, feeling the cold touch of its armor, and allowing him to have a clear view of why it’s called a jaded scorpion. The scorpion seemed to be made from green crystal with an ice element mana flashing through like neurons firing.

He caught a glimpse over his shoulder as the tail came crashing down towards him, just in time to roll to the side. Followed by repeated attempts to throw him from its back like a wild bucking bull.

In between a tail strike, he boosted himself with a physical enchantment and hit the sh.e.l.l as hard as he could, feeling his knuckles pop and bones creak.

“Its Jaded body is harder than I thought.” He chuckled shaking out his hand and rolling over to avoid the next tail strike.

With another strike, he rolled to the side and grabbed hold of it, readying a ball of lightning. The beast flung him high into the air – just like he wanted.

“Taste my lightning, Prince of Jaded Scorpions!”

He came plummeting down, hand extended with the lightning that met the top of its sh.e.l.l before Jasper somersaulted off and landed in snow – sitting down to take a breather.

He looked up to watch his work, as the electricity traveled and ricocheted off the crystalline insides of the beast. Like a statue it froze; it’s body turned to pure Jade before crumbling – like shattered gla.s.s – bright blue soul glistening above.

“Fuh, I’m glad that’s over.” Jasper took heavy breaths, standing up in the snow.

“Jasper!!” Diva yelled from the distance.

“What?” A terrified expression swept over Diva. “s.h.i.t.” Jasper took a deep breath and somersaulted forward, turning to face the queen.

Towering above him like a jaded fortress – armor plating thicker than a foot, claws the size of horses, and a tail rose high into the frosted sky.

It opened its mouth, vacuuming in the surrounding air.

“Tucker, get her out of here!”

The Vahl’Drac’ian turned and scooped her up, bolting at max speed.

How am I supposed to face this 10,000-year when all I can use is a lightning ball and simple physical enhancement?

He infused his muscles with all the mana they could handle, bolting to the left of the beast.

Spires like buildings shot from the ground in his wake, summoned by the queen.

The vacuum ceased and the air thinned out.

“Here it comes.” He increased his pace.

A continuous blast of ice swept across the snow-scape following Jasper at an alarming pace; turning its eight legs with ease.

It’s too fast to dodge forever.

He turned his path to the beast, dodging its ice breath by a narrow margin and making for its underside.

Claws crashed into the snow, inches behind as he slid on his shins, striking with a tesla of lightning all the way across the scorpion’s belly; his eyes following as he left nothing but burn marks on its sh.e.l.l.

He emerged at the base of the tail, then turned his body, leaping from the ground. Midair he watched as the scorpion turned three quarters of the way in an instant, before Jasper flipped onto its back.

“Double Palm Strike!” Jasper shouted, raising a ball of lightning in each hand and slamming them down on the center of its sh.e.l.l. Sparks flew revealing a hairline crack beneath his hands.

Why did I shout that? Seems a little cliché…

He felt the presence of the tail, coming down from behind. He fell back and watched as the stinger turned a hairline to the size of a gold piece. With quick wits, he grasped onto the tail, being flung higher than the last.

Gonna need a stronger attack for this one.

“Lightning body lance!” He pulled his feet together and aimed them like an arrow at the crack in its sh.e.l.l. With this, he pooled his mana, forming a single two foot diameter sphere at the tip of his toes.

This cliché is quite amusing.

Like the very lightning that comes from the heavens, he plummeted through the sh.e.l.l, imbedding himself waist deep as the queen croaked from electrocution turning asunder into jaded pieces.

He collapsed in the debris, grasping for air. “This hurts a little.” He realized that his mana had nearly been exhausted from just those four attacks and maximum physical enhancement.

From each piece of jaded debris, a demon soul began to flow out and ama.s.s in form. A bright blue that competed with the brightness of the very sun, shone over his back.

I’m not that stupid, am I.

He turned over and fell on his back, blinded by the queen’s soul.

This will kill me… probably.

He reached out his hands, feeling the power in front of him.

What’s the chance it’ll work? I won’t have a third chance at life.

He compared the facts and probabilities.

“Screw it.” He pulled the soul into himself and erected into a meditating position.

Jasper squeezed the soul into his, like pushing knives into his veins. The agony, oh the agony, like death on the doorstep. Pain pushed into his mind, with overwhelming force; screaming from every cell in his body. Unable to keep his meditation he fell backwards, screaming b.l.o.o.d.y murder.

He watched Dive hover over his eyesight, panicking and unable to do anything. She yelled for him, but all he could perceive were her lips moving, unable to respond.

Just then, the image of the valley burning entered his mind. It struck a chord as he began to fight back, suppressing and processing the demon soul.

His agonizing screams abruptly ceased as he sat back up and folded his hands in meditation. The strain could still be see on his face, yet he forced it into control.

Just like the meditation he had done all this time, he pulled the soul through every meridian in his body, forcefully mixing the soul with his life essence.

It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns. It burns.

He kept repeating the words in his mind, unable to suppress the pain – only able to meditate.

Seconds turned to minutes turned to hours. When Jasper became fully aware of his surroundings, he witnessed a field of carca.s.ses and ten to hundred-year souls around him.

Tucker and Diva stood defensive and battered, probably exhausted. They had watched over him all this time while he cultivated.

He stood and felt his newfound power; his body felt as solid as stone, yet lighter than before – the Jaded body.

“Diva.” He called for her.

“You're awake?” She turned with glee.

“It’s your turn.”

“My turn?”

“Take the thousand-year before it pa.s.ses on.”

“Do you think I’m as mad as you? You should be dead!”

“Once you’ve absorbed it, meditate it and mix it with your life force. Drag it through each meridian till its a.s.similated. All the while, hold your reason for becoming stronger. Or you could take one of the many 100-years.”

“Are you seriously pushing me to risk my life?”

“Do you want to become stronger?!” He raised his voice, shocking her.

“Y-yeah. Of course.”

“Why?” His normal listless voice turned resolute.

She looked heavy hearted with the question. “As the heir of the Lunacaster family, I will eventually have an arranged marriage. The only way to avoid it is by proving my capability and usefulness as something else – this something must exceed the importance of Lunacaster matters. The only thing more important than this to my parents is the safety of the valley. If I can become strong enough to be a force to be relied upon, then my parents will drop all plans for arranged marriage.”

“If you hold that close, you will live to fight for that cause.”

She seemed hesitant for a moment, dropping all unnecessary thoughts as her resolve skyrocketed.

“Watch my back, will ya, Jasper?”

“Of course. Meditate in peace.”

She walked back to the prince’s shattered body, then sat absorbing the soul.

“It’s up to us now to protect her.” Jasper looked to Tucker.

“Caw!” He agreed.

He looked around at the gathering Ragnarok.

“Time to test out what’s new.” The bright demon soul materialized and orbited around him.

A 100-year snow leopard pounced him. On instinct, he released his new skill. A ray of lightning burst from his combined palms and collided with the leopard.

The explosive power put a whole through its forehead, yet instead of burn marks the hole exhibited frozen Lichtenburg marks.

“Lightning that freezes instead of burning? Wicked.”

He jumped into the fray, using his jaded body to break bones and his frozen lightning to finish them off.

Half an hour pa.s.sed before Diva woke.

The carnage she had left while Jasper was meditating increased ten-fold – carca.s.ses piled up in a circle around her.

“You’re awake?” Jasper asked, kneeling before one of the piles with the jaded knife – carving out the small crystal cores from the corpses.

“What in heaven's happened here?” She looked at the frozen Lichtenburg marks.

“Killed the last of ‘em a few minutes ago. In the meantime, I’ve begun collecting their cores for various purposes.”

“Their cores?” She looked confused as she thought to herself, something else I don’t know?

“Yeah, I’ll pick one for the gem on your staff… and the rest I’ll probably sell or use to create various things.”

“Ah, okay. Makes sense.”

He made an incision in a snow leopard and stuck his arm deep inside, fishing about before emerging with a light azure crystal covered in thick blood – an intestine wrapping around his wrist.

“That’s just foul…” She gagged at the sight.

“Yet necessary.” He dragged it through the snow, wiping off the blood and organs, then examined it closely. “Here.” He tossed the core at Diva.

“Huh?” She fumbled with it a tad before catching it.

“That’s a high-quality core, should be perfect for the staff. After placing it on the staff, add a drop of blood then channel your mana to christen it.”

“Kay.” She quickly put it inside her ring, glad to rid the sight of it.

“That should be the last one.” He picked up the burlap sack filled to the brim with various sized cores of light blue and a few green.

“Let’s head home.”

“Yes, please.”

“Caw!”

They saddled up making way for the city.