Aetherios System: Whirlwind Book 2: Chapter 43: Re-Supplies

Book 2: Chapter 43: Re-Supplies

The courier arrived soti between dawn and breakfast, a gap of ti where most people were too exhausted to greet the day and too hungry to return to sleep.

He wore the pale blue trim of the royal delivery corps and had the thousand-yard stare of a man who had seen far too many officers and far too few latrines.

“I have delivery for... the Worldstriders?” he announced with all the enthusiasm of a wet paper towel.

Alex took one look at the stack of chiseled wooden crates, scroll tubes, and wax-sealed satchels and imdiately knew sothing was wrong.

“…We don’t usually get mail,” he muttered.

“Or friends,” Holly added brightly, peeking over his shoulder.

“Or food that doesn’t co in lumps,” Garret helpfully chid in, popping sothing grey and vaguely at-adjacent into his mouth with a wince.

But the courier, dutiful and slightly dead inside, simply unfurled a parchnt and began reading nas aloud. “Gifts to the worldstriders an behalf of the Nobles Houses of Terraxum, the Holy Church of her Lady in Light, and the talWorkers rchant Guild Consortium.” He said in with a affeck that made monotone sound damn right cheery.

The First Package: Spell Scrolls from House Caerwyn. Elegant, tightly bound parchnt edged in gold-inked glyphs. A note was affixed, in the cool, formal script of Lady Thessalia herself:

“To the Worldstriders:

Consider these formation schematics and spell scrolls a further investnt in your survival — and thus, our continued alliance.

— T. Caerwyn”

Devon unrolled one scroll and let out a low whistle. “Adept Level Spell, [Razor Rain]. We could blueprint an entire skirmish strategy with this. Henry, catch.”

Alex raised an eyebrow at the burly man who looked down at the scroll in his hand. “Then start studying.”

Henry gave him a mock salute with the scroll. “Yes, sir.”

That was the only Adept Tier scroll in the bunch, but there were plenty others that the team divvied up among themselves. Alex picked himself out sothing that he was sorely lacking and desperately needed, a ranged attack option.

Spell: Wind Lance

Type: Transmitter

Elent: Air

Rank: Beginner

Effect: Forms a condensed lance of piercing air to fire at your enemies. Sturdiness, piercing power and speed of projectiles are determined by spell rank, your intelligence stat, and Core Rank.

“When you can get over or around an obstacle, just make a hole.”

As the knowledge of the spell entered his mind, he imdiately understood the aether pattern to cast it, as well as the basic power he could utilize from it. He cast the spell just to see it in action, his azure energy forming into a long three foot construct almost the shape of a spear. The edges rippled and undulated in a way that told Alex it wasn’t entirely stable, like losing the Air elent portion affected it in so way.

He dismissed the attack and recast it, changing the intent of the spell slightly as he did so. The newly ford spear of aether energy ended up being shorter, perhaps a little over two feet, but it was more condensed then the last, and for more stable.

With a flick of his hand, he launched it out at the training dummy that was set up in the field. The projectile pierced through its wooden body, embedding itself nearly a foot and a half into the pretend-enemy. Then the aether lost cohesion and exploded, blasting away fragnts of wood and leaving the dummy with a ten inch wide hole at its center.

“Oh yes, that’s going to burst so many fleshsacks. Very good. How many can you cast?” Obby ford his illusionary body and flitted about in the air between him and the dummy. His lanky-limbed ford seed to crawl through the space in a way only eldritch abominations could.

I can cast it maybe ten to twelve tis before I’d start exhausting the energy in my body. But that’s if I only cast this new spell, excluding all the others. Chains, Shield, and Flare are still going to be essential in my close combat fighting. He explained to the enchanted rock.

“Forget all those spells. This one is where the real fun is at. Except maybe [Flare] when you burst people into pieces. Hmmmm… “ The creepy little pebble-consciousness paused a mont, floating eerily. “Maybe you other spells have promise too. Can you form your [Shield] inside soone’s head and pop it like a balloon?”

Once we are done with this war, I’m finding you whatever in this world passes as a therapist.

Luckily, everyone else was busy with their own new spells and hadn’t noticed Alex starring awkwardly into space for no reason. He quickly moved on to the next create the courtier had brought them.

Second: Armor pieces bearing the sigil of House Velcryn. The create contained polished plates, flexible undersheaths, and high-grade battle-silk etched with elental runes, speed-boosting enchantnts laced with subtle strength amplifiers.

Kate practically purred when she held up a new breastplate in the low sunlight. “Velcryn steel. Reinforced aether channels. This is bespoke.”

Even Henry, normally unmoved by such things, nodded appreciatively. “They secretly took our asurents?”

Allie narrowed her eyes. “That’s either a little touching… or deeply unsettling.”

Zach shrugged. “I’ll take unsettling if it cos with a mobility boost.”

And they did. The armor pieces were all a mixture of dieval talwork and the strange technocrat steampunk style of House Velcryn’s crafters. Breastplates with spinning gears on the sides that had sigils painted into every spoke with aether laced inked. Greaves that had tubes poking out the side like tal wings which belched smoke when activated. Gaunlets that contained a whirring device set in the back of the hand.

Alex quickly pulled out his Echo mory Lens to scan the enchantnts where he noticed glyphs or runes. Between the item, Obby, and his own skill knowledge, it didn’t take him long to figure out what House Velcryn had sent them with these armor pieces.

All of them had enchantnts what would give an augntor boost with activated. Either increasing their speed or strength for a short ti. The enchantnts were energy hungry, and left their bodies strained when over used, but they were amazing.

“Wow, these, coupled with the spells, what else could they have sent us?” Peter asked.

Every looked at the next create.

The Third create was just a large amount of straw, buried underneath was a small lacquered box containing a sealed vial from Mother Theralyn.

A thin crystalline flask, pulsing gently with a gold-and-lilac hue. No one recognized it when it got passed around, but eventually, Obby was able to feed him so information on the item after he scanned it.

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“Lunflare Draught, that’s an expensive gift for sure. Its a light cultivation resource so rare it usually lived in church vaults and prophecy-stained glass tales. If you were to use it, it could probably push you half way to the middle stage of Adept Tier.” Obby explained.

Alex passed on the info, pretending to have figured it out with his Echo Lens and his special aether sight abiltiy. Which wasn’t to far off the mark given that through his sight, Alex saw the vial to be condensed liquid-state light aether. It also helped that Mother Theralyn left a note at the bottom of the crate, further buried under the straw.

A tag was attached with only a single line, written in perfect calligraphy: “For those who walk in shadow, and still bear light.”

Eric picked it up reverently. “This stuff’s worth more than most noble houses?”

Alex said nothing, just tucked it into their shared supply pouch. Later. If soone needed a breakthrough. If one of them was on the edge. That’s when they’d use it. Not before. Really though, everyone knew who it would go too, Allie. Having their best dic as powerful as possible was a no-brainer. The problem was, she had a dual elent core, light and dark elents in equal asure. Using just the Draught would ruin that balance. They needed to find an equally powerful Dark attuned item for her as well.

The Fourth crate: Natural Treasures and Enchanted Weapons from the Azure Vault and the talworker’s Guild.

These ca in noisier packaging, a crate that clinked and glowed faintly as it was pried open.

Inside were vials of compressed aether nectar, frost-lotus petals, fla-pepper seeds, various alchemical cultivation pills and more.

Everyone seed to have a natural treasure that would fit them contained within, except for Alex. He settled for picking a single item, one that he might not even need based on Obby’s explination of the its effects.

“[Aether Convergence Elixir], an Adept tier item actually,” the rock said. “Mages drink these to temper their bodies with the massive amount of raw aether energy it contains. Like what you attuned body abiltity already does. Probably won’t do anything at all for you. But it does contain a vast amount of energy over all.”

So nothing exiting for Alex, but having items to helps his team more than made up for that fact.

And besides...

That was just the resources from the Azure Vault. The crate also contained enchanted weapons of varying kinds. A shimring Jian blade, a rune etched shaft to a halberd, longwords, spears, jiuhuandao, and a set of six perfectly balanced throwing knives etched with combustion runes.

“Oh. Now we’re talking,” Lance murmured.

“Hot damn,” Cole added, holding up a two-handed maul with embedded wind-surge nodes. “I think this hamr purrs.”

There were no nas attached to the talworkers' gifts, but soone had bundled them lovingly. Which, in the military, was the closest thing to a hug. They passed the weapons around, needing no debate to know who got what, until they emptied out every item.

And the last, a simple slip of parchnt tucked into a satchel filled with aether crystals along with a single note. No glyphs, or seal to be found. Just clean, ink-pressed handwriting. “Seems you’re good for business after all. — VA.”

Devon blinked. “Vess Auralde sent this? I figured she would have wanted us dead two weeks ago already.”

Allie leaned over. “Is… is that a complint?”

“From a rchant? Yes. And possibly a marriage proposal.”

Alex chuckled. “Don’t accept. You’d bankrupt the guild with your glyph materials budget.”

As the sun crept higher over the jagged hills and the sound of drills echoed from the next ridge, the team sat with their packages strewn around them like kids at a very lethal birthday party.

They hadn’t won the war, they hadn’t even secured safety. But the ssage was clear. “You’re still alive. You’re still fighting. And soone, sowhere, is rooting for you.”

Even if it’s a noble lady with a frozen heart, a rchant with suspicious morals, or a priestess who believes in second chances.

Alex exhaled slowly. Then looked toward the next ridge, where a fresh cloud of smoke had begun to rise over the area. The forward camp was a scattering of canvas shadows and half-buried fire pits. Most soldiers were still asleep or pretending to be. The ones that were awake whispered low or cleaned weapons that didn’t need cleaning.

“Move the things into our tent, and start getting outfitted. We can get called forward any minute, so don’t waste this ti gawking at these things like kids on christmas.” With that he snagged so guantlets from the second crate and walked off to prepare in his own way.

By that ti, Allie and Cole had already ventured off to the dic tents again, no doubt showing Veldan their new toys. The Regint’s dic may have been the teacher when they were traveling while prisoners, but the two worldstriders had really turned that on it its head. There was no doubt in his mind that Garret, Lance and Eric were doing the sa with Bromi, the regint’s smith, as well.

And so the student’s beco the master. He smiled to himself from the thought as he walked through the camp. The bustle around him a familiar chaos that sohow cald his nerves rather than excited them.

He still heard a few whispers from the soldiers as he walked by. The terrifying visage of the

Demon of Terraxum’ was hard not to notice, especially sense he made absolutely no attempt to hide. He just ignored all the many hushed tones and kept moving.

He couldn’t help but let out a chuckle when he heard soone screaming about a hidden pair of boots, and punishnts being dished out to whoever is found responsible, all coming from a possibly rather pissed Lieutenant a couple tent-rows over. Garret was right, a true classic.

Ten minutes later Alex was alone near the outer ward line, seated on a worn stone bench that had once been part of a lookout tower, before an aether-mortar round had redefined its career.

That’s when he heard the voice.

“Well, this is grim.”

Alex didn’t look up imdiately. “I was beginning to wonder if you’d ever co pay a visit.”

Prince Kailan Virell, royal heir, reluctant manipulator, and expert smuggler of fine alcohol, stepped into the firelight with a hood drawn over his head and a casual glamour spell blurring the edges of his face. At a casual glance, it made him look like half a dozen different people at once.

In his hand was a bottle of winterwine. He held it up. “Peace offering?”

Alex stared at it. “If it’s poisoned, I’m letting Kate stab you. Twice.”

Kailan uncorked the bottle, took a drink first, and handed it over. “See? Trust.”

He accepted the bottle, more out of tired curiosity than anything else, and took a swig. It tasted like frozen apples, mountain wind, and a bitter mory of better tis. They sat in silence for a few minutes, passing the bottle between them like soldiers who t in the middle of the dead zone and weren’t supposed to be friends.

Eventually, Alex broke it. “You sent us here.”

Kailan didn’t flinch. “Yes.”

“You could’ve freed us.”

“I could’ve.” The prince looked off into the trees, face unreadable. “And watched as the political field stripped every supporter I had from , one by one. Seen half the rchant guilds turn their ledgers against , and the noble blocs label a liability. I’d have been a prince with no court. And you’d be fugitives again. Dead within the month.”

“Nice speech,” Alex said flatly.

“It’s not a speech,” Kailan replied. “It’s just the truth. My leash is longer than most, but it’s still there. Golden handcuffs, wrapped in silk and smiling obligation.”

Alex leaned forward, elbows on his knees as he tried to control his rising heartbeat and building anger. “So what? You compromised? You chose politics over people?”

“I chose survival, Alex.” The na landed heavy between them. “Yours, mine, everyone’s. You think I like this war? That I sleep easy while sending children to die with a blessing carved on their bones? I don’t want any of this. But wanting doesn’t undo reality.”

The anger in Alex faded like a receding tide. Not gone, but quieter. More tired than furious.

“…You still made the call,” he said.

Kailan nodded. “I did. And I’ll carry it.” They passed the bottle back and forth again. The silence this ti felt less like a wall and more like a pause.

Then the prince smiled faintly. “That said… I didn’t co just to drown in guilt and drink my own wine.”

“Then you’re a terrible conversationalist.”

“I ca with information.”

Alex looked sideways at him, unsure of where this would lead them. He knew the prince was a shrewd man, even when friendly. And he had learned the hard way he couldn’t trust him completely.

Kailan’s voice dropped low, almost conspiratorial. “Aeralith’s about to make a push. A big one. Multiple fronts, coordinated strike teams. They’re aiming to cut the spine out of our supply chain before winter sets in.”

“How do you know?”

“I still have… contacts.” The smile was too sharp. “Not all nobles in Aeralith are fond of their warmongering Kingship.”

“And you’re telling because…”

“Because it’s not an order. It’s a favor. I’m not sending the army. They won’t believe until it’s too late. But if you are ready for the push, can anticipate it and cripple it before it begins, you could save hundreds. Maybe thousands.”

Alex narrowed his eyes. “Or you’re using us as a knife again.”

Kailan raised his hands. “Probably. But it’s still a sharp one.”

There was another long pause. Another drink passed between them. Alex sighed. “Give the map.”

As he had guessed, Kailan produced a scroll from his sleeve and handed it over. The seal was already broken. As Alex opened it and studied the markings, attack patterns, enemy squads, predicted tilines, he felt the weight settle into his chest again. But beneath it, sothing else. Not bitterness or anger. It was a quiet, reluctant understanding ford from many experiences in high circles back on earth.

“You didn’t just co here to deliver this,” he said. “You ca to make sure I still trusted you.”

Kailan didn’t deny it. “I ca,” he said softly, “because you’re the only one who never lied to . And that makes you dangerous. But also… worthy of my trust in return.”

Alex looked at him, then passed the bottle back one last ti. “Let’s just drink before this gets any more heartfelt. I have a reputation.”

Kailan smiled as he accepted the bottle. They didn’t talk much after that. But they didn’t need to. Because sotis, in war, friendship didn’t co with oaths or cheers. It ca with shared silence, a bottle passed between tired hands. And the unspoken promise:

You do your best. I’ll do mine.