Discordant Note: Crescendo | TBATE

Chapter 168: At the Pinnacle

Toren Daen

My fires were not yet hot enough to match those of the Asclepius hunters. The yeti's shriveled body went up like dry tinder, but the stench of burning fat and deep black smoke arching into the sky told me of my shortcomings.

One day, I'd be able to make fires so hot that not even a smell remained. There would be no time for smoke, for the heat would eviscerate even that.

The top of the mountain plateau was only slightly isolated from the blowing, chill winds by a few craggy outcroppings. The exit portal itself blazed with purple light near the far end, inviting me to leave.

But right now, Aurora's massive relic kept me in its shade as the night slowly crept up, her bright eyes burning with solemn respect for our defeated foe. I was wearing a cloak to protect against the wind, meanwhile keeping close to the fire and my bond's warmth. I'd taken a sizable amount of the yeti's fur, which was surprisingly soft and durable. Perhaps I could make a cloak out of that, next. Another way to honor it.

Lady Dawn had explained to me the process Asclepius hunters undertook when they could not make use of an entire kill. They would burn what was left of their prey till there was less than ash, returning the creature to the environment in a final act of acknowledgment.

I'd drained this monster of lifeforce, adding it to my own reserves as its lifespan trickled away. Just as men consumed the flesh of beasts to sustain their lives, so too did I take from this defeated monster.

But it was still a raw, primal way to kill a creature.

I pressed the knuckles of my closed fist against my open hand as I bowed slightly to the fire. I said no words, for none would reach the beast's soul wherever it drifted after I'd taken away its anchor.

"My use of heartfire is different from anything you've seen, isn't it?" I asked the empty air as the fire finally died down after half an hour or so. "There's something visceral about the control I have over my own energy. That I don't think anybody, save perhaps Arthur, ever had. Or will have."

My ability to siphon an enemy's very heartfire from their chest still unnerved me. Perhaps my aetheric abilities were far more limited than Arthur's would be, but my control and use of them were different. Some part of me wanted to ask Fate why I had such a power.

"The power to coax one's lifeforce is purely an art of the phoenix," Aurora rumbled above me, shifting her wings around me as the fire died to provide more warmth. "The dragons and the djinn both leveraged their dominion over the world itself, but we turned inward to what was naturally present. But we never had true control, only barest nudges." She paused. "Truthfully, my son, I was not certain your First Sculpting would be such a success. Sculptings are normally long, painful endeavors that take many years to complete as we slowly rewrite cell after cell in a meticulous process that often results in failure or death. But I had been gifted the blood of the djinn myself, and though I knew not my capabilities, I knew I had to try."

I looked at the crackling embers as they finally dissipated, a bit of smoke stretching off the mountaintop plateau. I watched it ascend, lamenting the lack of stars in the sky.

"That just means we need to do everything we can with what we've been afforded," I breathed, my breath misting on the air. "So far, I've mostly used this power to heal and protect. But if I want to stand a chance against my enemies, I need to understand it more."

Aurora's beak nuzzled the top of my head affectionately. "You have time to spread your wings, Toren," she said soothingly. I felt a wave of exhaustion–one I didn't even know I'd been carrying–make my arms droop and my eyelids heavy.