“Baz, pick up the pace old man,” Sam called.

  “You know I frackin hate the bush. Who picked this damn excursion anyway?” he replied, slapping at his skin while he did so.

  “Pat needed an outing, he was getting too cooped up in the office,” Keith called back.

  “Well bugger you, Pat!” Baz growled.

  Patrick laughed, walking happily in the middle of the group with Baz, while Sam pulled up the rear. He breathed in the clean crisp air, feeling reinvigorated. Jo had been right, of course.

  “How far out are we?” Sam asked.

  “Map shows a few k’s left,” Pat said, pulling up satellite images of the local area through his neural AI. Despite more than a decade in the ARFO group, he was still occasionally overtaken by wonder with the neural cognitive programs the Institutes had developed. Coming from the insensate world, it never ceased to amaze him what aether fuelled technology could accomplish.

  “For heaven’s sake,” Baz grumbled, bring him back to the present.

  “Mate, quit ya whining. You’d think you were stuck at the first gate with the way you carry on,” Keith teased. “Besides, fresh air will do you some good.” He continued to plough through the underbrush without any apparent effort, clearing the way for the team behind.

  “Fresh air never did no one no good,” Baz mumbled under his breath, though it was just loud enough for Pat to hear.

  Patrick knew Baz was determined to keep rumbling, though the rest of the team smiled good naturedly at his mood, their own spirits lifted by the trek through the greenery. Some things were just impossible to change.

  “Aetheric density readings are slowly increasing,” Pat said, watching the monitor on his phone.

  “What’s the fauna like up ahead?” Sam asked.

  “It’s a conservation area for the helmeted honeyeater and leadbeater possums, but you’ll find some of the other natives and plenty of avians. Oh, and let’s not forget the snakes. It’s all swampy, so expect plenty of wetland creatures.”

  “Remember the last time we ran into a mutated platy? Fuck that poison was painful!” Keith yelled back.

  “Don’t remind me,” said Pat. “Took me a week to walk properly again.”

  “That’s what she said!” Keith quipped, earning a chuckle from the group.

  “According to the reports, an anomaly has likely opened up somewhere near Cockatoo Creek, so once we find it, it’s just a matter of closing it back off and clearing the area. Jo wanted us to look out for anything interesting as well.”

  “Sounds like Jo,” Baz grumbled.

  The team walked for another twenty minutes before all of their phones started pulsing at the aetheric density readings, putting them on instant alert. Pat instinctively slowed as Keith pulled his hammer and shield from the earth while Sam conjured a few flaming darts that rotated around her.

  “No bushfires this time Sam,” Baz cautioned.

  “It was one time!” She rolled her eyes. “Besides, we’re in a wetland area. We’ll be fine,”

  “Keep alert,” called Keith. “Creek up ahead.”

  Rustles in the surrounding scrub had everyone on high alert, and Pat strained to hear threats through the ambient noises of the wetland. Aether poisoning caused normally harmless and passive creatures to become aggressive and fiercely territorial. With a light breeze blowing it was hard to distinguish between the susurration of the forest and the movements of potential predators. Pat followed Keith’s lead, one step at a time, listening out for any incoming threats. Slowly, their line bunched up defensively, Sam pulling in closer to Pat and Baz who now walked side by side.

  “Incoming,” whispered Keith, as the drop in breeze momentarily stilled the rustling of the leaves. Discordant hisses could be heard increasing in volume. “Sounds like a tiger snake… Fuck, there’s two, must be a breeding pair.”

  Keith’s shield expanded in time to catch the two launching serpents head on. Normally just over a metre long, these two had more than doubled in length with the influx of aetheric energy in the area. Sam rapidly sent her flaming daggers forward, forming more with a quick wave of her hand. Baz stood there in disgust.

  “Frack you, mother frackin nature,” Baz growled, whilst clapping his hands together to form a cloud of green energy that shot out towards each of his teammates protecting them from venom. Pat pushed his energy out to form Achelos Shielding on everyone, keeping his eyes peeled to the left, monitoring for more incoming. Slowly, the team battled their way to the creeks edge, with Baz collecting up the corpses that hadn’t been burnt to a crisp.

  At the edge of the creek, they were forced to make a stand as waves of mutated creatures attacked. From the corner of Pat’s eye, he saw Keith’s shield pulse brown and gold and his hammer flash, the front man facing towards the bushland from which they had just come. Sam protected their backs with her flame shields, closest to the creek.

  “Must be getting close,” Pat called. The beasties aggression was a classic sign. He skimmed the area, trying to find the distortion that indicated a breach. He sent out a pulse of aether, scanning for signs. As the pulse returned, there was a warp in the energy from the other side of the creek, just up a small hill. “Over there!” He pointed.

  “Keep an eye on the waters as you cross,” Sam instructed, “the frogs are a bit testy.” A trickle of blood seeped down onto her face from her left brow. “Barbed tongues,” she said, wiping at her face. “Squelchy fuckers. Smell alright when cooked though.”

  Patrick laughed.

  The defence continued as Pat crossed the creek in the middle of his team, the waves of creatures slowly diminishing as they got closer to the breach. Even the greenery had started to warp after sustained close contact with the influx of aether. Patrick and Baz continued to collect samples as they moved forward while Keith and Sam kept watch, their progress occasionally interrupted by a more difficult fight.

  As they finally arrived at the rift, Pat pulled a set of crystals from his backpack, setting them up in a ring around it. As the last of the six crystals was placed, they immediately began to glow.

  “Right, that should give us a few hours of containment before the crystals are fully charged. Want me to shut it down quickly or do you guys want some time to absorb the aether.” Rifts and other anomalies were a rare chance to push forward with their progression, bringing a much denser level of aether than was otherwise readily available. The aether crystals could do the same thing once they were charged but were mostly used for the technology back at the Institute. It was always a fine balancing act between harvesting the excess aether and managing the overflow that resulted in mutation.

  “An hour or so rest wouldn’t go astray,” Baz jumped in to no one’s surprise, though of course, no one argued either.

  “Glad none of the leadbeater’s went crazy, they’re way too cute to have to put down,” Sam said as she sat herself down within the crystal circle.

  “I’m just glad there wasn’t a platypus in that bunch,” Keith said. “Snakes are bad enough without a mutant poisonous duck beaver going berko.”

  “That’s really traumatised you, hasn’t it?” Patrick asked.

  “Too right mate,” Keith shuddered, his tone dropped, becoming low and menacing. “Devil spawn!”

  “We’re just lucky we caught this one pretty quick and that the mutations hadn’t progressed too far. Remember the koalas on French Island?” Patrick recalled, and the group all groaned at the memory.

  As Patrick watched the surroundings, he quickly arranged the samples they had gathered, dispersing them through the backpacks. The others meditated within the crystal circle. Thankfully, the crystals reduced the aetheric pulses that emanated from the rift making the animals less likely to be drawn towards them.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  After two hours passed, he sat down and began to focus his energy on the rift, hands raised as if to hold it in place. His Siren Division training had given him a keen insight into how energy moved through different states of matter, and he had focused a lot of attention on this aspect of his cultivation. This had made him uniquely qualified for closing the anomalies.

  “Alright team, closing in ten, prepare for the final burst,” Pat said.

  The other three picked themselves up from the ground, dusting themselves off as they stood. Pat was sensitive enough to pick up on the changes of ambient energy as they each began readying their skills for the final rush of beasts that would surge in protest of the anomaly closing. Baz picked up the crystals and carefully placed them into a wooden box, which he stowed away.

  Patrick’s energy rolled outwards, the distinctive violet-grey light bursting out around him as he forced a net of aether to surround the portal. It was detailed work, and not one he had an active skill for. Manipulating this much aether took a lot of focus.

  Sweat dripped down his face as he clenched his will, slowly forcing the breach to close. Cries sounded from the brush land around them, and a swarm of animals appeared. His teammates formed a triangle with Patrick in the centre, their own energy lashing outwards to prevent the swarm from closing in.

  Patrick grunted as the density of aether from the portal slammed against the net he had raised. Slowly he pulled the net tighter, the gaps slowly closing. He paid no attention to the fight going on around him, trusting in his team mates to keep the berserk natives off him. As he approached the half-way mark, his instincts flared, and he saw an alert in his neural interface as his AI tracked an anomalous surge of aether. A rush of adrenaline poured through his body. He could not pinpoint the source of danger, but something was approaching.

  “Head’s up team, something’s incoming,” he panted.

  Pat could feel as his warning settled into each of his three teammates, their tension resonant. Even through his breathing, he could hear the surrounding animal’s growls had slowly shifted from deadly menace, to whines of fear.

  “Ah, Pat. Whatever it is, I don’t think it’s coming from our side,” Keith called back as a ripple of energy washed over Patrick.

  “Sam, you’re on lookout. Baz, help to reinforce Pat. Quickly!” There was a clear sense of urgency in Keith’s tone, and Pat felt the ripple in the air as Keith sent his own defensive energy to shield him. Baz thrust one of his hands forward, and the green glow around it slowly filled Patrick, his skill Eirs Embrace filling him with energy and a sense of rejuvenation.

  Pat felt his brow crease as he pulled more aether from his core, reinforcing the net he had wrapped around the anomaly. For a moment, he thought it must have been a blip in the system as things seemed to settle. Then the anomaly seemed to warp, a ripple passing through the distortions of energy, the colours shifting dark.

  A moment later and the aether rippled again, pushing back against the net that Patrick had formed around it. Three large claws slowly materialised from within the rift, each the length of a human head.

  “It’s a breach!” Keith yelled. “All in now!”

  Pat saw the fiery glow as Sam launched dagger after dagger of fire into the rift, a red aura forming around her as her own energy surged. The luminous golden light of Keith’s hammer blazed as he summoned it once more and Pat noticed him slamming it into the claws that were growing increasingly more solid from the corner of his vision. Patrick felt his heart begin to thump as he forced more energy into the net that surrounded the rift.

  “Grab me the crystals, now!” he cried out in desperation.

  Pulling the box from his backpack, Baz quickly placed one of the crystals in his lap, before lining up the remaining five in quick reach beside him. Baz pushed out his own energy, wrapping it around Patrick, attempting to help reinforce the net that Pat had created.

  With a dramatic wrench, the claws pulled on the net, and Patrick groaned in pain. Rapidly, the glow from the crystal in his lap depleted as he funnelled its energy into the barrier, only to be replaced with a fresh one by Baz.

  As Patrick slowly funnelled more and more energy into the rift, he noted Keith’s hammer growing bigger, his swings more intense as they slammed into the claws. A second set of claws slowly materialised, each pulling against the edges of the anomaly in an attempt to widen it. Red light flared on Patrick’s other side as Sam’s arrows transformed into serpents of flame, each rushing over his head and through the rift to attack whatever it was that lay in wait behind.

  The energy from the second crystal pulsed before draining, the edges of the net creeping closer and the rift shrinking. A muffled roar surged out from the anomaly, and the claws pushed back in desperation.

  Slowly but surely, Patrick drained a third crystal, the aperture reducing in size. One set of the claws disappeared, no longer able to find purchase on this side of the rift. Another roar came through, and then quickly after, a massive surge of force pushed through the anomaly, knocking Keith back, and cracking the shield he had placed around Patrick. Blood dripped from Pat’s nose, as he fought back against the enormous pressure trying to wedge the rift open.

  With a final roar, Patrick sucked the aether from a fourth crystal and forced it through the matrix of energy around the rift. Before the entity was able to withdraw its claws, the force behind Patrick’s net condensed, closing the rift and slicing through the black and red talons. An explosion of black ichor hit the area around the rift, sizzling against Keith’s shield, and burning through the surrounding greenery. Patrick scrambled backwards, narrowly escaping the fallout. A stench of decay exploded outwards, causing them all to cough and cover their faces.

  “Fuckin’ fuckity fuck!” Keith bellowed from where he had fallen. “What in the almighty hells was that?”

  They all stared in shock at the mini crater that continued to sizzle with black blood.

  “I have never heard of any breach like that,” Patrick said through wheezed breaths. He looked around at his teammates, making sure they were all okay. “We need to report this back to HQ pronto.”

  “Do we have something to put those claws in?” Keith asked, climbing to his feet. “And try to grab a sample of that blood. It might help us to work out what the fuck is going on here.”

  Patrick closed his eyes briefly, before forcing himself to stand. “I layered some aether through one of our sample boxes, be careful not to touch them. We need to be out of here in five, I have a bad feeling about all of this.”

  * * *

  “We’ve had similar reports from two other anomalies in eastern Victoria, but the other states report only the usual from their areas. There were casualties. Thankfully, with backup, all anomalies were closed without anything coming through. Monitoring for more breaches has now become a top priority.” Patrick slumped in the chair in front of his boss’s desk, barely able to stay awake to finish the report.

  “Pat, look at you, you’re done. Get out of here and get some rest. Report back in the morning, and I’ll have some more information, and likely another task for you.” Simson watched him above steepled fingers, his eyes narrowed with concern. Pat waved away his worry.

  “I’ll take that advice sir, just after I drop by and see Jo. The team should have already dropped off the samples, and I want to see if she has any preliminary findings on that thing.”

  “Just make it quick, you’re no good to anyone if you fall apart.”

  “Aye aye, sir.”

  Patrick grunted softly as he pushed himself up from the chair. It was only ten minutes later that he found himself outside of Jo’s lab on the third floor. He passed through the sterilisation room, gowning up, before heading further into the space. A number of other researchers bustled about, the soft hum of steady work reverberating through the air.

  Jo sat with her eyes glued to a microscope, unaware of Patrick’s entrance. She gave a soft shriek as he tapped her on the shoulder.

  “For the love of God, give me some warning next time.” He would normally have grinned at her response. “You look like shit. Keith filled me in on what happened.”

  “It was… unexpected, to say the least. Last time I take your advice.” He said with a mock glare.

  “Lucky it was your team, and not one of the others. Not many could have handled it from what Keith described. I assume that’s why you’re here?”

  “It is. Got anything yet?” Pat asked wearily. Jo eyed him for a moment before responding.

  “Nothing concrete. The samples decay rapidly when exposed to the environment unless infused with aether. Clearly, whatever their base biology, it is inimical with ours. When in contact with carbon-based material, it rapidly consumes it, propagating at an alarming rate. We really do not want these things entering into our world.”

  “The claws and exploding blood were warning enough for me.” Patrick said with a cynical laugh.

  “Pat, why are you even here?” Jo asked as she looked at him. “You look wrecked. You should be in bed. In fact, I don’t think I have ever seen you this bad before.”

  “Thanks, aren’t you just the sweet talk...” Patrick’s sarcasm lost some of its punch as it was rudely interrupted by a yawn.

  “No seriously…” Jo tsked. A glowing light infused her eyes and Pat felt her send a wave of energy though his body.

  “Your aether channels are almost fried! And that’s with Barry’s healing? What the hell did you do?” she gasped. Not waiting for his response, she began rustling through one of her sample fridges.

  “Four energy crystals,” he said softly.

  “Four! Patrick, not even the director would risk that, and you’re not even close to her cultivation level. No wonder you look like a walking corpse. You don’t need bed; you need a bloody medic.” She stood up rustling through the sample fridge beneath her desk. She passed him a velvet bag that had been woven with gold thread. Inside was a bunch of small red and yellow fruits.

  “Take these, they’re Kurkutty berries. They help restore the body after aether starvation. I know I’ve got a fart’s chance in a storm of making you see a doc, so promise me you will take it easy for at least the next few days. In fact, I’ll be sending a message to the Major myself, so consider that an order.”

  “Yes, Maam!” Patrick offered her a resigned smile. He didn’t think he would be able to countermand her order even if he had wanted to. “Ummm, perhaps you could call someone to help get me to level five accom, I don’t think I am going to make it to my apartment in the city.”

  Eirs Embrace – Barry Johnson – Tier 4 – Hydra – Healing (instant)

  Long lasting heal over time effect, heals 2% total health per second, last 10 seconds. Cost 10% total aether.

  Tier 2 – can be channelled as AOE HOT (cost 2% aether per second)

  Tier 3 – can be used to transfer aether between the caster and recipient

  Tier 4 – has damage mitigation (all resistance +5), HOT increases in potency (2% > 4%).