It was early in the morning. Fog settled in preparation for a thunderstorm, a perfect condition for Voltaic Weaver flights to take place.
Jakery watched the clouds make landfall while sitting on top of a Sky Beast. The salty ocean air blew on his face reminding him of the conflict that took place not too long ago.
Another Sky Beast touched beside Jakery's, this one was a yellow eye'd Storm Chaser. Better known as Gloria, Valentine's loyal mount.
"Ready to tame some Weavers?" Valentine's soothing voice asked.
Jakery crossed his arms. "Depends. Will I get fried today?"
"You and Voltaic Weavers share one thing in common: nothing shocks you. If anything, they will be more likely to bow. Ready for a quick explanation?"
Jakery turned his attention to Valentine, making sure to ignore the salty breeze flowing past through his hair.
"The gist of it all is catching their attention with your Third Rule. Lightning interests lightning, no shock there. After they see you, keep repeatedly damaging them with the Lightning until they stop aggressively charging towards you."
"Won't they be hostile towards you?" Jakery snapped back.
Valentine chuckled. "That's one of their various mysteries. No one knows why, but for some reason, they know who or what would harm their masters. So no, they won't attack me."
Rain suddenly poured down on them. The cold droplets gently landed on their faces, soothing them down so the incoming thunder could frighten them.
When the first roars of thunder cried out, twenty-six Voltaic Weavers emerged from the clouds. They mindlessly moved through the sky like a banner in the wind.
The tiny hairs on the back of their necks rose as the static electricity built up around them. Despite that, this display seemed almost surreal, but in a good way.
"There they are, Jakery, go for them. Take Gloria and fly towards them, then dismount and free fall. While you're falling, think of unique ways to use your Third Rule. It will sharpen you," Valentine gave his advice.
And Jakery took it. He quickly dismounted his Sky Beast and climbed on Gloria. The beast pleasantly screeched several times in a low voice.
In seconds, they were up in the skies. Reaching the Weavers faster than he had hoped for. As they got closer, Jakery realized just how odd Gloria was starting to behave.
She began to disobey certain orders such as keep increasing speed and stay in a direct flight path towards their targets. It was her survival instincts kicking up. She knew there would be no way to survive an encounter with one.
Instead of forcing her to continue, Jakery deviated from course and began to fly around them. Winds kicked up as the violent thunders began to increase in intensity.
Until they were above the Weavers.
Jakery got up and looked over the ledge. Winds itched him closer to the side where he would have to allow free fall.
"Okay, Gloria. This is what's going to happen. I am going to jump and you are diving back down to Valentine. See you down there," Jakery nervously concluded.
He took one last big breath before leaping off. The entire area seemed tiny, the distant cities and nearby strongholds from the conflict. Including Volknair's lights off in the distance.
When Jakery got closer to the Weavers. The quicker he fell, the louder the sounds these gigantic beasts made.
It was like listening to a billion thunderclaps going off every half a second. The might and power from their looks and sounds alone terrified him.
But he was so close to them now, it was time to strike.
Around them, he felt his Third Rule's power surge. It felt like unlocking a secondary Third Rule.
Jakery unleashed a focused ray of electricity. The beam darted across the skies, harmlessly landed on several Voltaic Weavers. Catching their attention.
Just as they were about to begin flying towards him, the beam instantly increased in strength. The skies lit up in several flashes of blue and white as the stronger surges approached their targets.
Each second that passed, the stronger the beam got. After letting it loose for ten seconds, Jakery was forced to stop. He had to recharge his Rule.
But that didn't matter, several Weavers spun around each other. Making them seem passive, ready for their masters to claim.
The others flew down towards Jakery, who was rapidly approaching the hills. In the blink of an eye, a lightning bolt struck him. Then suddenly he appeared again, this time higher up.
As his free fall began anew, Jakery noticed he felt another powerful surge of strength. It pulsed through his body as he began to charge another attack.
Lightning engulfed him, which suddenly halted his fall. Jakery was now suspended in midair, allowing his entire body to charge up his next attack.
Seven Weavers scaled the skies in an attempt to reach him. The power in their bodies ran like crazy as they got closer to their main attraction.
They never encountered an area with so much electrical potential, such as Jakery, which attracted them like wild Stram when it's mating season.
When they got in earshot distance to one another, every vein in Jakery's body began glowing a white color. Which erupted out of him in a flash of blinding light.
The entire hillside, ocean, nearby structures, and skies were all blinded by the sudden blast of light.
Jakery hovered in the air, waiting to see what happened to the Weavers. When everything settled, there weren't any Voltaic Weavers in their place.
Instead, something much stronger and terrifying took their place. It was a Celestial Weaver.
A marble-colored casing housed neon blue electricity. The beak was also altered. Instead of one beak split into four, it now became one split into thousands of inward teeth.
Although they weren't there to catch prey, they appeared metallic. Their purpose was to absorb electricity and power the Weaver even further. And it did a good job at that.
There was no more lighting, no more thunder. Not even any Weavers around. All of Jakery's power loosened up as the Weaver charged itself.
It stood still, allowing its strength to increase by the second. A faint charging sound continued to go off as the Weaver ascended to its final stage.
Jakery began to fall once again. But there was nothing to save him from this free fall. No surges or anything to help him survive.
Until the Weaver exploded.
Hundreds of smaller Voltaic Weavers broke apart from the main Celestial Weaver, which came together to form normal sized Voltaic Weavers as they bumped into each other.
Thus returning the amount of electricity in the air back to its formal state. Granting Jakery a powered Third Rule once again.
With his power back in his possession, he focused all of his energy into escaping the situation. This caused him to devolve into nothing more than several sparks of electricity.
Each one disappeared, leaving the skies without a mark of a Variant being where they weren't supposed to be. While also leaving a stunned Valentine in shock.
His wide-opened eyes looked on in amazement as the natural process of a Voltaic Weaver began from the start and the disappearance of Jakery.
"Was that what you meant by 'sharpening me?' If so, I'm starving and could use a bite to eat," Jakery abruptly commented.
Valentine jumped in horror as his student appeared behind him. "I never knew someone as small as you could... never mind. It appears they are tamed."
Jakery smiled as he watched the new flock of thirty Voltaic Weavers circle above them with thunder going off in the background. It almost seemed like a dream, being so up close to beasts of war.
"What's the plan on getting them out of here?" Jakery asked.
"I have no idea, you're the leader. And a very powerful one by the looks of it... hey, I want to tell you something," Valentine responded.
He pointed at Jakery. "I believe you," then he directed his finger away from him and towards the direction of Krugi. "Can be a stronger leader than Ether."
"I don't believe so. He has been a lot busier lately and relies on me to do what he can't. I wouldn't want to take his position, not when he deserves it more than I do," Jakery confidently replied.
Valentine climbed on the back of Gloria. "Wasn't trying to convince you to betray him. I know you two love each other. Your ability to bounce off one another is proof of it. Anyway, get on your Sky Beast. These Weavers are ours now."
Jakery tried to jump on his Sky Beast, but ultimately slid off because of the creature's wet feathers.
Realizing its rider was having some difficulties, it lowered its upper wings to allow him to get on. Jakery smiled as a thanks. He climbed on, then took off back to Krugi.
With the Weavers and Valentine following close behind.