Pegulis, Chapter 4

[Voices of Nerat]

Dane Myros - Aldus, gold

He thought he'd just be leading a little girl and her grandmother to safety, but now he'd been roped into dragging these strangers along. The change in circumstance made him uneasy, but despite his reservations he would do his best to keep these people safe, strangers or not. Surveying over the shaken lot he'd been charged with protecting, the uncertainty in his expression was less than withheld. Only when he glanced back down into the frightened face of that child clinging to his leg did he steel his resolve. Clearing his throat, he gave a decisive nod. This country boy had a job to do.

"Alright, everybody, listen to me. We're gonna make it through this, y'hear me? We just gotta work together." Drawing his blade, he took the Lisbon girl's hand in his. "Y'all stay behind me, n' stick close so we don't lose eachother. It might be temptin' to run off if ya get spooked, but chances are yer just gonna get yerselves killed doin' that, unnerstand?"

"We get ourselves over to the prison, we get yer friends and family outta there, and if the gods're good we might just make it to one'a them safehouses in time." The refugees' response was understanding, if a tad meek. Obviously they were more than a little wary, but with someone taking charge who (seemed like he) knew what was doing, they had some little hope.

"We spent 'nough time talkin', we gotta move!" Raising his sword to the forefront, he lead Karissa, her grandmother, and a motley crew of avians past the broken door to filter out into the open street, where precipitation was beginning to rain lightly down on them, the looming storm clouds drawing ever nearer. Scanning the horizon, he locked on the ancient spires of Aldus. Perhaps it was just his mind messing with him, but were they... growing taller? With all the chaos that surrounded him and assaulted his senses, Dane couldn't tell; regardless, it was unimportant right now. He could marvel at this when he wasn't about to die.

Clop, clop, clop. Just barely was he able to hear the sound over the uproar in the skies, but when his gaze flashed down did he see the equine steed rushing towards the group, galloping across the rain spattered road. "MOOOOVE!" with the greatest of urgency he called out to the others, throwing himself to the side and out of its path, abandoning his blade to the ground so as to grab Karissa with both hands and pull her out of harm's way with him.

With no regard for the beings in its way, the startled beast ran straight for the crowd, most quick enough to avoid it in time. One unlucky sod, however, was unfortunate enough to have a gimp leg and frayed wings. Unable to jump himself clear of danger, he raised his arms and screamed in fear, the horse aimed to trample him into the dust.

But that never happened. As if it were a trick of the eyes, the beast seemingly passed through him, leaving the poor guy standing entirely too still and shivering in the rain, eyes clenched tightly shut. When he realized what had happened, or rather didn't, his lids shot open wide, looking about in confusion, the same look adorning the faces of those surrounding him.

Spinning around, the gimped avian saw the horse speeding further down the road, heading straight for a solid stone wall. Without regard for gravity, the horse galloped up the surface at a complete ninety degree angle, disappearing over the rooftops. More confusion followed.

Helping Karissa up from the ground, Dane's eyes had been watching the beast just as the others had, wiping stray droplets from his face. "Well, that ain't... summin' you see everyday." Shaking his head, he looked down to the tiny blonde, concerned. "You alright, Karissa?"

She nodded hurriedly in response, briefly looking back to the group reassembling behind them. "We have to keep going... weird things are happening out here..." Watching him nod in return, her gaze fell to the side, catching sight of a dark shape approaching just behind the watchman. "D-Dane! Look out!" She nearly shrieked, pointing.

Heart skipping a beat, he swiftly gathered up the sword that had clattered at his feet, whirling around to bear it in the approacher's face, weapon shaking in his grip just slightly.

Hands in the air, the unidentified person waved his arms, chuckling nervously. "Faster than I gave you credit for... but is that really how you greet your friends?"

 

[LVL1337N00B]

Artorius Cale - Aldus, burlywood

"..Artorius? Issat you?", Dane asked, lowering his guard only slightly as the figure came nearer, became easier to make out.

"The one and only", he confirmed, the flash from an arcane bolt revealing his face. It was indeed his, but perhaps a bit uncharacteristicly the expression upon it was serious, even a bit uneasy. This wasn't the mischievous thief Dane and Karissa had met before, but an arguably good man willing and ready to do what he could to save innocent lives. Speaking of.. "I was hoping you'd know where the birds were being caged, Dane. You do, don't you?"

"We was jus' headin' there now. If I'd knew what Commander Marin'd had in mind for the refugees, I'da.. I'da..", the guardsman couldn't quite finish the thought, his disapproval was obvious but she was still his superior, regrettably. Another flash accompanied by what sounded like a distorted scream emphasized urgency, and with that Dane moved in front of Karissa and hoisted her up onto his back. As though by instinct, she latched on and settled in as the man hurriedly made his way past Artorius, "I'll lead the way, c'mon!"

--

Dane and his party made their way through the increasingly chaotic streets of Aldus, trying their hardest to ignore the many absurdities born of the arcane storm tearing through the city. No one unusual obstacle slowed them down for long, their drive to rescue the refugees and get everyone underground leading them to the prison in almost no time. They hadn't all made it however, it seemed the number of avians trailing behind the guardsman had dropped by one or two. They could only hope they'd be able to find their way underground on their own, or find some other way to survive the storm.

"Should have guessed this is where she left them", Artorius said as he ran ahead, opening the door and holding it for the others. He looked inward to the cells, full of frightened and angry avians. Everyone piled in, some of the refugees that'd been following Dane running over to cells to assure their siblings, parents, neighbors that everything was going to be alright. "Grab the keys, I'll make use of my tools and we can get this done in less time."

Dane nodded as he let Karissa down from his back, running over to the hook that the cell keys.. Should have been on. Where were they? The guardsman looked around frantically, until a voice called from behind him. "Looking for these?", asked a guardsman with short black hair and sideburns trailing down to his pointed chin. He spun the keyring around his finger, grinning.

"Our friends here aren't going to make it through the storm and there's naught you're going to do about it, understand?", the man said, his gaze shifting to the man he was ordered to keep an eye on. From behind the thief one of the younger adult avians ran past, charging to attack the guardsman holding the cell keys. That unfortunate bird was met with a sword through the heart, swiftly put down. Karissa hid behind Dane, Dane stared in disbelief, Brynn removed his blade from the avian's chest and continued, "The commander would be disappointed in you, Dane. Helping a criminal like this.. Help me detain him and the rest of these rats and I'll pretend I didn't see you with them."

"Easy there, friend. No need for this to get any bloodier", Artorius said, subtly reaching for the dagger hanging at his hip. Noticing this, Dane moved in front of thief and shook his head.

"Can't you look the other way? These folks deserve to live much as you and me", Dane tried to reason with the man in front of them, "They's just been run outta home by the storm what's tryin' to do the same to us, they ain't tried to hurt nobody."

"But they will. Commander Marin knows it, I know it, practically everyone in the city knows it.. You must know it too", he said, glaring at Dane and raising his sword to point at the man, "If you stand with these Viridosi and their sympathizer, you stand against me.. Against all of Pegulis."

"That ain't true! These folks ain't enemies, can't you see that?", Dane defended them, "Ain't there any way I can convince you to let us go peacefully?"

The man shook his head and prepared for battle.

The country boy gently ushered his young friend toward Artorius, whose eyes met his as he placed a hand on the girl's head. Karissa looked as though she wanted to object to what Dane was about to do, but instead almost whimpered, "Be.. Be careful, Dane.." He nodded to her, drawing his blade once again and turning to face the man standing in their way.

With a look of fiery determination in his eye, Dane made his approach and readied his weapon. Brynn did the same, but just as he began to swing at the man closing in on him, something happened. The door behind Marin's faithful guardsman exploded into splinters and a bright green bolt struck him. He was flung forward, knocking into Dane and sending him to the floor with a grunt and clatter of steel.

"Well, that was a bit anticlimactic", Artorius jest as the brave bumpkin shoved his fellow guardsman's body off of his, gawking at the large hole in the man's chest as he stood. An elderly avian rushed to cradle the other brave soul who'd met his untimely end, she and many others tearful. Art frowned, turning away from the scene and retrieving two slivers of metal from an inner coat pocket, one flexible and the other solid. "Alright hero, we have work to do."

--

As the last of the imprisoned refugees were released, Dane began to head back for the door they'd come in (Or what remained of it), followed by Karissa and the others. "Oh no, we're not going back out there", Artorius called to Dane, who turned to shoot him a questioning look. Before he could ask why not, he noticed the councilman's son was doing something with the back wall of the room.

There was a click, then the sound of stone shifting as Art's pick shoved into a tiny hole one might never have noticed and twisted in just the right way. A small section of the wall slid backward as he withdrew his tools and returned them to his pocket, looking quite satisfied as the slab lowered and revealed a downward stairwell. "Let's go", he said, signaling for the rest of the group to follow him into the dark and unusually warm tunnel below.

Dane and company were safe, so far as they knew their storm related troubles were over. A few sighs of relief were heaved, though many were still stricken with grief. As the country boy looked around the room however, something felt off. Had they somehow lost yet more of their number? Their safe haven was a bit dark, maybe some people were just out of his visual range. Still, that nagging thought begged the question..

"Is everybody still with us?"

 

[4everDifferent]

Tavark

Darin stirred from sleep rather quickly in the middle of the night. The images and words that had invaded his slumber repeated over in his head. The weary paladin sat up and looked around the room finding Raige asleep not far from him. His fingers pinched the bridge of his nose and then moved to his temple where he massage them gently.

A nightmare. Darin let out a slow breath as he calmed his heart and mind, both of which raged from the images and confusion that were brought on by his nightmare. Once calm, he suppressed the dream, etching it away in his mind for a later attempt at interpretation. Now was a time for rest, for tomorrow, there would be battle. The tired paladin laid back down on his cot, but his eyes stared up at the ceiling of his tent unable to permit sleep to return until exhaustion took him. Though he would not stir again, sleep would be plagued by thoughts of that nightmare.
-----
Raige had fastened his armor and provided him with both sword and shield. The wolf had proven himself already as one who was eager to learn and do what it took out of his lessons as well. Discipline and Duty were two things that no amount of swordplay would instill in someone. They had to learn them through other means, like submission and humility. Raige took to these lessons well. Though the one he wished the wolf would take to the most was the one he had struggled with the hardest.

Darin had seen first hand what vengeance reaped. The accusatory attitude, the toss caution to the wind mentality, the risk everything for that satisfaction; these were all symptoms of a man who had lost hope in everything but striking down his foe no matter the cost. But there was always a cost, there would always be one. Raige needed to focus on justice or he might not make it out of this fight. Darin too realized that he needed to do the same. Falling back into that mindset might get men killed, and he could not live with that blood on his hand.

The paladin stepped out from his tent, leaving Raige to equip himself. He had his own things to attend to. The muffled sounds of men equipping for war flowed for every tent. Horriksson had devised a plan that would work so long as everything flowed just right. Darin would do his part, so would every man that was with him. Eimund had taken everything from them and threatened their memories as well as family and friends. This would not be easy, but he knew they had Justice on their side. Where vengeance failed, justice would not.

Darin's men began to fall in line as their preparations were complete. These men did not know him as a member of Tavark, but they knew him as a paladin, as a friend and champion willing to fight for their cause. Milah was not too far off and soon Raige would join him at his side as he stepped before the small army. His eyes surveyed the face every man. Some of them would die, while others would live on to tell the tale of this day. Today Eimund would fall, or all of these men would die having lost everything.

"My lord, Milah," Raige bowed as he stepped up beside Darin. Darin nodded and clasped forearms with the wolf that would be watching his back.

Darin's eyes shifted from Raige to Milah, "You know what to do. Remember, Milah," he spoke only as a commander giving his last orders before the battle began, "It's a last resort. Pray that they others do their jobs in haste and that there are no complications," he smiled slightly, "Take the few horsemen we have with you and wait for my order."

Milah nodded, " You needn't worry about me, paladin, just be sure you keep as many of my friends alive as possible," Milah was fiercely determined to do what was needed and perhaps it was the fact that Darin was an outsider that the woman didn't quite trust him. Either way, Darin fully intended to risk as little life as possible. What good would it do to kill Eimund and defeat his army if all the men and women of Tavark were slain in the process.

"I pray that this can all be accomplished with as little bloodshed as possible, on both sides," thought was highly unlikely and unrealistic. Milah nodded and departed, she had her own things to prepare.

His attention returned to his squire, "Raige, no matter what happens or who you see, it is imperative you remain at my side. I'm putting my life in your hands, and taking yours in mine. We must watch over each other. Now, would you do one more thing for me. Fetch me the captain, I've a few orders is like to go over with him once more."

 

[Asmodeus]

Tavark

"And God said unto the fisherman, be not simpering. For with your words you wound me, and give insult to the Sacred Isle.

Suvius plunged his hand into the open barrel, his stripped sleeve lost in blackness.

"Walk ye with a still tongue and an open heart, and the Bones shall yet receive you."

Tentacles rose, slime grey, and coiled around his wrist and bicep. From below, eyes glistened.

"Here within my realm let angels rest upon your shoulder, and all the colours of creation flow."

He withdrew his arm and held aloft the writhing creature. With sucking and constricting glee it clung unto his limb, shedding the black water of its abode.

"For in the colours are the majesty of my word."

Turning, the sorcerer paced the orbit of the Heroes Hearth, and brought his shadow on the circle of children. From five to sixteen years of age, they knelt and trembled. They had seen the elders die. None needed to tell them to be still; to offer no resistance.

"Unto you I grant a weapon, lest thy enemies forsake you. Close your hand upon the blade and hold it righteous."

He paused behind the back of the next child, the creature twisting on his arm. In Suvius's other hand, a dagger of ceremony, freshly wiped. The sorcerer's eyes were sickly in the flicker of hearth light.

"And know that I am with you, from the mantle of night. From the deep of the abyss."

The child yelled out as his nape was cut. Blood spattered on the sorcerer's blade, and the child fell forward. But Suvius's other hand was ready. He swung it down and the tendrils of the creature lashed out, snagging the child's neck and jerking her upright. And as her eyes fluttered the creature moved, sliding from the sorcerer's arm and onto the neck wound. It sucked. It coiled. It found its place.

The child convulsed. But did not fall.

"For evermore. Amen."

Suvius stroked the dagger on his cheek, letting ecstasy run through him. Then he turned and went back to the barrel.

 

[Peregrine]

ETHELWEN-BARVELLE, royalblue

Ethelwen couldn't help but smile to himself when he rounded a corner and heard Arktus' voice drifting out through an archway. The Calm Sage could be notoriously hard to find, as his work took him all over the city, and he rarely stayed in one place for very long. Trying to track him down was often more a matter of pure luck than any actual skill in knowing where he was. Luckily, even a young, adventurous sage had some patterns that he liked, and Ethelwen had started to grasp a more instinctive feel from them.

He waited outside the door, his ears flicking around and tail lasing nervously from side to side. The last thing he wanted to do was accidentally interrupt something important. At the same time, something was bubbling up inside of him; something very similar to what he had felt the last time Arktus had begun teaching him magic. He didn't want to wait patiently. He wanted to go in there and make his presence known. Politely, of course, but boldly.

Luckily, the need to decide what exactly to do was taken out of his hands quite nicely when Arktus dismissed the Governor. Ethelwen let out a small breath of relief before rounding the corner, a small, honest smile spreading slowly across his lips.

"A...agreeable?" he asked. His ears pressed against the back of his head as he desperately tried to come up with the answer, as though it was some sort of pop quiz that Arktus had thrown at him. What did that even mean? Which one he liked the best? Which one made the most sense to him? Which one had taught him the most?

He knew he was overthinking this, but the desire to please and impress did not leave so easily. He consciously forced his mind to slow down, and tried to answer as honestly as possible.

"I've tried to look through all of them in the evening, after work. I've gotten through most of the meditation manual, while I've only just started the novel and the textbook." The manual was by far the easiest after a day's hard work at whatever task he had been assigned. The novel, and especially the textbook required as much mental effort as his job required physical. He was trying his best, but it was a slow process. "I do like the book, too. But I don't entirely get the relevance to magic..."

 

[Diana]

BARVELLE TOWN SQUARE, royalblue

Eirene seemed amused with Ilsa's response. Her attention torn away from the bustling denizens in the square and now focused on the armored woman next to her. She had a way of examining people, as if she were trying to peer right down in to their soul. Skadi rose to her feet, head tilted and staring as well. Her tail making a small thump against the stone ground.

"You are very fond of him." she commented, noting the color in Ilsa's cheeks. Interesting. A rare expression crossed her features. Something confused and intrigued that seemed to soften her face and give a hint to just how young she actually was.

Eirene stepped a few paces closer to Ilsa, lowering her voice so it couldn't be overheard. Wolfsin scowled in the background and tried to inch closer, but Skadi snapped her jowls, staying him.

"Is it love? Where did it start? They say women and men fall in love with him at first sight and it is the most peculiar thing I have ever heard. It sounds like an enchantment." Her question was completely in earnest. She was an educated woman. This wasn't something she was clueless and naive about. But the experiences and bonds between people, that was a maze of questions and mystery to work out. Eirene was curious.

The Archon straightened, shrugging her shoulders softly and giving a wry sort of smile. She spoke normally again. "You do not have to answer me. There was something more important you wanted to speak of?"

She gestured towards the street, inviting Ilsa to walk with her. Skadi trailed behind her, and Wolfsin a few paces back. Aside from a curious look here and there, no one made a fuss about the Archon's presence. The denizens of Barvelle knew she was uncomfortable with a fuss. She never asked for worship and praise, she did not want a pedestal or throne.

 

[fatalrendezvous]

Ilsa Lisbon — Barvelle Town Square, Indigo

An enchantment? Ilsa's brow furrowed a bit at the notion as she walked with the Archon. The idea was certainly an interesting one, though it seemed rather absurd, especially given Vrein's very vocal distaste for virtually all things magical. But if nothing else, it prompted Ilsa to think more deeply about her interactions with the blacksmith - that their growing accustomed to each other was not, could not have been the work of enchantment. It was so complex, rocky with its own share of ups and downs, that Ilsa simply couldn't figure it to have been magical.

In fact, she'd barely even known of her feelings for him until just recently. "I've known Vrein for a long time. He's been a good colleague, and a close friend. But as to where it started, I'm not sure."

Ilsa's eyes gazed past her surroundings as they walked. "He arrived in Aldus many winters ago. We were both still young at the time. Even then he was a boy of few words. I had just been recruited to the Aldus Watch when he showed up with what little family and belongings he had." At that time, Ilsa had just married. But now, given context, she could see that even from the very beginning Vrein had a way of looking at her. The kind of gaze that would be averted when it was noticed, only to fixate again at a safe time later. That sort of longing, wistful stare that was eager to be acknowledged, yearning to be returned.

She'd never paid it mind then; but, she wasn't looking then.

"I never even realized my fondness for him until recently, until the events that brought us to Barvelle. He was on the verge of death when he..." her voice trailed as Vrein's words echoed in her memory. Ilsa shook the thoughts from her head as Eirene listened intently, intrigued but at the same time amused, watching the Guard Captain struggle with her emotions. "I didn't want him to die. I wouldn't let him. I don't know if it's love, but..." she finally began to answer the Archon's primary question, answering herself at the same time. "It's worth a try."

Eirene nodded quietly in understanding, contemplating as they walked in silence for the next several paces. "Excuse me for rambling. I.. wanted to ask you about the Ghoul Sage appearing during the assembly." The mere thought of the entity making an appearance elicited a shudder from Ilsa before she continued. "Was he speaking the truth? All we live for, all of Pegulis, is of the Ghoul Sage's making? Is this true?"

 

[Noctis the Devious]

Tavark

Amara ran forward and dove, following through with a summersault and landing in a crouch. She then rolled herself back and landed the same way, testing the maximum mobility she had wearing the leather chest piece. It didn't weigh her down as much as she thought it would but it was still stiffer than what the turtleneck she wore under it and it would take some getting used to. It was the only thing she had the heart to take from the soldiers along with a tomahawk about the same size and weight of her own and a dagger, each occupying the space on her belt where her own tools should have been. She briefly contemplated grabbing a bow, but the arrows and quiver might have been no more than a hindrance.

She then stood and did some stretches while the other men accompanying her prepared for their mission in their own ways. The mood was somber under the lights of the aurora and the longer Ture took to pass along word, the more the sinking feeling in her gut was aloud to fester. Can't back out now, the huntress told herself firmly. She looked skyward and frowned at how joyous the dancing lights seemed to be as if trying to urge the gathered men and woman to take part in their usual festivities. While her mother had practically hammered into her brain what specifically caused the sky to ignite into bright colors even at a young age, Amara still found herself entertaining other thoughts and ideas. She had always found herself comparing the lights to her empathy advent, an explosion of feelings blending into one another in a dizzying display of passion. Her hand now raised, she spread her fingers and shadows slipped through her them like ink. Everything has a shadow.

"Hey, Amara, be a dear and send my regards to your parents, yeah?"

Amara spun around, her hand going to her bow she could have swore she felt against her back, only to grip air. She found herself breathing hard, eyes searching out something she couldn't seem to find. "What...?" For a moment, it was like she didn't know where she was at. She was seeing trees and snow, but her other senses told her she was back in Tavark. It was brief but discombobulating all the same. "What the hell just happened?"

"You a'right over there?" Amara looked over at one of General Horrikson's men, who was looking over the flustered huntress in turn.

"Uh... Yeah? I mean, yeah, of course. Just a bit... Nervous I guess." Scared more like it.

The man grunted. "Yer going to need to be more clear headed than that if yer look'n to pull this off, lass."

Amara managed a smirk, but the mischief didn't quite touch her grey-blue eyes like it should have, "Trust me, you don't want me clear headed." She was barely given seconds to react. A sword cut the through the air and her hand immediately went to the dagger at her hip, drawing it and bringing it up to stop the incoming attack. The two blades made a light ting upon contact just before reaching the young huntress' neck. If the attack was in earnest, Amara doubted she would have been able to block it in such a manner.

For a long moment the man eyed the wide-eyed huntress as if mulling something over before taking a step back and holding out his arm. "May we come back with our weapons and not along side'em."

Amara was completely taken off guard by the curtesy being extended to her, but didn't hesitate to grip the man's forearm. "And if it's our fate, may death have mercy on our souls." They patted each other's shoulders before breaking away and sheathing their respective weapons. Movement caught Amara's attention and turned just in time to see Ture land. "Hey, what took ya?" she greeted with a wide grin.

Ture, on the other hand, wasn't about to feign high spirits. "I still don't trust him," he grumbled irritably.

Amara's expression soften and she turned toward the direction they would soon be heading in. "He feels angry and betrayed, Ture. We all do."

"But that's no excuse--"

"General Horrikson and General Rath have a long history. Something like that cannot be easily over looked. He wants General Rath's head? Fine. So be it. But he's a general, that also cannot be easily over looked. I trust that, when the time comes, he'll make the right decisions."

"And if he doesn't?" the avian scout challenged.

"Then I'll be taking things into my own hands," Amara replied firmly, looking over at the man she was previously conversing with. "One way or another, those people will get out of there alive."

 

[unanun]

Barvelle, teal

"It is just a test to see where your affinities lie. Most quickly take to one of three exercises. The textbook shows me how studious and logical you are. The textbook of mudras shows me how spiritually connected you are. The book shows me how deep your personal convictions are."

Ethelwen blinked, frowning slightly at the three options spread before him. Now more certain than ever that there was not a right answer, he tried desperately to figure out in which three of the books he had found the most meaning and sense.

"I got the furthest through the manual because it was easier to absorb at the end of the day. Not because I was particularly drawn to it." He stopped, trying to remember the late evenings, after the day's work was done, when he would lay down on his small cot and pick up whichever one of the three books had come the most naturally into his fingers.

"I cannot say that I was particularly drawn to any of them..." he said, his head dropping and ears folding back in something very similar to shame. A sudden, panicked thought reared its head, and he looked up, eyes going wide. "Does this mean I'm not... suited for learning magic?"

Arktus was seized by a sudden urge to pat the cat's heads, but resisted. "Absolutely not! It just means we have to dig deeper. A practitioner's strength in magic is largely determined by their affinity for their system of choice."

"System?"

The Calm Sage and Ethelwen sat down at one of many tables. "Old Geezer!" He yelled at Michel who was passing by, before returning his attention back to the Anima.

"The system of arcanery that the Vonsoons have passed on to us. The Vonsoon are the ancient Pegulis Nocturnes. I know I use the term liberally, but the Vonsoon are old, and shrouded in mystery. They are extremely reclusive, and emerge once in a while to vote in the Assembly, or to consult with Archon Eirene and Eirene alone. A most paradoxical fact about them is that their young come to learn from us before disappearing back into their enclave.

That is because the Vonsoon are probably the only creatures on Sunne who once knew the Original Truth. Alchemists call it the Philosophers Stone. Magicians call it The All Knowing One. Viridosian tree singers call it Ilium. Warlocks draw their power from the Deep Water. Some in Pegulis call it Mordakar. With knowledge of the Original Truth, one could become the supreme omnipotent being on Sunne. They were the original scholars who recorded down spell theory and its infinite variations. Even I am only a book shelf for the endless tomes that they have written.

They are too old now, and have forgotten the secret language that they have written their books in .. the only scholars who can read the ciphers that modern scholars used to decode the readings is us. So to perpetuate their knowledge, they must send their young to learn the basics from us, and then they rejoin their folds to learn the subtle nuances."

"Do you know how powerful my spells are?" Arktus spoke, matter-of-fact, no arrogance in his voice. "Imagine what one could do with the Truth." Scholarly hunger burned in his eyes before he shook his head sheepishly. "I .. am getting ahead of myself. Sorry." He coughed into his hand. "In any case. For whatever reason, the Vonsoons write a few possibilities of the Original Truth."

"Aether. The spell circles are formulas which channel latent energies in the Sunne."

"Sunne. Viridosians draw their power from springs and tree roots which run deep into Sunne. Kaustir warlocks channel the volcanoes and geysers. Pegulis mages control the flow of blizzards and storms."

"Finally ..." Arktus reached over and pressed his index finger into Ethelwen's chest. "From the heart. Why they chose to give each branch its own source of power, when there is only one Truth, is lost to their age and senility. At the end of the day, it is only a guide. They may have written these principles down long after they lost their minds, their last attempt at recording the Truth."

"In any case. Let us test the strength of your ego." The Calm Sage stood and took Ethelwen's hand. "Have you tried a blackout chamber before?"

 

[Navras]

Aldus - The Calamity

​

Down below in the now almost empty city of Aldus, all was still as of yet chaos. Civilians who had not yet been evacuated underground were all beginning to panic at the oncoming storm. The few guards that remained themselves were trying their damnedest to keep the peace and get everyone to safety while staying safe themselves. All of them were trying to ignore that which could not be, that which was beating down on their doors and spreading panic through the atmosphere. In a nation filled with common sense, a small handful of people were beginning to lose themselves at the sight of the oncoming calamity that was breathing down their necks.

Up above in the sky over Aldus, the city could be seen quite clearly. Even the Avians native to Pegulis would rarely be able to get such a fantastic view of the city from up high because of the strong and often bitter northern winds high up in the atmosphere. These were nothing to the oncoming storm, however. Below it, buildings and streets formed rudimentary patterns among ruins, crisscrossed with the occasional blocked off alley way or rubble. From so high up, it was easy to see which parts of the city were visited more than others. One could tell simply by the amount of snow that accumulated on the rooftops. This great city, a center of study and knowledge, a symbol of all Pegulis, was about to be subject to the whims of that which nothing could control.

A shadow passes over Aldus. The storm was there.​

Those still running int he backstreets, either out of confusion or desperation, stopped as darkness suddenly fell over their city. They would look up high into the sky where not but two hours ago they might have been observing the aurora that had come to bless their land. Guards too, could not resist the temptation to look away from those they were trying to protect in awe of the spectacle above them. Above, great clouds of light and shadow would swirl and batter into one another, shining pale, ominous light down onto all.

What was most noticeable was the silence, though. As the clouds rolled over the city, all wind, breath, and even the thunder that had been heard in the distance miles and miles away were suddenly silent. It was deafening, and anyone still unfortunate enough to be outside found their ears ringing as they all craned their necks to see the behemoth that was upon them. A silence so thick, it were as if all the world had been erased and what was left was too stunned to even weep.

All of the illusions, all of the trickery, all of the latent magical energy that had been pulsing and buzzing in the air too stopped, and gave way to the clouds. Slowly, the clouds opened here and there, making them look almost like honeycomb cells, bleeding that same ominous light. A face began to form, looking down on the city as though with pity or perhaps remorse, exuding darkness instead of light.

​

Then came the lightning. Crashing down in great pillars through the holes, thick barbs of lightning crashed down onto building tops and streets, so bright in their splendor and so sudden that it knocked the people of Aldus out of their silent stupor and got them moving again for fear of being electrocuted. The lightning did not strike and dissipate but instead stayed steady, passing over the city in great jittery columns while the face in the clouds watched. The snow on the roofs and streets quickly evaporated into steam, shrouding the city in a mist.

"Is that everyone!?" came the frantic cry of one of the guards, standing just in front of the entrance to the underground evacuation. He wasn't looking for an answer form his panicked partners, merely asking out of panic himself. All save perhaps a dozen unlucky civilians were now evacuated. Nothing more could be done.

Suddenly an earth splitting sound came from above, crippling the guards. They fell to their knees, covering their ears, trying to find the source of the cries. In the clouds, the face that had formed swirled into a vortex and collapsed in on itself, exploding down toward Aldus and revealing the source of the sudden cry. Perhaps an illusion, perhaps an elemental feeding on the great magical energy. A summoned creature from a time before men and gods, there was none who could say and none would survive to tell of the Leviathan that broke through the sky.

Then it was over.​

In a flash, the pillars of lightning all ruptured as one and spread across the entire city. Those who were not safely sheltered by the ground and alive were instantly turned into solid pillars of ash. Roads split asunder. Buildings quaked and fell apart, only to rise up towards the sky. Some stood strong, others crumbled. Holes opened in the earth below and shook the shelters beneath them, frightening children and adult alike. A flurry of illusory images, pale and spectacular with no one to witness them, danced among the reconstruction of Aldus as the very landscape changed.

The Leviathan returned to the clouds, and the storm became as it had been when it approached Aldus, leaving pieces of buildings floating in the air. It was not over, and yet, it had already ended.

 

[Ai]

Vrein Bealithar - Barvelle, #285bd2

Ambience
​

For seven days Vrein had sprawled himself over the bed of soft animal fur that had been made for him, starring up at the ceiling admiring the everlasting beauty of the delicately carved roses that hung from the ceiling emitting a soft white glow that shone against the crystal frozen walls. After all the sitting around and waiting, finally he was well again.

Freedom at last! The sensation of a cool breeze brushed against Vrein's cheeks as his eyes settled upon the vast caverns of Barvelle. Vibrant and bustling with life, the citizens scuttled back and forth preparing for the ceremony for the northern lights. Pleasant smells of warm food streaming through the windows of house kitchens, small children running around with a smiles on their faces; earning their pocket money doing errands. While the adults chattered away, bartering, trading, crafting and setting up the decorations. All of them united for one cause, the festival.

Wandering down the icy paved streets Vrein sought after a new pair of clothes when he finally noticed the sideways glances that people gave him as he walked past. Giggling like teenagers then turning away with red cheeks when they thought he had noticed.

"You aren't the one everyone's been talkin' about are you?" asked a girl with long blonde hair, dazzling blue eyes and beautifully adorned features that were complimented by her simple white dress.

"Wait, what?" the burly smith answered. Staying himself, Vrein looked at the young woman puzzled by the comment. Shortly followed by Ion who let out a low rumbling laugh from the back of it's throat, clearly amused.

Ignoring Ion, Vrein noticed a rose flush enter the girl's face as she climbed down from ladder, it appeared she been hanging shining crystals. The small objects were delicately made with mixture of glass, crystal and faintly glowing magic that shone a dull light, it was cute even by his standards "The smith who arrived from Aldus... They say that men and women fall in love with him at first sight"

"Where did you hear that rubbish? Love shouldn't be taken so lightly." He replied marveling at the creation. It gave him an idea for the festival.

Breaking away from the crystal's trance Vrein's attention turned back to the girl as he watched her draw closer to him. Reluctant to stay any longer Vrein hurriedly tried to find an excuse to leave but none came to him "Gotta run," he said walking away from her at a hurried pace that quickened at the sound of her following footsteps "Wait!"

No, I refuse to give in to jail bait. He kept running.

​

Approaching the square, Ilsa appeared like a goddess sent to save him from heaven. She was talking to a fair, dark haired woman that was hooded and cloaked. If things hadn't been so awkward between himself and Ilsa already he would have called to her for help. Without the time to devise a better plan with jail bait quick on his heels, Ilsa's friend would have to be his saviour "I don't have time to explain and I'm really sorry about this Lady."

Within seconds Vrein had pulled the Archon into a gentle embrace, holding her delicate body against his muscular frame as he breathed heavily into her ear "Is she gone?" he whispered. When all of a sudden he felt the sharp point of a sword pressed against the nape of his neck "Back away slowly" Wolfsin's stern voice rumbled from behind him followed by Skadi's low growl.

Surprised, Vrein did as ordered, hands in the air. "Drop your weapon and on your knees!" Undoing his buckle, he took the belt from around his waist, dropping the sheath to the floor he fell to his knees.

Shifting his gaze between the two women, the bodyguard and the gaping crowd that starred at the commotion, Vrein finally connected the dots "…Lady Archon," he muttered wise-eyed with disbelief. Mustering up what little dignity he had left the smith tried to recover himself "Sorry milady" he bowed his head in respect.

Despite everything, Ilsa was holding on to her composure and addressed Wolfsin "This is Vrein Baelithar; he will not harm us."

Growling toward Ilsa, Wolfsin reluctantly withdrew his sword from Vrein's neck and returned to lingering just out of arms reach from the Archon.

Raising himself from the floor the blacksmith stood quietly as he felt the peering eyes of the citizens watching them. Heart in his hands, Vrein looked up at the two powerful women guiltily hoping they would grant him mercy.

 

[ReaperOfFlames]

Castigarian - Barvelle Marketplace, Cadetblue

It was a small step in the right direction, but after a few nights of restful, mercifully dreamless sleeps, Castigarian found himself feeling far better than he'd been feeling since the ice caverns.

His face looked fuller, his eyes had returned to their normal sharp gaze, and his stride was maybe even more powerful than it had been before...at the very least, it carried behind it a sense of purpose as he roamed through the tunnels of Barvelle. He was heading towards the marketplace in order to refill his stock of deathroot, as well as to pick up other supplies; spare arrowheads, various other herbs, hopefully something with a little meat in it. Now that he had his appetite back, the kitchen had become slightly more wary of the giant hunter and without a means to hunt for his own food, he was stuck with little other option.

The smaller tunnel he was in opened up like a pair of warm, welcoming arms as he stepped into the cavern containing the marketplace; a great spectacle of hewn rock that had frozen over, causing the lights around the cavern to reflect off of it. Not only was this a magnificent design choice in the sense that it only took a minimal amount of lights to achieve the greatest maximum effect, but it also gave everything in the room an almost ethereal glow, making all of the stalls and their wares look that much more appealing.

It wasn't anything like the marketplace in Tavark...but it would do nicely.

He perused the room, scanning his gaze across each stall, occasionally stopping to test the goods that caught his eye before either testing them and moving on, or purchasing; of course he took the opportunity to gather some local gossip as he went along, when you spend all day standing in one place, you don't have much else to occupy your time other than talking.

Castigarian had just purchased a fine set of arrowheads when he heard a commotion behind him and turned to see...Vrein of all people. The smithy was unbuckling his belt and for a second, he thought he might be trying a repeat performance of his appearance in the assembly chamber...that is until he saw the sword at his throat.

He recognized one of the people above his kneeling form as the Archon of Barvelle herself and Ilsa, and a heavy sigh left his lips as he strode over, his voice easily clearing the gap between himself and the group before he even got there. Thankfully, Ilsa managed to reign in the man with the sword, making things easier on his end. "Vrein, cannae ye go a fortnight wit'out causin' trouble? What did t'fool do now, eh? Gettin' swords pointed at ye...yer gonna rip yer wounds clean open again and then these poor vendors'll have t'clean that mess up."

His tone was chastising, but anyone could tell he spoke out of worry rather than a need to chew Vrein's ear off; if he wasn't careful, he was going to end right back up at that ice church again. "Oh...and good day t'ye Lady Archon and Cap'n Lisbon, hopefully we can get thing's back and proper civil now, right? I...actually've been meanin' t'talk t'ye Milady...ifin ye have a moment t'spare in private." he said, his eyes flitting over to Skadi as he amended his statement. "Private wit'in reason, o'course."

 

[Diana]

BARVELLE MARKETPLACE, royalblue

Skadi was still standing there at Eirene's side, teeth bared in a snarl and her tail stiff and fluffed. Eirene was stiff as well, her hands having rose during the sudden embrace. Though she had surmised quickly it wasn't danger, it didn't erase the surprise and awkward response to being grabbed by a stranger. There was the slightest tinge of pink to her cheeks and as Wolfsin handled things a little more aggressively than she would have liked, she smoothed her hands down over the fabric of her cloak and regained composure.

"I see now how easy it could be to believe rumors..." she mumbled with amusement in Ilsa's direction. Wolfsin snorted an unintelligible comment behind them, that Eirene choose to ignore. Her interest was focused on flitting between Ilsa's face and the man who looked ready to blurt in to an apologetic sonnet.

"I would be happy to give you a moment of my time, Castigarian Gredihm." She clasped her hands together in front of her, and turned to Ilsa. "Before I go. About your question, Captain. People are born and live every day. They become hunters and blacksmiths. Thieves and soldiers. They make families, build villages, create art and music. Where has the Ghoul Sage factored in to this? Does he decide what we live for? A parent might teach a child and give it what they need to grow, but in the end it is not the parent that makes something of the child. The child does it on their own."

"If you would like to speak more of it, you may join me for dinner this evening. Having guests to view the Northern Lights with would be a pleasure. Your blacksmith may join us if he wishes." A mischievous grin crossed her face briefly, before she stepped next to Catagarian.

"Walk with me? You needn't worry about Wolfsin, he is a very good listener."

 

[Peregrine]

ETHELWEN-BARVELLE, royalblue

"N...no," Ethwlen replied to Arktus' question, his head shaking slightly from side to side.

"No matter," Arktus replied. "It will be a rather unusual experience, but ultimately a valuable one. Follow me."

The two, master and new student, walked out of the small chamber and into the bustling corridors of Barvelle. As was the case of most wanderings within the great city, for a brief period of time the two passed through the most well-traveled hallways, winding among all the people of Barvelle. But soon enough they entered into a less crowded tunnel, and from there down an even more empty tunnel. They walked in a companionable silence, Arktus comfortable enough with both himself and Ethelwen that he felt no need to break the silence, and the young cat unwilling to speak first.

They finally did come to a halt outside the doors to another chamber. The hallway they stood in was almost entirely deserted, as it was far back in the tunnels of Barvelle, away from the noise of the rest of the city.

"It is doubtful that we will be the only ones using this space, and it would be much more polite of us not to interrupt those who have already begun. Let's shall speak out here and enter when you are ready.

"A blackout chamber, is a small space partially filled with water. The water has been heavily laced with a mineral. When you lay in it you will float on the surface of the water. By sealing out light and noise, once you enter and lay yourself out, you will be deprived of all of your external senses."

"You will be left with nothing but your awareness of self." A small shiver passed over Ethwelen, and his Aux rippled against his back.

"Don't worry," Arktus told him with a small smile. "I will remain right outside the tank, and you are free to exit whenever you want. It will be almost impossible to tell the passage of time, so do not feel obligated to remain in the tank for any particular length."

Ethelwen was silent a moment longer, before nodding his readiness to enter. He was familiar with his own mind, surely spending some time in the darkness would not cause him any problems. If Arktus considered this a necessary step in his training, Ethelwen would do his best to oblige.

"Good," Arktus continued. "Shower before and after entering, but other than that you need to do nothing. It may take some time before you are able to center yourself in the chamber, but the balance will come quickly enough."

With that, the two walked into the room. Ethelwen showered quickly in silence, just as instructed, before following Arktus over to a small portal in the wall. The Calm Sage seated himself in a nearby chair, before gesturing towards the tank. "Whenever you are ready," he said softly.

Ethelwen stood, clothed in nothing but his Aux, before lifting the small door and stepping crouched into the chamber.

The water was completely mild, almost identical to the temperature of his own skin and the moist air of the chamber, and silky-smooth from the overabundance of minerals. The chamber itself was twice as wide as his shoulders, half again as long as his body, and short enough that he could not have walked through it in a crouch. As soon as he allowed the portal to close behind him the whole space became pitch black, and completely silent. Ethelwen lowered himself into the shallow water, before stretching out. The water picked him up and, after he got over the sensation of the water crawling in through his fur, he was able to completely relax. He could feel his muscles unclenching as all of the weight of gravity was stolen from them. His Aux shrunk and stilled, so that it almost seemed as though it vanished as well. He tried to push his hand down to the bottom of the pool, but the salty water resisted his efforts, forcing his hand back up to the surface.

For the first who knew how long, small air bubbles trapped in his fur worked their way up his body and into the air of the chamber, creating a tickling sensation. But soon enough that faded, and he was left in perfect silence. Perfect lack of stimulation. The water was calm, and unless he stirred, causing the water to bounce off the walls of the chamber, he could hardly tell where the line of the water ended and the air began. Once or twice he bumped into one of the walls, but he pushed off of it gently with a finger or toe, and returned to the seemingly vast infinity of the space.

It was not all that different from being outside of the chamber, Ethelwen eventually decided. Sure, the lack of sight and sound was a little unusual, but it carried none of the disturbances that Arktus had hinted that it might. He lay there, accompanied by his own thoughts and the darkness, for an indeterminate forever. How long should he stay in here? Arktus had said that he was free to exit whenever he was ready, but Ethelwen felt that there should be some sort of need before he exited. Something other than boredom, that was.

It was a long, long, long time before he began to notice the subtly growing shifting. Left with nothing else to focus on, his mind turned to his body. But it was a body undefined by anything else in the world. For a moment it felt as though he was resting on the curved surface of a giant bubble, and then he was flat again, spinning ever so slowly round and round. All of it was subtle, completely unnoticeable in any other situation, but here there was nothing on which to focus except the phantom suggestions of his amorphous body.

And, at some point in that slowly revolving blackness, Ethelwen lost himself. He lost the person he was supposed to be, and he lost the form that the whole world knew as Ethelwen the snow leopard anima. Fear rose within him. He had always been so certain of his body, even as he caused it to change. It was the only thing in the world he knew with complete intimacy. But now he no longer knew for sure what form he was wearing. Panic broke any bubble of stasis that might have formed within him, any hint of the deep meditation that some of the scholars came looking for in these dark waters. He wanted to get out so bad that he might have screamed, but how could he, when Arktus was sitting right out there? Ethelwen no longer could say for certainty what he looked like. When he came out Arktus would notice any changes to him, and his dear secret, the thing that no one in Pegulis knew, would be lost. He couldn't get out. Not until he knew for sure that there had been no changes to his body, no matter how small.

But the darkness resisted any knowing. He continued to feel the phantom sensation of spinning, no longer certain he could find the walls even if he wanted to, and his body continued to roll loosely and uncontrollably. He longed to get out, longed to flee from this darkness that he could no longer understand, but fear, fear of losing his place, fear of losing everything he had gained within Barvelle because of one secret he dared not share kept him rooted to the spot, unable to move, unable to make a noise. For, if he did, if he banged against the walls or shouted out to Arktus, the sage would open the portal, and then he might as well have gotten out. It would have the same effect.

He floated, paralyzed, in the darkness, his heart pounding uncontrollably within his chest, any modicum of self control lost, except for that undefinable force that kept him as still and silent as the space around him. There was no way for Arktus to know of his strife and save him. And Ethelwen could not save himself. He was no stranger to the fear of a situation, the rush of adrenalin that accompanied any sort of physical or mental battle, but he could not face the beast that greeted him now; himself. And there was no solution. No escape. He had failed completely, and every one of his goals would be cast aside. Just as he would be.

He could not fight. He could not flee. And with those two most basic survival instincts completely repressed, Ethelwen went with the only option that was left. He succumbed.

Now there was true stillness and darkness. True, because there was not even a wakened mind left to break it with internal thought or movement. His faint breath was the only thing left.

---

An acolyte's first experience inside the tank was often a mundane one. It was simply a chance to get them acquainted to stillness, and they were often removed after twenty minutes, or when their bumping and fidgeting became too loud.

Arktus tapped his fingers on his knee, eyeing the water clock. There had been nothing but complete silence since Ethelwen entered. He ascended the small step ladder to the tank's entrance and knocked once. When Ethelwen did not respond he cracked it wide open.

Ethelwen rested in the water, seemingly perfectly at peace. He was limp, and payed absolutely no attention to the sudden intrusion of light, or Arktus' gentle voice as he called out to the young cat.

Odd. Arktus placed a hand on the spell circle at the bottom of the tank. The water inside began to freeze, creeping up and stopping just below the Anima. Sliding an occupant around was a much easier job than trying to haul a truly limp body. It took a moment for the ice to penetrate through the layers of his fur, but once it did the shock was great enough to send him bolting upright, water streaming from his fur and into his eyes. The saltwater burned, and he lashed out in Arktus' direction, claws extended. Arktus fell back with four scratches on his cheek.

It took Ethelwen a full minute to understand where he was, and who the figure silhouetted before him was as well. Arktus helped Ethelwen to the showers, where he scrubbed the saltwater from his fur. The anima seemed entirely unwilling to discuss his experience, and even remained unaware of the scratches on Arktus' face.

However, one question seemed important enough that Ethelwen brought it up once he stepped out of the shower and redressed. "How long was I in there?"

"Twenty minutes."

For a moment, Ethelwen stood in shocked silence. "Twenty minutes?" he repeated. "It felt like a lifetime."

Arktus' eyes lit up. "That means you have discovered a deep truth about yourself."

 

[unanun]

ALDUS, white

Amid the chaos and confusion, the hooded beggar moved through the city unobstructed. Amid the wild illusions and manifestations that the magically-charged towers were throwing out, the hooded beggar phased through walls, making a straight line towards the Northernmost tower, the Evocation tower, farthest away from the city, the avian refugees, the city watch, and Azareth. In the chaos and confusion no one would notice, and the figure was treated like any other ghost, a thousand and one eyes glossing over it as it reached the entrance of the tower and began to climb the steps.

A lone avian huddled at the second floor. He was blown away by the storms, separated from his pack. The beggar reached forward, his fingers melting into the avian's skull and retrieving his glowing aux, the avian slumping to the ground with spit pooling out of its mouth. Six spell circles formed a cage around the glowing pearl, and gathered metal spheres and white splinters of some material around itself.

The beggar and golem reached the bottom third of the tower. Despite each tower having a name and an associated school of arcanery, nearly all of the towers remained unused, whether it was from superstition, the sheer amount of space, or the utter refusal to divulge their secrets. No one had ventured higher than the first third of any tower. Some speculated that the bottom areas where merely atriums, with the real secrets above. Whatever the case, the upper levels defied entry.

Perhaps this was why. The stairs ended on this level despite the tower disappearing into the fog above. The pair stood on one of the circles in the middle. The beggar mumbled an incantation, a stone column rising out of the ground and pushing them into the upper levels of the tower.

The Evocation tower, charged by the Aviary storm, threw beams of energy into Sunne. Every few minutes a point on the tower would light up and discharge angel fire into the sky or the ground. Where the beam hit the sky, hurricanes, monsoons, and tornadoes formed and dissipated. Where the beam hit the ground, ice crystallized or lava sprang from the deep. The tower shook with each pulse, pieces dislodging from its surface, rocks tens of meters in width that crushed anything in their descent. The floating buildings were knocked aside, spinning wildly and colliding with others in chain reactions.

Then, nothing. The tower rumbled, a deep hum that vibrated through Aldus, as far as the crashed Aviary, and sent ripples through Lake Kaikas ... and went silent, unresponsive to the storm's caresses.

The stone column descended, regurgitating the beggar and the golem. One down, five to go.

 

[Silvir]

Eydis - Barvelle, #3B3178

Weighing the bag of coins in her hand Eydis looked at the stands around her.

Who would have known that the herbs to ease the heat season for some animas was one of the products running low in Barvelle. Considering the amount of mixed races here that should have been more plentiful.
Oh well it just meant people like her could make a quick coin.

-"well hey there girl do you want to buy some contraceptives?"
An older woman at a stand held up a small pouch and smiled at the Anthro girl.
-"I have heard that there is a man walking around that will make most men and women fall in love with him just by meeting him." Moving a few things to get more herbs and strange jars with fluids visible the old woman rambled on.
-"A young and lovely girl like you should make sure you don't get in trouble in these times. Always better to be safe than sorry you know"
Edyis stopped and looked at the pouch and the other products at the stand. That moment in bed with Vrein flashed in her mind. And with rising pulse, she considered getting it.

-"Contraceptives do you now have a man in your life?" With the thud of a staff hitting the floor another fox Anthro stopped and looked at Eydis as she spun around. Looking into the golden eyes of her brother.
"No I was just looking, mother always nags on me to at least learn the herbal part properly"
The girl blurted out quickly. A bit too quickly and her brother noted it, obviously not hiding that he did either. With that glimmer in his eyes and badly held back smirk. Eydis crossed her arms defensively and glared at him. "And what do you want anyway? I'm busy" She asked guiding the conversation away from the original question.
-"oh just happy to see my sister for once, and to give you these two books" He took two books out of a bag that hanged loosely on his shoulder. He let her lack of discretion pass on the other part.
"While you run of all that energy of yours and gather some humility to face dad again." Eoden said motioning for her to join him as he began to walk.

-"Both dad and mom doesn't want you to waste the education they gave you. So try to learn these till mom's birthday."
She stuffed them into her own bag quietly grumbling. Her brother sighed a fond smile playing on his face, knowing full well that later he would have to endure her ramblings and complaints about it.

As the conversation went into the usual sibling banter. Eydis stopped and tilted her head looking through the crowd.
"why is Vrein standing without a belt with everyone staring?" And before her brother had a chance to ask anything. She was moving forward. Grinning badly when she heard the thick Tavark accent.
Gredihm and it was Castigarian at that. It wasn't exactly a voice or accent one forgot.

The young girl's eyes first fell on Vrein and then moved over to Ilsa and finally the Archon. At which she pretty much stopped dead in her tracks. She was first going to give her remarks towards vrein but now she wasn't really sure what to say at all.

 

[fatalrendezvous]

(Collab with @Aila)​

Ilsa Lisbon and Vrein Bealithar — Barvelle, Indigo

Ilsa was unsatisfied with the Archon's cryptic response. Certainly it couldn't be denied that the people of Pegulis had livelihoods, were born and would pass, and that life would carry on. But at what cost? Pegulis had built itself as a nation of logic, of reason - and yet it would deceive its people by leading them to believe that the very thing which made Pegulis inhabitable was created by its own. The thermic gems were a "gift" from the Ghoul Sage, to allow Pegulis to be his plaything, his puppet which he could manipulate as he pleased.

With a shake of her head to express her discontent, Ilsa decided against pressing the Archon further on the matter, as the following events occurred in a blur. An entertaining blur, but a blur nonetheless. She put aside her disappointment with the Archon's response as she focused on all the others who had recently arrived - particularly Vrein.

Gloved hand slinking off the hilt of her sword, Ilsa eyed Wolfsin cautiously, her gaze occasionally glancing to the sword he held aimed towards Vrein. It seemed a bit of an overreaction towards someone Wolfsin had undoubtedly seen already, earlier in the Assembly halls. Perhaps he'd forgotten. Leaving the Archon's side and approaching the standoff between Vrein and Wolfsin, Ilsa gently pressed the links of her gauntlet against the bodyguard's sword, guiding it down and away into a less imposing position.

"I said, he will not harm us." Ilsa repeated sternly, prompting Wolfsin to begrudgingly sheathe his sword and let out a subtle huff as he continued to eye Vrein suspiciously. Offering Vrein a hand, Ilsa helped the blacksmith to his feet as he refastened his belt around his waist. Too amused to be upset, a chuckle escaped her as she ensured that he was alright before returning her attention to her previous conversation.

Turning to face Eirene, Ilsa bowed respectfully at the offer, concealing a smirk at her usage of the phrase your blacksmith. "Certainly, Archon. We would be honored to join you for dinner this evening."

That settled, Ilsa offered an acknowledging nod to Castigarian and a shooing-away motion of the wrist towards the attractive, though dejected-looking young blonde girl who had followed Vrein into the town square. The girl sulked and turned, feet dragging along the icy pavement as she walked away. "Now then," Ilsa addressed Vrein, "You have excellent timing. I was just about to look for you. Come with me." Bidding farewell to the others, she motioned for the blacksmith to follow. Vrein nodded as he and his Aux, Ion, followed Ilsa and Pax through Barvelle's network of tunnels.

"What's this about?" Vrein inquired.

"I've found a forge in Barvelle that should suit you nicely. It's not as large as the one you have back in Aldus, but..." Ilsa motioned towards their enclosed Barvellian surroundings. "At the same time, I wouldn't expect it to be. The smith there has graciously agreed to let you use it. I'd like to go over the things we'll need with you."

"Sure."

As they navigated through the tunnels toward one of Barvelle's illlusioned exits, Ilsa couldn't resist a bit of banter with the blacksmith. "Making quite a name for yourself, aren't you? We've been in Barvelle for but a week and already everyone seems to have heard of you. Not for your blacksmithing, though."

"Insulted the whole city and they're even more fucking in love with me, what of it?" Vrein scoffed, eliciting a laugh from Ilsa, who was noticeably more relaxed now that she was in familiar company.

"'That men and women fall in love with him at first sight,' they say." Ilsa mused, turning her head to look at Vrein as they walked. A sense of amusement danced clearly behind Ilsa's hazel eyes - one that hadn't been present there in quite a while.

Vrein deadpanned towards the guard captain. "I'm glad one of us finds that funny."

Ilsa let off another chuckle before falling silent as they approached the cavern's exit to the snowy outside world. There, she pointed out particular areas of interest: perches, choke points, long stretches of ground. They discussed areas viable for laying traps, setting up archers or mages, and ways to defend them. Ilsa needed spears, halberds, and other polearms that could be used to stop a cavalry charge. Half-walls that could be mounted to shield defenders. The pair continued to do this with the rest of the exits and numerous other strategic locations, setting priorities for things that needed to be done immediately and things that could potentially wait.

Finally, they approached the overlook, where Ilsa had previously met General Coul. They peered out over the railing at the sun setting over Pegulian landscape, their faces painted varying colors from the sunset in conjunction with the dancing Northern Lights. Diverting her attention, Ilsa looked down towards the area of one of the entrances to Barvelle, which had a direct, unhindered sightline from the overlook they stood upon. "We could set up mages here to rain spells down on an attacking force." Ilsa suggested.

Following Ilsa's gaze, Vrein studied the area briefly before shaking his head. "Explosive thermic gems. Projectile; less man power."

Impressed, Ilsa nodded. "We'll construct some type of catapult. Good suggestion." A smile crossed her features as she looked at Vrein. "I'm glad you've recovered well, Vrein."

The blacksmith returned the nod as he looked over the twilight-painted mountainscape. "Cheers for reminding me - I wanted to get Eydis a thank you gift for being so calm with me."

Curious, Ilsa turned to look at Vrein. "What do you mean?"

"Kyra had her get undressed and lay next to me for body heat to cure the bone-freeze," Vrein explained matter-of-factly, unturning gaze still focused upon the Pegulian scenery.

Ilsa's smile vanished as her heart sank, myriad emotions running through her head. "She... what?" The guard captain asked weakly, her whole body turning to face him.

Vrein noticed her sudden change in demeanor, eyeing the captain with a curiously raised brow. "What?" He offered, nonchalant.

That was his explanation? What had his words from the caverns been then, if not a confession of his feelings? Had Ilsa come to terms with her own emotions towards him for naught? The hurricane of conflicting emotions in Ilsa's head settled into anger and a sense of betrayal. "WHAT?!" She shouted, clenching her fist and swinging at Vrein. Her gauntlet-clad fist landed squarely against Vrein's jaw, sending him reeling backwards from being caught off guard as he steadied himself against the cavern wall.

His own bubbling anger masked the physical and emotional pain from the blow as he shouted back. "What the hell!? It wasn't MY choice!" his voice boomed as he thundered back towards Ilsa. Finding little consolation there, Ilsa tried to swing again, but Vrein grabbed her arm before she could coil it back, promptly taking hold of her other arm as well. Ilsa struggled, about to resort to kicking when Vrein heaved forward, throwing her off balance and shoving her back against the opposite wall.

As Ilsa was recovering her balance, Vrein enclosed on her once again, his voice now practically a deafening roar as he drew close. "Why do you care!? WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM ME?"

Ilsa's heart pounded in her chest, adrenaline buzzing as she stared angrily at Vrein in silence for several long, quiet moments while she internally contemplated the answer to Vrein's question.

Suddenly, her gloved hands surged forward again, but this time they were not in aggression. Ilsa grabbed handfuls of the cloth on Vrein's white hooded tunic, pulling him against her as she pressed her lips fiercely against his. Vrein, tensing initially from her sudden movement, remained still for a moment before his body relaxed against hers, passionately returning the kiss as the Northern Lights painted their surroundings with color.

They might be late for dinner with the Archon.

 

[unanun]

Aldus, white

The beggar and golem companion exited the quiet Evocation tower, moving towards the next. The towers were all similarly shaped, much taller than they were wide, disappearing into the low-lying storm clouds without the benefit of buttresses or a tapered spire (some, in fact, expanded as they went up into the sky). Between the towers a massive and smooth wall stretched. At points the coating on it had worn away with time to expose the inner masonry, blocks of stone and metal wedged together so precisely that even the thinnest knife could not be jammed in between.

The six towers glowed in resonance with the storm. The spires were the focal point for lightning, channeling them down and in between each tower. The remaining five that were still alive seemed to be communicating, exchanging yellow arc lightning by way of the walls between them. Where the impulses proved too strong, the smooth surface of the wall was shattered outward, revealing more of the masonry beneath, the spaces between bricks apparently conducting the surges.

The Adjuration monolith looked like a children's bubble toy sculpture. Blue translucent spheres of every size sprouted from it, each magical strike from the storm and impulse from the Aldus wall changing the size of the shield spheres. Where the shields collided with normal structures, the force of their expansion simply pushed them out of the way, flattening buildings or sending the ones in the sky ricocheting off others. When the spheres collided with Aldus structures, they fused with the arcane materials, forming an ant's nest of light tunnels across all of Aldus. The shields were spectacularly inert, casually divert lightning strikes and deflecting debris and floating hunks of material. The beggar and golem entered this structure next.

At the other end of the city, where most of the citizens were taking shelter in a shallow network of man-made tunnels, a far more personal problem began to precipitate. The Avians who had fled first from the Aviary to Aldus were the cowardly sort, ones without or weak attachments to their home. But their natural instinct to escape these latest trials was blocked by the storm above, and their attempts to run stifled by the closing ring of the Watch and their steel. Of the few that escaped the Watch, many were trampled underneath by the beggar and the growing regiment of golems.

Their panic reached a tipping point. Frantic scrabbling turned to stiffened and crooked talons and fingers, ready to gouge out softer body parts. Wings were drawn close to the body, a flap enough to bruise limbs and crack bones. And when the first Avian was run through with Aldus steel, the fever boiled over.

The Avian groups in Aldus exploded, lashing out and decimating the poorly prepared watch. They freed their comrades from the prisons and took to flight even as the highest flying ones were burnt to crisps by the storm. They tumbled in low flight through tunnels and streets, a missile of feathers and muscles that broke the bodies of avian and target alike. The air was filled with shrill cries against the rumbling thunder. Blood painted yellow and blue by the storm splashed the streets.

Against this backdrop, the shimmering light tunnels and spheres disappeared. The Adjuration tower went dull with the same earth-quaking hum, a second shockwave through Pegulis, and the beggar emerged with three golems in tow, making for the next one. Two down, four to go.

Barvelle, cyan

In the backdrop of the festivities, the Assembly's decision began to show its effects. A thousand volunteers had signed up for a standing defense force. The enthusiasm in the city was divided, many hoping that their isolation would divert Kaustir's increasingly overt aggression, the smoke from Dorgrad visible at the border day and night, while others advocated for a more active role given the recent revelations from the Ghoul Sage's visit to the Assembly.

Helena stood in a large barracks cavern before the volunteers. A full five thousand had put their names down, and the large pool allowed them to select the most physically and mentally fit to become the Barvelle Watch.

"Despite what you think, being a soldier, hunter, or ranger is amazingly dull. You will spend days upon days upon days staring at nothing, your boredome punctuated by short and sharp engagements that will usually leave you surprised, then dead. The hardest part of the Watch is maintaining constant vigil for long periods of time."

The new Watch took in her words stoically. Most of them were experienced hunters or sons of hunters, and were already used to spending long days tracking animals. Tracking the horizon for assailants or tracking humans would not be too different.

"If you understand, let us go through a few simple hand-to-hand drills first. You may find it surprising that your new foes will be able to fight back." Helen moved towards the demonstration area, removing her armour, her cavern-paled skin still taught against her musculature. "I will demonstrate techniques for fighting lighter, equal, and heavier enemies." Her first demonstration was paused as she glanced upwards, a light cloud of debris separating from the ceiling. Deep rumbles.

Meanwhile, teams of scholars were pouring over the thermic gems. The gems hovered above complex spell circles, innumerable tomes laid open on the huge wooden tables. Tomes of spell theory, mudras, and also sketches of the apparatus by which Mordakar recharged them ...

Arktus, grey

"Yes .. a great insight into your inner persona." Arktus closed one eye and peered at Ethelwen, as if his eye was a microscope. Ethelwen shuffled, his sense of self already frayed by his experience in the blackout tank. The additional scrutiny by Arktus made him all the more uncomfortable.

"Since you have responded so well to this treatment, do you agree that we should teach you the magic of the heart?" Arktus closed his eyes, holding his hands in front of him, and a sphere of ice crystallized from the air, apparently willed into existence without the need for spell formula, complicated mudra, or a nearby magical source. But Arktus' marmot seemed to grow slightly listless, vanishing into his sleeves, and he remained perfectly still, only the slightest twitch of the eye.

"To wield magic from the heart, you must turn inwards ... to your heart." Arktus opened his eyes, the ball of ice disintegrating rapidly to a small flood of water that poured over his hands to the floor. "We should begin by getting you acquainted with a few simple meditation poses. Luckily, you seem to have picked up on those." Had he done it on purpose? His always present smile gave no clues.

 

[fatalrendezvous]

Karissa Lisbon — Aldus, royalblue

There was no time to question how or why Artorius would know, or even have access to, a hidden staircase like this. They descended into relative safety from the storm, the stairway connecting to a large underground bunker that was accessible from other areas of the city as well. Several other stairwells converged as they were joined by other citizens descending to the bunker to seek safety. But even as they hurried down the stairs, Karissa felt a nagging worry rather than a sense of relief.

"Is everybody still with us?"

Dane's question solidified her doubt. Eyes wide, she looked around for her grandmother, who was not coming down the stairs with them. Frantically, she searched the group of survivors in front of her as well as the ones coming from further up. "Grandma?" she cried out, hoping for a response. The only reply that came was a shared groan from Dane and Artorius further down the stairwell, coming to a halt on the stairs as the other survivors continued to descend past them.

Karissa tried to focus as much volume as she could. "GRANDMA!!" She wailed desperately, her voice carrying through the stairway. It was met with concerned and sympathetic stares from citizens who paused to look, but no reply came. Karissa called out for her grandmother several more times as Dane and Artorius did their best to scan the faces further down, in case by some stroke of luck the elderly woman had managed to get in front of them. Fina, the small snow leopard cub Aux darted between feet and around legs doing the same. Finding nothing, Artorius followed Dane back up the stairs towards Karissa, just in time to see her turn to face up the stairs, fists clenched.

She was going to go back out.

Dane's heart nearly skipped a beat as he hurriedly tried to maneuver upstream against the flow of citizens coming down. Karissa gathered courage, resolving to find the last bit of family she had left. She burst up the stairs just as Dane grabbed onto her wrist to stop her.

"Karissa, y'can't go back out there!" He insisted, trying to calm her down as she struggled against his grip. "C'mon, I'm sure yer nana is down with the rest of 'em, just give it time and we'll find her!"

Dane's voice of reason fell on deaf ears. Karissa continued to pull, her voice shrill and panicked. "Let me go!" she demanded.

"No! I won't!" Dane snapped back, upset at the girl's stubbornness despite understanding her worry. A light pulsed restlessly from Dane's ring in solidarity with his concern. "It's a damn death trap out there, you'd have to be crazy to go back inna that storm! It i'nt safe!"

Unbeknownst to them, the Avians stirred in the underground bunker below. It wasn't much safer there.

The girl looked at Dane, determination burning within her bluish eyes. "Fina!" Karissa called for her Aux as the snow leopard Aux came bounding back towards her, leaping at Karissa and vanishing into her body. Dane tried to protest as the girl's body dissipated into a vaporous mist, his grip on her arm turning into merely an enclosed fist. The mist floated above the heads of those coming down, heading back up to the surface unhindered.

Dane cursed under his breath, now beginning to push people aside to keep up as he chased Karissa up the stairwell, a reluctant Art following closely behind. As Dane finally pushed his way out to the exit, he caught sight of the mist re-materializing into Karissa and her Aux off several buildings away, darting about town as she frantically searched for her grandmother.

She made for an easy target. She stopped frequently, was light because of her small size, and was out in the open, unaccompanied, in plain view. One of the many revolting groups of Avians swooped in, grabbing onto her and whisking her off as she screamed. The pairs of flapping wings ascended upwards, to the Divination Spire along the Aldus wall.

 

[Peregrine]

ETHELWEN-BARVELLE, royalblue

Responded well? If this was responding well, Ethelwen was quite glad that he had not been one of the ones who had responded badly. The darkness of that chamber haunted him, and he could feel the tremors slowly building in his body. Later, when the evening was over, he would curl up in his bed and shake until the fear of the darkness, the fear of the loss of control over himself, vanished.

All the same, his eyes grew wide and excited as the small globe of bright ice grew over Arktus' palm. He felt almost as though agreeing would be some sort of lie, since no matter from what angle he looked at it he could not see how his experience had been a great insight. All he could see in it was a losing of himself. In no reality he had ever known had a loss been a good thing.

But he could not give up the temptation of magic, and he could not see any other alternative. Briefly his mind flitted back to the three books. The logic had not suited him, and there was no way he could ever approach magic from a spiritual standpoint. That only left...

"From the heart," he agreed, nodding his head slightly.

It was then, and only then, that Ethelwen noticed something that he should have noticed several minutes ago. "Arktus. Your... your cheek. What ha..." His eyes flicked from the scratches, still slightly wet but quickly scabbing over, to his own paw as he recognized the marks. He hid the offending appendage behind his back, almost as though removing it from Arktus' line of sight would remove the wounds as well.


"I'm sorry," he said, lowering his head in shame.