(Talon) The Return Home

[Rickter]

Glade 82nd, 121st AoS

How far did his mind often wonder when it slipped within the realm of dreams? The Land of Nod was always ever a curious place for Rickter, even though most of his dreams were certainly not the curious type. Though some of his wildest dreams were the ones that felt real, they were few and far in between what he would normally experience within the mind of the wolf. Last night was not one such night. For after having rested so much, after having been brought back from Zaichaer only a few days ago, treated for his injuries by one of the palace's personal Necromancers for his wounds, and then made to stay on bedrest to recuperate from the trip back home. It had been a terrible failure in the wolf's mind, having to return home so quickly after what had happened. One could say he seemed like a mutt with his tail between his legs, because that's exactly how he felt once they were required to leave back to Kalzasi.

No matter how many times he had been told otherwise, Rickter still believed it was his own damn fault for this outcome. As he laid there in his bed with his face turned toward the window, the sound of birds chiming from outside as the mountain air drafted in from the peaks above. Home. It smelt like home. He'd missed it so much that he didn't want to admit how bad it hurt, then again he'd ignored a lot of hurt up until the moment he had been taken. Now it was all that troubled him, along with the lack of sense when it came to aether. He felt so disconnected from himself and from everyone else now, all because of that damnable night in the tavern. The wolf groaned and finally stirred as he traced the scent of honey and lilies near him, no, almost on him as he softly opened his eyes to see who was there.

Telion had managed to situate herself to where his head rested in her lap, her head slumped toward her shoulder as she'd lain against the headboard behind her. To the left of Rickter there was a book on the other side of her lap, though he did not get to see the contents of the opened pages in time. "Rickter!" Telion whispered softly with exasperated relief, his eyes lining up to meet her's as she looked down into his. "You're awake!"

"...Am I though?" He attempted to muse with a subtle hint of a smile, enough to cause the healer to chuckle before she lowered her head. Their foreheads connected together and for a moment, Rickter held his breath, the feeling of that connection still missing even though he knew it was right there. Though with Telion it obviously didn't work in that fashion, they were bonded differently, and even then they still had their tendencies with one another.

"I certainly hope so." She then murmured as Rickter lingered there in her embrace, his breaths taken in silence as he just listened to the sound of Telion breathe. "You hungry? You slept well into the morning."

"I've been stuck in bed so much, that I've slept off and on really." He remarked with some hint of sarcasm finally, the twitch in his lips enough to generate a smile from Telion. "But yes..." He added with a gentle nod in her lap. "I could do with some food." In reality he honestly wasn't as hungry as he normally was, he hadn't been since, but that didn't mean he wanted Telion to worry over him too.

Telion lowered her head back down to gently kiss him on the forehead, her soft lips leaving a warm trace on the surface before she lifted away to shift beneath his shoulders. "I'll be back then, should only be a moment." She assured the wolf as she finished slipping out from under him, her toes the first to touch the floor before she slipped out of the bed. Rickter shifted to allow for it to be easier for her to move, with a turn onto his right side to face away from her as she walked toward the door. He'd forgotten that there was a balcony from his room, and when his eyes narrowed from the sunbeams shown through, he averted them down to the bandages on his right forearm as he finished getting comfortable. Oh yeah... There were those too... They felt perfectly fine now, if not stiff compared to before, though whose to say that wouldn't wear off when he started moving around again.

He sighed as he heard Telion open the door, his eyes fluttering to a close as she greeted someone at the door. Presumably a servant, though, Rickter wasn't aware of who else was on their way to his quarters.

"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"
"Rickter" "Telion"

[Talon]

Home.

Talon felt more at peace than he had in weeks. The build up to the journey to Zaichaer, the events that transpired there. He had seen much in what felt like such a short amount of time. Talon had witnessed a form of oppression and antagonism that had been startling to behold. His father had warned him but it had taken seeing and experiencing it for himself to truly grasp all of it. Kalzasi was not perfect but compared to Zaichaer? There were freedoms that his people enjoyed that he knew he would defend with every bone in his body. He still hoped for a lasting peace but Talon was no longer under any illusion that it would be won without very real and drastic change.

The Prince of Kalzasi was dressed simply. After weeks of standing on ceremony, he was in a relaxed attire of simple linen pants, a loose, sleeveless robe and bare feet. His hair was undone, out of its normal ponytail. In his hands however, Talon carried a wooden box upon which was inscribed the initials “R. M.”

Talon could feel Rickter stirring. The bond between them was still hazy. It was as though he were staring at Rickter from across a ravine. The distance was not so far that Talon could not make him out but it was not as refined as what they had before. Logically, Talon knew that this was due to the drugs that had been circulating in Rickter’s body. As soon as they had arrived safely in Kalzasi, the first thing that Talon had done was call for the palace surgeon and his staff. They had taken his beloved bondmate into their care for healing both through mundane medicine and the use of surgical necromancy. Rickter would heal, for that Talon was eternally grateful. It would just take some time.

Try as he might though, there was still a part of Talon that clenched in fear and anxiety at the thought that perhaps Rickter’s distance was not just due to the drugs. Now that they were safely back in Kalzasi, would Rickter hate him? Would Rickter pull away from him?

“Hey.” Beside him, Aoren brought the both of them to a stop. His raven winged bondmate cupped his face with both hands. “None of that.”

“But--” Aoren shook his head. His beloved guardian brought their brows together.

“Rickter loves you. I love you. Your family is glad that you are home safe. None of us could have predicted what happened and we knew the danger going to that place would bring.” Talon kissed his bondmate’s brow.

“Thank you.” Talon felt a little better but he was still apprehensive approaching Rickter’s quarters. As they were approaching the door, it opened revealing Telion. She was just closing it as she caught sight of both himself and Aoren.

“Telion!” Aoren sped forward, scooping the woman up into a hug and lifting her into his arms. He squeezed her gently with a bright smile, happy to see the healer. Talon watched as, with the utmost care, Aoren set Telion gently back on her feet.

“Aoren, be gentle with her.” Though he spoke with a chastising tone, Talon could not help the smile on his face as he regarded the woman. To her credit, Telion looked to be in good spirits. Besides, Aoren was someone who was always ready to openly express his tenderness and care for a person who had managed to make their way into his heart’s circle. Talon could count on one hand the number of people who had successfully managed to do that. He was honored to be among them. The towering warrior placed a steadying hand at Telion’s back, one wing coming to gently drape around her.

“Always.” Aoren smiled at the woman. “You were headed to go get some food, weren’t you? I can feel Rickter’s hunger, a little. I will join you. We can’t have you carrying all that yourself.”

Talon smiled, watching as the two of them went on their way to grab food for Rickter. That left just Talon. He hesitated as he stared at the door. He tucked the wooden box under an arm and lightly knocked on the door before entering. Talon entered the room, silver eyes immediately settling upon his beloved wolf. For the briefest of moments, Talon against saw the bruised, broken and bloodied body of Rickter stumbling out of the warehouse, surrounded by darkness and carnage. It made Talon clench his jaw as his chest swelled with emotions. Quietly, Talon set the box down at the foot of the bed. He remained standing there, his wings tucked in close behind him with his hands down at his sides. After a few moments, Talon spoke softly.

“Rickter…” Emotions were thick in Talon’s voice. Anger at the ones who had harmed his bondmate. Frustration at the ruination of the effort for diplomacy. A simmering rage and desire to find the ones responsible. All of this wrapped in the relief he felt knowing Rickter was safe in front of him and tinged with the fear that there was now a wedge between them because Talon failed to protect him.

“You...you look well.” Talon’s urge to climb into the bed, wrap his arms around Rickter and just hug him close was strong. Would Rickter welcome his touch? Did he want to be left alone?

“I brought you something.” Talon gestured to the box. Would Rickter accept it? He did not know. He hoped. That was all he could do.

[Rickter]

The Return Home

Glade 82nd, 121st AoS

The moment she tucked herself through the doorway to close the door, Telion peeked back once more to see that Rickter had turned over. She seemed near ready to smile when she drew the door shut before her, before her expression widened with a hint of surprise at the arrival of others. Talon and Aoren had come to visit him, at a more perfect time considering he'd just awoken just a minute ago. Upon seeing them her demeanor changed immediately to her best grin, a vibrant giggle emitted when Aoren came rushing up to scoop her. Of course he was careful with his arms as he lifted her, and there was only a mere second of being lifted off the floor, before the press of her toes were followed with the pads of her feet. "Good day, Aoren!" she enthused with her arm still wrapped around his back, her fingers visible at his waistline as she leaned into his side as she checked her linen night robes to straighten them out with her other hand.

Talon quickly reminded his dear Bondmate of the caution as the nature of her condition, to which the healer quickly shrugged her shoulders with a "pff," emitted from her lips as her response. "Tis only pregnancy dear Talon, I'm not made of glass yet." She teased him lightheartedly with a flash of a smirk, before she pulled away to look up to the Knight Captain when he spoke to her in turn. "Why yes! That'd be wonderful," She looked a bit more hopeful to him then, "I'm glad you can tell." There might've been relief in the underlying tone of her voice, perhaps because she too had seen how incredibly distant Rickter seemed. He was quieter than he usually was in the moments he'd been awake, and then when he slept he fidgeted every now and then. Almost like he were dreaming, over and over again. Healed as he would be, whatever happened lingered with him; that much she was aware of. "Thank you, Aoren." She urged appreciatively as she gave Talon one last glance, a hopeful nod given in passing as she walked alongside the Kathar down the hall.

If there were anyone who could help Rickter, it was almost certainly the prince himself.

The knock upon the door suggested that someone had come to visit, then again, from what Rickter could hear from his left ear, Telion had been greeted by a familiar warmth lingering beyond the threshold. He wanted to say it but the will for words remained dormant, as his eyes never left the sky beyond the terrace outside. "Sōrumeito." He repeated the word in his head, grasping to fathom the extent of that meaning to the deepest extent. "Soulmate..." Translation of that was easy when the words were interchangeably described. But even in Common, the concept of a soulmate was something of a deeper meaning when explained. So, if someone felt he was such a worthy candidate, then how did that come to affect the disposition between him and Talon? It was easy to explain how his heart felt but in his mind, therein brewed so many questions after what he faced in Zaichaer.

But the moment he felt the warmth of his companion enter the distance, the wolf's eyes then closed with a gulp made through the soft pants made through his nostrils. He craved it. The warmth that he felt robbed of, the sense of security in knowing that nothing could stand between them. When he lost his connection to magic, he never even had the moment to acknowledge that he'd was damn near desperate. Were he just a Rathari, he probably wouldn't have gotten out of there alive. With Eminence, he was able to overcome the pain as he fought to survive, but even then, he just wasn't able enough to conquer the forces that assaulted him.

The mountain had broken twice now.

But those feelings were ice now, a cold pit in the well of his gut as he clenched his jaw. The fact he could feel the enticing warmth of Talon, even if just barely, led him to yearn to look upon his beloved as Talon approached the bed frame. His eyes lifted from the bandages on his forearm toward the gentle face of his Bondmate, the wolf's features soft as he manifested a soft warm smile up to him. Talon had placed some kind of box down at the foot of the bed, the cheeks of his face slightly tensed as he hesitated in speaking to Rickter. Well? Yes. Honestly, that was the better way to put it, well or fine, either way he able to see the reasons as to why. He was alive after all, still a part of everyone's lives, and a growing responsibility on behalf of those he loved. "Well, is how I'd put it." He agreed softly with a slight falter in his eyes, their gaze gradually meeting Talon's as he looked down to gesture at the box he'd delivered.

Was that?...

His mind wondered but only for a second, for he could still trace only light details through their Bond. "Fucking magebane..." He cursed as he focused on what he could, tracing the hints of anger, and relief, as the wolf tried to observe the moment with his nose as well. He could tell Talon had been frustrated as of late, a consequence the wolf regretted having his role in, unfortunately. But he could sense the warmth and happiness of his Bondmate somewhere within that veil between, though its mire felt like a void sapping the connection between them. It had gradually been waning over the past couple of days, yet even so, the wolf hadn't come to feel as numb as he did in such a long time.

"Come here," He gestured his head over toward his shoulder when he told Talon that, his bandaged arm used to help himself up as he reached out with the other. When Talon drew closer he brought his hand around the Synnekar's neck, his fingers sliding up to gently press past the ears, as the wolf brought his head forward to nudge gently into Talon's. "I'm sorry this affliction has me beside myself." He whispered softly with an earnest tone. "Though, I don't envy the time you had to recover from it." He admitted with a near faint chuckle, as he pulled back slightly just to open his eyes and stare back into Talon's.

"Every side attacks you when you don't pick sides."

"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"
"Rickter" "Telion"

[Talon]

Relief washed through Talon when Rickter jerked his head and bade that he close the distance between them. With the utmost care, Talon climbed onto the bed. He did his best not to situate his weight too heavily upon the wolf but as soon as he could, he was wrapping his arms around Rickter. As their brows were pressed together, Talon squeezed the man tightly to him. His wings spread outward across the bed, practically hugging the mattress as he clung to the man. The reality at having Rickter awake, speaking, moving, and safely in his arms within the security of their home brought more relief to Talon than he realized he had needed. The silver eyed demigod buried his face into the crook of Rickter’s neck, seeking to envelop the man with his warmth, to give him his strength and to simply bask in the truth that Rickter was alive, he was going to be physically okay, and that the whole ordeal was behind them for the moment.

“Sōrumeito. Rickter.” Talon’s voice was shaking slightly as he restrained the well of emotions building up inside of him. Bringing up his hands he cupped the man’s face with a smile that was tremulous at best.

“When I could not feel you, when I learned that you had been taken, I felt a fear and a rage pass through me that frightened me.” Talon brushed his thumbs through the scruff on the Rathari’s face. He leaned forward, once again pressing their brows together as he just breathed. Talon closed his eyes, searching for the bond that existed between the two of them. He frowned internally at the distance he felt. This close and free of the stressors brought on by travel and the anxiety of the danger they had been in, Talon could feel a corruption inside of Rickter. He wanted it gone but he did not want to cause his wolf more cause to be exhausted.

“I was afraid, Rickter. Afraid of losing you and afraid of what I would have done if that had come to pass.” Talon thought on what he had been very ready to do. He would have destroyed everything in his path. He would have unleashed his fury with no restraint and rather than justice, Talon would have visited terrible vengeance upon those responsible. He shook his head. It frightened him how powerful his own emotions were sometimes. He had once thought that he was always in control of himself but he was fast realizing the lengths he would go to in order to keep safe those he treasured most. Talon pressed a gentle kiss to Rickter then released him, sitting back so that he could look at the man more fully.

“It will pass, my wolf. I expect that by the end of the week, the effects of the magebane will wear off completely. In the meanwhile…” Talon reached over to take hold of the box that he had brought. He lifted it then gently set it in front of Rickter. “...this is for you. To keep you safe.”

[Rickter]

Thread Title

Time Stamp

Rickter couldn't help the subtle chuckle that came softly from his throat, mostly because even after the recurring sedation before their return, he would could remember just how constantly around him Talon was at all times. Even through that deep sleep, he could still feel his Bondmates genuine love and care for him, only physically able to tell from the affections he felt during those in-between states of comatose. And even now, Talon remained cautious with how he situated himself, when he drew close to where he could bundle close next to the wolf. It was almost the same as before when it took place, the moment they came together to meet their foreheads as always. It was there. Subtle but he could feel it beyond this gap he felt, and then finally a tighter squeeze brought Talon's head into the nook of Rickter's neck.

The wolf's chin rested over his ear as he leaned into the prince, a sigh of ease finally able to leave his nostrils as he just basked within the moment. More moments like these felt like they were few and far in between, then again, he had hardly experienced any real time to slow down over the past couple of seasons. Had he really been so caught up in everything, that he'd forgotten to take the personal time necessary for things like this? The rest and recuperation? The laid-back and calm periods where he ought to just do nothing, and instead of being productive he should've been spending time with people he knew. People he'd cared about. Even those who he simply knew, were worth the time too after all. It was strange for him, realizing that a near-death experience made him consider all this.

Then again Rickter had never found reason to question the value of his own life before either, save for the first time Aoren saved him in the moment of that trial. That certainly the first but definitely hadn't been the last either, therefore, the wolf couldn't help but feel weighted guilt within his heart as he heard the term again. Soulmate. The very sound of it stirred these sensations in his gut, enough for Rickter to compare it to that butterfly thing people mention. Yet there was also that residual concern with the levity, the depth, in which his Bondmate put such stock in. It almost terrified Rickter honestly and not because Talon had such strong feelings, but because they were geared to the one person who didn't know as to why? Perhaps that frustrated him a bit more, but the wolf wasn't intent on letting it bother him.

The waver Talon's voice even told Rickter enough, and he started to feel entirely responsible for how things panned out. "...I know." Was all he could admit in the beginning when he heard the prince speak, having shared the same experience when Talon had been lost to the void. There was no easy way to express the amount of anger, nor sheer heartbreak, the wolf had felt when that warmth was absent from him back then. But now? Just Talon's mere presence was enough, even if that haze between them allowed some small warmth to pass through. Talon expressed his deepest fears however, in those moments, and then it was like they were approaching the cold spot within his mind. The part of the numbness that he didn't feel ready to deal with, the part in which he buried deep all his fears in those crucial moments.

Yet there was mutual fear in what the prince admitted as well, as the wolf couldn't even imagine how that would've panned out. Had his life been snuffed out in that warehouse, Rickter had no doubt Talon's actions would've carried out far differently that night. It was the reason why he had to remember to thank Lyra later, once all this had passed and he was finally no longer obligated to rest in bed. "I..." It was so hard for him now, probably because he felt the same but also... more. "...I thought if I could just get to you..." That was in the moment back then yes, but even then Rickter wasn't finding it any easier to share what he felt now. It perplexed him so much, enough to where his eyes were sullen when he looked to the prince. Then there came their gentle kiss together, to which he lingered there longingly for as his thoughts still yearned.

"I'm... I'm ready for it too." He regarded after hearing Talon express the length of time, before his condition finally alleviated and all things ought to be relatively normal again. Though it felt like that sort of normalcy, a concept Rickter had been building towards, has suddenly been shattered by what had occurred. After all their time spent in Zaichaer, what did they have to show for it? Yet there was the hint back to that box that had been brought, which the prince gestured to as he even shared its purpose as well. Protection. Rickter knew he had reason to suspect what it was, otherwise he wouldn't have been led to worn the prototype design during their visit. The Skyforged Raiment. As the wolf looked over he leaned forward to tug it closer, dragging it over so that it was situated right before them. With a somber smile, the wolf opened the container with Talon, the contents within exposed so that Rickter could behold the actual outfit it had been composed of.

If he had that at the time... No. He didn't wear the prototype out that night, who's to say he would've thought to do the same with this one? Regardless it was all hindsight now, and while his heart ached at the thought, he couldn't help but rest his hand atop the fabric of the jacket after a gentle brush. "It's..." Beautiful? That hardly even seemed to cover it for Rickter, having looked from the container toward Talon once more. "I'm sorry..." Finally it somehow happened, even as he felt this gap between them, Talon somehow managed to wiggle his way in and subdue the cold. That chunk of ice in him had to be chipped for he tilted his head forward, resting it into Talon's neck as his hand loosely clutched the fabric. "At every turn you're there to lift me. You shelter me, even go so far as to nurse me."

As he said this Rickter's grip on that jacket tightened a little more, have realized now that the lines between being Talon's bodyguard and being his Bondmate have drastically blurred. "It's almost daunting, honestly, how compassionate and gracious you've been to me." He sputtered a few times but there was a sincerity in his tone, a very real sense of uncertainty underlying within it. "I've seen you do these amazing things, be this amazing person to other people, and yet..." Finally his eyes started to lift as he looked into Talon's once more, with a couple of tears streaked down his cheeks as he felt the prince's thumbs brush over them. "Why me?" He finally asked after having found it, the question being the only thought he could put into words when he asked.

"Common" "Synskrit"
"Rickter" "Telion"

"Every side attacks you when you don't pick sides."

[Talon]

The question hung in the air for several moments as Talon simply brushed his thumbs gently over the scruff of Rickter’s face. How many times had Talon asked himself this very same question? It was universal plea to the heavens for an answer to situations that they did not understand.

“Why you?” Talon pressed their foreheads together. He closed his eyes and just breathed. Concentrating on the bond that existed between the two of them he let it build with the rhythm of his heartbeat. The soft silver-white glow of the Bond manifested itself between them. Talon had to marvel at it for a moment when he opened his eyes to behold it. Even when they had first bonded, even when he had bonded with Aoren, the light of his soul had always been this soft color. Had that been a sign from the beginning, hinting at the truth of who and what he was? Talon had certainly seen the light of enough souls in his life to know that each one had its own color when witnessed within the material realm. As the silver cord tethered itself to Rickter’s chest it was met with the soft blue glow that signified the wolf to him. Talon touched a hand to the Rathari man’s chest, tenderly stroking over the man’s heart.

“We all have our doubts, Rickter. I will not make light of yours.” Talon sat back, allowing his hands to slide down so that they rest upon Rickter’s thighs. He squeezed gently, his thumbs kneading lightly into the muscles there.

“But I will try to help you see why I love you.” Talon smiled softly. His silver eyes traced over Rickter, drinking in the sight of him. The relief that Talon still felt at seeing his bondmate safely in bed, recovering and away from the vile cloud of Zaichaer did more to ease his nerves than he could put words to. He considered the question again before speaking.

“I am one of the foremost Runesmiths in the whole of the Northlands. I forge wonders that just as easily save lives as they can destroy them. My works have been used to defend Kalzasi from horrors and to empower the spells of mages in the Circle for years now. Through Semblance, I have seen the motives and caliber of people and their souls since I was a boy, barely out of his Warren March.” Talon thought on how many potential customers he had turned away after perceiving something in their aura that rubbed him the wrong way. People could mask their motives and he was not always correct in his judgements but he could try to do his best to keep that which he forged in the hands of those he approved of. When they walked through the doors of his shop however, Talon could not control the lives of such people nor the choices they made.

“I am a prideful man, Rickter. I make no secret of this. I am the First Prince of Kalzasi, so long as my father sits upon the sovereign throne. Even still, I will be the Daizoku of House Novalys whether I ascend to the throne or not and if I do, I will reign as both King and Demigod.” Talon ran a hand through his hair before letting out a breath. “Perhaps, I will be the last of the Novalys Shokaze. Demigods are immortal. Which means that if I ascend to the throne, it is mine until such time as I choose to relinquish it.”

Talon had been thinking on this for quite some time. The stories of Ioniri the Healer and Nazam the Navigator were old. Demigods lived for thousands of years, immortal unless slain. It begged the question of whether or not the Council of Daizoku would even want to see him seated upon the throne one day. It would mean the end of any chance that the crown would pass to another and House Senue was close to achieving its goal. Talon wondered if he should decline to step forward when the time came. He pushed those thoughts to the side.

“I say these things to explain that I am a man who has experience gauging the worth of others. Whether it is their motives or their disposition, I have seen it all.” How many potential suitors had he been presented with that only wanted to use him for his position? Talon knew that he should be more active in the politics of Kalzasi but he often found that he had little appetite for the maneuvering that his homeland required among the nobility. Talon reached up, touching the tips of his fingers to Rickter’s chest, directly over his heart. His eyes shone a mercurial silver as he stared into the very fabric of the Rathari’s soul. Normally he withheld the fullness of his gaze when around those he cherished, Talon had a feeling that his stare had the power to make others feel immeasurably uncomfortable as he stripped away their mortal shell to gaze upon the fire of justice and injustice in their souls. He did not withhold the fullness of his stare this time.

“And now, I can see into the very core of a soul and behold every act of justice and injustice that they have performed or suffered in their lives.” In the distance, Talon heard the echo of Rickter’s voice as several events played out across the tapestry of his wolf’s soul before his eyes. Talon gentled his gaze, dismissing such a penetrating stare.

“I see you, Rickter and behold a man who is worthy of me.” There was no false humility in Talon’s voice. He spoke plainly. “You are as stubborn as you are brave. You are ruthless against those who incur your wrath. You are merciful to those deserving of mercy. You are a guardian of those you treasure.”

Talon reached down and took Rickter’s hands into his own. He interlocked their fingers before bringing up Rickter’s hands to kiss upon the backs of them.

“I give you nothing less than what you deserve, Rickter. Praise when praise is deserved. Criticism when you are wrong. Humor when you are funny. Teasing when you are being a dolt. Anger when you piss me off. All of it with love. You are my bondmate, Rickter. More than that, you are one of only two people in this world whom I have given my heart to, completely.” Talon brought one of Rickter’s hands to his face, nuzzling into the palm. He closed his eyes, feeling the roughness of the calluses on the Rathari man’s fingers. A content sigh filtered out of his lips and Talon felt tension leave his shoulders. His wings relaxed, the feather fluffing and then settling lightly.

“That is why, Rickter. That is “why you”.” Talon opened his eyes. He met Rickter’s gaze with tenderness and affection.

[Rickter]

It had truly daunted him at nearly every turn, the unshakeable amount of kindness in Talon's heart. Rickter had known kindness only from strangers at best, having toiled with enough bad apples in his younger days. Those where the periods where he struggled as a mercenary, but even so, he did it with the sole intent of getting by and do so on his own accord. Independence. Perhaps one of the stronger faucets the wolf had developed early on, and yet after everything that happened, Rickter still felt nothing short of that same statement Sahfri had given him upon their meeting. A blank canvas. How hard had he tried to fix that? How much effort did the wolf have to put in, just to try and craft such an image for himself in just a few short seasons?

It all led up to him now, questioning himself in ways he never anticipated. Yet when Talon pressed their forehead together, all that inner worry felt washed away, carried to a distance within the mess of thoughts he'd sort through later. For now, there was just them. A period of affirmation between them as he felt Talon's warmth seeping in, while their hearts shared a matching rhythm, before the prince himself manifested the tether of their Bond once more. Silver lights gleamed and twirled from his core at the manifestation, the wolf's own briefly intertwining with it as Rickter felt his own connection stimulated. The Bond had brought them closer together in such a way he didn't imagine possible, and without it, the wolf would've certainly struggled to ascertain his own feelings over time. The soft blow glow that manifested them coated a hand, before Talon's reach led him to place several soft strokes over the wolf's heart.

What he then expressed both enlightened and confounded Rickter in some ways. Doubts were a common obstacle, many of them dealt with in a variety of different ways. The wolf had found it best to either address them head-on, or to put them aside until such a time those same doubts could be addressed. Lately, however, they just seemed to pile on higher... Perhaps to a point where the wolf didn't feel as though they could be ignored anymore. Of course, Talon always had a direction with these sort of matters, so naturally it didn't take long before the wolf's somber eyes watched the prince affectionately. There was a tender press of fingers into his outer thighs as the wolf visibly loosened where he sat, the moment of contemplation generating a serene moment of silence between them, before Talon would finally have his answer for Rickter.

He started with his profession and the kind of product he made, and how he learned to determine people's motive with the use of Semblance. The fact that he was proud was something easy for the wolf to determine, though, perhaps Rickter held his own small sense of pride in where he was now. Before he had never bothered to feel such a thing, yet, having come as far as he did to be where he was now? Was that not something to be proud of? Talon remarked upon the fact that he was also the heir, and a Demigod on top of that, which according to folklore they were indeed beings that lived forever. Time moved differently for them or so it seemed, and yet here was one now, consoling his personal guard over the many circumstances that led them to this shared moment now.

Rickter could only clutch at Talon a bit more snuggly as he listened, the hand on the prince's knee noticeably stiffening off and on as the wolf listened. Yet those were only the highlights necessary to demonstrate a point, which the prince elaborated over in regards to interacting with others. All his experiences throughout the years were expressed with another gift, an ability to peer into the souls of mortals and hear them. The wolf had seen it done time and time again after all, when Talon would heed the prayers of those he heard, and seek a way to bring them the justice they desperately craved. What of his injustices though? Rickter had several that he simply kept at rest, buried with the sentiment that shit happens; and life was better off with just moving on. Yet what could Talon see? Even as he likely glimpsed at the ridiculed pain, tormented trust, and all the other faucets that the wolf hid.

What did Talon find in Rickter?

Someone worthy of him. A statement that perplexed the wolf immediately, though, never did he once look at Talon with speculation. There wasn't a tone that implied possession but rather, genuine sentiment at the fact he just expressed. Someone who was like Rickter, in all the ways he then described, was someone worthy of Talon and that... was enough? The wolf knew he had his own quirks to contend with, stubbornness and behavior aside, and while they may have earned him close friends... he never suspected it would also attract a family. Then again the pack was a mentality in his mind all along, even if Rickter never quite adopted the roles he did before now. He didn't believe himself worthy of it to be certain, and yet now that he looked at it from afar, perhaps he'd been looking to find his own pack for a long time now.

Not to mention the facts that the prince shared as well, over the wolf earning what was truly his. Praise had always felt good when it came from those he loved, it had always encouraged him to see it as a good or 'right' thing. Criticism of course was also somewhat rampant in his life, hell, even Telion wasn't afraid to grow short with him when he was ill-tempered. That kind of love and determination though, that had been what motivated Rickter to be a better person, to strive to be the kind of protector that he was to this day. Though he struggled quickly at grasping his own humor, since the wolf wasn't often one to strive for being funny, which probably led to those moments where he was so easy to tease. Regardless of all that though it generated one thing, and that was the steadfast love that his companions felt for him. Talon wasn't speaking alone in this regard, and Rickter knew that from the bottom of his heart.

It just felt better hearing the man express all these things, because even though they did not address the faults the wolf found within himself, they instead helped him see beyond those faults and appreciate where he was now. Moments after a content sigh the prince seemingly relaxed, the press of callused digits as they rubbed over one another generating a small grin from the wolf. "So all that is why, huh?" His bondmate could've easily read his mind when he thought the question, however, the wolf's soft gaze meandered over back to the balcony just outside of their room. "Thank you..." He had a lot to think about over the next several days, while his body continued to heal and clear out the magebane in his system. However, that did not mean he was without his own thoughts on the subject.

"I may not know much, but I know that you are everything to me. All of you..." He meant every word of it, as it applied to more than just Talon. He may have created this 'brave new world' for Rickter, but it had been with the help of their peers that the wolf found his way. Telion, Aoren, and even Hannah... "I just hope that I can live up to those expectations for a while longer." He then remarked having remembered how close to death he'd been, which made him all the more thankful when he looked to Talon wistfully.

"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"
"Rickter" "Telion" "Hannah"

[Talon]

R E W A R D S

Name: Rickter
XP: 10 XP
Requested Lore: +8 Lores. You are not authorized any special or secret knowledge as a result of the events in this thread.

Name: Talon
XP: 10 XP
Requested Lore: +8 Lores. You are not authorized any special or secret knowledge as a result of the events in this thread.

Note(s): Best wuff.