The Emblem

[Taelian]

33rd of Ash, Year 118

"Renfier," Taelian called to the Halamire-Knight.

"Yes, Taelian?" The other man regarded him. His helmet was off, for once; it appeared by all metrics that he had begun to warm to the quiet Silver Elf, often smiling as he spoke to him and beginning to relax among his presence. He was a man perhaps forty years of age -- which for humans, was halfway 'there'. He had chiseled features, a strong jaw and a moderately developed beard, though to Taelian it was a rather impressive one. Siltori did not often grow beards of any length, after all.

His hair color was a light, almost greying brown, comparable to a shade of taupe. His eyes were brown - flat in color - and he sported a fairly rugged complexion, with scars upon his cheeks to boot. He was handsome, though. Young and virginal Taelian -- having encountered a human he did not dislike or feel neutral to for the first time -- found the man's exotic appeal attractive. He was, admittedly, crushing... though he didn't state as much or allow it to affect his behavior. All too greatly, at least.

"What causes one to become a Halamire-Knight?" he asked.

"Causes?" the soldier replied, quirking his brow. "Choice, I suppose, yes? You... go to one of the military academies and enlist. I enlisted right in the heart of Ciseperant, around when Lady Lorraine was only the Montese-Regent. Before her son abdicated to her. It was a very different time, back then."

Taelian's brow also quirked, largely because he wondered why the other man had gone into such an obscure - if brief - tangent. "Okay..." he quietly replied. "But -- what were the circumstances that led you to that decision? I guess it's... perhaps, different, in Sil-Elaine. We join the Ebon Knighthood because we have no other choice. Often... grief, the loss of our most beloved to the Dranoch. There has to be some reason you took your vows?"

"Money. A charming estate in the Hinterland. Two young wives and a husband, all half my age, to fuck as I please. The 'band's an Elfie like you. He is also very dodgy and meek, but loves my--"

"Okay," Taelian violently shook his head. "Got it. Does this have anything to do with why you rescued me, then? Some sort of predilection for young Elves? I'm really not particularly drawn to that idea," he said, half-scowling. His face was mired in a look of disgust; utter protestation. Though it was, if anything, forged.

"Maybe," he grinned. "I'm a Knight-Captain, you know. You would live a good life. Much better than what you got in shit-bog Sil-Elaine."

"...Ah, I'm good," the Elf blushed, waving the other man away. "Besides, I'd be a terrible 'band', as you call it. Half the time I'm drenched in bloodleech-gore. You fancy licking that off?" Taelian teased.

The other man, genuinely, laughed. "You're a coy one, Rannoch. Wait 'til you see my esta--"

He stopped, and gestured for Taelian to halt. "Wait. Over that dune," he spoke lowly, pointing forward, his armored digit leading toward an indiscernible black mound over the sandy hill. From it, a large man burst, the black merely the tattered coat covering his deformed, hunchbacked body. His jaw was twisted and corrupted with fleshy bulbs, his face mired in the filth of Dread Mist corruption.

Taelian grimaced. And so it began.

[Taelian]

"Taelian, get back!" Renfier yelled. "You have no idea how to deal with one of these -- it's a mutated Raider. This one is... very corrupted. He's incredibly dangerous!"

In what felt like a sheer instant, the mound-turned-man lowered onto his knees and prepared to charge like a bull . . . and then he did. He rushed forward with incredible speed, betraying the bulkiness of his overbearing and muscular form, nearly ramming into Renfier had the mage not dodged via what appeared to be Kinetics, flinging himself from the man's reach. But the hulking man tore through his horse, flinging all of the belongings strapped to its saddlebag across the sands as the equine creature fell limp to the floor, blood pouring from it. Gore.

"Taelian, you need to hide!" The Halamire-Knight yelled. He flung his palm forward, the space around the giant appearing to twist, by his feet. The creature stood still for a moment, curious of the strange distortions appearing around him, only for his ankle to twist. Crying out indignantly, resulting from his utter mind-wracking pain, the monstrosity began to aggressively beat his chest before running forward again. His attention turned from Taelian for a moment, though this meant he would lay all of his focus onto Renfier.

There was no way the man would win. Even despite his ankle breaking, he seemed to ignore the pain. He was running as if nothing had changed.

The Knight should have broken his neck.

"Emblem... Emblem..." Taelian focused frantically on his blade. "I know I can get it to work. Searing usually comes after, right? So I've come far enough."

The man pressed forward with an incredible amount of Kinetic force, holding the monstrosity back with as tight an ethereal weave as he could. The Raider, arms crossed over his chest with his fists aimed diagonally upward, appeared to defend himself from any form of restriction as he pressed forward through the net with all of his immense physical strength. They were both tiring, but Renfier was tiring faster. He could not hold his arcane grasp for long, and even if he could, the creature would eventually catch up to him.

Taelian focused. He tried, desperately, to ignore the events ensuing around him. He focused on the shifting of the sand as it blew in the wind. On the fine, well-carved length of his blade, always a companion in dark moments such as these. It had been forged and reforged, and it had always survived. It had lodged into the necks of Dranoch and monster alike, and even Raiders like this... though none of them were quite so burgeoning.

The Siltori knew that he was good enough. That he had come far enough. All that was required now was utter, pristine focus, and a willingness to let his immaterial internal brazier come to life. He had always learned in impassioned moments such as these. Often following, or preceding, the corpse of a dear friend. Renfier wasn't dear to him, but this time Taelian didn't want any corpse to be the centerpiece of this moment, the core imagery of whatever mural would be painted in his mind in reminiscence of this moment.

His sword glowed with the ember lighting of a surging heat. And then, that coating receded.

Taelian had done it. He knew, and now he only had to see to what needed to be done.

[Taelian]

The behemoth tore through the arcane veil which held it, charging forward and slamming down. Renfier managed to push himself away, somewhat, with his Kinetic proficiency but only enough to extricate the majority of his form. The titanic mutant's downward slam managed to crush half of his arm in his violent swing, mangling the Halamire's armor and eliciting a maddening, painful scream.

He had no chance. Renfier had barely done any damage to the beast, and his off-hand had now been crushed. He needed to drop his sword and perform magic through his main-hand instead, meaning all he could do was stall. Taelian was his only hope.

Fortunately, the Ebon Knight was not content to allow the man to die. He charged forward, Enkindled claymore in hand, trekking through the smooth surface of the dunes as quickly as he could. Of course, he could not move very quickly, his feet digging into each step of sand. But the titan still focused on Renfier, who was now throwing the whole of his focus onto evasive maneuvers, and who seemed to willingly pull the giant closer to Taelian while the Ebon Knight strode towards his flank.

He swung. A violent arc of flame emerged from his blade, the Shrivenflame violently consuming a large section along the monstrosity's arm, shoulder, back and upper leg, burning away at him violently and without relent. The being screamed and began to run, leaping onto one of the dunes and attempting to stamp out the fire by dampening it with the dry sand. But it would not relent. Shrivenflame was, after all, wildly persistent.

"Kill him now, Taelian!" the Halamire yelled. He threw his main-hand forward and offered Taelian a chance for higher mobility, creating a sheet of manipulated space beneath his feet that he could ride upon to cut their distance while the creature still writhed. Taelian dexterously leaped onto it and prepared his blade for a heavy swing, noting the immense weight that came with Emblem. It was as his peers had said it would be.

Renfier lifted him high enough to where he could be pulled from the edge of the dune if the enemy rose to attack him. Taelian swung forward once he was in range, another heavy swipe followed by the intensity of an arc of flame, washing down diagonally onto the frantic foe.

He was bathed in fire. It was all across his back, and even along the edge of his neck. Though it did not spread through fibers or other fuel, Sigilflame still burned; the heat would be enough to melt through his flesh, bones and whatever remained after that. When its platform had burned away enough, it would slop down onto the rest of him. And it would then burn the Dune, for days to come. The mutant was dead.

There was no doubt. Even if he wasn't dead yet, he wouldn't be able to rise, nor to fight, nor to do anything but writhe.

Renfier flung force forward, contorting the air around the creature's neck, and breaking it violently apart. Now he was actually dead.

"You're rather a strong one," he nodded, pulling himself from the floor. "But - ah, I can't admire you at the moment. Taelian, I'm not certain if you've noticed, but--"

"Your arm is severely damaged."

"Yes," the Halamire replied. "In fact, if I don't have it mended in time and I'm forced to surrender it... my time as a Halamire-Knight is done. Daravin has no sympathy for old cripples. Will you help me back to Ciseperant? It's not far now. I think I may make it," he nodded, smiling faintly.

Taelian shook his head, though not in rejection of his offer. He was surprised; Renfier ended up being a truly charming soul. A good man. He was glad he didn't follow Elindra's callous advice.

"I'll take you wherever you want me to take you," he nodded, helping to straighten the man's posture, keeping him upright. He plucked whatever valuables had fallen from each of the saddlebags and strapped them back in adequately, though he knew he wouldn't be able to carry both of them. Even one would be an endeavor, miring through sand like this.

Renfier picked up the other seemingly with his magic, having it hover behind him. He winked at Taelian, who shyly looked away.

"Let's go, then, Rannoch. To the flower of Indoriès."

[Paragon]

Taelian

XP: 5/5
Magic? Yes, for Sigilic Pyromancy.

Sigilic Pyromancy: Emblem
Sigilic Pyromancy: Emblem weighs down your swings
Sigilic Pyromancy: Emblem does not cost aether
Sigilic Pyromancy: Emblem can be toggled on-and-off
Running: Weighing into your stride when running in sand
Blades: Swinging with a weightier weapon

Renfier: Halamire-Knight
Renfier: A good man
Renfier: Offered to add me to his... harem?

Comments: Please reach out to me if you have questions or concerns.