(Talon, Brenner, & Lyra) The Echo

[Lyra]

There was a silence that followed Talon's declaration. No answer came, but of course, they wouldn't answer. These didn't seem the type to Naila to negotiate. Honestly, she and Lyra had been surprised that they had even bothered capturing Rickter. Naila thought he was just a bodyguard, but apparently, this group knew something that she didn't. She would have just slit his throat and hid the body, but they actually captured him alive? They were either overconfident, or they had something else in mind.

Naila sat on the roof of the warehouse in question, one leg dangling lazily over the side as she absently picked at her nails with a knife. She had hidden with shadows and darkness of course, but the mercenary knew that the one with white wings had seen her. So, after he called out, she dropped her illusion and leaned forward to rest her elbow on her knee.

"Hey, Princeling." With a wave Naila called out to the group as they neared. Then she slid from her perch and fell the several-yard drop to land easily with little sound. Tonight she wore her face, the one Talon had seen before. Hazel hair, green eyes, and distinctly elven features. Full leather bodysuit, fitted boots, and several knives of varying lengths strapped across her body. She still held one blade in her hand, setting her hand on her hip as she casually made the weapon disappear.

"Got a message for you. Lyra said," grimacing Naila shrugged, "Mind you she said it, not me. She said 'dare you not make a scene here child, it would be far too inconvenient for me'."

Her eyes scanned over Aoren and Brenner, lingering on the second man a moment longer than the first before she looked back at Talon, "She's already inside, putting a few of them to sleep."

*****

Lyrielle smiled to herself as she flowed through the warehouse, low to the floor as she spread out, inch by inch to fill the entire space. She brushed against her legs, touching her mind and hearing their symphonies as they mixed determination with fear and anxiety. It was like before, in some small way. Her mind spun throughout the entirety of her form that filled the confined space of the warehouse, adding another layer of darkness as her smoke billowed and began to grow in volume.

Soft murmuring began to grow as Lyra focused, humming a tune that spread out to the tips of her essence from a time long, long ago. She was searching, trying to find...

There you are, little pup. Her essence touched fur as she wound between Rickter's legs and those of his captors. She tasted their emotions, felt the blood spill around her, and her broken soul trembled in excitement. But no, no she couldn't lose focus. Yes, she had a purpose this night. In Rickter's symphonies, she felt the rush of emotion that came with danger. She a humming breath she curbed that edge, refining it to focus as she dulled his sense of pain, or rather turned aside his notice of it. He fought as the beast he was, and as she watched idly a few thoughts clicked into place.

She felt more than heard the man in the doorway, a disturbance in her essence as he cranked the bolt in place. Lyrielle swirled then at his feet, focusing her attention there and condensing the smoke around him, crawling up his legs and forming long-nailed hands that gripped the crossbow while her upper shoulders and head appeared before him. Barely had just a moment to register the surprise on his features before Lyra breathed out, a line of black filling his nostrils as whispers filled his mind and made him freeze in uncertainty. His fingers curled stiffly, squeezing the trigger as he stumbled backward and released the bolt up into the ceiling. He fell back then, black smoke rolling over him as Lyrielle let her whispers lull him deep into a waking dream.

Her body broke apart and her mind traveled back to the parts of her that flowed around Rickter. With a thought she sent a wave of confounding tones throughout her smoke, making the symphonies standing within it tremble and those men around Rickter stumble and lose balance as their minds lost focus and forgot the actions they were supposed to be taking. In that brief moment of peace, Lyrielle formed around Rickter's shoulders, draping herself almost seductively with one hand gently caressing his furry cheek.

"We knew you were a beast, little pup." Lyrielle whispered with a laugh, "Shall we assist you?"

[Talon]

The Echo

77 Glade 121

"Rickter is far more than a ‘favorite’, Commander. He is my Sōrumeito. Humans have a term for what that means, I believe the equivalent is ‘soulmate’.” Talon turned his eyes upon Brenner. For a moment, the searing fire of his anger was gone. In its place was fear. Fear for what might happen to a man he loved. Fear of not being able to protect him. Fear of losing him. He did not elaborate any further. He would let Brenner consider the ramifications of what could happen in the fallout of such a loss. Rickter was his Bondmate. They were entwined together, heart and soul in a very literal sense. More than that, Talon loved him. He did not know what he would do if he lost Rickter. The thought made his chest ache. He could feel a similar echo of that dread reflected in Aoren.

The silence lingered. Talon sighed heavily. He was about to take a step forward and resign himself to what was to come when he heard a familiar voice call out to him. Something shivered across his senses. Talon looked over to see a woman making her way toward them. He recognized her immediately. Seeing her present meant only one thing. Some of the tension between Talon’s shoulders and the edge of dread that gripped his mind eased away. As soon as it did, he felt Aoren more clearly in his thoughts. His bondmate wrapped around the core of his soul and drew him mentally close. It was only then that Talon realized just how terrified he had been. His mind flashed back to the soul-wrenching agony and near madness that had gripped him when he had lost his first bondmate.

Was he still so haunted by it?

Shaking himself slightly, Talon regarded the woman as she approached.

“Naila.” He offered her a nod, listening to what she had to say. Her words confirmed what he had suspected and suddenly, Talon felt a world of pity for the souls inside the warehouse. If there was one person or entity that Talon never wanted to cross, it was Lyra. He suspected that it was not exactly Lyra who was inside the warehouse but rather Lyrielle and that made him far more hesitant to unleash the wrath he had been so near to visiting upon those ahead of him. Whatever fate Talon would have imagined for those inside, it was nothing compared to what Lyra could do to them with a mere flick of her thoughts. He turned his gaze back to the warehouse. Resting his hands at the small of his back, Talon adopted a calmer stance.

“Go to your mistress, Naila. I would ask you to assist her in saving my beloved wolf. There will be a reward for your troubles.” Talon did not presume to think he had any real dominion over Naila. She was Lyra’s operative but he would certainly offer the woman a reward for her assistance to persuade her. With that said, he let out a breath and spoke to Brenner at his side.

“It would seem that my hand is stayed, for now, Commander. If my counselor has chosen to intervene herself...well…” Talon smiled. It was not a kind smile. “...we shall see.”

"I am Justice."

[Brenner Dornkirk]

"I do not believe in soulmates." Was Brenner's terse reply, delivered through a slight snarl. Though he spoke in earnest, he'd read up on the Avialae in Gereon's Gelerian Bestiary in advance of Talon's visit to prepare himself. Brenner took the Gelerian archivist's rather reductive, condescending take on the non-human races as gospel truth. There were passages about the birdmen's propensity for forming disproportionally potent bonds with others and Brenner assumed from the gravitas with which Talon approached the explanation than Rickter must have represented such a figure in the prince's life. Gereon critiqued this trait as a character flaw baked into their very racial make-up... an inborn propensity for a maudlin disposition that could be easily exploited by a clever rival. Talon's current behaviour seemed to vindicate Gereon's rhetoric, as Brenner interpreted it.

At the sound of a voice from above, Brenner's eyes and his pistol rose sharply to take aim at its source. Talon seemed to recognise the figure, and based on the tenor of their exchange, the Air Commander slowly lowered his sidearm, and observed their exchange in silence. He arched an eyebrow in response to the woman's somewhat cryptic words, but more so at the apparent softening of the sharp edges Talon's hackles had been creating hitherto her arrival. Seconds ago, he'd been poised to charge in with what Brenner perceived to be flagrant disregard for the potential political ramifications. But suddenly the prince seemed content to allow this woman, and what he assumed to be her associate, tend to his affairs and rescue his 'Sōrumeito' for him.

Brenner inclined his head in acknowledgement of Talon's words and, to his surprise, the emotion that answered the prince's becalmed demeanour was not relief, but disappointment. He clucked his tongue and mentally chided himself for the cruelty and vainglory that made him covet bloody constraint for the sake of excitement. For wanting to be the one standing at ground zero, when the Great War, for which he'd spend his entire life preparing, was catalysed. For wanting to be a party of history, whether as a hero to his cause or a martyr.

"Very well, Highness." He said, glancing back up to where the woman stood and to the skies beyond her, where one of the smaller airships in the Zaichaeri fleet loomed above making a slow approach toward their position.

"The Noble Gambit." He observed aloud, "They'll have been sent to monitor the situation from on high. Hopefully we won't be requiring their... assistance."

[Rickter]

The Echo

77 Glade 121

As he barely grunted his form wavered in place after he felt another icy hot sensation spread throughout his back thigh. He could still stand with it and even move it, so that was good enough for him, but what he didn't expect to see when he looked down... was smoke. Black smoke. The kind that smelled of mist with that touch of overly ripened fruit, it had been a while since he'd experienced it in this manner though. What he knew just by the scent was that it had to be her, of all the people, that came to his rescue in what had to be his darkest hour. Within moments of seeing the smoke beneath him the blur of movement caught his eye, and the wolf's frantic thoughts were drowned in a rush of emotion. Anger. He felt nothing but pure rage inside him now, perhaps because he wasn't just surviving any longer.

No. He was fighting. And as the son of the bitch Marko came out with his mace thrown upward into an arc, Rickter growled with a lash of his arm to swipe at the man as he drew closer. A smash of his clawed hand sent the auburn-haired man staggering into barrels to his right, as the thug who cut him at the thigh earlier lunged in for what he thought to be an opening. The left claw lashed out to snag the forearm and there was a flash of terrorized brown eyes, before a snarl led the man crying out a scream cut short, by the beast's very own fangs as he buried them into his neck. A flick and tug produced a gruesome splatter that he didn't account for, as the wolf dropped both head and limp body with an open of his mouth and hand.

Ke-THUNK!

A twitch in his senses indicated that a very obnoxious "thump" rattled the wooden paneling of the ceiling above, thus when his bloodshot eyes scoured to look past his shoulder he immediately saw. Lyra in perhaps her truest form had intervened and stopped the bald-headed man from clipping Rickter from across the warehouse. As her smoke filled his orifices the wolf's ears perked, though not before the urgent stomp of boots came pounding his way. Rickter turned around to hunch down as another thug came in close, this time with a broadsword, and swug for the wolf at the waist toward a hip. Rickter pulled his uninjured leg back to make a brief hop out of the trajectory, the poor bastard's face plastered with a "Oh shit" look before the wolf's left claws were thrusted forward. Without any hesitation the wolf raked the tips of his fingers into the face of the man, hitting him with enough force to thrown the man down as hit the ground bleeding immediately.

The wolf could smell it in the air now, hell, he could even still taste it on his mug. Something about blood had started to... exhilarate him. It was then Lyra formed over his shoulders light a shroud, her hand brushing along drops of diamonds and rubies found coating his fur. "We knew you were a beast, little pup." She had the gall to whisper to him before laughing, no doubt sensing every reaction in his core at this very moment. He hated it. All of it. All of the chaos and bloodshed, not because it was necessary, but because at the end of it he... It... No it felt wrong! "Shall we assist you?" He couldn't contain it anymore, not in the current state he was in, not when he had been so close to... to...

A war cry was howled into the dark of the night within that warehouse, a howl that brought the firm lines of Eadra's face into a terrified gaze. Her plan... Was it all for nothing? They had no idea, nothing in their intel suggested this! That he was a fucking Rathari, and that he'd have this shadow of a creature watching over him! Barley was out of the picture now, and seeing as how that failed as well she had only one option left... "Eadra, we have to go, now!" Lark urged as he came to her while she peeked just out the doorway, a look of regret in his eyes when he looked to Barley's lying body on the floor.

"Let's hope they're not gonna get away with this," she remarked quietly with a bitter tone, "get the others through first. I've got one last present left for them." As she expressed this her gaze shifted from the swirling portal tucked within the corner of the room, toward the stack of bottles on the shelf. There were six of them in all while their contents glowed a brilliant red-orange within their containers, and a strip of paper rested down into one as it absorbed the concoction, Larkin could only sigh as he turned to order those that remained in the room with them. Twelve men. Twelve fucking men... And they'd be leaving with only five, herself and Larkin included... "Sorry Barley." She murmured to herself quietly as though she made her peace, while the remainder of the group went through and Larkin waited by the portal. Manifesting a flame she flung it toward the paper-tipped bottle, the parchment caught aflame upon moments of being seared.

With a turn of her back toward the shelf she walked to the portal to meet with Larkin, the two of them leaving together as the portal then closed....

And fire burst into the warehouse from the other room.

As whatever was left in there combusted the last of her trap was set off, and within moments the doorway that would've allowed them out of here was engulfed in flames. "Shit kid, who did you piss off?" As the voice echoed within his head Rickter couldn't help but scrunch his eyes in annoyance, while the song that emanated from him emitted a static frequence for Lyra to notice as well.

"Shut it!" The wolf barked in his thoughts has he looked about frantically, there was a frozen door and a burning doorway, Rickter had almost forgotten that he can't use his magic right now. Not for lack of wanting to desperately try though, for he could easily burst through with a gust of wind... No, he could still probably do it with Eminence... But first... the last one left behind came running at Rickter and Lyra now, and given that there were four bodies practically surrounding them, with the addition of Barley and the blonde in the other room... Six... Granted he wasn't sure how many there were, he just knew that by all accounts the blood of six people were literally on his hands tonight. And then here came one more, hopeful to get at least a good quick death in before the fire consumed him, or so Rickter would guess. "He's yours..." The wolf told Lyra as he lessened his hunch into a straighter stance, his body beginning to radiate steam as he looked down to the dagger still in his right forearm.

With a clench of his jaw Rickter began to growl, before he pulled the weapon out from his arm, with a relieved huffed as his form started to shrivel.

"Common" "Synskrit"
"Rickter" "Callen"

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

[Lyra]

Naila tilted her head at Talon, a smile spreading her lips as she stretched.
Naila tilted her head at Talon, a smile spreading her lips as she stretched.

"A reward? Well, you do know how to sweet talk a girl." Her eyes scanned the group one last time before she shrugged and started walking back toward the warehouse, "I'll see what I can do then. Though I doubt there's much to do at this point." The last words were whispered under her breath, barely audible as she quickened her pace and ran for the side of the building. Using her speed and a quick leap to carry her up part of the way, Naila hooked her fingers on the edge of a high window and pulled herself up to look through the glass.

The inside of the warehouse was too dark to see, but if she focused Naila could just barely make out the whispy black smoke that was Lyra in her true form. It took a bit of work, but after a few seconds, the mercenary was able to work the latch of the window and slip inside, falling down into the darkness beyond. The smell of blood was the first thing that the woman noticed, followed closely by a chill in the air that drew her eye to the left. Large sheets of ice were blocking the front exit, and as she made her way carefully through the building Naila found several more similarly blocked exits.

Bet they think they're clever. Naila thought to herself as she crouched over a body, poking it with a dagger and noting its blank eyes and torn out throat, Rule number one of kidnaping is to never block yourself in without an exit of your own. So that means... She scanned the environment, her skin prickling as she felt the abundance of magic collected here. They probably did have another exit, and it wasn't a door. Magic portal? Maybe, but if they could do that they should have just taken him through. Everything about the situation rubbed Naila the wrong way. They were far too well equipped to be amateurs, but their methods were too obvious. Either these were not the best of their organization, or there was something else, probably personal, clouding their judgment. The latter was a much bigger problem.

Look back toward the door Naila sighed and stood.

"Vex."

She spoke softly, holding her hand out as she did. Behind her a figure materialized, towering and pale, eyes pitch black as it reached down with one long-fingered hand to touch the palm of its master.

"Yes..."

"Can you take care of the ice on that door?"

The lanky figure turned its head to look toward the door, which it studied intently for several long seconds. It didn't answer, but instead took slow, stilting steps toward the ice and placed its hand on the cold surface. There was never anything outwardly telling when Vex did his unmaking, not until the very end, so Naila did not pause long to watch. If Vex didn't ask annoying questions or begin talking about the Ud or whatever, then it meant he would do what she wanted. At least she thought that's what it meant. She was still struggling to understand his odd behavior. Now, she just needed to find Lyra and wolf boy. Shouldn't be too hard. She just had to follow the whispers.

*****

Lyrielle found her attention drawn away, and she dissolved around Rickter's shoulders as he once more started his tirade. Such a child, swayed and ruled by the emotions that coursed through his veins like fire. She could hear it, of course, the sounds those emotions made as they rang like gongs. Anger, the shift from survival to something more primal. He was just acting true to his nature, as all living things should perhaps.

Her mind flowed through her essence that filled the entirety of the warehouse now. She found them quickly, a man and a woman standing before a portal. Mages? Curious, then likely not associated with Zaichaer... Though it mattered not at the moment. Lyrielle smiled deep in her soul as she flowed around them, the clouds of smoke thickening though not enough to be overly apparent. They breathed it in, and Lyrielle let flow slivers of her power. Whispers filled the air, and these she implanted a potency she rarely wasted. An intent to come back, a desire to try again, and deep, deep within a song that would trigger when Lyrielle desired it. She let the whispers flow into their minds, their eyes blinking confused for just a moment before she wiped the memory of the stutter from their thoughts. She couldn't resist. Lyra formed around the woman, just as Larkin glanced away. She ran her nails along the woman's skin, eliciting a slight shiver and prickling of the hairs on her neck that made Eadra look back in confusion.

"Hush, child." Lyrielle breathed, raising a finger to her lips as the woman's eyes widened. Through the symphonies, Lyrielle could feel the moment she registered the sight, and through the whispers inside of her, Lyrielle captured that image, that memory, and fed it into a cycle that would repeat, "Remember us. When you close your eyes when you think of the pup when you imagine your grand machinations. Remember our image, and know we shall find you."

Then she smiled, the grin growing wider than was possible for an elven face to make, the edges curling away to smoke. Then Lyrielle broke apart, and with an absent thought, she pressed the memory down, feeding it back into the whispers in Eadra's soul. It would be an echoing memory, the visage of a silver-haired woman of smoke that would plague her day and night. The whispers would call them to try again, but this time there would be something else there. That memory of something that this woman couldn't explain. Blinking rapidly Eadra looked around, brow furrowed as she tried to remember something that felt just out of her reach. With a shake of her head, she returned to her conversation with Larkin, completing their exchange and setting off the flames that would quickly spread.

Lyrielle returned to Ricky just as the trap was set off. She half-formed around Rickter once more, floating lazily in the air with her hair flowing like water around her. She studied Rickter for a moment, noticing an oddity in his rhythms that was gone as quickly as it came.

When Rickter made his comment to her Lyrielle smiled, turning her head to look at the singular man that came at them. Drifting forward Lyrielle breathed out, a flood of black forming and swirling around the man who barreled through it, swinging his sword frantically as if he were under attack. When he burst through the other side he slowed to a stop, looking around as if surprised to have not been attacked and raised his weapon to continue his charge, but with a snap of her fingers, Lyrielle sang to his mind a jarring turn, shattering his symphony and making the assailant shudder. His eyes rolled back slightly as his mouth hung open, and the sword fell from loose fingers to clatter noisily on the floor.

"Poor child..." Lyrielle laughed as she spun in slow circles around the still-standing man. She folded herself around him, running fingers along the boy's face and cupping his chin to make him look up into her eyes. He stared blankly forward as she breathed out, smoke filling his mouth and nose and sinking in deep. The whispers inside swirled and continued to press down on his symphonies, keeping him dull as Lyrielle turned her attention back toward Rickter.

"Door's this way." Naila called from the next room over, drawing Lyrielle's attention from the still shrinking Rickter. Soon the mercenary appeared in the doorway, after stepping over another body with a grimace. She motioned to Lyrielle who dispersed and reformed around the woman's shoulders now.

"You're the wolf that Mr. Prince is looking for right?" Naila asked, looking at Rickter now. She glanced down at the wounds that covered his body. She didn't say it, but in her eyes showing a bit of sympathy. Instead of commenting, she waved to Rickter, kicking the door open wider and shoving the body out of the way, "If you can walk lets get out of here. If not I'll carry you out after I get the front door open."

"The child did not cause trouble it seems. You did well to convince him." Lyrielle said to Naila as they walked toward the door. She could see Vex standing in front of the ice-covered front entrance, one hand placed on its surface from which spirling cracks were forming and quickly spreading out.

"He seemed satisfied when I said you were in here, though you somehow managed to let the place catch fire."

"Only a small one." Laughed Lyrielle. Looking over her shoulder she eyed Rickter, and with a motion pressed down on his sensations of pain and fatigue. He would have time enough to worry about his injuries.

As they approached Vex looked back before stepping aside, and without a word disappeared. Naila rolled her shoulders, cracking her neck as she positioned herself in front of the door. She let her arms hang loose at her side, and took several slow, deep breaths. Lyrielle watched curiously, sensing as the woman tapped into the power of her soul gem, and seeing the streaks of electricity began to flow over her body. Then she spun, her movements fast enough that Lyrielle found her body blown back, dispersed by the sudden air pressure as Naila slapped a powerful kick into the door, leaving a smoke-free ring around the woman. The cracks that had formed quickly spread out as electricity coursed across the door, the force of the blow paired with the energy causing the ice to shatter and the door beyond to be knocked forcefully off its hinges.

Naila breathed out a hearty phew before turning to bow with a smile toward Rickter, "Your exit, sir."

Black smoke spilled out of the opening that was made, but Lyrielle kept her mind back from the entrance. She collected herself in the back room where the fire was still raging, only partially forming as she turned her attention to Barely and the still-standing man from before. She wouldn't have them die here, not yet, so she sang them a new melody, pulling them to their feet and having them half shuffle toward the door. Inside of their minds, the whispers continued to suppress their thoughts and emotions, and Lyra flowed along behind them as a simple black fog. She would have Naila collect her soon enough.

[Talon]

The Echo

77 Glade 121

The door was blown off of its hinges. Even before they went flying through the air, Talon grasped the shrapnel of the doors with a flick of his thoughts. He gently set the doors down, moving the remains out of the way. At the edges of the doors, there in the darkness, he could see the wisps of black smoke twisting in the shadows. A sliver of unease went up his spine but he brushed it aside. A different kind of smoke had begun to trail out of one of the windows leading his raven winged bondmate to snort derisively. Raising a hand, the flames within the building glowed brighter for a moment, matching the witchfires that burned in Aoren’s eyes. Tongues of fire whispered across the ground, drawn to the raven winged Kathar. The fires wrapped around his forearm before being extinguished in his palm.

Talon waited. Then he saw him. He felt both relief and fury. Rickter was a bloodied mess. Wounds covered his arms. His clothes were in tatters and he very much looked to have been fighting for his life. The relief that Talon felt was in seeing his wolf alive. The fury he felt was in witnessing just how abused the man had been in such a short time. Reaching up, Talon unclasped the cloak around his shoulders. He strode forward just as he heard the sound of Zaichaer’s authorities making their way into the immediate vicinity. Beside him, Aoren made a dry comment.

“Oh look, the cavalry.” Talon cast a glance up at the airship that had arrived just soon enough to witness a decided lack of grand displays of terrible witchcraft. He then observed the number of Zaichaeri soldiers and the full detachment of Reconciliators with them.

“Somehow, I do not believe they were sent here to help recover Rickter.” His eyes glanced over Brenner, lingering only long enough to gauge the man’s expression before turning to his bondmate. Rickter was bloody. He was dirty. He wore rags covered in gore. Talon did not know how much of it was Rickter’s or his attackers. He did not care. Stepping forward, Talon strode up to his wolf, he tossed the cloak around Rickter’s shoulders and then swept the man up into his arms. He clutched Rickter to him, carrying him bridal style forward and away from the warehouse where he was very nearly killed. Pressing their brows together, it was everything Talon could do to fight back tears of relief. He kissed Rickter’s forehead and whispered softly.

“Sōrumeito. I am here. You are safe.” Walking forward, Talon wrapped his wings around the both of them tenderly as he held his bondmate dearly. He repeated that mantra softly. He was not sure whether it was to calm himself or to calm Rickter but for the time being, he refused to release the man from his arms. Talon found somewhere nearby to move, as the Zaichaeri authorities began to step in more clearly to assess the situation. He cast one last look into the darkness of the warehouse.

If you can hear me, Lyrielle, thank you. I owe you a debt for this. One I will endeavor to repay.

Talon seated himself on the ledge of a nearby low wall. He continued to hold Rickter dearly. Aoren stepped forward, cupping the man’s face gently before resting their brows together. He then posted just beside them, keeping a watchful eye on the various soldiers and Reconciliators that were beginning to fill the space.

“Should we leave, my prince?” Talon shook his head.

“They will undoubtedly want us to remain nearby. For the moment at least.” Talon continued to shield the both of them under the canopy of his wings. “Rickter?”

He searched his wolf’s blue eyes.

“Speak what you need, beloved. Or say nothing at all. No more harm will befall you tonight.”

[Brenner Dornkirk]

Brenner winced, starting at the blast from the door. His eyes widened slightly at the sight of a sharp sliver of metal frozen in the air before him. Judging from the line of its trajectory, it would have struck him in throat if not for the intervention of the Kalzasern prince. He watched with a grimace as the threatening shard and the rest of the door fragments floated off to the side and alighted gently onto the ground.

Squinting in an attempt to see through the plumes of smoke that billowed forth from the opening, he straightened out his posture and clasped his hands behind his back. Unable to see anything within, he found his eyes trailing back to Talon, curious as to what, if any, action would be taken now on the part of the prince. It wasn't until his "soul mate" appeared that anything further transpired that he could tell. It seemed whatever that creature who called down from above and her associate did within had brought about a speedy resolution to an incident that could have easily spiraled into a catastrophe of epic proportions. Instead, it amounted to a burning warehouse and a bloody dog man. At the sound of approaching voices, Brenner sighed as he glanced to his countrymen. Unless there were survivors within who might elucidate upon what happened behind the door whilst they remained without, Brenner believed he was the sole witness to any of the action that transpired- Minimal, though it was.

"Rest assured, Highness, kidnapping is as serious a crime in Zaichaer as it is in Kalzasi. We are pleased to see your..." He cocked an eyebrow and eyed Rickter up and down, "...concubine or whatever he is delivered safely back to you. Now then," Brenner brought his hands in front of him and clasped them together, "If you will allow me to confer with my compatriots, we'll get him some medical attention. Please remain here for the nonce." He turned on his heel and marched toward the approaching agents, gesturing for them to hold where they were and not draw closer to the Kalzasern visitors.

"The Rathari appears wounded. Get let's get him mended." Brenner remarked with a gesture, and three of the agents rushed over to offer to tend to Rickter's wounds, as the Air Commander remained in conference with officials from the Order of Reconciliation, the Constabulary and the Foreign Office.

"Gentlemen, this evening we came very close to a Category 5 magical event. Had I not been present to remind the prince of the political ramifications, I believe we might have seen a calamity that would make Glade the 8th look like a card trick. We were lucky, this time, but it is my resolute recommendation that the Kalzasern delegation be thoroughly questioned this evening and asked to depart by noon tomorrow, lest their diplomatic privileges be revoked. We always knew theirs would be a volatile visit, and it has proven to be all that and more. If they remain for longer, I fear more and worse incidents like this one. It is merely a matter of time, and there's only so long we can ask the public to suffer them to stay before we face riots in the streets." Brenner paused, looking each of the officials in the eye- All of them were his superiors in the eyes of the State, but he spoke to them as equals- or perhaps even lessers.

"Of course it is not my decision to make, but consider this a prelude to the report I will be filing tonight and submitting to the offices of the Grand Marshal. Now, let's get fire suppression teams in and commandeer one of these other warehouses to serve as a base of operations to question witnesses." He paused and pointed across the street, "But don't use that one." It was, after all, a Dornkirk storehouse. He inclined his head to the lead Reconciliator present,

"You may begin your questioning with me."

[Rickter]

Lyra's method for quelling the final bastard that came charging at him was typical, for her at least, in the eyes of the wolf as he watched the poor man blunder through smoke. The moment he thought he might've been alright after stepping out, it only took a mere whim of her power to crush him entirely, for the man found himself petrified in place the moment he thought to resume his assault. When the blade fell from his hands to floor and his expression fixed into something akin of the undead, the wolf knew he was now left at the mercy of the woman who's body was that of smoke. Ironic how far the two had come together, wolf and sorceress who had both met within the wilds of the Second Deep. Yet in all his days he would've never expected her to come to his rescue, to save him from what would've potentially been a very dire situation.

Yet the way she could laugh and enjoy herself as she crippled her foes, part of Rickter felt unsettled by her presence again even after the fact. Thus as his form finished shrinking back down into his normal height, as a human, the fur coating his body receded quickly as steam still radiated from his skin. His arms were beaten to shit, the right forearm specifically gashed along the center, as the dagger he'd removed still lingered in his left hand for the moment. When he heard the voice of another call into the room, his eyes lifted from the blood on his arms toward the source. So another had come in to help him escape, not that there was much urgency left in the idea now that the threat had been handled. Still... Rickter wanted nothing more than to be out of this place, having the look of utter exhaustion in his eyes as the marks of his runes still faintly glowed a silver hue.

He had no idea who this person was and yet, she smelt like Lyra only by a little, so that meant she was an accomplice to the Lady. One the wolf slowly nodded to when she asked him if he was the wolf, the one that "Mr. Prince" had come looking for just earlier. His blue eyes lowered from Naila to the floor, her feet essentially, as he thought to take a step forward on his own first. His right leg still felt numb around the backside of his thigh, and he could feel the warmth of blood trickling down it as well. Gods he had fought so hard, and yet, he was still unable to pull himself out of that situation alone. He was weak. He felt weak even with the power he had, but most of that power felt stripped of him now, for Rickter couldn't even rely on his shields to keep him safe from danger. Somehow all that churning anger within him didn't subside, instead a convolution of bitterness and resentment stirred inside and was shared with faltering confidence. He couldn't believe that he'd so helpless in this situation, so incompetent as to fail to gain control of things before they spiraled into this mess.

And what would await him on the outside? What would he exit to find when he crossed through that threshold? He knew to expect Talon and Aoren there even if he couldn't quite feel their presence anymore, that was a given, but what else would come for him before the night's end? Zaichaer? Only one way to find out. That first step felt heaviest and hardest but no pain stemmed from the pressure in his muscles, just a strained attempt to remain standing as his right leg buckled a bit at the knee. The woman Naila seemed about ready to offer help but he brought up a hand, gesturing for her to remain back as he breathed both deeply and heavily. He was going to walk out of this fucking place, without any further need to rely on others if he could. He'd already failed to resolve this alone after all, how else could he hope to face Talon if not with some semblance of strength left in him.

The left leg was far better off but even that felt partially like jelly, yet no pain plagued his limbs and for that, he could only wonder... was he truly numb at this moment? Was this the extent of his ordeals, or did others like Arcas and Lyra suppress those sensations as well? He'd felt nothing in regards to actual pain once Eminence bolstered him with power, just the jarring discomfort of his wounds up until now. "...I can walk..." He was far quieter than he probably ever was before, his blue eyes remained to the floor where he could see outlines. The bodies and broken piles of wood left in his carnage, this whole place had become a mess of a battleground in the blink of an eye. And the blood spilled here was all on him... All this, every bit of it, was his fault because he went out for a simple meal.

The pair in the room shared a moment of conversation, the wolf's eyes only flicking slightly toward the general direction of the actual smoke he could smell. There was the fire in the building, a final obstacle that held no significance in the end. Perhaps because Rickter knew, deep down, the fire would never touch him in the end. He would be out before it even reached him thankfully, though the smell of burning wood still reminded him of the possibility. When they reached the sliding door Rickter's eyes lifted, his left hand finally dropping the dagger when he realized, Naila was the one who intended on opening the door then. The blade fell beside his left foot with a couple of small patters, before the pressure of Naila's kick sent the smoke around them back with a puff of air. The door cracked as the kick caused the icy structure to budge, with a load groan of the hinges as they shattered from the force of impact. Yet there was a momentary lapse where everything slowed entirely, and the door and any broken pieces of it were gently dropped to the floor.

From within the smoke there looked to be light beyond, and figures that Rickter could see waiting for him beyond. Finally... Though his eyes started to well he didn't look away from them, because they were the very thing he needed to get to at that exact moment. As he limped his way toward the door he gave Naila a brief look, his somber gaze filled with a deep sense of appreciation for what she had done. For what her and Lyra had both done, for if Talon had entered here tonight... things could've gone very differently. As the black smoke bulged out from the confines of the room he exited, Rickter limped his way out with his weight mostly kept on the left leg. It wasn't long before he exited from the plumage to see Talon and Aoren right there, waiting for him, as the silver glow of his runes died down to faint glimmers of their original hues. There it was. Even within the numbness he felt it all just rise up, boiling into a cascade that brimmed over the extent of his control. The wolf's eyes immediately began to stream rivers next, as the sound of machinery and smell of industrial fumes in the air indicated what he'd feared. Zaichaeri forces were arriving as of now, and that could only spell trouble for Talon in the moments to come. Why though? Why him? Why them?

Rickter couldn't help but feel every ounce of his strength faltering then, right as Talon approached, and there the wolf caved into the Synnekar just before he was lifted. The cloak that was brought around his shoulders would be soaked with his blood in no time at all, a fact Rickter would've stressed over had he the energy to do so, for he didn't want to ruin anything more than what he already had; as of tonight. Yet still, to be lifted into the safety of his Bondmates arms, to physically feel his warmth and presence... The wolf couldn't help but choke a bit, with a few hard gulps as he brought his right arm over his chest, his left arm grasping at the remains of his shirt as he tried to shred it off of him. He didn't want to use Talon's cloak, not for his arm or his leg, not when a tattered shirt was replaceable. He was replaceable though, he should've been... Talon would've costed this entire trip just to save him... and Rickter didn't know if he was worth that much trouble or not.

"“Sōrumeito. I am here. You are safe.”" Those were the words that reached his ears as he closed his eyes, the wolf almost eager to bury his face into Talon's neck as close as he was. He knew the meaning of that word he had been called, he understood that deep down there was a significance to it.

"Soulmate..." Rickter repeated in his thoughts as he still gulped hard, doing his best to keep himself contained as the tears just flowed continuously. His entire body had begun to hurt now that he was able to relax, the kind of pain that that reminded him that he was still alive, but also the kind that reminded him just how close to death he really was. Sharp pins and needles coursed through his right arm and leg, around the areas where his injuries were thickest as he could only haphazardly wrap the strip of cotton he tore around his forearm. But that was all he could do, he had little more energy beyond that, and a mind wracked with a storm of thoughts as he was carried away from the warehouse. He felt the kiss of his Bondmate's lips on his forehead, and then finally, the wolf started to shiver within Talon's embrace as he was brought over to a place of safety.

But safety wasn't really something he felt there, even if his Bondmates guaranteed that, there was still the fact they were in a place they didn't belong. There was nobody there that would treat them any better, no one who would show as much concern for their prince, compared to the loved ones back home who awaited their return. What if that never happened because of tonight? What if... What if... His heart started to ache as he thought more of this, the only saving grace being the voices of his two beloved companions. When he opened his eyes once more Rickter still shivered, a deep sense of somber and regret found in them as he looked into Talon's apprehensively. What did he need? He wasn't sure...

"Wow," Callen remarked as he seemed to approach from nowhere, "that was... really something." The private investigator remarked as Rickter rolled his eyes, as unlike Talon and Aoren, he wasn't able to see the spectral form that stood observing the three of them together. "Well, kid, you made it. Just like I said you would." Standing before Talon and Aoren was someone who looked exactly like the wolf in his arms, a man dressed in a beige overcoat with a white silk shirt and a tie, his expression the same broody manner as Rickter's, as his hands dipped into the pockets of his coat in observation.

Another hard gulp came from Rickter as he could only wonder what the hell was going on now, the fact he could still hear that voice in his head meant something was wrong. Something had to be. He had lost it in there somehow, but at the same time he wasn't quite aware that his Bondmates was possibly seeing a ghost of some kind. Instead, he listened to the footsteps heard around the area, his ears trying to focus on something, anything, to distract him from the possibility of him going crazy in the head. Dornkirk was addressing those who arrived and while Rickter could not make out the conversations, he knew from the tone he could register that things were not looking good. He closed his eyes hard with a bit of a heavy exhale, before they gradually opened somberly to the prince above him once more. "...I'm... sorry..." He muttered lowly as he acknowledged the fact this was all because of him.

All of this, was because of Rickter.

"Common" "Synskrit"
"Rickter" "Callen"

[Lyra]

The two Lyrielle captured made slow, shuffling steps toward the front of the warehouse, collapsing in a heap at the entrance a few paces from where Naila stood. The mercenary studied them for a time, hand set on her hip before her eyes lifted to the floating machinery that announced the presence of Zaichaer's forces.

"Looks like the cavalry is here." Naila said as she looked back into the darkness of the warehouse. Lyrielle trailed as black smoke around the woman, steadily collecting at her feet and flowing up into her upturned palm.

"Then it is time we left." came the softly whispered reply. In a rush the black smoke spiraled toward Naila, flowing up and over her form and streaming into her palm where it vanished in a sudden rush and a clench of Naila's fist.

"What should we do with them?" asked Naila, motioning to the still bodies that lay where they had fallen on the ground.

They will remain suppressed for some time. Lyra said absently, her attention drifting to other matters even as they looked toward Talon and his group, I left whispers inside of them, but they will fade before morning. That should provide Be'melar the time he needs to collect them.

Naila nodded, giving Talon and his group one final look, and a small wave, before stepping back into the darkness of the warehouse. The one with black wings had taken care of the flames, so without hesitation, the mercenary made for the back exit, encasing herself in darkness as she went and blurring her edges. Silently they slipped out a window, taking to the alleyways and roofs as they made their way toward the shipyard.

*****

So... why did you do it?

Inside the soul space, Lyra drifted idly around the large representations of the dragonshards that made up this space. Her eyes closed, she enjoyed the sensation of moving without being the one to move the body herself. It was peaceful, though it wasn't as if she could have gotten them away as easily as Naila could. For a long moment, Lyra didn't answer, but when she did she shrugged.

"It wasn't time yet." Said Lyra, opening her eyes and looking up at the grey, the crystalline sky that domed over the soul space, "Be'melar, for all his power and education... He is still a child. If he had done as he desired, then the ramifications for both Zaichaer and Kalzasi would have been extensive. Even I would have been unable to stop the conflict that would spring from something such as that."

Right... But isn't that what you want?

Lyra smiled, "What is it you believe I desire child?"

Uh... War? Isn't that part of your oath or whatever?

"Hardly." Lyra drifted over Naila's soul gem, a beautiful thing colored a deep violate that gave faint streaks of electricity. She studied it, admiring her work in part, but also checking for...

"There it is..." Lyra whispered, flowing closer to the soul gem and gently touching its surface.

Don't try to change the subject. Aren't you trying to start a war between the cities? I've listened to enough of your conversations to pick up that much at least.

"It is not a war that I seek, but conflict." The soul gem was perfect, flawless even, save for one small crack that had begun to spread along one edge. Lyra touched this singular flaw, tilting her head as she continued, "War benefits only the enemies of Kalzasi. Conflict, however, creates an opportunity. It forces cracks, fractures in the stone of a once solid society. Through those cracks, one can sow the seeds of doubt, descent, and change. You can touch the people, and like weeds, they will grow and tear apart their own society from the inside."

Curiously Lyra went to the Aetherite shard that sat at the center of the Soul Space schema. It, too, had begun to show signs of wear. How long did they have? A season? Perhaps, if that.

It sounds like you've done this before.

"A time or two." Lyra chuckled as she drifted up once more, "But this time it is not merely for the pleasure of the act."

[Finn]

Review

Experience: 8 XP, but nothing magical.

Lore:

Talon

Divinity: Locating the faithful through their Emblem
Divinity: Lending divine strength to a faithful
Investigation: Drawing conclusions based on obvious clues
Investigation: Searching for a missing person
Investigation: Using the Bond to locate a person
Investigation: Beginning a search at a person’s last known location
Intimidation: Threatening Divine Wrath in the face of injustice
Intimidation: Lowering tone to indicate seriousness

Rickter

Detection: Regaining Your Bearings After Being Drugged
Detection: Relying On Your Other Senses When Vision Becomes Limited
Resistance: Breaking Out of Your Bonds by Shifting
Tactics: Devising and Improvising an Immediate Plan of Action
Bodybuilding: Using Your Lycan Strength to Move Objects
Stealth: Hiding at Angles Nobody Can See You In
Unarmed: Brawling: Punching Through Wooden Paneling With Your Lycan Claws
Unarmed: Brawling: Slamming an Enemy's Head Into a Wall
Resistance: Numbing Down Physical Pain With Focus
Unarmed: Brawling: Using Your Fangs and Claws in Lycan Form
Unarmed: Beast: Biting Down On Your Opponent Hard

Personal: Abducted in Zaichaer
Emblems: Using Eminence to Overcome Pain
Personal: The Echo
Personal: Saved by Lyra
Personal: Barely Survived Your Abduction
Personal: The Warm and Safe Embrace of Your Bondmates

Brenner

Intimidation
Invoking the political fallout of defying the State

Investigation
Extrapolating information from clues

Leadership
Dissuading a powerful entity from unleashing havoc
Standing his ground in the face of imminent danger
Delegating tasks
Keeping the chain of command informed

Politics
Knowing when to hold his tongue
Putting the good of the State before his personal well-being
Maintaining the rule of law

Spycraft
Holding the cards close to his vest

Injuries: Healed by now.

Loot: N/A

Note: Bonkers!

Lyra, let me know if you decide to request any lores in future and I will re-review for you.

Rickter, I'm not really sure about the relevance of your personal lores except the Eminence one, but you outrank me so I'll defer to your judgment there. Also, please be kinder to my ancient, failing eyes with that typeface at the very beginning! O_o

But cheerio and pip pip, friends. Well done.