Nightfall
Frost 89th, 121st Year
Daybreak. The night had passed quieter now that the howling had stopped, and the first light of dawn began to gleam across the pillars of ice that had risen just a kilometer outside of camp. Even the wind fell silent throughout the night, as the glistening diamond dust leftover from the blizzard glistened with the pillars of ice.
What happened? Well, the only expected thing that could happen when you lose a lover. It all started late into the night, however, when his eyes first opened and the revelation he awoke with hit him hard. It was a startling way to grip reality, too much to bear for one who felt themselves on the verge of death.
The veins in his skin had glimmered with a silver light as though Talon himself reached out to cleanse him, Telion quickly rising off her pillow to crawl near his side when the event was noticeable. The wolf fidgeted more than before and the sweat, though still coated over his skin and hair, had lessened impeccably once the light manifested. As it faded Rickter stirred more, before another soft jerk finally resulted in the opening of his eyelids. He looked out within the tent before his eyes fell on Telion, utter confusion in his gaze as his thoughts were still left in a tangled mess. "Oh thank gods! Rickter!"
Her voice was soft as honey to his ears still, even when his heart felt clutched by irons. There was no denying it, this pain was the equivalent of a hot knife whittled across such a precious organ. He could only clutch his chest in pain, his throat too dry to utter a sound when he exhaled sharply through his nostrils. The healer drew closer to check his chest with a gentle hand, concern in her eyes as she realized something was wrong. "Rickter?! What happened?" She inquired before looking over at the waterskin laying near the bed. Quickly she ushered for him to lean up a bit, and brought the container over for him to sip out of once he propped himself up by an elbow.
After a prolonged gulp, he finally lowered the waterskin from his lips as the tears just hit him then. Telion bore sight to a wolf in mourning as Rickter stared at his palm in pure awe. Last he remembered... He had stood to protect his expedition from Odison, but beyond that was when things turned into a pitch black. Yet he remembered feeling everything beyond that, the constant overtake that the darkness held on his body and soul... the opening of that space to allow strangers inside... He remembered everything up to that very last moment, when he felt that intense white-hot burn graze across his soul. Was that why his heart hurt so much? He wanted to reach out to Talon now, yet, felt his confusion peak at a lack of reasoning for why.
He was gone now, and what felt just as bad (if not worse) was the lack of connection with Aoren. The Bond... was gone. He felt only absence in the void that they had filled, or now created, after what had happened during the events that took place in his mind. Rickter could only clutch over his chest, as the first wave crashed into his soul. The magnitude felt as large as the cleansing that purified his soul, as Telion brought her hands up to his cheeks with a deeply earnest stare. "Gone... They feel gone..." He finally expressed as the flap of the tent lifted open, with Hannah and a few of the rangers coming in behind her.
"He's awake!?"
"But how?" The rogue looked sharply at the brown-haired ranger that made the remark, before she moved to kneel next to Telion as they shared space with Rickter.
"What happened? Has no one reported back to Kalzasi yet?" The wolf inquired worryingly with soft huffs in his breath, his mind spent on keeping a calm demeanor, while his heart brew a raging storm gradually on the rise. Both the ladies before him glanced at one another, their expressions grave as Hannah looked down to him to answer the question.
"We don't know. Trevor nor I have been able to access Kalzasi, they've shut down all their gates for whatever reason..." She admitted with a fold of her arms, concern written all over her expression as the wolf softly groaned before lying back down. It was still cold out that he could tell, the air still fresh with ice and the scent of campfire. They had come out here to search for the Merry Behemoth, and somehow, Rickter can't remember who it was that sent him on this mission, to begin with.
"... I need... time. To think..." Rickter quietly requested as he kept his breathing in check, keeping the heartache in his chest concealed as he shut his eyes. Though they lingered for a bit, Hannah gave in with a sigh before looking to Telion, the rogue giving Rickter one gentle brush along the forearm before she stood up toward the rangers. The wolf heard her ushering them out quietly as Telion's sweet scent still lingered, her hand gently folding into his as he slightly tensed. "Telion... please."
"...I know." She sounded apologetic almost, her voice nearly quaking from the emotion she kept contained. "Just remember, I'm always nearby whenever." Her hand lingered for a moment before it started to slip away, the wolf's hand gripping it tighter before she had the chance to leave.
"I love you." That still burned within him. He felt that for someone else as well, before that burning sensation tore it away entirely. He felt it for Telion too, and somehow, physically feeling her hand within his reassured her. That was enough to keep him from slipping away, from letting the overwhelming tempest burst out of his heart. Having looked up to her he could see it in her eyes, the tears she fought back as there was a mixture of love and guilt in her gaze. When he finally loosened his grip, he used his hand to help turn over, the healer staying to make sure he was on his knees with no trouble at all.
Somehow his afflictions have completely healed, the darkness that plagued his body no longer present. She had no idea what it meant or what it had to do with Talon, but deep down, she understood that something had gone wrong when it happened. The blonde gave him a soft kiss atop the head as he drew out the undershirt of the Skyforge Raiment, before her gentle stride outside the tent left him alone to finish dressing. He needn't the overcoat or the chest piece, just the overshirt would keep him warm when he ventured out into the cold. He didn't want anybody within the camp to hear him, not this close at least, because in order to allow himself to think...
Rickter needed to confront this pain inside his chest first.
What happened? Well, the only expected thing that could happen when you lose a lover. It all started late into the night, however, when his eyes first opened and the revelation he awoke with hit him hard. It was a startling way to grip reality, too much to bear for one who felt themselves on the verge of death.
So I give in...
The veins in his skin had glimmered with a silver light as though Talon himself reached out to cleanse him, Telion quickly rising off her pillow to crawl near his side when the event was noticeable. The wolf fidgeted more than before and the sweat, though still coated over his skin and hair, had lessened impeccably once the light manifested. As it faded Rickter stirred more, before another soft jerk finally resulted in the opening of his eyelids. He looked out within the tent before his eyes fell on Telion, utter confusion in his gaze as his thoughts were still left in a tangled mess. "Oh thank gods! Rickter!"
Her voice was soft as honey to his ears still, even when his heart felt clutched by irons. There was no denying it, this pain was the equivalent of a hot knife whittled across such a precious organ. He could only clutch his chest in pain, his throat too dry to utter a sound when he exhaled sharply through his nostrils. The healer drew closer to check his chest with a gentle hand, concern in her eyes as she realized something was wrong. "Rickter?! What happened?" She inquired before looking over at the waterskin laying near the bed. Quickly she ushered for him to lean up a bit, and brought the container over for him to sip out of once he propped himself up by an elbow.
After a prolonged gulp, he finally lowered the waterskin from his lips as the tears just hit him then. Telion bore sight to a wolf in mourning as Rickter stared at his palm in pure awe. Last he remembered... He had stood to protect his expedition from Odison, but beyond that was when things turned into a pitch black. Yet he remembered feeling everything beyond that, the constant overtake that the darkness held on his body and soul... the opening of that space to allow strangers inside... He remembered everything up to that very last moment, when he felt that intense white-hot burn graze across his soul. Was that why his heart hurt so much? He wanted to reach out to Talon now, yet, felt his confusion peak at a lack of reasoning for why.
He was gone now, and what felt just as bad (if not worse) was the lack of connection with Aoren. The Bond... was gone. He felt only absence in the void that they had filled, or now created, after what had happened during the events that took place in his mind. Rickter could only clutch over his chest, as the first wave crashed into his soul. The magnitude felt as large as the cleansing that purified his soul, as Telion brought her hands up to his cheeks with a deeply earnest stare. "Gone... They feel gone..." He finally expressed as the flap of the tent lifted open, with Hannah and a few of the rangers coming in behind her.
"He's awake!?"
"But how?" The rogue looked sharply at the brown-haired ranger that made the remark, before she moved to kneel next to Telion as they shared space with Rickter.
"What happened? Has no one reported back to Kalzasi yet?" The wolf inquired worryingly with soft huffs in his breath, his mind spent on keeping a calm demeanor, while his heart brew a raging storm gradually on the rise. Both the ladies before him glanced at one another, their expressions grave as Hannah looked down to him to answer the question.
"We don't know. Trevor nor I have been able to access Kalzasi, they've shut down all their gates for whatever reason..." She admitted with a fold of her arms, concern written all over her expression as the wolf softly groaned before lying back down. It was still cold out that he could tell, the air still fresh with ice and the scent of campfire. They had come out here to search for the Merry Behemoth, and somehow, Rickter can't remember who it was that sent him on this mission, to begin with.
I know the dawn is the bitter end, So I put my mask on and I start to pretend.
To be someone I ain't never gonna be again...
To be someone I ain't never gonna be again...
"... I need... time. To think..." Rickter quietly requested as he kept his breathing in check, keeping the heartache in his chest concealed as he shut his eyes. Though they lingered for a bit, Hannah gave in with a sigh before looking to Telion, the rogue giving Rickter one gentle brush along the forearm before she stood up toward the rangers. The wolf heard her ushering them out quietly as Telion's sweet scent still lingered, her hand gently folding into his as he slightly tensed. "Telion... please."
"...I know." She sounded apologetic almost, her voice nearly quaking from the emotion she kept contained. "Just remember, I'm always nearby whenever." Her hand lingered for a moment before it started to slip away, the wolf's hand gripping it tighter before she had the chance to leave.
"I love you." That still burned within him. He felt that for someone else as well, before that burning sensation tore it away entirely. He felt it for Telion too, and somehow, physically feeling her hand within his reassured her. That was enough to keep him from slipping away, from letting the overwhelming tempest burst out of his heart. Having looked up to her he could see it in her eyes, the tears she fought back as there was a mixture of love and guilt in her gaze. When he finally loosened his grip, he used his hand to help turn over, the healer staying to make sure he was on his knees with no trouble at all.
Somehow his afflictions have completely healed, the darkness that plagued his body no longer present. She had no idea what it meant or what it had to do with Talon, but deep down, she understood that something had gone wrong when it happened. The blonde gave him a soft kiss atop the head as he drew out the undershirt of the Skyforge Raiment, before her gentle stride outside the tent left him alone to finish dressing. He needn't the overcoat or the chest piece, just the overshirt would keep him warm when he ventured out into the cold. He didn't want anybody within the camp to hear him, not this close at least, because in order to allow himself to think...
Rickter needed to confront this pain inside his chest first.
"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"
"Rickter" "Telion" "Hannah"
"Rickter" "Telion" "Hannah"
"I am living in the night,"