Glade 2nd, 122nd Year
It wasn't long before the sight of Kalzasi became a welcome distance on the horizon, after days of the expedition hoofing it back on foot toward the city that is. No soon after Rickter's awakening they had all prepared that following morning, the camp packed within hours before the Icewing Eagle riders were the first to return. Some of the volunteers on the expedition were ferried back, of course, but the ones who were left behind were required to return on foot. Thus with a slow and steady pace within the rear of the group that marched back home, Rickter kept his eyes forward as he thought of nothing but being back within those safe walls.
He definitely needed a bath to wash the stench and residual scent of death that still clung to him, having nearly succumbed to the dark afflictions that ate away at his core. Telion also likely needed a bath more than anything, and though neither Trevor nor Hannah were thrilled by the trip, he knew they too would eagerly return to their normal routines once everyone had settled back home. Though... The wolf couldn't help but wonder just how different home would feel now, after losing the connections that kept him dutifully bound to such a place. Kalzasi had always been his home even if he'd felt out of place here, yet now, without his Bondmates to warmly guide him; Rickter didn't know what to expect once they'd reach those gates.
And several hours later after tracking through slushy mud, the group reached the entrance to the city no sooner than planned. "Halt!" A blonde haired Skyguard stepped out from within the gate, his hand raised as he gazed upon the group that had arrived. "Kalzasi has been closed to outsiders. State your purpose." Confusion immediately filled those of the expedition, some of the men quickly rebutting the guard by telling him they belonged here. When it became clear that it was the remaining volunteers, the Skyguard lowered his hand in awe, and turned to look at his fellow guard who stood manning the entrance. With a light shrug from the man, the blonde sighed before looking to face the crowd once more.
"With all due respect, any rangers still with the expedition are to report in immediately! The rest of you will have to wait out here I'm afraid." Annoyed and exhausted sighs soon filled the air of the group, as Rickter watched the second guard with milk-white wings enter with the rangers that obeyed.
"That can't be good." Telion muttered lowly behind the wolf, as Trevor peered over a few of the volunteers shoulders at the gate.
"Not at all," The circle mage remarked with a fold of his arms, "citizens barred entry? Soldiers returning to their posts in a hurry? Something's afoot." As the last of the soldiers entered the Avialae that went within passed through them, his bulky form hard to miss compared to the mixture of people within the crowd. Behind him though another Avialae stepped out of the fold, one with wings the color of almond and cream as his dark brown hair and pointed ears revealed some Elven heritage.
"Which one among you is the man in charge of this expedition?" The man called out in a stark and orderly tone, his narrowed gaze searching the crowd for a particular individual. "Which one is Rickter Maze?" It didn't take long before those within the crowd muttered with one another, their glances with one another eventually lined toward the back where the Wolf of Kalzasi himself stood. Not that he was battered but there was a definitive air of exhaustion to his figure, his shoulders slumped forward as he looked toward the commander with his nose pointed down. "You!"
Telion was the one somehow protectively gripping Rickter at the forearm, her stance rigid as she stood between him and the Avialae that approached. Though smaller in comparison to both, she never once moved when the man reached them, his eyes focused solely on Rickter as the wolf waited to hear what this man had to declare. "By order of the Queen Regent," Sure enough as those words left his lips a contingency of Skyguard came out of the gate, "for your failure in upholding your charge with locating Lady Kisorika, and in light of recent events, you are hereby exiled from Kalzasi lands."
Gasps resonated from the crowd as literally, the jaws of his peers fell to the floor, Rickter himself breathing in deeply as he looked to the man in sheer horror. "Under pain of death." Telion looked sharply at the commander ready to lash out at him verbally, yet, the Skyguard commander merely cut her off with the finality of his statement. "Should you choose to linger within our lands, it shall be your family that pays for your transgressions. Is that clear?"
"Wha- How is-"
"Are you shitting me!?" Hannah barked aloud as the commander huffed in reply, his back turned toward them as to return to inspecting the rest of those gathered at the gates. Immediately those within the expedition, who looked to the wolf for leadership, now eyed him with brazen suspicion as they turned away. Quick to shut him out now that his sentence had been given, and of course, his comrades could only stand there in awe... until.
"What of my friends?" He called out over the minor whispers of the crowd, the commander stopping in his tracks to face the exile once more. "I accept my punishment willingly... but are my peers allowed back inside."
"Once the gates are opened once more." The commander left it at that, turning his back for the last time as the three all looked up to him. Telion's eyes already filled with tears, while Hannah's upset expression lessened to that of pity. Even Trevor's somber frown weighed on his heart, as the wolf sighed at the news of his newly attained disposition.
"Rickter..."
"I... should probably go then." The reluctance in his voice stirred Telion to reach for him, her hands clasped around his right as she held it close to her. Defiantly she shook her head to him, tears streaming down her face as she looked up to him pleadingly.
"You can't! What about your life here!? What about the twins!? What about..." She realized where that last thought was headed, and so did Rickter, the wolf's somber eyes fallen past her gaze toward the white snow on the ground.
"There's nothing left for me here anymore... It's over." He admitted without even a sigh, the energy within him all but gone at this rate. He understood well what the charges against him were, and that ultimately, there was nothing he could do or say to change anybody's mind.
"And you're okay with this? Really!?" Trevor sounded so disturbed but the facts existed as they were, Rickter was now an exiled man, and Kalzasi would indeed no longer be the place he called home.
"You seriously cannot be, Rickter!"
"Honestly... I'm not..." He admitted to the three with his eyes shut tight, his other hand balled into a fist as he couldn't help but squeeze Telion's hands tighter with the other. "Nothing about this is okay anymore... Better to leave it all behind now, rather than cause any more trouble than I already have."
A hand came flying at him then, the loud smack of skin against skin heard even by those still waiting at the gates. A few soft looks turned their way, yet, mostly everyone ignored the minor scene unfolding before them. They were all so tired, from waiting and walking, and so was Rickter of course. He was tired enough that the smack he felt on his right cheek barely stirred him, enough to serve as a wake-up call yet nothing more beyond that. "Are you fucking stupid?" She declared as Telion looked to her with wide eyes, the wolf himself gave a reluctant stare as she continued. "What part of your kids are still in there do you not understand!?"
"What am I supposed to do?!" He snapped almost bitterly, his brows now furrowed to mark his frustration. "I'm not allowed here anymore! I can't expect you two to follow me wherever I go."
"I'm sure you meant the three of us..." Trevor muttered in with his arms still folded, with a thumb and finger brought up to twizzle the edge of his mustache.
"The point is, all of you have lives built here. Clearly, I can't be a part of that any longer..." Telion looked up to him in awe and for a moment, he felt the tightened grip over his hand loosen just a bit.
"And just where do you think you'll go?" The rogue inquired with a raised eyebrow, clearly pissed for a variety of reasons from the way she hung her shoulders.
"... I'll think of something... Pretty sure south is the only direction for me to go."
"That wouldn't be in hopes of visiting Zaichaer, would it?" A gentle voice peeped in on their conversation, as a woman in a red dress and white cloak approached them. As the lot looked to the woman with auburn hair, Telion's eyes widened at the sight of her immediately; as if yet another surprise announced itself to her. "I don't think that would be a wise choice, dear."
"Miss Elinora?" The older woman's features narrowed at the sound of her name, her eyes sharply inspecting Telion before they widened with the same amount of revelation.
"My word, Telion? What are you doing here?!" The auburn-haired woman was taken aback by the sight of her, weathered and weary from the travel, as well as clearly distraught by the situation that they all now faced.
It wasn't long before the sight of Kalzasi became a welcome distance on the horizon, after days of the expedition hoofing it back on foot toward the city that is. No soon after Rickter's awakening they had all prepared that following morning, the camp packed within hours before the Icewing Eagle riders were the first to return. Some of the volunteers on the expedition were ferried back, of course, but the ones who were left behind were required to return on foot. Thus with a slow and steady pace within the rear of the group that marched back home, Rickter kept his eyes forward as he thought of nothing but being back within those safe walls.
He definitely needed a bath to wash the stench and residual scent of death that still clung to him, having nearly succumbed to the dark afflictions that ate away at his core. Telion also likely needed a bath more than anything, and though neither Trevor nor Hannah were thrilled by the trip, he knew they too would eagerly return to their normal routines once everyone had settled back home. Though... The wolf couldn't help but wonder just how different home would feel now, after losing the connections that kept him dutifully bound to such a place. Kalzasi had always been his home even if he'd felt out of place here, yet now, without his Bondmates to warmly guide him; Rickter didn't know what to expect once they'd reach those gates.
And several hours later after tracking through slushy mud, the group reached the entrance to the city no sooner than planned. "Halt!" A blonde haired Skyguard stepped out from within the gate, his hand raised as he gazed upon the group that had arrived. "Kalzasi has been closed to outsiders. State your purpose." Confusion immediately filled those of the expedition, some of the men quickly rebutting the guard by telling him they belonged here. When it became clear that it was the remaining volunteers, the Skyguard lowered his hand in awe, and turned to look at his fellow guard who stood manning the entrance. With a light shrug from the man, the blonde sighed before looking to face the crowd once more.
"With all due respect, any rangers still with the expedition are to report in immediately! The rest of you will have to wait out here I'm afraid." Annoyed and exhausted sighs soon filled the air of the group, as Rickter watched the second guard with milk-white wings enter with the rangers that obeyed.
"That can't be good." Telion muttered lowly behind the wolf, as Trevor peered over a few of the volunteers shoulders at the gate.
"Not at all," The circle mage remarked with a fold of his arms, "citizens barred entry? Soldiers returning to their posts in a hurry? Something's afoot." As the last of the soldiers entered the Avialae that went within passed through them, his bulky form hard to miss compared to the mixture of people within the crowd. Behind him though another Avialae stepped out of the fold, one with wings the color of almond and cream as his dark brown hair and pointed ears revealed some Elven heritage.
"Which one among you is the man in charge of this expedition?" The man called out in a stark and orderly tone, his narrowed gaze searching the crowd for a particular individual. "Which one is Rickter Maze?" It didn't take long before those within the crowd muttered with one another, their glances with one another eventually lined toward the back where the Wolf of Kalzasi himself stood. Not that he was battered but there was a definitive air of exhaustion to his figure, his shoulders slumped forward as he looked toward the commander with his nose pointed down. "You!"
Telion was the one somehow protectively gripping Rickter at the forearm, her stance rigid as she stood between him and the Avialae that approached. Though smaller in comparison to both, she never once moved when the man reached them, his eyes focused solely on Rickter as the wolf waited to hear what this man had to declare. "By order of the Queen Regent," Sure enough as those words left his lips a contingency of Skyguard came out of the gate, "for your failure in upholding your charge with locating Lady Kisorika, and in light of recent events, you are hereby exiled from Kalzasi lands."
Gasps resonated from the crowd as literally, the jaws of his peers fell to the floor, Rickter himself breathing in deeply as he looked to the man in sheer horror. "Under pain of death." Telion looked sharply at the commander ready to lash out at him verbally, yet, the Skyguard commander merely cut her off with the finality of his statement. "Should you choose to linger within our lands, it shall be your family that pays for your transgressions. Is that clear?"
"Wha- How is-"
"Are you shitting me!?" Hannah barked aloud as the commander huffed in reply, his back turned toward them as to return to inspecting the rest of those gathered at the gates. Immediately those within the expedition, who looked to the wolf for leadership, now eyed him with brazen suspicion as they turned away. Quick to shut him out now that his sentence had been given, and of course, his comrades could only stand there in awe... until.
"What of my friends?" He called out over the minor whispers of the crowd, the commander stopping in his tracks to face the exile once more. "I accept my punishment willingly... but are my peers allowed back inside."
"Once the gates are opened once more." The commander left it at that, turning his back for the last time as the three all looked up to him. Telion's eyes already filled with tears, while Hannah's upset expression lessened to that of pity. Even Trevor's somber frown weighed on his heart, as the wolf sighed at the news of his newly attained disposition.
"Rickter..."
"I... should probably go then." The reluctance in his voice stirred Telion to reach for him, her hands clasped around his right as she held it close to her. Defiantly she shook her head to him, tears streaming down her face as she looked up to him pleadingly.
"You can't! What about your life here!? What about the twins!? What about..." She realized where that last thought was headed, and so did Rickter, the wolf's somber eyes fallen past her gaze toward the white snow on the ground.
"There's nothing left for me here anymore... It's over." He admitted without even a sigh, the energy within him all but gone at this rate. He understood well what the charges against him were, and that ultimately, there was nothing he could do or say to change anybody's mind.
"And you're okay with this? Really!?" Trevor sounded so disturbed but the facts existed as they were, Rickter was now an exiled man, and Kalzasi would indeed no longer be the place he called home.
"You seriously cannot be, Rickter!"
"Honestly... I'm not..." He admitted to the three with his eyes shut tight, his other hand balled into a fist as he couldn't help but squeeze Telion's hands tighter with the other. "Nothing about this is okay anymore... Better to leave it all behind now, rather than cause any more trouble than I already have."
A hand came flying at him then, the loud smack of skin against skin heard even by those still waiting at the gates. A few soft looks turned their way, yet, mostly everyone ignored the minor scene unfolding before them. They were all so tired, from waiting and walking, and so was Rickter of course. He was tired enough that the smack he felt on his right cheek barely stirred him, enough to serve as a wake-up call yet nothing more beyond that. "Are you fucking stupid?" She declared as Telion looked to her with wide eyes, the wolf himself gave a reluctant stare as she continued. "What part of your kids are still in there do you not understand!?"
"What am I supposed to do?!" He snapped almost bitterly, his brows now furrowed to mark his frustration. "I'm not allowed here anymore! I can't expect you two to follow me wherever I go."
"I'm sure you meant the three of us..." Trevor muttered in with his arms still folded, with a thumb and finger brought up to twizzle the edge of his mustache.
"The point is, all of you have lives built here. Clearly, I can't be a part of that any longer..." Telion looked up to him in awe and for a moment, he felt the tightened grip over his hand loosen just a bit.
"And just where do you think you'll go?" The rogue inquired with a raised eyebrow, clearly pissed for a variety of reasons from the way she hung her shoulders.
"... I'll think of something... Pretty sure south is the only direction for me to go."
"That wouldn't be in hopes of visiting Zaichaer, would it?" A gentle voice peeped in on their conversation, as a woman in a red dress and white cloak approached them. As the lot looked to the woman with auburn hair, Telion's eyes widened at the sight of her immediately; as if yet another surprise announced itself to her. "I don't think that would be a wise choice, dear."
"My word, Telion? What are you doing here?!" The auburn-haired woman was taken aback by the sight of her, weathered and weary from the travel, as well as clearly distraught by the situation that they all now faced.
"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"
"Rickter" "Telion" "Hannah" "Trevor"
"Rickter" "Telion" "Hannah" "Trevor"
