[Florian] Machinations of a Bloodhound

[Rickter]

Machinations of a Bloodhound

(Searing 10) Sundered Rise 10th, 122nd Year, A.o.S.

The stone walls of the tower gave a quiet shudder in response to the wolf's aura, his aether blanketed along their surface as the first of the wards went up. Lyra had assured him that the tower came built with the ability to hide magic activity, however, the wolf wasn't even in the slightest mood to risk taking measures without reinforcement. Therefore as he sat, quietly, centered in the room of the floor and away from Lyra's tables, Rickter silently muttered under his breath the slow process of warding the room.

The first layer he weaved into the composition of the shield was the aetherial aura of him and the room itself, his eyes closed so that he could lightly touch upon the semblance rune for a deeper look. His aura to his determinable knowledge of smells reeked of mint, for whatever reason, and the scent of pine on a dew-kissed morning. Tasking that into the weave he negated out his aetherial presence, while noticing the aura he emitted faded slightly. The scents were gone entirely much as he had hoped, and with a few careful mental glances into his core, he could see a glossy film embossing the aura within. Interesting...

He noted the change with a release of aether from his vision, the ambient glow of muted auras dulled to that of his mundane sight when he opened them. Now not only had he masked the aetheric signatures within the room, but he had also negated them to where nobody outside would sense it. Hard to be drawn to a tower when there's nothing impressive or important about it going on! Standing on his bare feet next he brushed the black linen shirt he wore, his trousers loosely strapped to his waist by a belt as he looked toward a vacant space of a wall. What the wolf had also thought to do was enchant the room so that his wards absorbed ambient aether, which provided peace in mind for the experimental casting he wanted to do.

He hadn't unnoticed how latent his aetheric power hard started to feel, and how good it almost seemed to be just channeling it half the time. It almost felt wasted just to continuously keep his personal wards functioning, but the discipline involved has taught the wolf much about the depths of his own power. The reserves he had felt deeply intricate with his soul even, where runes and even an emblem coursed with vibrant energy. He was a stout battlemage through and through, determined to overcome his enemies and oppressors with the sheer force of will. But here? That mentality would only stunt his ambitions. And what Rickter craved more than anything was a warmth that could not be generated, a very heat he had found that had been missing from his very bones.

So as he waited to work along with the plans Lyra had set in motion, Rickter deemed it necessary to bide his time productively at the least. When he faced the wall he brought his hands together before him, palms alternated as he left open a gap between them, and then focused on the aether channels with a blink into his Aether Sight. The currents in the room are even slower than before... The wolf noted as he observed a sluggish flow within the path, seeing the natural energy as though it were a curtain of dusk within the windowed sunlight. I wonder if I can meld something. Rickter considered as he thought about his Kinetic powers as of late. Recently he'd found it abundantly useful to apply Seeming, and contemplated its uses even further off and on.

But he'd also remembered just how brutal of a force Kinetics could be, as seen by Talon many times before in their trials past. That minor flux hole he created when they first met... Not that he expected to replicate the same results, Gods knew Lyra would never forgive him for any excessive damage done to the tower. Yet the wolf had thought about blending the concept of that might power, along with another ability he'd found useful with his Negation powers of late.

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

"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"
"Speech" Thoughts

[Florian]

FLORIAN

Florian hadn't quite trailed Rickter up the tower, but he hadn't not trailed him up the tower, and he peeked through the opening in the floor until the wolf man was occupied with his magic. He could see what was happening with his own aether sight — the formation of wards, the use of aether to hide the use of aether. It smelled like mint and pine-needles, even stronger with his use of the vision, until it didn't. Florian stepped into the room of the tower, but it seemed that Rickter still had not noticed him.

He took a few steps towards him. He wasn't stealthy, by any means, but the man was so focused he didn't seem to notice the quiet hush-hush-click when he moved his prosthetic or the subtle squeak and brush of boot when he stepped on the edge of a floorboard. It was not just the sound that Rickter would notice, however — as Florian stood just within arm's length of the man, the very wards he created began to very, very slowly corrode. Florian had noticed this happening to the wards of the Presidium, but he was not sure if it were him. He didn't understand this corrosion of magic that occured around him, as if the very concept of manipulating aether faded away in his presence. His arm, this fantastical combination of machine and magic, seemed unaffected. He was even able to siphon from it, and sometimes he did, when he wanted to make sure he remembered how to use his own power. But even that was becoming more difficult, uncomfortable, even painful. But he would conjure a shield and wave it away; sustain himself on aether when he wanted to be left alone.


"Wolf of Maze." Florian stated, an announcement of his presence, as he stood foot behind him and looked around at the ward he created. His eyes were silvery and lacking pupils. Veins grew silvery around his eyes, and he wore a button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up at the elbow, fully displaying the bone-white, gold, and delicately painted blue flowers of his prosthetic. There was a trail of very slight destruction from where Florian had entered and where Rickter had placed his wards. He was an accomplished mage, and the damage was little, but it was noticeable. "What are you doing?"

[Rickter]

Machinations of a Bloodhound

(Searing 10) Sundered Rise 10th, 122nd Year, A.o.S.

The wolf's hands were pressed together when Florian had entered the tower, his approach left unaware as Rickter focused intently on what he wanted to create. He understood that there was a way to generate these pull and push effects with a hole of some kind, as that was what he'd seen Talon do the first time they'd met, but creating such a violent rift in the fabric of space wasn't his intention today.

What Rickter wanted to meld together was a spell that functioned like the elements, inflicting damage unto his enemies without any real elemental affinity though. Kinetics allowed for such versatility with movement and force, but it was packing that force into a spell the wolf had to work around. Thus between the folds of his hands an anchor had been forged, the luminescent sphere glistening like the northern lights in his hand when he observed it's creation. With the unaspected aether contained within it he then wondered, if maybe that could be used to generate that push or pull effect. Somehow that required him to manipulate the Flux of aether within the anchor, which the wolf hadn't quite figured that part out just yet.

Even so reflecting on the memory of Talon's own powers didn't seem enough to ascertain the process, so it was with a steady hand the wolf carefully focused on the aether within it. And then he noticed something. A scent in the air that was highly aromatic and flowery even, like the first wave of pollen from dandelions had filled the room. Glade had already passed though, and unlike allergy season, the presence of this aroma effected both his magic... and the wards around him. ...The fuck?... His eyebrows furrowed intensely as he observed the anchor in his hands, the aether radiating from it slowly fizzling out somehow.

A quick glance up from his project and he could sense the wards in his room were doing the same thing. The aether charge within them was diminishing now, not so rapidly that it gave cause for concern, but noticeable enough to where he questioned what exactly happened. It was a well-made ward that showed no absolute flaws in his programming, the tasks set in perimeters nowhere near taxing enough to eat away the charge so quickly. So then... why? "Wolf of Maze." The sudden nonchalant statement from behind caused Rickter to cringe, the anchor in his hand popping from a minor surge of aether when he did. A small burst of light flourished from his hands before the residual anchor scattered out, and faded away like particles of dust within a sunbeam.

"Master Florian..." The wolf murmured with a cautious glance over his shoulder, the northern accent heavy on his words as he deflected his vision back to his hands. "I almost didn't hear you come in." That was a lie actually. He should've heard but he'd been so caught up in the spell, that even the scent of this individual had nearly gone ignored by him. But now that he was here...

"What are you doing?" The question came with a soft grunt as the wolf moved to ease off the floor, using his hands to push off his rump as he stood tall on his feet. Rickter took a moment to fully observe the Lysanrin, having only seen Florian recently when they were at Hobbled Gobbler earlier the previous week. Silvery eyes. Almost like looking into a mirror to the wolf, and the prosthetic arm he wore practically vibrated with a magic of its own. Tapping into the Rune of Semblance he possessed Rickter filtered aether through his nostrils, and took in that flowery scent one more time to get a whiff of his aether. Strange.

The wolf almost couldn't really sleuth anything of Florian, his very presence withering the aether around him just from where he stood. The wolf didn't understand this, how this worked especially, and appeared unsettled as though concerned by that very fact. "Refinement. A lot of spells... tend to require a bit of trial and error. It was my intention to maintain the wards, so that none would notice the experiments going on up here." Although with Florian around that looked to be a tad bit more difficult than he anticipated, thus the wolf kept his hands at the small of his back while looking at the Lysanrin.

His eyes remained averted, however, not having forgotten the night of the Call when Florian answered. "You... look well, since last we met." He was trying to be sociable at least, though, it was hard for the wolf not to keep an indirect stare in silence. Probably because words never came easy in moments like this, especially when the wolf had no idea what to say to someone he hardly knew.

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

"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"
"Speech" Thoughts

[Florian]

Rickter on the ground was much less threatening than Rickter on his feet. Florian's silvery eyes glimmered, and then he blinked again, and they were blue as mid-day sky, the mirrors gone and the pupils back. He could not stop the magic from corroding, and he did not even know where to start on that matter. He would have to start avoiding the lab lest he ruin projects again — but it was important he finally spoke to Rickter about the overarching matter at hand, the happening that surely rested on the edges of his thoughts at all times. He knew it rested in his. And so he cut to the chase, wasting little time with small talk.

"I have a message for you." He reached for a drawstring pouch tucked into his waistband, and opened it. Light emanated from within. Florian pulled out a feather, one of Talon's own. Touching it filled him with hope. It caught the light that filtered into the tower-room unnaturally — the light seemed even drawn to it. He was, on some level, certain that Rickter would recognize it. "I spoke to him, in a way no one could stop. He's in the Imperium — he told me to tell you that, while his heart is still shackled, he will always remain a prisoner. I don't understand it, but I had to find you. Specifically."

Florian slipped the feather back into the bag and closed it. "He asked for Lyra as well. I promised I would help him, but I am not so sure where to start. He still held the bag, but he pushed his hair back with his free hand. "I don't know your plans, Rickter, but this— He's locked in a spire in the Imperium, somewhere, surrounded by Kathar and shackled to the floor."

Florian's face remained neutral as he spoke, his head turned upwards so he could watch Rickter's reaction to this information. He had no idea if he already knew, or what he knew at all.

[Rickter]

Machinations of a Bloodhound

(Searing 10) Sundered Rise 10th, 122nd Year, A.o.S.

There came a statement that immediately caught the wolf's attention, having no expectations of receiving anything from someone such as Florian. Given his disposition in all this, Rickter hardly expected anything since he was an outsider hiding away all the time. Nevertheless, when he'd heard those words his blue eyes fell more directly on Florian now, the noticeable silver now gone as the young Lysanrin seemed more focused on him now. What prompted this one to visit Rickter? What message did he have that Florian personally needed to deliver it himself?

"...Alright, you have my attention." He assured Florian through a murmur from where he stood, his arms tucked at his back still as he waited to hear what was to be said. But at first there was something else that came about, something Florian pulled out from a pouch before he displayed it before the wolf's eyes. That glow! It had been a full season since Rickter had the luxury of ever seeing it again, let alone bask in the presence when the smell filtered through his nostrils. That hint of ozone that he had once forgotten about still clung to it, and even now, Rickter couldn't help but look upon that feather with grief plain in his eyes.

"Where?..." It suddenly became harder to speak for him, as if a lump had caught in his throat and he needed to clear it away. "May I?" Rickter looked to Florian as if his walls had already come down, and the Lysanrin would be at the forefront of what Rickter's expressions truly revealed. In requesting to hold the feather Florian nodded, allowing Rickter to inspect it closer as he looked dearly upon the item. There was no question about it when he could see how light danced and shimmered around it, it had been a pinion from the one he had once called his soulmate before the shattering of their Bond. A small look of hope rose in his eyes then but so did the tears, before he held the feather back out for Florian to put away. "What did he say?"

His heart pounded harder now as it felt heavier from the news, his thoughts spent on Talon as he continued breathing steadily to subside the emotions. Florian had managed to reach out to him, much to Rickter's surprise, and in doing so he learned of Talon's place within the Imperium. So that's what that vision revealed to him at least, and all the more confirmed the information the wolf had learned from Baudric early on as well. The Imperium was behind all this then, they were the true enemies that the wolf needed to adjudicate in the end. There was also a specific warning for the wolf to take in, the consideration for his heart immediately spurring the wolf's mind into action.

Rickter knew what this meant, he had to for whatever reason, and part of him already understood this before even hearing the words. "Understood..." He remarked with his thoughts on Aoren next, uncertain as to how he'd go about finding let alone freeing the man. "I know exactly what it means." He quietly assured Florian with a minor aversion to his eyes once more, patiently listening to the rest of what had to be said as he rubbed a hand along his cheek thoughtfully. The scruff of his beard made soft scratching noses beneath his fingers as he reflected on everything, from Lyra's necessary involvement down to Florian's own admittance of uncertainties in general. Truly the knews both granted the wolf some small clarity, in knowing that he had something substantial to work with finally.

But at the same time... fear and concern grew rampant in his expression as he thought hard. How much time would they have left? It would be several weeks before he was even ready, and able to leave Zaichaer knowing they would have no pursuers in tow... If he were to get to the Imperium swiftly then he'd need a means of faster travel than by land, and quite frankly Rickter had never once learned how to pilot an airship on his own. Could he learn to utilize magic as a means of flying there? Already he wanted to drop everything on a dime and just up and leave, but he hadn't the resources necessary to prepare for such a venture. No... If anything Rickter had business here he must wrap up first, and then he could finally turn his eyes down south to where the real enemy waited.

"...Thank you..." He humbly murmured toward Florian with his eyes still cast aside. "I haven't figured out how just yet, but, I intend to leave for the Imperium as soon as I tie a few loose ends here." He hadn't forgotten his promise for the Dornkirks either, for their role in Talon's abduction from the wedding. Regardless he knew time was of the essence here, and he didn't want to waste any more time than necessary to save his beloved companions. "I don't have much of a plan yet... Just the inclination to reach the Imperium myself if I have to." He shared knowing that Florian would be the only one he really opened up to about any of this, having kept his intentions mostly indiscernible to the rest around him for good measure.

For as long as he can manage he would continue to use Lyra as a means to an end, to help her in whatever the hell she was doing here, just to get what he needed before he finally enacted his real plan and absconded from the city. Rickter hoped that when that time finally came, Florian might actually be one such asset the wolf could easily bring along. "We'll save Talon and Aoren. One way... or another." Of that he swore with and without confidence, the wolf's determination clearly the only thing keeping him going through all the chaos he's endured.

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

"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"
"Speech" Thoughts

[Florian]

Florian had reaffirmed his intention to rescue Talon in their shared dream, though they had not met again in the Land of Nod since then. After the feather was put away again, he considered what Rickter had said, his thoughts bubbling up. Talon had been close to giving up, and he could only hope his angry pep talk was enough to keep him through, if that had even been the real Talon in his dreams. He mentioned Aoren — that was Talon's husband, if he remembered anything from the wedding. They had both been captured. The piece fell together of what he meant by his heart.

"I told Talon he would be saved. I pledged before Destiny that I would help. So please, tell me how to help." He tucked the pouch away, and then looked back up at Rickter. "I'm not great with... planning. But I will help. I can enter the Imperium as easy as breathing — I think it will be finding and entering his prison that's the greatest obstacle."

He tilted his head. "But...loose ends? You've just arrived. What loose ends do you have to tie up already? Did you not come to Zaichaer to reunite with Lyra before...?" Florian's suspicions were immediately aroused. He knew Rickter to be considered a danger to Zaichaer, and he did not want to misplace any amount of trust in him. But tying up loose ends could be just as simple as laying the groundwork for a rescue and finding people to help. He hoped that was what he meant. He crossed his arms and stared at Rickter as he replied, and then stayed in silence for a bit longer. Whatever Rickter's reply, he would not ask any more questions.

"You look tired. I don't know what you've been through, but we'll find our rest. Not now, but maybe soon."

[Rickter]

Machinations of a Bloodhound

(Searing 10) Sundered Rise 10th, 122nd Year, A.o.S.

When Rickter heard Florian mention the pledge to destiny, he could only tilt his head to the side curiously as a slight furrow formed in his brow. Destiny? A concept the wolf loathed nonetheless, but, who was he to judge another for swearing themselves to something bigger than themselves. After all there was a time he devoted himself to a cause, and a belief that he could serve that cause by protecting it. Look where that had gotten him now, alone and bitter toward the rest of the world, desperate to make right the failures he'd suffered from his own shortcomings.

"I'm... not yet sure..." There was reluctance to the admittance of his situation, having never been to the Imperium much less ever thinking about going. Whatever awaited him there though, he would overcome it just as he would Zaichaer, from one obstacle to another entirely. "Truth be told I probably won't have an idea until we get there. I know nothing about the Imperium save for what you've just confirmed, which is their role in Talon's..." He thought of the Black Wedding just then, and a pain in his heart caused a bit of ice to accumulate on one of his hands. Reflexively he closed that hand to keep the reaction hidden, but deep down he couldn't ignore the hurt that still raged inside of him.

"It will be... yes..." He agreed after considering the fact Talon's prison would be well hidden within the Imperium, after all, their enemies wouldn't want to make it easy to get Talon and Aoren out. "I know how much you want to help, and for that I couldn't thank you enough. When we're in the Imperium I promise I'll do everything I can to help. We'll plan his rescue together then." He assured the Lysanrin as the ice on his hand faded away, the somber look in his eyes turned firm at the inquiry of loose ends. Florian had not known that Rickter had been in Zaichaer it seems, and if the wolf could help it, he would keep the poor boy out of the affairs for as long as he could.

"I've actually been in Zaichaer for a couple of months now, I've had meetings with a few people that could benefit the cause at least." The Sunsingers were for certain allies that had something he needed, Rickter just had to bide the time until they were prepared to provide him with whatever it was... that way he in turn could repay them what he promised upon meeting them. "Lyra and I are just... accomplices for now, we have mutual interest as far as I know... but I trust her about as far as I can throw her." Which even with all his strength and power he couldn't say that was very far, considering the fact she a living cloud of smoke as far as he knew.

Admittedly he chuckled a bit after hearing Florian remark upon his health. Tired? That was by far the moment prominent thing he felt, but that barely even scratched the surface when it came to the wolf. "Rest... I dunno if I'll ever find rest again, not while I'm afraid for my family, and fighting for the ones taken from me..."

"Doesn't help when you go off on your own, you know." A voice called out from the entrance to the tower, leading Rickter to quickly gaze past Florian to the woman who said it. There was a bewildering shock in his eyes as he laid eyes upon the leather traveling garb she wore, and with the brown eyes that burned like the fury of a goddess as she eyed the wolf.

"Hannah!?" The click of her boots tapped hard against the stone floor as she drew closer to them, her gait passing right beside Florian as she focused solely on Rickter. "What the bloody hell are you doin' here?! I told you-" He saw her arm reach out behind her and knew what came next, and brought a hand up to intercept her at the wrist as the rogue grunted in bitter disgust. "Hey now! You know I don't fall for the same trick twice!"

"Good!" She barked in return before her knee jolted up into his groin, causing the wolf to groan as he quickly fell to his knees in shock. "That's for Telion! By the way thanks for that, you can't imagine how difficult it's been since you left us like that." She remarked with hands on her hips before twisting to glare at Florian for a second, before her eyes widened at the sight of him and the prosthetic he wore. "Now who the fuck are you?"

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

"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"
"Speech" Thoughts "Hannah"

[Chronicle]

Name: Rickter

Points: 10
Magic: These points can be used for Negation and Kinetics.
Knowledge: 8 Lore Points
Injuries: None
Loot: None

Name: Florian

Points: 10
Magic: These points can be used for Negation and Kinetics.
Knowledge: 8 Lore Points
Injuries: None
Loot: None

Sorry time came between us but so glad we got to thread, hope to see Florian make an epic comeback in the future!