Lest the Darkness Breach [Talon]

[Hilana Chenzira]

35 Glade, Year 123

[Closed - Talon]


As Frost progressed and turned into Glade, one season of learning and training melted into the next. The perpetual sunlight provided by the Scepter of Avaerys meant little changed in the desert Kingdom for the people who lived there, but Daemon’s words were always in the back of her mind. The darkness seeks to breach the protection that Atraxia possesses...Having witnessed the Eclipse, first from the God’s viewpoint and then experiencing it herself in Ecith after the disaster at Melindranovispont while she and her friends were hunting for a sense of direction for Hilana to continue her pursuit of the relic she was charged with finding... the Vastiana was concerned, and that concern was growing by the day.

The Sceptre of Avaerys held strong over Frost, but now that they were through the first third of Glade, there were signs of it faltering. Word was going out that mages of enough skill were being summoned to help bolster it, and both of her paedagogi had said that she was ready to assist, that her skills had grown enough since she had started her training that she would be able to add her aether to the mix in order to try to keep the darkness at bay a while longer. Something had to be done. And yet, she didn’t doubt that the greater arcane minds of the realm had ideas beyond anything she had ever considered.

As she sat with Risdra in her apartment, she was thinking about the created voidstones and going over her notes that had been made under the watchful eye of Domina Clelia. She had learned a fair few things about them since her alchemical experiments regarding the shadow creatures had begun a few weeks ago. She was able to add more knowledge to the notebook, remembering what they had been like and had been able to do in Ecith - the way that they had vaulted into the shadows of Finn and Khyan, becoming corporeal when it suited them, incorporeal except to her flames and the shadows of the strange woman who had come to Finn when his arm had been amputated. She thought too about the voidstones and the way they had devoured aether until they burst, just by being there. Even sealed, some of them would still break their container and burst out.

Imagine if they were allowed to run rampant here, devouring aether in a kingdom that was practically fueled by magic... That would be an unmitigatable disaster.

Hilana sighed, and closed her notebook, setting it on the coffee table in front of her, and let her fingers gently scritch the ears of the enormous spotted cat as she looked around the living room. There were plants everywhere, a growing shelf of books, and three terrariums that held her dwarf tegu and two pythons. Tiaz was coiled up on a pillow beside her, his tongue flickering though he was otherwise immobile and resting. The smaller, steel-grey python was draped over her shoulders. Risdra purred contentedly, unconcerned with Hilana’s concerns about the world around her and what this could mean for her homeland. As far as the cat was concerned, she had her food and water bowls, and mama was here. Her snakes and tegu were also unbothered, but that was now that they had near permanent light and the means to get away from it in their hides if they so chose. If they were in the dark and only had runeforged lights and warmth... because Elementalism wouldn’t work...

She didn’t like bothering him, because she could only try to imagine just how busy he was with his life and duties, but perhaps if he could spare an hour... she could get his opinion. She focused on the friend that she had made early in the last season, the white-haired Avialae who had taught, encouraged, and inspired her. She had no real idea how to reach out to him in a way that he would hear, but he had said that if she called him, he would come. “Daemon? When you have a chance... I would love to talk with you, please. The Sceptre of Avaerys is starting to falter.” She figured it best to give him the reason why she was hoping to talk to him, and then he could judge for himself if it was worth the break in his time.

[Talon]

D A E M O N

Talon spun, tucking his wings in close as he dove, narrowly avoiding three batlike creatures formed from shadow. He landed on the earth, his boots sliding across the rocky surface of the mountain plateau. He came to a stop just before reaching the edge of the cliff, spreading his wings to slow his momentum. Silver-white fire burned in his eyes as he glared up at the batlike creatures and the beast that flew with them.

It was a creature large enough to cast a vast shadow upon the ground. A shadow from which spawned even more of the voidborn creatures. Eyes that glowed with a sickly green light stared at him from within a cloud of smoke and shadow. Dozens of them attached to the grotesque head of the eldritch creature. A maw filled with row upon row of jagged teeth opened and emit a breath that was raw shadow. Talon planted his feet. He drew from the wellspring of his power, bringing the aether flux to the forefront of his vision. He followed the webwork of aetheric lines across the skies, threaded as they were in the wall of darkness that was barreling toward him. Grasping the lines of the aether flux he set them ablaze, causing the wave of shadow to burst into violet-blue aetheric fire.

The great beast roared. Talon did not flinch. Taking a deep breath, he gripped his Reaved blades, igniting them with Dawnfire. Sprinting forward, Talon took flight. He enacted kinetic seeming and propelled himself forward into the air, speeding toward the open maw of the terrifying beast. The air around him grew hot as the heat of his dawnfire spread across his body and burned a path for him. The flight of batlike creatures burst into holy fire, shrieking in agony as they were reduced to ash. Talon rocketed forward and met the open maw of the beast. He cut through flesh, tooth, muscle and bone, cauterizing a path as he seared through the creature, bursting through its skull. He twisted in the air, spiraling for a moment before catching himself and righting his posture. He watched as the beast fell upon the mountainside. Silver-white and aetheric fire continued to burn, spreading outward from the gaping hole in its skull.

The sound of flapping wings reached his ears. Through his vision of all that touched the light, he saw a group of Dawnmartyrs, some astride gryphon-back, others being Avialae. At their helm was Aoren.

“Hail! Dawnking!” The knights rendered a salute, to which Talon returned. Aoren came forward.

“Is it dead?” Aoren looked to the beast that lay unmoving upon the mountain. Talon did not know if it was dead, but it was at least incapacitated for the moment. His holy flames still burned on its body. He looked to the knights. Every one of them carried the mark of Eminence. He was glad that the leadership of the knighthood had sent them. Talon had been making a concerted effort to bestow his Emblem upon those who had sworn themselves to his cause. At first, he had worried that being more free with marking his followers was unwise but over the past few months, he had felt stronger. If anything, bearing his Emblem had caused those in possession of it to move closer to his ideals. He gifted Eminence only to fully-fledged knights, trusting that the ways of the Knighthood weeded out those who might be unfit for it. It took years to fully train a Dawnmartyr and since he had returned, there had only been two cohorts of knights to receive his mark. The surge in membership and interest in the knighthood from Kalzasi would likely see more squires graduate in the coming years.

“Use dawnfire. Burn the rest of its body.” He spoke to the knights, many of whom immediately moved to act.

“We cleared out the hive of creatures. This was the only remaining threat our scouts found in the area.” Talon nodded. He was about to respond when his attention was called. Specifically, it was called by his Solunarian name. He heard Hilana’s voice. He heard the worry that was there along with the declaration of what he knew would likely come. The faltering of the artificial light that blanketed the kingdom.

“My prince?” The knight seemed to have noticed his diverted attention. Talon turned back to him.

“I must go south.” The knight nodded. Aoren, being bonded to him so intimately, did not even have to ask. The thoughts and experiences had been shared as easily as breathing.

“Let us finish here. Then I must go.” Talon turned and joined the rest of the knights who were utilizing either dawnfire or their own magic to burn away the body of the beast. Talon summoned his flames and unleashed them upon the carcass until there was nothing left but ash in the winds. He then landed giving instructions to the knights regarding pockets of creatures he had seen in the area through his own senses as well as giving missives to be delivered to the Great Houses and the Circle of Spells. When that was finished, he joined hands with Aoren and teleported them both to Hilana.

---

He appeared with a breath of wind as his and Aoren’s only introduction. Dressed in plate armor that accentuated the silver aspects of his hair, eyes, and wings, Daemon appeared very much a warrior of Justice. The arcane witchmarks of his Siltori heritage glowed softly with celestial light.

“Hilana.” He offered the Vastiana a smile.

“Nice to see you again, Hilana.” Aoren folded his arms over his chest with a polite nod.

“How can I help?” Daemon smiled at the cat sprawled across Hilana’s lap.

[Hilana Chenzira]

Hilana hadn’t expected them to come so soon, but when they appeared, she was clearly glad to see them, as she smiled at them from where she was seated on the couch, her legs drawn up under her. It wasn’t a big apartment, but it was clean and bright, and full of the smells of spice, herbs, flowers, and food. As one might have expected from the botanist, there were plants of all shapes and sizes, and they were everywhere. They hung from the ceiling in some areas, along the walls, on the floor, in the windows. Not far away from them was a trio of terrariums of different sizes, though if they looked off to the side in another room, there were far more of the glass enclosures, and presumably, they had even more reptiles in them.

Risdra, on her lap, stared to see them appear. She was getting used to Raithen, but she usually just hid at first and then approached when the Avialae was occupied with her mother. “You’re fine, you’re fine,” Hilana told the large Queen, and carefully set her on the couch on the other side of Tiaz. “Don't mind her, she's always a bit nervous around everyone with wings. Hello, Daemon, Aoren. Thank you both for coming,” she got up and bowed to both of them, her skirts of gold, red, and black flaring out. “I trust you have been well?” the Vastiana got up, and scooped up her larger snake. There was a little one hanging out by her shoulders still, and Hilana shifted her to her bun so that Tiaz could take his usual spot on her shoulders. Judging by their armour, they were busy, very busy, and had either been in the thick of things or preparing to be.

“The Sceptre of Avaerys is starting to falter, like you thought it might,” Hilana headed for the largest of the windows of her home, not far from where they had been standing, and pulled the colourful curtains that had been partially drawn all the way back before stepping to the side so that they could look. The Sceptre was visible overhead, but it was nowhere near as bright as it had been the last time they had been here. Every so often, there were flickering patches across its surface. “They’ve put out a call for Mages to lend their aether to the restoration process,” the young woman added, her arms folding behind her back, looking out over the city. “I thought you might have some idea about what could be done about it.” He was, after all, the God of Light, a powerful master mage of many disciplines, and an excellent teacher. She had definitely been working hard at refining her skills since they had seen her last, and more recently, she had acquired the Cardinal Rune of Semblance... but she was as much of a novice with that one as she had been with Elementalism in early Frost.

Hilana, truthfully, didn’t know what the Crowns were planning. They had put together the Sceptre before the Solar Sovereign’s Jubilee. “I’m wondering if the shadow creatures have finally been able to siphon away enough aether that it is going to fail, and the darkness will break through,” she admitted. “I have been trying to study the creatures through alchemy, and I’ve found that when the ashes are mixed with alchemist’s acid and stirred with the agitation rod, they will become these black, obsidian stones... voidstones, I’ve been calling them. Under the aura glass, they are black holes. You can’t really see them there, they’re just...nothing.. But they draw aether in, and they keep drawing it in until they explode,” she frowned. She was certain that they already knew that, but on the odd chance they didn’t...

[Talon]

D A E M O N

“I’ve been keeping him plenty busy.” Aoren ginned, propping an arm on Daemon’s shoulder. He leaned forward, extending a hand to let Tiaz inspect his fingers before gently stroking the snake’s head. Daemon shook his head at Aoren’s jest. They had certainly been busy. Between traversing across the breadth of the Northlands, assisting Kalzasi and its allies with the fallout of the brief war between the city-states, and helping with the refugees, Daemon had been kept on his toes. Compound that with training with the Dawnmartyr Knights, making sure his forge was up to speed, and attending to his duties as the patriarch of his House, he wondered how he managed sometimes. Nevertheless, the work got done. Whether because he attended to it himself or delegated it to a trusted advisor. Most of his time in the present had been in bolstering the Sky Guard and the Knighthood ranks. The Head of House Novalys was traditionally the military leader of Kalzasi, and Daemon had proved himself a capable commander where leadership skills were necessary.

“I have, Hilana. We have.” He amended. “I have not been lacking for tasks, that is for certain. For every solution to my homeland’s challenges, it seems a new problem arises.”

He sighed, running a gauntleted hand through his hair. When Hilana spoke about the Sceptre of Avaerys, he was not entirely surprised. It was a powerful collaborative work of arcane conjuration, but from what little he knew about it, and it was very little, it had been put together in a rush. Such an object could only last for so long when pressed against the unnatural phenomenon that was enveloping the world at large. He had to applaud the Solunarian mages; they had acted with a level of creativity and expediency that was to be admired.

“Without examining the construct itself, I am afraid that I can only offer pure conjecture.” He looked at Aoren, who simply shrugged his shoulders.

“Don’t look at me. You’re the academic when it comes to magic, beloved. I wield my powers through trial and error, by instinct. You’re the one who forges artifacts that defy the imagination and potions that do the impossible.” That was true. By cultural definitions, Daemon was more of a wizard, an individual who had received a formal education regarding magic, whereas Aoren was a sorcerer who wielded their magic solely through emotion and experience. Aoren tucked his wings closer to avoid disturbing anything in Hilana’s residence. He reached into one of the pouches on his belt and withdrew some dried meat. Daemon watched as his husband extended it to the large orange cat, attempting to entice her with a treat.

“Voidstone or voidrillium is a type of dragonshard. It has very volatile and destructive properties. Common knowledge states that it appeared some time after the Sundering; what you are describing sounds similar but not the same. I have a few samples in my workshop that are very carefully warded, but they do not exhibit this blank property you speak of. That sounds more like abjinurium. Even then, abjinurium has an aetheric signature.” He was puzzled by what she was describing. He had not collected any of the ashes or parts of the voidspawn creatures to examine. He had been more concerned with stemming the tide of them as opposed to studying them. He was glad that there were those who were going out of their way to examine their properties. He would have to approach House Briathos and the Circle to inquire as to their progress regarding the creatures.

“Regardless, I am not so certain how the rulers of Solunarium will feel about my presence so close to such a prized artifact. Avaerys and Varvara may have made peace with me, but as it stands, neither of them wears the reigning crown of either the Luxium or Umbrium.” He shrugged his shoulders. He had been present for the jubilee, and it was abundantly clear that Thalya IV and Zalkyrion were not pleased with his presence.

[Hilana Chenzira]

Tiaz was happy to be touched by the redheaded Avialae, lifting his head and starting to shift his upper body from Hilana’s shoulders as if he was going to make a play to climb onto Aoren. The smaller grey python peeked up at them, too, having apparently decided that the fact that Tiaz was quite interested in them was a good thing, and so she was also interested. “This is Fiya,” Hilana made the introduction as the juvenile, a little more than a season old, rose more from her hair to peek at the much taller guests, her own tongue flickering. The little python was clearly learning to be outgoing, much the way her substantially bigger brother was socialized. She was still a bit shy to hands coming to her head, but she was learning that this wasn’t so bad.

She nodded as Daemon admitted to just how busy they were. Hilana could understand that and she respected it, which made her appreciate the time they were giving her for a problem that essentially didn’t concern them that much all the more. They had the rest of the world to contend with, especially Kalzasi. She kept her own schedule that full, too, quite often. But this was comparing dates and figs. When he said he’d have to examine the construct, that gave her pause. That… she had not considered. That they might need to get up close to it to genuinely see it. The problem was compounded further by the…complicated relationship that he had with Solunarium. But as Aoren pointed out… Daemon was perhaps uniquely suited to have a look at this, being the God of Light and a master mage. The other option was disaster and ruin, because if the artifact failed…

“Please don’t take it the wrong way if she runs, she’s shy about anyone or anything with feathers—-“ Risdra, much to Hilana’s surprise, didn’t bolt right away when she was set down. She’d remained on the couch, but when the redhead offered her dried meat… Risdra’s stomach apparently won as she began to take it from Aoren’s fingers, as delicate as anything. The resemblance was not lost on her: as large as both of them were for their respective kinds, food was a bonding experience for the gentle giants. She wasn’t going to extrapolate that to others, but for Aoren and Risdra, it fit. The big queen sat up, her ears forward and her eyes bright, looking at him rather hopefully for more, letting out a loud meow. Hilana shook her head at her cat, but she was smiling.

“Is it really? I see,” she nodded when he gave her the other name of Voidrillium. That was not a stone she was particularly familiar with; Domina Clelia didn’t want her apprentice muddling with such things quite yet. Her strange black stones would need yet another name, because abjurinium didn’t quite fit either. She scooped up her notebook from the coffee table by the couch, and offered it to Daemon to peruse her notes. Dozens of samples all reacted the same way, turning into obsidian-like stones that would vacuum up aether until they burst, taking out warded containers, too. The resultant dust didn’t react at all. Only two stones out of 45 tested samples lasted more than 72 hours, and those two didn’t last much longer than that. She considered her next possible steps. “His Divine Radiance is here in Solunarium, though Her Argent Luminescence does not seem to be.” The Vastiana was thoughtful. She understood from Raithen, though, that He was preferring to keep a low profile. “We could perhaps reach out to Him, as you’ve made your peace with the Founders. Otherwise, Her Serene Highness Princess Cithaera of House Phaedryn might be the easiest to speak to.” Even if she was the Consort of the Crownwyrm. Hilana realized that she has no contacts of any sort within the Luxian Royalty, although Finn did through Prince Vraedyn… who also bore the Emblem of Majesty. Of course, all of it could backfire spectacularly on them for Hilana’s well-intentioned appeal to Arcas, but surely the good of the kingdom came first.

[Talon]

D A E M O N

He found Hilana’s penchant for being surrounded by wildlife to be a curious thing. Not unlikable it was simply that he had never really met someone who took care of so many animals and was simply so attuned to the wild ways of the world. While he had never been to Dalquia, he was told that the Dratori were similar in that wherever they went, the wilds went with them. He wondered if perhaps she had some ancestry rooted in connections to the natural world. The Vastii were not a culture he was intimately familiar with, unlike his education in his elven heritage. He reached out to gently pet Tiaz on the head before stroking his fingers along Fiya’s neck.

“Wouldn’t be the first time others were skittish around me.” Aoren obliged Risdra’s meowing and provided her with another piece of dried meat. He tentatively reached out to give her gently scratches behind the ears.

Daemon accepted the notebook and began reading through what he could. He was impressed with Hilana’s attention to detail and the manner in which she documented her thoughts on the page. It was the mark of someone who was accustomed to studying and writing as they went. He considered the properties that were available to be pondered from the experiments listed on the pages. The obsidian stone behaved in a similar manner to some dragonshards that he knew of. The lack of an aetheric signature was not surprising given that the stone had been created from the remnants of a voidspawn creature.

“From what you describe, these stones function almost like Aether Wells.” He compared the two concepts in his head and the more he thought about it, the more it made sense. Looking up, he offered clarification.

“An Aether Well is a manufactured reservoir for aether.” He reached up and touched a gemstone affixed to his right ear. The earring was little more than a stud elegantly cut into a diamond shape.

“Alchemists, Scribes, Runesmiths and even Elementalists can all make them. That is what an elemental lodestone is or it can be with a bit of creativity. It is a broad term that applies to many things but the fundamental function is the same regardless of how it is made; which is to serve as a container for ambient aether. They most often are made without any other purpose than to just serve as a repository to be utilized at a later date.” He handed Hilana back her notebook.

“Concentrated aether released in an uncontrolled manner is destructive. It corrodes and corrupts, distorting the environment and everything in it in ways that are chaotic and unpredictable. The greatest example of this are the Dread Storms.” The world was likely all too familiar with the Dread Mists and the chaotic storms that accompanied them. Florian’s ascension had unleashed many of them. It had unleashed a disaster that had ended a war and also toppled an entire civilization.

“I suspect your samples did not last very long because they were too weak. Dragonshard have varying grades of potency and purity. The higher the potency and purity, the deeper the reservoir of power it contains or can contain.” Daemon began to connect a few dots in his head. When the Eclipse had occurred, it had brought with it the dampening of magic across the world. Personal mages had found themselves bereft of their powers. Mechanisms that relief on personal magic had begun to malfunction. World magic, while still functional, lacked the natural recharging capabilities of dragonshards until they were once again exposed to sunlight or moonlight. It was one of the reasons that the illumite and lunicite stones were so valuable. Not only did they drive off the voidspawn creatures, they helped to recharge world magic devices that had become indispensable in the fight against the neverending hordes.

“When the Eclipse happened, the world saw magic lessened. As if it is being siphoned away by the darkness of the Void. Dragonshards no longer passively replenished their aether. Personal magic was virtually inaccessible. World magic, while still functioning, is not as stable.” Daemon began pacing back and forth as he processed everything that was in front of him. Aoren chuckled.

“Uh oh. You’ve got him thinking, Hilana.” Aoren had successfully managed to get Risda to let him pet along her spine. Daemon tossed his husband an indulgent smile.

“Demigods are able to counteract this dampening by blanketing an area in our aura. Additionally, those who possess our Emblems are able to channel their powers normally. I would hazard a guess that this is because as half-gods we are walking reservoirs of aether. Half of us is always open to and channeling the Aetherium itself and thus into the world around us. This wellspring of aether is likely then being funneled into our marked followers.” He tapped his chin, wings flexing and extending before settling as he processed his thoughts aloud.

“That makes sense. It would also explain why the shadowspawn are drawn to you more aggressively when you reveal your full nimbus.” Aoren chimed in. Both of them had seen it several times over the past few months. Between the horde that descended upon them at Kaladon and the tide they sometimes had to fight back in the North, the voidspawn creatures were always eventually drawn to his presence and the presence of other demigods in large numbers. But they always found him in particular. He suspected it was because he was the Divine of Light, the very thing that seemed to counteract their efforts.

“It is like they are…” Both he and Aoren gazed at one another as a thought fell into place. Aoren finished his sentence.

“Like they’re harvesting aether.” They both frowned at the same time.

“But for what?” Daemon shook his head. The idea that there was a virtually endless army of creatures devouring and siphoning away aether to some unknown place for some unknown reason was disturbing. Especially on the scale that it was happening.

"Princess Cithaera may be our best option, Hilana. Of all the Solunarian royals I have observed she seems the most..." He searched for the right word. "Prescient."

[Hilana Chenzira]

“She got poked in the nose by a magpie’s beak as a kitten,” Hilana admitted to Aoren. “She’s been skittish around birds ever since. And she’s taken that to include Avialae because of the wings.” But food was definitely proving to be a way into the big bengal queen’s good graces, because Risdra was turning quite affectionate and vocal with the little shreds of meat. When he scratched behind her ears, she pushed her head against his hand, her tail starting to wave.

She listened, fascinated, as Daemon began to explain aether wells in greater detail. Once he mentioned ‘Elementalists’, the lodestones came to mind and that concept connection pleased her as his explanation continued. She had yet to try storing ambient aether that she had not ran through her Rune into a lodestone to turn it into an element, but that would be an experiment for the near future. It was worth a shot, something else that she could use for other things going forward. Because if she was ever desperate, enough aether with the shards could make some sort of explosion. It would do. Her paedagogi, from Daemon himself to her other elementalism instructors, to the noble who taught her alchemy, to Vasilei, and all of her teachers growing up all seemed to stress resourcefulness. Out in the sands, you had to be, and it could only be helpful everywhere else.

When he gave her back the notebook, Hilana opened it to a new page and scooped up her pencil from the coffee table, starting to write hurriedly to catch up with his lessons. Her eyes never left the silver-haired Avialae, even as Risdra began to purr from Aoren’s ministrations. Notes were made on voidstone and abjurinium, and now aether wells. Some space was left for her to add more to her notes when she next talked with her Moonborn alchemy paedagoga about these subjects later in the future to pick her mind, too, and she turned the page when she could tell she was nearing the bottom, following his progress as he paced and pondered.

The correlation to the purity of dragonshards was also a solid point. That the inherent instability of the stones that she had made might be because they came from creatures that were easy enough for her to kill on her own was a good point. She hadn’t seen any larger ones yet; not beyond the one that had been the size of a water bison, and that had taken a lot of sustained fire to torch it, and… well. “The two stones that lasted more than 72 hours came from the largest of the shadow creatures I was able to find within a day’s ride of the city,” Hilana offered. “One looked like a water bison and the other from one shaped like a giant condor.” That did lend some credence to the theory, at least from the limited sample size.

She hadn’t known about the dragonshards not replenishing like they might normally have, though she had certainly experienced the diminished effects of her Cardinal Rune when her little expedition team had left the borders of her homeland. Until they’d gotten to the field, she’d been cut off from the Elements, and Khyan hadn’t been able to Semble. When Finn had produced that divine light, that had worked, which was a fraction of His Divine Radiance’s power. She was nodding as she kept on writing, her dark eyes bright. At Aoren’s teasing words, she glanced from Daemon to Aoren, and she grinned. “At least one of us is,” she was cheerful, all too happy to listen and keep making notes. The Kalzasern Prince may have been puzzling out loud, but it was helping her understand more, too. She had so much less experience than they did with the world beyond her own, where they were dealing with the impact of this disaster on a daily basis, but she wanted to know for the future. Especially if the Sceptre could not be restored.

If that happened… then at least she could try to prepare.

To hear that those with Emblems could channel normally made her nod. Finn had been able to. And to hear that Daemon’s divine power further drew the focus of the creatures also made sense. Finn’s Emblem had drawn them in, too. Perhaps because it also melted the protections of her Mask; but Hilana couldn’t know. It wasn’t necessarily that they were more drawn to someone without an Emblem than otherwise, because Khyan had been stabbed at the same time as Finn, and he did not possess an Emblem. It wasn’t necessarily the expenditure of aether; but the fact that they were there was reason enough. But their conclusion was frankly chilling: that the creatures could be harvesting aether for some reason. Hilana had no idea why or where, because that was well over her head. She underlined it and added a question mark. “Is there anything known about what caused the eclipse?” She paused in her writing. The sailors only said that it had appeared in Ash. The only theories that they carried were that the gods were angry, but the Founders protected them and their home from the onslaught of darkness.

She was glad, though, that they agreed to her suggestion of Her Serene Highness. Hilana couldn’t claim familiarity with any of the Royal Re’hyaeans, but Princess Cithaera struck her as being their best bet of someone who would be the most amenable to allowing Daemon anywhere near the Sceptre. And with the split of the cities… The Solar Sovereign’s power was not what it had been. “She is our best chance,” Hilana agreed. “And that means we head below. Let me grab something and we can head down.” With Daemon’s Semblance, he could hide himself. Hilana only knew of Elementalism when it came to the redheaded knight, but they would probably get quite a bit of attention, at least at the lifts, and the Vastiana would rather avoid that. Fiya was gently removed from her perch in Hilana’s bun and shirt strap, though the steely noodle protested silently before being tucked into her terrarium once Hilana freed herself. Tiaz was set on his basking branch, and the girl went into the side room that was hosting a couple dozen venomous reptiles in order to retrieve her Mask of Midnight’s Mother from the hiding space within one of the bushmaster terrariums. “All set,” she was cheerful, scooping up her ever-present rucksack and tucking her notebook into it. She shouldered it, and put on the bone-white mask, her aura and symphony vanishing for a few moments before she extended the Mask’s cloaking protections to the two Avialae, and she was there once again. “To the Umbrium.”

[Talon]

D A E M O N

“Size does not always imply depth or purity but that might be the case with the voidspawn.” He was now thinking on the very large beast that he and his knights had fought. When Hilana and Aoren shared a moment of amusement, it made Daemon smile. He was glad to see Aoren was in better spirits. There were days and nights when he lived in a perpetual nightmare where all he could hear was his bondmate’s crackling screams. The thought made tension build up between his shoulder-blades. As soon as it presented itself, he felt a mental caress from Aoren who gave him a soft look. He returned the mental squeeze before shaking himself. The feathers of his wings fluffed and then settled.

“Shaeoth ascended to the heights of Greater Divinity.” He spoke plainly because it was the truth. While he did not blame Shaeoth directly for the advent of the eclipse, it had certainly happened as a byproduct of that single act.

“There is also a new Cardinal Rune in Ransera.” He nodded to Aoren who removed one of his gauntlets and showed his hand. Spiraling along the back of his hand and over his forearm was a black arcane marking that almost seemed to move in Hilana’s vision. It absorbed light and evoked a sense of complete emptiness, darkness, and hunger.

“Across the history of our world, whenever a new Rune of Magic is discovered, it has far reaching consequences. If history is to be believed, when the Rune of Negation was uncovered, all magic ceased functioning in the world. Not merely suppressed or disrupted. It ceased entirely.” If historical trends were to be believed then that meant that the appearance of the rune was the more likely culprit. Whether or not that was the case, that remained to be seen. When Hilana got herself up and began situating her animal companions and her belongings he stepped over to Risdra and gave the cat a gentle pet along the back as soon as she allowed it. He then rest his hands at the small of his back. Aoren gave Risdra one last scritch behind the ears and beneath the chin then joined him.

The both of them stared at the bone white mask that Hilana donned. Daemon arched an eyebrow.

“That is a curious choice of attire for a simple walk to the Umbrium.” The terms of his agreement that had barred him from entering the city of Solunarium had expired. With his promise fulfilled and the dynamic of the city shifted, it would certainly make for an interesting visit. He knew little of Cithaera other than the fact that she had been Thalya IV’s rival for the throne and had, in an unexpected move, pledged herself to the Crown of Umbrium. The dynamic of the kingdom was such that Thalya had seen her sovereignty diminished. Where once she had ruled in supremacy over both realms, now she ruled only half of it. The loss of face and political ramifications were likely plaguing her inner court’s politics. He wondered if the conflict he had been sent to avert had yet been sparked into motion.

“Lead the way, Hilana. We will follow. Although…” He looked at himself and Aoren.

“Ah.” Aoren realized they were both still dressed in their armor. It likely was not good protocol to present themselves to a foreign royal in such an armed fashion.

“We should probably change.” Aoren chuckled. Daemon had to agree.

“One moment. We will be right back.” Together with Aoren, he teleported the both of them back to his chambers in the Palace of the First Wind. In short order, the two of them had changed into the Skyforge Raiment which was much less obvious in its combat utility advantages. They both returned to Hilana, dressed and ready.

“That should be much better.” Aoren was dressed in black and silver cloth that hugged his broad frame comfortably. Polished black boots covered his feet and a black cloak was draped over his shoulders. The hood was drawn up over his head leaving only his red hair and the infernal dragonfires burning in his eyes visible. Daemon was always amused at the fact that Aoren rather liked how menacing it made him look.

Daemon himself was dressed in white cloth with tones of silver and grey that accentuated his wings. White leather boots covered his feet and he wore no cloak, preferring to leave his head uncovered. A silver circlet was upon his head along with a royal looking medallion made of silver and diamonds. A silver sash wound around his waist with silver beads woven into his hair.

[Pharaoh]

"...and the Golden Guard continues to rely upon our support abroad of Solunarium Proper and even within their jurisdiction in the Luxium. They are at an obvious disadvantage for having been unwitting to our impending secession, but their attempts to adapt are a clear disappointment to the Radiant Throne. To be completely honest, I empathise with Her Divine Radiance's frustration." Cithæra noted.

"The greater realm is more important than the divide that sunders Upper and Lower Solunarium." The Crownwyrm replied, arching a brow.

"Without a doubt, Your Exalted Majesty." Cithæra inclined her head in deference, "And moreover, I might note that the more the Luxium relies upon the Umbrium, the more power Your Majesty wields."

"Perhaps..." Arvælyn pursed his lips and lifted his gaze from the council table to the faces of his parents. "But let us not forget that He of the Sceptre yet dwells the sands of Atraxia observing without intervening... His intentions remain undeclared. What power does either Crown wield without knowing His intentions?"

"Fæx." Cithæra whispered through her teeth.

"What is it, mother?"

"Arcas is returned to Solunarium. I sense his presence in the Luxium." Her golden eyes darted to the fiery orbs that composed Zalkyriax's gaze, even in his elven Seeming. "I know not wherefore." She offered, apologetically. "Shall I investigate, amatus?"

Arvælyn perked in his seat,

"We are acquainted, Father. I could make overtures, if it be your-..."

Zalkyriax snorted smoke, and shifted his gaze to Cithæra.

"Næ. Surveil, High Sentinel, but make not our interest known. Let him haunt Thalya's city, if he will. Should he fain tread upon Umbrian sands, greet him with Umbrian hospitality."

"Your Exalted Majesty." Cithæra nodded, shutting her eyes and projecting orders into the mind of her daughter at the Prætorium.

[Hilana Chenzira]

When Daemon explained that it was caused by Shaeoth ascending to greater divinity, the girl had absolutely no clue what precisely that meant. She knew who Shaeoth was - god of Shadows, and she knew that because it was his realm she would one day need to get to in order to attune to the Element of Shadow. But by and large, she and the rest of Solunarium was quite ignorant of grades of divinity. Perhaps that meant he received a substantial boost of power? In any event, that went into the notebook.

At the mention of a new Cardinal Rune, and what happened with Negation’s discovery… that was interesting. Very interesting. She peered at Aoren’s arm and her eyes widened. She raised her fingers to touch it, but didn’t quite dare, as her fingers closed into her hand and she lowered it, peering at it and the way it moved and up at Aoren. “What a strange Rune,” she murmured, finally straightening. “What is it called? How did you get it?” Her head tilted. “Does it always feel like that?”

With her Mask on, and considering what it did to hide her once it was in place, the girl chuckled. “It does seem odd, doesn’t it?“ Hilana smiled behind her mask, only for it to fade away from view without her removing it. She no longer appeared to be wearing it, but the effects remained. “But important, anyway. I think it would be best that we don’t get stopped by the Golden Guard of Her Divine Radiance.”

When they suggested they get changed, Hilana’s eyes danced. “Well, I did reach out to you when you were on a battlefield,” she admitted. “But something more relaxed might be well-received.” It wasn’t on her to judge, after all: she rarely dressed up, though she had the attire to do so. If it wasn’t a formal event of some grade, she wasn’t about to bother. And even going to see the Princess, well, this was fancy enough as far as she was concerned. She used a light hint of wind to remove the cat hair from her skirts when she was left alone, the colourful fabric whooshing around her legs before settling. Deep sky blue was edged with golden-coloured hems, and floral patterns were also painted in gold-colour over the upper two tiers of the skirt. Her sleeveless shirt was asymmetrical, though it still left most of her midriff exposed.

“I love your outfits, they fit you both so well,” Hilana beamed up at them once they returned. “Shall we, then?” She enveloped the pair of them with the Mask’s ability to hide others, making sure each of the three of them could be sensed by the others before leading the way out of her apartment. She locked the door behind them, and led the way down the stairs and out into the ever-present light of the Sceptre. Her neighbourhood was pleasant enough, it seemed, though busy, and not as well-planned or immaculate as the Sorokyne District. But that didn’t matter; the girl had learned the pathways well, and despite the fact that they were hidden from the perceptions of the regular onlookers, people were less inclined to run into them. Either way, she seemed to be keeping an eye out for the Golden Guard, her hands on the straps of her rucksack. “It’s lovely in the daytime, but it really comes alive at night. Especially in Port Vasta. Lots of lights in the darkness,” she told them. “When this is solved... you’ll have to come back and see it.”