Multifaceted III

[Aeros]

TIMESTAMP: 60 Glade 123
NOTES: part 3 of this

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What it was that Hilana suggested and then Athalia expanded upon followed the same lines of logic that ran through the mind of the spirit. “I am compelled to agree with them,” he started after Lykos had his chance to respond. “...and I suppose now is as good a scenario as any to force myself to speak Common,” he said, mild, yet intentional, disdain in his voice.

“A shame that your soul is so bright, such that we cannot gaze upon you…might we see what runes you possess outright…but alas! Gods are…so…bright? …blinding, even for Semblers of skill. I imagine with some self-examination and experimentation such things will not be hard to discover.

“Nevertheless, if I had to guess, the Stitchmother likely made a bargain with you, as she is wont to do in times of strife, and the toll she took from you resulted in…ah, as you are now. I shudder to think of what stakes it would've taken for you to agree to such a thing. We've both lost parts of ourselves, equally heavy losses, yet completely opposite in nature...how...interesting.”

Though he spoke slowly and with additional pauses as he fished for particular words, he was clear enough to understand with little issue unless one had trouble understanding a Vastian lilt specifically.

The ghost then laughed, though it lacked any semblance of frivolity. “Ah, but forgive me for comparing our circumstances– mine was a choice made in selfishness, yours? Selfless. Weighted the same they may be, but…” he trailed off, a bilious sort of emotion rising within. “...but your choice saved lives, mine took two.” Emotion was back in his voice now and he sounded quite grave.

He cursed himself and the voidcast creature that put him in this scenario, and when the day came that he'll find it again, he planned to obliterate it– but for now? The only direction for which his ire could flow was within.

- - -

"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"

"Vastien Tongue/Speech"

"Valasren Tongue/Speech"

"Common Tongue/Speech"

[Hilana Chenzira]

“We will figure it out together,” Hilana agreed, smiling at him. “One way or another, we will figure it out. The difficult we do immediately, the impossible takes a little longer, and miracles are by appointment only. If we have to make an appointment, so be it,” her lips quirked in a grin, and she relaxed back in her chair again, her bruised arm draped across her midsection. Nothing that some dragonshards would not cure, not to mention her poultices and teas. The bruising and soreness would go down. It wasn’t the first time she had dislocated something, and it wouldn’t be the last, but it was not a pleasant experience nonetheless. It was just a reminder that she needed to practice and work with that whip and her weapon skills if she wanted to be able to use it effectively. “Something did happen while we were in the Void, though... because all of that aether that was in the ceiling... if that was aether... was gone by the time we came out. So Founders only know what it was.”

She listened as Æros spoke, nodding along. His Common, when he took his time to translate it and work it out in his head now that he was settling down a bit, was stronger than he had let on. If there had been a tricky spot, Hilana or Lia could supply the words for him. But thus far, the spirit was managing quite well. But when he said that his choice took two lives, Hilana paused and blinked, looking at where she felt his concentration to be the strongest. Who was the second? One life was his own, but the second?

“Gods are painful to look at with Semblance,” she agreed. “Even glancing past you peripherally while I was looking at Æros with Semblance in the kitchen caused an immediate reaction that usually comes from overgiving... The High Sentinel... she is in charge of all the Sentinels,” she explained to Lykos, “the hooded and veiled figures... Said before that trying to delve into the auras or symphonies of the Divine could drive a mortal to madness, and I’m new to the craft. And since every Cardinal Rune can look different depending on who has drawn it... just looking at them won’t tell us what they are. So we’ll just have to test them out.” She took one of the pieces of cheese from the bowls on the table that had been provided to them, beginning to nibble on it. “But we’ll start that tomorrow or the day after. In any event, we’ve had Runes ripped out and one was put back on... and let me tell you, that is not something you’re going to look forward to,” Hilana told Æros with a shake of her head.

Threshold sickness was one thing. But at a Master’s level? The impact had been devastating, and had Lia not been there and able to harmonize the elements with her aether again... Hilana would certainly not have made it out. “Lia, you should eat something. You had to expend a lot of aether,” the herbalist advised her sister, who acquiesced to her knowledgeable sister and selected a few pieces of peach to add to a little plate before taking one to bite into. Her little sister was not incorrect; she did need to replenish her aether. The fact that Lykos was as ravenous as he made sense, too, with his appetite. “Eat,” she encouraged him. There was plenty on the table, and worst case scenario, the servii could bring more from the kitchens... or Hilana could find the kitchens and continue cooking. “We will find a way, Æros. Somehow. We will find a way. There has to be something.”

[Rickter]

Multifaceted III

Glade 60th, 123rd Year, A.o.S.

Lykos still pondered the relevance between his involvement and the Stitchmother that had been mentioned, when it came to Myshala though, there was still that undeniable sensation of spiders he couldn't quite shake. It was as if the first real memory he truly possessed had stemmed from Her, somehow, and the impression it left on his heart and soul was something neither could easily forget. Regardless, he was learning much about himself from the way the ghost and sisters were talking. Apparently, he was too bright of a being to look at? Or perhaps what they meant was scrying, using some sort of magical art that could read into his own magical nature at best.

All of this was news to him, and from the sound of it all, both Aeros and Lykos himself lost dear things to themselves. The wolf pondered the nature of Aeros' demise in turn, but this whole idea of a Bargain being struck didn't sit well with Lykos at all. Why? What could've prompted him to have given up everything about himself? What desperation would've required him to lose all that he had, when it clearly accosted him every little bit of his identity yet? The conversation wasn't really sitting well with him anymore, and he realized then, that maybe he didn't want to find out what had happened back within that room.

"Interesting? I find it downright irritating, to be honest." He admitted with a bit of a smolder to his expression. "But I truly feel for you, Aeros, were our roles reversed I wouldn't know what to do with myself..." With that admittance came very real sympathy from the wolf, having imagined what it must've felt like to be without a body. A corporeal being. It was bad enough that he struggled with his own mind at the moment, the loss of such a form undoubtedly remained disorienting for the poor man.

But what of the nature behind their afflictions? Truly, that posed an inquiry Lykos hadn't thought of before. If what Aeros had suffered was a result of his actions, and he truly brought harm to himself and another in the process... then why was it that whatever Lykos himself did require such a hefty toll in the process? Hilana's agreement to the fact they would all discern this mystery eventually led him to smile at least, though, that didn't stop the uncertainty which still brewed inside his chest. Already he could feel a draft through the windows in the air, the warmth of the breeze only slightly touched by a cool waft in the air.

Had he in fact been the one to generate the rain in Tertium? The wolf hadn't forgotten how he felt, what he felt even, once it had finally started to pour there. "With that sense of optimism, I can't help but feel like we'll get there." He added with a soft chuckle to hide away the disquiet lingering in his heart, still admittedly rather peckish even after all he'd eaten already. The food brought in was by no means a real banquet, but the cooks and servants of the citadel were considerate with their catering, to say the least. Lykos figured that if anything the food would distract him from his emotions, and bring him much better comfort in the process of eating once more.

"You mean, there was aether above us when I woke?" He didn't recall but then again from what she described, there had been aether there before he had awoken in that room. That seemed rather strange. Not that he was an expert or anything but something told him aether just didn't vanish like that. There may have been a possible connection there, between the aether, the Stitchmother, and the Bargain which had been struck between them. From the way Hilana described looking upon Gods in general, Lykos could only grimace a bit at the severity of it in turn.

"That... does sound dangerous." Admittedly testing to figure out what his magics might be sounded just as equally dangerous, the wolf hoped though that nothing risky would come about it. He'd already grasped that the concept of danger was enough today as is, what with being a Demigod with nothing to bear upon his awakening. "I just hope I don't cause a fuss while I'm here." He admitted knowing that the citadel would likely be his temporary home for a time. It was bad enough he needed to keep his emotions in check, as it already seemed crazy to him how they could've likely effected the weather in turn.

Reaching for more bread along with a wedge of cheese Hilana took from, the wolf paused with a serious look in regard to what he heard next. Runes ripped out and replaced back in? The process a devastating toll that Aeros likely wouldn't enjoy? Goodness. Lykos certainly didn't hope he had any extra runes he needed to reattain, as it were, he felt he already had enough on his plate to deal with. The fact Lana and Lia both would be occupied with helping him discover what each rune was seemed daunting, nevertheless, he felt ready to commit to the task all the same.

"Thank you," He said again even if Lana merely encouraged him to eat, "I... don't want to be a burden, but, perhaps the serv..." The later part of that word didn't roll off the tongue very well, leading him to pause and quietly groan before he corrected himself. "Servii could cook up more meat?" The northern dialect of his accent still sounded too strong when he pronounced the word, but it was at least moderately better than when he first attempted to say it. As for the request, well, protein seemed to be what he craved most.

Not so surprising given he was a wolf in human clothing, although, technically the fur-padded vestment was pelt from an animal. Even more so he realized just how warm he felt with it on, and as he pressed the cheese and bread together to take a hefty bite, the wolf considered maybe he should just remove that article of clothing in general. It wasn't like it would hurt anybody, and if anything, it would allow the trio present to bear witness to all his runes and other markings. "Excuse me a moment..." He finally murmured as he caved and needed to feel the relief that came, once he finally rested his bread and cheese down to pull the raiment off from his skin.

He felt hot and sweaty as it were, even within the confines of the citadel where it likely felt cooler inside. The air down here was just so warm and humid, it felt like his body was hardly acclimating to it as it were. Lykos rested the vestment across his lap though, resuming eating now that he felt as though his skin could breathe again.

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

[Aeros]

TIMESTAMP: -
NOTES: -

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The spirit would laugh, though it was biting, at the notion that Lykos’ circumstance was far more irritating than it was of interest. “Forgive me for the suggestion, it’s just…I’ve the compulsion to look with the mind of a scholar, and in the abstract, this entire scenario is fascinating– well, it would be, were I able to observe it rather than existing at the center.”

There was a pause where he might’ve sighed had he lungs. “...so believe you me, I feel ample irritation, too…at the circumstance, at my choices, so on.”

To Hilana, “I glanced briefly at that strange æther in the ceiling before touching my hand to the statue, and per my recollection, it did appear to be æther, but…far denser than anything I’d ever seen before and…tainted, in some way, but in what way? I’ve not a clue…I…should’ve stayed back to…to look.” His words slowed more than what was necessary for him to speak, even in Common, the intensity of bitter regret swelling brighter within at his choice to follow along and touch the monolith.

But to the notion of having his rune returned to him, “...I’d bear the weight of my Semblance’s return gladly, were I able. If anything, I deserve the suffering doing so would invite.”

At this point, he’d begin to will his miasma through his powers of manifestation to take on a familiar form again. His– or, rather, a facsimile of what he once was, even slowly, painstakingly, crafting all of the little stars that floated over his skin.

When his face was formed, he’d look to Hilana. “I won’t decry your optimism as impossible, since Shæoth himself did say that my rebirth was possible in the event that I am able to exact my revenge upon the creature that served as catalyst to my death. Now, the path to get there? I imagine such a thing to be a long one…” he shook his head. A not insubstantial part of him wished that he’d simply stayed dead, but it was too late to take the coward’s path now– ‘eons of suffering’ did not sound inviting.

“Before we even think about tracking the thing, though, I very much would like to figure out a way around being…incorporeal. I don’t know how long I can exist like this ‘til my mind begins to fray.” Though his knowledge of ghosts was rudimentary, he did know that it wasn’t uncommon for them to lose themselves in time.

- - -

"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"

"Vastien Tongue/Speech"

"Valasren Tongue/Speech"

"Common Tongue/Speech"

[Hilana Chenzira]

The sisters listened as the others spoke. Lia was just enjoying food for the first time in over a decade that wasn’t ash in her mouth. She couldn’t comment on what had been there before; she only knew that there was no such thing upon the ceiling when they had left the Void and appeared back by the Crystal Tree with the broken monolith and the Lady of Spiders. But she could well-imagine Hilana had not looked at it before launching herself at the Monolith… even if she had, she was still a beginner at understanding Semblance. Would she have even known what she was looking for? “If there is one thing that never changes about Hilana, it is her sunny disposition,” Athalia remarked. “She will be relentlessly optimistic no matter the situation, and then she can be a dog with a bone since she won’t quit.” The words were softened with a small smile and a lightly teasing tone.

Hilana didn’t entirely feel that way now - she really wanted to sit in the rain and try to process everything that had happened, and she wasn’t going to get that opportunity for a while. But she could sit or lay there in the sands and think about it when the opportunity came. There were oases within riding distance from here, and there was peace to be had in the open sands. She couldn’t run from her problems, but she just wanted a little bit of space upon which to deal with them and think them through. She’d advised Æros before to feel them through rather than just bottle them up or push them away with Mesmer, and it wouldn’t be so bad for her to do the same right now.

But today wasn’t going to be that day, and tomorrow likely wouldn’t be, either. Still, she smiled at her sister all the same, and reached around Lykos’ back in order to find Lia’s hand and squeeze it. Lia squeezed back, her thumb on her sister’s fingers, before the brief gesture broke and they could return to their food. "Of course,” Hilana reassured Lykos when he asked about more meat, and addressed the servii who were nearby. One of them departed to do so, and in the meantime, Hilana retrieved the remains of the cooked chicken that she had wrapped up and brought for him just in case there would be a delay in feeding the demigod. She unwrapped it from the waxed cloth, and set it on his plate for him. “Dig in,” she encouraged him, breaking up some more cheese and pushing it into a date to eat.

“Is that better?” Lia asked him when he removed the heavy fur garment that he had been wearing. “I’m sure I can meditate after we have a bit of a rest and attune to air, and then I could make you some coldstones. That might help.” She was thoughtful. Lodestones that blended air and water to make ice, and a number of those would certainly do the job of helping cool him down. “I’m sure that there will be some suitable clothes here. Otherwise it shouldn’t take much to procure some,” she glanced at Hilana.

“I can get a portal to the city and go buy some,” she agreed. “I’ve... got some in my closets that you might like, Lia, but my style tends to be a bit different. But I’ll see what I have and if there’s something you like, it can be gotten. Or we can visit the town below and see. They may have some clothing, too. But we’ll make it work. It may take a bit, but we’ll make it work.” That being said, she ruminated on the spirit’s words. “When we were looking north... did you see the tower to the West?” she asked him, then. “That might be more of a clue. Or more of another trap... but I’ll mention that to Sentinel Phocion later, or Sentinel Valaera.” One of the two. But it might be something worth looking into, if that was one of the conditions to the half-Fae’s return.

Lia put her fork down and stared at her sister. “You will not. You need to rest. I do not care how Wild you are, you are going to rest. Even if I have to sit on you to make sure you sit still.”

“I will, I will,” she sighed. “But it’s something I need to look into, if that is what it takes to help Æros return. But to the answer of corporeality, you need a body, be it animate or inanimate. We’ll talk to your family and see if they can’t provide a servus or something that you can possess or practice possessing on. Could even be an item, that would at least be something. At least, I think that’s what the elders said when they were talking about ghosts a few years ago,” she was thoughtful.

“Something you should know about Solunarium is that the Undead are despised here,” Lia told Lykos, figuring it would not hurt to add to his knowledge and education in the culture he was essentially about to be adopted into. “Ghosts and spirits are generally fine, but others, less so. His Divine Radiance, Avaerys, Rex Regum Incompariblis, which means the Incomparable King of Kings,” she translated for him, “views the Undead as blighted abominations. Their presence is not welcomed in this Kingdom.”

[Rickter]

Multifaceted III

Glade 60th, 123rd Year, A.o.S.

If he were to look at it from the same perspective that Aeros were, then Lykos could indeed understand, for he too would be rather intrigued by the complexity of the situation. Circumstantial as it would be, he was not sure if he'd be so inclined to help out right away though. Did that make him a selfish person prior to his memory wipe? Or simply that overly cautious when it came to matters that weren't his own? It was obviously pointless to ponder that aspect about himself, given Lykos wouldn't have a clue of his life prior to leaving that tree.

"I understand," he ruminated in turn to the ghost, "were I just a bystander in all this, then I probably would appreciate the clarity one might find in all this." It didn't surprise him that at least one of them had paid attention to this mysterious aether found within the ceiling of that room, for Lykos to have seen nothing meant he needed to trail back to the initial moment of his awakening. Despite what little memory he did describe to the Sentinel earlier, the wolf had other things to reflect on now that he had time to process things a bit better.

What did he remember though? Beyond the recollection of spiders he referenced, his olfactory senses still tingled from something he felt almost forgotten as well. He wasn't sure how, or why, but the faintest traces of ozone were left in his nostrils. The scent, however, almost subsided to the point of complete erasure from his nose, having been drowned out by the new aromatic sensations that had filled the room entirely. But if his nose had traced such a scent, then surely, there had to be a reason it lingered there before they left for Tertium.

At this point it was another dead horse he felt he was kicking at, and Lykos did not wish to linger on it for too long, considering much of what he experienced in that room only brought back more heartache in turn. From what Lykos had gathered out of Aeros' part of the story, this Shaeoth character or entity was one the wolf likely hoped to avoid crossing. Vengeance was a concept that felt foreign to him, only because Lykos didn't feel a propensity to lash out at anything for the moment. Only hollowed out inside, bled dry of anything and everything that gave him an identity before.

But if Aeros only needed to find the subject of his ire and enact that vengeance? Then perhaps Lykos could learn to help carry that out someday, he did have a good nose after all, but even that didn't seem to be enough for finding whatever this entity really was. "I'm not sure how, but I'll help however I can." The wolf finally offered after Aeros expressed his discontent, sympathetic for the ethereal man and his state of being.

When Athalia chimed in on Hilana's behavior, Lykos's eyes rested on her before glancing to Hilana next, admittedly he beheld a sense of simplistic wonder with the woman. And while he didn't visibly see the two sisters physically touch, their shared bond wasn't lost on him while he continued to munch on the remainder of his bread. The request for more protein did not seem a tall order, a relief to the wolf as he started to finish off the last few bites, only to move onto the next available bit of food at her encouragement.

The wolf never imagined himself to be so voraciously ravenous when it came to food, not when it felt like he was only half starved from whatever exertions took a toll on him. But this level of hunger had been ridiculous for him to bear through, only because he had yet to stop eating even after hefty consumption. Surely it wasn't normal for a human or mortal to eat this much, then again, Lykos had to accredit the fact that he wasn't actually either of those either. Much to his chagrin, he was a Demigod so it stood to reason that likely played a part. Regardless, despite the endless encouragement and comfort that Lana might've fed him, it didn't completely absolve him of the tedium involved in that regard.

When she unwrapped more of that cooked chicken she'd brought with them though? His eyes nearly watered again at the sight of it, an appreciative smile cast to her before he grew fixated on the fact he was overwhelmingly warm. With the removal of his fur-padded vestment it felt easier for his skin to actually breathe, the heat that clung to him finally lessening but only to a slight degree than before. It became clear that he was just naturally an oven at this rate, his body rapidly produced heat on it's own to keep the cold at bay. Not surprising given he was from the North.

"Only somewhat..." He admitted with his gaze back down at the chicken. Lia then suggested the idea of making coldstones, something that he didn't know if it would actually help or not, but Lykos wasn't going to shoot it down for the sake of comfort. "Could always try. I just... burn off heat as is, so being naturally warm in an already warm environment is a little difficult." Perhaps he could learn to acclimate in the day to come, as challenging as that would seem, or maybe with a bit of effort he'd adjust to the temperatures magically over time.

"Uh... That's not entirely necessary." He remarked at the idea of them buying him clothes, well for him at least, it became clearer that Athalia would likely need some herself. But for the wolf himself? As large as he was, and as heavy as he felt, clothing likely would only be a hindrance on his behalf if they went shopping for him. They'd have to get measurements for his size, and well, if they had to go through the trouble of custom ordering things...

Yeah, Lykos felt it better not to overburden their wallets as well, since he already required large quantities of food. Provided or not, he didn't wish to overindulge on their kindness, lest he would feel more and more like a mooching bum than an actual recovering Demigod. It seemed after that Lana had inquired about a tower of some sort, nothing that Lykos had noticed before their departure from the tree. A westward tower though... and they came from the farthest reaches of the north. To him, it sounded like these distant locations correlated to something bigger, something the wolf hadn't quite fully grasped just yet.

Lia was quick to scold her younger sister though, demanding that Lana rest before even considering an investigation. The wolf aptly went in for his chicken at that point, trying not to quietly moan as the savory flavors sent his synapses into a manic frenzy. It was so delectably delicious that he almost didn't want to stop eating, and the craving for more only spiked the further he indulged in the savory meat. He was given a better emphasis on views of the Undead, as well as a bit more cultural lore on Solunarium as he ate, and that led Lykos to appropriately nod at Lia as he continued chomping down the mouthful of chicken he had. It took a moment for him to swallow it all down, being a hefty chunk and all, but after a rapturous gulp, he looked between the pair of them individually.

"So in essence... Aeros is fine as he is, only, tolerable until he possesses an actual body." Which likely meant it had to be a living body as well, and not that of a corpse repurposed for the specter's sake. "Well, we've all got a lot of ground to cover in that case." He ruminated on with another hearty bite from the chicken, almost nearly consuming half of it already as he started to chomp vigorously on it once more.

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

[Aeros]

TIMESTAMP: -
NOTES: -

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When Lykos stated his intent to help, the spirit’s bitterness would briefly wane. “If you really mean that…thank you.” He knew he’d need help, and to those who would deign to give it, Æros would grant ample appreciation in return– in whatever form suited to whom it would be given.

To Lia’s acknowledgment of the radiance of Hilana’s unrelenting sunshine, Æros would simply nod, for such a thing was an undeniable reality. Like anyone, she’d have her own emotions to process– but in the end, the girl’s outlook always managed to be positive. It was admirable, especially so to the spirit, prone to despair as he’d always been.

Not being able to eat in this state weighed on the deceased patrician, but he wouldn’t verbalize this. There was simply no need to dampen the mood any further, and Lykos, who’d suffered greatly, deserved to enjoy himself.

When Lia mentioned lodestones for temperature regulation, Æros would add: “those work well, actually. Another demi-god created one for me during an unexpected stay in Tertium.”

And on that subject, the spectre felt relief that he’d forgotten it when they’d traveled north. Everything on his person had been destroyed upon his death, and while he might not need it in this form, he very well might depending on the constitution of whomever he ended up spending extended time possessing.

Æros would listen to the others speak regarding the procurement of wardrobes for the two newcomers, but he didn’t have much to add on the subject. It was when Hilana mentioned the tower in the west that he’d raise an eyebrow incredulously. “If you do intend to pursue that, I advise not…touching anything,” he’d reply, though not accusatory.

Genuinely, he cared for the well being of both of them. They’d just survived a notably precarious scenario, and though a lot of factors played into that, they were ultimately saved by the grace of the divine. Should the west prove to be of equal threat, what were the chances of being extended such grace again?

However, he wouldn’t deter her. “Should that tower and the tree share a connection, I can’t speak against pursuing it…even if the chance of encountering what tricked me is small.” Æros wondered which would be the harder part– finding the entity or killing it.

“I’ve heard spirits can possess or haunt items, but I can’t say I know much about the mechanics thereof…I suppose I must figure that out now.” He sounded conflicted. Part of him viewed this as a huge setback, but at the same time, part of him was immensely curious about what he could do in this new form.

He wondered if there was thought put into what form he was given regarding his society’s views of the undead. Certainly Shæoth, the breadth of His existence and perception vast, would know how the viewpoints of undead varied throughout different societies…but did that factor in at all? He wondered if he’d have been made into something else entirely if, perhaps, he’d been of a different culture.

To Lykos’ comment on Æros’ state of being, “...well, ‘fine’ for now. The sanity of ghosts decays significantly over time, though I think possession– I’m not sure if the form must be…alive…or not?– does mitigate that part. I just…need to figure out how exactly that works.” And much more, but one step at a time.

- - -

"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"

"Vastien Tongue/Speech"

"Valasren Tongue/Speech"

"Common Tongue/Speech"

[Hilana Chenzira]

Clothes were not terribly expensive. At least, the types that Hilana liked. Lia’s own tastes had been far more, well... indulgent... but Hilana was not worried about it. She made enough from her work with Vasilei to be able to afford it, and if she got cleared... well, Hilana would figure it out. Lia was a talented elementalist, and with some time to think about it, maybe she could put her love of embroidery to good use with Scrivening. But there was always a call for Elementalists, especially right now what with the Sceptre above and what it had done for the environment. Hilana didn’t have servii at home for Lia to boss around, she wasn’t going to like the apartment full of venomous serpents, but she’d cross that bridge once she got there.

“Æros can possess a body. But the problem is in attempting to possess someone who is, well, high-value,” Lia explained. “Someone of influence and importance. Say, for example, he attempted to possess one of those who are a member of our governing bodies, the Senate. That would be a problem.”

When Æros commented upon Hilana’s not touching anything, she just looked in the direction of the spirit by them, activating her Semblance, unblinking as her eyes changed and swirled to look directly at him, and through him, taking in his aura, such as it was, before she did the very unladylike gesture of sticking her tongue out. “Consider it a lesson learned, Æros.” She blinked her Sembling sight away and sat back in her chair, picking at a piece of cheese. “It makes sense that they are connected. The way that Void-shade spoke suggested that this was part of a plan, and for such a thing to be sustained... along with what Daemon had said before about something sustaining this Eclipse that was not natural... No, I think that this Tree and the Tower are connected. The shadow creatures... the void creatures,” she corrected herself as shadows welled around her, and Lia stared to see the thickening of Hilana’s own shadow. “If there’s a chance that it can get us clues towards the identity and location of the one upon whom you’ve got to get your vengeance on, then it’s worth investigating. Just not at the moment,” she hastened to add at Lia’s expression. “I’m not running out there now. Later. I want to bring it up to the Sentinels later and see what they say. All in all, they may decline my participation. But we have nothing else, and I’d like to see you restored as you were.”

Lia was satisfied with that for the time being, taking a bite out of a date. She would need some new clothes, either from her sister or whatever the Sentinels might be prompted to provide here since she was bound to stay here for the time being, but just being in the world again... well, that was a substantial improvement over the Void. She smiled at Hilana and Lykos. At least her sister had packed the chicken for him; it was surely going to be a bit before meat was brought up to their ravenous Peregrinus.

“I’m sure you will figure it out by trial and error,” the elder sister told the spirit that had apparently been tethered to the wild child. “But if you end up with a living body, pick one with a lot of energy. If Hilana is anything as I remember, she’s able to go all day and all night... and Founders help anyone who can’t keep up with her.” A servus came in, then, bearing a tray of kofta kebabs on a platter, which was set on the table. “Gratias,” Lia was pleased at the speed. “I do believe he’ll need more, so if you wouldn’t mind...”

“These are kofta kebabs,” Hilana told Lykos. “Ground meat formed upon a skewer and then grilled over fire. This is lamb and beef,” she could tell by the smell of the cooked meat, and once the platter was served to the amnesiac demigod, the servus was off to get some more.

[Rickter]

Multifaceted III

Glade 60th, 123rd Year, A.o.S.

After the thoughtful words that Lykos had spared to Aeros he had been given appreciation for the consideration, which led the wolf to gently nod in return as he understood the value of the sentiment. Losing everything... Even with the circumstances varying between them it felt hard, hell, just the way Lykos felt when he introspected himself felt difficult. To him, it seemed like he harbored emotions that he didn't fully understand, or rather, the source which they stemmed from if he were to be honest. He knew what he felt was a sense of innate grief and loss, and given the reality of his situation, it wasn't impossible for him to discern why that was.

Even so, having a vacant mind with nothing to go on, other than what you intuitively understood, was a rather difficult thing to process itself. Bearing his present company in mind, however, Lykos felt better knowing that he wasn't going to face it alone. "Lodestones, huh?" He ruminated gently to himself as they seemed pretty handy, leading him to wonder if he might possess the ability to create them on his own. He knew he had Runes of power decorating certain parts of his body, and while it was difficult to gauge it, he could also feel a sense of power itself steadily accumulating throughout his body.

Perhaps all the surplus food he had already eaten was a means of restoring that power. If he had to eat as much as he did and still hardly felt better, well then, he didn't dare think to fathom just how hungry he would've gone otherwise. When it seemed clearer that Aeros would be fine, so long as he maintained possession of another on occasion, then the wolf dutifully gave the specter another understanding nod; while reaching for a wedge of cheese the moment he witnessed Lana reach for some.

From what the younger sister was sharing, it sounded like larger things were at play now. Things Lykos wasn't ready to fully perceive perhaps, or if he did, they might've slipped away with his memory the moment he awoke in that cave. "I'm no expert on tracking things down..." He faintly weighed in after swallowing half of the wedge he'd already eaten. "But I can say I already have a good nose. If whatever Aeros needs to hunt down smells similar to, well..." He shyly glanced at Lia next before focusing on the rest of his cheese, his mind briefly filled with contemplation before he continued.

"I can't say I'm certain, but there's a smell when it comes to the Void you've mentioned. It's heavy on Athalia already, so if this other entity has a similar scent, then we'd just need to find a way of tracking it from the point of origin first." In a way he guessed that required them to go to the tree again, which, Lykos did not feel ready to return to that place for whatever reason. The mere thought sent a shudder down his spine. Though, that quickly went away with the savory gamy smell that entered the room.

The wolf's demeanor quickly lightened once more, when a servant brought in a platter full of stuck meat. Lamb and beef chunks roasted on wooden sticks? His tummy already groaned from the intoxicating aroma, and he almost drooled the moment he picked up his first kebab to try. "Ooo, thank you!" Even after his repetitiveness there was still something pure and genuine in his appreciation. Lykos had to fumble the first piece he had picked from the skinny little stake the meat was on, as it was still freshly hot from the kitchen, but that didn't stop him from indulging in the smokey flavor that soon danced across his tongue.

Lia already made the call to have more arranged for him too, something that he eagerly nodded to as he looked to the servant leaving with utter appreciation. Whether or not it was their job or even life's purpose, the wolf wholeheartedly loved these people for the fact they were easing his hunger pains. And while they had somewhat begun to subside, the wolf could only speculate it would be a while yet before his digestive tract could regulate normally again. It really was a substantial amount of food he had been eating, and where it all was going already impressed him.

In a way, it felt like his gut was an infinite black hole or bottomless pit. "It's all very good." He enthused to the elder sister, though, clearly not as impressed with it as he had been with Lana's cooking. Given it had been the first thing he tried since he arrived, it was likely what set the bar of standard pretty high for anyone else.

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

[Hilana Chenzira]

“Do I really?” Lia looked back to Lykos when he said she had a peculiar scent to her. She sounded concerned, and that concern was briefly evident on her face before she calmed herself. “That will be a problem, then, soror.” If this ruse was to work, she couldn’t seem to be anything other than one like her sister. A Vastiana, one amongst millions. That was an unfamiliar position, but there was nothing for it. If she was released from the Citadel eventually, she was going to need ways of disguising it, and that was most likely going to be best served with Semblance or even Negation. In their desert Kingdom, someone that had Semblance was more common than someone who didn’t; and perhaps a combination of the two might do the job.

“It will be fine, Lia. We’ll make sure that you’re covered,” Hilana smiled at her. “We’ll figure it out together.” Some way, some how. Even if Hilana had to get some sort of pendant or charm made to help hide her from those who wanted to scrutinize her. It would be even better if she could use a Rune to do it; but until she did, that might suffice in the present. Hilana would find something or someone that could do the task. Where there was a will, there was a way.

She had a nibble of the cheese, while Athalia sipped her drink, sitting back in her chair. “You know, when I think about it... I’m not convinced that that the one we’re looking for is in the Void itself. I think they’re using it, yes, and possibly drawing power from it, just like they are here... but the creatures that are draining aether from this world are certainly from it. That's what the shadows said. But those who are behind all of this... either they know it well enough to exploit it... or maybe their master of all of this is in the Void.” She glanced at Athalia.

“I do not know, Hilana. The Void is massive, monstrous... empty, broken. It’s everything and nothing. There are many who might fit the description of wicked mastermind. And many more that are smart enough to operate from the shadows and puppeteer those beneath them to obscure themselves.” Lia shook her head. “You might be right, however, if there are other unnatural structures or oddities, I suppose I could say... they might be linked. I have never heard of what you have described as seeing, but then again... There’s much I’ve missed.” And the wine was a lovely start to living again. When Lykos said it was good, the elder Vastiana smiled into her drink. “She’ll teach them or she’ll make more for you. Don’t worry. My little sister will find a way, and by the time we find your people... you’re not going to want their food.”