Gaining Understanding [Lykos]

[Hilana Chenzira]

61 Glade, Year 122

[Closed - Lykos]

Over one hundred miles southeast of Solunarium Proper sat Red Rock Citadel. Perched on a mesa above a Vastian village below, the enormous Fort was what Hilana now called home. The stone structure was expansive, built up and built well, strong and sturdy, austere and yet elegant. It offered far more space than Hilana's two bedroom apartment that was in the Aurecine District, but there were multiple areas in it that the living trio did not venture into. It lacked the cozy charm of the living space that she had made her own for the past year, but what it lacked in that it made up for in every other aspect.

One of her favourite places in her new home was the kitchen - it was massive, much more like that of her father's estate than her own in her apartment in the Luxium - an apartment that she was still holding onto, just in case. Multiple ovens meant for cooking for large crowds, so many burners, the refrigerator and freezer that she could stack multiple camels in and still have room... As much as Hilana had grown up with what could be carried on camels, this space was so very tempting to try to emulate in the future. But did she really need anything so substantial?

Unlikely.

But from the well-lit kitchen, she gathered a multitude of snacks that she had prepared. Pita breads had been baked into chips, a variety of dips, wedges and slices of cheeses and smoked sausages, crispy crackers, and plenty of grapes and a few apples. Dates were a favourite with her amnesiac charge, and so she grabbed a bowl of those, too. All of this, along with a pitcher of sweetened hibiscus iced tea, was loaded onto an enmeshed tray to make it easier for her to carry outside to where their little 'staging ground' had been set up to practice for Lykos' Cardinal Runes. Hilana made her way through the wide stone hallways of the fort to go out one of the side doors to make her way to where her sister and Lykos were waiting. There were plenty of servii here to help her with this, but Hilana was far more used to doing this on her own than asking for their assistance... even if that was what they were there for.

In her featherlight satchel that was draped cross-body were a multitude of borrowed books. She had those on Semblance, Summoning, and Elementalism, but those of other Runes had had to be borrowed from the library and archives. They were just general books, but enough that they could use them to practice and see what came out of it. Nyx, of course, was newer, and as such nearly nothing was known about it, but that still left four more to figure out. The Vastiana emerged into the sunlight, and started down the sandy path along the sands where the pergola was waiting for her. A table and multiple chairs had already been set out, and the tray was placed in the center of the table where refreshments could be settled and the books set up.

“Here we are,” the girl smiled at Lykos and Lia when she sat down, her colourful skirts settled underneath her once she made herself comfortable in one of the chairs. “A snack first, and then we’ll begin with Elementalism.” That was, after all, one of the more popular magics, and they could see what there was to be found with him.

[Rickter]

Gaining Understanding I
Glade 61st, 123rd Year, A.o.S.

If there was one thing that Lykos had to learn how to deal with, it was the constant heat that lingered across the desert expanse. He’d probably only seen little of the Atraxian expanse, apart from what Hilana and Athalia had shown him already. Even so, the endless stretch of sand into the horizon, met with the rocky slopes of the mesa, were sights to behold for the northern wolf as a whole. Lana and Lia both continued to be ever so kind to him, teaching him bits of Solunarium culture and the Vastian language.

But it was hot this far down south! So much so that Lykos had deferred to the removal of the fur-padded vestments he’d arrived here with, allowing the skin of his torso to breathe a little easier, while at the same time counting each rune he found visible on his flesh. There were the four he could see, though the one at the base of his neck was only partially visible to him, while Lia had counted three more near the nape of his neck. What they all meant, well, that remained a logical mystery to the wolf.

But each one held a significance in one way or another, for they all allowed him different ways of utilizing magic. The one on his left shoulder shimmered on his skin in a way that should’ve felt familiar, while the others on his left forearm were of a different nature to him. A rune of a sword wreathed in flames, and the other a dark and mysterious rune Lana pointed out as Nyx before. He’d often wondered if he were some mighty wizard before his memory loss, or just a mere practitioner hellbent on collecting all these different runes.

Regardless, he felt confident that the pair of ladies with him would help in every way they could, and from the looks of it, Hilana already had ideas on exactly how they were going to get started. The wolf could only smile, if not genuinely, at how thoughtful the girl was for bringing food along with research material. Since his arrival, Lykos had felt like nothing but a glutton, though his appetite had almost largely been sated. Even though the occasional hunger pains felt far more severe than they should’ve, that didn’t stop both girls from providing both food and comfort to keep him emotionally supported.

For that he’d be forever grateful, if not ever determined to repay their efforts with his own, in turn. “Thank you.” He responded appreciatively as he reached for the dates first, rather keen on the sweetness of the fruit when Hilana found her place to sit. “Elementalism, huh?...” He murmured with an afterthought as he pondered which rune of his might resemble such power. If he were guessing correctly, it would allow him to manipulate and control the elements found in nature. Where they were now, he could see that earth and sand were given, and though it was hot out the air could still apply in that same manner.

As far as he could tell, this exploratory dive into the realm of magic would be interesting, especially if they would help him figure out what all he could do with the magic.

[Hilana Chenzira]

“Elementalism,” Hilana agreed. “Athalia and I have both passed the tests to be considered masters, though she is much more experienced than I,” she smiled at her sister, who poured the hibiscus iced tea into the glasses for them. Some lumps of sugar were added to Lykos’ glass, and would dissolve when the cold tea reached it. “She started learning it when she was 13, I only just started last Ash. Elementalism is the arcane art of using and transmuting aether to manipulate and manifest a reaction in the elements.”

“The spirits talk and whisper often, do you hear them? Little whispers they come from dancing flames, or the winnowing wind, or bubbling water? Maybe the earth? It may be you just need to reawaken yourself to the spirits again,” Athalia added, and Hilana passed the earthenware plates around for each of them before motioning for him to help himself as he wanted. He hadn’t needed quite as much as he had the first few days, but Hilana was determined to get him to a contented point of satiety. She put a couple of dates on her plate, taking a bite out of one of them.

“Influence is easier than manifesting, because influencing is just adjusting what is already there,” the girl explained. “So that could be pushing around the sand, or making the water in the iced tea move, or pressing with the wind, or if we had fire on hand—“ Lia only smiled and raised her palm, letting a little flame appear that began to dance happily over her skin. “You could make it bigger or extinguish it.” Her elder sister shaped and sculpted the flame in her palm to make it have a little face and then looked sad, like it was about to cry. “So let’s try it.”

By the table, though facing away from the Citadel, Hilana manifested an orb of water the size of a watermelon, letting it float there, before influencing and shaping earth to make a similarly-sized ball, and tightening up a greyish cloud of air. The flame left Lia’s palm, and hovered beside the air, growing and growing until it was around the right size, looking quite pleased to have been made larger. “Pick one, any of them, and try to focus your aether on it. See what change you can make. An Elementalist cannot cancel out another’s work, but they can bring together their own reactions to oppose it, and thereby impact it. Air to cool or freeze water, water to extinguish fire, earth to thicken and weigh down water... The opportunities are countless. Do any speak to you?”

[Rickter]

The wolf nodded in response to Lana’s testament of prowess with their own, knowing that their experience and insight with the magic would benefit him exponentially. Their mastery would enable him to gain better insight as to how the rune should work, and in doing so, enable him to perform the same if not similar feats of magic in turn. He grinned appreciatively when he watched the hibiscus tea be treated with sugar, knowing that the talented duo were sharp in paying attention to his preferences. Truthfully, he wouldn’t detested the stuff if it weren’t so bitter, luckily they made it ever bearable to drink when they added the sweetener.

The talk of spirits and their whispers led him to ponder the world around them, as he hadn’t ever really heard such things communing with him. Least not from his awakening, whether he could before, that was something waiting to be revealed down the road. “Can’t say I can…” He admitted when there seemed nothing but silence, in that silence though, he could hear the caress of the wind in the air. Just like he could hear the drifting of sand across stone in turn, but those seemed like mere reactions of the world. Maybe, in a sense, he only needed to perceive them as such?

Whether they were the spirits or not, he paid diligent mind to the lesson that the girls provided him. Lykos found himself impressed when they not only highlighted the aspects of Influence and Manifest, displaying the two with what some might’ve considered a parlor trick, but was wonderful show of talent to the wolf. The show of emotion in the flame alone was an incredible touch, until the full appearance of all four elements lingered before them. Lykos helped himself to another date as he observed them all, pondering which one naturally called out to him as they asked.

From the way Lana described they were creations he couldn’t overpower with own aether, and while he wasn’t sure how to appropriate channel such reserves, it didn’t take long for him to focus on the four options that were available. Fire. The heat of it burned softly in the air before him, yet the call of the flame did not resonate through his Elementalism rune. Nor did the levitating ball of rock and sand, leading him to wonder which of the other two might respond to him. “I think…” His eyes narrowed on both the wind and water orbs, leading his mind to intuitively reach out to the pair of them.

Little did he realize that when he did, his aether would be eager to respond to the inclination. The ball of condensed wind began to expand briefly, before a light mist started to roil out from it’s core. The water orb on the other hand, grew exponentially to the size of a watermelon, droplets of it drizzling down onto the ground as ice onto the sand. “Definitely the water…” He admitted a little reluctantly, unsure if that was a good reaction to behold or not. It shouldn’t have surprised him so, being the Lord of Frost and all, but just how easy it was to generate such a reaction; that in itself was what about shocked the wolf.

[Hilana Chenzira]

“Definitely the water,” Hilana agreed. “It might be that that is your Arche, or was. Arche elements are usually what speak to you first and foremost, and it is the one that you resonate the most with. Your Arche element allows you to create para-elements, which comes from blending your Arche element, or an element that you have attuned to, with another element. So from here, as you can see... water and air made ice.”

“It’s also possible that you used air to such an effect that it made the water that cold and froze it, without actually creating the ice,” Lia pointed out, sipping her tea and taking a date. Her clothes were more...elegant, or dressier, than Hilana’s, but that was to her taste rather than her sister’s. Still, Hilana had provided her with some outfits, and they were satisfactory... though she would have preferred to go shopping herself, but since there was a moratorium on their entering the city...

“True. I did something similar on my first attempt at Elementalism. I used air to chill a ball of water that my paedagogus, which means ‘teacher’ in Vastian,” she added for Lykos’ benefit, “manifested for me, much like we are doing now. ‘Paedagoga’ means teacher, but refers to a woman, whereas ‘paedagogi’ means multiple of either gender.” Hilana smiled at him, taking a piece of cheese off of the tray, along with a slice of smoked sausage. “But you did manage that. Though I wonder if that has something to do with your status as the Lord of Frost, too, or Elementalism.”

Lia also considered those words and the implications. Her sister made a good point. “Use Semblance,” she advised her younger sister, adjusting her sari shawl, relaxed as she was in her chair. “That will help you get an idea of what it was, hopefully, just do not focus on him directly for too long. It is ill-advised to attempt to survey the divine beings, soror, especially since you are but a novice at that craft. Lykos, perhaps try something with the fire or earth next? Can you make one grow, or make her ball earth crumble? Wedge it open with air, perhaps?”

Hilana nodded at her elder sister’s suggestion, and blinked, focusing on her Semblance Rune that had been painted on her scalp the season prior, and looked on at the spheres that floated across the table, held aloft by her and Athalia’s Elementalism. “Go ahead, Lykos,” Hilana encouraged him, the sunlight winking at the multitude of alternating copper and silver earrings that she wore in her ears. She didn’t want to look directly at him, but she wanted to observe his magical prowess and see if she could glean anything out of it - Elemental or Divine. Because ultimately, this was part of the point of the exercise: identifying his Runes and separating them away from his divine prerogatives.

[Rickter]

Lykos might’ve almost smiled at the response he’d gotten, admittedly feeling the attraction to the element Lana remarked on. Water. It was strange for him because of how natural it felt, almost as if it were an integral part of his very being. But even if the sisters had quickly determined what his Arche element was, that still left him with plenty of questions regarding the fact in general. Sure he understood the concept of Blending and how he, still rather easily, generated ice through the combination of water and air… but with both elements?

The water itself seemed the most eager to respond to his will, which he did notice, however, Lykos could not help but wonder why air seemed so quick to change in turn. Not that he didn’t like the fact he could generate mist, but the wolf could only wonder about the significance behind both elements responding to his will. Lia’s logic seemed more sound in that regard, but even so, Lykos didn’t want to weigh out the other possibilities either. If he possessed such an aptitude over those two elements, and not the others, then it was fair to say that any alterations or manipulations with them would feel as natural as breathing.

The wolf couldn’t help but follow her lead when they both munched on dates together, his attention on Lana when she ruminated on her history with Elementalism. He was steadily learning Vastian at a decent rate, taking note of the word Paedagoga with thoughtful nods before he swallowed the couple of dates he’d chewed. “Pae-da-go-ga.” He repeated slowly to make sure he still matched the dialect, wanting to get the language right should he ever converse freely with others. There was a lot to remember in that regard, but given his recent amnesia episode, it was arguable that he had plenty of room to commit it to memory.

“I wonder the same actually…” He admitted with a thoughtful look to the orbs, a plain smile still on his face when he shared his opinion on the matter. “It felt too… easy? Even if it were something simple such as Blending.” Lykos regarded without really knowing how experienced an Elementalist would have to be to perform such feats. Nevertheless, the addition of Lia’s suggestions led him to look upon her with wonder, maybe even surprise, if only because of how knowledgeable she sounded when expressing her idea. Semblance sounded like something worth using, especially if the wolf wanted to glean information for himself at some point.

He could only wonder if, possibly, which of the Runes he possessed might be Semblance. From the sound of it though, gazing upon one such as him seemed dangerous, which gave Lykos pause for concern when he glanced at Lana. What exactly happened when one gazed at Divine beings with Semblance? The thought led him to wonder briefly, before the call of his name snapped his attention back to Lia. She wanted him to try something with the other elements present, since they seemed least inclined to simply bend to his will. A fitting test to say the least, since that would likely require more effort on his part.

Lykos nodded just as Hilana did, turning his focus on the two latter elements. He needed only do something to them like Lia suggested, which when Lana gave him the word, he glanced at her before focusing on the two elements in question. He just needed to figure out what he wanted to happen, or what he wanted to make with the two elements present. As the water and wind orb hummed in response to his aether, Lykos put more intent on the earth and fire orbs present, causing the rune upon his right shoulder blade to brighten when he engaged his focus.

His aether fed into the other two orbs to generate similar reactions with each one, turning the earthen ball into a rippling orb of mud where it floated, while the flames of the fire element were soon coated by water. Seconds after the flames sizzled, steam spurred from them as the flames themselves became water, continuing the searing sound as the steam produced began to rise and expand. For once he felt as if he were actually doing it, with intent this time rather than whim, and the magic had altered the elements before him.

“I can tell that’s the Elementalism there.” He remarked with a slight grin, a little pleased if not proud of his observation.

[Hilana Chenzira]

“Blending, when you have a familiarity with your Arche, comes very easily to someone who is a skilled Elementalist,” Lia offered at his consideration. “I am Arche to fire, but Hilana is still a generalist. She hasn’t picked an Arche yet, or an Arche hasn’t picked her, so for her to Blend elements is a much more laborious process than what we can do with our Arche. You see, the Arche element is the one that we are closest to, for whatever reason. It might be that it befits our personalities better--” both sisters shared a look at that, and Hilana only had a small smile that at least made Lia flush a bit and refocus her attention on Lykos. “Or it resonates with us more. Maybe the way we move, maybe the way we live, or the environment, that sort of thing. We emulate our Arche, and our Arche emulates us. It responds to us readily, and our Arche element forms the basis of multiple abilities that we learn as our training in our craft increases. Blending, as we mentioned, Deference, Prescience, and Synergy.”

“I may be full of Wildness, but Lia is the one with the wicked temper.” Hilana added cheerfully.

“I was,” Athalia sighed. “I’ve learned better, soror. And you’ve mostly healed that old scar, I can barely see it now. You did earn that with that tantrum all those years ago, you know.”

“Trial by fire might burn... but the scars are neat reminders,” the younger Vastiana was a bit sober at those words. She did not deny or refute the fact that she had done something to earn whatever scar her elder sister was talking about, and when Hilana raised her arm to take a drink of her hibiscus iced tea, Lykos might well spy a very faded scar that almost resembled a handprint on her right arm. It was almost completely faded, but if you knew where to look... the outline was there. Lia’s smile softened, but the lesson would continue.

When Hilana blinked next to activate her Semblance Rune and focused on the Elements, her big brown eyes were no longer just brown. They were kaleidoscopic, and in them, though she wasn’t looking directly at him, he could see different colours and patterns that seemed to closely resemble the elements and their own colours. She had a strong bond with the natural world around her, that much was clear. “The reason she won’t look directly at you is because trying to Semble divinity, or use Mesmer to try to hear their symphonies, is enough to drive a mortal mad. Especially, especially, when you are as new to Sembling as Hilana is,” Athalia offered the explanation.

“You’re extremely bright if I do look, and it brings on a headache almost instantly,” Hilana admitted. “Your aura is too much for me, and the threshold sickness is immediate and difficult, so best not to,” she didn’t mind this task, though, as she watched his practice. The way that the earth turned to mud, heavy and sloppy, and fire became steam... “You are correct, that is Elementalism,” the girl was also pleased.

“And the Rune on your right shoulder is glowing,” Lia pointed out as Hilana blinked away the extra sense now that she had observed the aura and magical effects on her own influenced and manifested elements, letting the extra aether stop rather than continue to study. No headache, either, so so far, so good. “So now we know. That one is Elementalism, and since you have Blended water with each of the other three elements... you are Arche to water. Our mother was Arche to water,” Lia remarked. “I am fire, our elder sister is air... I always thought that Hilana would Arche to earth, but perhaps she’s holding out for wood,” she teased her sister as she sunk her teeth into the date. Hilana crossed her eyes at both of them, her mouth too full to respond to that comment.

[Rickter]

Lykos paid Lia full attention when she elaborated on the concepts of Blending and Arche. To him, it was a lesson worth taking in, because he was learning more about himself while learning about the magic as a whole. Surely, if he could perform such feats out of pure whim or even intent, then that meant he himself had to be a rather gifted individual. And not just because of the Divinity which flowed in his blood either, no, from the sound of it it took a lot of practice and discipline to maintain these reactions with the elements.

The fact that Lana didn’t have an Arche though intrigued him a bit, as he wondered if there had been a reason behind that, or if she simply hadn’t found the right element to resonate with. In truth, he could understand Lia being Arche to fire, for she possessed a spirit akin to flame itself. And given what he’d heard when they’d shared their stories of the Void, it came as no small surprise that the bigger sister named such as her Arche.

If his on the other hand were water, then in essence, he was a complete parallel to the woman. A polar opposite even as his personality likely tied him to the element somehow, though, whether that rang true now or remained reminiscent of his life prior; the wolf had no sure way of telling at the moment. He took one of the pita slices of bread laid out and scooted a sauce bowl closer to him, listening as the sisters conversed as though they were reminiscing of events prior.

It led him to genuinely smile as he listened, before noting the very scar which Lia mentioned moments later. He’d had yet to see that on her, then again, it took him a while before he even noticed her injuries the other day. The wolf really felt like he needed to pay closer attention to his packmates, especially if he wanted to remain better aware of them and their health. Needless to say, he lightly chuckled in response to Hilana’s philosophy, considering that maybe the ‘scar’ on his memory could be seen as such.

It certainly wasn’t neat to try and figure out, but regardless, he held onto hope that one day something would come about. Whether it be a name, a remnant, or even a fragment of his prior life. When the lesson continued and Lykos noted the change in her eyes, his gaze alternated back to Lia once the pair started to elaborate on the logistics of avoiding a direct stare. So… in essence, looking at him was literally akin to looking into the sun. And Mesmers… whatever those were, couldn’t stand to listen to the sound of his aura before losing their mind.

Duly noted. If he could then Lykos would find a way to protect himself, or rather, those around him from his own self as it were. Because from the sound of everything he just heard, being a Demigod was even more dangerous than he initially found himself believing. It made the wolf wonder if, by chance, he did possess magic that could do such a thing. For now, though, he remained focused on the current lesson, if not pondered the possibility of using Semblance in turn.

He did start to beam a little bit though when he heard the pleasure in Hilana’s tone. In an unusual way, he felt like his rear would’ve shaken a little, as though an imaginary tail yearned to wag vigorously from the acknowledgment. To hear about the rune on his right shoulder though led him to look over, still chewing on his bread no less, only to find no such thing on his actual shoulder. Until he realized she meant at the very back where the shoulder blade was, to which he exhaled a sigh through his nostrils at the disappointment of being unable to see it.

“Well at least we know where that one is.” He remarked heartily with another chomp of the bread, giving it all a good swallow after he chewed it a few times. “Wow, sounds like your whole family would’ve covered the four corners of Elementalism then.” Lykos added with a thoughtful look to Hilana, admittedly a little intrigued by the comment Lia made regarding wood. At the moment he didn’t know whether that was a teasing euphemism, or perhaps a literal statement regarding what sort of element Lana wanted to name as her Arche.

Either way, he chuckled lightheartedly in response, before reaching for another date and holding it close. “Well, hopefully, we’ll help you find it together.” He offered with a brief bite of the fruit, with a wink of an eye to the younger sister to go with the grin. Truth be told he still pondered if he too might’ve possessed Semblance, and while the lesson in Elementalism had been fulfillingly insightful; he was feeling a little tentative with his magic at the moment. Thus when he looked back toward Athalia, he blinked and kept his eyes closed to focus, hoping to engage his aether once more as he did before.

Once they opened though nothing seemed different or out of the ordinary, which immediately told him that he had yet to figure out which Rune to focus on. That or simply, he didn’t possess the power he’d hoped.

[Hilana Chenzira]

“That makes two down, and four to go,” Hilana was pleased that they had had a success. Elementalism was such a useful Rune. “Nyx, and Elementalism. We now know one that we can keep working on with you, and then it’s just a matter of solving the other four. Nyx will be the hardest to find a teacher in, but I will inquire with the Sentinels and see. I’ve only ever seen it on one other person before, and he is from Kalzasi... but we will find out. They may have some ideas on it as well,” the girl was thoughtful. “In any event, that one is one that we must be careful about.”

When he couldn’t see it, Hilana took his bare arm and drew it again with a finger so that he could at least have an idea of the shape of what his Elementalism Rune looked like. “When we go inside, I will show it to you with a mirror,” she smiled at him. “That way you will be able to see it properly.” She knew that if it was her, she would have wanted to see it. Surely he felt the same. Runes were so important, so personal... that if she had one she couldn’t see, she would have wanted to know what it was. Her Elementalism Rune on her palm was where she could look at it every day, and she had gotten to watch it grow from a simple outline of a sun to something that had become more elegant and elaborate, as if poured into her skin with molten gold.

“Yes, we will,” Lia agreed with him. “Sometimes it is picked immediately, sometimes it isn’t. Some Elementalists go a long time as a generalist, too.” She nibbled on a date. “Hilana has never been one to do things the easy way. But you are right, our whole family has Elementalism covered well. If Namah... our eldest sister... had taken it, then all four of us would have it. Almost all down our maternal line has gone through that initiation with it. But our mother’s mother, and her mother, and her moth, and so on and so forth, they have always had it. Did Namah ever take it?” Lia asked Hilana, who shrugged.

“I don’t know. I don’t believe so, though,” Hilana admitted. “I think that she stuck with Negation. I’ve never seen her use it nor heard of her having it.” She didn’t know, and truthfully, until Lia had asked her, she hadn’t even bothered to think about it. The chasm between the four sisters was substantial, and Namah, while the apple of their father’s eye, had the most of a grudge to hold against her from what had happened all those years ago. The cracks had been papered over, but there was little need for more than that. Hilana had kept her head down and her mouth shut when she had landed in Tertium to continue her education, and when Namah had been brought in to help “civilize” her, she had minded her tongue and not given her much to critique. “I don’t know, truly, what element I will Arche. I still need to visit the other four Elemental Planes one day and attune to the others so that I can try them all and see which one resonates the best.”

“See? She doesn’t ever do anything the easy way,” her tone was teasing, but there was perhaps the faintest hints of pride there in Lia’s voice. “Every Elementalist can learn to use the four basic elements,” she added. “Earth, wind, fire, water,” she indicated the four balls that still hung near them, though Hilana was letting them dissipate for the time being rather than continue to sustain them. “Beyond those are five more. They are rarely ever broached, and are incredibly difficult to get to, much less come back from... Traveling to Elemental Planes is a serious endeavour and one must know how to get there first... which is not an easy ask.” She sipped her iced tea, enjoying the faint floral notes of it. She hadn’t liked it anywhere near as much until she had been without it for so long, but she had to tip her head to her baby sister. “The other elements, by the way, are light, shadow, wood, metal, and aether.”

“Are you trying to use Semblance?” Hilana wanted to know when she saw the way Lykos seemed to be focusing, or trying to. “Try another Rune, and then concentrate your aether. Once you have done that, you should be able to see the auras, if you are using the right Rune. The aura is a record, basically. It gives us more information than one might otherwise be able to glean from something. It shows up differently for each mage, so until you try, you don’t know what exactly will happen.”

[Rickter]

Lykos’ proud smirk came with a shift in his eyebrows, their crease over his eyes a sign of slight confusion on Lia’s count. Two? But then he realized she was referring to his runes. He didn’t realize how many he actually did possess until now, leading him to ponder just how powerful he was exactly. Six runes was a lot to have and, if he were a betting man, threshold sickness for each one of them would’ve been difficult somehow. Is it because I’m a Demigod? He pondered in thought, uncertain if that played a part in it prior.

It was tough trying to be the Lord of Winter when he didn’t know a thing about himself. Though, Lykos had to submit to the idea, that maybe perhaps he also didn’t need that knowledge about himself. Maybe he needed to become the Lord of Frost in his own way, and if that were the case, then he simply needed to continue on his current path. Draw the line on where his knowledge took him, and realize the boundary between his personal magic and the actual magic that made him King of Winter.

“I’m really glad we’ve figured out that much already.” He finally remarked after hearing a bit more about them, realizing that the ladies had figured out another Rune of his before he did. Nyx, huh? A power he could only ponder when he inspected his arm for the Rune. If he had to guess it was either there, or perhaps the one on his neck even, but only time would tell further down the road. “Nyx is that rare of a power?” He pondered as an afterthought, wondering just how difficult it would be to find such a teacher.

Even then, he doubted they’d be as good as Hilana and Athalia were, since they already seemed on a roll with his magic education already. The mention of this mentor from Kalzasi led him to tilt his head slightly, pondering why the name of that place felt provocative in a way. He didn’t recognize the name, it just generated unusual feelings inside his heart. Feelings he couldn’t quite sort out, but were only subtle enough to notice.

Lana took the time necessary to take his right arm, and in doing so, draw the outline of it along his forearm to give him at least an idea. If he could imagine it well enough, it was a kind of circle with unusual swirls. The impression amused him, to say the least, but when she mentioned finding a mirror, the wolf could only grin appreciatively at the lady. “I appreciate that.” Rather he appreciated her more than anything, her warmth and kindness were infectious to him at best. And of course, Lia was just as generous if not insightful as well.

The wolf counted himself considerably lucky, eating on another date as he listened to how Lana was a sedulous person. Going against the grain where others likely wouldn’t follow, Lykos had to admit such bold tenacity rather moved him. Almost inspired even. Leading him to appreciate the two all the more when they talked of their family as well. As he listened he looked down at his left arm, observing the other runes he could visibly see. The sword wreathed in silver flames, the onyx-looking one on the other side…

And the iridescent rune on his left shoulder. They mentioned Negation and he reflected on their story of the Void, and the powerful spell that saved them when it anchored to Lana’s soul. If he truly were the same one that cast the spell, and he was the one that saved them in the process, then maybe learning which rune was Negation seemed important. Certainly imperative. He quickly smiled again when he realized he lost himself in thought, then found curiosity in trying and failing to use Semblance. Apparently, Lana needed to visit the Elemental Planes, and from what he learned, there were a number of Elements that required tactful control of abilities.

This led him to wonder and perhaps grasp even further what being a Demigod was to him. Seeing as how he was the Lord of Frost, did that mean he possessed a greater magnitude of control over ice? He realized how he’d unintentionally created a deluge the other day, but the rainfall didn’t feel like it was connected to his Elementalism back then. No. He could feel things in that rain, sadness that didn’t stem from just him but any who felt drenched by the shower. The desires that Lana felt when she wanted, rather needed, the escapism within the rain itself that day.

“That’s a lot of elements to master.” He admitted with a wary if not amused look to Hilana, rather impressed with the amount of dedication the woman had. Admittedly, he believed she could pull it off, even so much as wanted to help her if he possibly could. He’d never been to the Elemental Planes, but surely, if he could figure out how to get her there; then he’d do whatever he could to make it happen. But then Lana caught his attempt before, or perhaps he’d forgotten to reduce his focus afterward.

Either way, she saw right past him and he noticeably grinned. “I thought to try, yes.” He bashfully admitted before he realized her enthusiasm for trying another rune. There were, what, only five other ones he could figure out? It didn’t really work to just attempt channeling aether and winging it the first time, but if he maybe focused, then he could discern the rune itself he wanted to use. Thus, Lykos curved the corner of his lip before chuckling, with a lean back into his chair as he crossed his arms over one another. “Alright then.”

The wolf needed to assess where his aether flowed if he did focus, therefore, when he closed his eyes he turned his attention inward. Introvert. He noticed and considered the depth of his breathing when he inhaled, and focused on where he felt the energy flow as the air left his belly and lungs. Six runes. He knew which one was Elementalism, now he just needed to focus on his aether, and see which one felt more responsive to his will of intent. As he breathed in through his nostrils again, he could smell the very earth through the stone of the citadel, as well as the mesa surrounding the impressive structure.

He could smell not just the food but traces of each seasoning, every spice, as the aroma of it all filled his nostrils. Lykos realized then that this wasn’t just his excellent sense of smell, for he’d noticed when he picked up the subtle smells like pheromones. This was very different, for he could also finally smell the death of the Void on Athalia herself. The sun-shaped rune under the nape of his neck suddenly shimmered, and then Lykos opened his eyes to gaze upon the world around him.

His blue eyes had turned golden, enabling him to see a world of different colors all around. He could taste them even, if he allowed them to bleed into his senses. It was almost overwhelming to witness, but, when he focused on Athalia who was in front of him; he could see the very bright flame which burned around her. But the color of that flame was as black as night itself, obsidian even, leading him to eye her peculiarly before the gold in his irides faded away. “Wow… That was number three.” He mused with a wide grin, quick to hide the concern in his eyes when he glanced back and forth between the two.