A Star To Guide Him Home

[Rickter]

A Star To Guide Him Home

Glade 65th, 123rd Year, A.o.S.

Lykos stirred within the covers of his bed when he felt them, the crawling tingles that would sometimes haunt his sleep when he dreamed. He had yearned for something in his walk through the Land of Nod, seeking something that eluded him beyond thickets of wood and web. No matter where he searched, or how far he trekked, it was a never-ending maze that haunted him during the hours of sleep.

So when he fidgeted and turned to roll, the wolf pushed himself up from the comfort of his pillow, the dream itself a bygone memory once he realized nothing had crawled over him. "I'm dreaming..." He reassured himself when he looked down at his shaking hand. "Just a dream..." Yet no matter how much he wanted to believe it, his heart felt disquiet even with his own words of confidence. The accommodations within his room were outstanding, already making him feel like a king or some lofty noble they sought to cater for.

Perhaps being a Demigod had its perks after all... or so he wanted to believe. Truth be told Lykos wanted to be happy, to feel comfortable with the lavish furniture, and the incredible meals they provided, all of it were things he could ever ask for as an 'esteemed guest' in their quarantine period. But even so, the material comforts were just that and hardly an anodyne for what truly ailed him deep down. What he yearned for? Even he couldn't say.

Resting his hand back down on the cover of his mattress, Lykos peered from where he sat toward the window which light poured through. Did the sun over Solunarium ever burn out or dim? He could only ponder. That did stop him from wiping the light coat of sweat off his brow, as he moved to slip out of bed from beneath the covers, and walked barefoot across the stone floor to meet the light of the artificial sun in person once more. It was still night time as far as he could tell, hardly a wink of sleep and the moons were high in the sky tonight.

The moons... Neither of them provided the wolf the comfort he needed, but alas, he still searched the sky for something else entirely. It was a star. Deep down his heart yearned for this star, and when his eyes finally found it in the northern hemisphere, Lykos suddenly felt a deep and longing pain rise in his chest. That star. It felt utterly important to him right now, though he couldn't say what for exactly, only that within all the doubt and uncertainty... he felt hope.

The wolf heard the noises of people outside his door, footsteps throughout the corridors of the citadel, the chopping of some kind of vegetables in the kitchens... The sound of locusts out in the desert itself. There was much his ears could pick up if he focused on them, and though he wondered, Lykos didn't bother to look for the closed door to his room if he were to expect company. He wasn't clothed but he wasn't ashamed either, not when it felt too warm to wear such garb here in the south.

He had so much to adjust to, so much to prepare for in the days to come, that the uncertainty nearly overwhelmed him entirely. But again, that north star he gazed at beyond the sunlit veil in the sky, it gave him some small comfort where he yearned for it. His very chest rattled with soft groans as he felt this intense desire to call out to it, to let his cries be heard in the night, and pray that whatever did give him that comfort might hear those cries.

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

[Hilana Chenzira]

Hilana had started back at work that day, and so began her first day of commuting this stretch of sand. The Sentinels had arranged for her to have access to the portals to Red Rock, and that made it easier for her and her tag-along ghost to get from the Citadel and her job and lessons in the capital. She had back to work with gusto, treating and making medicines, blending teas, and making burn salves. One of the Vastian Guard had dropped by with a note from Commander Asim about the next set of Reaving initiations that would be in a few days. That meant Hilana would be taking Juttia out to the training grounds to patch up the newest aspirants.

They’d give her a bedroom to sleep in when it became clear that the Herald was going to take her duty of looking after Lykos quite seriously. The first night she had slept on a bedroll on Lia’s floor. The second night, she had her own room there. While her collection of venomous serpents and her cats remained at home, she slept there and portalled back and forth between the Citadel and the Luxium and the Umbrium. She was always busy, and it still confounded Lia that she kept herself going as much as she did.

But all of that was neither here nor there. She may have had a lot on her mind, but when the spirits whispered, Hilana listened. Fiya was asleep in her bag beside her in her bed, and Tiaz was curled on on her chest. She adjusted her elder statesman of her pythons, and shifted into a seated position before pulling on her long tiered skirt and her one-shoulder linen blouse, leaving her midriff free. She used a ribbon to tie her long, thick hair up and pile it on her head, securing it in a bun. Her feet found her sandals, and she crouched to lace them up before scooping up her rucksack and sliding Fiya into it. Tiaz’s tongue flickered, and he chose the rucksack as well, slipping inside and getting comfortable on the shawl that he could borrow into. She closed it and moved it to her shoulders before opening the door to her bedroom.

The Vastiana padded out, and went down the hallway past Lia’s bedroom and tapped on the door to Lykos’, opening it and stepping inside. She knew he was up, what with the whispers that she had heard. Sleepless. Restless. Uneasy. He needed her. “Are you alright? You can’t sleep?” She asked him gently, closing the door behind her and looking at him. The foreigner was definitely something. Hilana had to give it to Kalzasi: of the four men she had met that had come from there, they were all built well… and Lykos’ state of undress left nothing to the imagination. All the same, her eyes didn’t linger too much below, and she smiled at him, smoothing her white and pale blue skirts. The ruffled hems covered her feet, and Lykos was learning that this was very much her style. Athalia tended to cover up more, but Hilana had no problem baring her toned midriff, arms, and back. She approached him, laying a hand on his upper arm and rubbing gently.

[Rickter]

A Star To Guide Him Home

Glade 65th, 123rd Year, A.o.S.

Lykos possessing the sharp senses of a canine, as he knew himself as a wolf, he had heard the pats of footprints against the stone floor. It was strange how his sense of awareness allowed him to pick up even the smallest details like that. Even so, when he heard the knock on his door he didn't budge, merely, averted his gaze from the north star just to look out the window in general. He smelled Hilana even before she had entered, and the pheromones of critters on her suggested she hadn't come completely alone either.

How did she know he'd awakened? He wanted to know honestly. But that was neither here nor there, for she had approached him with the inquiry on his behalf. "Not really..." He answered truthfully since that pretty much covered both topics. In hindsight, he was alright but... also not for whatever reason. As for sleep, well, some nights eluded him while others were just filled with strange dreams.

When he felt her hand brush along his bicep, the wolf finally turned his head to look down at her. Hilana was always a kind and beautiful soul, and seeing her in the light from the outside really did accentuate her form. But Lykos was fixated on the ache in his chest more than anything, pining to release it somehow when it felt heaviest on his very heart. The fact Lana did her best to comfort him, to show affection when he felt utterly lost and distant, it usually brought him back into the moment when that would happen.

Tonight though his mind yearned to wander, to release what he felt inside, be it quiet groans or full-on howls into the night. "Dreams tend to keep me up every now and then... But tonight?" He brought his other arm up so that his hand rested over his sternum, where he felt the gentle pounding of his heartbeat, letting him know the instrument within still worked even in its anguish. "The lump of lead in my chest gets heavier, and nights like tonight are when it weighs down on me."

The admittance came with another gradual look into the skies outside, his gaze directed back to the distant star which somehow instilled both hope and heartache in his chest. "And for whatever reason, looking at that star... means something to me. What that is, I struggle to understand. It just..." The hand over his sternum tightened a bit more. "Hurts." Lykos quietly groaned as he felt the emotion welling inside him, a look of sorrow passed to Hilana as he wondered about something.

"Are we... allowed outside the citadel?" There was no harm in asking such a question, especially if they didn't expect to keep him contained inside forever. While he might've had all the time in the world as a Demigod, Lykos did not wish to go stir-crazy being contained inside four walls. What he felt he needed, probably the most, was a chance to get some air and perhaps run. Clearing his head while he released all his pent-up emotions into the illuminated night sky.

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

[Hilana Chenzira]

The girl listened solemnly and didn’t interrupt him. She was going to have to make him some teas to help with the dreams, and ask the Sentinels about a somnosyte dragon shard. They were quite rare, according to her alchemical teacher, but perhaps she could use one with the help of Domina Clelia to make something stronger than what her normal herbs could do to help ease his nights. She didn’t want to knock him out, but she did want him to be comfortable. He should, after all, be able to have a good night’s sleep. Sleep was vital. She was sure that was true even for a demigod. She had seen Daemon looking quite tired and Aoren had referred to him as ‘half-mortal’ before, which meant they surely shared some of a mortal’s needs. And if such was the case, then basic biology and medicine told her so.

Her big brown eyes didn’t look away and she just kept up her encouraging rubbing of his bare arm. She was quiet, letting him get it out, rather than cut him off and stem the wound that was still dripping bile. Better to get it all out when the big wolf was ready to do so, and since he trusted her enough to confide, she needed to listen. She was getting better at that, because as much as she was a chatterbox and in many situations it served her well, this wasn’t going to be one of them. And yet, she understood. She understood the pain and grief, because she had had to lose her pack, too.

It wasn’t the same, not entirely: Hilana still had the memories, sometimes saw them now. But for the two years she had to be in Tertium, she hadn’t had that. She had had to lose those she loved dearly, that had become her pack and family, in order to play the long term game to try to secure more freedom for herself. Yet she knew who they were. She could imagine where they were and who they were with. But if she couldn’t remember, and it was all just a black hole… in a strange land filled with stranger people and customs… that would have hurt. “The strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack,” she was gentle. “The star calls to you because it holds significance somewhere, somehow, to your past. I know it is cold comfort, Lykos… but I’m sure that your old Pack is looking at the stars, too. The stars guided you then, and they will guide you now. It is just a matter of figuring out where you are beneath them,” she smiled at him and her hand left his bicep to find his hand, interlacing her fingers with his and squeezing.

“We can go outside, certainly. We just can’t go to the cities,” HIlana nodded. “Where would you like to go? To the ramparts? Or away from the Citadel?”

[Rickter]

A Star To Guide Him Home

Glade 65th, 123rd Year, A.o.S.

It was strange when one felt a difference between their head and their heart, when the two seemed to react differently to what another felt in turn. Lykos could assess the feelings inside, true, but the lack of knowledge behind what created those feelings always stumped him. Still, he knew that Lia was being ever patient with him, heeding every detail he could think of to describe that which plagued his heart so. He wanted to understand it, truly he did, so that he could find a means of making that very pain inside go away.

The way it felt to feel her weathered hands brush on his forearm, he felt comfort in knowing that he actually wasn't alone; no matter what the emotions in his chest told him. Every time he would look at her, talk with her, and even listen to her; Hilana somehow remained the ever-sweet caretaker. Lykos felt certain there was, or could be, more between them if he wanted there to be. He just wasn't sure how exactly to feel, not when both mind and soul warred with one another intently.

His eyes remained on her as she reiterated the very same phrase he'd heard her say before. It was strange how familiar that had grown to him, even so, to have it repeated reminded him just what core values were etched in his heart. The pack. Without those he might've once knew, if they still even knew him at all, it was no small wonder to the amount of hurt his heart truly felt. What these aches and pains were really meant something, and though he could mentally beat himself over it time and time again, Lykos knew that would only drive him mad with guilt and frustration in the end.

The star though? It still brought him even more ease in his weary heart, knowing that it remained a guide even in his state of mind. When he felt Lana's hand enclosed with his he softly smiled, the somberness in his eyes still present, though the affection received by an utter look of appreciation. With their fingers intertwined he wasn't certain of what she felt, if the woman was being kind as she usually were, or if there might be perhaps more he just didn't wish to read into.

He was already a mess as is, having to figure out his powers as they were, and what his disposition as a Demigod really meant to the world. Lykos knew... that he wanted it to be something good. Something that would hopefully bring those he'd forgotten back to him, if not make them proud before they might ever reach one another. But if the stars were to guide them all, then, that would only mean he needn't worry about the future ahead. He just needed to follow that path, and see where his destined path would lead him in the days to come. He hadn't forgotten after all...

But if he truly had a role to play, then he needed to assess things first, and right now the quickest way to clear his mind... was with a run through the night. "I fear I'll be too noisy if we go to the ramparts..." He admitted with a soft gaze out into the desert next. "The people here don't need that sort of disturbance. Plus I... I yearn to just run for whatever reason." He thought of the trips that Hilana had made on her camels, constantly running to and fro Tertium just to keep checking in with Lykos himself and Lia.

It had been several days since they'd been here, and in that time Lykos had somewhat learned much about himself; at least the biology of his physical form. If she were a proficient rider, and he familiar enough with his other forms once more, then the wolf wouldn't have minded the opportunity just to go. Somewhere out into the desert. Somewhere he could just release all his internal pain. "Let's leave the citadel, if only for a little while, and you can ride on my back while I cross the sands for a time." It would do them both some good just to get away from it all, to escape from the throes of the world they were caught up in. Lykos knew that deep down, Hilana was just as wild as he was, and there was truth to her words when she always represented the Pack in some way.

There was a sense of earnest in his tone when he'd express the thought, as though the idea might actually liberate him from his woes of sorrow.

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

[Hilana Chenzira]

When he said that he would be too noisy for the ramparts, Hilana began to have an idea about what her friend needed to do that night. She couldn’t fault him; she had had nights too where she had gone wandering out under the stars. She had sought the peace that came from walking under them and looking up at them and wondering how much they looked back. How many times had she saddled her camels just to go out and be there? How many nights had she and her old pack traveled under the stars to avoid the devastating heat of the mid-Searing sun? How many times has she gone along the Vasta and watched the creatures that dwelt within under the light of the moon?

He wanted to run. So long as they didn’t go to Solunarium Proper, or to Tertium, and they avoided the villages and towns... and Hilana knew where those were. There were enough dunes and deserts that they could sing the packsong to without interrupting the lives of everyone around them. “I understand. It’s the act itself,” she was gentle, her smile empathetic. “I do that a lot. Especially when I first came here. When I came in from the Sands to start training under my great-aunt, my father wouldn’t let me go very far. But once I came here, where it is only me? I could go much further.” She didn’t travel at night now: her time was to be spent here at the Citadel when she took the portal in for the day. And she did not regret that - time with her pack was special in and of itself.

But at his offer, Hilana’s eyes lit up. The girl considered herself a perfectly capable rider, and the idea of riding essentially bareback on a giant wolf was utterly thrilling. “Would you prefer to transform here, or transform outside?” She asked, clearly in agreement with this plan of action. When he said that he would be too noisy for the ramparts, Hilana began to have an idea about what her friend needed to do that night. She couldn’t fault him; she had had nights too where she had gone wandering out under the stars. She had sought the peace that came from walking under them and looking up at them and wondering how much they looked back. How many times had she saddled her camels just to go out and be there, dangers be damned? How many nights had she and her old pack traveled under the stars to avoid the devastating heat of the mid-Searing sun? How many times had she looked up at the moons and howled, wishing to hear her pack sing back to her?

Where there was a will, there was a way, and the Vastiana was determined to make the most of his sleepless night. Besides, if she could tucker him out, he might be able to have a decent rest when they returned.

[Rickter]

A Star To Guide Him Home

Glade 65th, 123rd Year, A.o.S.

The wolf knew that Hilana understood where he came from, when the expressed intent to run had been something on his mind on this particular night. It had been only several days since he'd met the sisters and the ghost tethered to them, but even so, Lykos had learned much about himself and about them in that short manner of time. Lana's smile brought out a similar gentle grin from the wolf, even as he felt his heart pining for the open freedom of the skies and the sands. He understood why her father would've remained so protective of her, given how caring and attentive she was in the time they'd known one another.

But the look in her eyes when he made the offer, when he suggested she ride on his back, told him everything he needed to know right there. "I can transform outside," he responded softly, "otherwise I don't think the servii would like a large wolf walking their halls." He regarded with a thoughtful glance to the door, remembering the other morning when he'd unintentionally shifted due to his dreaming in the Land of Nod. With one more look out the window he regarded the northern star once more, almost delighted to think of the fact he'd be running free.

He'd just have to pay Hilana mind while she rode on him, since she knew of the settlements and navigation better than he did. But until then...

He would run as far as his paws would carry him.

---

It did not take long before he would soon feel the warmth of the sand beneath his paws. After they had left the citadel proper, Lykos indicated that he would have one simple direction, which would be north by northeast once he neared the river that flowed from the mesa itself. Lykos started off at a steady speed to get a feel for the human on his back, having never given anybody a lift in such a manner prior. Whether that was true or not in his previous life or iteration, that no longer mattered to him, for tonight he would run until he finally felt the freedom he truly needed.

Freedom to escape the woes in his heart, freedom to release all it's lingering agony into the night sky. After he'd covered about a mile or two just by running, Lykos briefly barked to alert Hilana, letting her know that he was about to increase his speed. He could follow the river all night long if he wanted to, but something told him he'd run into civilization one way or another if he did. Knowing that he was supposed to avoid that, and bearing in mind where Lana might direct him, the wolf dashed forward with the wind rushing through his ears.

Across his fur he felt the warmth of the breeze, and where he madly dashed past there would be a slight coolness released behind him. His heart pumped vigorously and though it ached, it remained the emotional pain that clung heavy to the lump of lead inside his chest. He would release it by whatever means he had to tonight, even if the running itself would not do that for him. Perhaps if he crossed the river he could just head north proper, for that's what his sense of direction told him to go. That's where his heart truly wished to lead him.

And so, even as he kicked up sand on his run across the desert expanse, Lykos reached a point where he felt it better to slow down his speed just a little. Lest his heart started to pound out of his chest soon, and his breathing already came in heavy pants through the muzzle of his nose. Which way from here, Lana? He pondered as he slowed to a trot, looking north past the river before he tilted his head, side eying the rider for instruction as he took the pause in pace to catch his breath.

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

[Hilana Chenzira]

“Outside it is,” Hilana agreed, giving his hand one more squeeze before passing him the loose robe that was hanging from an ornamental hook on the wall. He could put that on, along with his sandals, and wear that until they got outside. Once he transformed, she could bundle up the robe and his sandals and stick them in her bag. “You’re right, it might be a bit of a shock for them,” she chuckled. It had been the other morning, after all, but once it was understood that the Demigod was apparently a wolf Rathari, all was well. Well, about as much as it could be. Lykos wasn’t out to harm anyone, after all.

"What are the two of you doing?" Lia had appeared in the doorway of Lykos' bedroom, one eyebrow raised.

"Go back to sleep. He just wants to go for a little run. We'll be back soon," Hilana promised. Athalia eyed her suspiciously, but smiled at her sister and at their peregrinus friend.

"Don't go too far." She said finally, moving out of the way to go back to her own bedroom.

"We won't," Hilana assured her.... knowing that they very well might. It was no matter, she had her ring and she knew the Sands. She knew how to get them home.

—-

Once he had transformed, his clothes and sandals were tucked beneath the snakes that were already in her rucksack, and when she studied him for a moment to determined her best seating, she asked the air spirits to help her up. She could jump up easily, but she didn’t want a harder landing on her friend. The Vastiana, though she was well-toned and had her muscles beneath those womanly curves, was light enough for him and she settled easily on his back. Her nimble fingers worked their way into the fur on his shoulders, but she was mindful to not pull on it or make movement unpleasant. Her long legs folded up, her feet back by his hips, knees down, and once she got used to the rhythm, which took no time at all, the girl could just enjoy the ride.

As he increased his speed, the girl did not tense or change her seating beyond sinking down a bit further on him to minimize wind resistance. She still guided him, much like she might on her camel or a horse, and her touch was light. He would feel a slight pressure against his side from her knee as she encouraged him in one direction or the other, and once Lykos had diverted course to the girl’s satisfaction, the pressure released. Hilana, he knew from his chats with Lia, was the one who had been on a camel since she was born, and raised outside of the city where they had first come to after they had left the wolves and the Crystal Tree of the north, and that love of camels had gotten her into trouble with their family more than once.

But this was new and different, and Hilana was enjoying it. The way the wolf ran was different to how everything else that she had ever rode did, and no saddle and no reins made for a ride that challenged and thrilled her, especially as he kept on increasing his speed. As they raced through and over the sands, the Wildness that surged in her bones sang its song the loudest since she and Hayima’el had raced before she and Æros had set out on their ill-fated voyage North beyond the boundaries of the Kingdom and into the Eclipse. That was a good feeling, and she had missed it. But as he slowed down after some time to a trot, she released her hold in his fur and rubbed his shoulders sitting up just a little more on his back. When he looked at her, she looked at him. “Do you feel any better?” the girl asked him, her face flushed, her skirts resting over his haunches. “Let’s cross,” she told him. “There are crocodiles, so be cautious, Lykos. I can make us a bridge.”

[Rickter]

A Star To Guide Him Home

Glade 65th, 123rd Year, A.o.S.

From the time of their departure Hilana had all the little minor details planned out, such as the carrying of his robe since he likely didn't need to wander the citadel nude. Lykos did not mind, though, he understood such action might also disturb the servii in the citadel. If not the Sentinels. Even so, Lia had checked in on them before their leave of the citadel, playing the role of the big sister to heart when she urged them not to go too far. Lykos could only grin at that, understanding Lia's sentiments well enough, and only hopeful he could comply with them willingly once they were off. Neither one of them would likely be in command of their hearts though, once the wolf and his rider had set off into the sands, and soon enough when they were beyond the citadel's reach...

All bets were off.

It had been exhilarating as well as a learning experience for Lykos, not because of the running, but due to the fact he carried a literal passenger atop his back. In some ways, he was anxious even if Lana had expertise in riding, because of the unfamiliarity with his own body at the time. But of course, he was absolutely thrilled once the pair were off to feel the rush of wind against his fur. Lana was also very mindful and considerate as a rider, her legs taut when she wanted to steer him on course, and determine the direction he needed to go during the initial dash itself.

The sands were incredibly warm beneath his paws but that did not matter, not when he already felt the heat of the run itself coursing through all four of his limbs. Once he finally slowed down to the trot to pace his breathing, and looked up to the rider in question, Hilana inquired as to whether or not he felt better already. "Rorroo." He growled to her in a brief but enthusiastic tone, the corners of his maw tucked upward with a tongue dangling from the tip of his lips. Right now, Lykos felt as free as the wind itself at this very moment, even if he were rather limited on where he could go at the moment.

She went ahead and urged him to cross the river, with a warning of crocodiles lingering within the currents of the stream. Hmm... He pondered the idea knowing she could very easily form such a construct, however, Lykos also knew his deepest connection to the Elements was the water itself. "Rrrroor!" He barked briskly with a slight rise on his hind legs, his two front paws padding into the sand as he looked up at her once more. His range of literal communication with others may have been severely limited right now, but Lykos knew the lady would likely understand what he was about to do.

Just trust me! He mentally urged her as the Elementalism rune shimmered through the fur of his dorsal region, just under the right hand which gripped a tuft of his coat. Lykos started into a brief trot before jolting forward, giving Hilana that moment to ready herself when he made a break for the shore of the river itself. His nose traced the scents of death along the waters, leading him to move into a pounce as he leaped far across the shallows; and toward the middle of the river itself where the deeper currents flowed. Yet Lykos' paws did not sink or even dip into the water, rather, the surface of the river itself stilled at the areas he stepped.

Creating enough surface tension for him to bolt into another mad dash upon his landing, Lykos raced for the other side as he felt the currents disturbed beneath him. Within a few seconds, there were shifts that indicated predators were coming, only, by the time they reached the surface where he'd landed; the wolf had already made it three-quarters of the way to the other side. Hang on, Lana! Lykos urged as he thought to gain more speed, pondering on his other magics and how one might help him accomplish this. It helped that the sisters gave him the means of identifying his other runes, namely, the Kinetics rune which then glowed across his chest.

I just need more speed. How he knew he could accomplish this he wasn't entirely sure, but Lykos knew if he could alter the flow of his aether, and even so much as accelerate it, then he'd be granted that speed he so desired to finish crossing the river. Yet that speed did not end once he reached the other shore, instead, Lykos felt the flow of his accelerated aether carried him further than that. By the time his paws hit the sand once more, the crocodiles of the river were hissing and snapping at pure air, and the wolf was already on his continued path northward into the desert.

"Barooooooo!!" He howled on his run across the sand, before his tongue hung to the side with heavy pants, and he kept his eyes forward for the northern star once more. Not much farther now, huh? He wondered how long before the sands would end, and whether or not they'd reach the coast or even the mainland... if the desert even connected to such a place. Lykos did not know the geography of the Atraxian Desert, nor of the region itself, but he could only imagine what awaited him as he kept his pace. Seeing as how they had covered a rather incredible distance though, he opted to slow to another trot with heavy pants, feeling his heart literally pounding in his chest from the continued burst of activity.

What do you think, Lana? Further north maybe? His eyes went from the skies ahead of them to past his shoulder, giving the rider another curious glance as he waited on her instruction next.

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

[Hilana Chenzira]

There was a beautiful freedom to the wild running over the desert sands. She stayed low over him, taut muscles clamped down carefully on his sides to keep herself on, and with her handholds in his thick, dark fur. Her skirts trailed out behind him, though with the way her legs were positioned, the very full cotton fabric was not about to get in his way, either, or impinge on his ability to run. She was well-used to it with the horses, camels, and wyverns, and now she could say she knew how to ride a Wolf. It was just a matter of the physiology of her friend, and the more he ran, the more used to it she got. Little micro-adjustments could be made on the fly, and the girl sank even lower on him when he started for the River. Well, his Arche was water, so surely...

Well, she trusted him and his judgment. If need be, she could pull at the earth, too, to help get them over the water. But those concerns were unfounded: Lykos had no problems at all, and she enjoyed the sounds that he was making to communicate. She couldn’t quite understand him, but the different tones told her, along with the sets of his ears and the looks in his eyes and the cant of his head, what the gist was. Was he questioning? Was he warning? Was he excited? Was he concerned? It was all part of a puzzle, and the girl could put it together, piece by piece. Each of those cues told her something, and the Vastiana did her best to respond in kind. He’d picked up her cues with her legs and the pressure to guide his direction, so that was working well for the two of them, at least...

But when he suddenly increased that speed to another level... she had to wonder if that was some sort of trick of his divine abilities, or perhaps it was kinetics. It seemed like it might have been the latter, but she was looking forward to that one in a few seasons. After her harsh reinitiation of Elementalism, Hilana was in no rush to add another Rune to herself until she could recover and she could continue her studies with Semblance in the meantime. All the magic ability in the world wouldn’t save her unless she used her head when it came to using it, after all, and that meant learning to pay more attention and focus her observational skills on reading a situation rather than just... not thinking. She let out a sound of delight, and soon Hilana was actually laughing. It seemed that once she got over the surprise of the sudden increase, she was thoroughly enjoying it.

When he seemed to want directions on where to go, she rubbed his shoulder gently with a hand and added pressure to send him east. There was an oasis another few miles ahead. It wouldn’t take him where he wanted to go... but it would give them a chance to howl at the moons and the star that was on his mind and heart. “We can’t go any further north,” she told him gently. “For your safety, and so that we do not raise the ire of our hosts,” the girl explained. “If we pursue a more northern direction, we’ll likely run into the Golden Guard, which is the military, I suppose we could say, of the Luxium. They are the opposite forces of the Silver Sentinels, which represent the Umbrium. The city below the Luxium,” she clarified. “They are technically one city... but in Ash, two seasons ago, that changed. The Solar Sovereign, the Queen, controls the Luxium... while the Draconic Dynasty controls the Umbrium. It is rather tense, and better for all of us to stay out of sight of the Guards. But let’s go to the oasis... and we can sing the packsong to the stars,” she lowered her torso down all the way along his back, and hugged his neck to try to reassure him and make him feel better before settling back into the riding position.