Hunting

[Zora]

Hunting

Searing 50, 123rd Year, A.o.S.

Kira and Jesse ventured to the outskirts of Trash Town, an area notorious for its filth and squalor. They were on a mission to find green slimes as they were creatures known to thrive in rot and decay. The duo figured that there would be no better place to search than the area where the runoff from GIM company flowed into Trash Town, creating a haven for creatures that reveled in a waste-filled environment.

As they made their way alongside the trail of toxic waste, the smell of rotting garbage grew stronger, the ground slick with a mix of mud and unidentifiable substances. They approached a particularly wide area of the runoff that seemed to cut through the landscape. At parts its surface shimmered with a rainbow of pollutants. The banks of the river of waste were littered with trash, heaps of discarded items that had been carelessly thrown away, creating a perfect breeding ground for green slimes.

Kira and Jesse tread carefully as they walked along, aware that the heaps of trash around them could harbor more than just slimes. The area was known to be home to a variety of creatures, not all of them friendly. Kira was well-prepared for any eventuality, with two pistols strapped to her sides and a katana slung across her back. Next to it was her largest rifle, which she honestly wished she’d left at home because of all the walking they were doing. She felt like a walking arsenal.

Jesse, on the other hand, appeared unarmed, but his hands were always at the ready, prepared to create a portal or teleport at a moment's notice. He was the crafter of the pair and it was because of him that they’d even come here. He’d convinced her that there were valuable materials to be found. So far, he’d felt like an idiot because they’d found nothing as of yet.

Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying

[Hector]

TIMESTAMP: -
NOTES: -

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Vergil wasn’t the world’s biggest fan of venturing out into trash town for any reason; it disgusted him. And that might seem odd, considering both his profession and his predilections, but it was nevertheless true. Still, he was a sucker when Hector begged for things, and the boy wasn’t wrong when he had spoken about the many uses of both the green and metal slimes that formed and slugged along in the city’s squalor. So in the end, he relented, and the pair of them departed from their southside apartment through a portal, emerging near the outskirts of trash town.

While Hector had questioned this choice, claiming that since they’d both been far into the district before, why not teleport actually into trash town? Less of a walk, he’d said. Vergil argued against that, claiming that the area was incredibly unpredictable; the last thing he wanted was to egress from a portal right in the middle of some squabble or another. The younger of the two knew this to be true, though he was still lazy enough that he tried to argue the risk was worth it. Vergil, this time, flatly refused.

The two followed the roads for a bit before slinking off into an alley, shifting to a path more serpentine as they continued their ingress. Neither man were dressed as inquisitors, but both wore fine, black overcoats, gloves, and tall, thick boots to protect from the region’s filth. Hector dressed sleeker, more elegantly, with Vergil opting for a style far more utilitarian. The only thing that might strike onlookers as odd is if one's gaze lingered long on the boy's shadow; it was black as the void and oddly opaque, as if it consumed what light struck it.

Oblivious as he was wont to be, Hector walked along without a care in the world. But as they rounded a corner, Vergil would abruptly place a hand on the elf’s shoulder, stopping him. He’d follow the older man’s gaze to two figures, picking away at the refuse only some few feet away– a man and a woman. The woman was armed, the man less so, but that didn’t mean much. The vampyres were only lightly armed themselves. Out of the four of them, however, one thing was clear: none of them lived here.

“Scavengers, too, hm?” The elf said to the strangers, sounding strangely chipper and far friendlier than what one might expect, given the circumstances. “You’re not steeped enough in grime to be local– and that weaponry is far too fine,” he’d add with an impish sort of grin.

Vergil would stifle a sigh, having hoped that they could avoid much interaction with others, but such was a pipe dream, wasn’t it?

“Don’t mind him. We’ll be on our way, should you want to scour this area yourselves,” the human would interject.

Despite his size and often dour resting expression, Vergil modulated his voice to be intentionally cordial and disarming; he didn’t want to be intimidating in this scenario– picking a fight or scaring these strangers did not strike him as useful.

- - -

Aidolon Speech

"Kathalan Tongue/Speech"

"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"

"Common Tongue/Speech"

"Mythrasi Tongue/Speech"

[Zora]

Kira paused in her rummaging, lifting a half-rotted board with her kinetics magic, clearly displaying her abilities to the newcomers. The piece of debris floated aside, revealing nothing of interest underneath. She met the gaze of the two men, her expression a mix of curiosity and a seasoned scavenger's guarded caution.

Without warning, a sudden rush of energy surged through Kira when she saw them. It was an instinctual awakening she had come to recognize the stirring of her bloodline. It wasn't until she found herself seeing the minute details of Hector's attire, the almost imperceptible creases on his clothes, that she realized her bloodline ability had activated.

She blinked, and for a moment, the world sharpened into a clarity that was almost overwhelming. She glanced at her reflection in a broken shard of glass nearby, seeing the three tomoe distinctly marked in each of her eyes. On any other day she might have calmed herself to shut her bloodline’s abilities off… but she decided to keep it active since heightened eyesight might prove useful in her search.

"We're from the city," she replied candidly to Hector's friendly overture. "Came looking for valuable scrap. My friend here," she nudged Jesse with her elbow, a playful smirk on her face, "insisted there's good stuff around. Yet so far, we're coming up short."

Jesse, catching the cue, stepped closer, his eyes taking in the unusual opacity of Hector's shadow. "We're on the lookout for components, specifically from green slimes. They have... properties we're interested in. How about you two? Looking for anything in particular?"

Kira's eyes flitted between Vergil and Hector, considering the potential benefits of cooperation. "Maybe we can help each other out," she suggested. "Two pairs of eyes are good, but four can cover much more ground."

Her stance relaxed, but her senses remained alert. In Trash Town, it was better to have temporary allies than additional unknowns, especially when those allies didn’t seem to be associated with the local gangs. "We've got several runes under our command," she added, giving a slight nod towards the board she had moved without touching. "What skills do you bring?"

Jesse's eyes lit up and he asked Kira, "speaking of which, can you make a ward to do something about the smell? This would be a lot more enjoyable if I didn't want to gag every few breaths."

Kira shrugged, "I suppose I could try..."

Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying

[Hector]

TIMESTAMP: -
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Both Hector and Vergil predicted the other two to bristle, at least to some degree, at their presence and subsequent intrusion into their business. Hector, however, simply did not care; his approach to life had always been cavalier, but his reckless disregard for caution continued to increase more and more as time passed. Vergil was as fastidious with his actions and cautious with his behaviors as he had ever been, perhaps more so, now, because he, increasingly often, found himself having to compensate for Hector’s aforementioned reckless abandon. Sometimes, he wondered if his refusal to let Hector face the consequences of his risk taking was making it worse– in fact, it almost certainly was, but that was a problem they would have to address at another time.

However, the two strangers they’d come across were not aggressive in their reactions; rather, they were appropriately cautious. Hector saw the shift in the girl’s eyes but paid it no mind, while Vergil took mental note of the shift but did not comment– many people had many strange facets. There was no reason to ponder it quite yet, especially since tensions remained low. They were cordial, even, when they spoke.

“What a coincidence!” Hector would say, sounding perhaps a bit more excited than was warranted.

“We are here for, ah…ostensibly the same reason! Green slimes– maybe metal, too. Although, he–” the elf gestured to Vergil with his head, “–he’s the crafter. He just hates trash town; didn’t want to come. It was I who insisted…I said I’d gather things for him, alone, so we could avoid buying them, but it was at that point he changed his mind.” He shrugged dismissively.

On the surface, one might question Hector for so nonchalantly saying he intended to roam trash town by himself. That was risky an undertaking in general, and the elf cut a lithe, unimposing figure, wore no armor, and held no weapons. One might wonder if he were delusional, oblivious, arrogant, or a potent mage– the truth, however, was some combination of all three.

“We’re not hurting for money, either– he’s just…cheap.” Vergil clarified with a soft huff of a sigh. “But we’ve only just arrived, so we also haven’t found much, either.”

Hector rolled his eyes. “I prefer the word ‘frugal,’ but all the same, there’s also the fact that gathering things ourselves holds the potential to find more than just what we need.” The elf did not sound particularly annoyed, merely dismissive of the other man’s words at first, then excited as he went on– he always liked the idea about potentially discovering something neat.

When the woman gave voice to the desire to potentially work together, the elf beamed. "I agree," he began before Vergil could say anything. "Faster with more people, generally, and…safety in numbers, or something." It did not sound like he truly believed in that sentiment.

"We're also both mages…Summoning and Animus for me, he has Traversion. He might look big, but he generally prefers to avoid fighting– healer's morals; he's a Necrodoctor." Hector said these things with a tone of impish mockery; most violence Vergil engaged in were fights picked by the elf or out of self defense.

The human's visage, stony by default, did not shift when Hector said these things.

Only Hector's Summoning rune was visible on his neck, for the moment, so there would be no real reason to believe he was leaving things out.

- - -

Aidolon Speech

"Kathalan Tongue/Speech"

"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"

"Common Tongue/Speech"

"Mythrasi Tongue/Speech"

[Zora]

Kira couldn't suppress a chuckle at Hector's enthusiasm, which seemed to light up the dismal surroundings of Trash Town. "Well, frugal is a kind word for it," she said with a teasing tone. "But, you're spot on about discovering unexpected treasures. That's half the fun, isn't it?"

She turned to Vergil, her eyes still revealing the activated state of her bloodline, which provided her with an enhanced perception of her surroundings. "And I understand the hesitation. Trash Town isn't exactly the most welcoming place. We actually went to a junkyard and bought a metal slime for about five gold not too long ago. They're currently growing in Jesse's workshop.”

Jesse grumbled playfully beside her, "We should have just snatched it, but Kira here was in the mood to follow the rules for once."

Kira elbowed him gently in the ribs, her smile widening. "Metal slimes are slippery creatures," she remarked, a sparkle of mischief in her eyes. "And not just in the literal sense. They can be tough to handle but being able to lift things with magic made it a non-issue."

She regarded Hector and Vergil, considering their skills. "Summoning and Animus magic, that's impressive. And Traversion, even better. Necrodoctor, huh?" Kira mused, nodding in respect towards Vergil. "I can see the value in that, especially with the hazards around here… You know, Jesse and I dabble a bit in necromancy ourselves," she confided.

"Though I must admit, I'm still very much a beginner. There's so much potential there, like crafting a soul gem. I’ve always wanted to make one from a powerful mage." Her tone was one of wistful ambition, a reflection of the grand plans she held within her mind's eye.

Jesse shot her a look. "That’s probably not something to advertise, especially in the presence of mages," he chided gently, his gaze flicking towards Hector and Vergil.

Kira rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, I wasn't talking about them," she said, her chuckle suggesting the absurdity of the thought. “Now, about that stench…” Her eyes fell to the simple necklace she wore. It was a thin silver chain, unadorned and easy to overlook. Yet, for her, it was more than just an accessory today… it was a focal point for her magic, a grounding anchor from which she could extend her abilities.

Gently fingering the chain, Kira closed her eyes, letting her sense of touch magnify until the metal felt like a cool stream against her skin. She began crafting a ward, visualizing a bubble encapsulating her head. It started as a mere outline in her mind's eye, but as she poured her will into it, the ward solidified, its protective properties taking hold.

To the ward, she tasked the specific function to block out smell. She imagined the rank odors of Trash Town colliding with the barrier and dissipating, unable to penetrate the shield she was creating. The effort required focus, as each layer of the ward needed to be meticulously woven into place, an interlocking mesh of aether that would serve as a filter against the outside world.

Once satisfied with the protective layer, Kira layered additional properties to the ward, reinforcing its structure. She tasked it to withstand minor physical impacts and to buffer against sudden blunt trauma. Opening her eyes, Kira took a deep breath. Where once the air would have been foul and suffocating, she now found it neutral, devoid of any particular scent. The ward was a success.

Turning to Jesse, she offered a small smile. "Your turn," she said. He leaned towards her, trusting as she reached up to his own necklace, a sturdy leather cord with a single, unassuming stone. She repeated the process, her fingers dancing lightly over the pendant as she crafted a similar ward for him. The air around Jesse's head shimmered faintly as the ward snapped into place, an indicator visible only to those attuned to the aether.

Jesse took a tentative sniff, his eyes widening in surprise. "it works!"

Kira turned to the other two and said, "I can do the same for you guys if you'd like."

Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying

[Hector]

TIMESTAMP: -
NOTES: -

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At this point, it was abundantly clear that the others– Kira and Jesse– were as amenable to friendship as Hector was. With that in mind, Vergil’s posture would relax, tension leaving his shoulders. Sometimes, people lacked the patience for the elf’s enthusiasm and it could cause…problems.

When Kira agreed with him, “...see? I’m right!” Hector said this triumphantly, placing both hands, folded into loose fists, on his hips.

Vergil would let him have this victory; it was the path of least resistance.

“It’s far from ‘welcoming,’ yes. Since I arrived here, I’ve worked mostly in hospitals or labs– I’m sure you can imagine the difference with regards to, ah...sanitation, no?” Vergil responded; his Kathalan sounded nearly perfect, having adapted the nuances of the pronunciation well enough that there was nary a trace of his Zaichaeri accent left.

And sure, while working with biomatter, he’d become accustomed to some degree of mess– it just wasn’t similar to the putrid squalor that composed trash town. In laboratories or medical facilities, there were protocols– everything had a place, and everything was controlled. Here? Chaos. But perhaps, that’s why Hector didn’t seem to mind it at all.

When Jesse said that Kira would’ve preferred to steal the slime as opposed to buying it, Hector giggled before saying, “Sounds about how that situation would’ve gone between him and I.” Hector, on the other hand, spoke fluently, but was not quite as adept at mimicking the accent of the locals.

The mention of metal slimes and manipulating them with Kinetics had Hector curious. It was a rune that he always admired for both its destructive potential and the myriad ways he imagined he could use it in tandem with what arcane arts he already had. His first impulse was to relate to her, saying that, yes, being able to manipulate matter was extremely convenient– but he stopped himself, as his only experience with doing so in a way that would be at all similar to Kinetics was through his blood magic.

Instead, “I imagine handling gelatinous creatures would be…a bit of a hassle by default. Kinetics makes it sound easy– we were intent on relying on my Aidolon; a spirit bound to me through Summoning.” Hector’s explanation was only a half-truth.

The Aidolon would subdue the slimes by sapping what energy kept them alive, yes, but actually entrapping the creatures would be a feat of blood magic; Hector was just a liar– any subtle uses of Vitalis were pinned onto the Aidolon’s portfolio of skills.

“Which, uh-...” the elf gestured to his shadow, “...he’s there; the spirit. Sometimes he talks,” he shrugged, canting his head a bit to look back at the black miasma rooted to his feet. “Sometimes, he’s not in the mood to be friendly! …but we work in tandem, he will help.” Hector felt the need to explain this lest they might think the spirit stubborn.

“Spirit to subdue our quarry, then I’d open a portal, corral the slimes into where they’ll be stored– close it and look for more if necessary. Trying to carry them around with us would be…more of a hassle than anything,” Vergil added.

Their commentary on Necromancy and mages made Hector laugh. “Well, I certainly see the appeal. Vergil does, too– and if he protests, he’s lying,” the elf said flatly.

"But I think I'd only want to entrap somebody in a soul gem if they vex me in some way..." he continued almost musingly.

His human companion closed his eyes in tandem with an exhale, a silent sigh, but wouldn’t comment on that.

“I’ve been a practicing Necromancer for the majority of my life at this point– my specialty is way of the flesh, but I am adroit with all three. If you’ve any questions, I can likely answer while we’re out here, if you’d like,” Vergil offered; he did like talking about it.

While Kira worked her Negation magic on both herself and her companion, the other two stood and watched; the magic’s mutability was certainly convenient. When she extended the offer to them, Vergil looked visibly relieved; his expressions were typically quite muted, and while this was too, his relief this time was far more palpable than what was normal for him.

“Please do; thank you,” he’d say, pulling up his sleeve and offering a bracelet he wore for her to ward.

"Would that I could do that myself," the comment was added sort of off-hand, more to himself than anyone; sort of wishful sounding.

He'd been meaning to get the rune himself at some point, but lest he find somebody willing, applying for it within the Inquisition was an obnoxious process riddle with red tape; Traversion had been a similar hassle.

What he handed off to Kira, however, was a piece crafted of rose gold, the ornamentation in a style that was popular in the Imperium– whatever jeweler made it was fine, indeed, and mounted upon it was a small pesticyte shard. And even though the shard was small, the craftsmanship of the item itself made it look inherently expensive.

When he did this, Hector pointed to it and would add, “...speaking of thievery! I stole that.”

The elf looked pleased with himself; Vergil looked to him, communicating something with his gaze, but did nothing else.

When it was Hector’s turn, however, he’d remove the glove on his right hand and take off a deceptively simple looking ring; it was a thicker band composed of dark, red but nearly black, metal, and interlaced with lines of a violet crystal. If one were to look at him while he did this, they’d see the rune inscribed on the back of his hand, too– it was a strange symbol, appearing to be drawn with ink as black as night on first glance. As he moved his hand to take the ring off however, it waxed chromatic, almost prismatic, when struck by the sun's light. He made no show of this, thinking its existence merely a part of himself, and therefore insignificant.

When prompted, he’d hand off the ring for Kira to ward.

With that process done, Vergil would speak. “We were on the way to an abandoned warehouse where we’re pretty sure we’ll find what we’re looking for– it’s not far from here. Unless the two of you have another destination in mind, shall we head there?”

- - -

Aidolon Speech

"Kathalan Tongue/Speech"

"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"

"Common Tongue/Speech"

"Mythrasi Tongue/Speech"

[Zora]

Kira let out a giggle at Vergil's comment, the humor not lost on her, especially in a place as grimy as Trash Town. "I'm no expert, but I imagine a clean workspace is a must in the medical side of necromancy," she said with a knowing look. The mention of sanitation among the filth around them was almost ironic.

Listening to Hector's plans and Vergil's patient explanations, Kira couldn't help but find their dynamic familiar. "Seems like you two have a similar thing going as Jesse and I," she observed with a warm smile. It was comforting to meet others who shared their kind of partnership.

As Hector gestured to his shadow, Kira's gaze narrowed instinctively. There was something peculiar about it, something that drew her attention. "That's pretty neat," she remarked, a genuine note of interest in her voice. "I've never seen a spirit in action before…"

The conversation meandered to their respective magical disciplines, and Kira nodded along thoughtfully. "I could give you the Negation rune sometime if you want," she offered casually to Hector. "I'd probably have asked for your Summoning rune if I hadn't just initiated into Semblance not too long ago. But my body couldn't handle another rune so soon."

She turned to Vergil. "Say, is it possible to store a soul in a soul gem after failing initiation?" While she didn’t want to end up stuck inside a gemstone, it was certainly more preferable than death, in her opinion.

Afterwards, the two strangers presented items for her to ward. Kira took each one, her fingers delicately tracing the lines and curves of the intricate jewelry. She thought they looked quite expensive, probably worth more than every belonging she had. She felt a little jealous but she figured it made sense for experienced mages to have expensive belongings. She murmured soft instructions to herself, weaving protective layers around each piece, imbuing them with wards designed to shield and preserve on top of just blocking out smell.

When the task was completed, she handed back the items, now faintly humming with the energy of her wards. "There you go, protection against more than just bad smells," she said with a playful wink.

Vergil's suggestion of heading to the warehouse was met with a nod from Kira. "We have absolutely nothing better to do. Lead the way," she said, gesturing for them to take the lead. Jesse looked like he wanted to protest, but he sighed and decided to hold his tongue. He was sure that Kira felt confident in her abilities to defend herself, but he was no fighter. He also knew just how deadly a fellow traversion mage could be if they wanted to be, and his gut told him that they would be outmatched if things went sour.

Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying

[Hector]

TIMESTAMP: -
NOTES: -

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"Correct– while Necromancy does have tools to ward off infection, poor conditions notwithstanding, working around that is infinitely more complicated than simply…working in a sterile environment," Vergil clarified.

While what he said was true, it arguably didn't apply to him anymore. Vitalis bestowed many boons– the ability to allay and prevent infections being one of them– but that didn't mean Vergil had any plans to suddenly throw away all of the medical standards that'd been ingrained into him for the two-odd decades he'd worked without the rune. Because while Zaichaer had never been as advanced as the Imperium, they weren't heathens.

The next comment Kira made resulted in Hector and Vergil exchanging glances, wondering exactly what relationship the other two actually had.

"Maybe…? Hm." Hector paused for a moment. "Do y–"

"Hector."

Vergil interrupted him before he could even properly begin his question, whatever it was. He'd assumed the elf's phrasing would've been…crude, at best, and to be fair, he probably wasn't wrong.

Hector gave him an innocent, confused look in response, but he'd shrug and move on.

But when Kira showed interest in his Aidolon, the young Summoner appeared delighted.

"Spirits are fascinating! But unless you give me the direct name of one, I only seem to pull up Eldritch ones." He said with an almost shy smile. Being specialized had its perks, but sometimes he wished he could more easily access the other spheres.

"My Aidolon is Eldritch; he's, uh…" Hector appeared unsure how exactly to explain. "Voidborn? Like living shadow– but yes, very neat!"

He wanted to say more, but waxing poetic about being contract and soul-bound to a descendant of the Lady of Whispers might make him look truly insane, dangerous, or both, should they recognize her name. He also wished Al'Kassis would interact, but the spirit was a mercurial thing; he'd oft play observer for an extended period of time...especially if he knew that Hector wanted him to be social. The elf's irritation gave him some small sense of schadenfreude.

At her mentioning trading rune for rune, however, Hector's enthusiasm remained, and it would appear that Vergil’s interest had been caught as well.

"Negation would be much better suited to him, I'd much prefer Kinetics…orrrr...Affliction! Negation sounds…complicated," Hector answered first.

Perhaps it was an odd thing to say, since arguably, every rune was complicated. But to him, creating and tasking wards sounded painfully unpleasant a process.

"If you're serious, I'd happily take your offer," Vergil began, following after Hector.

Vergil was trying to curb his enthusiasm, not wanting to come across as overeager. He had good control of his mannerisms, so he did maintain most of his austere demeanor. A keen observer, however, could see the excitement in his eyes and would've noticed his posture shift to something more engaged, alert.

"To answer your question, though, that's possible in theory, but it depends. It requires precise timing and varies based on the rune, because some initiations involve the soul itself leaving the body– Traversion and Summoning both being examples of that. I've only heard of that being done to preserve the souls of those who were succumbing to the aether sickness brought on by Semblance, Elementalism, or similar, because in those cases, the Necromancer can see that you're dying, and secure your soul before you're lost," he continued, offering this explanation while she warded their belongings. When she was done, they thanked her, putting their accessories back on in the process.

It would also sound as if he were speaking from experience with regards to binding failed magic initiates in this fashion. It wouldn't be clear if he'd ever performed this himself, if he'd merely played witness, or if what he was saying was hearsay, but it would be clear he was familiar with such actions being performed. As a witch of the Grymalka coven, this wasn't an uncommon practice.

And when Kira indicated that they didn’t have another location in mind, Vergil nodded. “This way, then.”

Their destination wasn’t far– about a block away, actually, but with the condition of these buildings, it would be sort of hard to tell what properties were inhabited versus not. And unless one knew for sure either way, it wasn’t worth the risk to intrude.

When they arrived, the building was derelict and abandoned from what any of them could see on the outside. The group would enter from a small door on the back of this large brick building, likely used as a manufacturing facility at some point. The rusted machinery within indicated that it was perhaps used for textiles, once upon a time. The factory floor took up at least two thirds of the building, with a tall ceiling and two floors of offices on the left side. On the second floor of the office section, there was a metal balcony that overlooked the factory floor. In the past, this might’ve been a tidy and efficient workspace. Now, however, it was filled with refuse and falling apart.

“I’ll look around the upper floors,” Hector proclaimed as they entered.

And when he said that, his shoulders would hunch as he leaned forward– at first, it would be hard to tell what was happening, but those around him might guess he was shifting shape from the way new bone undulated beneath the flesh of Hector’s back. There would then be an audible popping sound as if a joint had been dislocated approximately twice. The elf’s clothing had apparently been tailored with this in mind, as two wings emerged from underneath a flap of fabric over his back. They were large, dappled and gray– pretty things. His eyes would also shift to something more birdlike, and he shifted his fingers to resemble the claws of a bird. Through Therianthropy, he now resembled something akin to a very strange Avialae.

He’d done this casually, and after he adjusted both sets of shoulders– one set for his arms, one set for his wings– and stood up straight again, he’d fly into the air and up onto the balcony above. There was the slightest hint of concern on Vergil’s face given that he couldn’t directly follow Hector.

- - -

Aidolon Speech

"Kathalan Tongue/Speech"

"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"

"Common Tongue/Speech"

"Mythrasi Tongue/Speech"

[Zora]

Kira listened with keen interest, although it was evident that the concept of spirits, especially those termed as 'Eldritch,' was somewhat foreign to her. "Eldritch spirits, that's a new one," she mused, a hint of amusement in her tone. "To me, eldritch just means something weird or out of the ordinary. But the way you describe it sounds... intriguing, and a bit mysterious."

As Hector and Vergil spoke about rune exchange, Kira chuckled. "I'm all for sharing runes," she said with a light-hearted shrug. "Though, I'd prefer to do it somewhere less shady than here. We can arrange a proper place and time for that." She wasn’t stuck up enough to try to hog runes to herself, then again she probably would have thought differently if she had a rune that was actually rare. She didn’t even recall having to ask for her father to give her runes, and getting semblance was as easy as attending a few seminars and signing paperwork.

Kira nodded along as Vergil elaborated on the nuances of soul preservation, her expression one of concentration as she tried to keep up. "You really know your stuff," she commented, impressed. "I'm just starting to get my head around all these possibilities."

Arriving at the warehouse, Kira's attention was immediately drawn to the transformation. Her eyes widened slightly in both surprise and curiosity. "Whoa, that's... quite the change," she remarked, a touch of awe in her voice. As he took to the air, she turned to Jesse with a raised eyebrow, then looked back up at Hector. "See anything interesting up there?"

Kira's query was genuine, her eyes tracking Hector's movements as he explored the upper levels. The warehouse, with its decaying machinery and remnants of a bygone era, seemed like a place where secrets lingered, just waiting to be uncovered.

Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying

[Hector]

TIMESTAMP: -
NOTES: -

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Near the end of the previous year's Ash, Hector had accepted a deal with the grandmother of his Aidolon; what he'd traded away were the memories of his life prior to arriving in the Gelerian Imperium. Since then, Vergil had given him piecemeal information about his past and one of the things the other man had informed him of was that his kin were part of a collective of mages– witches, he'd called them– whose way of life had been built around the rune of Summoning. He did his best to tell Hector what he could of the Kindred, though his information was imperfect; Vergil himself was Grymalka and his contact with Hector in particular had been relatively limited until the elf's mid-late teens. The Kindred were, after all, the most reclusive of Zaichaer's covens– a group that, as a whole, was already notably clandestine.

What struck out to Hector most about what he'd been told was that he'd actually not met his Aidolon 'til he was about eighteen and that the Kindred primarily dealt with nature or celestial spirits; their unique abilities as a coven involved working with spirits to cleanse Dreadmists, after all, and those spheres were the ones most inclined to do so. Some eldritch would help when given the right motivation, but the demons almost universally didn't care– and on the occasions that they did, what they asked for in return almost always ended up not worth their help.

The elf wondered why he himself had been drawn specifically to eldritch, but Vergil had said that was a question he couldn't answer. And whether that was because he didn't know or wouldn't say was unclear, though, as Hector had been growing increasingly suspicious of late that his companion was intentionally leaving things out. However, most of his concerns in that regard pertained more to the origins of their Vitalis runes than anything else, so he ultimately couldn't say how relevant such a thing was to his former coven. On the subject, all Vergil had said was that he'd given it to him– any other question was met with silence.

Nevertheless, he had been told that Summoning was something of an esoteric art that even most mages outside of circles which practiced it knew little about– so for that reason, Kira's ignorance was unsurprising.

"Well…as an adjective, you're right, but spirits are bound to four spheres– nature, celestial, demonic, and eldritch. The first three are pretty self explanatory, but eldritch tend to be weird and wild…I think they're the most fun." Hector explained this succinctly, which would be a rarity for him– the subjects about which he was genuinely knowledgeable were few and far between.

"For example, most creatures of the void are eldritch but the sphere includes far more than that. Most spirits of the dead are eldritch, too, but my Aidolon was born the way he is…well…I think? He said his memories were torn to shreds and have slowly been resurfacing of late, but he does recall he was never 'alive' in a mortal sense." The elf teetered on the edge of waxing expository about everything he'd learned with regards to Al'Kassis…but now was not the time.

He'd also prefer the spirit speak for himself, but that wasn't the point.

But on the transference of runes, "I feel the same way, because I think if somebody is ultimately unworthy, the price they'll pay is their life– and that's not my problem, now is it?" Hector's response was perhaps a bit too chipper given what he said.

He even thought similarly of Vitalis– that one was, to his understanding, the hardest initiation to survive; he figured that if somebody did, they deserved it. The only thing about that one would be that if he ever were to transfer it, he'd want the other person to understand exactly what they were asking for, both in initiation and in the way that it fundamentally changes the wielder, body and soul.

"I am…a little less cavalier than Hector, but a rune for a rune is fair," Vergil added with a small shrug.

And to what Kira responded with about Necromancy, Vergil nodded. "I would hope I do– I'd be disappointed in myself having studied all these years if the information didn't stick."

After the group arrived in the old factory and Hector flew into the air, he didn't fly far before he landed on the balcony above. Settling his wings against his back to keep them out of his way, he squinted out onto the factory floor below before responding to Kira.

"Maybe something in the far corner?" He'd ask, pointing in that direction. "If anyone wants to join me up here, the stairs aren't far– otherwise I'll be shifting through these rooms."

Vergil looked in the direction Hector had pointed, but it was sort of hard to see clearly, given that somebody had thrown miscellaneous discarded machinery haphazardly around that area. That would, however, make it reasonable hospitable to metal slimes, at least.

"I'll start over there," he'd say, letting the others know before he moved.

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Aidolon Speech

"Kathalan Tongue/Speech"

"Vallenor Tongue/Speech"

"Common Tongue/Speech"

"Mythrasi Tongue/Speech"