Shrouded [Lykos]

[Hilana Chenzira]

10 Frost, Year 123

[Closed - Lykos]

On a previous visit, Sentinel Decius and Finn had recommended the Guilded Expanse when it came to finding a Seer. After some asking around, that had gotten them directions to a comfortable, cozy looking building which was full of scents and soft lights and gentle music, designed to ease the spirits of those who entered. Considering the denizens, it hadn't worked on them. But an appointment had been procured, and the sisters had gone back to where they had left Lykos with his family for the day. It was hard finding that balance of giving them space and supervising these visits. The demigod could take care of himself, certainly, but Hilana and Lia couldn't help wanting to keep an eye on him.

The day of the appointment had come, and there was nervousness, there was apprehension, and there was concern. But there was still a bit of hope and optimism; even though Hilana, who was usually relentlessly cheerful when it came to keeping up the spirits of her friends, definitely had to force it this time and put on a brave face.

Hilana did not like this, not one bit. That was easy for Lykos... Rickter... to read on her face. Athalia was the one who was so much harder to read, even being Arche to fire as she was, and she didn't like it either. Over the last few seasons in which he had been in their care, both sisters had told him tales of what the Orkhan had done to their people, the danger and threat that they had presented in the past. They may not have presented it as much now, not with the Crowns to see to it, and the Praeventores, Sentinels, and Guard that protected the Kingdom, but there were still incursions now and then. It was perhaps easy to understand why they had such a fervent hatred of the brutes that had hunted, raped, and killed their people. It might have been thousands of years ago, but the Vastian nomads had very long memories.

But in Kalzasi, Seers were honoured as spiritual advisors, and if there was a chance, however small, that one could help Lykos connect with what had been given up, they owed it to him to see it through. They had to at least try. It was just unfortunate, so very unfortunate, that asking around had led them to an Orcanus Seer. But since there was a chance that it could work, they had to take it. Worst case scenario, they would be travelling around the world to try to find something to please Myshala enough to restore Lykos' memories, and while Hilana had no qualms about that, and might have actually preferred it, this could be faster, and this could very well help their friend return to his life as it had been, with his other family that very much needed and cared for him.

That was a lot of 'could', a lot of 'maybe'... but they owed it to him to try.

"Ready?" Hilana looked up at Lykos, wrapped up in her cloak. Both of the sisters had taken to wearing the hooded ones that Lykos had negated for use in the Frostrylyth Chamber at the Citadel for their trips to Kalzasi. They would be at least be warm, if nothing else.

[Rickter]

Shrouded
Frost 10th, 123rd Year, A.o.S.

Things had certainly grown interesting as the season drew closer, and when Frost had finally hit, that was when Lykos noticed the turnover that loomed on the horizon. He'd fulfilled his immediate promises over the course of the past few months, setting a dear member of his pack free of the forces that bound her to the Void, and in turn, finishing the long-term project of creating a cold storage room for the Custodes Deorum at the citadel.

And in that time he'd started to feel a turbulence gradually shift and alter his life again. Not that he had much of one outside the citadel, but the demigod was spent on the fact that he'd been returning to the North rather frequently. Whether it was to seek out and reestablish broken connections between what could only have been his former pack, or seek out answers as a means of regaining that which he'd Bargained away, the lupine draegir had much going on for him at this point in time.

Which didn't make it any easier on Hilana and Athalia given their dispositions, in regard to the number of Orkhan that were noticeably roaming the streets of Kalzasi. As if the meetings and visitations with his immediate pack weren't stressful enough, now it seemed like the Vastiana sisters had to swallow their own pride, if only to continuously help him regain the memories of his former life.

The history lessons they'd provided Him had not been lost on Lykos, but with that in mind, he had little else to say or do other than at least keep pushing forward at this point. Anything to restore what had been taken from him, anything to try and bring a renewed sense of peace with both of the packs he'd found. The Northern Pack might've remained his immediate family, even if he failed to remember or feel such inclinations, but the undeniable proof had been set before him when he'd gone through every lorestone provided by Telion.

And as for his Southern Pack? Well, they deserved more than suffering the trips back and forth between Kalzasi and Solunarium, even if hindsight played a role in them keeping their debt to him in the long run. Sure, he might've gone well out of his way to help them too, but Lykos would've done all that and more for their share of kindness. Debt or no debt, they'd proven to be worthy of a pack. This was why when Hilana looked up at him, in the spell-woven cloak from the citadel wrapped around her to keep her warm, the wolf could only softly smile with a steady hand resting on her shoulder.

"Not entirely." He admitted as there had been an innate fear he could not understand. A fear which implied uncertainty should this actually come together, and the return of his memories marked the beginning of something else he wasn't ready for. Genuinely, Lykos felt terrified deep down. Because whose to say he'd feel the same, or even close to what he felt before, once all that he'd Bargained away came flooding back? Who was to say that it wouldn't cost him, or the sisters even, something even more that he didn't deem worthy of trading for?

Although he seemed at least somewhat stoic on the exterior, deep down his heart shivered at the possibilities before him. An immense sense of uncertainty wracked through him just like the first time he stepped out from underneath that tree, and as of right now, Lykos wasn't sure how exactly he should feel about that as a draegir. "But I know the importance of going through with this, even if it puts you both in a bit of an uncomfortable position." He assured the both of them as he looked from Hilana to Athalia, a warmth in his eyes that matched the fondness he felt for both of them.

He would always be ever grateful for them both. "So, let's go do this." He expressed with a more determined gaze cast forward, resolute in seeking the answers that hopefully waited ahead of them.

[Hilana Chenzira]

It wasn’t so much a matter of pride as it was complete and utter racism. The loathing that they had for the Orkhan was visceral, but both Hilana and Athalia had learned early on when to stuff their feelings down and present themselves as polite, even warm and friendly. Considering their auras and symphonies were warded, it was easier to keep those feelings to themselves. The Karnorkhan were different than the Ecithian brutes, and that was something that they had to constantly remind themselves of.

But the repeated trips to and from Kalzasi meant that they were unavoidable, since they were determined to recover Lykos’ memories and facilitate his spending time with his original pack. While Hilana and Athalia usually stayed close by, they did try to give them some space too, inasmuch as Lykos was comfortable, and that meant sitting in a tea shop, or going shopping, or visiting around. As such, the sisters knew they had to grin and bear it.

In adversis etiam fida.

When the final member of the group arrived and was warmly greeted, the quartet crossed the road of the Guilded Expanse to the seer’s shop. Hilana knocked on the door, and stepped back. Her smile didn't falter when the Orcana opened the door. "Good morning," she greeted one of the hulking, green-skinned triad that was looking down at her and her gathered party from the admittedly massive doorway. "My name is Hilana, and I made an appointment last week for my friend," she indicated Lykos. The building on the outside had looked fairly typical of Kalzasern architecture, and inside, despite the inhabitants, was admittedly quite warm and inviting, especially with the chill that was in the air. This was the Northlands in the Frost, after all, and neither of the raven-haired women was used to anything this cold outside of the chamber at the Citadel.

"Good morning, and welcome. Do come in," the Arbiter offered a toothy smile, stepping back. The Seer's bodyguard and companion motioned them inside, and there was nowhere to go but in. There was no backing out of this, not now. Sometimes the only way out was through, Hilana reminded herself, and he needed to go through this. With luck... if the Founders were favourable... this could be successful.

There was incense burning, and Hilana could easily pick apart lemongrass and sandalwood, and she'd have to give the nod to aromatherapy - both of them were meant to promote good feelings and relaxation. The sandalwood lent itself to serenity and calmness, while the lemongrass helped to promote energy and concentration while easing stress and anxiety. It wasn't uncomfortably lit, with colourful lamps casting their glow around the wide room that they stepped in. The furniture was fairly substantial in terms of size, which did allow for multiple people to sit... or brute-sized Orcani to occupy it. The scaled woman led the way in through the foyer into the main room, where an Orcanus was sitting at the table, an enormous mug of tea held between two large, green hands. "Welcome," he greeted them. Where the Arbiter had been wearing tighter clothing that allowed for more movement, the Seer, with the extra eyes upon his forehead, each of them capable of looking around and independently at the party that now stood in the large, comforting room, wore a more comfortable kimono. "I am Ethril, and you have met Isdara. This is Tykal," the third member of the group was another solidly-built male Orcanus, who nodded his head to them from where he was sitting on a cushion, a large, oblong string instrument over his lap. The music stopped when he did, smiling at Ethril and then at the women and Lykos.

"Would you like some tea?" Isdara offered as Ethril motioned them forward to approach the furniture on the other side of the table at which the Seer was sitting. There was a seat for Lykos opposite of him, a dark cloth covering a large orb that rested on the table, and another padded bench for the ladies to situate themselves nearby, slightly off to the side. Hilana and Lia would accept the tea, with thanks, fortunately in smaller cups than those that their hosts would utilize, as Ethril regarded Lykos.

"You've lost your way a bit, haven't you? Off of one path and onto another, and now you've found a crossroads," he lowered his large mug of tea, offering Lykos a gentle smile. His white hair was braided, pulled back away from his face and multitude of eyes, surveying the Rathari.

[Rickter]

As the time had drawn near and they were about to meet with the Seer, the awaited arrival of their final member within the group approached shortly before entering. Telion. The blonde mother had sent word that she would meet with them here at this appointed time, and now that she had, Lykos could only smile as a means to greet her politely.

"I apologize, the twins weren't ready for me to leave yet." The mother greeted in turn with a gentle look in her eye, which led Lykos to provide an acknowledging nod in return. She'd worn a padded tunic reinforced with fur, and an undershirt woven out of wool for extra warmth. Draped from her shoulders was the teal cotton tunic trimmed with more fur, while a royal blue scarf remained wrapped around the base of her neck.

"That's alright. Glad you could make it." He expressed with a smile, though, truthfully he still felt unsure if he genuinely meant it. Going through this for himself may have seemed as general an inclination as any other, but somehow, Lykos felt that solving this puzzle helped more than just him. All his peers. The ones he'd clearly forgotten, and the ones who must've forgotten his old life in turn, meeting the Seer today was that effort to restore that for them.

What he may well redeem from this in the end was pretty scary, the longer his thoughts were spent on the idea didn't do him justice either. All he could do was remain focused on the path ahead, and hopefully, the missing blanks would fill in once they were all inside. Thus, Lykos nodded for Telion to accompany them going in, allowing the three ladies present to enter first before following them into the premises. Already the inviting warmth reminded him of the comfort mortals found from the cold, even so, the wolf did not feel the need to appreciate it when they were present in company. But in the end, he was certainly glad it'd restore some of his companion's comfort.

Truthfully, even if they weren't without good reason, the Vastiana sisters had given great effort to push forward. The history of their people was more than just colorful, thus, he naturally understood the challenge they likely found in maintaining their disposition. Thankfully he could sense that the atmosphere of the room, and the chosen incense certainly helped create that mood in turn. Truthfully, it looked to be as humble of an abode as any other. Then, of course, the welcome they received from the Seer brought about a bit more ease in Lykos' mind.

"Greetings." Lykos expressed with a courteous bow forward, Telion somehow echoing and mirroring him in sharing the cultural practice. With the offer of tea extended to them, Lykos' eyebrows rose a bit before he looked down at the mother next to him.

"I would appreciate some, thank you."

"As would I. Thanks." The wolf rightly chimed in as he knew it wouldn't be as delicious as Hilana's, but understanding enough that a bit of extra sugar would fix that. The blonde sat with the two sisters on the bench with a soft smile, her demeanor welcoming and friendly with them as she joined them with a sense of solidarity. Lykos himself felt a bit odd having taken the opposite seat of the Seer, though, it was him that they had come to seek answers about.

"I appreciate you seeing me, Ethril." He responded to the Seer after taking in each of their names, before the rather curious question had been asked concerning his path. This prompted a bit of thought from the lupine draegir, before he lowered his gaze from the eyes of the Orcanus in front of him. Had he really strayed so blatantly off course? Could it even be possible to amend such hardship after everything he'd already done? In a world where he had nothing but a moniker he'd found only two things in his world, the insurmountable uncertainty as to what remains to be seen, and the fact that who he was now would likely never be the same as before.

But what did truly await him at the end of this incredible journey? What Truth would be drawn from this situation when circumstances finally weighed all in? The stipulations he possessed did not have their answer, and yet, it was so tangibly close that he could only both yearn for it... and somehow dread it at the same time. "I suppose I have. Not easy to look ahead when there's a fork in the road." And somehow, the wolf found yet a poet within himself in embellishing that belief. He had so much to gain but also somehow something to lose, and at the end of the day, the wolf still had no idea where the cards would all fall into place.

Despite the number of eyes the white-haired Orkhan possessed, Lykos hardly seemed phased by such an appearance, if only from the impression still left upon him by the Stitchmother Herself.

[Talisman]

With tea dispensed, Isdara made herself comfortable between Tykal and Ethgril, though she was closer to the Seer than the other male Orkhan. The hair on her head was shorn but for a long, thick braid at the back, leaving the rest of her scalp tattooed with her story, though what that story was, none of the four guests were about to figure out or decipher. Tykal set his tea aside, and his fingers began to strum the many-stringed instrument draped across his lap once more. It was a gentle melody, soft and harmonious, as if it might help set the stage for what was to come. Their calm demeanour did nothing to ease the foreign sisters, who, at least, were as peaceable and collected as Lykos had ever seen them. The cups of tea were held between their hands, having been sipped and now were lowered to their laps in order to observe. Inasmuch as Hilana might have liked to activate her Semblance and study what all was going on here, she knew better than to do so. This wasn't the time to satisfy her own curiosity or attempt to; this was about Lykos and Lykos alone.

"It is my pleasure, Lykos, and you and your companions are welcome. I know that there is stress and concern, but be assured, no harm will come to any of you here. This is as safe a place as any you will find," he lowered his large teacup, having set it on the little side table rather than the one between him and the Rathari Draegir. "Everything that is said and uncovered here will be held with the deepest confidences. What you do with the information is up to you, but you have my word, on my honour and duty as a Seer, that our silence is promised." The object between the two of them on the table remained covered, at least, for the moment. There were other things that one had to discuss first. It would be better to have a more complete picture before they began.

That helped, at least a bit. Hilana and Lia knew that what had occurred was supposed to be kept silent, was not meant to be shared, and that discretion was of the utmost importance here. "Why don't you tell me about it? When it was, where it was, and what you know, as it is, about the incident that took your memory?" These were all important questions, defining moments about what it was that he wished to See, and they would need to be articulated and answered.

[Rickter]

The shared tea among guests was a welcome boon for those present, as Lykos wanted to make sure that every one of his companions were comfortable at the very least. They each worked hard to try and help him recover parts of his past, and endeavor to regain whatever pieces of himself he might rediscover along the way. Truthfully he cared deeply for the Vastiana sisters, so much so that he worried more for them than his own sake. But then again, they were all here to focus on him.

Answers. That's what this was about now. He nodded with appreciation toward Ethril at the welcome, confident in the Seer's word as he took a sip from his own cup of tea. Not quite sweet enough but he hid the disdain for bitterness with a patient smile, and placed his cup on the nearby table next to him as well. He didn't wish to rudely impose and blatantly place his cup on the table in front of him, especially since it seemed like a surface the Seer would utilize here soon.

"You have my deepest gratitude." He offered with a slight bow of his head forward, all the more at ease with knowing everything here would be held in the strictest confidence. While he was mostly eager to return as the official Lord of Frost to the North, Lykos had much ground to cover long before he deemed himself ready for such a responsibility. Piecing together his past and restoring what had been Bargained away played a vital role in this, but altogether, the aid of the Seer could only further spur this into action if the wolf could help in turn.

All that was needed was information. Insight into everything he understood and everything he could remember, down to the remnants of information he had collected from the other sources present. It was going to turn into a rather incredible tale, but all the same, Lykos already had an idea on where he had to start. "It had happened several months ago, during the tail end of First Bloom..." He started with an aversion to his gaze from the Seer, his focus on the recollection of events and how to best portray them initially.

He started with describing the moment when he'd first awakened, having no sense of self nor identity until after he'd met the Vastiana sisters. Lykos only took moments in between points of memory to highlight any important facts that came out, such as when he'd learned of Hilana's predicament within the Void, and the power that clearly would've came from him which had saved her upon being cast. Learning he was the Draegir of Frost had set the precedent for him and given him an angle to work with, but, learning more about himself required time and effort spent under the benediction of the Vastiana sisters.

Without their hospitality he certainly would not have been where he was right now, and from what shared reports he'd been given insight on, the isle with the frozen tree had been one of the four corners of the world connected to the Eclipse. While his role there remained ambiguous to determine, Lykos could ascertain that he was driven to protect the others present well enough. All that became ever more clearer when he focused on his magic during his stay there as well, pushing his theories about Negation well beyond their principle limits with his own take upon the craft.

Anything and everything that seemed important was shared, laid out in the open, from the time spent living in the sands of the Atraxian Expanse to the eventual return to Kalzasi. Lykos paid mind to his actual providers but omitted their involvement, bearing in mind that the would've rather be kept secret. The process spent gleaming who he was prior, from what few sources they could find, had only yielded little to further the advancement of restoration; and thus it ultimately boiled down to this personal quest itself. If he could find a means of restoring what he'd Bargained away, then it would restore not just his memories but the connections of those who'd also forgotten him. But the question at large remained how, as well as what might happen if he were to achieve this.

There were different angles at accomplishing this, that much he knew, but Lykos came to the Seer to consult him and find the best way of achieving this possible. "And so that's all there is I know." He then concluded with a rise of his eyes, the steady shift of his gaze settled on Ethril once more now that he'd explained all that he knew. Hopefully every question had been answered with enough detail, so that the Seer would be able to draw any informative conclusion of his own upon the matter. "I'm sorry I really don't have or know much else beyond that, as you can tell by now, it has been a monumental puzzle for myself to solve." He reckoned with a bit of a faint smile, his eyes still hopeful that something useful would be gleaned from all that was shared.

[Talisman]

The sisters listened to his recitation, though their faces were decidedly placid. As expressive as Hilana tended to be, that was probably a bit unnerving if Lykos had been observing her, but this taciturn expression was to keep herself bland to these Orkhan. "It was the 60th of Glade, this year," Hilana offered once Lykos had finished. Athalia remained silent, seeing no need to interject or supply more information. That which had been provided should certainly be enough. Both of them knew very little about Foresight, other than the fact that it was one of the Orcani triumvirate's Runes, and those that bore it were to be treated with the utmost suspicion and caution, if not reported to the appropriate authorities and otherwise avoided.

That was, of course, in Solunarium. Kalzasi was different altogether, and they were foreigners in these lands.

Ethril listened to Lykos' explanation, his many eyes unblinking as they were all focused on him. Having a date range helped, and an when an exact date was offered by one of the Vastian sisters, that was even better. "That was enough," he assured the Rathari demigod. He had his Subject sitting across from him, he now had about as complete a Purpose as one could hope for in this situation, and what was left was the Expression. And it was sitting between them now. One large hand reached up and grasped the edge of the eggplant-coloured velvet, gently winding it off of the object that it covered. The spherical object, now unveiled, turned out to be a rather large crystal ball. Large by anyone else's standards, really, but for Ethril, it looked like he would have no problems at all lifting it with his large hands. The orb itself looked perfectly smooth - there were no facets in it, no edges, just perfect roundness.

The Orkhan touched it gently with the backs of his fingers of one hand, and it went from being transparent to opaque, a slowly swirling mass of blues and purples, blacks and silvers, along with others, not unlike the aetherium that they had seen in the Wolf Cave where the Obelisk had been that they had cleansed Athalia's very soul from. He laid his hands upon the table on either side of the orb, palms up, looking at Lykos over it. His gaze was solemn. "We shall take a walk, you and I, and look at the Past. We will find what took you off of your initial path and onto this new adventure... and see what can be reconciled. Your hands, if you will," he offered the dark-haired man a reassuring smile, as one by one, the extra eyes on his head began to white out and glow.

[Rickter]

The lupine demigod nodded along with the addition of the date that Hilana had added in, giving their six-eyed Seer the exact point in time he'd need to focus on for his craft. Lykos himself would've done the same at the start of it all, but of course, time had only proven his enemy as well as his ally throughout this whole ordeal. While the first few days had been very disorienting for him, the adjustment into his new life had only enabled him to focus more on what was before him.

Thus the grasp on his past remained ever enigmatic to discern, luckily, from the sound of what the Orkhan had to say; there was plenty to work with concerning Lykos' story. The wolf could tell that his packmates remained amicable, if only to promote the endeavor that had been their continued journey. And while he would've liked to make sure they were more than just comfortable, the "walk" this Ethril was about to help him embark on took precedence for the time being.

It was strange, nearly foreign even, for Lykos to think of his past life beyond the point of awakening. But he knew, as he grew quickly aware, that he would be seeing more than just glimpses of a stranger's previous life. He would be seeing the events that brought him to this point himself, and learn to understand what motivations drove him prior to becoming Lykos. The shift in posture with the Seer marked the beginning of something new, something profound, which the lupine demigod wasn't sure he felt entirely prepared to do...

Nonetheless, the wolf knew from the depths of his soul that it was something that had to be done. There was something eerie to the practice of it all, the arts which the Seer would be using to engage in this walk into the past. History always taught one the weight of their mistakes, and though Lykos personally held no regret, he couldn't help but dread what Rickter might have left behind instead. Still, the wolf nodded and placed his callused palms over the hands of the Seer in front of him, the brush of rough skin over weathered skin a final affirmation to the act of joining this man on their journey.

Let's see what answers await us all... He encouraged himself as he still thought of Lana and Lia, and their part of the story that Lykos would soon likely see for himself for the first time.

[Talisman]

The Orcanus' two normal eyes were the last to white out, and when Lykos placed his hands over Ethril's outstretched ones, the touch between the two of them was warm and reassuring. As big as the Rathari was, the Seer was larger still, although he was still seated and had been since they had arrived. There was no further talking, only the gentle music that was being played by Tykal, as the other Orkhan easily plucked the strings. He did not add his voice to the melody; he was simply there to assist and hopefully encourage a sense of calm amongst the others there within. It was not hard for someone as attuned to moods as he was to know that the foreign women were deeply uncomfortable in these surroundings, but that could be attributed to many explanations.

The Seer was still as his gaze seemed to be aimed at the orb, but as his eyes had gone completely white, there was no knowing and no telling what all he was focused on as he sank into a trance. The large, crystalline orb between Ethril and Lykos seemed to come to life, and the brilliant colours seemed to be blown away as easily as a leaf might be in a gust of wind, and what was in its place was an endless stretch of golden sands. The Atraxian Expanse, the seemingly infinite desert that the Vastiana sisters called home. "Glade 60, in the 123rd Year in the Age of Steel," Ethril's voice seemed so close and yet so far away. He was sitting directly across from Lykos, but his lips hadn't seemed to move, but he had heard him speak, clear as day, with his enhanced hearing.

From the orb between them at the table, he felt the heat. The heat that he was familiar with after spending the last couple of seasons out there - it was like he was back home at the Citadel, sitting with Lia under a shade, studying the books that he had been provided. It was oppressive compared to the much more frigid temperatures of Kalzasi, since he had gotten used to it, and he had spent more time there than not... The aridity was accompanied by the scent of spices - spices that he was well familiar with from Hilana's cooking.

"Solunarium. Blazing glory... fire and blood... gold and shadow... horizonless sands... endless heat... the other end of the world... ferried to the burning desert from the frozen northlands..." He could see himself, then, on the sands, with two more figures - both of them Vastii, resembling the sisters who had been with him since that fated day. One of them was shrouded with a more opaque, whitish-purple mist, while the other sported chains and tethers of black, stretching far beyond what the orb was showing them. Hilana, with the way she had become the anchor to a ghost, and Athalia, fresh from the Void. The Void that was not willing to release her so easily. "But further back we must go..."

The surface of the orb changed, as the sands turned to snow, and the both of them could hear the sound of wolves howling as the searing heat was replaced with a far more friendly gust of icy cold. The scents were different, a fresh, cold crispness, pine, and forests. The figures in the sand were replaced with a number of wolves, the great many of them that had been watching them emerge from the tree onto Wolf Island, including the female with the pups. "Does this look familiar to you, Lord of the Frost?"

[Rickter]

The gaze of the lupine draegir would alternate between the crystalline orb between them, and then the Orcanus whose eyes became clouded with a milky white as his gift shone through. What Lykos was seeing firsthand was the power of a Seer as he plied his craft, searching for the date that had been provided to him as the memories seem to glimmer to the surface of the orb. It felt strange honestly to see such magic at work before him, so much so that it was enough for Lykos to nearly consider utilizing his own secondary vision. Semblance was not necessary in this instance, of course, as he needn't search for any proof of perfidy or misdirection.

What the wolf bore witness before him was the real thing, even his nose could register that subtle scent of magic resonating from the crystal. As sharp as it remained to trace such signatures, it did not, however, aid him in the process of recovering his memories in the long run. Not like what the Seer was about to do now, as he guessed, when visions of the southern sands suggested the second home he had found after awakening.

It became evident to Lykos that Ethril was scrying into His own history now, and a sense of mystique bubbled within the wolf as he continued to observe. Some would've considered this sense of shamanism similarly or differently, depending on where in the world they originated from to say the least. The familiarity of the sands though, as the heat introduced, nearly took the wolf back to the very moment he first experienced the Atraxian Expanse for himself.

It had been a time that heavily revolved around the supervision and care of the two sisters he'd grown fond of. Though, of course, the images cast within the orb before him had prompted curiosity at best. Hilana's form appeared to be marked with the presence of aetherial chains, which weren't at all too unfamiliar, once Lykos recalled the moment he'd felt such similar bindings lancet into him upon a sole vow. Athalia on the other hand still bore the presence of the Void, although, now it remained understood that he had cleansed her of such an intricate bond. It became my home. For a time at least... He shared as Ethril's voice echoed within his own thoughts, the space between them shared through the minds that scoured his recent past.

Having set her free by cleansing her very soul, the wolf understood now more than ever, that Ethril wasn't simply scrying into the history at all... He was diving into it, searching for a point in time where all things would finally begin to connect once more. Which means... As unphased by the shifts in the air between them, and the impressions in which memories beckoned a shift in their perceptions, Lykos' focus on reality altered when he realized where the memories within began to shift toward. The crystalline tree. Situated on a lonely frost-coated island all the way to the northside of Lake Udori.

Imagery of the island carried out with the sound of howling that filled Lykos' ears, even if there were no such other great beasts sharing the same room with him. Hounds of the north had mourned something the day he'd awoken, something that they knew had been lost in the name of Sacrifice. Lykos did not understand it that day, not as much as he almost did now, as that lingering sadness he felt somehow rose deep in the confines of his chest. It was not hard to answer the question that followed at all, not when his memories of that time still remained fresh to this day. It happened as we left the roots of the tree, the day the sisters had found me unconscious in the stone room.

He imparted as the curiosity seeped deep into his core, but the contours of his face stiffened to show a clenched jaw. As the mournful howls of the North echoed in his mind, the chilling sounds of titters were followed by a waterfall of arachnids skittering down walls. Lykos swallowed hard as he knew the moment of truth was finally at hand, the point in time that he had remained ever so uncertain about even with all the facts laid out before him. The Bargain. The presence of the Stitchmother Herself when she had been in the room, even if it had been just her silhouette that had manifested within the confines of the orb.

This is when it all began for me. The Wolf murmured within his own thoughts as he briefly closed his eyes, recollecting the very first few moments before he stirred. He had felt hollowed and completely drained, devoid of any sense of self before he came to. Nothing remained of himself until Hilana stirred him into action, and brought him to a mental point of clarity when he'd finally received his new name. Lykos. It had been what defined him, what gave him the identity he needed to carry himself forward, even after he had lost literally everything about himself shortly prior.

This is the moment that I've searched for repeatedly... And even so, it had also became the moment he feared the most.