On Frigid Shores
Frost 1st, 124th Year, A.o.S.
According to the spirit of ice that had sought Him out, Lake Udori had been steadily growing worse over the course of the year. A corruption had seeped into the waters that seemed arcane in nature, which was good for Rickter since his powers could allow that to be resolved. But still, to learn that after what had happened after such a long time, and that the root cause of it was none other than an overwhelming saturation of aether into the environment.
The Dread Mist storms that day weren't so catastrophic as a result, but naturally, the extra dosage of raw aether into the environment after what took place... Damn him... Rickter detested with an annoyed gaze out across the surface of Lake Udori, the waters along the shoreline already capped with ice from the frigid temperatures blanketing the North. Yet with a sembled gaze outward to the center of Lake Udori, one could see the tainted waters ripe with aether, slowly poisoning the environment as every trace of life within slowly lulled into a dormant state.
This had been the perfect time of the year to do this, given that Rickter had felt the full return of his powers as the Frost King. Standing along the snowy shore now though in just the fur vest and greaves he often preferred to wear, his companions Telion and Hannah had donned their warm leathers as they too had accompanied him as planned. Hannah stood with her arms folded with one another beneath her chest, while Telion rested her arms behind her back with a hand loosely gripped around her other wrist.
Both women watched him patiently, but Telion could tell by the feeling of the air, that something was certainly off when they came to visit the Lake. "Something isn't right here... What is that, Rickter?" The mother inquired with a concerned gaze upon him, Hannah, in turn, fidgeting her fingers along her arm as she slightly frowned.
"It's aether corruption." He flatly answered without looking away, bearing witness to the extreme traces that radiated throughout the water. Much of the marine life would have already been seeped by it as well, gradually poisoning everything within the immediate zone of exposure. What's worse, however, is that the contamination had spread far and wide. Nearly the entire lake would've likely been exposed to this taint by now, all because of an irresponsible decision a friend made during a pivotal battle of attrition. Rickter could only sigh.
He would have to give Hikami a rather stern earful about this later. For now, though, he needed to deal with the immediate issue... before real problems began to develop within the ecosystem, and in turn, affect Kalzasi in ways proportionally disastrous later down the line. Do you hear them? The floating ice spirit next to Rickter beckoned. The water denizens, they cry out even now.
It did not surprise Rickter that the spirit was so concerned about this, as even other elementals would've had difficulty assuaging such potent aether. This has festered within the lake for under a year now. Lykos noted as he'd undoubtedly recalled the memory of when the black hydra first appeared. Given that other corruptive influences were bleeding out of the lake before, I can't imagine this prolonged exposure will be easy to recover from.
But if cleansed now, then there could still be a chance to save everything. Even perhaps expedite the recovery process a bit. Rickter reasoned with himself as he gripped the left bicep thoughtfully, Telion and Hannah noticing the heavy consideration in his gaze.
Absolutely. It'll take a hefty portion of our aether reserves but... The pause in Lykos' voice left Rickter to ponder, but the confidence in his tone thereafter brought a smirk to the wolf's lips. We can do this. Exactly what he wanted to hear from his other half, given Rickter was determined to give it a go regardless if it fell within their limitations or not.
"Rickter?" Telion inquired softly as she waited to hear what the wolf had to say, that was when he glanced softly to the blonde, before looking to Hannah with a solution in mind.
"Hannah." He started as she shifted on her legs a bit, altering her pose so that she appeared receptive to him in turn.
"What's on your mind, Wolfman?"
"Could you do me the favor of porting back to the manor? I need you and Telion to ask the cooks to set up a fairly large dinner for tonight." He requested of her with a gentleness often not seen toward others, marking this as a genuine moment of sincerity toward the companions he kept close by.
"Planning for a hectic work day? Or are we inviting some new spiritual friends over for dinner?" Her humor hadn't been lost on him, given what Rickter planned definitely required substantial energy he'd need to recover later.
"Definitely a long day ahead. Besides getting a large dinner ready for tonight, I'll also need you and Telion to grab the scrivening supplies we have in the office." He looked to Telion then, a hopeful look in his gaze as he believed in her ability to do this next task. "You're ability to network wards together is just as important in this, my love, so I'll need you to set up for anchor points across the Lake. One for each compass direction, coordinating the flow of aether into a well that draws in the ambient aether."
"Wha- whoa! Hang on Rickter!" Telion started with the raise of a finger toward him. "You're the better scrivener than I, so why exactly do you need me on this in particular?"
"The focal points in question will only need inscription that drawn in aether flow, it doesn't have to be anything impressive or complex in nature." He elaborated with a steady shift of his gaze toward the center of the lake. "Besides, what you'll be drawing in isn't just ambient aether. It'll be my aether as it spreads across the lake."
"Care to tell me how this will help the lake then?" Telion inquired softly with a bit of confusion in her tone, still grasping at what exactly Rickter's intentions were here.
"In theory, I'll be releasing doses of aether in portions. Large portions actually... So I'll be a bit occupied covering as much of the lake as I possibly can. As I'm doing that the aether itself will be instilled with Negation, which will be catered to the task of cleansing the lake entirely of this corruption."
"So in other words, we're drawing out your aether to mitigate any further corruption from the shores." Hannah realized with a thoughtful raise of her eyebrow, her gaze now on the distant shores far into the horizon.
"I see now," Telion remarked with a bit of enthusiasm in her tone, "that's clever actually. Not only that but it tackles the issue with efficiency and resolution in mind." The healer looked to her wolf approvingly with affection in her eyes. "Very well, we shall not be too long! Don't get a headstart on us, okay?"
"No promises." The wolf teased his companions as Telion could only chuckle, while Hannah approached the blonde and wrapped an arm over her shoulder.
"We'll be back soon, be a good boy now!" The brunette teased as the air around her fizzled for a moment, and then in the mere second of a blink, the two were already gone before Rickter's very eyes. He couldn't help but both smirk and frown somehow, only because Hannah knew how much that actually bugged him at times. But of course, the inclination to wag a tail that wasn't there still quivered at the base of his spine.
Well that never gets old. Lykos mused with a few chuckles of his own in Rickter's mind.
Fuck off!
Perhaps later, right now, we've important matters to attend. The wolf wasn't impressed with his other half's candor, but he did wholly agree with the fact of the statement at hand.
Aye. Rickter looked from the lake to the spirt still next to him, a calm gaze found in his warm and patient demeanor. I'll need your help as well, yours and any remaining spirits within or around the lake.
What would you ask of us, my Lord?
If any other wind, ice, and especially water spirits are still lurking around the heavily contaminated areas, then have them absorb and distill the aether I'll be sharing further across the lake. He requested politely as he watched the ice spirit's core vibrate excitedly. The aether in question will remedy any impurities you and the other spirits have bathed in for so long, and will also help the ecosystem cleanse itself of any remaining residuals within the lake.
They'll be happy to carry out this task! At once my Liege! The diamond dust coursing through the spirits metaphysical body surged, and within a moment after, the light of the spirit diminished as it scattered into the winds around them. Leaving Rickter alone now as he turned his gaze back to the center of the lake.
Alrighty then. Let's see how this goes. He thought quietly with the inclination to knock on wood somewhere, hopeful that what he was about to try might actually work out in the end. Thus, Rickter began his long and quiet trek across the lake's surface, walking on water as he made a gradual beeline toward Frostfang Isle near the center of the lake.
Frost 1st, 124th Year, A.o.S.
According to the spirit of ice that had sought Him out, Lake Udori had been steadily growing worse over the course of the year. A corruption had seeped into the waters that seemed arcane in nature, which was good for Rickter since his powers could allow that to be resolved. But still, to learn that after what had happened after such a long time, and that the root cause of it was none other than an overwhelming saturation of aether into the environment.
The Dread Mist storms that day weren't so catastrophic as a result, but naturally, the extra dosage of raw aether into the environment after what took place... Damn him... Rickter detested with an annoyed gaze out across the surface of Lake Udori, the waters along the shoreline already capped with ice from the frigid temperatures blanketing the North. Yet with a sembled gaze outward to the center of Lake Udori, one could see the tainted waters ripe with aether, slowly poisoning the environment as every trace of life within slowly lulled into a dormant state.
This had been the perfect time of the year to do this, given that Rickter had felt the full return of his powers as the Frost King. Standing along the snowy shore now though in just the fur vest and greaves he often preferred to wear, his companions Telion and Hannah had donned their warm leathers as they too had accompanied him as planned. Hannah stood with her arms folded with one another beneath her chest, while Telion rested her arms behind her back with a hand loosely gripped around her other wrist.
Both women watched him patiently, but Telion could tell by the feeling of the air, that something was certainly off when they came to visit the Lake. "Something isn't right here... What is that, Rickter?" The mother inquired with a concerned gaze upon him, Hannah, in turn, fidgeting her fingers along her arm as she slightly frowned.
"It's aether corruption." He flatly answered without looking away, bearing witness to the extreme traces that radiated throughout the water. Much of the marine life would have already been seeped by it as well, gradually poisoning everything within the immediate zone of exposure. What's worse, however, is that the contamination had spread far and wide. Nearly the entire lake would've likely been exposed to this taint by now, all because of an irresponsible decision a friend made during a pivotal battle of attrition. Rickter could only sigh.
He would have to give Hikami a rather stern earful about this later. For now, though, he needed to deal with the immediate issue... before real problems began to develop within the ecosystem, and in turn, affect Kalzasi in ways proportionally disastrous later down the line. Do you hear them? The floating ice spirit next to Rickter beckoned. The water denizens, they cry out even now.
It did not surprise Rickter that the spirit was so concerned about this, as even other elementals would've had difficulty assuaging such potent aether. This has festered within the lake for under a year now. Lykos noted as he'd undoubtedly recalled the memory of when the black hydra first appeared. Given that other corruptive influences were bleeding out of the lake before, I can't imagine this prolonged exposure will be easy to recover from.
But if cleansed now, then there could still be a chance to save everything. Even perhaps expedite the recovery process a bit. Rickter reasoned with himself as he gripped the left bicep thoughtfully, Telion and Hannah noticing the heavy consideration in his gaze.
Absolutely. It'll take a hefty portion of our aether reserves but... The pause in Lykos' voice left Rickter to ponder, but the confidence in his tone thereafter brought a smirk to the wolf's lips. We can do this. Exactly what he wanted to hear from his other half, given Rickter was determined to give it a go regardless if it fell within their limitations or not.
"Rickter?" Telion inquired softly as she waited to hear what the wolf had to say, that was when he glanced softly to the blonde, before looking to Hannah with a solution in mind.
"Hannah." He started as she shifted on her legs a bit, altering her pose so that she appeared receptive to him in turn.
"What's on your mind, Wolfman?"
"Could you do me the favor of porting back to the manor? I need you and Telion to ask the cooks to set up a fairly large dinner for tonight." He requested of her with a gentleness often not seen toward others, marking this as a genuine moment of sincerity toward the companions he kept close by.
"Planning for a hectic work day? Or are we inviting some new spiritual friends over for dinner?" Her humor hadn't been lost on him, given what Rickter planned definitely required substantial energy he'd need to recover later.
"Definitely a long day ahead. Besides getting a large dinner ready for tonight, I'll also need you and Telion to grab the scrivening supplies we have in the office." He looked to Telion then, a hopeful look in his gaze as he believed in her ability to do this next task. "You're ability to network wards together is just as important in this, my love, so I'll need you to set up for anchor points across the Lake. One for each compass direction, coordinating the flow of aether into a well that draws in the ambient aether."
"Wha- whoa! Hang on Rickter!" Telion started with the raise of a finger toward him. "You're the better scrivener than I, so why exactly do you need me on this in particular?"
"The focal points in question will only need inscription that drawn in aether flow, it doesn't have to be anything impressive or complex in nature." He elaborated with a steady shift of his gaze toward the center of the lake. "Besides, what you'll be drawing in isn't just ambient aether. It'll be my aether as it spreads across the lake."
"Care to tell me how this will help the lake then?" Telion inquired softly with a bit of confusion in her tone, still grasping at what exactly Rickter's intentions were here.
"In theory, I'll be releasing doses of aether in portions. Large portions actually... So I'll be a bit occupied covering as much of the lake as I possibly can. As I'm doing that the aether itself will be instilled with Negation, which will be catered to the task of cleansing the lake entirely of this corruption."
"So in other words, we're drawing out your aether to mitigate any further corruption from the shores." Hannah realized with a thoughtful raise of her eyebrow, her gaze now on the distant shores far into the horizon.
"I see now," Telion remarked with a bit of enthusiasm in her tone, "that's clever actually. Not only that but it tackles the issue with efficiency and resolution in mind." The healer looked to her wolf approvingly with affection in her eyes. "Very well, we shall not be too long! Don't get a headstart on us, okay?"
"No promises." The wolf teased his companions as Telion could only chuckle, while Hannah approached the blonde and wrapped an arm over her shoulder.
"We'll be back soon, be a good boy now!" The brunette teased as the air around her fizzled for a moment, and then in the mere second of a blink, the two were already gone before Rickter's very eyes. He couldn't help but both smirk and frown somehow, only because Hannah knew how much that actually bugged him at times. But of course, the inclination to wag a tail that wasn't there still quivered at the base of his spine.
Well that never gets old. Lykos mused with a few chuckles of his own in Rickter's mind.
Fuck off!
Perhaps later, right now, we've important matters to attend. The wolf wasn't impressed with his other half's candor, but he did wholly agree with the fact of the statement at hand.
Aye. Rickter looked from the lake to the spirt still next to him, a calm gaze found in his warm and patient demeanor. I'll need your help as well, yours and any remaining spirits within or around the lake.
What would you ask of us, my Lord?
If any other wind, ice, and especially water spirits are still lurking around the heavily contaminated areas, then have them absorb and distill the aether I'll be sharing further across the lake. He requested politely as he watched the ice spirit's core vibrate excitedly. The aether in question will remedy any impurities you and the other spirits have bathed in for so long, and will also help the ecosystem cleanse itself of any remaining residuals within the lake.
They'll be happy to carry out this task! At once my Liege! The diamond dust coursing through the spirits metaphysical body surged, and within a moment after, the light of the spirit diminished as it scattered into the winds around them. Leaving Rickter alone now as he turned his gaze back to the center of the lake.
Alrighty then. Let's see how this goes. He thought quietly with the inclination to knock on wood somewhere, hopeful that what he was about to try might actually work out in the end. Thus, Rickter began his long and quiet trek across the lake's surface, walking on water as he made a gradual beeline toward Frostfang Isle near the center of the lake.
