Cleansed Waters
Frost 1st, 124th Year, A.o.S.
A minimum of a few hours had passed by once Rickter had reached the center of the lake, a spot on Frostfang Isle's shore made to serve as his medium where he'd sat and meditated for a while. By now the other two were likely wrapping up their scrivening project and already coordinated where the best focal points were around the lake's shores. Rickter already knew that Telion and Hannah would work with great efficiency, given how they would apply Traversion amongst themselves to cover more ground separately.
That and the usage of a Window portal allowed them to check in from time to time, granting Rickter progressive updates on their end until it finally came for the two to split up. In the meantime, he had patiently focused on himself and the reserves aether welling up from within. Lykos had been the proverbial voice of reason in his head on how he was to go about this, and how it would be best to apply his uncanny talents with the Rune of Negation at his disposal.
It was more than just a coordinated effort on his end, of course, what Rickter would have to do is literally saturate the environment with his own aether. And to do that he'd need that hefty amount as considered before, to make him as the anchor which would instill the surplus amount of aether across the lake as a whole. How he would cover that in the span of hours instead of days though?
Well, Kinetics would be useful here but he would have to be clever about it, which in part, was where Lykos had given Rickter the better idea on how he would venture across the lake during this process. Never would have thought of trying that out, but that actually adds up better than I anticipated.
"It only takes a slight application of acceleration within your natural aether flow. After that, you should only be focused on releasing aether as you run." The wolf within elaborated as Rickter looked out across the lake water, his hands brought up from his knees as he started to press them firmly together.
Thank you, Lykos. RIckter then lowered his head almost as if bowed in prayer, the rune on his left deltoid briefly shimmering before the iridescent lights trailed out across his skin.
For what exactly? The inner wolf's tone reflected confusion with curiosity mixed within.
Just a general appreciation is all. Rickter admitted as he focused on the aether coursing throughout his veins. No matter the circumstance you always apply yourself in the best way you can. Your perceptions and insights are always a welcome boon as well, plus it just feels better acknowledging your part in all this... rather than thinking its something I've handled on my own.
Well, I'm flattered and appreciate you as well, Rickter. The reciprocation of a compliment nearly brought a faint smile on Rickter's lips, as he channeled aether all throughout his being before centering it through his pressed palms in turn. With each steady breath, the wolf allowed the aether-saturated air to fill his lungs, causing the aether within him to stir from the excess traces permeating the air.
With the release of his breath, the carbonated air he exhaled contained traces of the same aether he personally channeled, giving the vapor moisture from his breath a faint glow before dissipating away entirely. Rickter felt his reserves dwindle gradually as every ounce of what he poured into the anchor vibrated heavily between his palms. With a slow pull of his hands, he opened his eyes to observe the anchor's formation in question, already pleased with the excess amount that had been bled into it to create the Overcharge effect he desired.
It's a good thing a hefty dinner would be waiting for him when he got back home, because Rickter could already feel the demanding urges of a weary hunger cling to his muscles. But that would have to wait for now, as he had to press his hands back together against the anchor. Applying such pressure caused every bit of aether within to flow against him, coating him with the effect as he focused on the ambient aether corrupting the lake water surrounding the isle. It was a signature he could easily identify just by his nose alone, but the visual observation still did help in instilling the ward's design.
A necessary task if he were to cleanse the lake of this pollution.
Feeling his entire form coated with the overcharged anchor, Rickter then shifted to rise on his feet and stand tall, his toes alternatively pressed at each heel to slide a foot out of each boot. Shedding the rest of his article of clothing the wolf stood bare before the surface of the lake, sensing that the waters beneath the shoreline ice caps were stirring within. Time to move. He confirmed with a bend of his knees, while using his hands to catch himself during the process of transformation.
Skin rippled and bones briefly cracked but not as frequently as they used to, as the push forward allowed him to pedal onto what became his forepaws while the rest of his body shifted. Black fur glistened in the afternoon sun then, the aether coursing over his form almost radiant now that he stood on all fours as the great beast he truly was. The Black Wolf. The North Wind. This was his task and duty now, to cleanse and purify that which had become tainted. As the winds gently blew in from the Astralar Mountain range, Rickter knew the rest would fall into play once he finally started his task.
Thus, with a pedal outward toward the surface of shifting water, the wolf bolted into a dash that led him to tread water and ice initially. And then, within three clicks of his initial run, only water splashed beneath the kick of his paws. And with each kick to run across the surface of the lake, Rickter bled the warded aether radiating from his body into the waters beneath him. Starting off in a linear path that would see him make a turn from south to southwest, and then southwest to west, Rickter's curve of trajectory hastened to the point where he no longer simply ran across the water.
He skipped into a pounce that carried him further along the surface than simple running, channeling the rest of his reserves to receive a boost of acceleration with Kinetics. Once he felt that application of aether rush through him, the wolf literally took off with every bounce made across the lake's surface. Instead of just covering mere feet he'd covered meters within seconds, bounding on a curved path away from the isle toward the larger-bodied masses of water itself. Everywhere he stepped, everywhere he landed, had all been touched by his divine aether now.
Slowly but gradually, Lake Udori started to glimmer with spots of aether, growing brighter and brighter as these spots further spread out. The coverage of the lake grew exponentially then, something Rickter suspected himself able to handle, but now the real test of this challenge would come into play. Sure enough, the denizens of the lake would all respond to his progress, the wolf's coverage already consisting of the westward body and shoreline. In carrying onward, Rickter felt the winds dip and rise to help spread the aether particles he left behind around, as wind elementals carried the warded aether further outward.
Water elementals soon distributed it further within the deeper regions of the lake, seeping themselves in the divine radiation before diving further within. Time progressed and Rickter continued onward, feeling the rush of wind and water as they both carried him along together. Every bit of aether instilled on him continually pulsed outward into the lake, targeting the corruption that had seeped within it for so long, and activating Osmose to absorb and completely nullify its presence from within Lake Udori itself.
North by Northwest now. At this point, it would likely be known if not surely visible, that something on the lake was taking place as of now. The surface of the water shimmered with traces of intensive aether, the particles that were poisoning it before now dissipating away entirely from the presence of his own aether. Rickter had felt the weariness in his muscles increase and the hunger doubling at this point, but he was only halfway through this important process of purification. You can do this, keep moving and remain strong!
I've got this. Rickter confirmed in confidence with his other side, assuring himself and Lykos that the deed would be finished before the day's end. As the sun continued to descend and reach the highest peaks of the Astralar, Rickter's coverage went from over half to near nine-tenths of the lake. By that point in time the focal areas Telion and Hannah had established were already well-maintained and active. Therefore the ambient aether Rickter released into the environment only continued to spread and cover what remained of Lake Udori.
As he reached the southern shore where the two awaited him once more, the last bit of aether charging his anchor distilled into the waters beneath him. The black wolf had lost the shimmering effect once he arrived at his companion's location, leading him to appear as just the massive umbral beast he usually appeared as once they saw him. "Here he comes!" Hannah pointed out as Rickter realized she and Telion had brought out the twins, both were bundled in plushy fur coats to keep from feeling too much of the cold in the air.
Naturally, the boys were just as excited, if not more, to see their father approaching even in wolf form. With jubilant shrieks of glee, Rickter shifted to where he rose on his hind legs and reverted his form. With another smooth transition of muscular and joint pops, he was a bare man before his family once more, with Telion handing out his fur gear with her free hand in turn. It was likely she or Hannah retrieved it for him, even so, he grinned at the woman appreciatively before moving to slip the fur-lined trousers on. "Look at you! Both of you actually!"
The chirp of feigned surprise elicited cackles from the boys, as Rickter fastened the strap to his trousers before reaching out to take Isaac from his mother. "Did you get to see all that? Did you watch daddy while he worked?"
"Only for the last thirty minutes, the boys wanted to know where their papa went!" Telion elaborated with a finger prodded at Isaac's belly to tickle him, before she shared her attention on Kendrick as well, now that Hannah approached the parents at present.
"Pretty impressive stuff, Rickter." The rogue commended with a noticing glance at the lake water, the shimmering on the surface somewhat faded but still present. "How long do you think until it's completely purified?"
"Completely?" The wolf remarked with a playful raspberry blow on the side of Isaac's head, causing the boy to squeal more as he held the boy close to his chest. "Hard to say. The effects will fade out in a few days if not sooner, but as for the lake, the water spirits bathed in the aether are likely saturating the depths with it now."
"Well, needless to say, I'm sure the whole city will be buzzing about what they saw."
"It's always difficult to ignore a light show when such a thing occurs." The wolf remarked as he continued playing with Isaac, pretending to drop him every now and then just to keep the boy excited. "Regardless of what people say, the important fact is Lake Udori is cleansed now. The marine life within it can now fully heal with given time."
"Speaking of which," Telion started as she bounced Kendrick around in her arms now, "the cooks should all be wrapping up dinner right about now. You ready to go back and eat?"
"I'm actually unbelievably famished after that, so, yes dinner would be great about now." The wolf admitted as he felt his stomach gnawing from the inside, demanding sustenance now that weariness had completely settled in his bones.
"Good!" Telion cheered with a joyful smile toward Hannah in response. "Let's go home then."
"Fine by me." Hannah agreed as she turned to gesture a hand outward, already weaving a portal through Slipspace for them back at the manor.
"My thoughts exactly." Rickter also agreed as the portal opened to reveal the manor on the other side. Shortly after crossing over, the pack would return to his home to begin eating their next meal, with Rickter obviously requiring a rather generously large portion to regain his spent reserves. As for the lake itself, the waters would continue to shimmer even just a little, as the pristine state of the lake would soon reach full consistency toward the lakebed of Udori.
Frost 1st, 124th Year, A.o.S.
A minimum of a few hours had passed by once Rickter had reached the center of the lake, a spot on Frostfang Isle's shore made to serve as his medium where he'd sat and meditated for a while. By now the other two were likely wrapping up their scrivening project and already coordinated where the best focal points were around the lake's shores. Rickter already knew that Telion and Hannah would work with great efficiency, given how they would apply Traversion amongst themselves to cover more ground separately.
That and the usage of a Window portal allowed them to check in from time to time, granting Rickter progressive updates on their end until it finally came for the two to split up. In the meantime, he had patiently focused on himself and the reserves aether welling up from within. Lykos had been the proverbial voice of reason in his head on how he was to go about this, and how it would be best to apply his uncanny talents with the Rune of Negation at his disposal.
It was more than just a coordinated effort on his end, of course, what Rickter would have to do is literally saturate the environment with his own aether. And to do that he'd need that hefty amount as considered before, to make him as the anchor which would instill the surplus amount of aether across the lake as a whole. How he would cover that in the span of hours instead of days though?
Well, Kinetics would be useful here but he would have to be clever about it, which in part, was where Lykos had given Rickter the better idea on how he would venture across the lake during this process. Never would have thought of trying that out, but that actually adds up better than I anticipated.
"It only takes a slight application of acceleration within your natural aether flow. After that, you should only be focused on releasing aether as you run." The wolf within elaborated as Rickter looked out across the lake water, his hands brought up from his knees as he started to press them firmly together.
Thank you, Lykos. RIckter then lowered his head almost as if bowed in prayer, the rune on his left deltoid briefly shimmering before the iridescent lights trailed out across his skin.
For what exactly? The inner wolf's tone reflected confusion with curiosity mixed within.
Just a general appreciation is all. Rickter admitted as he focused on the aether coursing throughout his veins. No matter the circumstance you always apply yourself in the best way you can. Your perceptions and insights are always a welcome boon as well, plus it just feels better acknowledging your part in all this... rather than thinking its something I've handled on my own.
Well, I'm flattered and appreciate you as well, Rickter. The reciprocation of a compliment nearly brought a faint smile on Rickter's lips, as he channeled aether all throughout his being before centering it through his pressed palms in turn. With each steady breath, the wolf allowed the aether-saturated air to fill his lungs, causing the aether within him to stir from the excess traces permeating the air.
With the release of his breath, the carbonated air he exhaled contained traces of the same aether he personally channeled, giving the vapor moisture from his breath a faint glow before dissipating away entirely. Rickter felt his reserves dwindle gradually as every ounce of what he poured into the anchor vibrated heavily between his palms. With a slow pull of his hands, he opened his eyes to observe the anchor's formation in question, already pleased with the excess amount that had been bled into it to create the Overcharge effect he desired.
It's a good thing a hefty dinner would be waiting for him when he got back home, because Rickter could already feel the demanding urges of a weary hunger cling to his muscles. But that would have to wait for now, as he had to press his hands back together against the anchor. Applying such pressure caused every bit of aether within to flow against him, coating him with the effect as he focused on the ambient aether corrupting the lake water surrounding the isle. It was a signature he could easily identify just by his nose alone, but the visual observation still did help in instilling the ward's design.
A necessary task if he were to cleanse the lake of this pollution.
Feeling his entire form coated with the overcharged anchor, Rickter then shifted to rise on his feet and stand tall, his toes alternatively pressed at each heel to slide a foot out of each boot. Shedding the rest of his article of clothing the wolf stood bare before the surface of the lake, sensing that the waters beneath the shoreline ice caps were stirring within. Time to move. He confirmed with a bend of his knees, while using his hands to catch himself during the process of transformation.
Skin rippled and bones briefly cracked but not as frequently as they used to, as the push forward allowed him to pedal onto what became his forepaws while the rest of his body shifted. Black fur glistened in the afternoon sun then, the aether coursing over his form almost radiant now that he stood on all fours as the great beast he truly was. The Black Wolf. The North Wind. This was his task and duty now, to cleanse and purify that which had become tainted. As the winds gently blew in from the Astralar Mountain range, Rickter knew the rest would fall into play once he finally started his task.
Thus, with a pedal outward toward the surface of shifting water, the wolf bolted into a dash that led him to tread water and ice initially. And then, within three clicks of his initial run, only water splashed beneath the kick of his paws. And with each kick to run across the surface of the lake, Rickter bled the warded aether radiating from his body into the waters beneath him. Starting off in a linear path that would see him make a turn from south to southwest, and then southwest to west, Rickter's curve of trajectory hastened to the point where he no longer simply ran across the water.
He skipped into a pounce that carried him further along the surface than simple running, channeling the rest of his reserves to receive a boost of acceleration with Kinetics. Once he felt that application of aether rush through him, the wolf literally took off with every bounce made across the lake's surface. Instead of just covering mere feet he'd covered meters within seconds, bounding on a curved path away from the isle toward the larger-bodied masses of water itself. Everywhere he stepped, everywhere he landed, had all been touched by his divine aether now.
Slowly but gradually, Lake Udori started to glimmer with spots of aether, growing brighter and brighter as these spots further spread out. The coverage of the lake grew exponentially then, something Rickter suspected himself able to handle, but now the real test of this challenge would come into play. Sure enough, the denizens of the lake would all respond to his progress, the wolf's coverage already consisting of the westward body and shoreline. In carrying onward, Rickter felt the winds dip and rise to help spread the aether particles he left behind around, as wind elementals carried the warded aether further outward.
Water elementals soon distributed it further within the deeper regions of the lake, seeping themselves in the divine radiation before diving further within. Time progressed and Rickter continued onward, feeling the rush of wind and water as they both carried him along together. Every bit of aether instilled on him continually pulsed outward into the lake, targeting the corruption that had seeped within it for so long, and activating Osmose to absorb and completely nullify its presence from within Lake Udori itself.
North by Northwest now. At this point, it would likely be known if not surely visible, that something on the lake was taking place as of now. The surface of the water shimmered with traces of intensive aether, the particles that were poisoning it before now dissipating away entirely from the presence of his own aether. Rickter had felt the weariness in his muscles increase and the hunger doubling at this point, but he was only halfway through this important process of purification. You can do this, keep moving and remain strong!
I've got this. Rickter confirmed in confidence with his other side, assuring himself and Lykos that the deed would be finished before the day's end. As the sun continued to descend and reach the highest peaks of the Astralar, Rickter's coverage went from over half to near nine-tenths of the lake. By that point in time the focal areas Telion and Hannah had established were already well-maintained and active. Therefore the ambient aether Rickter released into the environment only continued to spread and cover what remained of Lake Udori.
As he reached the southern shore where the two awaited him once more, the last bit of aether charging his anchor distilled into the waters beneath him. The black wolf had lost the shimmering effect once he arrived at his companion's location, leading him to appear as just the massive umbral beast he usually appeared as once they saw him. "Here he comes!" Hannah pointed out as Rickter realized she and Telion had brought out the twins, both were bundled in plushy fur coats to keep from feeling too much of the cold in the air.
Naturally, the boys were just as excited, if not more, to see their father approaching even in wolf form. With jubilant shrieks of glee, Rickter shifted to where he rose on his hind legs and reverted his form. With another smooth transition of muscular and joint pops, he was a bare man before his family once more, with Telion handing out his fur gear with her free hand in turn. It was likely she or Hannah retrieved it for him, even so, he grinned at the woman appreciatively before moving to slip the fur-lined trousers on. "Look at you! Both of you actually!"
The chirp of feigned surprise elicited cackles from the boys, as Rickter fastened the strap to his trousers before reaching out to take Isaac from his mother. "Did you get to see all that? Did you watch daddy while he worked?"
"Only for the last thirty minutes, the boys wanted to know where their papa went!" Telion elaborated with a finger prodded at Isaac's belly to tickle him, before she shared her attention on Kendrick as well, now that Hannah approached the parents at present.
"Pretty impressive stuff, Rickter." The rogue commended with a noticing glance at the lake water, the shimmering on the surface somewhat faded but still present. "How long do you think until it's completely purified?"
"Completely?" The wolf remarked with a playful raspberry blow on the side of Isaac's head, causing the boy to squeal more as he held the boy close to his chest. "Hard to say. The effects will fade out in a few days if not sooner, but as for the lake, the water spirits bathed in the aether are likely saturating the depths with it now."
"Well, needless to say, I'm sure the whole city will be buzzing about what they saw."
"It's always difficult to ignore a light show when such a thing occurs." The wolf remarked as he continued playing with Isaac, pretending to drop him every now and then just to keep the boy excited. "Regardless of what people say, the important fact is Lake Udori is cleansed now. The marine life within it can now fully heal with given time."
"Speaking of which," Telion started as she bounced Kendrick around in her arms now, "the cooks should all be wrapping up dinner right about now. You ready to go back and eat?"
"I'm actually unbelievably famished after that, so, yes dinner would be great about now." The wolf admitted as he felt his stomach gnawing from the inside, demanding sustenance now that weariness had completely settled in his bones.
"Good!" Telion cheered with a joyful smile toward Hannah in response. "Let's go home then."
"Fine by me." Hannah agreed as she turned to gesture a hand outward, already weaving a portal through Slipspace for them back at the manor.
"My thoughts exactly." Rickter also agreed as the portal opened to reveal the manor on the other side. Shortly after crossing over, the pack would return to his home to begin eating their next meal, with Rickter obviously requiring a rather generously large portion to regain his spent reserves. As for the lake itself, the waters would continue to shimmer even just a little, as the pristine state of the lake would soon reach full consistency toward the lakebed of Udori.
