Looking at what isn't there (Fawn, Talon)

[Fawn]

31st of Frostxx

Fawn's boots thumped lightly on the path as she struggled to keep pace with Lyra. She wanted to move faster. To run. Hell, to dance in the streets- but perhaps that was just the excitement from reading the previous night. Her unplanned studied had lead her to learning about the basics of aether, woven in in small sections of historical books about Kalzasi and it's university. She'd already been denied, but that didn't mean she wouldn't try again. And if her understanding were to grow as Talon had instructed, then she couldn't wait to prove them wrong about her. She'd be a fine mage. She knew it.

"Aye aye," She chided, bumping the womans side with her elbow playfully. "But then ye'd hafta go and feed me every day. But why bother when I can take care of meself? Seems like more work te me~"

Perhaps it was willful ignorance that kept her from understanding the true cruelty of the woman beside her. No idea of the horrors that had taken place the night before, or would in the future. But even if she'd taken it seriously, the steps that came into view leading into the skyforge had quickly pulled her attention away from such strange topics. Shocked, she shot her gaze up to Lyra with a wide grin.

"Here?! Yay!" Fawn didn't even wait before bounding up the steps with the pair of them. Once in the main hall she took in the room once more. A laugh of irony escape her when she peered at the same magmatyte stone that had burned her just the day prior. She fiddled with the bandages around her hand, wondering if Talon would laugh the same as she had for injuring the same hand within a suns rotation. She bowed to Pyrra with a grin as they were lead down the hallway and past the artifacts. Though, this time she let herself get as distracted.

When the pair were finally ushered through the doors to his office, introduced formally no less, Fawn stepped into the room with an excited smile plastered over her freckled features.

"Talon! Hiiiii!~" She rushed over to his desk, about to hug him before realizing her place and the backed up, bowing. "Sorry, what should I even call you now? Boss? Mentor?" Fawn plopped herself down on the couch near the hearth, pushing her hands out towards it. Her hair had done wonders to warm her neck and shoulders, but the rest of her body had been horribly chilled by the frost outside. Their walk long enough that it had set into her bones, leaving her fingertips pink. Even through the fabric of the bandage the heat of it's flames stung her wound, but much like before made no more than a brief wince. Warmth was far more important to her, having no cloak after all. She'd really have to stop by somewhere after this.

[Talon]

Talon studied the flow of the pesticyte carefully. He observed how the aether around it was not corrupted as he would have initially thought but rather, it was absorbed and became entwined with something lingering at the gemstone’s core. Before he had the opportunity to delve deeper into the mix of it however, the doors to his office opened and in walked Lyra. He offered the scholar a nod of respect. Setting his utensils down, he dismissed his hold on the magic of Semblance, allowing his vision to return to normal.

“Not at all. I am only just beginning, it is nothing I am unable to return to later.” He blinked as in rushed an exuberant red haired young woman. He immediately recognized Fawn. Offering the young woman a smile, Talon chuckled.

“Here, I am just Talon.” He looked between the two of them. Lyra was, as always, the picture of sophistication. Her eyes missed nothing as they examined his office. It was a cozy space. The walls were lined with various workbenches topped with aetherite gem slabs etched with Runeforging pictography. Various personal projects lay at each of them. The one nearest to him however was accompanied by what appeared to be the beginnings of an alchemy station. From the ceiling there floated a replica of what one could have assumed was a depiction of the planet Ransera. A vibrant orb showing the various continents of the planet, the Ranseran Mainland, the Lands of Ecith and others that perhaps had no names. The two moons, both white and scarlet, floated around the planet.

A hearth stood in the office. The mantle was decorated with symbols associated with Talon’s family, the Silver Star being the primary one. Above the mantle hung a portrait. It depicted a man dressed in military fashion, his chest decorated with medals and a sash across his torso. Two golden eagle feathered wings graced his back. He stood with his hands resting on the shoulders of a pale elven woman dressed in a black regal gown. Her white hair fell down in waves and though her expression was stern, there was a clear comfort in her posture. On either side of the man and woman stood two young men, also dressed in more formal military style uniforms. To the right of the man and woman stood Talon. To the left stood another young man, who, based on his features, was clearly Talon’s brother. Well-thumbed books rest upon a coffee table in front of the hearth, while pillows surrounded it. At the far end of the room there stood a large desk that clearly served as Talon’s private desk.

“How may I assist you both?” He had to admit, Lyra and Fawn were one of the most unlikely pair of individuals he would have ever expected to show up in his office together.

[Lyra]

Lyra quirked an eyebrow at the energetic girl as she bounded past, once more somehow claiming all the light of the room for herself. She glanced between Fawn and Talon, her other eyebrow raising the match the other in an expression of surprise which was quickly masked by rubbing the bridge of her nose.

She's a lively one. Observed Naila.

Indeed. She has the energy of a dozen children, trapped in the body that has matured past the mind's ability to control it.

Is... that a joke?

Not in the slightest. Lyra thought, returning her focus to Talon before her eyes caught on the workbenches. She studied the pictography on these, but paused as she noticed the bench that was beginning to collect a number of items related to Alchemy. She looked down at the pesticyte shard, interest showing in her eyes.

"It seems your interests are expanding. I would be curious to know of the projects you have unfolding."

Talon, it seemed, always had a new project on which to work. Lyra knew of his skill in Runeforging, but she did not realize he also possessed an interest in Alchemy as well. What could the reason be? Was there an application of alchemical creations in the manufacturing of runeforged artifacts? Was it for a specific product, or perhaps he was studying Alchemy specifically to better understand pesticyte? Lyra wanted to ask, but as she looked to where Fawn stood by the fire she was reminded of the reason she had come in the first place. It was neither the time or the place to delve into her passions, for there was a greater question which needed answering.

"Be'melar, you are a master at your craft, and it is that mastery that we seek today." Lyra motioned to Fawn, indicating she wished for her to show him the necklace, "This one is in possession of a curious item, with scripts that I cannot read." She had thought to leave out that specific detail, however, it would have been a disservice to Talon to conceal the truth. She wanted, no she needed to know what that artifact was. Why it called to her, why it consumed her thoughts.

"I thought that, perhaps, you might be able to reveal more than I can see. I freely admit that I am at a loss."

As she finished Lyra's eyes drifted upward and she noted the replica of Ransera. She frowned as she looked at it, feeling as if something were off, but she dismissed the thought to focus on the conversation at hand. The number of mysteries were quickly growing beyond what should be proper for a single day.

[Fawn]

31st of Frostxx

“Just Talon it is, then.” Fawn giggled lightly and pulled her hands back from the hearth. Her head tilted up then to peer at the painting above the mantle. As she studied it, her classic, ignorantly innocent smile was plastered upon her face.

“Oooo” She cooed, getting up to lean in closer and inspect the artwork. She never liked museums much, but there were some things she just couldn’t stray from. And well done paintings were one of those things. Fine craftsmanship, a steady hand, focus- all necessary fragments of a person to complete a painting so finely made like this one. And, all things she didn’t have. The girl had always been too jittery for any form of sitting still.

“Be’melar..?” She whispered lightly under her breath. She’d ask Lyra what it meant later, but for now turned around without finishing her inspection of the painting. Her hair bounced jovially, nearly spinning around her entire person while she reached a hand inside her dress collar and pulled the necklace from it’s confines.

Instantly her hand felt the warmth of the piece- but that was normal. It was half of why she liked it so much, like she could feel the love of her birth mother radiating through it. Though it was more than likely merely the warmth of her own skin tainting the metal. For a moment she simply stared at it, her fingers traced the pictographs upon it's edges and ran across the small blemishes across the surface. There had been some from her early childhood, from falling on her horse, from the chains clasp breaking once and scratching the inside of the ring as a branch had caught on it. After a few years of getting it dirty and dinged, she'd begun to wear it within her clothing instead of outside it. But never before had she given it away to two people within the same span of 24 hours.

She breathed deeply in preparation. “It’s nothin’ fancy.” Fawn said, then pulled the chain from her neck and outstretched it to Talon. As she dropped it into his hand gently she pulled back from him to allow him the space needed to inspect the piece.

“I was told it was in the basket when I was a wee bairn, birth mother dropped both me and it off at my mothers farm.” She brought her arms around herself, suddenly feeling cold even now inside. There were few times in which she felt truly uncomfortable in the world. But this was one of them- leaving the necklace in the hands of another felt like slime between her toes, and even though she knew Talon could be trusted there was still a sick feeling in her gut. And her skin felt cold. Like the love of whoever her birth parents were was being taken from her.

“Lyra is somehow convinced it’s not a normal necklace, but as you can see it’s clearly not expensive. I figure my birth mother left it on me so I always had a piece of her with me.” Fawn bit her lip as she stared at him. Suddenly that thought felt less likely now as the first seed of doubt began to grow in her chest. She didn't know why, but the room had begun to feel awfully empty. She could swear she felt the necklace reach out to her, too. Like it wanted to be back upon her neck and in her hands.

[Talon]

Looking at what isn't there

31 Frost 120

L“I am happy to share them. I will have to consult you soon. I will be undertaking a new effort to reforge my forge itself.” He inclined his head to Lyra then focused on the matter at hand. His eyes found the object that Lyra mentioned as soon as Fawn brought it out. He quirked a brow. If Lyra had been unable to decipher the scripts that were written upon its surface then he had to wonder what he could offer that she was not clever enough to uncover herself. He extended a hand for the medallion when Fawn produced it. It held a weight to it that surprised him or perhaps it was only because he sensed the echo of many underlying things within the necklace.

“Opulence does not always imply worth, Fawn. Diamonds are beautiful when cut and refined but are not truly that difficult to find. Their worth is in their hardness, their strength as a tool and perhaps as a receptacle for magical energy but little else.” His family was referred to as the Diamond House of Kalzasi, just like the other houses had their chosen gemstones. His family had chosen the diamond because of its resilience, the strength of the diamond’s material itself and for its resemblance to the Silver Star which was the true symbol of his household. He opened himself up to the flow of aether around him. The power of Semblance presented itself to him, coming almost as naturally as breathing with how familiar he was with its use.

“Interesting.” Talon observed the weave of aether that formed the aura of the outer layer of the necklace. The first that struck Talon was how his attention wavered as soon as he tried to focus on the amulet. He furrowed his brow slightly as he redirected his focus and concentrated, channeling more of his power into perceiving the object’s aura.

“There is virtually no aura upon first glance. That means there is something woven into it that is suppressing its aetheric construct. If you were trying to observe it with the glasses, they would not have been powerful enough on their own to perceive it.” Brushing a thumb over the black stone, Talon noted how cool it was to the touch. Despite having been in Fawn’s possession, against her body heat, it was interesting to note that it was so cool. After a moment or two more of concentration, Talon observed as an effect almost like watching a curtain being pulled back took place. Before his eyes a tapestry of colors swirled into being around the aura as he broke through whatever power was obscuring the aura from his vision. It was like pulling back a very thin veil, tugging at the weave of aether wrapped around it to reveal what was underneath.

“There we are.” Talon smiled to himself, pleased he was able to move past the obscuring technique. It was one he was not unfamiliar with, having used it before in the forging of some of the magical staves some of the Circle mages requested. It was as the true aura came into focus that Talon’s eyebrows shot up.

“The silver and the black stone are the same material. From the way it is woven so seamlessly together, I can tell that this is not a natural formation. This is a runeforged artifact.” He peered closer, following the flow of aether in the aura as it directed him to the fabric of the magic at work in this object. He recognized some of them. Holding up the medallion he watched as a mote of red color tethered itself from the amulet to Fawn. It was a technique he had used himself several times in some of his own artifacts.

“It is bloodbound. Heavily. The magic in this amulet will only work while in your possession, Fawn.” He glanced at the young woman, eyeing her curiously. It was as he was moving the amulet away from her that he noticed something else. A web of aether within the central circle that glowed brighter as he passed it over the replica of the planet. Talon blinked. He held the amulet up to the planet and watched as several points of light illuminated. Symbols upon the amulet glowed within his vision.

“Fascinating…” His voice trailed off. Talon dismissed his Semblance. As his vision returned to normal, unaided by the magic in his possession, the amulet returned to normal. It appeared utterly mundane. When he tapped back into his magic, the truth revealed itself. That was when he recognized it. The touch of Transposition, the hint of Elementalism, both of which seemed to be woven together to form some sort of webwork of communication.

“It is a compass.” Talon touched the tips of his fingers from his free hand to the symbols. “A star chart to be exact. However, it would seem you can only view it with the aid of either Semblance or Aura Glass. Stronger glass at that.”

Talon blinked. He dismissed his magic and extended the necklace back to Fawn.

“I cannot discern to where the chart points. Only that it points to something. There is a heavy amount of protection placed upon it, I can tell you that. Whatever it is that this leads to…” Talon pointed to Fawn. “You must be the one to guide the way.”

"Firstborn of House Novalys"

[Lyra]

"A compass?" Lyra asked, slightly incredulous. She stared at the odd item as it was passed back to Fawn, her expression shifting from disbelief to contemplative in a matter of moments.

It is bloodbound. Lyra thought as she absently stroked one cheek, To the girl no less. That is... frustrating. A part of Lyra had hoped, had wished that she could simply take the item from Fawn, but now there was no point.

A compass, bound to a child she had only met by chance, which was somehow connected with Lyra herself. It was too much to be mere coincidence, and when Lyra looked at Fawn next it was with a searching stare that wished to peel back her skin to check what lay underneath.

Damn, I can feel that bloodlust from here. Naila's words made Lyra frown and look away from Fawn to the Map instead, What's so special about this necklace anyway? So it points to something, plenty of magic items do that, but what they lead to is rarely worth the effort to get there.

This one, it seems, points to something of great importance to me. Lyra replied, studying the globe more intently. There was something odd about it, off slightly.

To Talon Lyra asked, "Can you sell Aura Glasses of the quality required to read the compass?" She glanced away from the globe to look at her student, "And can you show the girl how to activate the item?"

"Lady of Whispers"

[Fawn]

31st of Frostxx

Fawn felt the inside of her skin crawling as Talon clasped the necklace between his fingers. It was strange, she felt she could trust him with her life. But it was now only the second time she'd let anyone touch her necklace. Even so, it would just another item of hers. She'd never been the possessive type, so why did watching someone she trusted touch it unnerve her so?

Her brow shot up when he spoke. He was seeing something too. His eyes danced in the open air in front of him as if tracing a thread. She looked to Lyra, who seemed to be doing the same but try as she might she could not see a single thing in front of her. Her frustration only quelled when curiosity took over.

"Bloodbound?" She asked, her face contorting in confusion. She didn't know entirely what it meant, but the name itself was implication enough. Likely something to do with connecting it to her blood, her family. She was about to ask what he might know about her, but he continued. Explaining things that she'd never heard of, alongside something she'd only just seen with Lyra. It was all... overwhelming. What had her parents left her? Why? Why leave her a compass, and why blood bind it? Didn't she know she was being left in a town without hardly more than a passing whiff of magic? She frowned and outstretched her hand to take the necklace back from Talon. The second it had reached her hands a sigh of relief escaped her lips and she pulled it back over her head with new, curious fingers.

She brushed them over the surface of the piece like she never had before. Careful, gentle, studying the grooves with both hands and eyes as if she were seeing it for the first time. Would... would it lead her to her parents?

Her heart skipped a beat. The people who abandoned her, or saved her, the people who left her without answers.. were the answers to her lifelong questions at the end of the road to where this compass lead? She didn't let go of the necklace when she glanced back up at Talon, her face held a seriousness she hadn't worn before.

"How do I use it?" Fawn asked. But despite her expression, her fingers were shaking.

Mom, Dad... whoever you are. Do you want me to find you?

[Talon]

Looking at what isn't there

31 Frost 120

"It means that the artifact is tied to your bloodline.” Talon leaned forward, he observed the make of the artifact once more through the lens of his Semblance. He inspected the flow of aether within it with as careful and critical an eye as he could. The craftsmanship was impressive to say the least, a considerable amount of careful planning must have gone into its construction. His gaze followed the flow of a particular stream of aether. He tugged at its information allowing it to drift into his sight in order to better understand its function.

“It is an impressive lock. There are wards put in place to deflect necromancy.” He glanced up at Fawn. “It means that attempts to mimic your bloodline through arcane means are going to meet a considerable amount of resistance.”

Extending a hand, Talon lifted one of the knives sitting on his workbench. It lifted from the table and drifted over to his hand with ease. He opened his hand, gesturing for Fawn to place her own in his open palm.

“Trust me. Please?” Once she gave him her hand, he very carefully pricked the tip of her finger with the knife. Talon then guided that finger to the amulet. He pressed it to the topmost symbol on the medallion. Instead of smearing upon the surface of the amulet, the blood was drawn to the symbol as though by magnetic force. It filled the symbol emitting a scarlet glow that slowly spread to the other symbols. The amulet began to come alive with veins of red energy that slowly turned a dark violet. Talon then guided her finger to two other symbols on the amulet. As before, Fawn’s blood was drawn into the symbol. When the third symbol illuminated, the amulet within Fawn’s grasp began to grow warm. The light being emit from it grew brighter until cracks formed in the medallion. There was a rush of air in the room as aether billowed out from the glowing cracks that formed a network of veins upon the medallion.

A dome of energy poured out of the center of the amulet until it formed a bubble around the three of them. It was a nebula of aether, within which floated misty replicas of celestial bodies, planets, stars and all manner of spatial objects. A second orb drifted up from the amulet, one with distinct geographic features that looked suspiciously like the planet of Ransera. It was slightly different from the solarium that hovered in Talon’s office. There were features on this aetheric sphere that were not present on Talon’s and vice versa. But there was no mistaking what it was.

A pool of aether formed in the center circle of the amulet as each symbol glowed and then dimmed as if in anticipation. Talon looked on in wonder at what formed around them. He grinned brightly at the sheer beauty and genius of such a creation.

“Transpositional star mapping.” He whispered in awe. Chuckling to himself, Talon turned to the two of them. “Marvelous! Truly. The amount of work that must have gone in to create that amulet is stunning.”

His wings fluttered in excitement as he walked around the dome, examining each floating object with curiosity. Shaking his head, he returned his attention to the task at hand before he lost himself in his excitement.

“I do not know a great deal about Transposition. I learned a few of its theories from my mother’s guards who practice it. It is simple in theory.” Talon pointed to the amulet in Fawn’s grasp. “The symbols on the amulet are constellations.”

Talon gestured to dome of aether around them.

“My guess is that you need to be outside and beneath the stars to get the full effect of this but I think I understand. Allow me to explain.” He collected his thoughts for a moment, trying to recall some of the brief theories that had been explained to him. After a moment, he nodded.

“To create a gate to any destination, you need four things. Three points in space that form the framework of your gate and a fourth point, the point of origin.” Talon nodded to the pool of aether lingering in the center circle of the amulet.

“I surmise that if you draw a fourth symbol in that pool, it will create the point of origin. The problem is…” Talon shrugged. “You need the fourth symbol to guide the way. Without it, you just have a very elaborate map on your hands with no way to reach your destination. That amulet will not teleport you there, from what I can gather, it merely points the way.”

Talon then regarded Lyra with a shake of his head.

“I do not currently possess the raw materials to fashion the kind of glasses you would need to observe this. But…” Talon folded his arms over his chest and sighed. “You could either travel to the Warrens to find an auralyth shard strong enough to observe this or learn Semblance.”

"Firstborn of House Novalys"

[Lyra]

"A star map." Lyra breathed as she turned around, inspecting the vision around them. Her expression was one of surprise, near astonishment, but not for the reasons that Talon or Fawn my expect.

These were a thing of the Elder Kin. Lyra thought, her brown furrowing in confusion. The Elder Kin, figures older than Lyra herself, and powerful beyond measure. They reigned on the isle of Elis'la, which Lyra noted was in fact illustrated on this very map. She stared at the island in particular, which was one of the locations that was clearly absent from Talon's own globe.

The who? Naila asked, though her tone seemed disinterested. This made Lyra frown and shake her head. Instead of answering she studied the celestial bodies, checking some of their positioning and coming to an odd, yet somehow obvious conclusion. Several of the constellations had shifted.

"Then this map is incomplete. We need another point, a symbol to make use of it at all?" It was less a question and more a statement as she turned contemplative. They would need to find one, but the only person who could do that is... Her eyes flicked to Fawn, and Lyra felt dismay. Closing her eyes for a brief moment she touched the bridge her nose, resisting the urge to sigh.

Nothing could be easy it seemed. It mattered little, however, for the next steps were still the same. They needed to find a symbol that would work to activate the map in full. It would just need to go on the ever growing pile. But, Lyra reminded herself as she looked up at the dazzling display, she had nothing if not time. She had to remind herself often lately that there was no need to rush.

"It seems I must travel to the Warrens once more then." came the reply to Talon as Lyra set her hands on her hips. She looked to Fawn, "Look you for a 4th symbol. If it is true that this item is bloodbound to your line, then it is likely you may already know one without ever realizing it. In the mean time I will put together supplies and make arrangements for a journey once the map has revealed our destination."

[Fawn]

"But.. Why would someone go to this amount of trouble?” She asked, brows pinched in confusion as she reached her hand out to Talon. She trusted him. Everything in her trusted him as much as she trusted that the sun would rise each morning. With her finger pricked and being guided to the amulet, her eyes widened. She’d seen magic before, but nothing like this. She could feel the blood being pulled from her body as if beckoned to the amulet itself. And as soon as the final symbol was filled that was when the air began rushing. The amulet lifted from her chest floating in the air in front of her with the center facing upwards- and then the light.

Fawn gasped and closed her eyes shut as the blinding light burst from it’s center. As the flash dissipated the girl opened her eyes to see the bubble of aether and constellations surrounding them. Her mouth was agape as she looked at the magnificent display around them. Hundreds of stars, the galaxy, constellations she’d forgotten the names of but knew from some distant memory of watching the stars with her mother once every few years when she was a child.

“What.. is all this?” She asked. Her voice shook.

Fawn used to dream about moments like this. Moments where someone would come in and tell her how to find her family, that they were alive, that they wanted to see her. This wasn't exactly like that, but it was close enough. It was a huge link to her family wrapped within a tiny necklace she'd worn every day of her life. The fact that such things were right under her nose the entire time hurt. Part of her felt guilty for perhaps not trying harder to find them- but now she could. At least, that's what she hoped. What else would it be for, anyways?

Fawn listened with bated breath while Talon spoke. She pulled the necklace off and with gentle movements, removed her hands from it. It stayed in the air. Floating in the direct center of the map and glowing softly with the small pool in it’s center. She stared at it, hair wild from the previous wind, before turning to the world that floated up to her vision.

Ransera.

How was any of this possible? She reached out a finger to the world in question and gently poked at it’s surface. As her finger passed through it’s surface she felt a warm rush of what felt like water running through her skin. It sent shivers through her and pulled a curious smile to her lips.

“Why does it look different?” She asked to herself quietly, remembering her studies of the land and peering over to the solarium across the room. It didn’t make sense, and yet it did. Like her mind didn’t want to believe what was going on but her soul knew it to be fate. In a way, her chest seemed lighter and more relaxed like it had let go some tension she never knew she had been holding.

Fawn wanted to look at it forever, but with his suggestion of the night sky she nodded and grasped the amulet from the air. No sooner had she slipped it back around her neck and tucked it beneath her dress collar did the wind rush back through to her necklace and pulled the map with it. Like being sucked into a vortex, it was gone.

And now she stood in the room with a quiet awe, a million questions, and a hope.

She could find her family. She was sure of it.