Legend of Ransera

Posted: **Thu Apr 18, 2024 11:07 pm**

While Ethril's body was where it was, his spiritual form had entered the Astral Sea. His body was not moving, except for his breath, and he seemed to have locked his large frame into the position it was in, though there was no unusual tension in his muscles, and his hands remained where they were, calmly palm up, in the meditative pose. But what the Seer was searching for in... what he was looking at... was being brought up to the crystal ball between them. His words may have sounded far away, and spiritually, he was. He was observing the River of Time, having followed the Subject and Purpose. That one of the women had given him an exact date made his job easier, and in some ways, harder. Having that detail was helpful, though sorting through the River to find it made for a more complicated Viewing.

But the Orkhan was not new to this; and he was patient. Lykos' words of affirmation confirmed for him that this was what the draegir had been looking for for the last several months, trying to understand that which he could not recall. Trying to find some clues or cues as to who he was, what he had been, where he had come from. Ethril could sense the Rathari's distress about this, even if he had come to accept it over the seasons that had passed since then. One did not need to be a Seer to empathize with his plight, but if there was one thing Ethril could do... it was help to assuage that suffering and help him find the answers that he needed.

The chill was in the room still, or at least, emitting from the orb between them. He could see inside of the cave now, Hilana helping him up, and receiving his now name. Lykos. Light and Wolf, suitable for the way his nimbus lit up like the northern lights when it was active. It was fitting now, especially since he had a stronger grasp on the Solunarian tongue in order to better understand it. Reassurances that he could come to their home, and the portal made by the girl with the ring. Grace under fire, despite the presence of Myshala, who had left before he had been woken up.

But as Ethril went a bit further back... on the table, the orb seemed to go black. Lykos could hear the chittering of mandibles and many many legs as the sensation of spiders crawling all over him assaulted every sense that he had. He could swear that there was that webbing on his exposed skin, sticking and stringy and shudder-inducing. Every nerve in him seemed to scream and react in a rather visceral fashion. "Stay strong," he heard Ethril's gentle encouragement. "And stay the course. We must confront this feeling in order to See and understand." What would happen if Lykos lifted his hands off of the Seer's? Did he dare find out?

Was this some test of Myshala's, guarding the Bargain that he had made, willingly, if under duress at the time? Because this had the hallmark of the Mistlord of Flesh all over it.

Posted: **Wed Apr 24, 2024 12:16 am**

It felt strange as to how surreal a mere memory of a moment in time felt, although, for a demigod there was always one sole principle that nearly remained lost on Lykos. Draegir as well as their deific parents perceived the Aetherium, and therefore time itself, rather differently than how the rest of the world normally would. So to actually gaze back upon a moment in time, and to see that moment of himself reflected at that appointed time, were both confounding circumstances he would have to take into considerable account.

Nevertheless, he already understood that he needed to look beyond himself even in his current state, and the circumstances he'd found himself in once he'd first awoken in said condition. As impervious as he remained to any sense of cold the sensations were never entirely lost on him, just merely dulled to a mere point of recognition until observations might've acknowledged otherwise. Chill or no, what he witnessed in the sphere had been the very moment he'd spent awakening, and earning the very name that had been bestowed upon him by the younger of the Vastiana sisters.

Lykos. He never pondered the name or significance at the time, merely attributed it to his newfound identity in the process. But now... Now it held so much more to him. Such much meaning and power, a weight of influence he could barely ignore. Perhaps it had been due to the possibility of reclaiming his former life, and the identity he sacrificed within that Bargain, or he had simply spent too much time basking in the uncertainty of his own situation. Whatever the case, the warmth of the moment was not lost on him even now, and he'd hold onto that warmth for what remained ahead of him. For they would have to go back just a little bit further, to the point where the threshold of his memory reached oblivion, and time itself would reveal what transpired moments before he became Lykos.

And then came the echoes. Chittering of sharp mandibles reverberated all across his hearing, repeating throughout the confines of the room as his shoulders then tensed. Even when he remembered where exactly he was, that still did not stop the residual traces of memory coursing through his sinew. He felt the sticky wet substance of imaginable silky strands tangle themselves across his forearms, coating his hair and ears as the tingling sensations also teased at his waist and thighs. It was truly a moment of utter and innate fear, but one he felt encouraged to power through nonetheless. The waterfall of spiders continued, however, and while his heartbeat grew erratic in response to the stimulation...

Lykos remained steadfast with a bit of stoicism prevalent in his features, his breathing paced steadily even as his mind and body yearned to react. It was only fear. Innate and irrational. As he were back then and how he was now were two completely different time periods, two completely different beings due to the flow of Time. I... I shall... I will. He finally determined through the link that connected him to Ethril, the clench in his jaw only slightly loosening as he mustered determination. Whatever awaited him beyond this insurmountable feeling? What mysteries would finally come to light once they delved beyond that threshold?

What would Lykos finally find once he stared through the throes of oblivion? In response to these questions something finally stirred in his chest, a propensity to propel himself further even against the immense fear of the unknowns before him.

Posted: **Thu May 02, 2024 11:00 pm**

The sphere between them came alive once again, but what they saw in it were the great many eyes of a great many spiders, all of them looking out from the sphere, seemingly directly at them. Directly at Lykos. Mandibles clicked and feet tapped, and when it became apparent that the draegir was not going to bend and break from the sensations, even feeling them in his hair and crawling on his bare skin, the horrors upon his senses gradually faded away. There was a feminine voice, then. “Hello, Winter.”

He could see a dark figure, with spindly legs protruding from her form, beautiful and terrifying and crimson-eyed. Wishes and bargains, flesh and souls. He didn’t need Ethril to help him to know who she was, the name came to his head as soon as he saw her. Their visits to the archives, the talks with Sentinel Decius... Myshala. The Stitchmother. The Lord of Flesh. The Spider Most Elegant.

But more importantly, beyond her, he could see himself. He was grappling with the aether above, as it burned him, aether, and divinity. He could hear her words, and he could hear a voice... his own voice!... responding to her. They spoke of someone else, Tiberius, and a Bargain to be completed. “Past lives are difficult to reconcile, sometimes. They sometimes have a tendency to visit us here and now,” the Orkhan’s words were in his ear, in his heart, in his mind. His soft, calm cant kept the song of the spider at bay. “And some of them carry forward consequences of the past into the present. For better or for worse.”

They watched the discussion between the two divine beings, watched his work with Negation. He was sending that constructed anchor somewhere, as Lykos saw himself speak up. “My name... is Rickter.” Rickter. Just like Telion had said. Like the others had said. Just like the lorestones that they had been given for him to go through and see. Rickter.

The reaction of the kaleidoscopic aether was dimmed, and then quite vivid - it seemed to be destroying him from his use of it, and the Mistress Most Merciful and Stern offered him a single blackened tear. “Every person you have ever bonded with. Every memory they had of you... and every memory that you had of them,” Ethril murmured. “That was Her Price for Her aid.” His back was against the wall. His memories for the lives of the world. A choice, and yet... no choice at all.

Posted: **Fri May 03, 2024 3:19 am**

To face ones fears did not seem like such a trivial thing, even when Lykos reminded himself that he was most of all a demigod. What could a Draegir such as he truly have to fear, after all, when the lupine king proved himself indomitable to his latest challenges? It then dawned on him that perhaps what Lykos felt wasn't necessarily his own personal fear, but rather, the only residual trace of his former life left behind in it's final moments. A fear contending not just with the creature that associated it, but an underlying secondary as to what transpired after He had felt such presence.

Memory or not, Lykos understood the division he felt between his head and his heart in the moment, and now he'd suddenly felt that weight grow familiar within his chest, the wolf knew he had breached the precipice of whatever cusp he'd found. Now, now that he stared intently into the abyss to gaze at what eluded him for so long, he felt the pressing urge not to give in but to fight with every fiber of his being. Something about this... Something about gazing into this memory felt wrong.

And he'd soon find out why.

As the eerie tingles rippled with oceans of spider legs along his skin, across every exposed follicle of hair on his body, the chittering reached to a point of cacophony within his ears. Eyes watched back at him and in that instance, Lykos knew, that this was more than just simply gazing into the abyss. Deep down he felt Her eyes on him again, the whisper in the wind that made her presence subtly known even now. What amazed him even more was how aware of it he'd been now, as he clearly wasn't as perceptive with himself as he should've been before that time. Before this memory...

Even through a crystal ball, it felt too surreal, a waking dream that the Lupine Draeger found himself witnessing in mind and spirit. Truthfully, he had never considered it a possibility, but in a sense, he actually was living in two places at once, a moment where the memory he witnessed felt about as real as the moment he'd lived it. This is... He felt the urgency that had overtaken his mind at that moment, the depth of understanding involved in the moment itself. A friend's acquaintance had died in just moments prior, and in that short frame of time, that same friend had found herself challenged by Shadow itself.

We had touched the obelisk prior, and then this happened. He didn't actually recall the memory but the significance of it carried through, when Lykos realized he was nearly lost in the moments of the exchange to come.

“̧̧̡̛̬̰̞̜̤̙͍͚̘̲̫̠̥̻̳̮̎̍̂̓̒̅͊̓̉̆̎̑͊͗̓̅̉̂̾͗ͩ͜H̜̥̦̼̟͙̖̫̯͐ͥͫ̉̐͂̄ͨͭ̉̒̐͛̈́ͪ̌͋̅ͫ̕̚͠͡͝͝͡_͖̯͛̀͑͐̓̓̆ẹ̷̵̴̓ͩ̿̏̀͂̆ͬ͋ͨ̈́̓ͩ͞ͅ_̿l̸̴̵̛͕̦̣̖̖̊̂͐́͛̿ͬ͒͐̑͢͠͡_̴̷̢̧̬̩̭̭͉̥ͧ̓ͮͨ͒̈́̉̋̐̀ͬ͜l̷̶̶̶͉̘̰̲̻͎̩̆ͮ̎̑ͨͬ͐̽̓ͮͣ͗ͯ̀́̈̚͡o̼̜̖̞̠͓ͬ̈̐͒̊͌ͤ̂ͦ͒͝,̸̛̛͔̟͓̟̗̀̔́͑ͫ̔ͪ̓̋̇͐̀̑̀͂͟_͓͔̭ͥ͊ W̗ͨͤ̍ȋ̶̛̝͔͙̖̗͕͔͒̒̑̊͆̒̊ͮ̒̀̀͆̄̇ṇ̵̶̢̛͚̗̹̳̥̱͇̝͉̫̘̺̥̳̋ͫ͊̐̿ͧ̍ͯ̄ͬ̿̐ͩ̂̍̎ͭ̎ͨ͘͘̕͡t̶͕̱̫̗̪̫̩͋ͣ͋͆̓́̎̃̃͑͌ͪȩ̶̧̖̝̬͉͇͓͕͔͍̫̠̏͊́̋ͯ̂̽̈̃͜͢͢͡r̷̡̡̳̹̘̣͍̝̓̓̏̉ͭ͌̿ͪ̀̓̃ͅ_̴̢͔̻̦̩̂̀ͦͬ̋̈́̚͟.͍̖͑͛̂͛ͤͧͨͪ̈͝”̝̓̒͘

As those words carried across clear as a bell, their melodic tones were coarse as sand to his ears. Her presence remained favorably mystifying as well as abysmally terrifying. What's more, He still relived the moments spent perceiving this Otherworldly deity, and had to separate his sudden fear from the initial abject horror he felt during the time it originally occurred. Rickter. The person he was and yet not quite so, as He knew there were important pieces that remained missing. Precious pieces of the past that just couldn't be left to rest, of a life that Lykos wasn't even sure he felt ready to return to. Was it even his to reclaim anymore?

The sheer determination found in Rickter's actions as he endeavored to siphon that potent aether dripping from the ceiling. In a moment that suddenly grew crucial to Rickter, Lykos already wanted to deviate and observe what a proper course of action would've been. Could regret even really carry such weight beyond memory? Was the boundary that Lykos believed separated them really that thin? Much of how this all began, there were subtle suspicions as to where he didn't wish to favor the optimistic outcome. No matter how much he would've gained from reviewing the scene of his rebirth, Lykos could not ignore the significance he felt in being swept up in the moment.

Tiberius Frostfang? That name held no meaning to him and yet, its spiritual weight felt within gave Lykos reason to ponder the relevance. He suddenly found fear a bygone sensation at this point, and observed intently to discern every detail witnessed through him. Ethral's voice remained a presence throughout his mind, giving Lykos that sense of clarity that bolstered his adrenaline. Somehow though, the Lupine Draegir did not think he was only eluding to the difference between Rickter and Himself. His true self. There had been underlying questions that lingered within him up until just now, as he experienced the rush of power that painfully burned throughout his entire being.

And what fools they were... Ethril. The weight in his tone was almost emotional, and yet the determination kept Lykos focused on bearing through the echoes of pain. A shard of the cataclysm. Had Rickter truly allowed himself to understand what that meant, then perhaps he would've drastically altered things. By this point though, even the former wolf knew the mistake he'd come to make. And so, it all narrowed down to a simple choice. An impossible one. A wretched one that tore at His heart even right now, deep enough to push the Lupine Draegir to tears immediately upon reliving that singular moment.

He hated Rickter for a moment, but then, He also sympathized with the man.

"My name... is Rickter."

Rickter...

Rickter.

Rickter.

He'd read it over a hundred times now in the documents Telion had shared with him during the visits, heard it enough times to understand it's significance to those who'd lost him. And now he felt it, and the weight it truly carried when it came to that final moment.

"Ƀēⱥᵾⱦīӻᵾł."

Everything. Everything that Rickter fought tooth and nail for, every single reason that mattered to him in life, soon became detached from him the moment he perceived the embrace of the Fleshqueen's very presence. Lykos felt his heart sank as the memory led up to that final moment, before a deep numbness rooted itself into his core. The absence of the very thing that composed the Lupine Draegir of who he was, as Bargained away to ensure he'd live on with hopes of ever returning. Lykos couldn't even ascertain what were Rickter's true hopes in that final moment, whether it were pure desperation or perhaps a resolution born in the faith of his former Bonds.

The significance of this moment did not also go unlost to Him either. Lykos realized quickly who that special friend was he'd desperately sought to help out, and considering the motives he'd just experienced earlier, facts quickly checked with the outer sources he'd gathered parts of his involvement from. Hilana knew this Rickter, they were friends and he'd actually gone this far, in hopes that they might guide him back somehow... The irony of that outcome tasted bittersweet to the wolf.

He Bargained it away, leaving it up to others in the end. Lykos ruminated on with the Seer thoughtfully, his blue eyes sharply focused on the crystal. It didn't take long at all for the wolf to figure out the rest of the events that followed. History in His own time had started from then on, and Lykos found himself at the forefront of Rickter's own mantle. So what did that make him, necessarily? Just an echo of what used to be? A reborn soul in a Draegir's body? These have been the burning questions which had gnawed at His core now.

He felt obligated to carry out what He suddenly deemed as Rickter's legacy, and resolved to pursue those long lost hopes of restoring what had been givne away. Ethril... So many questions, some of which delved too deeply in the realm of possibility, and the concept of existence within the soul. And yet... It's not entirely lost on me that I had perceived both a moment in history and the present. And by this his mind revolved around the feeling of being in two places at once, a similar point in time where he could perceive himself in or perhaps through time.

A reaction as per his Divine Inheritance in return, having taken on the King of Frost's mantle from that point on. The Wolf had an underlying suspicious as a result of all this, as the concept of that circumstance did not likely just apply to him in that moment either. The Stitchmother undoubtedly knew He came poking around just now, and He could only guess when she might actually decide to grace His presence in that moment. Thus, the only important remaining question that loomed in his mind came forward.

Regardless, I'd like to learn of a way to carry out his final desire. Lykos resolved as he understood his part in this endeavor now, and oddly accepting of the new role to come in that journey. Those who were important to him, whether they simply forgot or actually sought to question their missing links, they remained the reason why he deserved to come back for them. The Wolf was slowly beginning to ascertain what that might imply for His own being in the long run, but that did not sway him from the obvious path that remained before him.

It was time to bring a warrior back home.

Posted: **Thu May 09, 2024 9:58 pm**

"Rickter had trust in others that they would find a way to find him. To find you," Ethril remarked, his voice thoughtful. There was no judgment in his tone for the choices that had been made and the prices that were paid for them, by Rickter-Lykos, Hilana, or Æros. Hilana may have endangered them all by charging in with the Obelisk, but others had chosen to follow her in that action rather than let the reckless young woman take on the risk by herself. But this was Foresight, not Æternus... there was no way for them to change what had happened now, they were merely observing the River of Time to view the events as they had unfolded.

But through the Obelisk, they had watched Hilana and Lia desperately fighting a vision of the taller woman. The hybrid that had accompanied her had slit his own throat for whatever goal... dead and beyond assisting, even if he'd had a mind to try to do both while tackling what was happening to him outside of it. But Rickter and Hilana had known each other, despite living on the opposite ends of the world. Rickter had put his trust in her, and in his Pack, to get him back to himself. He had bought them time with his sacrifice, in hopes that they could complete the deed and see it through. A sacrifice had been the key to their success.

And that trust had not been misplaced.

"You are seeing it, as a moment of history, and perceiving it now as if you lived in it at the present moment, not because you are two separate entities, but perhaps two separate personalities. Two parts of the same whole, two sides of the same coin. Who we are is shaped by those we surround ourselves with. No man is an island, Lykos. The water that you are Arche to has its ripples, and those effects still wash upon the shore, leaving marks as they retreat," Ethril remarked, his voice sounding so far away. "You are Rickter, and Rickter is Lykos." Through Foresight, that connection was forged between the two. It was a mercurial sensation, freezing cold and then burning hot; so very cold that it felt like it might burn. It wasn't simply from his hands, but it started there, and spread from his fingertips to his shoulders, and through the rest of him. But it didn't last.

The orb between them seemed to be shrouded with spiderwebs, as the fine silk was spun to cocoon it before it glowed a vivid blue, the same hue of the northern Rathari's eyes.

And through a thousand dark eyes, Myshala watched. "You are Rickter, and Rickter is Lykos," the Stitchmother echoed, a whisper in the wind. She was satisfied - while Winter may not have come to Her directly... he had found a way to reconnect with his past. And that meant, too, that the women who had accompanied him from the burning sands of the Southern continent to the frozen bleakness of Karnor had fulfilled their part. What had been locked away was released, allowing the floodgates to burst open, and memories and connections, a history, a past... all began to build into an avalanche. Where he had had no memories and recollections of his past and his connections beyond waking up on the floor of that cave in the Astralar Mountains, now had them all inundating him.

And by the sounds of the gasps to the seat to the side... so too did Telion and Hilana.

"It is done," Ethril murmured, and touched Lykos' hands gently with his large ones before releasing them and sitting back, his eyes starting to blink back into awareness. He was shaking, each of his multiple eyes had a trickle of blood dripping from the corners. Isdara was there with a damp cloth, covering his many eyes with it as the Seer sat back, heavy and exhausted. He may have made it look easy, but this act of stepping with the Divine could be a draining one indeed. The female Orkhan lifted the mug of tea to the man's lips for him, his hands shaking far too much to manage such a thing for himself.

He did not have to say what came next; what was unsaid was apparent to all: now came the arduous task of reconciling the two.

!	Message from: Talisman
	Through the connection made with Foresight, Rickter's memories have been unlocked and returned to him. Everyone that had memories taken from them as a result of his Bargain with Myshala has received them once again, though there are no sudden realizations... except perhaps by those close to him who have been directly impacted.

Posted: **Thu May 09, 2024 11:14 pm**

Ethril's voice resonated within His mind as Lykos listened, understanding the meaning found in the Seer's reasoning as he contemplated the depth of trust he left behind in others. It was a harrowing situation indeed. A moment that could've backfired for him in the end, were there not friends already waiting to guide him back home. Indirect as it were Hilana had accomplished just this in her own time, and of course, the time spent reconnecting with the few he met here up North gave further consideration for hope. Perhaps Rickter might've been doomed, perhaps not, either way what transpired back then did not define who He was at the current moment.

Reliving such moments felt trifle when he considered the bigger picture at large, and the fact that something larger still had caused these events to occur anyhow. The Eclipse was not his immediate issue anymore, as Lykos understood now the significance of what that day meant. The sun had returned because of His, rather of their, sacrifice that they made upon investigating the obelisk. Sure, decisions were made and in the heat of the moment, things took a turn beyond the scape of everyone's imagination. Regardless, that did not stop those swept up in their shared circumstance from leaving behind traces of hope.

Hope.

Something about that weighed heavily on Him now, as Lykos felt certain for the first time of who he actually was. One soul. Two personifications. That became all the more apparent when Myshala Herself echoed through to him, reiterating the fact that Ethril himself had helped the Draegir conclude. And just like that, the rest of his former life started to rise from within. Every memory. Every piece of him long thought lost suddenly felt dormant. As if a waking dream had suddenly reached its end, and the haze it created finally lifted to reveal the final pieces He had been missing all along.

The same could be said not just for Lykos, but those affected by His sacrifice in turn. For them, He guessed it would be something akin to welcoming a long-lost friend or dear one back into their lives. For Lykos, however, it was as though every instance his previous iteration experienced came rushing through his mind. Every moment, every insight, every single memory filled him with a renewed sense of experience he'd felt stripped away from him before. His thoughts and fears, his hopes and dreams, the knowledge Rickter had gained from everything he went through. It all just came back.

And within that exact moment, Lykos felt the weight in his chest dramatically shift within. I feel... It became obvious then what really happened between His own self, and what transpired when Ethril finally helped the wolf restore what had been Bargained away. Connections. Lykos felt them and the familiarity that connected everyone to Him. To Rickter. But at the same time, circumstances had yet to reveal the full picture of what happened up til now. As he shifted back uncomfortably, his tensed shoulders rigid as the mountains, the Lupine Draegir watched as the Seer practically bled tears from his very eyes.

"Ethril..." The seer had literally done so much for the Draegir, so much that it even nearly accosted him of his own vision. Regardless of the effort it took to help Him, Lykos could never forget such a gift of devotion. And what's more, it seemed as though His own companions within the room, the ones who knew Rickter prior, had finally overcome their brief spell of remembrance. Myshala. Hilana. Telion. Ethril. These were names that carried meaning to Lykos now, names that weighed heavier in value to Him now that he felt the pieces of his memory restored. Yet even so, the wolf did not feel as quite whole as he had hoped to.

As he gazed over to the three ladies who'd accompanied him, his weary eyes widened at the sensations he felt upon seeing them. Hilana who had been there since the moment he'd awakened, was always as confident and vibrant as the warm sun that burned the sands of her home. Athalia who had crossed the threshold of the Void to be with her sister, who'd been just as equally an important influence to guide Lykos where he was to this day. Their time spent studying and philosophizing on concepts such as magic, and the soul, as well as subjects like divinity. Those paved the way for the Draegir to consider who he was becoming. And then Telion.

Seeing her as equally surprised as the younger sister she'd sat near, Lykos felt the same warmth from her as he did from Hilana as well. However, this was a different warmth, one born from the memories that flooded him as he sat completely still. Sifting through all that washed through his mind, it was nearly enough to be an information overload on His behalf, even so, the thoughts that the wolf held fast onto remained a pressing matter within the moment. Who was he? Who was He? They were both one in the same, like a coin that had been flipped into the air, waiting for one side to be determined by the hand of Fate herself.

And yet... "I remember everything now..." His beloved had murmured as she slowly rose from her spot on the bench, her blue eyes briefly spent on the sisters she accompanied before she moved to approach Ethril. "I remember it all. The promises you made. The dreams we both shared." There was hope in her voice but sadness in her eyes, so much so that her own tears were ready to stream. Still, the mother of their children reached the Seer's side, if only to offer what little aid she could as a mother and acolyte healer in turn. "What happened?"

Lykos could only sympathize in truth. Even with the weight on his heart lifted now, it still felt heavy to see such a reaction. And while he could not fully process the extent of these emotions he felt just yet, he at least understood them for what they truly were deep inside. "I..." What was there to say exactly? Rickter did not wish to leave his family and friends the way he did. If He recalled correctly then it had been a rather innocent and unintended journey, that only began when he'd gone out on a nightly stroll into the dark. Was that his first mistake?

"I'm sorry for the time we've lost." Was the first thing He could say. It was all He could say in that moment, because truthfully, Lykos felt very much like he had become his former self in that moment... except he wasn't. He was still Lykos in the end, and well, something within him felt as though Rickter resided elsewhere... within. His heart remained colder than anticipated, though, not for lack of the wolf trying to assuage the chaos that now thrummed inside it.

"Truly. I cannot make up for it, but now, I can finally make the necessary amends to help everyone recover." Somehow He felt it best to put it this way, because truthfully, Lykos knew he wasn't alone in needing to recover from this ordeal. He'd regained something very dear and precious to him, and yet even so, it did not come without a great cost to himself nor the others around him. What had been Bargained away came with a steep price, and the Draegir also understood that no such price can be Bargained for again so easily. For now, though, He remained focused on the current matters at hand.

"I cannot thank you enough, Ethril." He started with a gentle rise from his chair, the fiery sensations he'd stoically endured before a bygone memory in turn. As exhausted as He felt at that moment, He also understood what a great cost it became on behalf of the Seer before him. "Will you be alright, friend?" In asking this He knew Telion wasn't a novice healer, even if her blessing from Ioniri was only an Acolyte's blessing. Regardless, he wanted to tend to the people who literally made a difference for him in the end, starting with the Orkhan as well as the two sisters He'd glanced over to moments after.

Posted: **Sat May 18, 2024 9:51 pm**

Hilana understood now. She and Rickter had first connected in a dream, and by strange happenstance, when she and Æros had gone to investigate the crystal tree, she and the draegir had met for the first time. He had anchored something within her in that first dream, and when she had faced down the Voidshade, he had produced that massive shield that had obliterated her.

To save her and to save the world, he had given up himself. In doing so, he had saved countless lives.

And now he was back, and she could remember. Lia’s hand found hers, and she squeezed silently with reassurance and support. When Lykos looked back at them, she gave him an encouraging nod, meeting his blue eyes. Both sisters had to wonder what would happen to Lykos - their close friend that they had been both student and teacher to. What would become of him?

The Seer whispered a thanks to Isdarq when he was done drinking from the tea and she put it back on the table. A vial was opened and drizzled over the cloth that covered his eyes, and capped and tucked away again. It was a few beats before he responded to Lykos’ concerned question. “You are most welcome, Lord of Frost. I will be fine in time. Even for one like I… your connection to the Aetherium can be complicated to navigate. The next leg of your journey… will be just as hard for you. But I urge you to have compassion and be gentle with yourself.”

Hilana rose from where she was seated beside Athalia on the bench, not wanting to interrupt Telion and Lykos, and instead retrieved a vial from her rucksack. She approached the table with it. Lykos would recognize the restorative that helped with physical wounds and aetheric strain, and the young woman extended the vial to lay it on the table before Ethril. “This may help.” She spoke quietly. Inasmuch as she viscerally despised Orkhan, this one had helped her friend, and sought no payment for his effort.

“Thank you,” Ethril’s voice was quieter, and while his shaking was lessened, it was still there. Isdara turned her attention to the rest of them.

“Ethril needs his rest. I suspect you will have other questions - many do - but perhaps we can arrange another time for following up once he has recovered.” The Orkhan warrior was gentle enough in her tone, but she wouldn’t brook any argument, not with her Seer needing to recuperate.

Hilana returned to Athalia, and the two southerners were certainly ready to depart from here whenever Lykos and Telion were ready.

Posted: **Wed Jun 12, 2024 2:40 am**

As the reality of the situation had finally settled in, and Lykos had found a sense of acknowledgment with himself from all the support around, there came a moment filled with clarity for the Wolf as and where He was. In hindsight, he was able to remember everything about His former self, the mortal life he'd lived before His ascension. Not all those memories came rushing back but Lykos felt them all within, the treasures of those experiences enriching his thoughts once more, while at the same time waiting for Him to reminisce through them of his own accord.

Such encouragement from his peers both grounded him but also bolstered him, as he felt all the more anchored to the present moment in time. And for that, he remained grateful, if not unaware of the toll the experience would have on Him as well. Ethril's assurances of his own well-being came with a suggestive caution, one that Lykos personally did not think to overlook or ignore either. As He was already aware of Himself at this point in time, the Lupine Draegir didn't just restore a part of him that had been missing.

He reclaimed it. With that came the entirety of everything that remained a dutiful, if not integral, part of the life that had been lived before sacrificing it. "Even if he struggles with that, he's got an entire pack ready to aid him." The mother of their children remarked with a soft yet hearty smile, her gaze returned to Lykos once Ethril did not need her help being attended to.

"I sure do." He agreed with a hopeful look in his eyes, with an appreciative glance at those present before him. Sure enough, he too felt the weight of exhaustion lean into his shoulders, just as Ethril remained weary from his role in the act they shared. He felt the warmth of familiar fingers slip across his palm, their slender embrace netting between his own before the wolf's weathered gaze focused once more. "I'm alright..." He assured Telion then with the intent for his companions to hear, knowing the sisters would likely be concerned over him for a little while.

Then again this whole journey with them has involved the pair of them, both worrying and understanding everything He as an individual experienced. "Understood," the wolf quickly responded to Isdara, "I might give it some time to understand things a bit better... but I'll certainly come seeking answers when the time is right. Until then, I might check in now and then." Lykos elaborated as he steadily rose from his spot, a bit of a sluggishness found in his demeanor when he stood at his full height.

Giving their parting customs to the Orkhan Triad before them, the wolf left with his packmates to return to his familial home for a while. The Vastiana sisters were undoubtedly provided with warm food and beverages and rooms if they chose to stay a few nights before returning down south. For Lykos, life would soon grow ever complicated once he'd rested long enough to sift through his own memories once again.

Posted: **Wed Jun 12, 2024 10:03 pm**

Review

Name: Lykos

XP: 15 Points, no magic
Injuries/Ailments: Reconciling his past with his present is going to be a serious headache...
Loot: Restored memories

Name: Hilana

XP: 15 Points, no magic
Injuries/Ailments: None
Loot: None

Notes: Thank you for such an introspective thread! Lykos has unlocked his past, and now begins the difficult process of reconciling his past and present to forge his future. How he does that will be a deeply personal journey, but I look forward to seeing how he does with it.

Further, by the grace of Myshala, the Spider Most Elegant, those who have had Rickter removed from their memories can now recall him. They will not be jolted by a sudden realization that he was ever 'missing', but they can recognize him normally as appropriate to their histories with him.

Legend of Ransera

Shrouded [Lykos]

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