what lies within 
28 Frost, 120 Steel
Talon exhaled in a slow steady breath. He controlled the movement of his diaphragm as he pushed his hands in a downward motion with palms turned toward the earth. He imagined that he was slowly pressing down on a cushion that was helping to expel the air from his lungs in a slow and steady manner. When the breath had been completely exhaled, he extended an arm and twisted his torso in a sweeping gesture while laying his other hand flat against his stomach. He kept his movements fluid but controlled. The past few days had been spent standing in on ceremonies, he had been attending meetings with some of the Daizoku and visiting some of the vassals of his own House. The whole experience had left him feeling rather tired. Seeing him this morning, Aoren had persuaded his younger brother to step in and take on some of those tasks for the day. At that moment, they were standing in the Circle of Wandering, far away from the city and surrounded by the quiet of the valley.
Beside him, his companion was going through several slow motions with his swords. He moved fluidly, each transition into the next motion was done with the poise and certainty that only came with years of disciplined practice. Beneath the cloth of the shirt he wore, Talon could see the muscles of Aoren’s arms bunch and coil as he moved. There had been a change in the dynamic of their relationship in recent weeks. Ever since the attack on his life the prior season and following the outburst in his shop, Talon noticed that Aoren was gentler with him. Where normally the man had always maintained the role of a strict confidant, more than once, his companion had openly declared and made advances toward something more romantic. Talon was both excited and hesitant at the prospect. His feelings on the matter were complicated.
Aoren’s blades suddenly ignited in his signature flames as he went into a series of swings and flourishes moving smoothly from one position to the next. That was another recent development that Talon had seen in his companion. His relationship with the elements had grown, most noticeably with the element of fire. Aoren wielded it with an ease that was both impressive and more than a little intimidating at times. The touch of his elemental power was present even in his gaze now, as those eyes of his now burned with the intensity of his emotions. Talon watched the raven winged Kathar for several quiet moments as he contemplated the nature of their relationship.
He had first met Aoren during his Warren March. The man had volunteered himself to the Dead Legion, a life that would have most certainly lead to his death sooner rather than later. The two had found one another in some ways, Talon had pulled him from a bit of rubble and stayed with him until he was conscious again. After Talon had completed his Warren March, it was a little while longer before they met up again. In that time, the two of them had Bonded. Like all bonds, it had begun small. It had been something they both decided on. Aoren had started out as a teacher. That had grown to him becoming a friend. Following their visit to the Kingdom of Atinaw however, things had changed. Aoren had been kidnapped by Imperial Inquisitors who had recognized him for the Kathar he was. Though it had been years since his departure from the Imperium, his companion still had the accent and voice of a man from those lands. It was also in the way he carried himself. He did not carry himself like a Synnekar. Every moment of every day, Aoren’s disposition was that of a coiled predator ready to strike. It was the nature of his upbringing, something that he had never fully shared with Talon.
As the man spun effortlessly into a whirlwind of fire and blades, several more swords appeared around him and he began to duel them in a controlled manner. In many ways, this was the real Aoren. He was a fighter. He was not an unkind man but there was a raw truth to seeing him in the middle of a battle. He was unrestrained in many ways, as each movement came to him naturally as though warfighting were as easy to him as breathing. Deep down, Talon knew that was the reason he had been so ashamed and so hurt by the events that happened the season prior. It was not a vain pride or inflated ego that had left Aoren so wounded, it was the man being horrified with himself for almost failing to protect him. The realization of that made Talon feel both vulnerable and treasured at the same time.
It dawned on Talon then why he held himself back so much. It was not the pain of what he had suffered through with Riven. Their bond had been deep and Talon would never pretend it had been anything different but it was not like what he shared with Aoren. This man looked at him with respect. He pushed Talon to grow. He did not shy away from the truth. He made mistakes but he sought to learn from them. He saw Talon when he was strong and was there to lean on when he was weak. It was why what Talon had to ask him would be so difficult and why he knew that his companion would flatly reject the notion.
“You are staring, Shinsei.” Talon stirred from his thoughts, realizing that he had stopped practicing his movements. He smiled. He could hear the grin in his companion’s voice even with his back turned.
“You are beautiful.” Talon’s words made Aoren jerk and the flat of one of his dancing blades smacked him in a wing. The Kathar flinched but immediately after, the summoned blades vanished in a cloud of misty aether that flowed back into him. He turned and blinked at Talon. The young Novalys did not shy away. There was a look of surprise on his companion’s face but there was also hesitation. Across their bond, he could feel Aoren hesitantly reaching out. Talon reached back and did the mental equivalent of entwining their fingers together. Aoren looked a little stunned but he could feel a welling of joy emanating from his partner.
Beside him, his companion was going through several slow motions with his swords. He moved fluidly, each transition into the next motion was done with the poise and certainty that only came with years of disciplined practice. Beneath the cloth of the shirt he wore, Talon could see the muscles of Aoren’s arms bunch and coil as he moved. There had been a change in the dynamic of their relationship in recent weeks. Ever since the attack on his life the prior season and following the outburst in his shop, Talon noticed that Aoren was gentler with him. Where normally the man had always maintained the role of a strict confidant, more than once, his companion had openly declared and made advances toward something more romantic. Talon was both excited and hesitant at the prospect. His feelings on the matter were complicated.
Aoren’s blades suddenly ignited in his signature flames as he went into a series of swings and flourishes moving smoothly from one position to the next. That was another recent development that Talon had seen in his companion. His relationship with the elements had grown, most noticeably with the element of fire. Aoren wielded it with an ease that was both impressive and more than a little intimidating at times. The touch of his elemental power was present even in his gaze now, as those eyes of his now burned with the intensity of his emotions. Talon watched the raven winged Kathar for several quiet moments as he contemplated the nature of their relationship.
He had first met Aoren during his Warren March. The man had volunteered himself to the Dead Legion, a life that would have most certainly lead to his death sooner rather than later. The two had found one another in some ways, Talon had pulled him from a bit of rubble and stayed with him until he was conscious again. After Talon had completed his Warren March, it was a little while longer before they met up again. In that time, the two of them had Bonded. Like all bonds, it had begun small. It had been something they both decided on. Aoren had started out as a teacher. That had grown to him becoming a friend. Following their visit to the Kingdom of Atinaw however, things had changed. Aoren had been kidnapped by Imperial Inquisitors who had recognized him for the Kathar he was. Though it had been years since his departure from the Imperium, his companion still had the accent and voice of a man from those lands. It was also in the way he carried himself. He did not carry himself like a Synnekar. Every moment of every day, Aoren’s disposition was that of a coiled predator ready to strike. It was the nature of his upbringing, something that he had never fully shared with Talon.
As the man spun effortlessly into a whirlwind of fire and blades, several more swords appeared around him and he began to duel them in a controlled manner. In many ways, this was the real Aoren. He was a fighter. He was not an unkind man but there was a raw truth to seeing him in the middle of a battle. He was unrestrained in many ways, as each movement came to him naturally as though warfighting were as easy to him as breathing. Deep down, Talon knew that was the reason he had been so ashamed and so hurt by the events that happened the season prior. It was not a vain pride or inflated ego that had left Aoren so wounded, it was the man being horrified with himself for almost failing to protect him. The realization of that made Talon feel both vulnerable and treasured at the same time.
It dawned on Talon then why he held himself back so much. It was not the pain of what he had suffered through with Riven. Their bond had been deep and Talon would never pretend it had been anything different but it was not like what he shared with Aoren. This man looked at him with respect. He pushed Talon to grow. He did not shy away from the truth. He made mistakes but he sought to learn from them. He saw Talon when he was strong and was there to lean on when he was weak. It was why what Talon had to ask him would be so difficult and why he knew that his companion would flatly reject the notion.
“You are staring, Shinsei.” Talon stirred from his thoughts, realizing that he had stopped practicing his movements. He smiled. He could hear the grin in his companion’s voice even with his back turned.
“You are beautiful.” Talon’s words made Aoren jerk and the flat of one of his dancing blades smacked him in a wing. The Kathar flinched but immediately after, the summoned blades vanished in a cloud of misty aether that flowed back into him. He turned and blinked at Talon. The young Novalys did not shy away. There was a look of surprise on his companion’s face but there was also hesitation. Across their bond, he could feel Aoren hesitantly reaching out. Talon reached back and did the mental equivalent of entwining their fingers together. Aoren looked a little stunned but he could feel a welling of joy emanating from his partner.
