(Talon) Glimpse

[Rickter]

Glimpse

Frost 29th, 120th Year, AoS

Daylight filtered through a sea of clouds as Rickter could see the occasional flurry, signalling that another bout of snow would be on the horizon soon. Frost was a season the wolf sometimes enjoyed, though granted he didn't like to be out in the cold for any longer than he had to. Which is why today, a day where he had a matter of importance to attend, he wore a padded brown jacket over his long-sleeve white shirt, putting on his chainmail boots instead since he figured there would be a great deal of snow to tread through. Most of his other shoes were decent of course, but even Rickter had minimal patience when snow crept down around his ankles.

Heading down the Plaza of Jeweled Arches, which much of the colorful roofs were blanketed in white, the wolf didn't waste time in heading towards one of the shops in town, knowing full well that he would encounter the person he'd hoped to find there in turn. After yesterday's unusual bout of experiences the wolf had questions, but largely felt more concern over his friend in general, rather than the occurrences of pain and... whatever that was yesterday. From what the wolf could remember out of it all, he gathered that what Talon had felt in the beginning was none other than Reaving, for that backlash of pain was all too familiar even for the wolf.

Coming upon a large building much composed of stone the wolf looked for the sign at its entrance. Walking beneath it he glanced up with a thought, in turn, reading "The Skyforge" aloud in his mind as he reached for the door. Giving the door a jig before opening Rickter slipped in through the crack, briskly shutting it behind him when he strode on inside the shop itself. It then dawned on him... He'd never actually been in this place before... He knew Talon owned his own forge, and that it was named something akin to the sky prior, but now that he'd actually entered he couldn't help but slow. Columns lined their way towards the main desk of the building itself, with mannequins decorated in various articles of armor or accessories lined by each one of them. In passing Rickter glanced at each one, taking the sights in for himself with a slight crease in his brow.

Much of what he saw heavily impressed him, he expected it to be a shop sure, but the merchandise itself looked to be flawless in quality. Innately he couldn't help but wonder about Talon, and if there happened to be a gift, in particular, the Synnekar didn't possess. Impressions aside, however, he quickly remembered what reason drove him to visit, and fixed his attention on the person who happened to be at the front desk. "Welcome!" A young and tall looking man greeted as he slid a hand overhead, drawing back the bangs of his gilded hair when he reached the desk from within the shop. "What can I do for you?" He inquired with a friendly smile to Rickter.

"I'm actually here for Talon," the wolf explained plainly, "is he in today?"

"Speech"

"Every side attacks you when you don't take sides."

[Talon]

29 Frost 120 Steel

Talon had a pair of carefully made aura glasses on his face as he tweaked the frostrylyth gemstone in front of him. With a pair of forceps he gently grasped the flow of the aether pathway within the dragonshard, using a second pair of forceps to tug and pull on its direction so that the flow of the aether would be in the framework he desired. He lay the strands of aether down into the carefully carved pathways piece by piece. This was by far one of the most tedious parts of working with dragonshard refinements. He had spent the better part of the morning working with his jeweler’s hammer and chisel in order to carefully carve pictograph pathways into the surface of the gem. The frost dragonshard was covered in geometric lines that had been very methodically etched into its surface. The swirling frost magic that coalesced in its core was thus being carefully drawn out to follow the pathways that Talon had constructed for it.

He was laying down one more strand of aether when he felt a pang in his chest. Talon winced. His hand shook causing him to drop the forcep he was working with. He pressed that hand to his chest rubbing at the area where the thin silver scar had appeared on his chest following his initiation into Reaving. It was new. It was something that he had only become aware of that very morning. As he had been bathing and changing his clothes, his companion had pointed it out. Talon rubbed at the spot on his chest. He tried to put the thoughts from his head but there was much confusion and so many questions that had spawned from his initiation. Reaching up he took off the glasses, the aether pathways fading from his vision as he did so. He took a deep breath, stepping back from the workbench so that he could stretch. He spread his arms along with his wings and let out a groan as the stiffness in his muscles made itself evident.

Across his senses he became aware of the presence of another of his bondmates. Rickter was drawing nearer which both did and did not surprise him. It had been several days since the two of them had seen each other. No doubt the wolf was curious as to what had happened the day prior to have sparked so much across their bond. He was under no illusion that it had not passed across their bond. Aoren had shared with him just how much of the experience he had felt. His companion was recovering himself by taking a day to ease his mind and his spirit. He was enjoying some time with friends at High Hopes, brawling, drinking and playing games of chance. Talon did not begrudge him and in fact had insisted that the man take a bit of time for himself. The initiation had been a grueling endeavor for both of them. They would spend that night together but it was good to set their minds on something else, at least for a little bit.

As chance would have it, it was a good thing that Rickter was there. He needed to get the wolf’s measurements so that he could complete the schematics for the objects he had been working on for practically two seasons at that point. At least it felt that way. Turning, Talon began to make his way up the steps to the main floor of his shop. He was just nearing the landing when he heard Rickter’s voice speaking to his apprentice.

“Prince Talon is quite busy today. I am not sure that--” Talon called from the landing as he made his way up the steps.

“It is alright, Velkan.” Talon finished making his way up the stairs. His grey eyes came to settle upon Rickter with a smile. “Rickter is my bondmate. He is free to see me.”

The young Avialae blinked at Rickter for a moment before blushing in embarrassment.

“Oh! I-I did not realize you were--” Talon chuckled as he came up to rest a hand on his apprentice’s shoulder.

“It is alright, my apprentice. I have never actually described him. Merely spoken of him.” Talon inclined his head to Rickter.

“Rickter. Welcome. I am glad that you are here. I need to get your measurements for the armor requisition. Before we get to that however, was there something I could help you with?”

[Rickter]

The wolf's eyes remained on the apprentice indirectly as he was told Talon would be busy, though, not before the wolf soon felt the prince coming to receive him personally. Though still uncanny the wolf had grown rather fond of that part with their bond, having to be able to send and receive impressions from one another, as well as determine when one another were close by. The wolf didn't question the fact their Bond had grown considerably, a result of the amount of trust and respect found within one another. At least that's what the wolf thought, along with the sentiment of companionship between them. There was no question the wolf had grown to care a lot about Talon, as well as Aoren, throughout their shared times within the past couple of seasons.

While his eyes remained mindful of what he was told by this Velkan fellow, the corners of his lips soon cracked into a grin as the sight of Talon came into view. "Probably should've introduced myself anyway." He figured with a light shrug when Talon emphasized on the mentioning, rather than elaborating, of him in past conversations. It was always strange for the wolf to think he was a subject on people's minds, but, he has grown accustomed to the sentiments that they shared together. It was when Talon addressed the wolf himself that Rickte'rs eyes focused in, his gaze lining with Talon's as genuine ease became apparent between them. But wait... armor requisitions? For him?

He certainly didn't expect that at all, then again he was approaching the next phase of his trials, and if Talon had faith he'd pull through them... then why not allow him to make this armor? Truthfully, just the mentioning of it immensely humbled the wolf, leading Rickter to fondly grin at the prince as he remembered what he'd actually came here for. "Well, it's... not too urgent." He clarified with a bit of afterthought in mind, before his gaze turned to one of tenderness for his Bondmate. "Are you... feeling okay today?" His concern was apparent for the obvious reason, for even he felt something yesterday that was a bit beyond describable. No... it was surreal to be honest, like a dream born from memory.

But that memory wasn't his own... Was it? Past lives were never something he'd considered as a concept, and quite honestly, the immensity of it felt rather intimidating to grasp. But he wasn't here because of the pain in his chest, he was here because that pain stemmed from Talon's own core. "We can probably talk more in your shop... if you like." He figured to suggest almost with a mindful glance at the apprentice, unsure of how in the know he was of recent developments as of late.

[Talon]

Talon gave Velkan’s shoulder a squeeze once more before stepping away from the desk. He was silent for a moment as he met Rickter’s gaze. The tenderness there made his chest tighten. He could feel the concern extending across their bond. The day prior had been filled with much turmoil. It had left Talon confused, hurt, exhausted and filled with questions. Those questions were still on his mind. He felt as though the questions would be on his mind for a long time. Talon took a deep breath before letting it out slowly. Almost without thought, his hand drifted to his chest, fingers brushing lightly over the area where the thin silver scar had appeared.

“I am...better.” He searched his own feelings. He examined his body mentally and took stock of his physical state. He felt no actual pains outside of the normal aches that came with a post-initiation and working hard at the forge. Talon brought up a hand, reaching out to Rickter. He threaded their fingers together and tugged the wolf Rathari toward him.

“Come. Let us talk.” Talon inclined his head to both his apprentice and the head clerk who was making her way back to the desk after assisting a customer. Talon guided Rickter to the more private section of his shop that contained his office and his personal workspaces. The room was cozy. The walls were lined with shelves that carried various books that looked well-thumbed. There was a large desk upon which rest an open book with various sketches and notes written in Synskrit. In one of the corners of the room was a set of full-length mirrors with a raised platform that Talon used to take measurements of a particular client when working on clothing. He would guide Rickter to that momentarily but first, Talon squeezed Rickter’s hand before pulling the man into a tight hug. He embraced Rickter both physically and across their bond.

When Talon drew back he gave Rickter some space, giving the man a soft smile.

“I am sorry. Yesterday was a trial. It was careless of me to not warn you.” Talon thought on how distressed just Aoren had been. His other bondmate was still clinging to their bond tightly. Even then, Talon could feel Aoren clutching him close to his thoughts mentally. He could almost see through the Kathar’s mind as he was wrestling with a friend in High Hopes. Talon mentally hugged both of his bondmates before letting out another breath.

“Aoren initiated me into Reaving. I…” He hesitated. “...I made it. But something happened.”

Talon shook his head as he thought on everything that had occurred. It had been unlike anything he had experienced with his other initiations. Everything that he had seen had felt so real. He could still smell the fire, sulfur and sweat from the battle. He could still feel the strain in his muscles as he fought against his opponent. It was so vivid he felt almost as though he could just step into that headspace at a moment’s notice.

“Aoren said he got a brief glimpse of it. Did you see it too?”

[Rickter]

Although the wolf felt highly concerned over what his friend had endured, the relief in hearing Talon confirm that he was doing better brought about a ease to the shoulders, as Rickter approached to draw nearer his close friend. But that wasn't right was it? Close as they were they felt more than just friends, hell, the wolf started to make it abundantly clear how he felt as of late. A pack mentality existed between him and the two, with him being the loyal wolf driven to protect them from any and all threats. So imagine how hard that got, when he'd sometimes feel those moments of combat or pain, and he wasn't exactly there to lend a hand when he probably should've.

The circumstances of their time apart from one another being the lesser of his growing concerns, however, Rickter's lips tucked into the slight form of a smile he would normally project. It was evident something residual lingered at Talon's chest, as Rickter had figured there ought to be; after what he felt in turn. "Sure." He quickly agreed with a nod at the beckon to follow, paying a respectful nod to Velkan before he extended a hand, and accepted the offer Talon made when he was guided toward another area of the shop. Following the prince into what looked to be his office area, the wolf noticed the sizeable mirrors situated in the corner of the room, reminding him of the earlier statement he made. Measurements... Right. Not that it would be anywhere near awkward for him. All he'd be doing was standing while Talon held some kind of tape up to him right?

Everything else seemed to possess a bit of relevance to how Talon himself lived, or rather worked within the office of the shop he owned. It was then Talon had pulled him in for a snug embrace, briefly causing the wolf to chuckle lightly as he lighted his arms up to pat at the Prince's mid-back in turn. Their difference in sizes aside the wolf found it easy to do this, probably because he possessed such fondness and trust with him. Feeling the warmth travel through him not just physically, but spiritually as well, he couldn't help but breathe out peacefully through his nostrils. The half-breed was nothing if not a mountain of fortitude, after all, therefore, rare moments like this were the only time he projected such a calm state of being. In parting from one another physically he looked up to Talon then, his smile warm as he listened to the man start with an apology. The wolf merely shook his head in a slow, rather relaxed, manner in regards to the statement itself after listening to the man.

"No apology necessary. You and I just do things on our own in our own time, although..." If there were going to be these 'episodes' between them, then general warnings would indeed suffice. Not that Rickter was any better in that regard, but there existed a fundamental understanding of the lesson itself. But... hearing that the prince went and initiated himself into Reaving... Rickter harbored no ill feelings toward it at all of course, he only initially surprised to learn of it, since he knew full well what the initiation entailed for Talon. And with Aoren being his initiator, that undoubtedly made things difficult between them, because of all the pain Talon himself had to endure. "Knowing now that it was your initiation, it makes sense why we couldn't feel one another for a bit."

They were all, in essence, guarded with their emotions as they handled their situations individually, and yet, irony dwelt on the fact both parties were dealing with aspects of Reaving when the event occurred. Odd how that was, but something told Rickter that it was no accident. What occurred between them was connected in some way, it was just a matter of how. Aoren's residual concerns welled up within the wolf as they did with Talon, and when Rickter felt the next mental hug embrace him through their bond, he too shared the intent with his Bondmates to reaffirm the sentiments in their connection. Going through what they did was an ordeal entirely separate from what occurred afterward, and that alone would be something the two would have to live with for a while at least.

So it seemed whatever took place was the result of a complete initiation, in turn, leading Rickter to experience it just moments after he finished forging a new Pact. Even now, he remembered how he felt, the sharp burning pain felt right through his heart before his vision faded. Which begged the question... was the vision Rickter had the same as what Aoren glimpsed as well? "I saw... something..." The wolf's gaze averted only slightly, a sure tell sign he was comfortable still gazing at Talon, while his mind pondered the pieces of the puzzle that resided before him. "As it turns out, I'd forged a new Pact with a weapon yesterday. Moments after my success, I happened to fall unconscious to witness a dream of some kind."

The ponderous wonder in his eyes was shared with Talon when he looked back up, staring directly into the Avialae's gaze when he made at least a hint of a smile. "It was... peculiar. I'd felt like I'd been knocked on my ass somehow, and when I came to there was another there to help me stand. He reminded me of somebody I knew actually... and had this weird arc of light hovering over his shoulders." It was then he remembered the mark on his forearm, a fact that brought brief surprise when he did, leading the wolf to roll the sleeve of his shirt up to present the symbol to Talon. "When I came to, this was found later. It seems connected... somehow." That was all he knew honestly, once the exposed part of his flesh was held out. Looking down at it now, the scar felt more than just random. It felt important somehow, connecting Rickter to a larger puzzle that he still just couldn't comprehend.

"Was the glimpse you and Aoren had similar?" Rickter then inquired with a thoughtful tilt of his head, the curiosity prevalent both through his eyes as well as his soul.

"Speech"

[Talon]

Talon listened intently as Rickter explained the ramifications of the forging of a new Pact. He knew then the harrowing experience that it was. He did not think that he would be undergoing the formation of a new Pact any time soon. The initiation was still fresh in his mind. As Rickter confessed that he had indeed seen and experienced something, Talon hung on every word. A man with a strange arc of light over his shoulders? That did not sound like anything Talon knew. Unless the man were an elementalist manipulating fire in some way? Perhaps a product of Masquerade? The magic of illusions was one that fascinated Talon but he had yet to encounter any who bore the rune. At least, not that he knew of.

“That does not sound like anyone I know.” Rickter began rolling up his sleeve declaring that when he awoke he possessed something on his arm. Was it a scar? Was it similar to what Talon had awoken to after his initiation? Was that common with Reaving? There were so many questions that ran through Talon’s mind. He turned his head to the side as he heard a peel of laughter just outside of his office. It sounded like Velkan and Sylas enjoying a joke. He was glad for that. When he returned his attention to Rickter’s arm…

Talon froze.

His whole body went still. His grey eyes zeroed in on the marking that was faintly outlined on Rickter’s forearm. A sword, the blade of which was wreathed in a helix of fire. Talon’s breathing elevated. The markings on his body dimmed in their normally quiet glow before they began to grow brighter. The color shifted. The violet-blue arcane light that had always ghosted over Talon’s flesh, the evidence of his Siltori heritage, began to take on a brighter hue. It went from blue-violet to red to yellow until a silver-grey light flowed from those markings on his body. It was soft and seemed a pale shadow of what it could be, of what it should have been. The grey in Talon’s eyes became sharper until there were flecks of metallic mercurial silver in them.

The world faded from Talon’s perception. It grew dark as his vision tunneled and all he could see was the burning sword that filled him with a cascade of feelings.

He knew this mark. Like the wings upon his back, like the bones in his body, he knew it. It felt as though he was staring at a piece of himself. But for the life of him he could not bridge the gap between what he felt and what he should have known. The more he stared at it, the more the world around him faded. The sound of his workshop became the distant cries of battle. The smell of forge fire became sulfurous and repugnant. The ring of hammers became the clash of swords. He looked up. He was no longer in his office in the Skyforge. He was on that field of battle. Before him were a cadre of soldiers, all of whom were raising their fists into the sky. Light streamed forth from their forms in defiance of the encroaching darkness that gnashed its teeth at them.

Talon knew this moment. He knew these soldiers. He knew this light...because it was his. He felt it but he did not know why.

The world came back to Talon in a jolt. The markings on his body returned to normal and Talon staggered. His hand flew to his chest as pain once again flared in his heart.

“Rickter…?” Talon felt something shift inside of his very soul. The world spun and Talon felt like he was about to explode as power welled up inside of him. He clamped down on that feeling and felt a jarring pain ricochet through his body. His eyes rolled back into his head as the shock of it stole away his consciousness. Talon stumbled and the world went black as he collapsed unconscious.

[Rickter]

Rickter did his best to calmly express the events that had carried out as of yesterday, knowing full well that he didn't quite understand the circumstances following up to now. Before when he'd been first initiated into Reaving, no such scars were ever something he'd discovered during the arduous trial itself. Although... the wolf could never forget the insurmountable pain that coursed through his being that first time, something that Talon only likely discovered for himself as of his own initiation yesterday. At the justification that Talon didn't quite know who he explained, the wolf was almost prone to shrug since he himself had no clue or connection to the individual. In theory. Telion debated the idea of it being divination perhaps, or even a vision that the Gods themselves bestowed upon mortals.

Rickter never believed such flighty reasoning, for it never explained the heart of truth over the matter. Still, in presenting his arm to display the scar, Talon had only temporarily looked away to the shop outside his doorway. When he looked back, however, what the wolf came to experience next perplexed him immensely. At first, it was as though the prince saw something he'd lost, perhaps, or never expected to gaze upon not even once in his lifetime. A strange reaction to be sure, but from what Rickter could feel, that on the other hand was an entirely different matter between them. Something in Talon stirred when he gazed upon this mark, and it was something that immensely overwhelmed the wolf's own senses. Through their bond he picked up a force, or perhaps a will, something that he couldn't put a label on necessarily; but felt insanely overbearing compared to the other feelings the Bondmates often imparted.

Seeing his companion affixed in this sudden trance, the wolf's head tilted slightly with a look of concern, noting the transitioning of colors on Talon's rune markings as he stood there. "Talon?" The hues seemingly cycled from their original state, to red and then even yellow, before the light itself glimmered into a silver-state of grey akin to what Rickter experienced in his own glimpse. Between him and Talon there was already a sort of connection, but innately, it felt as something deep within him responded to whatever it was stirring within the prince. The wolf's breath felt weighted by this, before Talon seemingly closed himself off entirely, only to roll his eyes up before he started to topple forward. "Tal- shit!" Rickter cursed lowly without even thinking, his body already shifted so that he drew close enough to capture the man, embracing him so that his descent would be upon the shoulder of the wolf... rather than the floor beneath them.

"Holy fuck!" Rickter's eyes widened as his legs buckled at the knees, his legs only somewhat straining to remain posed as he held Talon up in his arms. "Between you and me mate, you may need to shed a few pounds..." He lightly remarked in between grunts as he looked around, searching for a spot to place Talon down. That was when he had felt Aoren reach out to him, aware of the sudden drop in consciousness within his lover. Rickter reached to the captain then, imparting feelings of uncertainty mixed with curiosity, with a sense of concern and focus on Talon overall. What Rickter felt just then, before the sudden blackout? It was peculiar for the wolf, not just because of whatever stirred within Talon, but what it brought to the surface in the wolf as well. He'd never felt such an unusual thing before, and now that he had, the part of him that felt that disturbance lingered within for several long seconds.

"Okay," He grunted lightly as his eyes fell upon the platform he would've been led to stand on, "let's get you seated first..." Rickter's arms moved so that he could still hold Talon up, while gradually adjusting the prince's own arms to where one of them was over his shoulder at least. Hanging onto that one arm specifically, the wolf then moved his other arm around so that he could grip Talon's belt at the waist, before stepping over in a sideway's fashion to ease the Avialae closer toward his intended destination. It wasn't entirely an easy feat to accomplish in his situation, but the wolf managed to at least keep Talon from slumping off of him, and hitting the floor in the process of scooting closer to the platform. Finally, when they were both near it, Rickter shifted his upper body around, so that when he leaned he could still ease Talon down gently.

Now with the prince half-sitting on the stand, the wolf exhaled a sigh of weariness before looking into the vacant expression Talon still wore. He was out cold from whatever it was, and sadly Rickter wasn't really an expert on being able to tell what caused it. Much less how to resolve the situation. "Hey, Talon?" The wolf brought a hand up to check the man's temperature, before lightly brushing a thumb along the side of his head with a hint of concern in his eyes. "... the fuck's going on with us?..." He could only wonder to himself as he waited to see if the prince would awaken, if not, however, then the wolf had another idea he was willing to try. A small splash of water might do the trick, thanks to the power of elementalism at least, but the wolf wanted to make sure such measure was needed or unnecessary first.

[Talon]

It rose before him. A monolith of dark storms and endless possibilities. The black stone used to form its outer walls had not always been so. Once this tower had been a shining beacon upon which rest the hopes and dreams of the world. Its destruction had toppled an empire. Its ghost now held the world hostage in its chaotic grip. A charred corpse, all that was left of the world’s greatest civilization. This was it. This was the final stand. This was where it would all end. One way...or the other.

….

The clash of his sword against claws. The cries of companions as they were devoured by monstrosities. His throat was raw from shouting commands. His eyes stung from unshed tears. His heart was cold from the amount of death that he had seen. He could not give up. He would not give up. It was now or never.

….

Darkness closed in around him. It was cold and inside of it he could hear the struggle of something. The winds whipped around him. He could feel the dark claws of this creature digging into his flesh, ripping away piece after piece of him. It wanted to devour him just as it wanted to devour the world.

Brother…

The small whisper gave him strength and with the last of it he called forth the Light once more. He let it flow through him. He let it burn his body to cinders. At least this way, the darkness would be defeated. Until it returned…

----

Talon felt something wet splash against his face. He gasped, eyes flying open. The silver-white light that had shone brightly, flashed in his eyes. He jolted upright, hand flying to his chest as he heaved for breath. He narrowly missed smacking one of his bondmates in the head as he sat up. With his chest heaving, he blinked several times as though coming up from a deep sleep, enthralled by a terrible dream. Both Rickter and Aoren were there for him to see. He did not have to imagine what had happened.

The wolf, his wolf, must have called out to the Kathar the moment he blacked out. For a moment there was confusion in Talon’s eyes. There was fear and uncertainty. He reached for both men and grasped them close. His first instinct was to clutch both of them close, to his body and to his soul. He brought Rickter in near, pressing their foreheads together as he took a few steadying breaths. After a few heartbeats, Talon pressed a kiss to Rickter’s forehead before closing his eyes and just breathing. He then turned to Aoren, repeating the motions.

“You’re scaring me, Talon. What’s wrong?” Aoren’s deep voice was hushed. Across their bond, he felt the warrior reach out tentatively. Talon opened himself up to both men so that they could feel what he was feeling more clearly. He allowed his uncertainty and confusion as well as the brief glimpses of what had floated into his mind from his dream flow to them as best he could.

A shattered landscape covered in Dread Mists. The ruined corpse of a broken city with stone charred black as though by some great inferno. The dilapidated ruin of a colossal tower that seemed as though it were a mountain, pouring forth storms of Dread Mist from holes in its exterior.

“I do not know. But...I am scared. I do not know what is happening to me. First with the initiation and now this?” Talon shook his head and just held the two men closest to his heart as near to him as was comfortable.

[Rickter]

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Rickter waited a while to wait and see if Talon would awaken naturally, only long enough to find Aoren had arrived a little while later, inquiring as to what had happened when the prince had blacked out. Rickter explained, quite briefly, that something was going on due to the initiation... and the markings which seemed to interconnect the three. While the wolf wasn't sure if Aoren had one on his body anywhere, it was evident the wolf's own scarred insignia beheld some connection. As to what that connection was, and why it made Talon react the way he did, that was a mystery they would all have to discuss soon.

"Alright..." The wolf finally said after a few more moments waiting, surprised at how quickly Aoren did get here, even though the High Hopes was probably just a few corners away from the Sky Forge. "This'll do the trick." Holding an opened hand close he manifested a small bubble of water, flicking his fingers and thumb outward as he motioned, and caused the liquid to snake and gently splash across the cheek of Talon with just a thought. The prince stirred with a gasp as his eyes flew open, the silvery bright hues in his eyes dimming as he jolted, the wolf and Kathar both there to comfort him; when his hands shot for his chest a moment afterward. "You're alright, Talon, you're alright..." Although... alright was far from the truth it would seem, Talon wasn't just surprised he was literally scared of what he'd seen.

It was no wonder why, for Rickter was certainly scared as to what happened with the prince. In being drawn near the wolf's eyes lowered to a near close, feeling their connection all the more affirmed by the mental draw that brought him in as well. Relief. Assurance in knowing that his companion, his bondmate, was, in fact, alright after what had just happened. When it was Aoren's turn to be the one he drew in, the wolf only parted to linger closely with the pair, his eyes upon them warily as he gauged Talon's emotions. Not through the bond but through his observations, for it was clear what Talon felt in that moment, and yet all so puzzling to assess everything through just the bond alone. After Aoren's inquiry, it became clear then, as to why the warriors were fearful for their prince, and why he in turn felt a similar fear for something far bigger. In sharing the impressions of the vision he had Rickter felt his stomach turn a bit, the sight of a destroyed city marred beyond recognition filling him with paranoia, as the wrath of a violent Dread Mist surged out from a towering spire at it's very heart.

This corpse of a ruin... the sense of pure dread he experienced just now... there were very few instances where the wolf's instincts kicked in, this had to be the one where inherently shivered because of how desolate and entropic he felt after seeing it. The confusion and uncertainty accompanying him wasn't his own either, for Talon felt the same after sharing with them this vision he had. It was as though this... this one place, this one dreadful area he'd never seen... suddenly felt as though it were the fixation of something large. Huge even. In hearing the prince express his fear, Rickter brought a hand up to caress the back of his head, running his rough fingers through Talon's hair as he gently pressed into the scalp. He was concerned and there was no denying that, thus the wolf's words were a gentle murmur between them when he spoke in turn.

"Whatever's happening, we're here to help." He promised Talon with a bit more of a press in his fingers, gently squeezing the prince on the backside of his head as he leaned in to connect their heads once more. "Whatever this is... Whatever it means... We'll figure it out together." How he wasn't certain but he meant every word, for Rickter wanted nothing more than to get to the heart of truth in this matter.

"Every side attacks you, when you don't take sides."

[Talon]

Talon held the both of his bondmates closely for just a few moments more. The gentle press of Rickter’s fingers in his hair, the safety he felt in this small circle of trust helped him to banish some of the fears that were roiling inside of him. After that beat of comfortable silence, he opened his eyes to meet the gazes of both men.

“Together.” Carefully he rose from where he had been seated. Talon ran a hand over his face noticing the wetness for the first time. He pulled his fingers back to stare at the water droplets. A light laugh bubbled out of him. “Did you splash me with water?”

He glared playfully toward Rickter. He knew that the wolf had been practicing with his elementalism lately. He was grateful for the interruption to his nightmare but he was not going to miss out on a chance to tease the man. Anything to push past the cloud of troubling feelings that had settled upon the room.

"Come, my wolf. We need to get your measurements. Just because the Goddess of Fate has decided to remind us of her presence, does not mean you are getting out of this.” Talon walked up to his desk then gestured to the standing mirrors.

“Clothes off. Shirt, pants, boots.” He smirked, folding his arms over his chest. The measuring tape hung limply in his grasp as he stared at Rickter with a small smile on his lips. Aoren laughed then. The dark winged Kathar ran his hands through Rickter’s hair, pressing a kiss to the man’s brow with a chuckle.

“You had better do it, my wolf. He practically tore the clothes off of me to get my measurements.” Aoren plopped himself down onto the couch. He crossed his ankles leisurely and rest his hands behind his head as he eyed Rickter from head to toe. There was no shortage of appreciation for the man in his gaze as he too moved past the weirdness that had been plaguing their lives in days of late. It was...unsettling. It was good to be able to turn to something playful, something intimate, something light in order to banish the shadow of the strange events that were spiraling around them.

“Of course, if you need a hand, I happen to have two of them.” Aoren raised his hands and waved them in a spirited display.