Page 1 of 2
teacher
Posted: Tue Feb 16, 2021 10:52 pm
by Talon
teacher 83rd of Frost, 120 Steel
The winter season was drawing to a close. With it the worst of the cold northern winds would abate and those not suited for the cold climate would be able to walk freely throughout the landscape. At least, without biting cold weather to worry about. Talon let the winds brush through his wings as he drifted lazily through the skies. He let the wind currents guide him as he listened to the weft and weave of their gentle flow. He knew where he was flying though it had been some time since he had visited the cottage in the woods. As he soared, he felt the brush of feathers along his spine. He opened his eyes, glancing up to see his bondmate flying just above him.
Aoren had utterly refused to leave his side since that day. Both of their lives had changed following the terrible events of Rickter’s final trial. It had been a lesson learned but from that harsh lesson, Talon had come out far stronger than ever before. It was a strange thing to still think about.
Talon was a demigod. It still seemed a completely foreign concept to him. It was one that he was still adjusting to but he was finding that the less he tried to grasp the lofty responsibility on his shoulders, the more he could deal with it. Andrus had been right, there was no instruction manual. There was no sacred textbook to show him the way. He had to figure it out as he went and every day, something new presented itself. Following his awakening, Talon had experienced a multitude of things. He found that his mere presence in the city of Kalzasi had caused...a shift of sorts. The soldiers of the Sky Guard, those who wholeheartedly believed in their purpose for being protectors and upholders of Justice in the realm, Talon could hear some of their thoughts. He could hear their wishes, their desire to do right by the fair and honest laws of his country. He could hear the judges of the Common Court and the High Court as they sat in judgement before criminals or listened to arguments debating the merits of one law or another.
Talon found that he was even aware of some of the debates that took place within the chambers of the Elder Council. This, coupled with the fact that he had become aware of dozens of people across what he believed was the world. They spoke a name that was not his but all the same, he heard them. When he concentrated on them, he could almost see them as though they were standing before him or in most cases, kneeling as though in prayer. He could feel a connection to those people, much like he could feel the connection between himself and his bondmates.
At first, Talon had felt as though he would be overwhelmed but he found a way to manage. The benefit, he found, of being an Avialae had prepared him for having other presences entering his mind. He filtered out what was not important and what did not immediately need his attention. Then again, he was still learning what all of this meant. He had not shared with anyone outside of a choice few what had happened to him. Truth be told? He did not know who would believe him. Talon believed it. He was able to do things, know things, and perceive things that he would not have imagined possible in his wildest dreams. But he was struggling to find a way to put it all into perspective.
The only thing keeping him from taking up residence in a hut deep in the Astralar Mountains was the bond he shared with Aoren and Rickter. The two men anchored him and reminded him that he was not alone.
“There!” He called out to his partner as the cottage came into view between the trees. Talon angled himself. He folded his wings and together, he and Aoren went into a dive as they reached his destination. Before long, the two of them landed. The crunch of snow beneath his boots announced his arrival and neither of them was attempting to be stealthy. Talon knew better than to try and catch this person by surprise. She was never surprised.
Stepping forward, he walked up to the door of the cottage. Taking a deep breath, Talon raised a hand but hesitated. It had been a long time since he had seen her. What would she say? What would she think? He felt a hand slip into his own. The gentle squeeze of support offered to him by Aoren helped to calm his nerves. Besides, those questions were exactly why he had come. He wanted to know the answers to those things, as well as seek her wisdom. He needed to feel grounded. He needed to be around someone who would treat him...well...normal.
Talon knocked upon the door.
“Shusoa?” He waited. He used the term he had since he was a boy. Master. Teacher. Guide. “It...it is Talon.”
Re: teacher
Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2021 6:36 am
by Senara
83rd of Frost
I
t was the third day of her time with the wolf. Throughout the first two, she had healed what she could with the illumite, and reversed much of the mist-induced fever that had plagued her body. But so much of it still remained, which only told Brianne that full recovery could take days, potentially weeks, before the wolf girl was strong enough to be released.
If she let her be. Part of her wondered, could she keep her? Could she help her regain some form of trust in humanity? And what had scarred the poor thing so harshly that, even as a Rathari, she'd resigned herself to living wild? And... how long had she been that way? Clearly years. It acted like a wolf, not just as much as a normal rathari but more so. Fully instinctual, with only brief moments of pure thought, and fear for anything other than herself that manifested in the form of aggression.
The woman mused with a sigh and furrowed brows while she prepared a kettle of hot water. The storm had been harsh, though with the aid of her illumite ward she'd found in the beginning of Frost, no thanks to Talon himself, she'd been more than able to to continue her hunting. Her fingers twisted the stone on her wrist as she lost herself in the questions of the Rathari girl.
Minutes later her kettle was boiling, the loud whistle jarring her from her thoughts. In the same moment, a knock at the door. Her head twisted, muscles tensed before she heard the deep baritone of a familiar student ringing through her door. In that moment, she softened. Though only enough to curl a smirk around her lips.
She took her time in preparing a set of three cups of herbal tea and honey, and set them on the dining table across from the wolf’s cage. After the cups were set, she made her way to the door and with a knowing glint in her eye, opened it.
“My my, haven’t you grown. Still a bit short, though.” She said with a coy chuckle, a smirk on her face as she gestured the pair inside.
Brianne spared no time with hugs or physical greetings as she looked him up and down, now closer than the day in the mountains. He’d grown, flushed out into a fine young man, and even carried a friend with him now. How becoming.
“Come sit, there’s tea for the both of you.” She said, moving to the table and sitting to face both of them. One finger curled around the handle to the mug as she took a sip of the peppermint-green tea. “So, what has you travelling to my cabin, hm? Need another ass-kicking lesson?”
Back in the cage, though, Senara had heard the knock at the door. A familiar voice, one she couldn’t place that rang throughout the home. What little was left of her muscles tensed and she raised herself up on all four legs. The bandage around her shoulder was wound tightly, though thankfully not bleeding anymore, she could feel the thick scab that had formed threatening to tear open with each movement.
She chuffed. Her ears flattened. Her body lowered itself with hair raised. Who the hell was here, and why?
Re: teacher
Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2021 5:38 pm
by Talon
teacher 83 Frost 120 Steel
Her smile had not changed. It was filled with a note of challenge and comfort. Brianne was a woman whom Talon had an immense amount of respect for. She had been one of his primary teachers as a boy. Much of what he had learned as a warrior had been from her. He bowed his head respectfully as she ushered both himself and Aoren inside the cottage. It was a humble space and though himself and his partner took up a great deal of area, he was alright with the coziness of it. Talon had been feeling spread out for a while. The relatively safety of a place that was filled with the presence of someone familiar brought him a peace of mind that had eluded him for some time. Talon removed his boots as was customary so as not to dirty Brianne’s home. Aoren followed suit. The both of them walked into the den. Aoren seated himself on the nearest piece of furniture that could accommodate him. Talon picked up two of the cups of tea, bringing one to his bondmate before seating himself on the floor between his lover’s legs. He made himself comfortable.
Talon took a sip of the tea. It was not the rich, spiced flavors that were served at the palace. It was simple, raw and had a slight bitterness to it that lingered on his tongue. He enjoyed it because it reminded him of less complicated things and simpler times. He closed his eyes, letting the steam of the tea ghost lazily over his face. The feeling of Aoren’s fingers running through his hair displayed a level of comfort between the two that said clearly where their relationship stood. Talon was not afraid. He had never been afraid of Brianne’s judgement. It was her cold silence that scared him. He had never experienced it himself but he had seen it wither the courage of seasoned veterans.
“No, teacher.” Talon opened his eyes. Gone was a winter grey that his family was known for. A mercurial silver shone in his irises that gave his gaze an ethereal aspect to them. He took another sip of the tea, enjoying the warmth that flowed down his throat. He considered being more careful with his words. Careful like he had been around the upper reaches of Kalzasi’s nobility thus far. What had happened to him was something only a choice few knew of thus far. Talon discarded that idea. Direct and forthright honesty was the best path with his teacher.
“I did something stupid.” He felt Aoren flinch but it was the truth. “I tried to orchestrate an elaborate test of skill and character for aspirants to my personal guard. I placed myself in a situation that, had I more wisdom, I never should have done.”
He felt Aoren’s emotional support thrum through his body. The two of them had made their peace with his reckless decision but it still haunted him how that foolish endeavor could have gone so much worse. Talon had been spared through luck. That was all he saw it as. Fate and Fortune be damned, he had been an idiot and he would not paint himself as anything but in that situation. He was grateful for the hand that fate had dealt him. It gave him a second chance. But he would not mince words.
“I was killed.” Talon’s gaze did not falter. He felt Aoren’s fingers brush through his hair more gently. Without even truly thinking about it, he turned his head and kissed the palm of his lover’s hand affectionately before returning his attention to Brianne. “I was spared death for only one reason…”
A hundred different words passed through his mind. How could he explain it? He still barely believed it himself. Still, it was true. He was living. He was breathing. Every moment of every day he could feel the truth of it.
“I woke up. When I did, I was still myself but…” He shook his head. “...different.”
“I ascended, teacher. It might sound crazy but it is true. I am a demigod and with every passing day...I grow more confused.” Talon reached inside of himself then. He touched upon the spark of fire that burned within his soul. In his mind’s reverie it was a silver flame that shone with a pale but piercing light. It burned through every shadow it touched, seeking an inner truth with an inescapable ferocity. He had to restrain the urge to unleash that fire. He harnessed it and allowed just a sliver of its light to pass through him.
The blue-violet markings upon Talon’s body shifted in color. They became a silver-white. His eyes glowed softly but though the display was curious, it was the force of his gaze that carried with it the weight of divinity. As Talon opened himself up to his divine awareness, he saw through Brianne to the heart of that which resonated with his domain. He saw her call for Justice. He saw her yearning for the pursuit of some old grief linked to a bitter injustice that raged within the depths of her soul. It was dimmed with the weight of time but it was there all the same. It was as he opened himself up to this awareness that his attention was pulled to the form of the wolf in the cage, a figure he took notice of for the first time. Within the tired form of that weary wolf, Talon saw a similar fire burning. A cry for justice for some terrible horror it had faced.
Talon’s features softened as he regarded the both of them. Kindred souls. But he would question that later.
He pulled back that silver fire, returning it to the house of his soul where he could call upon it another time.
“There is a fire inside of me, Teacher. It burns for justice. I find myself asking, do I unleash it in a storm of wrath and fury or do I show restraint?”
Re: teacher
Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2021 7:29 pm
by Senara
B
rianne sipped slowly at the tea as she watched the two situate themselves in front of her. One leg crossed over the other showing off a well worn boot with fraying laces. He was different. More poised. His years of training and instruction inside the palace had done wonders for his previous anxious jitters, but they hadn't truly gone away. She could see it as clear as day, though perhaps many others would not. His shoulders remained still, his fingers did not fidget, but his eyes dilated and twitched with each word and the tiniest hint of a crease had begun to appear on his brow. He had become focused, wise, but all together unsure of himself.
As he spoke, one brow raised in response to his confession. He continued, and she set the cup of tea at her side before folding her fingers together and leaning her back against the chair. His eyes shifted; from those she could still see the scrawny child behind to those of a demigod. Up until that moment Brianne had remained unmoving, still, but the moment she felt his celestial gaze upon her she twitched. It was brief, tiny, but probably the first and only time Talon would have seen it. It felt like someone had opened her chest and buried themselves inside her, picking through her and weighing her down to drown in her own hidden sorrows. But then it was gone, replaced with a rush of mortality once again and a hot shiver took over her. She breathed the feeling out through her nose, as if expelling the experience entirely in one motion.
Senara, however, had not reacted even remotely the same. Upon seeing the man her ears had perked up, the hair on her shoulders stood on end and for a moment she just stared.
It was him. The winged man from the mountains, and.. some other man? She could barely hear his words over the sound of crackling fire just outside her cage but what she could make out was that he had died. How? He was still sitting there, seemingly perfectly fine, save for- glowing eyes? Senara sniffed the air as if that would give her an answer, but all she could make out was the scent of the sun and spices that pricked her nose and throat like needles. She snorted the scent out just as his gaze fell upon her. And in that moment, felt the whole world crumble beneath her feet.
Unconsciously a deep growl brought itself fourth from her muzzle and her ears flattened against her matted, patchy fur. Teeth bared, she lowered herself to the man as the weight of the mountains themselves laid upon her chest. Something was wrong, terribly wrong, and he was the one who brought that wrong upon her. But why? Had he truly tracked her? How?! And why did he not smell the same? Nothing made sense and everything hurt, so when the gaze was withdrawn she stumbled back as if knocked by the wind. Her growl faltered, but she brought it back slow, low, softer this time as a low rumble while her eyes pierced back at the man as a challenge.
It was no coincidence he was there. It couldn't be. Somehow, she had been tricked.
Brianne had turned her head to watch the wolf challenge the man in pure fear. A smirk pulled at her own lips, amusement flittering throughout her dark eyes before she turned them back to Talon. At first she said nothing, letting his worry fill the silence between them. But after one more sip she shifted in her seat and ran one hand through her hair to brush away the dark bangs that had framed her eyes.
"So?" She asked. She didn't wait for his response. "You cannot make a mistake with fate, kid. Whether it was to happen yesterday or tomorrow, you would have ended up on my floor all the same." She stood then, walking slowly to the kitchen. She opened a short storage freezer and pulled out a small frozen rabbit. Closing the lid, she made her way around the corner and to Senara's cage where she threw the animal in and watched to see how the wolf would react. Senara, however, did not move. She simply stayed staring, glaring, at Talon with eyes that burned of hatred and confusion.
"You know, I used to hunt down criminals. Spent years in the skyguard, protecting, rescuing. But after what happened with my leg, I couldn't continue." She leaned up against the cage, kicking the rabbit in closer with one foot and staring at the creature. "So I changed my method. Instead of hunting criminals, I hunt animals. Instead of using a sword, I use traps and sedatives." Brianne paused for a moment while she returned to the table and sat with a grunt, her leg aching. "My point is, while my body and circumstances changed, my goals did not. I still hunt creatures that plague humanity, and I've even started rehabilitating the injured."
She pointed at the cage while picking up the mug of tea once more, then took a sip savored the flavor, watching Aoren stroke Talon's hair. It was nice seeing him be so open with someone, part of her had worried that the attitude of his mother may have rubbed off on him.
"So. You glow now? It isn't like a demon inhabits your body, kid. You have nothing to fear. At the end of the day you have always strived for justice, just like I strive for new hunt. Now, you'll just have new ways to accomplish it. I don't know what all goes into demi-god-hood, but I imagine it's like any new power or magic. You practice it, you learn it, you get to know it like you would a lover or a pet or a new weapon. You'll stumble, you'll fuck up, and you'll make mistakes. But failure doesn't live in mistakes, Talon. It lives at the end of your efforts."
The lightest of smiles, a sort of cocky, 'you'll be fine' smile overtook her lips as she gulped down the rest of her tea in one shot. "And you've never been the sort to give up. Even after I beat your ass a thousand times." She scoffed playfully, a smirk curling the ends up her lips.
"Now. I've gotta change her bandages. Go to the kitchen and pour some of the hot water left over in the kettle into a bowl, and bring it to me with a towel and some fresh bandages from the cabinet on the left of the sink." Brianne then stood, leaving her cup on the table and moving to the cage once more.
Senara still had not touched the rabbit. Her position remained low, and she eyed the woman as she approached. The cage door opened, Brianne stepped in and crossed her arms at the creature below. With a raised brow, she sighed. "Alright, calm yourself, kid. Let's get those changed." Brianne chided, drawing Senara's eyes up towards her. They flicked back and fourth between the woman and the space outside the cage before she chuffed and sat down with a brief twitch. Everything ached. Truth be told she felt like crying, sobbing, screaming in the fire that seemed to course through her veins in the form of contaminated, toxic aether. It ripped apart her wounds and kept her healing slow, and with each movement she could feel the wounds threatening to tear open. Like the skin was not strong enough to hold itself together.
Brianne leaned down to begin unravelling the bandages, ignoring the wolfs attitude completely.
"Hurry up Talon, she's getting cranky." She called, smirking a little with her tease to the creature in front of her.
Re: teacher
Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2021 1:30 am
by Talon
teacher 83 Frost 120 Steel
Brianne’s words washed over Talon. He heard them. More importantly, he felt them. What she said was true. Talon had ascended to new heights of power. There were things he did not understand. There were things he was still learning. But was he not always learning? Had he not always stepped up to meet the challenges placed before him? He had thrown himself into the path of death and darkness to save the man who now so openly shared affection with him. Those things had not changed him. He was still Talon Alexios Novalys. He was still the man who became fascinated with the chance to work his forge. He was still the warrior who readily rose in defense of his people. Hearing the words spoken by someone he trusted and respected on such a degree had a far more profound effect upon him than he would have thought. It soothed a deep fear that had wedged itself into his heart that not even his bondmate could unseat.
Brianne’s words uprooted that weed. As soon as it was not so tightly lodged, Talon felt Aoren push at the edges of that fear with the same warmth and resolve he had shown in most things. It was one thing to know that Aoren loved him, supported him and understood him. The Kathar had been there with him from the beginning. He had experienced it as much as Talon had. To hear and experience this from the perspective of someone who was just so...normal, it changed things.
“Thank you, teacher.” There was a gentleness to Talon’s words that showed his gratitude. She was right. He would not give up. Ever.
Rising from his seat on the floor, Talon let out a breath. He felt a weight lift from his shoulders as he moved to carry out Brianne’s instructions. Picking up the kettle from the stove, he found a bowl. Before he could pour it, his bondmate touched his hands upon the kettle offering up some of the warmth from the fire of his Arche element. Just enough to keep the water warm and steaming. Pouring the water in the bowl, the steam rose from the surface and was just hot enough to warm his hands as he brought it over to the cage. Unsurprisingly, Brianne was already inside and had convinced the agitated wolf to calm herself. At least enough so that she could be treated. The beast looked worse for wear. Her body seemed to be wasting away. Patches of fur were missing. The color of the pelt was faded and sickly. There were wounds that looked as raw as the day they had been inflicted and there was a wild pain in the animal’s eyes that made Talon frown.
He stirred his senses into motion drawing upon the Rune of Semblance so that he might glimpse the light of her soul. As the wolf’s aura came into view, Talon was surprised to register a note of familiarity within the weave of it. He narrowed his eyes, peeling back the layers of animalistic instinct to see a more keen emotional intelligence within the fabric of the aura. There was a hurt there. There was fear so overwhelming that it poisoned practically everything it touched. But there was also a different kind of poison. It reeked of corrosive toxicity that eroded the soul and sickened the stomach. Talon felt queasy just brushing his senses against it.
“She is poisoned. The dread mists. They cling to her wounds like a venom that is corroding her very being.” As Talon focused on the injured wolf in front of him he felt a stirring inside of him. It was not his Semblance. The fire that burned within his soul had asserted itself. He pressed a hand to his chest as he felt the flames swelling inside of him. They wanted out. There was something that needed to be cleansed. To be burned away and purified. A vision in his mind played out.
He saw a man standing before a wall of Dread Mists. The mists crawled over everything in their path. Warping. Bending. Twisting. The man stepped forward without fear, he raised his hands and that silver-white fire radiated outward from his body in an aura of light. It burned away the dread mists but did not burn or harm that which they purified. The corruption was banished.
Talon’s vision returned to normal as he beheld the wolf in front of him. Something called to him about this one. He knew it. He was certain of it.
“Step aside, Teacher. I think I can expel the corruption.” He did not wait for her to respond as he stepped into the cage. Talon stood tall as he traded places with Brianne. He stared at the wolf with a quiet sadness for a moment. This was not how this great beast was supposed to be. It should have been healthy. With a rich, full coat. There should have been a fire of pride and defiance in its eyes, not a wild aggression born from fear and pain. This was not right. Talon opened himself up to the power inside of him. He let it flow and for a brief moment, the shadows grew longer, darker and deeper in the cottage and in the land immediately around it. But then Talon blinked and his eyes were silver.
The marks upon his body became a silver-white and drifting around his head was a corona of light. The feathers of his wings reflected the points of light softly, as embers of an argent fire that drifted over his body. He spoke softly but with an unmistakable authority in his voice as he knelt and reached for the wolf. He felt no fear of her bite. With the power flowing through him, he had no fear of being wounded at all. If she was afraid, he would try to soothe that fear. If she was enraged, he would bear the brunt of that rage. But the corrosive mists needed to be purged.
“Be still.” Talon pressed a hand to the wolf. He felt the poisonous wrong coursing through her. With a narrowing of his eyes, he sent the silver fire over the wolf, burning away the corruption that had so embedded itself into her body.
Off Topic
Talon is using his Divine Nimbus to instill either Awe or Terror depending on how Senara perceives him. He is Enshrouding her to banish the dread mists with his presence.
Re: teacher
Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2021 11:02 am
by Senara
W
hatever had infiltrated Senara's being on the mountains, she had brought it back with her. She was weak on her feet. Her back leg had mostly healed from the first encounter with the mountain lion, thanks to Telion, but her shoulder was another case entirely. As Brianne pulled the bandage back the wound bubbled. As if her blood was literally boiling, mingling with a multicolored puss that seeped out between nearly one hundred stitches that held the skin on her shoulder together. The woman sighed and chewed the inside of her lip, jaw clenching as frustration set in.
"Dammit..."
As Talon approached, Brianne began to pull the fur back around the wound, inspecting it for the very poison he spoke of. The blood was dark and thick like oil as it leaked from her sutures, and it smelled like death. Her heart hurt. She was used to tending to wounded animals and people here and there, but nothing like this. Gritting her teeth, she stepped back. "Poisoned?" She asked, wrapping the old bandages up in her hands before tossing them into the fire behind her before turning to watch her pupil step forward.
As Talon approached, Senara recoiled and shouted an aggressive, crackling bark at him. A few stitches upon her shoulder burst with the motion and caused more sickly blood to ooze from the tearing skin. She snapped her teeth at him at first as another warning, her jaws coming down just inches from his skin. But he didn't budge- didn't flinch, didn't even blink.
Why?! The words he used didn't make sense. What did 'expel' mean?! Had he planned to make it worse? Was this their plan all along- to hunt her down, heal her wounds, keep her weak with poison and fatten her up only to kill her when her pelt was most vibrant once more?
'Just fucking kill him!' Her mind screamed, but her body wouldn't listen. Not that it would have helped. The man was massive, as was his companion who stood just outside the cage bars. Brianne's arms were folded, her eyes stern, but no one seemed to make notice of her warning. Senara looked rapidly between the three, dilated eyes scanning for some way out. She couldn't take all three of them, not like this. And her entire body, while thinning and mangled, felt like molten lead. Somehow too hot and freezing at the same time, heavy, as if her bones were cemented to the ground. So she just stood there. Backed up against the human-sized bed and letting a growl sound through pale gums and a flash of sharp teeth. Her frame trembled with each sting of pain coursing through her.
But his voice was calm. Assertive. Demanding. Something familiar and yet foreign in his speech as he reached a hand forward. Senara's instincts, her fear, threatened to kick in as his body and eyes began to glow. Every fiber of her being, every ounce of blood and bone in her body wanted to run, scream, attack and sink her teeth into his outstretched arm. But she couldn't. Her eyes were locked with his, and suddenly that same celestial terror that had just moments ago plagued her chest had come back in full force. She was frozen. A warmth began spreading over her with every lick of silver flame that passed over her fur coursing through her veins and boiling away any traces of poison and corruption in her body. She could nearly see it flowing straight from the glowing symbols on his skin into her own. And in moments, it was gone. When the flames finally died and the man's glowing stopped, she staggered in place. Her growl had died. Replaced instead with a light whimper that she quickly cut short as she took a weakened step back from him.
But she felt... better. Her limbs no longer felt weighed down. Her blood no longer bubbled upon the wound, and the blackened blood that matted her fur around it had turned a shade lighter.
Brianne had watched in a mixture of awe and pride in her student. With a smile, she stepped forward and ruffled his hair just as she'd always done, chuckling as she looked down at the wolf.
"Way to go, kid." Patting him on the back, she then moved to pick up the bowl and bandages that Talon had brought. She placed them on the ground around Senara, who simply stood. Her muscles were tensed and eyes still locked on the winged man in front of her.
Had he actually helped?
She chuffed, still staring him down. But now the fear had mixed with defiance.
'Fine. Perhaps you're not entirely evil.' Senara thought to herself. Her skin twitched as Brianne brought a warmed, wet towel to her wound and began gently cleaning it of old puss and blood. Each gentle swipe of the fabric against skin caused Senara to nearly tear the womans head off. If only from pain alone, the wound was still sore. But she allowed it. But why she surrendered so easily to both the winged man and this strange woman, she'd never know. Sure she was weak, but even on the mountains just weeks ago she'd fought nearly till death against another group of three. Even after being healed then, she had only allowed them to live to benefit herself. But here, under the hands of these two and the eyes of the other, she felt like she wanted to accept their presence. And that pissed her off.
Brianne dipped the bloodied rag into the water after she was finished cleaning it. Her hands worked diligently, quickly, to wrap the new bandage tightly around the wound to keep the skin in place. "This Rathari might actually make it, now, thanks to you, Talon."
Re: teacher
Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2021 12:15 am
by Talon
teacher 83 Frost 120
"Rathari!?” Talon blinked at Brianne. He looked at the wolf in front of him, a dumbstruck expression on his face. And that was when it clicked. He knew this wolf. He knew it, he knew her, they had met before. The memory of his fight against a kenboku where it had yielded an unexpected ally, presented itself. He looked upon the wolf with new eyes. The silver in his irises gained an ethereal quicksilver to them as he peered at the Rathari. He was going to reach for his Semblance but something else presented itself to his gaze. He saw the outline of...something else. Just beyond the image of what was in front of him. Talon could make out the silhouette of what appeared to be a person. The form of the wolf in front of him grew almost translucent in his sight. Her body illuminated by the same silver-white light that had become a constant for him.
Inside of her was a storm of roiling shadows but at the heart of it, Talon could see a glimmer of something else. It was small and it flickered within the raging shadows. He focused on the flicker of what he saw until it came into focus. A silver fire that barely managed to burn inside of her. As soon as it came into view, Talon sucked in a breath. He squeezed his eyes shut as it flared immensely in his sight. Turning his head away from the blinding radiance he shielded his eyes. When he opened his eyes he beheld not the wolf but a little girl. She looked beaten and bruised. Her face was streaked with tears. Whether from fear, pain or anger, Talon could not tell. But there was terror in that gaze. The little girl hiccuped in the heartbreaking way that only a child in true pain could. Her eyes pleaded with him. For what? He could feel it. He felt as though he would recognize the feeling anywhere in the world then.
Why?
The question rang in his head.
Why me? What did I do?
The desperate want to know what had been done to deserve her treatment pulled at Talon. It grasped at the very core of his being and begged him to know a reason behind something terrible. It was a cry for help. It was a cry for Justice.
Talon blinked. His hand was pressed to his chest and his mouth was agape in horror. He closed his fist, catching the material of his clothing in his fingers as he gripped it tightly. He composed himself as he stared at the Rathari wolf in front of him. When he spoke, his words were a breathy gasp.
“Who did this to you?” Talon’s expression softened. There was pain in this one. Pain and fear and a desperation to just survive on a level that stunned him.
“Talon?” Aoren’s voice drew him from his near mesmerised state as Talon stared at the wolf. He shook his head.
“I saw something. I do not know quite how to describe it. It was as though I could see her. Or at least, a piece of her. Something that happened? Or something she thinks? I do not know. But it...it called to me. Like a beacon in a dark storm, I can see it. It is the same when I stare at others sometimes. I see a glimpse of...of something that drives them? I think. It is all very confusing.” Talon touched the tips of his fingers to his forehead. He massaged his brow as he tried to make sense of what he had seen.
“It felt like…” He shook his head. “...it felt as though I am supposed to know, supposed to see something tied to what it is she is feeling.”
Talon sighed. Aoren stepped up then. His companion reached around and squeezed his shoulders comfortingly.
“We’ll figure it out.” Talon leaned into his companion’s touch. He breathed a few moments before nodding. He looked to Brianne. He hoped he had not confused her too much with his rambling.
“Apologies. I am still trying to figure much of this out. What else can we do to help?”
Re: teacher
Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2021 1:55 am
by Senara
"W
ell of course she’s a Rathari! You think I keep dire wolves in my home for fun?” Brianne asked incredulously, lifting herself from the ground as Talon stepped forward. Now his actions at the mountain made even less sense- why would he go and give what he thought was a wild wolf a necklace? Perhaps, on some level, he’d known. He always had been rather intuitive.
Senara flinched as the woman moved away and took a few paces of her own backwards, head lowered as she snapped her own shock to the woman's comment.
Rathari?! No! She was not- at least not any more. She’d left that life behind her in the city over seventeen years ago. She was a wolf, she was the mountain, she was a spirit and a legend-
Suddenly she felt a weight, something pulling then pressing onto Senara’s chest and her gaze shot to Talon’s. His eyes, glowing, sent thrums of intention into her soul. She felt exposed, like he was staring not just at her but past her, through her, into her like none had done nor dared to do. One half of her snarled with anger and defiance at him while the other screamed and wept. Fear and anger, rage and injustice, all boiling inside the girl and causing her tainted soul to stir.
Then finally it was over. Her chest regained it’s normal rhythm, and for that moment all was silent save for the remnants of a low growl in her throat.
His words stunned her, though. Who had done it? Done what? The wound on her back had already been clarified as a mountain lions doing- so what in the world was he speaking of? She didn’t like his question. It made her stomach churn and her heart ache, though she couldn’t put her paw on why.
Brianne had simply watched. Her trained eyes saw the shift in his stance and the tightening of his muscles when he’d bore into the girl, but she made no move to comfort him. Thankfully his partner had that covered- she’d never been the doting type.
She let out a tense breath, containing as best she could her own anger at whatever had happened. “Whoever left her like this better be long dead, cause if I find them they’ll wish they were.”
And she wasn’t kidding. Brianne did have her moments to joke, but there was a certain coldness to her voice now that held only conviction and truth. And perhaps too much to be a sane decision. But something odd pulled at her own heart when she looked at the wolf, made her feel protective, caring. Some feelings she hadn’t had in years since her time working with Talon. Though she never did show them in the most kind ways, and so it was strange for the woman to voice such aggressive promises to a stranger.
The woman turned on her heel and began taking the supplies back to the kitchen, trusting Talon to latch the cage locked behind her. She was silent for a while as she washed the basin of bloodied water out in the sink. And in those moments she let her thoughts run their course, exploring every option and angle she could to best deal with the situation at hand. Or, both of them.
When she was done she moved back to the table they’d been sitting at and took a seat.
“You will assist me on hunts.” She stated. To many it may have sounded like a demand, but her student would know better. It was a task. On the surface seeming simple, but then again with her things were not always as they seemed.
“Not my daily ones, but the larger ones. You need opportunities to explore your powers, to get to know the divine justice that demands to be used, and I can only imagine the terror that these mists will leave behind once it settles.” Brianne crossed her arms over her chest and sighed. Truly, she’d seen some grotesque creatures since it had begun. And if there's one thing she’s learned over the years it’s that trouble breeds trouble. And by the time the mists died down she knew only a fool would expect less.
“Also…” She paused, her eyes then piercing Talons with purpose. “Your powers are calling you to her, and I imagine there’s a reason behind that. So when we return from hunts you can work on figuring out why.”
In her cage, Senara sat herself down on the floor just under the window, far from the cage bars and staring with defiance out at the trio. The dark haired woman had spoken louder now, and with the hearth slowly dying she could even make out the low rumble of the men's voices. She hated this. They spoke of her as if she were not there, but also as if she were important to them. As if she had no choice but to let these people into her life, and for what? So he could figure out his powers? She was an experiment to them, a damn toy to play with.
But people were all like this. Especially city rats, and they were no different.
Re: teacher
Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2021 9:42 pm
by Talon
teacher 83 Frost 120
Words and anger drew Talon’s attention like a beacon. Injustice. An irritation that crawled across his skin like the stinging of nettles. He turned his head to the Rathari that was in the cage that he had just closed. As Brianne made herself comfortable so that she could explain herself, Talon thought he could almost hear the indignation in the wolf. He studied her carefully. He could still make out the flicker of the flame inside of her if he focused. It was a strange thing to view and he was beginning to think he was figuring out what it meant.
“I think, where thoughts of justice and injustice are concerned, I can make them out.” His wings fluttered lightly. The silver feathers fluffing and smoothing as he sorted through his thoughts. “It aggravates me. But not to the point of becoming irate. Just enough to stick out to me as something wrong. Her, for instance, she is indignant right now. Angry. It is not easy to sort out the why. I do not think she even knows herself anymore. The spark of fury caused by that desperate cry for justice is buried beneath layers of dark...dark clouds.”
He shook his head and his gaze passed from the wolf Rathari to his teacher. He pondered on her task. In her own way, Brianne had always know how best to help him sort through some of his more complicated thoughts. Talon would get restless when faced with a frustrating situation. His impending drive to get up and do something in the face of an obstacle had led him to being a rather hyperactive youth. If he were being honest, it still did. He was still driven to get up, to move, to think under pressure and on his feet. Some of his best thinking occurred when he was pushing himself and grouping his dilemma with a task that required exertion. His eyes returned to the wolf along with a concerned frown.
“I have another Bondmate.” Aoren snickered beside him. The Kathar wound an arm around Talon’s waist and pressed a kiss to his cheek. The gesture prompted Talon to smile. Aoren’s deep voice was filled with humor as he spoke.
“I think he’s a little more than that at this point.” Talon felt the smallest hint of a blush rise to his cheeks before he cleared his throat. He laced the fingers of Aoren’s nearest hand through that of his own. Joining Brianne at the table, he made himself comfortable with Aoren beside him.
“His name is Rickter. He is a wolf Rathari as well. Somehow, I cannot help but think that this is not a coincidence.” The frown in his brow had increased. It was only when he felt Aoren gliding his fingers through the feathers of his wings repeatedly that he realized how intensely he was concentrating on the thoughts buzzing in his head.
Re: teacher
Posted: Mon Mar 08, 2021 10:22 pm
by Senara
B
right golden eyes stared back at the winged man who judged her so harshly- at least it felt as much. Her ears twitching as his eyes, his intent, continued to pierce her chest and seek for the answers she continued to bury beneath pain and suffering and the drive for survival. It had to stay down. Should he pull it up, she would remember it too. And there was no room for torment in survival, one moment of weakness meant ones death, and she was already in the pit of the beast.
Or in this case, the cottage.
Whatever he was doing to her with his gaze felt both like a weight being lifted from her and a pressure upon her soul, and when it left everything would return to normal. But it left her curious. Curious as to why he seemed intent on searching her for answers that could not help him gain anything. Clearly, he was in pursuit of something, but what that was she was unable to figure out.
Senara got up from her spot on the ground and moved to her water bowl with slow, limping steps. The shifting of her fur giving hints of the skin and bones underneath as she lowered her head and began lapping up the water. As she did, she flicked her gaze to the other winged man, looking him over now that she wasn't being cornered and threatened, and wondered if he had something to do with it. He hadn't been there on the mountain all those months ago, and he didn't smell familiar. But he was taller, broader, and yet seemed much less dangerous than the other man. She chuffed, laughing inwardly at the strange pair that wreaked of a euphoria that made her stomach turn, and turned away from the water bowl to return to her spot facing the group.
'Idiots. One of you will betray the other. At best, you will watch the other die. What is the point?'
Brianne's brow twisted as she sat still at the table. In a way, she blended into the home in her positioning, in the quieting of her breath. It was a an art, one of fading into the shadows and the silence without any use of magic at all. And at this point, second nature. If she wasn't speaking, she was nearly invisible to the world around her and able to 'turn off' her presence. Some called it her natural rathari blood, but she simply called it listening.
So she did. She listened to the way Talons breathing changed as he stared at the Rathari, how Aoren shifted beside him so devoted it was as if they were made of the same material, as if he were part of Talons soul. In a way she was sure he was, which she was glad for. But the princes focus on the Rathari bothered her. He seemed to know both too little and too much, though she supposed the extreme contrast of the two ideas was just like the prince himself. A gentle, kind avialae who wouldn't hurt a butterfly capable of bringing down the rage and triumph of the gods themselves.
She laughed under her breath as Talon sat down, admiring the way her once lonely pupil melted in the arms of his lover. His words were not all together foreign to her, but certainly in some ways beyond her understanding. Still, she nodded with him and shifted in her seat.
"I know of Rickter." She said, smirking. "He buys meat from my hunts every other week, I've actually already contacted him and Telion to help, should be here in two days." Brianne looked over to the wolf, her smirk sinking to a displeased frown. "I had been thinking the same. Perhaps they are related in some way. Though, even if they're not, at some point she's going to shift. And Rickter is probably the only one who will be able to relate to the changes in instincts and humanity. So, I'm hoping I can convince him to train her."
Her cheek turned back to Talon, bringing with it another amused smile. "I sure as hell can't. I'm no dog trainer." A joke. One meant to break the tension she already felt rising up. In some ways she knew she was in over her head, but that had never stopped her from anything before. Hell, in the past it had helped her rise in the ranks of the skyguard and rescue countless victims of horrible crimes. But then again she'd never undertaken anything like this before.
Plus, even if the wolf girl was in her zoan form, there was no telling what that would be like. How she'd act, react, live. Brianne had of course been robbed of her right to raise her own child, and perhaps this was her subconscious reaching for a new opportunity, but she was in no shape to be taming a wild animal. As that's exactly what sat in the cage just across the room.
Although, that same wild animal was growing tired. She blinked a few times as she struggled to shake off the oncoming sleep. But try as she might the longer Brianne spoke the more her mind began to settle, and in turn her body. Within minutes the wolf had rested her head upon both paws and drifted off to a dreamless sleep.
Noticing this Brianne nodded to herself. Good. The sedative had worked. Laced into her water and into the bandages themselves were heavy doses of melatonin and sedatives. Natural, unmagical, so as to not disturb the wolves stomach or mind, but seemingly the perfect balance to keep her unconscious and force her to get the sleep she so desperately needs.
"She'll be out for at least a few hours now. Why don't I make us some food."