Legend of Ransera

Posted: **Sun Feb 28, 2021 6:23 pm**

old new friends

70th of Frost, 120 Steel

Talon sat at the center of the Circle of Wandering. His brow was furrowed in concentration as he worked to sort through the dozens of thoughts that were in his head. He could still hear the whisper of the voices that called out to him. He was moved to act but after the first incident, he was hesitant to do so.

He had come back from the dead. At least, that was what it had felt like when he had awoken from the events down in the Warrens. The feeling of opening his eyes, to be touched by sunlight and to find Rickter and Aoren holding him with a look of pure relief on their faces had brought him to tears. He had clung to both of them. He had begged their forgiveness. The following days had been a very rough adjustment as he figured out exactly what it was that had happened to him. He was different. He was still himself but he was no longer just Talon, the Avialae son of the sovereign of Kalzasi. He was...something more. There were moments when he thought he could see the hint of something just on the horizon of his vision. When he concentrated he felt as though he could see past the Veil of the mundane realm, almost like when he touched upon the powers of Semblance or his Aether Sight.

Then came the voices.

At first he thought he was just hearing things. Then he had focused on them, he had concentrated on them. The whispers had become a burbling stream of words and cries for help that Talon had thought would drive him mad. It had only been when his bondmates had stepped in to help wall him off from the stream of thoughts into his head, that he had found a bit of peace. Talon had spent days figuring out exactly what it was that he was hearing. And then he had realized what it was; he was hearing prayers. More than that, he was hearing cries for Justice. Pleas with the heavens to bring some sort of true and honest justice to face many of the injustices that were transpiring in the city of Kalzasi and some of its territory. The noise had been almost deafening and it had shaken Talon to his core.

How could he have been so blind to so much desperation for all of his life? It had made him sick to his stomach so bad that he had experienced a very real physical reaction. To help him focus and to get him away from the weight of it all, Talon had retreated to the more remote places around his home. The roar had quieted the further he had gotten from Kalzasi proper. That allowed him to think, to breathe, to feel something other than the burning need to move and do something to answer the hundreds of compulsions he felt spinning inside of him.

So there he sat, at the center of the Circle of Wandering, cautiously listening as best he could. He had come to the realization that there was a range of his awareness. The closer one was to his physical person, the more easily he could discern what exactly the person was reaching for. The further one was, the less clear their desire was. It came only as a vague feeling on the edges of his awareness.

“What is it like?” Talon opened his eyes, letting his silver irises settle upon the softly burning witchfires of his lover’s gaze. That was another change he was getting used to. His eyes had always been a grey color but now there was no mistaking the mercurial silver quality to them. His brother had asked about the change. Talon had not lied to him but he also had not answered the question directly. He set those thoughts, and how he might deal with the rest of his family, aside for the moment.

Aoren had been with him the entire time. Not for a moment had he left his side. Talon was grateful for it. He did not think he would have been able to get through this without him. There was also the fact that he could feel inside of Aoren a sliver of the echo of grief that had overwhelmed his partner for the short time he believed Talon had been dead. It was very much like what he had experienced with Riven but worse. Even the echo of it gripped his chest with shame and regret. He never wanted to see his partner that devastated again.

“Imagine sitting in a lecture hall. Every person is speaking on the same topic and yet every person interprets that topic differently. All of them desire it but that desire is manifested in different ways.” He kept his attention on the feelings, the whispers, and the urge in the back of his mind at a low level of focus. He found that if he acknowledged the presence of the chorus overall and worked to quiet them not individually but as a grouped entity, he could manage it better. With each day, he was learning how to navigate the steady stream that seemed intent on garnering his attention.

“What happens when you concentrate on one voice?” Aoren was leaning against one of the statues. His brow was furrowed in a look of concern but there was curiosity there as well.

“I can see them or...maybe just how they see themselves. I do not quite know yet.” Talon focused on one of the voices that called out to him. He could just make out their form but he did not stray into it too much.

“I still can’t believe it. You’re...you’re truly a god.” Aoren’s voice was mystified. Talon felt his emotions swell with awe, reverence, and even a touch of something else. It was that feeling that drew his immediate attention. He turned his head to regard his bondmate more carefully.

“Demigod.” Talon said the word with emphasis. He rose to his feet and stepped toward Aoren. The muscles in his bondmate’s body tensed for just a moment.

There it was.

Talon stared at his bondmate, mouth slightly agape as his eyes slowly widened.

“Afraid? You are afraid of me?” Aoren flinched.

“Talon…” His bondmate stepped forward but Talon drew back as though he had been struck.

“No. Do not deny it.” His wings lifted, the arms spreading slightly as his feathers stood straighter. Aoren strode forward then. He reached up, hands brushing along Talon’s wings in an effort to calm him.

“You’re right. I am afraid. Not of you, Talon. I am afraid for you.” He brought his hands to cup Talon’s face before resting their foreheads together. Talon grasped his partner’s wrists. The two of them shared a moment of silence before Talon felt his attention drawn by something else. Or rather, someone else. He did not know how he knew but there was a feeling, a yearning that called to him. It held a distinct and old weight to it that made the hairs on the back of Talon’s neck stand on end. It was a feeling he had felt when he had neared her shop to first speak with her after everything had happened. The feeling had been so strong, Talon had immediately turned and fled from it. He remembered it well.

“She is here.” Aoren frowned. He slowly slid his hands down, leaning forward to peck Talon’s cheek lightly before stepping to the side. He kept a hand situated on the small of Talon’s back, a touch that he was grateful for. It helped to ground him. Talon took a breath and worked to tune out the background noise. This would require his full attention.

He did not yet know if that would be a good thing.

"I am Justice."

Posted: **Sun Feb 28, 2021 6:32 pm**

The request to meet had come as a surprise to Lyra when she had received it. Over the last two seasons she had thought that she and Talon had become somewhat close, or perhaps comfortable with one another that such formalities were not required. She had not seen him for much of Winter, ever since their last lesson which she had found decidedly odd as well. Still, she had not pressed as the children of this age had odd ways. Yet why when he did desire to speak with her did he call her to a place such as this?

A chill swept through them as Naila navigated the perilous climb to the top of the stone mountain where the Circle of Wandering sat. The rough stones tore at her hands despite the gloves they wore, and the faint curses that the mercenary whispered under her breath spoke to Naila's own feelings on the matter. Lyra didn't speak as they traveled upward, step by step, for her attention was focused at the top where she felt something odd. It was like a fluctuation in the air, or heat waves off the stone in summer, yet when she asked Naila said she could sense nothing. It was perhaps due to the location itself, as she had learned that the Circle of Wandering was a place where magics were amplified, but the waves she could feel did not match with that expectation.

He better fucking be there. Did he forget we don't have wings? Naila thought, hissing as her foot slipped and the sounds of rocks tumbling below could be heard. She didn't glance back, and Lyra had been amused to learn that the woman had a minor fear of heights. Luckily for them, the pathway up to the location was not completely vertical, yet there were no worked stairs to climb and the footing was less than stable.

He is there. Lyra replied, returning her attention to the top of the mountain. They were growing close now, and she could feel something turning its attention on them. It made her stiffen slightly, and Naila seemed to notice as she stopped and looked up as well.

They stayed there, motionless for nearly a minute before, with Lyra's urging, Naila began to climb once more. They would be heard before they were seen, and as soon as they reached solid footing Lyra switched with Naila and dusted off her fitted robes. She wore her usual colors, black with gold trim, yet the robes were more closely fitted and lined with fur along the collar and cuffs. Her hair fell in loose locks around her face, the face Talon had come to recognize, yet now there were no tattoos to be seen. The Illusory mask was perfect, the craftsmanship of a master masquerade, and to most Lyra would look just as she always had. As she crested the top of the hill and the circle itself came into view Lyra glanced around the space for a moment before her gold eyes locked on Talon and Aeron. Then she froze in place, eyes widening slightly as she stared at Talon.

Physically there was nothing different. He was the same as he had always been, though his eyes had changed ever so slightly. Yet as her eyes stared the rippling sensation returned, and she could see the glow. At first, it was indistinct, a warping of the air that sent chills down her spine and a nostalgic feeling deep in her chest. The light bent and twisted, and snapped into place. A glowing gold nimbus, runes of fire burned into the air that moved as Talon did. His body almost seemed to grow slightly, a symbolic thing as if he were swelling with the power he had not had before. Yet more striking was the silver eyes that, from time to time, were licked with silver fire that flared and left trails as he looked around.

"Va'la set mishta." Lyra whispered, her brows furrowing as a frow creased her lips. She did not know how long she stood there, but eventually, she shook herself free of her stupor and stepped into the circle, walking directly toward Talon and Aeoren.

Lyrielle tu Kovash Elmari was less a person than she was a force of nature. She was the rage and vengeance of a girl who was meant to be a sacrifice, yet when the rituals failed and she was released from the shackles that had bound her she had turned that misbegotten power on her would-be masters, and from then till the end of the Age of Wonders, she began her quest to dismantle the world one brick at a time. Hate, anger, injustice, vengeance, pain, sorrow, and fear older than kingdoms, older than ages dwelled deep within the blackened heart of the woman who walked toward them, yet the intensity was cut and diluted by the shattered soul that sought to house that ancient corruption. There was a mask, an obscuring force that was notably intentionally blocking the deeper inspection of all but the most powerful, yet one could not hide everything from divine sight, even one as new to it as Talon was.

The whispers were soft, insistent things. They begged for release, plead, and raged to be let loose. Fall to depravity, succumb to the beast inside, live by any means. They spoke of twisted pleasures and warped injustice, their voices sickly sweet like overripe fruit near to rotting. As she approached, if Talon chose to look, the feelings of justice raged like white-hot rivers of molten steel. Powerful, hot enough to bend the air as it flowed out of Lyra's pours. It was the pain of the girl who was sacrificed, the desire for the purest justice not for her sake, but for the sake of another. Yet it was faded, nearly forgotten as the white melted away to be replaced by a bubbling ooze that dripped and clung to the skin. Vengence twisted by rage and insanity, rotting from the inside as the blackness dripped from the eyes and mouth, staining teeth black as Lyra opened her mouth to speak to Talon.

"You've done something incredibly stupid, Be'melar." Lyra said softly, stopping a distance from Talon and his companion, setting a hand on her hip as she looked Talon over critically. Black veins pulsed under her visible skin, tracing up her neck and digging into the whites of her eyes as the oozing substance dripped from her nose and gave off a sense of nauseating vertigo. An injustice that was so old it was just a part of who she was, nearly forgotten, yet eating away at the soul. It would never be satisfied, it could not be satisfied, for it was a defining trait of who this woman was. Yet Lyra herself could no longer see it.

Her eyes flicked to meet Talons, though she seemed uncomfortable under the man's gaze, "What happened?"

Posted: **Sat Mar 13, 2021 8:30 pm**

new old friends

70th of Frost, 120

He felt her first. Then he heard her. Then he saw her. The air around her form rippled slightly as though a mirage of heat were wafting up off of her body. The very world seemed to darken as Lyra glided forward with grace he had not seen her move with before. There was a confidence to her stride. Her movements were trained even as she dusted some of the dirt and debris from her fitted robes. There was something off about her. Talon could not quite place it. Around her form he could see the shadow of something different. She walked with a steady pace, eyes taking in everything around her with the usual sharp intelligence that she possessed. And then the two of them locked eyes. The world shifted. Talon stood ramrod straight. His eyes went wide and his wings curled inward protectively. Every instinct in his body screamed out to him that he needed to go on the defensive. The scar on Talon’s chest suddenly burned causing him to touch a hand over his heart.

The light did not dim but rather, it seemed that darkness flowed out like an oily mass from the core of Lyra’s being. The very Veil around her seemed hesitant to stand in her presence as the black ooze that fell from her in rivulets corroded the aether she touched. The world saw Lyra and it was as though the very fabric of creation itself was prepared to recoil from her. As she walked forward, he caught only the barest hint of a glimpse of something that would stay with him. A shattered husk caught in the ghostly winds of the eternal Aether Flux that flowed all around them. It had holes for eyes that dripped with a black ichor and a mouth that gushed forth the horrific slime like pus from a wound. Talon’s breath caught as he beheld an entity for which he had no words. For in those gaping pools of inky blackness, Talon saw and felt an all-consuming rage reaching out to tear apart all that dared get in its path.

For the first time in his life, Talon felt a real and visceral fear. On instinct he stepped in front of Aoren who blinked at him in surprise. Talon did not draw his sword, he did not summon his magic and he did not call upon these godly gifts he barely understood. But he wanted to. The only thing that stopped him was the unshakable truth, a truth he knew in the deepest part of his soul, that if he exchanged blows with whoever and whatever he saw...he would not win.

And then it was gone.

Talon released a breath as the world snapped back into place. His silver eyes remained leveled upon Lyra as she spoke. He had seen something about her. He had seen the manifestation of what he had felt. It had only been a glimpse but a glimpse had been enough. The warrior in him wanted to confront that darkness but there was a softer, much wiser voice that whispered, it would be a darkness that consumed him if he tried. He listened to that whisper. For now.

“Yes.” Talon blinked. He worked to silence the urge and compulsion that pushed him to look deeper. To find the source of the rage that he had felt. A feeling told him it had something to do with a very old and powerful hurt rendered through unjust suffering. He ignored it for the moment. Loosening his shoulders, Talon willed himself to relax. He reminded himself that this was Lyra. She had been a friend to him and her wisdom had taught him much in the short time that he had known her.

“I do not think I ever spoke of it but I have been working to gain more personal guard. Part of my family’s tradition is to maintain a personal entourage of bodyguards. Those we train with, fight with, live with and sometimes...more.” He glanced at Aoren who, apparently sensing none of Talon’s uneasiness, smirked with absolutely zero shame.

“Rickter completed his training. He passed the final test. He is now one of my vanguard.” Talon paused. He did not want to tell Lyra the next part. But he would. He swallowed his pride. “That is not why I asked you to come.”

“The test we set up for Rickter in the Warrens was interrupted. Assassins. Hired by…” Talon’s jaw clenched. “...they worked for my Great Uncle. The man responsible for slaughtering most of House Novalys and nearly bringing my homeland to ruin, thirty years ago.”

The scene played out in Talon’s head. He pushed it aside as he remembered the screams, the sickening snap of bones, the shrieks of pain and bellows of fury as a monstrosity was birthed.

“They used something. I do not know what. It was either a red stone that swirled with shadows or a black stone limned with crimson light. Whatever it was, it transformed one of them into a horror unlike anything I had seen. Even the Gravebound of the Warrens fled from it in fear.” Reaching out beside him, Talon found Aoren’s hand. He laced their fingers together. He squeezed that hand tightly as he spoke the next part.

“When we managed to defeat it, it became a mass of darkness and...something else. It tried to consume Aoren. I did not let that happen.” The next words, Talon spoke flatly.

“It consumed me. I do not know if I died or if I was just transported somewhere else. But...when I awoke next, I was and was not myself.” He looked down at his free hand. Talon opened and closed his fist. The violet-blue marks that graced his body slowly shifted in color. They became brighter until the light they emitted was a silver-white.

“I awoke, not as a mortal man, not as an Avialae..." He hesitated. There was a feeling inside of Talon that if he said these next words that things would never be the same for him again. Once more, he felt that fear. He was faced with a decision of whether to admit it or whether to pretend he was ignorant of the truth. It felt as though not just Lyra and Aoren were listening to this conversation. Talon could swear he got the distinct feeling that others were watching or waiting with baited breath. Waiting for what? He did not know. But Talon made his choice.

"I am a Demigod. I am Justice."

"I am Justice."

Posted: **Sat Mar 13, 2021 9:50 pm**

There was a range of emotions that crossed Lyra's expression as Talon told his story. A hard searching stare quickly faded to confusion, followed by dawning understanding, disbelief into absolute incredulity. She did not speak throughout the entire explanation, but her eyes flicked to Aoren for confirmation at various parts.

Inside Naila whistled, her own astonishment showing through the link as she rose to the surface to pear out with Lyra at Talon. A demigod? Talon? It seemed at once both impossible, and perfectly natural. Yet when she heard the domain he claimed Lyra felt her blood run cold.

Yeah, it's hard to believe. Naila said, misunderstanding the sudden stillness that flowed from Lyra, I always heard stories of people becoming gods, but never thought it was actually possible.

It is something that can happen far more often than you would believe. replied Lyra after a short time. Her eyes continued to search Talon, and his nimbus, and the more she looked the more she felt, no she knew she recognized. In the span of a single breath the implications came crashing into her mind, and her distant stare sharpened before she closed her eyes suddenly and turned away from the pair.

How had she been so blind? They were so very similar, they spoke so alike, their values were nearly identical. Was that why she had so quickly come to appreciate this child? Because he reminded her of HIM? Lyra rubbed her temples, feeling the beginning of a headache bloom behind her eyes. Her hands froze however as a realization came to her. Just as she could see him as he was, he could possibly see her as well. The more she thought the more complicated the situation became, and the more she felt a growing urgency. Naila, seeming to sense the change in Lyra's mood, sang deeper within, holding her tongue even as she began to prepare herself for the possibility she might have to take over.

A cold wind blew strong enough to make Lyra squint, holding up a hand to block the icy chill as it swept over her. The sensation was enough to calm her somewhat, and when she looked back at Talon she thought to look past the vision beyond the veil. She forced herself to see him as she had for the last two seasons, as the man she had met who was enthralled by his craft. The child who seemed genuinely kind, who held humility despite his position. Then she noticed where he was positioned, how he had stepped back from her, for as she suspected he had seen her... For some reason that brought an odd heaviness to her chest, and a frown turned the corners of her lips down. Eventually she shook her head and sighed, turning to face Talon fully once more.

She went over the words he had said once more, turning them over in her mind as she stared down at the ground to process them. She thought, and then without much morning she stepped forward, motioning for Talon to lean toward her. When he complied she would reach back and slap him with the full force she could muster.

"Foolish boy." Lyra hissed, pulling her stinging hand back as she looked at Aoren, "Both of you."

Shaking her head Lyra turned away, rubbing her aching palm before letting her hand fall to the side. Naila chuckled, finding some amusement in the entire display, but Lyra felt only annoyance, "Never shall I understand the ego of men. Why did a 'test' require you to put yourself in danger? And worse, why would one of your so called vanguard allow it?" Turning back to them Lyra glared at Talon and Aoren equally, practically spitting the last words, "The act of awakening implies the true risk of one's life. The next time one of you decides to commit such idiocy, come to me first. I will provide you a 'test' which you shall never forget."

She felt true anger, something Lyra realized with surprise as she breathed out slowly, rubbing the bridge of her nose. She let the silence stretch for a few awkward moments before she shrugged, "What is done is done I suppose... Now we must deal with the consequences of your hubris."

Lyra stepped forward once more, but this time she made not aggressive motions. She did, however, once more motion for Talon to lean forward. She would then whisper in his ear soft enough that only Talon could hear, "Answer me truthfully Be'melar. Can you see me?" She paused and then added, "Do you remember?"

Her tone was soft, just above a whisper, but when she leaned back her eyes were searching. Depending on what he said, Lyra knew she would have only a few options before her.

Posted: **Sun Mar 14, 2021 10:54 pm**

old new friends

70 Frost 120

The slap hurt. It stung his cheek but he had certainly felt worse physical blows. No, what hurt more was the emotional humiliation. The words that Lyra hissed out of her mouth were spoken truthfully and Talon would not spare himself the harshness of them. He angled himself so that his bondmate was somewhat shielded from the woman’s glare.

“It was stupid. Yes. It was foolish. Yes. But there are some things that mere training cannot compare to. The Warrens are a reality of my life, of the lives of all who dwell in Kalzasi. To truly face them, to know them, you have to experience them.” Talon shook his head. He clenched his jaw a moment before breathing away the sting of his wounded pride. “Aoren did as he was commanded. He argued and the two of us fought terribly. But I am Prince. The fault is mine. No other.”

There was a note of finality in Talon’s voice as he shut down any argument to the contrary. He felt his bondmate’s frustration at him stepping in to protect him. Aoren, in his heart, took as much responsibility for the incident as Talon did. That was something he knew without a sliver of doubt. But Talon would face death Himself before he let his partner take the blame for what had been his foolish idea. He would do all within his power to avoid a situation like that again. Even the memory of the pain it had caused was a weight on his chest. Talon had learned his lesson. He would take from the experience what he could and move forward. That was all there was to do. It was as Lyra had said herself, what was done, was done. When she motioned for him to step closer, he hesitated. His eyes went to her hands warily. He was not keen on getting slapped again. He let out a breath through his nose before leaning closer to listen to what she had to say.

Her words made a chill go down his spine. When she spoke them, softly, almost as though she were speaking a prayer, Talon drew back slowly. His silver eyes peered at her. He thought to focus, to follow the edge of the horizon and peer past what lay before him in the mundane world. He knew that he could do it. The question was, did he want to? There was silence between them as he considered what Lyra had asked. Had he seen her? He did not know what he had seen. It had looked to him like a curse made manifest. He knew vaguely of the powers of the Rune of Affliction but this seemed like something altogether different. Did he remember? Talon’s thoughts on his meeting with Andrus, on the snippets of what he could recall from what he assumed were a past life, coupled with these feelings of deja vu, they were confusing.

“I do not know, Ale’fira.” He spoke softly but clearly. He stood up straight, to his full height. Talon ran a hand through his hair. The same nervous habit as always. “I have seen many things since...my ascension. I do not know what any of it means. That is why I came here.”

Talon gestured to the Circle of Wandering. He spread his hands almost helplessly. For a moment, gone was the proud warrior and confident prince. He was not the diligent sorcerer seeking knowledge and skill. He was just a young man who felt terribly overwhelmed and who was trying to figure everything out to the best of his ability.

“The Veil between our world and the Planes is thin here. I hoped…” Talon trailed off. “I do not know what I hoped. For answers?” He shrugged.

“I met someone in the moments between my,” He glanced at Aoren. The dark winged Kathar flinched. “Death and my awakening. He was named Andrus. He told me he is the most recent incarnation before myself. Of who or what? He did not say. Nor has that answer presented itself to me.”

Talon turned his head in the direction of Kalzasi. The echo of a powerful yearning called to him. A cry for true and honest justice that pulled at the very edges of his soul. His wings twitched as his brow furrowed. The muscles of his jaw flexed and he looked like he was resisting the urge to fly off and head there with all haste. When it passed, he let out a heavy breath, his chest heaving slightly. He brought a hand up to his chest, grimacing as the scar burned painfully. Closing his eyes, Talon breathed. He just breathed. He felt Aoren’s hands come to rest upon his shoulders, fingers squeezing gently.

“Justice. The word came to me as soon as I awoke. I spoke it. I felt it. As soon as I did, it felt mine. I know that sounds arrogant but…” He shook his head, staring down at the ground. “It is. Every fiber of my being tells me so and when I allow myself to listen, to focus, I can hear them. Every broken soul in Kalzasi, crying out for justice. I nearly went mad with how overpowering it was at first. Another reason I came here. It is more manageable.”

Talon studied Lyra then. He did not know if he answered her question but he gave the only answer he had. There was so much that he did not know, so much he did not understand. Time would tell what awaited him next. If he had ever thought that being divine meant he would suddenly become all-knowing, that notion had been decidedly and thoroughly crushed.

"I am Justice."

Posted: **Mon Mar 15, 2021 5:58 pm**

It could have been a lie. The slight hesitation, the discomfort and slight distortion of melodies as Talon leaned back at looked at her made Lyra consider it. She thought of his reaction to her once more, the eyes that did not look directly at her. The chill she felt as those silver flames flickered in her direction. He had seen something. She knew it, and likely Talon knew she did as well. Still, they would play the game of cat and mouse. It was preferable to what would happen if they didn't.

"I see." Lyra said softly, studying Talon closely as he shifted and gave his explanation. She stared at him, trying to pry from his body language and his symphonies the secrets he would be trying to hide. Naila seemed to sense this, for deep within she shuddered and drew back. For the last season, she and Lyra had begun to understand one another, or at least she had thought they had. There was just something off about Lyra that the mercenary simply could not grasp. She did not want that same blank stare to focus on her, and just the thought of this sort of scrutiny made the other woman's skin crawl.

As for Lyra, she felt as though bugs were crawling beneath her own skin. The whispers rose and spoke sweetly to her as she listened. Talon was lying. He saw he knew. He wouldn't say, because he had seen her, and he wouldn't act because he did remember. Each time the voices rose Lyra shook them off, but she could not stop the nagging sensation in the back of her mind. The events of the past few seasons had been far too much to be merely a coincidence. Things had begun to stir in motion, twisting in the cauldron that was Kalzasi, and each day Lyra was beginning to feel as those she was being boiled alive in that very spot. There was a significance to all of this, for what twists of fate would have Lyra awaken in the city that was home to HIS reincarnation?

Her lips twisted into a frown as she stared at Talon unblinking, mind tracing back over the last few seasons. She had drawn too many eyes, especially the diving, onto her of late. Then she remembered that moment in her lab when the darkness itself had seemed to speak to her, and Lyra's eyes widened.

"If you are here..." She said softly, almost too low to hear while looking back toward Kalzasi herself. The blank look of inspection twisted to one of disturbing realization, "Then that means he is likely not far."

It didn't seem possible, yet If Arcus had been reborn as she suspected... Her eyes flickered to Talon and what little hesitation she held in her soul was quickly snuffed out. No, one of her oldest foes had been reborn, that much she was certain of. Talon had the same Nimbus and claimed the domain that his previous life had. What's more, there was simply a feeling of nostalgia that Lyra could not ignore, which made Lyrielle purr in pleasure as she looked at Talon as she had not before. If he had been reborn, then that voice had likely been the one who had collected the scattered pieces of her sanity ages ago.

Unconsciously Lyra touched her midsection just over her sternum, the location where she thought she could feel a faint tingle of electricity from a mark she thought would never be active again. After perhaps too long Lyra shook herself free of her thoughts and her unfocused eyes rested on Talon once more. She glanced to Aoren as well, who still held a hand on Talon's shoulder in what seemed more affectionate than was appropriate. What was she supposed to do? What did Talon expect of her? No, those were distractions, questions mean to keep her from the real heart of what was unfolding. She was exposed, and though she wanted to believe that Talon was too unskilled to see, she had to assume that he had glimpsed... something of her. His body language and actions up until now said as much. He called her here likely for the expertise of Lyra, yet she looked at him not as the scholar, but as Lyrielle the Lady of Whispers. The Veil seemed so very thin at that moment, and there was a faint feeling of loss that Lyra could not explain.

"I... believe I should be flattered that you sought me out." Lyra began slowly. She couldn't afford to take too winding of a path from here, yet she could not directly confront this. There were old oaths at work, contracts that bound Talon he could not even see, that confined Lyra as well. Her eyes drifted upwards before finding Talon's eyes once more. There would be eyes watching. Talon had become a beacon, a pyre in the darkness that now threatened to bring her fully into the light. She couldn't let that happen.

When she came to the decision there was a brief moment where Lyra relaxed. Reaching into a pocket Lyra brought out a rather familiar pair of Aura Glasses and slipped them onto the bridge of her nose. She looked through them at Talon, narrowing her eyes as she started to study him, when suddenly the glasses cracked and the glass fell in splinters from the frames, causing Lyra to jump slightly and snatch the now useless things from her face and stare at them in the palm of her hand.

"Though I hope that I can be of some use to you," Lyra said, tossing the now useless frames to the side with a sigh, "I am uncertain what it is you desire from me."

Posted: **Wed Mar 17, 2021 8:36 pm**

old new friends

70 Frost 120 Steel

Aoren suddenly frowned beside him. Talon felt a rush of mental strength pass between them as the warrior folded his arms over his chest, narrowing his eyes at Lyra.

“Forgive me, Mistress Lyra. Normally your probing into our heads is not of concern but, Talon has had enough to deal with. If you’ve questions, ask them.” The bond between Talon and Aoren had cemented itself to the deepest level that any Avialae could possess. Their ability to shore up each other’s mental defenses to shrug off all but the most concerted of mental assaults asserted itself, rendering the symphony of both their minds quiet, if not completely silent. Talon blinked at his bondmate, looking at him curiously. He had witnessed Lyra’s powers as a Mesmer mage in action. The events of the Ash season, the battle against the wraiths whose influence she pushed back, had been the height of helpful. But Aoren seemed extra on guard about her normally cursory glancing into the minds of those around her. Mesmer magic was not something Talon was new to. It was a discipline of Rune Magic that several members of his own family possessed. His younger brother and his mother being the first ones that came to his mind.

There was more to why Aoren was focused on shoving off outside influence. On the one hand, Talon was grateful. The whispers in the back of his mind quieted. The urge to rush to the city and answer every desperate cry and plea sent to the heavens, lessened. His muscles relaxed. His body lost some of its stiff posture. He felt as though his chest did not burn as painfully and he could think more clearly. As Lyra spoke however, Talon blinked at her.

“He?” Andrus had mentioned someone. He had not named him. But he had inferred that Talon would know him when he met him. He had to wonder, just who was it that Lyra was talking about? Again, the scar on his chest burned painfully prompting him to rub at the spot just as Lyra touched her own sternum.

There were so many questions. There was so much that he did not know. Talon felt as though he was drowning in a sea of ignorance without a way to pull himself to the shore. But one thing in this moment made itself clear; Lyra knew something. She likely knew far more things.

“Will you be truthful with me, Lyra?” There was no threat in Talon’s voice. There was an honest pleading. “More has happened to me in these past few seasons alone than much of my entire life. But I keep hearing and seeing...so many things.”

Talon touched his shoulder, the one where he bore the Rune of Reaving. As he touched it, the symbol glowed brightly beneath the cloth.

“I was gifted the Rune of Reaving last season, by Aoren. Our battle was fierce but it...it was nothing like what he said he experienced.” Talon did not break eye contact with his friend, his knight and a man who was so much more than any of those things to him. “I heard a voice. It has stayed with me since the initiation. It felt as though it were a voice reaching out to me from across the rift of time itself. During the initiation, I blacked out and I had a vision.”

He furrowed his brow. He could recall every detail vividly.

“A battle between Light and Darkness before the towers of a silver city. Horror and wonder. Fear and Hope. I...I was fighting someone. But it felt as though fighting him were the last thing I ever wanted to do. I wanted to save him. I do not know from what. But…” Talon dropped his hand to his chest, pulling his shirt aside to reveal the scar that rest directly over his heart. “This appeared after my initiation. He...he killed me. He plunged his sword into my chest, piercing my heart. The last thing I remember seeing in the vision is his face. It looked so familiar. He looked filled with wrath. Filled with pain. Filled with fear. I just remember feeling something reach out to me in that moment. A light so bright it blinded me, filled the skies. After that? Nothing.”

Talon shook his head. He met Lyra’s gaze.

“I asked you here because I trust in your knowledge, Lyra.” He fixed Lyra with a steady stare. “You are one of the most powerful necromancers I can think of. Tell me, can you awaken memories from another life buried within the soul? I need to know who that man was. I need to know who I am.”

"I am Justice."

Posted: **Wed Mar 17, 2021 10:20 pm**

Lyra gave Aoren barely a glance as he made his opinion known. Contempt was too strong a word for the feelings she held in her soul for the man. Perhaps it was something closer disdain, for in her eyes he seemed one who was best seen yet not heard. She was accepting of his role as guardian of her student, and the thought of them being lovers was one she did not consider at all, yet the kindness and respect she extended toward Talon did not reach to those around him. Her relationship with Rickter was likely the best example of this, though he had earned her true contempt after that day in the shop when he had shown a complete disregard for the lives of others.

Student. She still thought of Talon in that light. The son of the Iron Queen, a benefactor and one whom she had made an oath with for mutual benefit. The man who aided her in establishing herself in Kalzasi, the one who opened doors that she would not have been able to otherwise. A warrior, a crafter, a businessman, a son. Yet in the span of a few minutes, everything about him had changed. He stood encased in familiar power, and the bearing of his soul was laid out, and it was known to her. It changed things about their relationship. It changed who they were to one another, in ways that he did not know, and in ways, she did not wish to express. Thus he was not aware of how heavy his request was.

Lyra stayed silent for a long time, her expression conflicted. The scene that Talon described was one that Lyra knew well, and as he spoke Lyra visibly shivered and took a step back, staring at the mark on Talon's chest with a growing sense of unease. If she had questioned before, it was now beyond doubt that he was who he said he was.

Lyra. Naila called, beginning to sense the shifting emotions and standing up in their soul space. She did not understand, but the flow of emotions that passed through the shared link was enough to tell the Mercenary what was passing through her partner's mind. We can't kill him. We wouldn't make it off this mountain.

It wasn't a serious thought, or at least that was what Lyra said to herself as she shook her head and forced herself to relax. Were things different... Had she learned this truth before he had awakened, or if she had become whole, then perhaps she would have done it... maybe. As she was now though it was beyond a foolish thought. It was a sign of desperation, the instinctual lashing out of a cornered animal, but with effort, Lyra reminded herself that she was not caged. He was asking for truth, and truth could be whatever she desired it to be.

Even as she said it Lyra felt a tingle along her spine, and a slight tightening like her skin was shrinking on her skeleton. Something old, something all but forgotten made that thought flee from her mind with utter disgust. Talon she could have lied to, but not who he was now. Oaths from centuries past refused such an easy path to her. Lyrielle tickled the back of Lyra's mind, her voice a soft melody that made the hair on the back of her neck raise.

We promised him didn't we? A pact of truth, a promise of clarity. Neither allies nor enemies. He was such a handsome man, so lost, so alone. He found us, spoke to us like a person and not as the Whispers. For that, we honored his request.

Lyra ran a hand through her hair, eyes troubled as she bit her lip hard enough to draw a thin line of blood. A sense of surprise and confusion came from Naila as she felt Lyra's growing sense of distress, and for a moment, a fraction of a second, she felt a need to comfort her. A glimpse of the broken mind beneath the calm exterior was revealed to the Mercenary, but as quickly as it came it was gone.

Raising a hand Lyra looked at the blood that came away when she touched her lip. She grimaced and wiped the red away before speaking, "Be'melar... Talon."

She hesitated, not meeting Talon's eyes as her eyes seemed to drift past him and look anywhere but in his direction. This was not proper. This should never have happened. What cruel twist of fate would put this man before her, while she was in this state. Squeezing her eyes shut Lyra took a deep breath before forcing herself to meet Talon's eyes.

"What you ask... I, yes it can be done. I can do this." Her words were soft, a mixture of emotions clouding her expression before they were tamped down once more. Once again she looked up, and then around them, "This is not the place to speak of these things. What you wish to know, what you are asking of me... Child, know you not what it is you ask for. You cannot see them, the eyes your words bring to you, to us."

As if on instinct Lyra took a step back away from Talon and she pulled the collar of her robes up higher, "I will honor an old oath... but not here." Another pause, and almost reluctantly she continued, "We can go to my shop.There we may be free of unwanted attention."

Posted: **Tue Mar 23, 2021 9:53 pm**

old new friends

70 Frost 120

Talon could have opened his eyes and peered across the expanse of the aether that swirled around them. He could have peeled back the layer of reality that prevented him from seeing the light of Lyra’s soul. But he did not. For some reason, he could not explain why, he felt like the best way, the proper way, to approach and speak to Lyra was on equal ground. With no tricks to aid him in making a decision or to discern how best to placate her. She was unsettled, the most he had ever seen her. To his eyes, she looked as though she were ready to bolt from the top of that mountain as soon as he stopped looking at her. There was something different about Lyra. Talon felt a weight on his shoulders for which he had no explanation as he looked at her.

“A season ago, a woman visited my shop. She seemed ready to collapse but in her burned a fire of defiance, refusing to buckle under a weariness with no name.” Talon stepped forward, extending a hand to the woman. It was steady, with neither shake nor tremble. The silver of Talon’s eyes did not burn with aethereal fire. They were kind as he regarded Lyra patiently. “Ale’fira, Teacher, Lyra. Whatever you are afraid of, hold true to that defiance. You have survived every trial brought before you so far, I find it hard to believe that you cannot overcome what lies ahead.”

Talon had seen a very real and terrible darkness inside of Lyra but he could not say with confidence that what he had seen was evil. It had been frightening. It had made his soul tremble with fear at the sight of it. For the first time since he was a boy, he had lost faith in his skills as a warrior when he had beheld it. But there was a feeling inside of him that said what he had seen, while horrifying, was more than what it appeared to be. There was something old there, something ancient, something Talon did not understand. He was not entirely certain that he ever would understand something of that magnitude. But he could try.

“If you will allow it?” Talon extended his wings. The silver feathers shone more brightly. They seemed to reflect the light of the unseen nimbus that floated about Talon in his exalted state. He extended both hands to Lyra, ready to carry her the distance back to Kalzasi and to her shop so that answers could be found.

"Quote"

Posted: **Wed Mar 24, 2021 6:44 am**

She stared at the extended hand, hesitant and unsure. There was an air of finality about the gesture, like if she were to accept it something would fundamentally change. The world would shift, fates realign and the future give way to a path that was never meant to be. That hand held both possibilities, and terror. Those eyes were gentle, but they made Lyra shift uncomfortably beneath the scrutiny. Her eyes flicked to Aoren to see his reaction, but his expression was unreadable.

Was it right for her to accept this? He did not know her, or what she had been. She didn't know that she wanted him to see those parts of her that his questions would uncover. Lyra wasn't sure she wanted to be that person any longer. Yet she knew she could never escape. The Whispers were always present, clawing in the back of her mind, and the bubbling anger still filled her veins like black ichor that was steadily rotting her shattered soul from the inside. Some things could never change. A monster was always a monster, even if she changed her skin. Lyra realized then that she didn't want Talon to see her that way. For all her confidence and lofty words with others, Sahfri included, she truly did not wish for this one man to know who she was.

A lingering portion of her old mortality seemed so very large in this moment as she reached forward. His hand was large, the palms calloused from his work with hammer and sword. She could feel the warmth of live thrumming through his veins, and she remembered that she had once been the same.

"Mind your words, child." Lyra said softly as she came forward. She forced a smile as she looked up. His wings were so large. She had never noticed before, but this man made her physical vessel feel utterly small. Through the veil Lyra could still see him, power unrestrained, unfocused. The nimbus hovered like a crown above Talon's head, the symbols they made more perfect than any script Lyra could create.

"Do not presume to recognize such emotions in me." The words came after too long of a pause. She would let herself be carried however Talon wished.

The trip felt both long and short, but as she gazed down at the landscape as it passed Lyra felt a sudden surging of nostalgia. She had forgotten what it was like to travel like this, when she had been free. In the time before her imprisonment she had truly enjoyed rising above the clouds, her form nimble and adaptable to the currents. She was a mist, a fog, a cloud of black smoke that could not be contained nor dispersed. Were she to try that now Lyra knew her very being would be scattered to the winds... How she wished to feel that sensation once again. Looking down at her fingers Lyra traced the eye shaped scar on her palm. She wanted her true form back. Lyra, more than anything, wished to be free of the chains that bound her to this world. To be free.

Her thoughts turned to the Monument and its words to her.

You have been made to believe that you have lost something. Have you? What is it that you have lost that you cannot regain?

Are you not yourself? Or is it that you seek to become who you were irreverent of who you could become?

You know not who you are because you have chosen not to know. You know not what you know because you have decided to cling to what was instead of what is.

It seemed almost too soon when they landed in front of the shop. Reluctantly Lyra stepped away, pulling a key from her pocket to open the front door and ushering them in. When they were all inside Lyra would close the door once more, locking it and then touching a symbol on the side of the doorframe. A series of lines glowed as they activated, further sealing the door shut.

"Mind the books." Lyra said as she removed her cloak, hanging it on a peg beside the door before kicking off snow and water from her boots. With a gesture to follow Lyra lead both Aoren and Talon to the workshop, a place which was familiar to Talon at this point. She bypassed the workbench as well as the benches, and moved directly to the door in the back. The door itself held a powerful ward which turned the eyes of the unprepared away, and quickly made them forget its presence. To Aoren it was likely the door would be unnoticeable, however, to Talon Lyra knew the door would be visible now.

Removing a small key from around her neck the small lock on the door came undone with a soft click. Opening the door revealed a set of stairs leading down into darkness. Lyra turned her eyes to stare pointedly at Aoren, "The oath that binds me extends only to Be'melar, and this place is... important to me." She looked to Talon, giving him a look which she hoped would convey her meaning, "You and you alone may enter. That is the condition I place on the answers you seek."

Legend of Ransera

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