into the deep II (Talon, Rickter)

[Lyra]

20th of Searing, 121 AS
Continued from Into the Deep

As the world came into motion once more Lyra, or rather Naila felt their knees give out. Naila let them fall, catching them before they fell completely but her labored breathing echoed the pounding of her heart. She wanted to ask, but even her thoughts felt too heavy, too disjointed to string together even a single sentence.

"He has returned." Lyra breathed, staring down at the ground where her fingers curled into fists on the broken stones of the courtyard. Their body still felt hot, and inside Lyrielle's soul fluctuated between fire and ice, swirling in a chaotic dance that made whisps of her essence slip out along her body like steam.

I... I can't do this. Naila shook her head, having retreated deep into their soul space. She curled in on herself, shivering as she remembered that man's touch. He had breached her deeper than any man ever could, and his touch was so different from Lyra's. It wasn't harsh or painful, but when he brushed against her soul to reach Lyrielle she had felt the emptiness of the void. She felt rage beyond rage, wrath so pure it was almost as innocent as it was terrible.

Lyra looked inside at Naila, and pressed her essence in, calming the woman's symphonies enough that her trembling stopped. She could read it in her melodies, the rhythms that pounded in confused and sporadic patterns, and she read it in the surface thoughts that passed clearly to her through their link.

This is what it means to walk this path with me. Lyra said, her tone firm but not harsh. She... thought she understood, but the woman's reaction to the dark one's touch was so different from her own. Naila was so young, so small next to the things she faced this day. Perhaps she had always thought she would be able to face the world directly, with daggers and cunning, but the forces that they witness this day could not be measured by mortal standards. They traveled with a new demigod, faced down dragons in a place that was twisted by unknown powers, and now Naila saw what powers lurked just beyond the veil of her understanding. It was sympathy that Lyra felt, yet Lyrille felt only disdain. Without realizing it she found herself smiling.

She was not sure how long she had knelt in the dirt. Looking up she saw the others around where the dragon had once been, in its place a still glowing circle which made Lyra's eyes brighten when she realized what she had managed to catch. As she stood Lyra drew in all of the smoke that drifted lazily across the courtyard, the black fog spinning in a small vortex as Lyra took it in once more before dusting off her leggings and approaching the still active circle. She would ignore all words directed toward her while she rummaged through her bag, pulling out a flask with dark grey ichor inside of it. Uncorking it she tipped it over slightly, fishing with her fingers until she produced a black opal as large as her thumb. Its surface was covered in pictographs, denoting its purpose as a soul gem.

The circle glowed a faint green, but when the opal was pressed against one of the pictographs the entire circle flashed. Green fire flared along its edges, flowing toward the soul gem which seemed to eat the energy like a creature starved. When the last of the flames were drawn in the soul gem gave off a faint greenish glow which highlighted the pleased smile that spread Lyra's lips before she carefully packed it away in the flask once more.

Turning toward the group Lyra paused, eyes searching the vast cavern as she realized she could see everything in perfect clarity. It was like she stood in the middle of a well-lit room, all shadows easily pierced and the darkness pulled back like curtains to reveal their secrets. Her attention turned internal as she felt how right she suddenly felt as if she could breathe easily for the first time in centuries. She closed her eyes, breathing in as she reached out and touched the world as she had not done in so long. Shadows and darkness at the edges of the courtyard shivered and pulled inward, but she released her hold on them and opened her eyes once more.

"Shall we proceed?" she asked, nodding toward the large doors into the citadel. They now stood half-open, like the citadel itself was beckoning them inside.

[Talon]

into the deep II

20 Searing 121

Talon kept his gaze focused on the smoldering ashes of the undead dragon’s remains. They drifted lazily upward, the charred remnants fluttering up toward the ceiling of the immense cavern. One hand was still outstretched, still shaking with anger. The other was at his side, clenched into a fist. It was only when he felt a hand brush along the arm of one of his wings that he felt the tension in his body ease. Across the bond he felt both Aoren and Rickter wrapping themselves around him. He tugged both of his bondmates closer to himself mentally. He bathed them in the warmth that he felt, being so near to them. He let out a long, steady breath that he had not realized he had been holding.

“Keep this up, beloved, and there won’t be a Warrens left.” Aoren nudged his shoulder and despite how unsettled Talon felt, he managed to laugh.

“I do not think I can do that again. At least…not right now.” Talon searched himself. He felt different. He knew that something had shifted within the fiber of his being. On the edges of his awareness he could tell that something had changed. He could not yet place his finger on what it was though. He was just aware that something had shifted. In the heat of the moment, Talon had simply followed what had welled up inside of himself. He had allowed the manifestation of his emotions and the flow of the situation to guide him. He did not know if he would be able to do that again. It was something to reflect on at another time however.

Talon turned his gaze to Lyra. He blinked as he beheld her, the true her, in all of her glory. The mysterious golden eyes that shimmered in a cloud of terrible swirling darkness. It trailed around her and if anything, seemed darker than before. The gold of her eyes shone brighter and with a clarity that Talon had not realized had been absent before. Talon never would have thought of Lyra as weak but seeing the true her there before him, in the way she currently was, he could see the difference. It seemed that he was not the only one affected by what had just transpired. He wondered if his own awakening to demigodhood affected her. Aware as he was of their connected past, was his journey also affecting hers? The question both troubled him and assured him at the same time.

It troubled him because while Lyra was a scholar, a teacher and, while not a friend, she was a figure that Talon could respect, Lyrielle was another matter entirely. It assured him because if Lyrielle was growing stronger…so was he.

He neither stopped her nor interrupted her as she moved forward to claim her prize. Through the lens of his Semblance, Talon could see that the soul of the undead dragon had been drawn into the sorceress’s necromancy circle. He had seen similar circles in his mother’s laboratory and understood their purpose even if he did not understand how they functioned. It was a mighty prize that Lyra was claiming. The sight of the green flames being drawn into that dark onyx stone only further highlighted for Talon how truly cursed that twisted creature had been. Even its soul seemed corroded and rotted.

“Come.” Talon moved to lead them into the citadel. He was stopped by a hand on his chest. Aoren stepped firmly in front of him with a look in his eyes that brokered no argument. Talon did not protest. He merely nodded his head and allowed his bondmate to take point. With a flex of his fingers, Talon summoned his longsword. It helped to comfort him, having the familiar feel of its weight in his hands when they were surrounded by so much uncertainty.

He looked back to meet Rickter’s gaze. He visually inspected his wolf first and then with his Semblance to ensure that the man was whole and mostly unharmed. He then looked over Hannah and finally to Lyra and Naila. Once he was certain their group was all together and well enough to move forward, Talon followed after Aoren. The raven winged Kathar stood at the door. He had one sword in his hand, the other was hovering over the door. Talon did not need to be prompted to hear the question in his core bondmate’s thoughts. He turned his Semblance upon the wooden doors to behold them in their fullest. He studied the weave of the doors for a moment and upon finding no hidden enchantment or lurking trap, he stepped up to his partner and nodded.

Aoren pushed the door open, his stance tense and at the ready. The magic of his protective circlet came to life. Talon activated his own. Almost as soon as he did that, Aoren’s blades flashed as an arrow was splintered in midair before it could crash against him. The tell-tale creak of shambling skeletons followed by the pale green fires of undeath flaring to life in their eyes revealed themselves in the hall.

“Skeletons. Fun.” Aoren did not wait. He took off down the corridor, tucking his wings in close as he bounded off one of the walls to begin hacking at the contingent of undead in his path.

“Make sure we are not ambushed. Undoubtedly the master of the citadel knows we are here. Let us hope he does not show himself.” Talon rolled his shoulders. He then took off bringing his blade up to meet the downward strike of a hammer that had been aimed at his mate’s left wing. He blocked it, flourishing his sword as he engaged the skeletons. He was glad they had a masterful necromancer of their own on their side. It seemed that necromancy was to be the cornerstone of the enemies they faced in this place.

"I am Justice."

[Rickter]

into the deep II

20 Searing 121

Rickter remained close to his Bondmates to deliver as much clarity as he could to his soulmate, Talon still gradually coming to terms with the situation that had unfolded just moments prior to their victory. The wolf's blue eyes rested firmly on the carcass of the dragon as his Negation ward faded off, allowing that foul odor of immolated rotten flesh to linger as he collectively restored what reserves of aether he had. For Rickter using Negation was becoming somewhat second nature almost, having realized lately that his talents for the magic allowed much for him. Regardless of how he needed to apply it, however, he hadn't overlooked the fact Talon watched the burning carcass intently.

The wolf mentally drew closer to him with just a physical step near the prince, his gaze wandering back to Talon and Aoren as the Knight Captain remarked on the overwhelming power that flowed out of him. "Not at least a first-level anyways..." He remarked notably with a vacant glance at what was left of the carcass, before looking back to Talon as he responded with a couple of moments of self-observation. Rickter didn't believe for a second that Talon wouldn't be able to pull that off again, not after seeing him unleash such a hefty display of divine judgement against such a massive creature. It may had been unintentional on the prince's terms, but what happened was clearly a hand of fate once more. Yet Rickter loathed it in some ways, having been brought back to the night in the Warrens several seasons ago.

"It is a different power than the one you're accustomed to," The wolf finally weighed in as he joined Talon in watching Lyra, "something tells me that the light of Arcas is burning brighter within you now." He commended thoughtfully with a soft glance spared to the prince, though, only before eyeing Lyra with a narrowed gaze as he watched her work.

"Now I've seen some crazy shit in my time," Hannah remarked as she stepped around next to Rickter with arms crossed, "but I've never seen a damn zombie dragon up close. Sure as shit hadn't ever seen a bird-boy light one up either." Her tone slightly callow but coated with her usual mischievousness. Rickter noticed the glint of gold in Lyra's eyes now and something, the Echo perhaps, stirred within Rickter for a moment when he observed the change. Deep within he felt... driven. The white-hot rage that burned through him earlier still ever faintly present, only now, with an inclination to be warier of the sorceress than he'd ever been before. They were all changing, somehow, and it was evident this venture into the Warrens would only continue to test that further.

As Lyra moved toward the circle of light that remained she fished out her necessary essentials, Rickter finally looking back toward Talon to continue breathing steadily as the residual fires inside waned. So far he was still in control, that much he knew, and he intended to keep it that way for as long as he could. "I'll need to keep my emotions in check for the remainder of this expedition..." He thought to himself obdurately with a clenched fist. "If I don't and Talon has another episode like the one just now; there's no telling how dire things may get because of my mishap." It was his entire fuckup that happened, after all, he had a clear shot for the nape and yet, the dragon was still too fast for him to maneuver around reflexively. Even after all his effort to grow and prove himself stronger, the wolf felt short of his own expectations as he exhaled a final sigh of fabricated content.

Hannah watched vividly as the glimmers of the remaining soul were brought in and contained, her gaze clearly mesmerized by the power that Lyra displayed as she trapped the soul within the vessel she had chosen. With the green glowing gem left in her hand, Lyra then finished her business, the rogue giving the sorceress a casual grin when Lyra approached everyone again. At Talon's word Rickter was ready to take point again, almost ready to step forward until he saw that Aoren was the one to claim it next. Concern surfaced in the wolf but it wasn't because he doubted Aoren, moreso, questioned the capacity at which he'd be able to protect the Knight Captain even at a small range. The wolf nearly bit his lower lip in aggravation, however, as he reminded himself that he wasn't so incompetent anymore; that and Aoren was certainly a capable warrior in his own right. What Rickter needed to do, most importantly, was listen to what Talon said to him before and literally heed that advice.

It was when the prince himself turned to check on him, the battered and grimy wolf's eyes widening at the recognition. A tail wag passed through between their Bond as he nodded to the prince, Hannah standing closer to him with arms crossed as she was next in Talon's view. He was inspecting not just those who were likely injured by that battle, but more than likely the state of being the overall party was in altogether. A note that the wolf would make mentally if he ever led a team into danger, knowing that he would have to trust those around them in situations like the one they just endured. With a look down to his roguish companion Rickter nodded to her, Hannah doing the same as he nodded for her to follow after Talon. Rickter would likely be taking rear point from here, making sure their flanks remained impenetrable with his defense.

He might not be charging straight into the action as he suspected he would, but from here, Rickter would have the full benefit of keeping his packmates safe from harm. As Aoren and Talon had their weapons ready, the wolf drew out his with a flick of his wrist, the blade materializing once again into his grip as he rested it over his right shoulder. He watched as the two shared their moment of inspecting the door, as Hannah nudged him in the gut with her elbow to grab his attention. "Think you're up for this one?" She teased as the door opened to reveal the interior hall of the citadel, the wolf merely huffing as if she had issued a challenge. Not a moment too soon though did an arrow threaten his Bondmate at the vanguard, his magical blades quickly deflecting the projectile as weary creaks echoed off the walls of the corridor ahead of them.

Rickter traced... yet again more decay, only this was a stale comparison to the hollow dragon they vanquished. Skeletons huh? Rickter couldn't help but slightly salivated, for reasons unknown, at the thought of the bone walkers being in their midst. "That might be better left to you, Lyra." The wolf regarded as he followed after Talon quickly, remembering how effective she had been in masking their presence up to this point. The wolf brought his hand down to rest near his left hip, sword pointed past him as he charged forward, with his other hand clenched into a fist as aether glistened around it. As Talon deflected a blow and pushed back against the several skeletons that greeted them, Rickter rushed in close from the prince's own left flank, sword flung forward through the chest cavity of the undead before Talon, with a loud series of crack echoing off the wall as the blade zipped clean through in a whirling motion.

The wolf repositioned his shoulders to where the left pointed toward his enemies next, the glimmering hand brought up to release the aether built there, as the spinning blade he threw rebounded in midair toward their position. With just a thought he varnished ice upon the weapon, unleashing shards within the path of its trajectory to strike and pelt any more enemies closing in on them. It bought Talon and Aoren a moment of reprieve from the initial group that awaited them, as Rickter caught the flying weapon at the hilt before he charged in to join their assault.

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

"Common" "Synskrit"
"Rickter" "Hannah"

[Lyra]

Lyra stood back as their group pressed forward, taking the time to examine the citadel in greater detail as they approached and pushed open the door. The building was tall, more so than she had first thought now that she stood just below one of its greatest spires. The stone was chipped and cracked, but despite its decrepit nature, the entire thing felt locked, frozen in time as if the world around it passed on while it remained perfectly still. Unmoving, unchanging. It wasn't the darkness that filled the space, for Lyrielle knew well the house of shadows and fear. No, it was something else that took residence here, and as she stared upward she once again felt a cold gaze turn toward them.

Absently Lyra looked back to where the others had gone, unsurprised to see a virtual horde of undead packed into the surprisingly narrow space at the entrance of the citadel. Even from where she stood Lyra could see that they were simple creations, barely thralls as the souls which inhabited them struggled to move the bodies they possessed. They were slow, shambling things that Lyra knew Talon, Rickter, and the rest would be able to subdue without much effort. Unless they tripped of course, but Lyra had little pity for the clumsy on a battlefield. Hannah was perhaps in the best situation, for as the whisper was inside of her the skeletons would take no heed of her unless she directly attacked them.

It is time to be off. Lyra said to Naila, but when she looked inward the mercenary did not stir. She waited and prodded the other woman, who jerked and stared upward at Lyra's floating form in their soul space. Surprise morphed to anger as Naila spat her reply.

Fuck off. she said, pulling her knees to her chest and glaring up at the suddenly very much unwanted habitat of her body, That thing just reached inside and fondled my soul. As far as I'm concerned this is over. Fuck the soul gem, I'll just die.

Taken aback Lyra stared down at Naila, perplexed at the reaction, Care you not for your sister? The words seemed to only make Naila angrier, but Lyra pressed on unphased, The realm of mortals is covered by a veil thin as mist, yet it blocks most from seeing the truth of this world. As she spoke those words something that Vex had once said stirred in Lyra's memory and she continued, The world is of the od, it is a prison painted as a sanctuary, and those within it move as if puppeted by strings. You simply saw one of the masters pulling those strings.

The words were not meant to comfort, and of course, they didn't as Naila seemed ready to lash out. Ahead the group was moving on, and so Lyra followed, pulling her attention and focus away from the soul space and the woman that hid inside. They had moved quite a ways before Lyra herself walked up the few steps into the corridor, and as she followed behind she pondered her own words, wondering what had urged her to speak them. Memories of the past year flashed through her mind, but now weaved together with other, foggier memories that she had not realized were missing before. When she absorbed a shard her memories did not come flooding back all at once but rather would trickle in over the course of days or weeks as more and more she realized things she had forgotten or simply not thought about. It was like steadily waking up from a deep sleep, and at the moment Lyra was still groggy.

Lyra was content to let the others deal with the skeletons. They were not a threat to the current group, and anything she could do would waste resources for true dangers. In the end, the best way to deal with thralls like this was to simply smash them until they couldn't move anymore. For a necromancer, though that was just fine, as they were low-cost to create, and with numbers, they could wear down an invading force enough that they could be dealt with. It was what she would do after all, as she had done during the battle of Zan'del Moore.

The thought made her pause and stare at the backs of the group ahead as they carved a path with sheer brutality, some pieces clicking in her mind as she suddenly looked upward and along the walls. It was odd for a citadel to be structured this way. A long, narrow corridor where no more than 3 men could fight effectively. It gave the illusion of space and seemed to encourage those entering to fight in pairs. Then the skeletons themselves... They were weak, simple things that fell with just a few swings. Even Lyra herself could combat one or two without much danger. Again she paused, her lips thinning as she looked up once more.

"The ceiling is high." she whispered softly, her words causing Naila to perk up and raise her head. She did not say anything, but the mercenary suddenly became more alert as Lyra glanced along the walls. There were no wards or glyphs that she could see, but there were also no holes, doors, or even slits for arrows. Her eyes narrowed as she glanced along the floor that was covered in grey fog that she had not noticed before.

The sound of something heavy shutting made Lyra whirl around to see the door had shut behind them, and now glimmered with wards sealing the way back. The grey fog suddenly began to steadily rise from the ground, tendrils being kicked up by the group's movements. Then it all clicked into place.

"It's miasma." Lyra said, raising her voice to be heard over the din of combat, "The way back is sealed, and Miasma leaks in from the floor. You must clear a path quickly or you will suffocate."

Miasma was a general term thrown around often across many legends and superstitions. It truth it simply meant a dense amount of condensed and purposed aether that took the form of fog or mist, in fact, the more she learned of the Dreadmists she suspected they were a form of miasma themselves. What wasn't spoken of often was that Miasma could be manufactured, created by necromancy and alchemy. It could have any number of properties depending on the need of the necromancer, and if it was crafted from their ichor and blood it was possible the necromancer himself was controlling it.

The end of the corridor seemed far away, and there was any number of skeletons blocking their path. The exit was likely blocked, but again Lyra turned her eyes upward. There was no ledge, but the ceiling was far too high for a corridor such as this. Did the creator of this trap intend to fill the entire space with miasma? If so why not make the space smaller so that it would fill up quicker, unless...

"The walls were constructed after the citadel was built." Lyra puzzled out, looking back to whoever was closest, "It is possible it is thinner somewhere, and if it is reinforced those reinforcements may not extend all the way up."

[Talon]

into the deep II

Time Stamp

Talon heard Lyra’s words just as he was deflecting a blow that would have slashed Rickter. He brought his sword upwards, blocking the swing of a club with the broad side of his blade. He then twisted the sword and slashed through the lumbar region of the skeleton, cleaving the spine apart. Raising a foot he kicked the torso of the skeleton, sending its top half flying backwards. He did not know what a miasma was but from the urgency in Lyra’s voice it must have been something unpleasant. He looked at the shambling skeletons ahead of them. They were shuffling forward but he could see an end to them. Down the corridor, a tall door stood closed.

“Right then.” Talon looked at the others. They each seemed to be holding their own well enough.

“Aoren!” His partner looked at him. “Remember the wendigo?”

“Yeah!” Aoren swung at a skeleton sending it stumbling and sprawling to the ground. The Knight-Captain followed through by crushing the skull beneath his boot. “Why?”

Talon held up his hand. Around his fingers sparks began to form. As soon as Aoren saw them his face lit up with a smirk. With a firm nod, Talon spun to meet the oncoming group of skeletons. From Lyra’s observation, he assumed that these wretched creatures were nothing more than a distraction from the true danger.

“Rickter. Summon a wind. If these mists are meant to suffocate us, keep them at bay for a few moments.” Talon stepped up and the sparks in his hand grew more solid until they elongated to form a bolt of lightning. Aoren stepped up beside him, electricity beginning to coil around his arms. The two of them moved as one, releasing dual bolts of lightning that ricocheted down the corridor. Talon watched as the bolts of lightning speared through many of the skeletons that remained, blasting several of them apart. The result saw the clearing of a path. Together he and Aoren sprinted forward, knocking aside what few wobbling skeletons remained until they reached the door on the opposite end of the corridor.

Talon looked up at the door. It was covered in intricate carvings that emit a dull, ghostly white glow that he had not noticed before. He frowned. Even a novice like him could recognize what he was staring at. An elaborate pattern of scribed pictographs that undoubtedly were meant to be a deterrent to passage. His eyes scanned the door until they fell upon what appeared to be a central locking glyph. He could not be certain but he was simply following the feelings that the pictographs imparted to him as he assessed them.

“Lyra! Your skills are needed!” He called out to the scholar. If there was one Scrivener he knew that could figure out how to crack a puzzle. When the sorceress was near, Talon looked to her.

“Do you think you can break the ward on this door?”

"I am Justice."

[Rickter]

into the deep II

20 Searing 121

The wolf's return of the blade after his throw resulted in ice pelting several of their enemies, before more closed in to swarm the three clearing the path. In that time things had apparently taken a turn for the more dangerous, as Lyra had pointed out that something called 'miasma' had started to fill the room they were in. Quickly he looked back to where their exit had been, Rickter's eyes briefly wide with concern before he focused on their destination ahead. They were cut off and cornered...

And sure enough, his Rathari nose caught the whiffs of sour air that started to burn his nostrils. The wolf could only growl as his eyes scoured the walls, hearing what Lyra had said earlier about them and their possible reinforcements. So it were possible one could create an opening somewhere, even if Talon and Aoren seemed intent to reach the end of the corridor. Seeing the both of them remind one another of past excursions they shared, he could only grin a little in response to it. We'll get through this. He reassured them as Hannah poked around him, her eyes filled with alarm over their current situation when Talon fended off more skeletons.

"I can't warp out of here." She pointed out with concern in her tone, leading the wolf to suspect that the room had been rigged by magic to prevent escape. Not that it would stop them from getting out of here anyways, that just meant one way or another, they would all be pushing their way out this damned corridor. Rickter paid her a look of determination for a moment, before the call of his consort led him to gaze at the prince once more. Wind? While water had been his arche element the wolf had been adept enough to manipulate wind as well, and if that could buy them time once they reached the other end?

It was worth a shot, much like the bolts that surged from Talon's fingertips, the two Avialae working together to clear the path before them. Rickter took his blade and helt it's hilt in reverse, his left hand brought up toward his chest as he focused aether around it. "Hannah," he then called out as the glimmer around his hands swirled chaotically into the air, "try your Kinetics somewhere on the walls. If you can breakthrough, then we've another way out of here, unless we figure out this trap in time.l" He instructed with an expectant look toward her, a near smirk on his face as he started after the pair, Hannah merely shot him a look of surprise. Her? Breaking down walls?

She nearly wanted to giggle at his change of behavior but settled for holstering her pistols to utilize her hands. "No promises big guy." Sure enough as Hannah gave her remark, her hands were pressed over one another, her aim cast at the wall itself when she gestured one of her stronger pushes against the stone. Nothing fruitful on the first try of course, the small blast of force merely sent a ripple of dust off from the surface. She looked to swear to herself in spite of the attempt, her eyes set on finding another point on the walls to test.

Meanwhile, Rickter stood near Talon, Aoren, and Lyra at the end of the hallway, the aether in his hand casted downward as he generated a downward front. The very air around them spiraled with a constant breeze that shifted toward the floor, pushing away as much of the miasma as he could so that Rickter bought everyone enough time. "If need be," he weighed in on Talon's inquiry, "I can turn Lycan and try to ram shit." Almost as if on queue another kinetic force rippled off the walls, Hannah's push only slightly stronger than before as she clearly put her all into this one. Yet there came a severe crack that echoed into the hall, the surface of the stone splitting only partially to reveal a weakened point higher up.

"This is bullshit! These walls aren't budging hardly at all." The rogue detested with a furious look toward the group, mainly the wolf since it was his idea to use Kinetics.

"We're nearly there," Rickter tried to reassure her with a glance at the crack, then toward the door that rested before them, "I'd say we have two possible exits. Talon can probably pulverize that weakened area above, how's the door coming along?" He inquired as he noticed that the mist beneath them had thickened immensely, the tendrils still battered away by the puffs of wind that emanated from his own body. By now it had risen nearly to knee height save for where they all stood, the floor itself still coated with a suppressed layer of mist.

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

"Common" "Synskrit"
"Rickter" "Hannah"

[Lyra]

The crackle of electricity in the air made Lyra's hair stand on end. In a flash the pathway before them was clear, and the few stragglers that remained or began shuffling in were dealt with one after another.

Are you intent on dying this day? Lyra asked Naila as she walked hurriedly to the front of the line, passing a glance to Hannah as she passed. The mercenary didn't respond, but Lyra could sense she was watching. There was a sense of melancholy in their soul space, but Lyra had little time to spare to the emotions of a woman faced with the greater powers of the world.

As she reached Talon's side Lyra saw the door that stood in front of them, and with a cursory glance she all but grimaced.

"Given time, Be'melar, there are no barriers which can hold me." Lyra said in response to Talon, missing the irony of her statement as she looked back at Rickter as he did his part to keep the miasma at bay, "We shall see."

From the pocket of her robes Lyra withdrew a pair of spectacles, the new aura glasses Talon had prepared, and placed them on the bridge of her nose. As soon as she did the door before her lit up with colors. Greens twisted into blues and golds, vibrant and knotted like the gnarled roots of a tree, but all of it was edged by a muted grey that Lyra recognized.

"It's soul bound." Lyra whispered, eyes narrowing as she studied the glyphs themselves. She traced the lines of the lock with a finger and noticed they gave off a cold air as white mist came away with her finger. Following one line in particular Lyra noticed several places were a dark substance had been painted on, but now came away as dry flakes.

"There is no key to this lock. It's creator bound it with a soul totem somewhere on the other side, and can only be opened by the creator." Her words were serious, but Lyra suppressed the desire to roll her eyes as she said condescendingly, "It is the work of an expert who was far more skilled in necromancy than the scripts. His instructor would be ashamed."

There was a reason soul magic wasn't often used in the creation of magical structures. The first was due to the limitation of the soul itself. To enforce one's will across, say, a small one bedroom home would require a soul empowered by aether of at one journeyman mark, or be enhanced through some other world magic. The soul of a god such as Talon could supply their will across an entire mansion, and the higher tier beings could do the same for entire cities. The strength of the soul though was not the largest issue as pure power could be overcome with runes and augmentation. No the larger reason it was never done was due to the cost of tying oneself to an inanimate object. From what she understood of Reaving it was much the same. Should that object be damaged, so was the soul of the person it was tied to. Large structures receive dozens, if not hundreds of minor damages on a near daily basis. The constant struggle to upkeep would drive any sane person mad, and should the structure fall while it was still connected then the person it was bound to would be severely wounded. Though a powerful method to strengthen and increase security of any given structure or object, the drawbacks were such that only the foolish seriously considered implementing it. Lyra suspected, however, that many of the limitations would be nullified if one used an artificial soul instead, but that was for later study.

"I cannot unlock it." Lyra said before taking off her glasses and straightening. She nudged Naila who, begrudgingly, activated the rune on her hand following Lyra's guidance. She had not wanted to do this, but given their options she doubted there was much choice.

Pressing her hand at the center of the lock Lyra whispered softly, "Vex."

In a breath he appeared, neither teleporting or stepping into view. He seemed to unravel and reform in midair, the tall lanky form of Naila's Aidolon bending over Lyra's shoulder and staring into her face. Lyra suppressed a shiver as she stared into his empty eyes before looking back at the door, "Help me destroy the seal."

Wordlessly Vex tilted his head, still staring at Lyra for several seconds before finally focusing on the door. He pressed is large, long fingered hand over Lyra's, his flesh cold like a corpse. Because the door itself was woven with Necromancy Lyra could touch the power of the creator's soul totem. Steadily she began to unwind that control, Artur slithering down to her other hand so she could access her own soul totem. As she pressed to disrupt the power of the ward in her way, Vex began his steady work of unmaking everything beneath his fingers.

It was not obvious, but steadily cracks began to form along the edge of the lock, and a bitter cold filled the room as the Miasma began to spill in faster.

[Talon]

Thread Title

Time Stamp

The appearance of that oily aidolon sent a shiver down Talon’s spine. He did not like the appearance of it but then again, he was not supposed to. The spirits that worked with Summoners were not something that Talon ever much dabbled in but he had considered it from time to time. As the miasma began to creep ever higher and both Rickter and Hannah’s efforts did not seem to be making much more headway, Talon began to grow anxious. As both Lyra and Vex began working to dissolve the seal that was keeping the door locked away, Talon watched as the edges of it began to crumble and crack. When it was finally at a point where he believed he could break it without too much effort, he reached out and touched a hand to Lyra’s shoulder.

“Good enough.” Talon extended a hand feeling the power of the weakened seal. He expanded his influence over the aether flux in a way that he had not done in a long time. It was a technique that he had only ever really heard the theory of but he understood it in principle. Grasping a hold of the weave of the Aether Flux, Talon plucked at it like one would the threads of fabric. He did not destroy the door so much as he simply reshaped the aetheric pathways within it in order to reshape it into a form that he desired, namely, out of the way. The seal upon the door crumbled entirely before him followed by the door adopting an almost liquid state as he redirected the aether flux within its structure. He pushed the doors aside then extended his influence into the following room. As he did, he saw the forms of several more shambling figures. Their forms shuddered before collapsing under Talon’s influence, dissolving into a liquid muck that spun together.

“Go.” He looked to his companions, ushering them into the next room. Once they were all through the doorway, Talon gathered the claylike substance in his grasp that was a culmination of both the door and the creatures that had been beyond it. He stepped across the threshold bringing the mass of claylike substance up behind him. Quickly he built a solid wall behind him and reconnected the flow of the aether flux and pathways within its structure, sealing the way behind them shut. He watched it carefully for a moment and when none of the miasma seeped through, he turned only to see Aoren and Hannah staring at him.

“What?” Aoren blinked.

“Where did you learn how to do that?” Talon shrugged his shoulders, suddenly feeling a little self-conscious.

“It is called Sculpting.” He cleared his throat, moving further into the chamber so that he could get a better look at what was waiting for them. “The Aether Flux is around us. It is within us. It is in everything we do and see. If you change enough about the way it flows, you can change the way something is structured. You can reshape the world around you. Among other things. It is a technique my old teacher once mentioned. Though he never demonstrated it himself.”

Looking into the room there was an open space where stood a stone pedestal. Upon that pedestal spun a violet sphere of crystal. Arcs of jagged violet energy jutted out from the crystal periodically. Upon the ground was an elaborate circle of Scrivening that upon close inspection seemed to be keyed to some manner of summoning. Behind the pedestal however, there was an open archway that led to what appeared to be sunlit forest path. Talon looked at the path beyond the crystal.

“There is our way forward.” He looked at the elaborate circle in front of them. “I would be willing to bet ten gold pieces that this circle is keyed to some sort of trap.”

Talon nodded to the crystal floating above the platform.

“That is a Voidrillium stone. I would recognize them anywhere.” He worried his bottom lip. “Be careful. Void stones do strange things to what they come into contact with.”

"I am Light."

[Rickter]

into the deep II

20 Searing 121

Lyra had always been a sorceress with a trick or two up her sleeve, the wolf had learned from day one of their meeting about that. Yet again, she didn't fail to disappoint when the manifestation of another creature took place, an Eldritch creature that he had never really seen before stood over her within moments. The nature of the entity's greeting with Lyra sparked a chill down his spine, straight from nape on down to where his tail would be in his other forms. It was such a curious yet eerie sight to behold, and yet the sorceress beckoned for it to help with undoing the seal on the door.

Or perhaps the door itself? "I'm almost terrified to ask what he is exactly?" Hannah remarked toward Rickter as she stood close, her stilettos drawn back into her hands as she watched the creature begin to work.

"Right now, he's useful. If he can get us out of here quicker, then the better." Rickter reasoned as he twisted to gaze down the other end of the corridor. The miasma had risen upward more now, enough to where the other end was completely shrouded. While Rickter's gusts were able to keep the majority of it away, the thickening clouds were proving too much for just the pulses of air alone. He'd have to resort to Negation next, if they weren't out of here soon enough at least. He looked back toward his fellow peers then, waiting to see Talon step up and take the reigns from here. The seal had been undone enough, the prince stepping up to try his hand with the door itself next.

As Rickter's arm extended to throw out another gust of wind, he bought a little more time for the Synnekar to perform whatever trick he had next. Talon was always clever when it came to his own magical power, and sure enough, the wolf wasn't led to be disappointed when he turned back to see the end result. Through the power of Kinetics, he could feel the aetherial properties of the door humming, the structure molding before them as the way gradually opened up for the group to press on through. He did it! Rickter quickly praised in thought as he turned to follow after Hannah, when the rest of the group stepped beyond the clay threshold that was created.

Rickter being the last to see everything through, he lingered closest to Talon while the prince resealed the door he molded. His blue eyes widened in awe as he watched the claylike substance hardening back into the form that once made it like a door before. Or perhaps a wall? Regardless, the structure became restored to prevent the miasma from following them in, the air around Rickter gently fading into a breeze before he looked from the structure back to his Bondmate. Even Aoren and Hannah were wowed by the display of magic, the Kathar asking Talon when he'd managed to learn such an impressive trick.

"Sculpting, huh?" The wolf took note after hearing Talon elaborate on it, the wonder in his eyes backed with curiosity when his own fingers touched at the rune below his throat. It was difficult to imagine him ever being able to learn yet alone pull that off, but even so, the power of Kinetics was far more versatile than he initially realized.

"No worries," Hannah remarked with a gentle slap on Aoren's shoulder, "I've my share of tricks but that's a first for me." She remarked after seeing the Kathar's wings droop a little, her expressive smirk merely hiding the awe she beheld from what she'd seen. "Not that I wouldn't mind learning something like that, don't suppose I could sweet talk you into it when we're done here?" The rogue cooed almost playfully as Rickter stepped aside, eyeing the room they had stumbled within as he stilled his breathing just a little.

Where they had wound up was somewhere definitely new, and from the looks of it, they were faced with yet another trap. The room they stood within had what appeared to be a summoning circle, with a Voidrillium stone lingering over a stone pedestal within the center. Beyond was their way out of here from the looks of it, as the wolf could smell the tones of dirt and tree bark within the distance ahead. Yet the stone above cackled with a bit of violet electricity, the room itself maintaining an eerie glow as the party observed the circle in place. "Something feels off here..." He remarked as he looked up toward the Voidrillium in question, his own heartbeat drumming hard within his chest as his eyes fell to the detailed pictographs for the summoning circle.

"I don't suppose negating them works either..." Rickter remarked when he noted Talon's worried look toward the Void Stone, having remembered his second trial when that Voidrillium dagger would've done him in. "Hannah?"

"You really want me to try and portal us past that?" She inquired suspiciously as she eyed the stone sharply. "Sorry, Wolfman, but even coaxing the Slipspace will make that shit volatile."

"Go figure..." He remarked with a careful step closer toward the circle, his eyes fallen down on the structured Pictography which made the circle. He noted the moment Lyra joined in the inspection of the circle, as he genuinely seemed intrigued at what she could discern. That was when he felt something. An unmistakable shiver raised the hair across his neck, and led him to rise at a stand when he turned to glance at Hannah. "Do you feel that?"

Hannah eyed him suspiciously with a brief shake of denial, having not sensed what the wolf clearly felt when he stood defensively. But then a few arcs of violet electricity jumped from the shard, the glyphs around it humming to life as aether surged throughout the pedestal. Slipspace shuddered within the room for a moment, and with a sense of alarm Rickter shifted just enough to where his heel crossed over the lines of the glyph. The chamber reacted with a crackling flash of aether, as bolts of energy danced from the other side of the glyph straight toward the point of contact. Although Rickter had no way of knowing it, much less perceiving it, he still felt it the moment Slipspace finally warped around him.

In the flash of a whirlwind, Rickter had been whisked away, Hannah quickly reached out to him only to realize the horror of what had occurred. Rickter was gone. She then looked on the verge of screaming, her eyes desperately fallen on Talon and Aoren for confirmation. Only they would know if he were truly gone after all, but one thing was for sure, she did feel that shift in the air when Slipspace folded. From within the summoning circle before Talon and the group, however, the energy that sparked to life hadn't just removed Rickter from the room; it generated a sinister violet glow.

A deep menacing growl accompanied them from the center of the circle then, as the Void Stone grew coated by a black smokey substance that first began as a poorly detailed blob. Yet from that mass of shadow developed four limbs of a quadrupedal creature, claws the first extensions to click against the ground as the rest of the entity took form. The smokey mass hardened into the form of black scales as pointed horns bulged from its head, the summoned beast staring at the group with ravenous red eyes as the growls grew menacingly low.

.....

When he felt the air whirl around him for a moment Rickter clenched, his eyes immediately opened to discover that the room had changed. He looked around frantically, first past his shoulders to realize that he'd been sealed within a room. Heavy iron and wooden door looked to be barred shut, with a small sandbar that he stood on before his eyes wandered. It looked almost like one of his unusual daydreams or odd places he'd sometimes wander, but something about this place still felt very off. He noticed the urgent panic that came with his relocation, having not fully realized that he'd been completely removed from the pack.

"Talon!! Aoren!! Hannah!!" He called out as he looked further within the room, looking past a dead tree within the center where another door seemed to await him. If he had to guess that might be his way out, if he couldn't figure out how to break the seal on that door. As relieved as he might've felt knowing he could still feel Talon and Aoren, his perception as to where felt hazed when he tried to focus on it. Suspicious of this being another trap, the wolf approached the watery floor to see his reflection gaze back at him. For a trap, it looked pretty damn convincing as another dimension...

Thus he warily trodded onward.

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

"Common" "Synskrit"
"Rickter" "Hannah"

[Lyra]

Steadily the seal weakened, inch by inch. The chill of necromantic energy spilled out between her fingers as Lyra pressed closer, Vex leaned over one shoulder staring with such intensity that even stones would shudder with unease. It was a complex creation woven in layers that intertwined and knotted together, but as she began to unravel the more Lyra began to see the pattern. The one who had crafted this was a meticulous sort, and the methods used were oddly familiar. As she probed deeper she felt resistance to her tampering, the press of a soul against her will as she tried to unwind the construct at its core. If she were alone it was possible it would have succeeded, but Vex's power was steadily eating away at the seal in its entirety. Frustration could be felt as whatever it was began to lose control. She was close, just a few minutes longer and she could unravel everything, but a hand on her shoulder made her pause and look up.

Lyra thought to argue, but a glance back at the pup and his efforts to push back the Miasma stilled any complaints. Wordlessly she stepped aside, and with a wave of her hand the tall man vanished as if he were never there.

Prepare yourself. Lyra sent to Naila as she watched the impressive display of power from Talon, Whether you accept it or not, the life you knew has passed. We made an oath, and you will serve as promised.

When the path was cleared Lyra stepped forward, eyes sweeping the room before locking on the circle at the center. She barely noticed the two creatures being reduced to mud, for the sight of the void stone drew in her focus almost completely. Eyes widen she stepped forward without a backwards glance at her companions, kneeling down a ways from the edge of the circle and out of reach of the arching purple lightning.

*****
Naila shifted in their soul space, her spiritual body curled up on top of her cracked soul gem. She knew it was all in her head, but the act of pretending to have a body gave her some comfort. The illusion of agency made the difficulties of the last few hours a bit more bearable. As always the sorceress' words were cutting, and Naila raised a rude gesture to the sky where she knew Lyra's consciousness was currently, controlling their shared body.

What was she supposed to do? She never signed up for this. She just wanted to find her sister, and she was willing to do any number of of questionable things to achieve that goal. That thing though... It had reached INSIDE her to touch Lyra, and she had felt that unfathomable anger. Naila knew that Lyra dealt in things most people couldn't dream of, but today she was faced with that reality in the most personal way possible.

"Fuck this." she whispered, squeezing her eyes shut and hitting her forehead on her knees. "Why the hell am I even here? Dragons and gods and undead. Its not worth it."

It wasn't worth it. Even as she thought those words she felt the chains of her oaths pulling on her. More and more Naila began to think she made a mistake. Maybe she should have just died that day.

*****

"A summoning circle?" Lyra wondered aloud, pulling from her bag a piece of parchment and board, along with pen and ink. With quick strokes she sketched out what she saw, including the placement of the void shard and a simplified version of the gate on the other side. As she drew out the scrivening she added notes on structure, possible intent and purpose beyond the designs, and several points that could be mistakes, or possibly intentional flaws.

"Is the gate linked to the circle?" Lyra asked no one in particular. There were glyphs that marked the edges of the archway, but from where she stood she could not make out their purpose. As she was studying everything she noticed movement from the corner of her eye, and saw as Rickter stepped forward past where she knelt.

"Wait--" She began, hand outstretched toward the man but it was too late. The circle flashed to life, the shard at its center sending out great archs of power that caused Lyra to snatch up her things and scramble backwards and land on her backside near to Talon and Aoren.

"Idiot child!" Lyra shouted, standing quickly and extending her hand. Black smoke flowed out from her fingers, wrapping the Rathari and vanishing with him. Before they were cut of she applied a substantial amount of aether into the Whisper, giving it some agency to aid the pup, but she could not tell where they went. Cursing under her breath she quickly stored away her things as the creature began to form at the center of the circle.

The beasts large claws left gouges in the stone as it tested the edges of its cage. It seemed to meet some resistance as it began to cross the threshold of the circle, pushing hard against an invisible force as it tried to get to their group.

Lyra's eyes scanned the circle once more, trying to glean its purpose even as she stepped back and closer to Talon and Aoren.

"The creature was summoned around the Voidrillium. It seemed made of shadow and darkness, but perhaps the void shard in its core gives it physical form." She thought as she spoke, still studying the scrivening. Past the creature the archway's scenery had changed, now showing a barren landscape with crooked trees with black, shriveled fruit.

In just a few seconds the creature had half of its body out of the circle, and its eyes locked onto Lyra who took another step back. She shifted left, then right, then all the way on the opposite side of Aoren and Talon, but the creatures eyes followed her wherever she went.

"Naila..." Lyra whispered, her brows furrowing as she had Artur raise his head and open his mouth, a spell prepared to fire.

When it growled the lights in the room flickered. The image in the archway shifted once more, now showing a white, frozen tundra as the creature freed one of its back legs. It's body, while solid looking, seemed to ripple slightly with each step it took.