Legend of Ransera

Posted: **Wed Oct 13, 2021 9:35 pm**

along came a stranger

15 Ash 121

Talon crouched low, his fingers brushing over the dirt as he inspected it the ground in front of him. Opening up his senses he observed the traces of aether through eyes other than his mortal ones. Before him was a footprint that was laced with the heat of some infernal realm. It had scorched the earth and charred the life dwelling within the dirt. Though the actual heat of the footprint had faded, Talon could still see it just as clearly as if the creature responsible for it were right in front of him. His gaze passed to the unfortunate souls that had been caught in the path of this creature. They looked to be hunters, perhaps from the Slayer’s Keep or just common folk trying to stock up on wild game ready to be dried out for the coming winter season.

Talon extended a hand to brush his fingers over the scorched holes that were left in what were once eye sockets. The poor man looked as though he had been burned from the inside out, the charred husk that was left was contorted in a rictus of pain and agony. Talon only hoped that, in death, that pain had been relieved. Talon rose to his feet, his wings stretching and relaxing as he came to his full height. He was garbed in the ebony cloth of the Skyforge Raiment. Upon his brow rested the silver circlet that protected his head from most forms of danger. He carried with him his other usual arcane accessories, for before him stretched a jagged mouth of a cave that undoubtedly led down into the Warrens. The reports from the Circle of Spells had reached the ears of House Novalys by way of the Sky Guard. As the patron of the defenders of the city, Talon had taken it upon himself to lend his assistance in handling some of the more dangerously reported creatures.

The whisper of movement skittered across Talon’s senses. In his aetheric vision he caught the swelling of burning power briefly before it came hurtling toward him. Talon did not flinch as he turned to face the mote of fire that was pelted in his direction. It struck him in the chest, the flames wrapping around his body. The heat would have been enough to cause painful scorching on another person’s body but as it stood, Talon merely expanded his wings, allowing the ensuing wind created by the gesture to dissipate the fire as his armor protected him from it. Up from the ground rose wisps of smoke until before him assembled a Wraith of Rage. He was hardly surprised by its appearance. The anger and terror created by this encounter, so close to the Warrens, must have called to it. He merely narrowed his eyes.

“You are not what I am looking for.” He felt the wraith extend its burning influence to him but he merely batted away its attempts at arousing his anger with a flick of his thoughts. Raising a hand, Talon captured the flow of the aether flux within the wraith. He clenched his hand into a fist condensing the flux then rapidly expanding it. The wraith let out an echoing wail before exploding in a cloud of scalding embers. Talon watched as the remnants of the wraith drifted to the ground as dust and ashes. Open as he was to the flow of the aether flux around him, his attention was drawn to more movement. Bigger. Heavier. He turned his head in the direction of the movement.

“Show yourself.”

"I am Justice."

Posted: **Thu Oct 14, 2021 12:13 am**

"Carmine. Tour. Hyndrangea. Remnant."

He hummed. The words of that book filtered through his mind -- Musings of Sorrow by Lane P. Wight. Another Imperial author, a favorite of his; through her work she expressed melancholy, the complexities of human emotion. Reading her stories was to be as an outsider, peering in: he could not relate to those very 'musings', but they were intriguing all the same. Perhaps they had filled him with a level of romanticism. It had been stories like those that had led him to Kalzasi, that had made him glad he could be stationed abroad.

To even see the richness of the human spirit in motion, particularly within men who looked not dissimilar to himself, it was a privilege he could not surpass. Now that he was present, though, in this foreign land... it felt as if seeing those emotions displayed so openly was a lash; a weapon to remind him of what he labeled as his own inadequacy in life.

The cracks had begun to seep through. He'd killed a man not long ago, a Kathar who had fled; the man had found a new life in those foreign corridors. He had a Core Bondmate, a Synnekar. Though he knew little of the Bond before arriving upon these foreign hills, he knew that by killing one, he had effectively killed both. Strangely... things like that belabored him. They made him wonder the purpose of it all -- his actions and deeds, ever eager to seek validation from a chain that bound to him. It was difficult to look back and see the land he once knew, knowing how much more there was on the outside. Even in Atinaw, he had been natured in fear. His father's overbearing ways, his mother's protectiveness. Here, in freedom, emerged so many questions.

"Basil. Lorax. Filter. Thorough."

He had just killed a mark. There was still blood on his shirt, and along the hem of his trousers. A man who had long been in the business of selling sensitive, Imperial details, archiving them and acting as a broker to various factions and national interests. Emrik had slathered the blood with mud, to make it appear as if he'd merely tripped and fallen. If asked, he was prepared to answer that he'd dived into a tree, and plummeted into the soil. His wings did appear a bit worn, after all. So many weeks of constant duty; he had been given little opportunity to recuperate. To rest.

All he wanted was to return to his ramshackle hovel, to drink and rest. Sadly, the world would not abide that. Cindered trails tore through the landscape; he found his heart thrumming in his chest. Danger was near. Materializing two blades with aether, he grit his teeth, continuing a slow march forward. His wings were tucked to him as tightly as they could get; acting as a shield for his back, and to reduce the scope of his presence. In the distance, his eyes flickered curiously as he noticed a man; he appeared to be... annihilating some creature with aether. A Synnekar, and a dangerous mage.

The very sort he likely had an open contract on, though he couldn't imagine he had enough details to know for certain. There was no point in making that leap without credible evidence; Emrik decided to linger on the fringes of his view, garnering what he could. The toils of an Imperial Justicar were never fully through.

Show yourself.

He ceased in his movement, brows tensing as he lingered. The other man had noticed him so quickly, easily. And he appeared to be on the defensive.

"Why?" he asked, almost flippant. Emrik slowly began to move, creeping around the edge of the treeline. "You go about your business, I go about mine... Synnekar. Turn your back and leave."

Posted: **Thu Oct 14, 2021 8:44 am**

along came a stranger

15 Ash 121

The accent of the voice that barked back at him had Talon thinking that for a moment, he was hearing Aoren. He quirked a brow as he beheld a man taller than himself. He was broad, with the muscular build of a man accustomed to physical labor. Even beneath his soiled clothing, Talon could tell that this one possessed great physical strength. He could see the wings that were tucked closely at his back. He could see the blades in his hands. Adding those things together, plus the way he had addressed him as ‘Synnekar’, Talon was led to the obvious conclusion.

“You are a Kathar.” Talon’s silver-eyed gaze passed over the mud and the smattering of blood that he could see upon the man’s clothes. “Are you injured?”

It was not unheard of for Kathar to make their way to Kalzasi. Talon knew firsthand that his homeland had seen a number of refugees over the years. He was bondmate to such an Avialae. Though his partner did not speak often of his ordeals as a servant of the Imperium, what little he spoke of was said with a mix of haunted trauma and a soft longing for his homeland. Talon knew little of the Imperium beyond the fact that it was the spectre that every Synnekar feared. The previous winter, Talon had experienced for himself the brutality of the Imperium’s Inquisitors. He had rescued a sect of those faithful to him from becoming prisoners.

“There is a demon nearby. It is not safe.” He gestured to the charred corpses not far away from the mouth of that cavernous entrance to the Warrens. Next to them was the scorched footprint that had burned away all foliage and life in the soil around it. Talon kept his senses on alert. He was, in a small way, glad to see the arrival of something other than a deranged demon from the depths of the Warrens. On the other hand, he was also wary of any signs for trouble.

"I am Justice."

Posted: **Thu Oct 14, 2021 10:24 am**

The unknown man's observation was indeed correct, if his frozen features were any indication. More surprisingly was his concern; the first question to utter his lips was whether he was injured. Another reminder of how they differed. One of his own kind would have chastised him for his weakness; for his inability to fell a foe cleanly. This man, though, was not the same.

He eyed him closely, inquisitively. He was... silverine, his wings, his eyes, even some aspect of his pigmentation. Beyond that, the Synnekar appeared to wield something more; a sort of majesty he could not aptly describe. It was possible that it was a Quirk, but even the Magehunter held no certainty. The longer he stared at him, the more it all sunk in.

This was Talon.

He was certain; his distinct features, blue-patterned markings, the shade and tone of his wings. One of the men he'd been sent from the Imperium to kill; the most difficult of them, certainly. He was one of the few 'Inquisitors' the Empire believed might be able on his own. He was not so certain. The men who would see the Synnekar dead knew woefully little of their prey -- and if he had heard anything since arriving in Kalzasi, it was that there was more to their 'Prince' than met the eye.

"I am not injured," he flatly replied. "It is a wild dog's blood." He always had a tendency to speak poetically; a 'wild dog' was, by all intents, a man who had freed himself from the Imperium's leash. In some ways, from his perspective, Talon and his ilk were much the same. More wild dogs barking, rabid with primitive passions as they evaded the harness of their true rulers.

Demon. He hummed. "Why are you not in flight?" he asked, peering along the radius of his wings. "If there is a demon, then shouldn't the city's Crown Prince be avoiding him? Are your wings hurt?" Emrik's expression appeared muddled, confused. If this was more of that Synnekar bravery of theirs, he was at a loss. The Heir to any land should prioritize their own survival; ensure the stability of the realm. Not go... skulking about, flaying beasts. It was irrational. He was not the only man with a duty to see this particular blight dead. "Emrik," he introduced himself. The man's eyes remained narrowed, discerning. Watching for any and every movement; seeking out intent. He knew he had to be ready. "A Kathar, as you said."

Posted: **Thu Oct 14, 2021 12:47 pm**

along came a stranger

15 Ash 121

"As you say, then.” His eyes still lingered on the evidence of struggle. There were still packs of wild animals that had been affected by recent Dread Mist appearances. If this man had fought with any of them, Talon’s first concern was that any subsequent wounds would become infected. But he would not press the issue, concerned though he might have been. He remembered clearly purging the presence of the Dread Mists from the body of a friend, banishing them with a touch. Talon opened his senses up to the flow of the aether around them. He focused his Semblance vision so that he could perceive the man’s aura clearly that he might detect any injuries. The first impression that Talon got from the man’s aura was that he was guarded. The sense of being on high alert was threaded throughout his overall disposition but that was to be expected. Aside from a general weariness, Talon could not immediately discern much more without delving deeper. He would not pry and let his aetheric vision fade with a mere blink of his eyes.

It seemed perfectly logical to him that a Kathar, possibly new to the city, would be on edge when there was the threat of demons about. If he had just come from a struggle with wild dogs, then it made sense that he was on high alert and ready to protect himself from potential threats. As the man addressed him by title, Talon merely shook his head in response to the question of his wings. He extended them slightly, adjusting their resting position.

“I am unharmed. As for why I am here, I am patron of the Sky Guard. My duty is to protect my people as much as lead them. Besides, these demons are no threat to me.” Talon thought back to the wrath he had unleashed upon the depths of the Warrens for striking out at him and those he cared for. It was not a thing he enjoyed doing but he would do his duty to protect his home from such abominations. As the Kathar introduced himself, Talon inclined his head.

“Well met, Emrik. I am Talon.” He smiled. “But you already knew that.”

A rumbling from within the cavern behind them drew his attention. Talon felt a stirring in the air as warmth billowed out from the mouth of the cave. The demon was within. He could feel it skittering across his senses, evading his awareness to the best of its ability. But this creature that prowled in the dark attempting to evade justice was exactly the kind of thing that drew his attention. He would shine a light in that dark place and burn away the twisted entity, sending it back to the aetherium where it came from.

“If you are uninjured, I would urge you to seek safety.” He returned his gaze back to Emrik. “Unless you are prepared to slay a demon?”

"I am Justice."

Posted: **Thu Oct 14, 2021 3:14 pm**

He possessed no magic that allowed him to read people's auras, their emotions, nor their intent. Instead, the Justicar replied on his instincts; on the slightest cues, whatever he could grasp from the arms, the nodding and shifting of features. Talon was difficult to read. He wasn't quite... stoic, but his features were not entirely expressive. Austere, perhaps; a trait derived from his Noble birth. In that way he was not unlike a Kathar. Both of them held a quiet disposition, their words direct and precise. Few were wasted.

What he could discern of him was that he was a kind man -- or at least, it was the perception he was trying to project. It was always difficult to know for certain with those of royal or gifted lineage; what was a part of their presentation of authority, and noblesse oblige? What was a lie?

If actions alone were what mattered, then he could carry some respect for the man. He truly was at his lonesome, putting himself at risk to cull demons from the edges of their territory. A deed better left for the grunts by most accounts, yet something he took personal accountability for. His actions were commendable. Despite being across the aisle from him, Emrik did not deny him that. He had never heard nor been convinced that Talon was a bad man, only that he was one better off dead.

"You have nice wings," he said, curling his lips into a faint smile. He was not particularly skilled at conversation, nor wit, but the tension within their conversation was unnecessary. "That was how I recognized you. I'd heard of them. That... and the patterns."

He gestured towards his features; the aetheric blue lines radiating from his skin. He imagined them to be... some kind of Rune. Obviously, he was a mage, and quite unapologetic to that. In the Imperium, few Kathar would say the same. They did not need great Runes marking them everywhere, mere reminders of their shame; they had their collars for that. Their chains.

The man directed his head towards the cavern, narrowing his gaze. Demon. He'd hunted a few things like it in his life, though most of Emrik's experience in battle and war had been against other mortal-kind. Through the latter part of his martial development, he had been trained as a Magehunter, meant to pursue arcanists deemed a threat to Imperial hegemony. Demons, wraiths, beasts of flesh and of Dread Mists were beyond his purview. Still, he was not concerned, nor afraid. Particularly not with Talon present. If there was one thing the man projected needlessly, it was leadership. He reminded Emrik of one of his superiors back at home; brimming with poise.

"I am a Kathar, as I told you. The ones who survive, the ones who escape, the ones who make it as far as these pastures... we are the best of our kind. I am not afraid of a demon, Your Majesty." He tipped his head toward the cave, gesturing for the other to take command. "Lead. I will cleave it with ease."

Posted: **Thu Oct 14, 2021 9:26 pm**

along came a stranger

15 Ash 121

Talon blinked at the compliment to his wings. He was always a little self-conscious about them. Silver was not a common color among Avialae, neither Synnekar nor Kathar. He shared that trait with his maternal grandfather. The Magelord, Briathor, a man who was the subject of endless curiosity for Talon. His wings shifted, the feathers rising then settling before Talon merely nodded. He had learned long ago that he was a recognizable figure in Kalzasi. The Silver Prince of the Diamond House, it had been both a boon and a burden throughout his life. Between dealing with the politics that surrounded his station and fending off would-be assassins every few seasons, Talon thought he had become accustomed to such recognition. In a way he was glad he was not.

Emrik espoused the strength of the Kathar, of the prowess of those who were able to escape the Imperium. He assessed the man closely for a moment before making a small sound of acknowledgement.

“I can agree with that statement.” His thoughts drifted to his bondmate prompting a small smile to tug at the corner of his mouth. Across the web of their thoughts, he felt Aoren acknowledge him. His partner was not far away both physically and mentally. He expected that the raven winged Kathar would join them soon enough. When Emrik nodded toward the cave, Talon flexed the fingers of his right hand. With a shimmer and the ring of steel, his pact blade materialized in his hand. The familiar weight was a comfort as he wrapped his fingers around the hilt. Onto his left forearm, Talon gathered a well of aether. He bundled it carefully spinning together a half-dome that he crafted into a shield. He instilled within this barrier the ability to block the element of fire. The demon he was hunting clearly had an affinity for it. He had taken no more than a few steps toward the mouth of the cave when the glow of fire sparked within it. With that hellish illumination came a voice that chuckled, the sound like lava rocks grating over stone.

“Come to play, little godling?” Talon ignored the taunting as he felt the heat within the air around them begin to rise.

“Return to your pit, demon, lest I return you to it myself.” Another infernal peal of laughter.

“You are a worm! You think to challenge me? I will burn your soul to ashes!” The cave rumbled and the glow within it turned into a full blaze as hellfire burst into being. Greenery around them ignited into flames, the ground quickly becoming scorched as the demon manifested itself before them. Talon had to wonder if it had led him here intentionally. Perhaps there was something deeper in the Warrens that it feared. Perhaps it was demonic pride that had bid the creature to face him. Whatever the reason, Talon beheld the creature in its full glory. It was a mixture of humanoid with slender frame that was wreathed in the smoke caused by the fire it ignited around it. Two gaping holes existed where its eyes should have been and smoke billowed out from its nostrils. It reminded Talon of a desiccated corpse of a man, with spindly limbs and claws that extended from its fingers. The slightness of its frame was not something he would take lightly. Creatures from the Aetherium were seldom all that they appeared to be.

“Burn!” The smoke and fire became a searing wall but Talon stood unmoved. He raised his sword, solidifying the weave of the aether flux around himself and Emrik in a dome of force that shielded them both from the blast. Talon slashed his sword downward, rending the dome and sending a vibration of force outward. A powerful gust of wind billowed out from around them, dousing many of the flames. The demon hissed as it narrowed its gaze at both himself and Emrik.

“Brace yourself, warrior.” Talon adopted his stance.

The demon lunged.

"I am Justice."

Posted: **Fri Oct 15, 2021 11:09 am**

The Kathar's own wings had a unusual shade to them. They were predominantly a deep raven, but with a silvery chromatic hue to their feathers, akin to a metallic gloss. Unlike Talon, though, the man held no reservations towards them. He remembered moments, suspended through decades of time. Peering into a pond and seeing their shimmering reflection; wrapping them over his youthful skin. He was only a boy back then, and as a child, he remembered imagining his wings to be the greatest, most wonderful things. Even if his Moratallen cousins plucked his feathers to grate on him.

Lost in his own musings for a time, he failed to notice the smile that garnered on the other's lips, though he was pleased that the other man appeared to bear no ill-will to his kind. Not all Synnekar respected their collared kin. Many, in fact, regarded them with great suspicion. Tried as he may have to conceal his accent, it was quick to draw ire, and stares. He looked to the other's grip as an aethereal blade formed from within it. Reaving. They carried a Rune in common, then. Wordlessly, Emrik formed a weapon of his own, and then another; two long blades materializing within his grip, the frame reaching out first before aether filled it in. As they formed, the color of the aether shifted to that of a pearlescent white, lit with a residual, prismatic hue that radiated from the length.

He followed the other towards the mouth of the cave. Godling. The creature's voice was chilling. The temperature markedly changed, invoking him to rub along his forearm with a loose fingertip, before settling his blades back outward and slowly moving into stance. Before he knew it, the cave erupted into flame; surfaces were lit, moss and vines cindered. The demonic apparition shortly manifested, its slender features illuminated by the burning light surrounding it. That light quickly culminated, an explosion of thermal force erupting around them, though shielded by the Prince. Emrik observed both contenders in this conflict; he wanted to learn more of Talon's abilities, but also, needed his guard to be up. As the dome was split through and waned, the Kathar found his opportunity.

Immediately, he disappeared, his form itself dematerializing as he stepped through Slipspace. His wings expanding outward to help anchor his movements and control his traction, the man lunged forward, digging one blade into the demon's back as another slashed horizontally, hoping to rend through its nape. Aether around him began to crystallize, forming the beginnings of more blades. At a moments notice, he was ready for them to converge.

Posted: **Sun Oct 17, 2021 4:37 pm**

along came a stranger

15 Ash 121

Emrik moved quickly. Talon felt the air shift where the Kathar pushed himself into the Slipspace only to appear behind the demonic entity that had appeared before them. The creature shrieked in pain as that blade dug into its back before dissipating into black smoke before its head could be cleaved from its shoulders. It sped toward him, a dual column of smoke and fire that scorched the air as it barreled his way. For a moment, Talon briefly wished that he had a touch of some of Lyra’s ghostly icho for it surely would have been supremely effective against this wretched creature. Nevertheless, Talon brought up his shield and sword then charged forward.

One of the columns of smoke slammed into the barrier he carried in his hand, pelting it with heat and force. Talon grunted as he held that column at bay. As the other column of smoke reared back to slam into him, Talon grasped hold of the aether flux before him. He slowed its motion to an almost jelly-like consistency so that when the smokey column passed through it, the movement of the demon was hindered. The result saw the column slow down from a rapid pace to that of a near crawl as it tried to reach him. With a thought, Talon varnished his sword with the speed of kinetic acceleration in order to move rapidly cut through the very zone he had created.

He slashed through the column of smoke, the aethereal nature of his pact sword splitting through the essence of the demon causing a shuddering shriek to emanate from it once more. The smokey creature withdrew, both of its columns flowing away from Talon as he shredded apart the essence that was left behind in the zone he had created. He then released the aether flux once more, allowing it to flow back to its natural state. He turned on his heel in order to face the demon once more as it collected itself. When it formed, it was missing an arm and had a steady flow of what looked to be lava rolling down its back from the wound created by Emrik.

“You are fools.” Its voice came out like a crackling hiss. Those hollow eyes burned with a sinister light. “The Hunger grows in the Deeps.”

The demon opened its mouth, letting out a piercing wail as its body ignited fully in flames. It leapt into the air, suspended for a moment before diving toward both Talon and Emrik.

"I am Justice."

Posted: **Wed Mar 16, 2022 10:12 pm**

R E W A R D S

Name: Talon
XP: +10 XP, can be used for magic.
Requested Lore: +10 Lore. You are not authorized secret knowledge as a result of this thread.

Name: Emrik
XP: +10 XP, can be used for magic.
Requested Lore: +10 Lore. You are not authorized secret knowledge as a result of this thread.

Note(s): Review submitted due to Emrik's inactivity.

Legend of Ransera

along came a stranger

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