Heartbeats in Quiet Rooms
Glade 3rd, 122nd Year
It had been the longest blink he allowed himself to take, as it had also been the last before sleep suddenly settled in. He was so relieved to have his pack back, that an overwhelming burden fell off his shoulders. The wolf's sleep came over him like the comfort of the warm blanket he felt resting over his form, the voices of those still awake now but a fading background to his mind. When he felt a different warmth welcome him he dove further in, the wolf's mind wandering into the familiar space that reached out to him.
He had found the ocean. The surface floor responded to his arrival as ripples stirred out from his feet, the crests wandering out as the wolf's eyes opened to the bright warmth of the sky. Rickter hadn't come here since... that night. And standing before him now was a azure figure blurred where he stood, the blinking of his eyes enough to clear the image for the wolf as he focused more on his surroundings. He could smell the rainwater in the air above, even as the clouds appeared white and clear. Was this where his soul resided?
"Ah! At last! It's about time, I've been eager to check in with you!" Tiberius greeted as he approached the wolf, Rickter's face suddenly tense as he realized who stood before him.
"...Get out..."
"We must assess the damages, straight away! Your Foundations remain intact but your-" The knight was too caught up in his own thought, that he didn't realize the wolf had taken a swing at the man. Yet even as Rickter spiked a hard swing toward the right cheek, his hand simply phased through air as though the man were a mere ghost.
"Get the FUCK out!!" The wolf screamed furiously at him as the waters grew turbulent throughout the space, Tiberius merely gazed at him hard as though the wolf were acting like a child. "All of this is your damn fault to begin with!" Rickter barked as he stood within the personal space between him and the knight. "First you string me along on this 'quest,' and then when things turn to shit you invade my own space." His voice quivered then as the emotion grew heavy, the sparse clouds overhead brooding into a storm as he clutched at his sternum. "You intruded into my own soul, brought along all those people, hoping they'd do your dirty work. All for what? So Talon would sacrifice himself?!"
"My intention wasn't for Arcas to return so soon, this soon no less, not until I witnessed the utter devotion-"
"No!" The wolf cut him off, walking away with his back turned as before, when he faced Tiberius again that night with his own path. "You don't have the right... to talk about Talon like that." The knight's eyes finally averted as though he were bothered, or inconvenienced maybe, as the wolf continued to growl at him furiously. "In fact, you don't even have the right to be here."
"Rickter, I told you before, time was running out."
"And I checked." He rebutted firmly, with a heaviness in his tone as he continued. "Tried. Nothing about Alistor came up in the little time I had." Even then, he'd met Ishin but never bothered to mention it, not when Tiberius hadn't once tried to help him understand the Echo. "And you know what's worse, I can't help but feel cursed by the fact you're even here. The fact you exist... Has to be to torment me for the rest of my life." Now the knight looked to Rickter a little concerned, his stance shifted as he gauged the wolf's firm expression. "So by all means, leave me to die like the rest of your line. Find another to be your pathetic successor. I don't want it."
The knight beheld a glare for what felt like an eternity, before he sighed with a lower of his gaze. With a gentle caress of a breeze he then dissipated within the air, his presence soon fading away as the wolf stood his ground for a few minutes longer. When he released his breath, at last, Rickter sunk down to his knees. His hands dipped into the water beneath him when his arms drooped, the gentle rain that soon blanketed across the sea to help wash the heat of emotion from his chest. Though he might've shivered with a near long and absent stare, Rickter found a sense of utter quiet in basking within the caress of water upon his soul, having a sense of clarity that this could very well have been his rock bottom. It had been the one place, the one true place, where he could at last just be himself for at least a little while.
To release all that overwhelming emotion even in this space, where only the reflection beneath him was there to share his grief. I wish I could understand, Talon, I really do... Why everything happened... How we weren't pepared for it, when we damn well should've been... Just the mere thought that rose up brought another fresh stream of tears, the waters drenching him turned cool as he remained curled there. Even now I'm struggling. I try and look back on our life, and the parts that are coming back... don't feel the same. He thought back to earlier that evening with Baudric in the bathroom, how reflections within the mirror played with his somber mind.
They're just numb now... I'm just numb... Until it all starts to hurt... All over again... His thoughts went back to the moment he held on so tight, the moment where he knew in his gut it'd be their last encounter... Where he felt portions of his soul torn apart, with the tethers that bound him to Talon and Aoren. I won't let go though... He then breathed deeper with a tighter clutch over his sternum. I swear... I will find a way back to you both... I'll make them all pay for their choices.
The waters around him billowed as currents bubbled to crest the water away, the wolf gradually being gradually lowered as the currents spread further outward from him. Before too long the rainstorm lightened up with the clouds already scattering, as the wolf's form was lowered deeper toward the depths of his soul, toward a jagged vein of light deep within the water below. It was there... Where he felt the source of all his pain, the constant reminders of a searing hot that filled him that night. It was both cleansing as it was terrifying, the gentle swath of flames having turned into a sudden tear across his soul. Once those tethers between his Bondmates finally severed, the 'wound' born in his soul could only be what he expected this very scar.
I know what I said before, and part of me wants to believe it was never necessary... He thought of that night after the Bond had been established, when he felt the welcoming warmth the wolf needed to cast aside his own burdens. They were the ones that helped him, supporting his endeavors with every obstacle he approached. Aoren lingered on the wolf's mind as he reached out for him mentally, feeling nothing but the dark void where his hand might've reached out. Without their presence or perceptions to guide him, the wolf felt as incapable as he always was before. He would've given anything to bring them back, do change history if he needed to, just so that he left Kalzasi before ever actually meeting anybody. The wolf couldn't believe how close he'd come to the idea before, when life as a simple mercenary remained difficult as was.
I just need more time... To find a reason. The reason. He promised as he reached within the depths of the water, his hands nearing the tear as the light within glimmered brighter. Responding to his presence he felt the warmth smother his hand, before traveling up within his forearm. He needed more time for a lot of things, such as getting his family to safety, as well as finding a means of breaking this connection with Tiberius. The wolf couldn't help but want that man, soul or not, out of his life in every way possible. ...And I'll fix all this. I swear... He promised as the wolf brought his hand back toward his chest, his heart held tightly as he tried to remember that warmth for himself.
It was when he finally leaned with a straighter back that he looked into the sky, his somber gaze locked on the possibility of ever seeing Talon flown within them again. One could only dream, however, and not even the wolf was brave enough to torture himself that deeply. Thus he sighed with the intention to lean further into a fall, expecting the bed of water to cushion him when his back finally hit the surface. Yet, when he opened his eyes to the same skies above, he felt the comfort of grass and flowers caress his forearms and shoulders. It was the verdant fields he'd fallen within, with an open blue sky littered by sparse clouds of white and grey.
The field felt warm to lay on as the breeze was near enough to lull one back into sleep. ...Until then... He breathed at a steady pace, still shedding tears as he looked longingly into that sky. ...Don't forget me? It was moreover a silent prayer, if not a request to himself. He thought himself so selfish for it, to blatantly hope and pray that circumstances had changed. Even now, where he struggled to grasp for that thing he desperately needed, his heart still ached to feel even a hint of affirmation from his Bondmates. Broken or not, that part of him still remained, like cinders ready to burn into a brilliant blaze.
Glade 3rd, 122nd Year
It had been the longest blink he allowed himself to take, as it had also been the last before sleep suddenly settled in. He was so relieved to have his pack back, that an overwhelming burden fell off his shoulders. The wolf's sleep came over him like the comfort of the warm blanket he felt resting over his form, the voices of those still awake now but a fading background to his mind. When he felt a different warmth welcome him he dove further in, the wolf's mind wandering into the familiar space that reached out to him.
He had found the ocean. The surface floor responded to his arrival as ripples stirred out from his feet, the crests wandering out as the wolf's eyes opened to the bright warmth of the sky. Rickter hadn't come here since... that night. And standing before him now was a azure figure blurred where he stood, the blinking of his eyes enough to clear the image for the wolf as he focused more on his surroundings. He could smell the rainwater in the air above, even as the clouds appeared white and clear. Was this where his soul resided?
"Ah! At last! It's about time, I've been eager to check in with you!" Tiberius greeted as he approached the wolf, Rickter's face suddenly tense as he realized who stood before him.
"...Get out..."
"We must assess the damages, straight away! Your Foundations remain intact but your-" The knight was too caught up in his own thought, that he didn't realize the wolf had taken a swing at the man. Yet even as Rickter spiked a hard swing toward the right cheek, his hand simply phased through air as though the man were a mere ghost.
"Get the FUCK out!!" The wolf screamed furiously at him as the waters grew turbulent throughout the space, Tiberius merely gazed at him hard as though the wolf were acting like a child. "All of this is your damn fault to begin with!" Rickter barked as he stood within the personal space between him and the knight. "First you string me along on this 'quest,' and then when things turn to shit you invade my own space." His voice quivered then as the emotion grew heavy, the sparse clouds overhead brooding into a storm as he clutched at his sternum. "You intruded into my own soul, brought along all those people, hoping they'd do your dirty work. All for what? So Talon would sacrifice himself?!"
"My intention wasn't for Arcas to return so soon, this soon no less, not until I witnessed the utter devotion-"
"No!" The wolf cut him off, walking away with his back turned as before, when he faced Tiberius again that night with his own path. "You don't have the right... to talk about Talon like that." The knight's eyes finally averted as though he were bothered, or inconvenienced maybe, as the wolf continued to growl at him furiously. "In fact, you don't even have the right to be here."
"Rickter, I told you before, time was running out."
"And I checked." He rebutted firmly, with a heaviness in his tone as he continued. "Tried. Nothing about Alistor came up in the little time I had." Even then, he'd met Ishin but never bothered to mention it, not when Tiberius hadn't once tried to help him understand the Echo. "And you know what's worse, I can't help but feel cursed by the fact you're even here. The fact you exist... Has to be to torment me for the rest of my life." Now the knight looked to Rickter a little concerned, his stance shifted as he gauged the wolf's firm expression. "So by all means, leave me to die like the rest of your line. Find another to be your pathetic successor. I don't want it."
The knight beheld a glare for what felt like an eternity, before he sighed with a lower of his gaze. With a gentle caress of a breeze he then dissipated within the air, his presence soon fading away as the wolf stood his ground for a few minutes longer. When he released his breath, at last, Rickter sunk down to his knees. His hands dipped into the water beneath him when his arms drooped, the gentle rain that soon blanketed across the sea to help wash the heat of emotion from his chest. Though he might've shivered with a near long and absent stare, Rickter found a sense of utter quiet in basking within the caress of water upon his soul, having a sense of clarity that this could very well have been his rock bottom. It had been the one place, the one true place, where he could at last just be himself for at least a little while.
To release all that overwhelming emotion even in this space, where only the reflection beneath him was there to share his grief. I wish I could understand, Talon, I really do... Why everything happened... How we weren't pepared for it, when we damn well should've been... Just the mere thought that rose up brought another fresh stream of tears, the waters drenching him turned cool as he remained curled there. Even now I'm struggling. I try and look back on our life, and the parts that are coming back... don't feel the same. He thought back to earlier that evening with Baudric in the bathroom, how reflections within the mirror played with his somber mind.
They're just numb now... I'm just numb... Until it all starts to hurt... All over again... His thoughts went back to the moment he held on so tight, the moment where he knew in his gut it'd be their last encounter... Where he felt portions of his soul torn apart, with the tethers that bound him to Talon and Aoren. I won't let go though... He then breathed deeper with a tighter clutch over his sternum. I swear... I will find a way back to you both... I'll make them all pay for their choices.
The waters around him billowed as currents bubbled to crest the water away, the wolf gradually being gradually lowered as the currents spread further outward from him. Before too long the rainstorm lightened up with the clouds already scattering, as the wolf's form was lowered deeper toward the depths of his soul, toward a jagged vein of light deep within the water below. It was there... Where he felt the source of all his pain, the constant reminders of a searing hot that filled him that night. It was both cleansing as it was terrifying, the gentle swath of flames having turned into a sudden tear across his soul. Once those tethers between his Bondmates finally severed, the 'wound' born in his soul could only be what he expected this very scar.
I know what I said before, and part of me wants to believe it was never necessary... He thought of that night after the Bond had been established, when he felt the welcoming warmth the wolf needed to cast aside his own burdens. They were the ones that helped him, supporting his endeavors with every obstacle he approached. Aoren lingered on the wolf's mind as he reached out for him mentally, feeling nothing but the dark void where his hand might've reached out. Without their presence or perceptions to guide him, the wolf felt as incapable as he always was before. He would've given anything to bring them back, do change history if he needed to, just so that he left Kalzasi before ever actually meeting anybody. The wolf couldn't believe how close he'd come to the idea before, when life as a simple mercenary remained difficult as was.
I just need more time... To find a reason. The reason. He promised as he reached within the depths of the water, his hands nearing the tear as the light within glimmered brighter. Responding to his presence he felt the warmth smother his hand, before traveling up within his forearm. He needed more time for a lot of things, such as getting his family to safety, as well as finding a means of breaking this connection with Tiberius. The wolf couldn't help but want that man, soul or not, out of his life in every way possible. ...And I'll fix all this. I swear... He promised as the wolf brought his hand back toward his chest, his heart held tightly as he tried to remember that warmth for himself.
It was when he finally leaned with a straighter back that he looked into the sky, his somber gaze locked on the possibility of ever seeing Talon flown within them again. One could only dream, however, and not even the wolf was brave enough to torture himself that deeply. Thus he sighed with the intention to lean further into a fall, expecting the bed of water to cushion him when his back finally hit the surface. Yet, when he opened his eyes to the same skies above, he felt the comfort of grass and flowers caress his forearms and shoulders. It was the verdant fields he'd fallen within, with an open blue sky littered by sparse clouds of white and grey.
The field felt warm to lay on as the breeze was near enough to lull one back into sleep. ...Until then... He breathed at a steady pace, still shedding tears as he looked longingly into that sky. ...Don't forget me? It was moreover a silent prayer, if not a request to himself. He thought himself so selfish for it, to blatantly hope and pray that circumstances had changed. Even now, where he struggled to grasp for that thing he desperately needed, his heart still ached to feel even a hint of affirmation from his Bondmates. Broken or not, that part of him still remained, like cinders ready to burn into a brilliant blaze.
"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"
"Rickter" "Tiberius"
"Rickter" "Tiberius"
