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whispered one (lyra)
Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2022 7:16 pm
by Talon
Searing 53, 122 Steel
Talon stood looking out the window of his chambers within the Palace of Spires. It had been less than twenty-four hours since the events at Wintergatan Circle and already his chest ached. Aoren had winnowed down his end of the Bond so that he only had the vaguest perception of his whereabouts or well-being. Couple that with the distance that was now physically between them and it made reaching out to his husband impossible. Aoren had been beyond angry. Furious was too calm a word to describe what his bondmate had felt toward him. There was hurt. There was anger. There was fear. Not to mention what he had transmitted regarding Rickter. It made Talon wince but he was willing to bear the brunt of their anger if it meant they were all far, far away from the borders of the Imperium. It was not a guarantee of safety but it was a better assurance than having them be within Imperial borders.
In the aftermath of the commotion in the Circle, Talon had stayed and lent his assistance to the Kathar where he could. The constraints of the armor he wore forbade him from leaving the borders of the Imperial City. He was bound to obey that command whether he wanted to or not. So he had made himself useful in the fallout of the pain and suffering caused by his mere presence. It had been difficult to both watch and participate in. The Kathar had performed their duties with mechanical precision, coming to the assistance of those they could without much in the way of expression. He had remained until he had been summoned back to the Palace of Spires.
He stood, contemplating on what he had done. Had he made the right decision? He did not know. He had made a decision. It was one he would now have to live with. With that in mind, he pondered what he had witnessed in the moments of that choice. He had registered the presence of other bearers of his Emblem within the city. As soon as he had taken note of them, he had sent a thread of warning to each and every one of them, telling them as best he could to stay away from Wintergatan Circle. The last thing any of them needed was to be caught in the open with an entire swarm of Kathar Legionnaire’s bearing down on them. He knew that Dawnmartyrs were strong and well trained but there were too few of them to stand up to so many in such a chaotic environment.
As soon as he had woken up that morning, he had expanded his senses into the city in order to feel for them. He had sent quiet acknowledgement of their presence and the warmth of Hope to them. Silently he urged patience. The way ahead was not a clear one. It certainly would not be an easy one. Now that those he loved most were no longer in immediate danger, it freed him to concentrate on the tasks at hand.
Lyrielle.
He had seen her impart a sliver of her essence into one of the Kathar who had come to the Circle. Her presence had fallen off his senses since then but he was certain that she would pop up sooner or later. He was in the middle of trying to figure out how to reach out to her when he heard a knock on the doors to his chambers. This was followed by them opening. Into the room walked a Kathar knight whom he did not immediately recognize.
“Yes?” He quirked a brow, ready to hear what was undoubtedly a summons for something or other.
Re: whispered one (lyra)
Posted: Sun Aug 07, 2022 8:01 pm
by Lyra
The Kathar stood in the doorway, blinking slowly with a confused expression as he looked around the room. His eyes fell on Talon, widened for a moment before they glazed over completely. Stepping fully into the room he closed the door behind him with a soft click. Then he slumped to the ground, head lolling to the side with mouth partially open.
A thin trickle of smoke escaped the Kathar's parted lips, golden and wispy like mist. It flowed around the room, dancing across the furniture, fluttering over items and pausing at the window where it spun in spiraling patterns before dispersing to rotate around Talon himself.
"You are cruel... You called us, then dismissed us so quickly." The voice was familiar, but but lighter somehow, more youthful. A hand formed to brush against Talon's shoulder, but the hand was smaller. Large golden eyes and silver hair formed from the golden mist, the image of Lyrielle were she a few decades younger.
"We are here, Be'melar... Or... no." The girl stared hard at Talon, slowly floating in a circle until she hung upside down in the air. A distant look came to her as she looked past Talon, brow furrowing before a smile split her face, "Who are you?"
Re: whispered one (lyra)
Posted: Wed Aug 10, 2022 9:44 am
by Talon
Upon seeing the mist flow forth from the Kathar’s mouth, Talon was momentarily surprised at the display. He quickly recognized the familiar smokey form of Lyrielle although there was something different about the manner in which she manifested. When she formed, he met her distant gaze and then her question. He was silent. Three small words. He was not sure how to answer her. He was at a point in his life when he was not sure who he was himself. Before being stolen and shackled to the Imperium, he might have been able to give her an immediate answer. Now? Now there was so much he was still trying to sort through in his head that the answer was not altogether clear. There were too many answers and none of them fit. So he answered truthfully, the best he could.
“I am not certain of that anymore.” He turned to look out the window once more. “Much has happened. Some of it I can explain. Some of it I cannot.”
That part made him frown. Even free from his stone prison, he was still not free. Not truly.
“I do know this…” He brought up a hand. With barely a flick of his thoughts his hand became engulfed in silver-white flames that shone even more purely than ever before. “...I am not who or even what I was before being taken from Kalzasi.”
Exactly what that meant, he was not sure of it himself. He had only been free to roam around and leave the seclusion of his tower prison for but a few days. In that span of time, he had been forced into the armor that bound him to the Emperor. He had met with the Emperor. He had rejoined his husband for what felt like only a few sparse moments before they were once again parted. There was a part of him that was bitter at the distance but he shoved that aside, recognizing it for the pained longing that it was. Aoren was safely away from the clutches of the empire and he would have it no other way. While he still worried for what else was happening in the world, he had to trust that Aoren could look after himself beyond the borders of the Imperium.
“I apologize for sending everyone away. It was a decision born of desperation.” He shrugged his broad shoulders. “The chaos provided an opportunity, one that I knew would not present itself again. If I had not acted…”
His jaw flexed in silent anger and frustration.
“Death would have been a mercy for those caught.”
Re: whispered one (lyra)
Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2022 9:35 am
by Lyra
She followed him with her eyes as he looked out the window. Though she did not speak, the girl continued to smile. The memories were fuzzy, but the fragment remembered the fondness the other her felt toward this person. Or was it the other one? She had been given only pieces of the picture, so she was left to puzzle out the rest on her own. What she did know was her purpose here, and a small thrill filled her at the thought of it.
"An apology not felt is no apology at all." She replied, floating around Talon to look for his eyes, "Is it for the Judge to decide what is best for others?"
With a shrug she spun in the air and drifted toward the slumped Kathar. Through the symphony she could hear it. The resolve in Talon's heart, the belief in the truth of his own words, but she also heard the undertones of pride. He was a god, whose power and wisdom far surpassed that or mortals. His responsibility was greater than the others could understand. They needed him, his protection. Truth had little meaning in those tones, but the fragment did not press the topic.
Floating down she inspected the Kathar, going so far as to poke him with a finger before speaking over her shoulder, "Maybe it is. The other me might disagree, but I know little of the way of gods."
Turing so that she was sitting in the air, the fragment crossed her legs and placed her hands in her lap. She examined the armor that Talon wore now, and the smile shrank before she looked up once more, "Do you wish to be rescued?"
Re: whispered one (lyra)
Posted: Fri Aug 12, 2022 7:51 pm
by Talon
Talon watched Lyrielle curiously. There was something noticeably different about her. He considered her question. Was it right for him to decide what was best for others? To some degree, he believed he was justified in his actions. His entire life had been spent making decisions that weighed the needs of the many against the needs of the few. Rather than answer her directly, he posed another question instead.
“If not me, then who?” He followed her with his gaze as she drifted over to the Kathar who was slumped over on the floor. Her statement made him even more curious. Stepping away from the window he walked over to her as she seated herself in midair. He leaned in and stared not at her but into her. Opening his senses, he peered beneath the veil of the guise that she wore before him in order to examine the depths of her soul. He saw and did not see things that he recognized. He saw the fire of what he recognized now as vengeance, burning inside of her. He saw the same cornerstones that formed the foundations of Lyrielle’s soul but there were things that were missing. There were also new heights and depths to it that had not been there before.
He narrowed his eyes, withdrawing his inspection of her soul. He looked at her. He could see in her a touch of the Aetherium, the realm of the ideas that formed the framework of the gods domains. It was not as broad as that of what he could see of his own but it was there.
“What have you been up to, Lyrielle?” Talon shook his head. Then he saw her scrutiny of the armor that he wore. The armor he had been forced into.
Talon looked to the Kathar warrior who was unconscious on the ground. He stepped over to him, crouching so that he could press a hand to the artery on his neck. Feeling it still beating, his expression softened as he ran a hand over the knight’s wing. He felt determination rise inside of him. For centuries, the Synnekar had lived in freedom in Kalzasi. They had thrown off the control of the Imperium after great suffering and hardship. It had not been an easily won freedom but they had it. Every day they were forced to fight for it as both Zaichaer and the Warrens threatened them. Even now, he had been abducted from his homeland and taken prisoner by order of the Emperor himself. The significance of that was not lost on him.
And yet…
He looked at the unconscious Kathar. No, the unconscious Avialae. Talon rose to his feet. He sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair.
“I cannot leave.” He wanted to say more. He opened his mouth to tell her. The words would not come. He lowered his hand, looking at it with a flex of his jaw.
From the neck down, Talon was covered in the armor that he had been forced to complete. It hugged his body in what appeared to be an almost seamless suit of dark silver and golden plating. His forearms had more pronounced gauntlets and even the boots he wore seemed to be fashioned from the same material. A set of golden sashes hung from his waist, giving him an overall regal appearance.
“My people rebelled for freedom, Lyrielle. In that quest however, we forgot that we left behind a piece of ourselves. A piece that still suffers. After seeing them, what they go through, what they are robbed of, how can I abandon them to their fate?”
Re: whispered one (lyra)
Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2022 8:12 am
by Lyra
His gaze was hot, like the silver flames she could always see flickering out of each iris. She felt as if those silver orbs were searing her, and visibly shuddered. The fragment unconsciously drew herself inward, wrapping arms around herself as if for warmth, but the cold she felt was not physical. Eyes of fire... They were like HIS eyes that tore away her layers and stared at her naked, in pity, in fury, and in judgment. When Talon released her from his scrutiny she was flooded with relief, not feeling even an ounce of embarrassment that the other her might have. She was just a sliver of the lady of whispers, barely there at all. She had no illusions as to where she stood in the grand design.
"Things have changed. Lyrielle fulfilled her oath to the queen of ice, and gained what she had lost in return." the fragment said with a forced smile to hide her previous discomfort. She watched Talon's interactions with the Kathar with curiosity, listening to the songs of his soul as his thoughts worked through conflicts, and came to a decision. She wasn't surprised by his answer, but she frowned as she glanced down at the armor once more before looking up at Talon's eyes.
She did not reply at first, but came closer and ran long-nailed hands along the surface of the armor. Flowing around him, splitting into tendrils she inspected every inch of the demigod before finally reforming at his side with a puzzled expression.
"You speak the words of another..." her whisper was soft, not troubled but contemplative, "I... We can see it now. The actor on stage who thinks they speak the words of their heart but read a script while being guided by strings."
The armor on the surface appeared to be a masterwork of magic, crafted to protect and enhance the one who wore it... but through the fragment's golden eyes she saw something else. She saw something dark, impossibly vast, emptiness beyond description, and from within it came a feeling of intention. She had noticed it before, but now as she studied it closer, the fragment realized the armor had a symphony. They were soft, low tones that were more vibrations than sound. The music thrummed beneath Talon's own rhythms, and as she listened she could hear small and subtle shifts in Talon's symphony.
"Others desire your rescue... and I am to repay a debt." she said, the smile finally returning to her lips as she floated back and up to look down on Talon from on high, "If you wish to stay... so be it, but I will offer you this."
She pointed to Talon, or rather to his armor while locking his eyes with her own, "If there is a part of you that you cherish, that you do not wish taken, or tainted... Then give it to me." she turned her hand palm upward in a gesture of someone accepting something, "Memories, power, skills, emotions, personality... I can protect those parts of you from what the Empire desires. I will take those parts of your soul until they can be returned. You simply need to grant me permission."
Re: whispered one (lyra)
Posted: Fri Aug 19, 2022 4:23 pm
by Talon
He stared at her for a moment. She was not wrong. He knew that. He knew exactly what she meant. For it was his own skill that had gone into completing the armor that he was now wearing. He had seen its weft and weave and he had perfected it. He had made it a masterwork that was even greater than what it had been before. He thought about everything that made him, well, himself. He looked at her more closely. He could see pieces within her that were not quite where they should have been. That did not make her less but it made her different. A soul that was but a fragment of the fullest part of itself. He was of two minds about her offer. So it was time for those two minds to have a conversation.
The veil of his mortality fell away and he stood before her in the full splendor of his immortal glory. The fullest manifestation of his nimbus took shape, crowning him as the divine that he was. The half-god beheld this bit of Lyrielle as he stared at her from his place within the Aetherium. He let out a breath and then…stepped out of himself. The effect saw two Talon’s standing in front of the fragment of Lyrielle. To the left of her was the god, stunning and harsh in his divine radiance and judgement. To the right of her was a mortal, filled with the vibrancy and passion that perhaps only mortals could truly express.
“She can keep you safe.” Arcas brought his hands up to Talon and rest them on his shoulders. He squeezed Talon’s shoulders gently. He had never wanted this for Talon. The burden of Justice, Light and Hope was great but in the short years of Talon’s life, the young man had already suffered so much. They both knew what the empire planned. From the fervor in the emperor’s eyes, it was clear to them both that he had no intention of ever letting them go.
“That is not safety. That is cowardice. I am to abandon you when we need each other the most?” Talon shook his head. The journey had been a harsh one. He still shuddered at the sense of having the Spike of Argis plunged into his heart, robbing him of everything he was. Was this any different? He grasped Arcas forearms and squeezed them.
“We can continue to fight their influence. We saw how it was made. We can make our way back from it.” Talon pressed a hand to his chest. A blood red cord formed there. “The Bond can strengthen us. That is why we sent him away. So that he would not be corrupted and could help keep us whole.”
But Arcas shook his head.
“We are already falling under its influence, my Soulbind. Do you not see it?” He pointed at the shadow on the floor. At first their shadows looked to be as any would. Upon closer inspection however, there was a dark flicker around the edges. Arcas looked concerned. Talon firmed his jaw.
“There has to be another way.” Arcas nodded at that.
“I am certain there is but how long before we find it? How long before the whisper of our prison convinces us we do not want that other way?” To that, Talon had no response. Even he could already see that he was being convinced that the path ahead of them, to champion the Imperium, was partially a good idea. He still believed it was madness but what if the emperor was right? He growled in frustration, rubbing his face and looking at Arcas.
“We were just made whole! I--I do not want to leave you alone.” Arcas stepped up to Talon and cupped his face. The two of them stared at each other before pressing brows together. More was said and exchanged in that single moment than mere words could say. They were home. After eons of being but mere pieces of each other, they had finally united to become a full being as they always should have been.
“You must. If I cannot find my way back to the Light, there is Hope in finding my way back to you.” The God embraced the Mortal. “You are our Hope. You must be kept safe or all else will be lost. Please, Talon. Go. For both of us.”
Talon squeezed Arcas tightly. Warmth flowed over him. It assuaged many of the pains he had suffered over the past many months. He stood there for a long stretch of time, clinging to the part of himself that he was about to leave behind. The two of them looked to the fragment of Lyrielle. Talon stepped forward. He looked at the piece of Lyra with uncertainty but then he took her hand.
The light and radiance blinked out. In Arcas hand was a shining aethereal orb of silver and gold radiance. It was warm. It was bright. It was filled with Hope. Gently, tenderly, he extended it to the piece of Lyrielle in front of him. He took hold of her wrist and very carefully brought her hand to the orb. He looked into the fragment’s eyes. In his own burned only the fires of Light and Justice. He was righteous fury incarnate, ready to burn away all that he beheld as wicked. He leaned in and in that moment, staring at the fragment of Lyrielle was not Talon but it was truly Arcas, the Prince of Dragons, Son of Eikaen. A god without a shred of mortality inside of him.
“Guard him well, Lyrielle. I give to you, Hope. For the world and for me. If he is lost, so too are we all.”
Re: whispered one (lyra)
Posted: Sun Aug 28, 2022 5:21 pm
by Lyra
A soul by mortal standards was a singular whole, a culmination of experiences, knowledge, and skill gathered over years, or even lifetimes. One soul could span many lives, but it was widely believed that two souls could not experience a singular one. That, to the fragment, seemed a flawed understanding, and Lyrielle thought much the same. It was the height of ignorance, or rather arrogance, to fit the concept of the soul into a meaningless construct of linear time and singular experience, for a soul was more than the sum of its parts, but rather the parts were multiplicative of the whole. This was what the fragment thought when she saw the soul of the Demigod split before her eyes, and she saw the fissure that separated the mortal from the god for what it was. Two faces of a coin were distinct in appearance and meaning, yet still one was the other as representations of the entire coin. Six faces of a die were each their own, but their individual meaning could not exist without the others. A soul, and the experiences which made it up, were as much individual as they were the same, but most souls were unable to see outside of themselves much like a man could not step outside of his body to view his own form. That is... unless the soul had already lived as a separate part of itself before.
The fragment felt a shudder as she touched on a concept that was too large for her, too complex for such a small piece of Lyrielle to grasp, so she let the thoughts fall to the back of her mind, intent to ponder deeper on the topic once she had returned. She let the two halves converse without interruption, floating lazily in the air in a small circle around them until their attention was focused on her once more.
Talon's hand was much larger than the fragments, but she grasped his with sudden firmness and pulled. The two halves were not fully one, so there was no pain. A sensation of pressure, and like a small thorn pulled from a tender wound the parts that were Tallon were removed and gathered into Arcas' palm. It was only then that the fragment recognized the man for who and what he was. She didn't fight when he grabbed her wrist but stared openly into those eyes like silver pools.
Slowly her fingers curled around the small orb in her hand, and she glanced down at it when she was finally released.
"Little one." The fragment did not have the capacity for sympathy, but still, her words were soft as she spoke to Arcas, "We asked you a question in ages past... Did you ever find the answer?"
Parting her lips the fragment swallowed the orb, eyes still staring at Arcas before she dissipated into a cloud of golden smoke. Then she flowed out the window, heading back toward Zaichaer, where the greater part of her soul would be waiting.
*****
Back in the age of wonders, in the burned-out ruins of a town, Lyrielle walked the streets with a man who should have been her enemy. They passed an empty gallows, and there the elf paused and looked at the man beside her.
"Is Justice merciful? Or does Justice exist separate from Mercy?"
Re: whispered one (lyra)
Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2022 3:57 am
by Talon
R E W A R D S
Name: Talon
XP: +10 XP, can be used for magic.
Requested Lore: +10 Lores
Name: Lyra
XP: +10 XP, can be used for magic.
Requested Lore: +10 Lores
Note(s): Now this is going to lead to some very interesting developments. I look forward to exploring them with Lyra as things unfold. Thank you for this opportunity!