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When Darkness Falls [Addendum Thread: Kala, Pharoah]
Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2022 5:09 pm
by Torin Kilvin
70 Ash, 122
The strange darkness, the eclipse, while worrisome in the unexpected and lasting nature it possessed, did not seem to be doing any harm to man, plant or beast. At least, none that anyone had yet detected. Torin had continued his study under Starfall's grandmaster runesmith, and Timon had continued splitting his time between having education conversations with the town's merchants and practicing his burgeoning skills with the blade with the brothers Leukos. Torin sometimes wondered if his apprentice's martially skills would surpass his own, but it wasn't an unpleasant thought. Having someone who reacted to boyhood, even in its later stages, with enthusiasm towards opportunity was nice; it encouraged Torin to remember that the world was still full of possibility that he himself might still reach for when he chose.
The fact that runic magic stopped working whenever the shadow of the eclipse fell over an area was a bit uncomfortable, but not a major hindrance to a runesmith who had grown up in the craft without the aid of the rune of semblance. Falling back into the habit of using aetherglass was like stepping into a familiar pond from your childhood and remembering how to swim. The most uncomfortable part of the shadow, for Torin, was that he could not longer sense the life force of all the lives, human and otherwise, surrounding him. He'd grown so used to the rhythms of living things being just a part of his mind over the year since he'd gotten his rune that being without it was, quite literally, like losing a sense. It ached and prodded at his mind like having his nose or ears completely blocked would have. It was annoying, but not worth stopping his lessons over.
When he had heard that groups of soldiers and volunteers were being gathered to go out into the farms that supported the town to check that the families were not being harmed by the strange darkness Torin had decided to offer his service as a way to thank his patron's for their continuous support and aid. When Timon had heard that Kaus and Torin were intended to visit two of the smaller farms together with a couple of soldiers he'd insisted on going too. Torin had been leery at first but, as the boy reminded him repeatedly, no one was being hurt, and he wanted to see the countryside. Torin had gone on several hikes alone, or with only Huntress, and had indeed found the area surrounding Starfall to be as harmless as any wild play. Timon also mentioned that he had more training in protecting himself than most peasants who lived at the farms, which was a point Torin could not disagree with.
So it was that, come the morning of the 70th, he found himself meeting his apprentice and Kaus in the courtyard of the keep where they would gather before setting off. He had a pack that contained basic survival gear as well as medical supplies should they be needed. They'd been given enough food to last several days and the smith also chose to bring along a polearm, just in case. One never knew if the Frost level of cold in the mountains might drive predictors down seeking prey, or men to desperation to seek the same. He also carried the Illumite lamp he'd taken with him from home to show Starfalls' runesmith. Considering that darkness was inevitable until the eclipse lifted it seemed like a wise choice. Timon had his runeforged dagger on one hip and a sword Torin hadn't seen him with before on the other. The weapon might be a gift from the Leukos' but was most likely a loan, as was his own weapon.
While the light persisted the small group, now including two soldiers who had introduced themselves but let Kaus take the lead, set out beyond the protective walls.
Re: When Darkness Falls [Addendum Thread: Kala, Pharoah]
Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2022 7:07 pm
by Kala Leukos
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Kaus could see his breath as he walked out into the courtyard. Though he could sense trouble brewing, he had a smile on his face and it only broadened when he saw Torin and Timon. After introducing them to the soldiers, they quickly departed. He would have been faster on wing, but while Kala was meditating to keep her suddenly amplified divine aura hidden, he had made a point of attaching himself to their guests, who were both personal friends as well as investments of the House zaibatsu.
In any case, Ceran and Indric remained behind both to help and to be closer at hand if Kala needed help for whatever reason. Both men were bonded to his sister now, albeit not so profoundly as he was. Perhaps, when Kala revealed herself as divine, the Silver Wings would become a holy order of knights. He grinned at the thought of Timon becoming his squire, but knew Torin wouldn't want the lad in harm's way. But with Kaus there, they needn't fear. Though young, he was a blademaster and a doughty magus when strange not-eclipses were interfering with the Runes scrived onto his soul. He didn't rightly understand how that was even possible. The Runes were a part of his soul. What fell magic could block that? But he still had his wings, his limbs, and his skills. Magic wasn't a crutch, but a tool that he momentarily didn't have at his disposal.
The soldiers were not soldiers full time. Few were in Starfall, though everyone learned a bit more than the pointy end of a blade going in the other person, and it was not uncommon for a mere farmer to have a Rune or a bit of a knack for magical crafts that required knowledge and skill but not the tampering with the soul. They seemed entirely confident, however, in the presence of the young lord. From what they knew, he trained with the Sky Guard of Kalzasi while protecting his elder twin as she saw to Starfall's business in the capital. While not so physically impressive as Aquilios, he and his twin were a bit of a miracle and considered good luck.
They were well on their way when he watched Huntress tear off after a snow hare, then made some joke for Timon's amusement, and it was only then that something in the back of his mind triggered and his eyes widened, turning to peer into the reassuring light of Torin's lamp.
"Torin... that lamp is one of your runeforged things, isn't it? From the illumite Mother let us mine from the Nushen field?" He blinked. "Is it my imagination or...?"
He conjured a bit of fire over his palm. It was weaker than he intended, but it was there.
"Huh."
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Re: When Darkness Falls [Addendum Thread: Kala, Pharoah]
Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2022 7:41 pm
by Torin Kilvin
The beginning of their hike out to the farms was as peaceful as the others Torin had taken, Timon walked between the smith and the lord, chatting about various things to both, or perhaps neither in particular, but it was pleasant to hear his voice as a counter melody to the crunching of their boots on the snowy mountain paths. Huntress kept her nose in the air and her ears swiveled around them in a way that allowed Torin to relax some of his vigilance. The wolf would alert them to any danger long before his senses recognized it.
When he went darting off into the deeper snow banks on either side of the path after a rabbit that had dared to poke out of its warren he grinning, taking a deep breath of the bracing air. When Kaus spoke Timon stopped, as though he wanted to listen to the Avialae more than he wanted to keep speaking. Torin looked ahead at the younger twin who had ended up a few paces ahead of him due to a narrowing of the path cleared of snow. A nod was all his answer at first as Kaus asked his question, but he pulled the lamp off his belt and held it up for inspection.
He blinked and Timon grin when fire appeared above Kaus' hand. Torin realized the implication immediately and switched the setting on his lamp from casting it's light in a cone in front of them to light their way to a full circle, a pool of light centered on the lamp. He hadn't been pouring any aether into his rune, as doing so had only seemed to emphasize his lack of ability to feel with it, but he did now and he could instantly feel the world come to life around him. The smith's eyes went wider and he took a breath in more sharply. His ability with semblance had come to him over time so he'd never experienced the sharpness of suddenly going from feeling nothing to feeling everything. It was a good thing that a lot of the life he might have sensed was dulled or dead in the cold, else he might have felt overwhelmed. As was he did get a single moment of dizziness before his senses all settled back to their norm.
Huntress returned, trotting over with her kill in her jaws, and, thankfully, she had fully ended its life before stepping into the pool in which Torin's rune was responding. Timon looked between the two older men, his keen mind whirring until he said,
"Oh! Does your magic work in the lamp like it does when the sun shines out the sides of the eclipse? Cause Illumine it sunlight?" The lad asked this as though he expected a definitive answer from those who had, quite obviously, just discovered the effect themselves, so Torin said,
"It seems like it? That would make sense. I'll leave it on wide, I guess, in case you need to use your runes." It was nice to know, considering that, on the trip they'd taken to harvest the Illumite Kaus's ability had gone a long way in keeping Torin warm through the night they'd spent in the high passes where the dragonshards... grew?
Being able to feel outside himself again was more reassuring that Torin had thought it would be, or, perhaps it was that he hadn't realized how much anxiety not having the additional sense had been making him.
As they continued, (Huntress having given her kill to Timon, who slipped it into his pack for safe keeping till she wanted to eat it) the strange shadows stretched long across the land, making everything look otherworldly, a dream like quality that made Torin feel sleepy even though he'd only been awake a few hours.
As the first farm house they were supposed to visit came into view one of the guards called out, seeming to know the name of the family who lived within. From the corner of his eye Torin thought he saw one of the shadows twitch oddly, but when he turned to look he saw nothing more strange than what was already there. He yawned and shook his head, opening the collar of his coat to let a little cold in, hoping it would help him stay alert.
Re: When Darkness Falls [Addendum Thread: Kala, Pharoah]
Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2022 8:16 pm
by Kala Leukos
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"Good to know," he murmured, and the guards seemed pleased as well. Their young lord was no longer quite without the other skills that made him formidable. There had been no reason to believe aught would go wrong, of course, except unexplained magical phenomena. That rarely boded well.
The rest of the journey to the first farm off the beaten track was uneventful. Kaus would occasionally test his elemental control, and a part of him felt more secure knowing he could pull pact weapons out of the aether even if he had come armed with a runeforged sword and spear from the armory. The spear, at least, was Torin's work. It felt good to have the smith's work strapped to his back, a known, trusted quantity. Torin and Timon would have been moved to Starfall already if they could have persuaded them, but Torin had his love affairs and his business affairs in Kalzasi and Kaus, at least, was pleased to have local friends who were at least nominally tied to home through contract.
Everyone seemed to like Kaus, but he and his twin were Starfull born and raised, and there was always a slight disconnect with those from outside.
"We've come with Lord Kaus to see to your wellbeing," called the familiar guard.
Most harvests were long complete this far north, so it was no surprise not to see anybody about. They would be in the home, the barn, or the workshed seeing to things, and keeping extremities warm.
As Torin was fiddling with his coat collar, Huntress' gaze swung toward the shadows and she began to growl. Kaus thought nothing of it. The young wolf bitch had been raised in the city and the scents of a farm with its livestock would undoubtably react strangely.
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Re: When Darkness Falls [Addendum Thread: Kala, Pharoah]
Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2022 8:38 pm
by Torin Kilvin
While Kaus took no real notice of the young wolf's reaction it was in the same direction as where Torin had thought his eyes had been playing tricks on him. He did not crouch down to speak to Huntress, but he did step up beside her and peer into the area she was facing with as much of his semblance as he could push in that direction.
The door to the barn had slid open and out had come a middle aged man, a young teen aged girl peered out from behind him but he kept an arm between her and the outside until he saw who it was that was approaching. When he did he stepped out of the barn fully and called his own greeting to both the guardsman he knew and the younger lord of Starfall. As the majority of the group moved up to have a conversation with the farmer Timon seemed torn between staying back with Torin and Huntress, who seemed to be trying to see something in the copse of trees to one side of the path, and heading up to hear what was being said.
When he heard that the conversation was mostly about the harvest, being glad it was all in before the strange darkness had descended, he decided to stay back with the smith and the wolf.
Torin couldn't extend his magical senses out beyond the pool of light the lantern provided and he didn't want to walk far enough to pierce the shadows with its light. When Timon came to stand beside him he murmured,
"Do you see... between the trees? The shadows are...moving?"
There were no creatures in the trees to cause the shadows to tremble and shake, and the wind was not strong enough to cause it. Even if it had been, the shadows all moved in different directions and...
Huntress' quiet growl became loud and she hunched down, hackles rising as she moved her body between the two young men and the trees. Just as she did one of the 'shadows' pushed out from between the trees, there was no body to cast it, it moved on its own. The thing was all jagged edges and sharp angles and somehow big, for all it seemed insubstantial.
"Kaus!" Torin called, as Timon took several steps back, just managing not to fall over the snow bank on the opposite side of the little path. "Get the family back inside!"
Not sure how much good it would do, or if it would even be needed he unslung his polearm from his back and, a second later, to Timon's credit, he heard the lad's sword slide from its sheath behind him.
Re: When Darkness Falls [Addendum Thread: Kala, Pharoah]
Posted: Sat Dec 03, 2022 9:12 pm
by Kala Leukos
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"Good to have you back, milord," the man was saying while the girl blushed at the fair Avialae youth.
The pleasantries didn't remain pleasant for long. Kaus' charming smile disappeared in an instant and he looked suddenly like the statue of some avenging angel.
"Inside," he snapped in a tone of command that would brook no disagreement. He turned like a serpent coiling and sprang toward Torin's voice as though striking at prey. His feet pounded the packed earth for a dozen steps and then he was aloft, his spear in hand. The buffeted guards had only just turned to follow and he was nearly to the smith, his apprentice, and their young wolf. There was nary a thrill of alarm along his bond to Kala, who, deep in trance, was aware of him but beyond emotional response.
What his eyes saw was reminiscent of the corrupted creatures that sprang from the Mists, but this was mere shadow, the twisted child of the not-eclipse. As he swept past the blond boys, he felt his connection to his Rune come alive and then the broad head of his spear caught fire as he brought it to bear upon the shadowbeast. Fire cast light, after all. Between that and the magical steel, he hoped to teach it to fear the honest folk of Starfall.
The thing didn't have eyes, exactly, nor quite what he would call a face. Still, he got the impression it recognized something about him, and reached for him, arms wide like it would embrace him, though not for any sort of affection he desired.
His voice tore through the air in a battlecry of his mountain people, barely recognizable as Common so old was it.
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Re: When Darkness Falls [Addendum Thread: Kala, Pharoah]
Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2023 2:14 pm
by Torin Kilvin
Kaus came wheeling past Torin and Timon both, but Huntress swung around to the opposite side of the shadow creature while it was distracted by the burning glow of the Avialae and tore into it with her teeth.
The site of the thing tearing under the vicious canine attack was enough to make Torin believe his hammer might be of some use, so he stepped forward, wielding it with both hands. As a second, and a third of the unread beings slithered out from the copse of trees the older man tried to keep an eye on Timon, only to discover that the boy darted in and out, leaving holes in shadow that leaked darkness like smoke into the air. The similarities between the young clerk's style and that of the noble lord were unmistakable when seeing them in close quarters as they now were. Their bodies were different but it was obvious that Timon had spent a great deal of time learning to mimic the movements of his teacher precisely. It was surprising, and a little disconcerting to see the confidence and poise in the boy who Torin still thought of as a child. He was not sure, if they had been sparring, which one of them would have won.
These thoughts were far in the back of his mind as he did his best to protect himself and his companions while also keeping them all inside the light of the lamp at his waist. It was obvious quickly that the creatures did not like the light, and any advantage was a good one, not to mention that it allowed Kaus to use his runic magic.
After several long minutes all that was left of the creatures were piles of steaming (smoking?) darkness that seemed to be breaking down into nothing at all. In the sudden silence their breathing sounded loud. Looking at each in turn Torin found that Huntress had a shallow cut from above her left eye all the way down her snout, so it looked as though she had a bloody nose. Timon did have a bloody nose, which might be broken judging by the odd angle of it. The pair were side by side and looking, for all they were different species, like a matching pair. Torin also had a long cut down the front of his chest, but his leather jerkin had mostly protected him. There were superficial cuts along the leather of both his arms too. The creatures did not have limbs or really any specific features but almost all of their edges appeared to be razor sharp.
Kaus he turned to last, as the man was the least likely to have been hurt and the most likely to know what to do about it if he was. Still mentally stunned by experiencing the impossible he said nothing for a moment and then,
"Are you alright? Do you know what those were?"
They should probably head to the little complex of farm buildings to ensure that the large family who lived there was safe but the guards that had accompanied them were still with the family and he didn't hear the sounds of fighting.
Re: When Darkness Falls [Addendum Thread: Kala, Pharoah]
Posted: Thu Feb 02, 2023 9:58 pm
by Kala Leukos
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For all his sweet nature, Kaus was a holy terror in battle. He came out of it unscathed, though he frowned to see his companions injured. It felt like a personal affront, as though he hadn't done enough to protect them. But he could feel through his bonds that this was not the only site under attack.
"Magical constructs," he ventured to guess. "Something born of these omens in the sky. But I know them well enough to ward against them, I think."
The young lord considered the runesmith and his clerk, his friends. Then he had a faraway look for a moment.
"Kala is going to do something about it." His voice was matter-of-fact. "All the same, we should gather the guards, ward the door, and make sure none of the villagers get hurt in the meantime." His eyes turned on Timon. "I need you to focus on defense. You and Torin can distract them that way, the better for me to take them out. I don't want you to play hero. Understood?" He didn't want to have to disarm the lad and lock him in with the villagers, but he would if he had to. Noblesse oblige.
In the light of Torin's inventive lamp, Kaus could fight with all his tricks. This was what he trained for. If he couldn't be at Kala's side protecting her, then he would protect his people. Torin and Timon were included in that now, whether they swore fealty to House Leukos or remained friends and business partners.
His eyes scanned their environs, but he saw no further sign of the shadow creatures. Turning, he strode toward the doors of the farm house.
"'Tis safe!" he called.
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Re: When Darkness Falls [Addendum Thread: Kala, Pharoah]
Posted: Fri Feb 03, 2023 3:26 pm
by Torin Kilvin
To his credit, the younger lad nodded at the instruction. He could defend himself, which had been the initial purpose of training him in the blade, and, for the time being, he had no intention of threatening his training by disobeying his teacher the first time there were true foes to fight. Lowering his sword, but not sheathing it, he followed Kaus back toward the complex of buildings with Torin behind him and Huntress, ears perked, taking the position of rear guard regardless of Torin's commands.
The family opened their door to the Lord and his followers, bolting it tight behind them. While the matron of the house fussed over Timon's, and, once she was convinced the wolf wouldn't attack her, Huntress' wounds. Torin listened as the patron questioned Kaus, stepping in only after the conversation ended to ask, quietly,
"Should we get the people back to Starfall once the shadow from the sky passes?" There was time each day when the sun shone over the land and, as the illumite lamp had seemed to respell the shadow constructs, it stood to reason that the sun itself would do the job. He could be wrong, but they could scout the area surrounding the farm before they set out. Convincing people to leave their homes might be difficult, but these people seemed much closer with their noble House than had the people of the village Torin had grown up in.
The knowledge that Kala was doing something was good, it settled the smith to know that someone had a level of control over a situation that was all but incomprehensible to Torin. Timon, who had a keen eye for situations in which people were discussing things they might not want others to overhear walked casually over as though to show them his newly cleaned up nose, but did not actually say anything, only stood and listened. Huntress had moved to the nearest window, albeit shuttered, raising her nose to seemingly stay aware of what was going on outside.
Re: When Darkness Falls [Addendum Thread: Kala, Pharoah]
Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2023 7:01 pm
by Kala Leukos
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In the absence of Kala, Kaus took easily to leadership; or perhaps he worked so well in tandem with his twin that it was difficult to notice where their skills were also twinned. He was rather adept at assuaging the fears of his people, overseeing the medical actions, and listening. He nodded to Torin, considering his wisdom as well.
"If my sister's strategy works, we should have safety beyond the time of light. But for the time being, anyone who wants an escort to the castle can come with me. But I will be sweeping the area for others, so it will not be direct. Otherwise, I will ward doorways, and when the light comes, anyone who wishes to repair to the castle will have a safe window of opportunity."
The matron considered the offer, looked over those in her charge, and decided.
"Good my Lord, we would fight with you, but methinks it would be easier for you to help our neighbors if you weren't looking out for us. If you will ward our doors, we will bide here until your sister's plan works itself out. If there are injured people, you can send them here to us."
Kaus nodded.
"Thank you." He paused, then looked to Torin. "Torin... House Leukos is meant to protect you, not the other way around. You and Timon can stay here if you like, stay safe until the sun comes out." There was a diffidence to his tone; he didn't want to offend his friends, nor turn away help, but he didn't quite understand the nature of the beast they faced and so he couldn't perform the calculus of peril. And Timon, while an excellent student, was still a boy.
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