Rising Storm 
Ash 70th, 122nd Year, A.o.S
(Continuation from here)
The auras which burned off the couple that stood in the square died away, leaving both Rickter and Telion to assess the situation; now that the immediate threat had been pushed back. Shadows that lingered were being quickly dispatched compared to before, as the mercenaries and Skyguard that lingered made short work of the new entities that cropped up from the shadows. Yet while the sky seemed lit up with rays of the Illumite towers, still, a dark an ominous cloud started to stir overhead the district.
Sounds of rumbling like thunder faintly filled the air not long after, and though every fiber in his being commanded him to move, something else caught the wolf's attention in that moment. "Mr. Maze!" The voice sounded half an octave deeper than before, but there was no mistaking who it belonged to once the couple turned to discover who ran toward them. The young boy they had met back in the Commons area what felt like a lifetime ago already, who had already grown a foot taller with a lanky build to his posture. "Mr. Maze, remember me?!"
"Martin?!" The wolf proclaimed a little surprised, as he and Telion both eyed the brown-haired boy with awe.
"What are you doing here child?! It's not safe at this time of night!" The exclamation brought an embarrassed grin out of the boy, as he bashfully brushed the backside of his head with a hand before his response.
"I was actually on my way home, but then things got hairy until you two came along!" He grinned proudly to the wolf in turn, almost with a sense of admiration Rickter could recognize in the boy's eyes.
"That so?" Rickter pondered as he noted another set of rumbles within the air, having not forgotten that his allies were waiting for them. Still, it wouldn't do any good to leave the boy alone here, thus with the press of his fingers into his mouth; Rickter whistled for one of the nearby Skyguard to approach his way. "You get home safe now, you hear?" He urged Martin with his spare hand dipping into his pocket, pulling out one of the minor-grade Illumite shards he still carried around. "Take this while you're at it."
Martin's eyes fell upon the shard with a mesmerized gaze, his expression purely awestruck as a blonde Skyguard with snow-white Synnekar wings reached them. "It'll keep you safe in the meantime."
"Thank you, sir!"
"See to it this one gets home for me, if you would please." The wolf addressed the Skyguard as he looked from the couple to the child, an understanding nod on given to them as Martin held the shimmering stone close.
"Are you going to stop the shadows, Mr. Maze?" The inquiry caught both Rickter and Telion off guard, but the soft chuckle from his beloved was enough to illicit the smallest tug of a grin from the wolf.
"That's the idea, lad." He assured the boy as the Synnekar gently urged him to move, seeing as how Martin wasn't quite out of the immediate danger zone just yet. Seeing the boy grin hopefully at him though before the pair left, well, that somehow instilled a greater hope in Rickter than he anticipated. One that even his beloved shared, when she tilted her head to gaze up into his expression.
"He's certainly grown, hasn't he?" Still slightly grinning the wolf could only nod, his gaze finally drifted from the leaving boy to the clouds overhead. "When this is all over, we'll have to find time to visit with him again."
"Certainly." Though Rickter could only hope such a chance would ever come up again. "We should keep moving though."
"Agreed!" The bard nodded in turn, her and Rickter's gaze falling on the path leading toward the Court of Gold Pages. "Let's go!"
Thus with earnest haste, the two charged onward, quick to cut down any shadows that might've cropped up on their path. They needed to reunite with their fellow companions and quickly, so that they could regroup and deal with all these shadows at the source.
The auras which burned off the couple that stood in the square died away, leaving both Rickter and Telion to assess the situation; now that the immediate threat had been pushed back. Shadows that lingered were being quickly dispatched compared to before, as the mercenaries and Skyguard that lingered made short work of the new entities that cropped up from the shadows. Yet while the sky seemed lit up with rays of the Illumite towers, still, a dark an ominous cloud started to stir overhead the district.
Sounds of rumbling like thunder faintly filled the air not long after, and though every fiber in his being commanded him to move, something else caught the wolf's attention in that moment. "Mr. Maze!" The voice sounded half an octave deeper than before, but there was no mistaking who it belonged to once the couple turned to discover who ran toward them. The young boy they had met back in the Commons area what felt like a lifetime ago already, who had already grown a foot taller with a lanky build to his posture. "Mr. Maze, remember me?!"
"Martin?!" The wolf proclaimed a little surprised, as he and Telion both eyed the brown-haired boy with awe.
"What are you doing here child?! It's not safe at this time of night!" The exclamation brought an embarrassed grin out of the boy, as he bashfully brushed the backside of his head with a hand before his response.
"I was actually on my way home, but then things got hairy until you two came along!" He grinned proudly to the wolf in turn, almost with a sense of admiration Rickter could recognize in the boy's eyes.
"That so?" Rickter pondered as he noted another set of rumbles within the air, having not forgotten that his allies were waiting for them. Still, it wouldn't do any good to leave the boy alone here, thus with the press of his fingers into his mouth; Rickter whistled for one of the nearby Skyguard to approach his way. "You get home safe now, you hear?" He urged Martin with his spare hand dipping into his pocket, pulling out one of the minor-grade Illumite shards he still carried around. "Take this while you're at it."
Martin's eyes fell upon the shard with a mesmerized gaze, his expression purely awestruck as a blonde Skyguard with snow-white Synnekar wings reached them. "It'll keep you safe in the meantime."
"Thank you, sir!"
"See to it this one gets home for me, if you would please." The wolf addressed the Skyguard as he looked from the couple to the child, an understanding nod on given to them as Martin held the shimmering stone close.
"Are you going to stop the shadows, Mr. Maze?" The inquiry caught both Rickter and Telion off guard, but the soft chuckle from his beloved was enough to illicit the smallest tug of a grin from the wolf.
"That's the idea, lad." He assured the boy as the Synnekar gently urged him to move, seeing as how Martin wasn't quite out of the immediate danger zone just yet. Seeing the boy grin hopefully at him though before the pair left, well, that somehow instilled a greater hope in Rickter than he anticipated. One that even his beloved shared, when she tilted her head to gaze up into his expression.
"He's certainly grown, hasn't he?" Still slightly grinning the wolf could only nod, his gaze finally drifted from the leaving boy to the clouds overhead. "When this is all over, we'll have to find time to visit with him again."
"Certainly." Though Rickter could only hope such a chance would ever come up again. "We should keep moving though."
"Agreed!" The bard nodded in turn, her and Rickter's gaze falling on the path leading toward the Court of Gold Pages. "Let's go!"
Thus with earnest haste, the two charged onward, quick to cut down any shadows that might've cropped up on their path. They needed to reunite with their fellow companions and quickly, so that they could regroup and deal with all these shadows at the source.
"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"
"Rickter" "Telion" "Hannah" "Patrick"
"Rickter" "Telion" "Hannah" "Patrick"
"Every side attacks you when you don't pick sides."
