Dancer's Ambition 
Ash 8th, 123rd Year, A.o.S.
It had been an unusual request at a rather unusual time, since Rickter had been spent focusing his efforts on how to run this private operation. Even so, he always made time for his loved ones whenever they needed him most, so when Hannah came along to have a sit down with him at the manor? Things were definitely taking an interesting turn once he learned what exactly the topic of choice was about. He had taken extra time to consider things, and in doing so, prepared in the best way he knew possible before heading off to the location in question he had been told about.
Telion was waiting at the Circle of Wandering.
Though he wasn't sure what this visit might entail, Hannah's speculation did not thrill him in the slightest. And if he wanted to carry out, or even at least consider what this meeting between them would conclude, then he felt it best to thoroughly prepare by donning the half-plated armor he hardly wore around. It was time he put the better half of his magic to the test anyway, and therefore, stood within the gardens of the House of Waves in full gear before the rogue came to meet him in the yard near the water pool. "You really think that's gonna be necessary?"
"No." He flatly answered her with a rather blank stare, his mind troubled by many things as is, but more so about what was to come should he finally arrive. "But if what you said to me is true, then I know she won't want for holding back..."
"Watch after her Rickter, or I'll come after your ass later." The rogue teased but the threat was still there, leading the wolf to chuff out of mirth before he brought his gauntlets up before him.
"Promise to bring her back home in one piece." And with a press of his fists together from knuckles to knuckles, Rickter channeled all his aether into his half-plated armor as he would a weapon. It had been an idea he'd considered using for a while, but to put it to practice was something he had only contemplated in the meantime. At the moment though? Royal blue lights danced and swirled across the padding of his armor, seeping into its material makeup as he felt it weave into the fabric of his Negation rune. In the instant of a brief and bright flash, his aether dissipated and with it the very armor he wore, revealing only the cotton undershirt and leather trousers he wore beneath it all.
Hannah's eyebrows rose at him impressively, having never seen the wolf do anything magic related to armor before. With a firm nod, she turned to strut off back inside the manor, leaving the wolf to face the pond itself as he thought long and hard. "Telion..." With his mind focused on her and the destination of choice, he Spacial Mapped his way through Slipspace, and then proceeded to vault to the summit of the Circle where his beloved would be waiting for him.
The summit of the Circle of Wandering felt chilly with breezes battering the peaks, but Rickter never had problems when it came to dealing with the cold. Not anymore to say the least. Upon arrival, the sun had nearly set over the western horizon, with heavy clouds covering the peaks of Astralar as they threatened to bleed snow across the mountain range. Standing within the center of the circle was none other than his own beloved, Telion, who had donned not her usual dress but instead the traveling tunic he'd first seen her wear.
It had been a while since he'd seen her don such attire, but the saber which hung at her waist was also a confirmation of her decree. The bard... no. Since they first met she'd had grown significantly since then, she had become a healer, a warrior, and even a dancer in her own way. "You came." She greeted him genuinely but the softness in her voice was barely audible, and he could tell that this confrontation had been something on her mind as of late.
"Of course," Rickter started with a look of concern upon his beloved, "anything for you, love."
"Anything?" That was another test of faith, one that led Rickter to avert his gaze and redirect the conversation.
"Hannah did say you wanted to talk... Is something wrong?" His inquiry brought out a sigh from the blonde before him, her left hand resting on the hilt of her saber as she looked plainly to the wolf.
"Nothing's wrong. I just... I have a favor to ask. And... I'm willing to fight you for it if I have to." Those bold words brought a rise in his eyebrows as Rickter watched her, and suddenly, he became more aware of what it was the lady intended to request from him.
"You... You can't ask me to do this." He pitched because he knew, deep down, that this was a power not meant to be wielded lightly. And if things were to go wrong during the initiation, then, keeping his promise to Hannah would've been nigh impossible. "You know the risks, the exact risks you take if you do."
"I'm well aware of them, yes, which is why I'm asking you... Rickter." The blonde woman took a step forward as she reached with her dominant arm, to grip and pull the saber from it's sheath with her right hand. The stance she then took looked beautiful for him to behold, much like when he witnessed her actions during the Proving on the final day of Searing. "If I can't convince you to, then I'll prove to you just how dedicated I am."
The wolf looked at her dearly with both sympathy and with concern, acknowledging her strength and determination, but at the same time fearful of the possibilities in turn. "Telion..."
"My mind is made up," she promised him with a stern battle gaze, "now it's time to make your choice!" And without hesitation, the warrior in front of him stormed into a charge, her blade raised as she didn't even dare to question whether Rickter or not would react. For she knew, without a shadow of a doubt, he could easily repel her attacks with any of the numerous magics he possessed.
All that remained was for the wolf to react to her initiative.
She charged relentlessly toward him and for a moment Rickter cringed, unsure of which way he ought to react to the first of her attacks. He knew, damn good and well, that she'd move in for at least a few strikes, if only to prove just how serious she was about wanting this Rune from him.
The wolf engaged his sense of spatial awareness and moved to step backward, only to Blink through Slipspace the moment his beloved drew close for the first attack. When he reached his determined exit point from Slipspace he stood on the opposite end of the arena, with a quick twist around to face her once he felt his feet firmly on stone ground once again.
Telion did not miss a beat. The moment her first swing had cut through the air, she twisted around, determined to throw another slice through the air; and generate a current of wind that burst into a sharpened air blade toward him. Rickter crossed his arms forward before him to unleash a small wave of aether, generating an anchor between his hands before throwing them apart from one another.
The blast of Negation magic was small and short-lived, however, a concussive sound clapped across the circle as both spells made contact. The wind blade she'd released at him dispersed quickly, leaving Rickter wide open for her to Blink before him, and attempt to strike with a direct thrust at his chest. She's not even giving me an opportunity to react! He realized when his mind whirled at what to do next, his first thought was to release ice, only to belay that as he still remembered it was Telion he'd be aiming to freeze.
Negation came to his mind once more, but the speed of her thrust was too fast, leaving him only to react with Kinetics or Traversion instead. Seeing as how she'd simply Blink after him if he did translocate out of range, his initial reaction was to generate an aether current that pushed her blade out of its original path. Telion's saber rushed past the underside of his right arm as a result, leading her to briefly look surprised before she pulled herself back into yet a beautiful twirl that marked her as a dancer on the battlefield.
"Telion..." He started as she seemed to finally pause, if not to catch her breath, than to decide her next move against him as it were. So far he had done nothing but resist her, avoiding her attacks like a cowering mutt instead of facing her head-on. But it was plain to see why, the wolf loved her so dearly. And why jeopardize that after literally everything they'd been through? "Just tell me first... Why?"
"Why?" She repeated the inquiry with a raise of her eyebrows, her expression softening only a little when she looked down at her blade. "Because I'm tired of being left behind, Rickter. I'm tired of being left to the sidelines, only because you fear for me and my wellbeing. I'm tired of not having a stand for what I believe in, which is why even at this moment, I'm ready to fight you if I have to show that I have what it takes." The wolf looked at her somberly, having not seen the weight of burdens she'd carried until now.
Telion was waiting at the Circle of Wandering.
Though he wasn't sure what this visit might entail, Hannah's speculation did not thrill him in the slightest. And if he wanted to carry out, or even at least consider what this meeting between them would conclude, then he felt it best to thoroughly prepare by donning the half-plated armor he hardly wore around. It was time he put the better half of his magic to the test anyway, and therefore, stood within the gardens of the House of Waves in full gear before the rogue came to meet him in the yard near the water pool. "You really think that's gonna be necessary?"
"No." He flatly answered her with a rather blank stare, his mind troubled by many things as is, but more so about what was to come should he finally arrive. "But if what you said to me is true, then I know she won't want for holding back..."
"Watch after her Rickter, or I'll come after your ass later." The rogue teased but the threat was still there, leading the wolf to chuff out of mirth before he brought his gauntlets up before him.
"Promise to bring her back home in one piece." And with a press of his fists together from knuckles to knuckles, Rickter channeled all his aether into his half-plated armor as he would a weapon. It had been an idea he'd considered using for a while, but to put it to practice was something he had only contemplated in the meantime. At the moment though? Royal blue lights danced and swirled across the padding of his armor, seeping into its material makeup as he felt it weave into the fabric of his Negation rune. In the instant of a brief and bright flash, his aether dissipated and with it the very armor he wore, revealing only the cotton undershirt and leather trousers he wore beneath it all.
Hannah's eyebrows rose at him impressively, having never seen the wolf do anything magic related to armor before. With a firm nod, she turned to strut off back inside the manor, leaving the wolf to face the pond itself as he thought long and hard. "Telion..." With his mind focused on her and the destination of choice, he Spacial Mapped his way through Slipspace, and then proceeded to vault to the summit of the Circle where his beloved would be waiting for him.
The summit of the Circle of Wandering felt chilly with breezes battering the peaks, but Rickter never had problems when it came to dealing with the cold. Not anymore to say the least. Upon arrival, the sun had nearly set over the western horizon, with heavy clouds covering the peaks of Astralar as they threatened to bleed snow across the mountain range. Standing within the center of the circle was none other than his own beloved, Telion, who had donned not her usual dress but instead the traveling tunic he'd first seen her wear.
It had been a while since he'd seen her don such attire, but the saber which hung at her waist was also a confirmation of her decree. The bard... no. Since they first met she'd had grown significantly since then, she had become a healer, a warrior, and even a dancer in her own way. "You came." She greeted him genuinely but the softness in her voice was barely audible, and he could tell that this confrontation had been something on her mind as of late.
"Of course," Rickter started with a look of concern upon his beloved, "anything for you, love."
"Anything?" That was another test of faith, one that led Rickter to avert his gaze and redirect the conversation.
"Hannah did say you wanted to talk... Is something wrong?" His inquiry brought out a sigh from the blonde before him, her left hand resting on the hilt of her saber as she looked plainly to the wolf.
"Nothing's wrong. I just... I have a favor to ask. And... I'm willing to fight you for it if I have to." Those bold words brought a rise in his eyebrows as Rickter watched her, and suddenly, he became more aware of what it was the lady intended to request from him.
"You... You can't ask me to do this." He pitched because he knew, deep down, that this was a power not meant to be wielded lightly. And if things were to go wrong during the initiation, then, keeping his promise to Hannah would've been nigh impossible. "You know the risks, the exact risks you take if you do."
"I'm well aware of them, yes, which is why I'm asking you... Rickter." The blonde woman took a step forward as she reached with her dominant arm, to grip and pull the saber from it's sheath with her right hand. The stance she then took looked beautiful for him to behold, much like when he witnessed her actions during the Proving on the final day of Searing. "If I can't convince you to, then I'll prove to you just how dedicated I am."
The wolf looked at her dearly with both sympathy and with concern, acknowledging her strength and determination, but at the same time fearful of the possibilities in turn. "Telion..."
"My mind is made up," she promised him with a stern battle gaze, "now it's time to make your choice!" And without hesitation, the warrior in front of him stormed into a charge, her blade raised as she didn't even dare to question whether Rickter or not would react. For she knew, without a shadow of a doubt, he could easily repel her attacks with any of the numerous magics he possessed.
All that remained was for the wolf to react to her initiative.
She charged relentlessly toward him and for a moment Rickter cringed, unsure of which way he ought to react to the first of her attacks. He knew, damn good and well, that she'd move in for at least a few strikes, if only to prove just how serious she was about wanting this Rune from him.
The wolf engaged his sense of spatial awareness and moved to step backward, only to Blink through Slipspace the moment his beloved drew close for the first attack. When he reached his determined exit point from Slipspace he stood on the opposite end of the arena, with a quick twist around to face her once he felt his feet firmly on stone ground once again.
Telion did not miss a beat. The moment her first swing had cut through the air, she twisted around, determined to throw another slice through the air; and generate a current of wind that burst into a sharpened air blade toward him. Rickter crossed his arms forward before him to unleash a small wave of aether, generating an anchor between his hands before throwing them apart from one another.
The blast of Negation magic was small and short-lived, however, a concussive sound clapped across the circle as both spells made contact. The wind blade she'd released at him dispersed quickly, leaving Rickter wide open for her to Blink before him, and attempt to strike with a direct thrust at his chest. She's not even giving me an opportunity to react! He realized when his mind whirled at what to do next, his first thought was to release ice, only to belay that as he still remembered it was Telion he'd be aiming to freeze.
Negation came to his mind once more, but the speed of her thrust was too fast, leaving him only to react with Kinetics or Traversion instead. Seeing as how she'd simply Blink after him if he did translocate out of range, his initial reaction was to generate an aether current that pushed her blade out of its original path. Telion's saber rushed past the underside of his right arm as a result, leading her to briefly look surprised before she pulled herself back into yet a beautiful twirl that marked her as a dancer on the battlefield.
"Telion..." He started as she seemed to finally pause, if not to catch her breath, than to decide her next move against him as it were. So far he had done nothing but resist her, avoiding her attacks like a cowering mutt instead of facing her head-on. But it was plain to see why, the wolf loved her so dearly. And why jeopardize that after literally everything they'd been through? "Just tell me first... Why?"
"Why?" She repeated the inquiry with a raise of her eyebrows, her expression softening only a little when she looked down at her blade. "Because I'm tired of being left behind, Rickter. I'm tired of being left to the sidelines, only because you fear for me and my wellbeing. I'm tired of not having a stand for what I believe in, which is why even at this moment, I'm ready to fight you if I have to show that I have what it takes." The wolf looked at her somberly, having not seen the weight of burdens she'd carried until now.
"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"
"Rickter" "Telion" "Hannah"
"Rickter" "Telion" "Hannah"
"Every side attacks you when you don't pick sides."
