A Star in Winter [Rickter]

[Kala Leukos]

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10th of Frost, Year 122 of Steel
The House of Waves, Adira's Promenade

More often than not, when Kala left her home in the Promenade, it was to fly up to the Palace of the First Wind. There she worked with Lord Tianoch in the Ministry of Finance, and the Iron Queen-Regent was able to keep an eye on her—albeit a proxy eye. They rarely spoke. So it was refreshing to walk from her home to the House of Waves. She had never been inside, but early on during her residency in Kalzasi, she had walked the streets and toured the airborne districts in air taxis so she could put her preparatory research to work, making the families more real by marking their homes. And then she had sincere compliments to offer whenever she met someone. She had been young then. She was young now, but now she was also ageless. But that remained a private thing with which to struggle.

People stared. That was fine. She maintained her good humor about it; had it been another woman, she probably would have stared as well. Ceran and Indric flanked her. Sahfri was concerned with her safety, and Kala took that with good humor as well. The mercenaries would accompany her on the streets, at least.

Kala hadn't meant to put this off for so long, but it had been a season since they went into the Warrens. The Master had played midwife to her rebirth into a new domain, and she was all but certain Rickter had gone through something similar. She wasn't certain she was ready to share her own divinity with him, but she knew from personal experience how utterly life-altering the change was and wanted to lend him an ear or a shoulder if he needed support.

Mother Naori had given her some advice, but was hardly a constant presence in her life.

She had good etiquette and had made an appointment ahead of time, so the servants expected her, and she was shown in one direction as the boys were shown in another to wait. House Maze, she reminded herself by rote. Lord Otis, Kozoku. Sworn to Great House Senue. She stopped herself from mentally rattling off all the other things she had memorized before coming to Kalzasi. Rickter wasn't impolite, but didn't give her the impression that he stood much on ceremony. In any case, they might just have a discussion that transcended such things.

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[Rickter]

A Star in Winter
10th of Frost, 122nd Year, A.o.S.

It had been somewhat a busier time of the year for the House of Waves, what with the private operations going on back in the Imperium, and of course the fact that their latest representative being reborn a Draegir. Nobody could've anticipated what would've followed Rickter's venture into the Warrens a season ago, however, it had certainly garnered its own share of challenges for the wolf upon his return. So when the wolf had received word of an invitation, at the request of the Lady Leukos no less, well even he had to set aside his own shortcomings to prepare for this visitation.

The wolf had an idea on what this meeting between them might've entailed, since Kala was not only there to witness his awakening, but he in turn also had suspicions about her that the lady had yet to reveal. The nose never really lied to Rickter as of late, and though he could've only surmised the possibilities, he never once carried them with a whim of confidence just yet. Regardless he'd been spending as much time as possible keeping busy, distracting himself from the one thing he wanted to focus on more than anything.

But for whatever reason, he could still hardly stomach the fact his little family might finally be broken. "Sir," One of the servants pulled him from his thoughts as he looked beyond his reflection in the mirror, "Lady Kala Leukos has arrived. She's waiting for you in the common area." The wolf tilted his head to provide a nod of acknowledgment, leaving the lady to return to her duties as he focused on the mirror once more. What did he see? A multitude of things by now. He was no longer the simple mercenary he started off as. No longer the desperate father who toiled tirelessly to keep his family together.

He wasn't even much of a man anymore now either... was he?

That's enough, he needed to remind himself, regardless of what's happened, you still have much to do. Rickter checked the collar of his shirt before undoing the button there, finally able to breathe comfortably once more without feeling a sense of choking. Posh attire was never something he really enjoyed wearing, whether the occasion was formal or not, as it felt utterly limiting on his entire physique anymore. But with enough regard to his outward appearance, wearing a button-up velveteen shirt with a pair of dark slacks, he marched out of his bedroom and down the corridor toward the room where Kala would be waiting.

The rest of his household he could hear carrying about their usual business, his ears tracing sounds from the map room his father paced in, to the babbling noises of his twins in their room just two doors down from his. Hannah was talking with Telion in another nearby room, while the rest of the house just carried out their normal duties. Entering the room where Kala had been waiting, Rickter slid the door to a close behind him, before turning to bow toward the lady in greeting proper. "Hello, Lady Kala. It is good to see you again." He spared with a hint of a smile, albeit with a dose of somberness to his eyes.

The room was affixed with lush furnishings but certainly not the finest Kalzasi had to offer, with sofas and a lounge chair situated around a low table centralized within the room. Frost lilies from the Astralar Mountains decorated the other tables and shelves in the room, some of his beloved's favorite flowers even though she mostly remained bedridden. "I apologize if I kept you waiting too long." The wolf offered her as he approached the sofa nearby, joining Kala by taking a seat across from her to moderately relax in place.

"To what do I owe the pleasure?" He then proceeded to inquire with curiosity in his tone, admittedly ponderous of the occasion in itself.

"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"
"Rickter" "Telion" "Hannah" "Patrick"

[Kala Leukos]

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"Lord Rickter," she replied warmly, turning at his approach from her admiration of the frost lilies that reminded her of home. She bowed in turn, her skirts split up the sides and worn over pants as she was now in the habit of flying. He sat, and she sat opposite him.

"The last time I saw you, momentous things occurred. Only more has changed since then. I regret I waited so long to find you again."

Why had she come? he asked. Unity, whispered a voice in her head, the part of her in touch with her divine nature. She paused and smiled.

"You seem as uncomfortable in your fine clothes as I was when I finally received my wings." She shrugged her wings, the golden patina reflected in the lamplight. "Please, be at ease. We continue to live in times of great change and there are many things I would like to discuss with you, from our Shinsei to the Eclipse—not to mention we never had a post mortem for our dive into the Warrens. I trust Iselya and Lord Aoren are well."

She clasped her hands and set them in her lap.

"I was quite impressed by your performance in the Warrens. It had occurred to me to ask if you might share your Rune of Negation. It seems to be a time that requires we protect our loved ones and I would like to be able to shield my people, especially if they can be set up with the help of illumite or lunicite, then allowed to protect us from the shadows when they come calling. I would reciprocate if you asked. I have some Runes of my own, as well as knowledge of several arcane arts. Our House is sworn to Briathos for a reason." She smiled a small, self-deprecating smile.

Then she cleared her throat. "I am also a Master Sembler and I saw you change there before the Master. I will not speak of it if you wish; I will respect your privacy. But if you wish to talk about it, I can listen, even advise if you like. Even if all you wish is to know what I saw from the outside. Subjective understanding versus objective observation, if you will."

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[Rickter]

The wolf aptly noted the attention his guess paid toward the flowers, the mark of his entry registered with a warm greeting he could only venerate a soft smile to in return. Kala always had an air about her that somehow brought comfort to Rickter, even when they were both braving the depths of the chasms beneath the city proper.

"That is true..." He remarked when she'd mentioned their last shared trip, with an agreeable nod which still suggested overwhelming confusion on behalf of those events. Truly, while he'd processed them to the best of his ability, Rickter still hardly understood what exactly took place in those moments before he awakened. To his knowledge such occasions usually generated unfathomable reactions, much like when Talon's ascension created a literal Dread Mist storm throughout the Warrens.

Now that it'd crossed his mind, the wolf couldn't help but ponder the correlation, and if the events in Zaichaer were of a similar nature as well. Florian was another who had become a Draegir, after all, and while Lyra was also there she became something else entirely. As the lady pointed out his discomfort in apparel, Rickter could only chuckle softly at first, the slight grin admittedly wider than earlier once she urged him to relax. "Becoming a head figure always seems a little daunting to me, no matter the role it revolves around." He admitted with a sense of grounding in his tone, keen to nod to the mentioning of public events which the two needed to discuss with one another.

There wasn't just their miraculous venture down into the Warrens, after all, they had politics as well as world-related events to consider as well. There was always something that somehow would keep the wolf busy, at least, distracted from the very things he often felt he needed to focus on. "Yes, well, last I had checked. Iselya came to our rescue during the Onishio attack last month." No doubt Kala would understand the significance to that name, given how serious the damages was to one of the Great House's courtyards.

Simply referencing the Demon Tide though brought back that hint of gloom in his eyes, mostly because Rickter still beheld a sense of guilt for the fallout that transpired at the end of the event. "Aoren though has been well, busy at the palace as far as I can tell." He warranted seeing as it seemed like time kept them apart lately. Kala admitted her opinion on his performance during their venture, which in turn garnered another soft grin from Rickter, if not a slight flush in his cheeks from the praise she'd given him.

"I thank you. The protection of those I hold dear has always been the source of my power there. A power that I would gladly pass on, in fact, seeing as how one can never have enough protectors around these days." Truly if he could've before he probably would've shouldered such burdens, as it stood, however, Rickter found it far better to share what he'd learned rather than carry it alone. "That's awfully kind of you, I wouldn't require anything in return, honestly." He then admitted humbly with a soft crook to his head, rather flattered by the lady's generosity in turn.

When she mentioned the master though and the events which correlated to his awakening, the warmth of his smile dimmed a little, and with a minor aversion of his gaze he thought to himself a moment. "That... would actually be insightful." He admitted with a loose sense of comfort, before he leaned forward with his elbows rested over his knees. "I don't remember what happened in that moment, really, only that Iselya was about to claim the sword... and then..." Even recalling how turbulent he felt when the power inside him awakened felt unsettling, to say the least, but Rickter did not allow that to keep him from discussing the topic overall.

He wanted to know so that he could understand it better, and maybe understand himself better in the process. "I guess, I really would like to know. What did you see that I could not in that time we were down under?" Rickter then inquired thoughtfully with reluctant curiosity in his tone.

"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"
"Rickter" "Telion" "Hannah" "Patrick"

[Kala Leukos]

.

"Be careful with your generosity," she said with an impish smile. "If you offer me an inch, I might steal a mile." But her smile softened into simple pleasure. Negation would help her protect her people, and even if it took years to master, she could scriven wards with structure beyond whatever power she had, make them more permanent. But if he was generous, she wanted to be so in kind. If all she had that he wanted was her perspective, she would certainly give that.

"I hope the danger has passed and that House Zatrian will be able to rebuild without further problems." She paused and considered. "Well, the Master took us all out of the moment, I think. I wish I knew just what he is and who he is. Nobody present was weak-willed or without defenses, and yet..." She shook her head. Talon and Aoren had been taken right out of the Palace, surrounded by guards and potent mages. Kala had no illusions that she was invincible; this was a great driver for keeping her divine secret. Sahfri had called her wings a pair of targets upon her back, and divinity would be just another one.

Rickter was in the same boat in some ways, but he had Talon, Aoren, his friends, and the Dawnmartyrs. Perhaps he was just better prepared. She would have to do the same, quietly add to the ranks of the Silver Wings.

"I don't make a habit of reading too deeply into a person's aura. There are the ethics of the thing... without consent, I only read surface things, things that someone clever might deduce without the Rune. I could sense the lupine aspect of your soul, the strong bonds you have to your people, and enough of a pattern that I could recognize you if I lost all my mortal senses. When the Master brought us back together, though, you were surging with power, moreso than when you engaged your Runes. Your aura now..." She paused. "Again, I am not looking too deeply, but it has grown more complex, more attuned to... Hm, cold. I don't mean your personality. I know you are warm with your people. But the cold of Frost. An elemental cold. I would post that you are... a demigod?"

Kala paused to let that settle in, head canted slightly to the side as she gauged his response. There were dead gods for Glade, Searing, and Ash, but she couldn't recall one for Frost. Perhaps she was looking at him.

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[Rickter]

There was the tease at his generosity, which Rickter could only softly smile at in return. Under whatever terms that might've applied, what they were worth would only add up to his own personal favor in turn. For he was doomed to ask what might've been a mile-long request in the long run, still, he saw Kala as nothing short of a miracle worker in times of need. Her presence alone somehow venerated a common goal between people, something that the wolf oft found himself struggling to hold onto at times.

And if Negation was truly a magic she hoped to flourish with her talents, then it seemed his part in this was already decided for himself; since he believed in Kala's capacity to handle its power. At the express for House Zatrian, however, the wolf could only grunt a gentle "hm," as a faint chuckle to mask the underlying feelings on the subject. In truth, even after the Demon Tide was dealt with, the real danger felt like Rickter himself after what happened.

But then came the recollection of events, and what Kala described as she reflected on her memory. Back then they had met the master, to which the wolf nodded as he shared agreement with her. He wasn't aware at the time but now? It was like a fog remained in his mind, while his body could still feel the ghost pains of what occurred. In a single moment, the mysterious figure had the means to incapacitate them completely. Even with his best defenses, the wolf had no way of predicting his movements, though, the master at least had something else in mind for them.

Awaken, O’ Lord of Frost. Dark shall be thy wrath just as Light shall be thy savior.

Those words still burned in his heart after the power which rooted deep in his soul. And ever since then, Rickter's found his entire world shifted in a completely different direction, one where the world he once knew felt more and more like a distant reality. Admittedly, Kala's ethics regarding personal boundaries and regarding their own auras were a rather humbling if not humorous thing for Rickter. He recalled sharing those same sentiments when he too showed interest in semblance, and still had only gradually learned to understand only surface-level details at a glance. They did, however, really double down on his sense of smell when in need.

"Yes, it's true..." He remarked with an averted gaze for a moment, the memory an afterthought that brought a hand over his sternum. "I've been slowly grasping it... but something had awakened in me that day." His eyes returned to the lady across from him, while his smile remained aloof in doing so. "I've always had an affinity for the cold, so please, don't feel discouraged in regards to personality." Not that she wasn't entirely off in that regard either, since Rickter knew how he used to be in the past.

He had certainly grown much different in that time, then again, he never expected to live this long and become what he was today. "But clearly, there's something deeper now than just mere affinity..." Thus the look of guilt settled back in his gaze, when he seemed to heavily debate with himself before asking. "As a practitioner of the arcane arts, I'm willing to guess you're well-versed in healing? I know Necromancy is a common practice within House Briathos." Though if he did learn more of her medical practices, then perhaps what he might ask wouldn't be too outrageous after all.

"The fallout of the Onishio attack didn't turn out the way we'd hoped. Every member of my Shinzo were injured in several ways, one in particular by my own hand before I was aware of it... If by chance you could just try to lend a bit of your talents, then I'd be glad to repay you with any favors you wish." He proposed with remorseful hope, determined to do whatever he could to help improve his beloved's recovery.

"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"
"Rickter" "Telion" "Hannah" "Patrick"

[Kala Leukos]

.

Even as she had been taken out of the moment by the Master, she had also been peripherally aware of the others similarly affected. It became sharper now as Rickter recalled, her Rune pulling impressions they shared as well as their separate accounts of the time.

"Awaken, O Lord of Frost. Dark shall be thy wrath just as Light shall be thy savior," she murmured, then shook her head as if shaking off a dream. His response was matter-of-fact; she had been correct and he had shared. It didn't seem to pique his curiosity, and she was only too glad not to admit her own apotheosis. In time, certainly, she would share that with Rickter and with Talon, but not yet. In the meantime, however, she would try to keep an eye upon him in case he needed help that only someone going through something similar might give. And she hoped he would understand and forgive her secretiveness. This was a strange process and they would all cope with it differently.

That his thoughts went immediately to his people was heartening. That was a trait they shared.

Kala gave him a sorrowful, empathetic look when he revealed that his own hand had been turned against his loved ones. That was one of the reasons for her secrets; she feared that.

"I have trained at the Tranquil Gardens in medicine and surgery, as well as necromancy. There are better healers there, but I am here, and my skills are at your service in this." There were better surgeons and better necromancers, but she had managed to acquire a variety of healing skills there. Sometimes that breadth of knowledge could be more helpful than more training in any one single thing. She found herself standing, rearranging her wings, ready to walk to wherever his people might be.

Under her wing was a bag of supplies she kept with her in case of emergencies, and this might not be an emergency, but at least she was prepared. If it were her people injured, she knew she would not wish to wait any longer than she must to recruit their aid.

"Aim me, King of Winter." She smiled, a supportive, determined thing. Kala could be a warrior, but sometimes battles were fought with scalpel and salve rather than karambit and naginata.

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[Rickter]

Even when he'd been born under the impression he was simply human, Rickter had always found better hearing to be one of his few enhanced senses. That was before he learned what he truly was though, and even then, he learned quickly not all things whispered were best heard. Yet when he ruminated on what transpired down in the deep, Kala seemed to pick up on that with her own gifts, enough to quietly echo the very words which resonated in his very core.

Unsettling as it may have been for Rickter to reflect on those events, it became clearer more than ever what he truly was; not that he had any reason to doubt over the course of the season. Yet it was those very words that often shook his soul, for he had yet to fathom the truth behind its intent. Darkness. Easy did it seem to lose himself in such fury, to let the power of his emotions consume him in the heat of the moment. And yet light was to be his savior, his salvation when such darkness consumed his every thought.

"I know not what it means to be this new Lord of Frost..." He admitted a little reluctantly in thought. "But I do know that it terrifies me. Deep down anyway." Then of course he revealed the latest accounts as to what happened, and the request that he'd hoped Kala might entertain for the moment. When she revealed the extent of her craft as well as the opinion she held, the wolf nodded gently to her in acknowledgment of her honesty. Kala was a genuine soul.

One that possessed many talents but also one who embraced them, limitations and all, to help those that were around her to the best of her ability. It some ways it motivated Rickter, encouraged him to try and do better, and in others, it reminded him of the amount of stumbling he'd merely done since his return. Was Kalzasi really better with him around? Now that he had awoken as a new Demigod? He wanted to believe the answer positive, but had yet to fully see the evidence behind it. "You have my deepest gratitude!" He quickly urged with a faint smile, quick to rise with her so that he might bow respectfully in turn.

"I'll not waste your time with this matter then, only cut straight to the point then." He remarked with a beholden gaze. It was with a gentle nudge of his head toward the door that he then started to guide Kala, with a slow stride made toward the sliding panel which he gently nudged ajar. "The extent of the damage done was... severe" He admitted with a heavy look of guilt as he brought Kala along the corridor, which stretched onward to reveal several doors before turning into another hall.

"All my packmates suffered varying injuries, but it was my beloved who endured the most. She'd lost..." The mere memory of what he discovered upon recollecting himself led his voice to shake, and admittedly, he slowed even more when they neared the door to their private quarters. "I took a couple of her limbs. In a fit of rage I meant to protect her, and them, only to grossly harm her in the process." Conflictions were apparent when he hesitantly reached for the paneled door, a somber gaze given to Kala before he rested a palm on the surface.

"She's already been treated for the pain, but alas, I feel nothing but guilt for what's been taken from her." The wolf knew how much that woman loved to dance, how much stride she possessed before she'd lost a leg. "I know it's probably an outrageous request... but if there were a way to restore those limbs. To give back what I've taken from her, then I would greatly be in your debt." And sure enough no amount of power he could provide Kala would be too costly, for she deserved every bit of whatever he could give her.

"Whenever you're ready, I'll show you into the room where my beloved is staying." He remarked with a gentle if not glum smile, a little humored by her candor when she called him King of Winter.

"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"
"Rickter" "Telion" "Hannah" "Patrick"

[Kala Leukos]

.

When he admitted his fears, it relieved her. If he hadn't been afraid of the power and the changes, she would have been worried. Fear didn't make a coward. Fear was a tool. Considering what she had learned from the Grimlord in the southron tower, she offered some advice before following him out of the room.

"From what I gather, a great deal of that is up to you. I would suggest you meditate upon what winter means to you. The Season of Frost will be your time of power. But what does it mean to you? What has it meant to others over the millennia? Many fear the privations of winter, but remember that it is but a season, a phase that comes and goes. A time for death, literal or figurative, that leads to the rebirth of spring." She paused, then smiled. "And consider bleaching your hair. Winter's hair ought to be snow white, no?"

But she was suitably somber as she kept pace with his longer legs. Kala had to split her mind in twain: half listened with compassion to his guilt; half went cold and calculating, preparing to make a prognosis once she could see the actual damage. Regrowing limbs was not something she had done, but her mind was already coming up with possible strategies. First and foremost, however, would be to ensure that the patient was stabilized. There were long-term treatments and there was triage. She was unsure where they were with that yet, but her training at the Tranquil Gardens was coming to the fore.

When they stood at the door, she nodded her readiness, and offered a comforting smile.

"I am ready."

Time was of the essence in these things.

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[Rickter]

What Kala had to say in regards to his newfound divinity stoked something in Rickter, filling him with contemplative curiosity as he'd pondered the extent of what it all meant. Before when he was just a mage developing his talents, he often had somewhat of a clear picture of what he wanted to be in mind. But now? The Lord of Winter as he knew it meant so much more, beyond what he might've thought or believed even before the domain was his to claim.

Frost was always a hard season for many to deal with as it were, when the cold grew bitter and life as everyone knew it reached a state of dormancy; or perhaps even death. But Rickter did not wish to be that kind of Lord, at least, not the type of Demigod which wrought nothing but ice and death upon those around him. At the very least, he did find humor in the suggestions of his bleaching his hair. Apparently, the new God of Frost needed to work on his representation a bit more as well.

Regardless, while the humor lightened the weightiness of the subject they discussed, it was when they reached the private quarters that he and his beloved used to share. Time was indeed of the essence and truthfully, Rickter wanted to do whatever he needed to make the transition a bit easier. Thus when Kala confirmed with him whether she felt prepared, the wolf lightly nodded before hesitantly pressing his palm firmly on the door. With a gentle slide he pushed the door ajar, revealing the bedroom in which his beloved rested within. A moderately sized chamber with windows found on the northside of the walls, letting in what natural light lingered from the Eclipse and the streets themselves.

Though acquitted with furnishings it wasn't of the lavish lifestyle that other nobles might've possessed, just the basic needs for making a bedroom as it were, with the barest minimum of decorations found throughout the room. At the bedside where the table rested next to it, a chair remained situated where the rogue herself sat with a pistol half disassembled. Hannah looked up from where she sat down, while the parts of her pistol she was cleaning were rested on the table next to her. Telion herself rested within the double-wide bed wrapped in blankets, dressed in her nightgown with bandages still wrapped around the nubs of her left arm and leg.

"R... Rickter?" There was obvious confusion in the healer's tone, and by the look in her weary eyes, she seemed rather surprised that he showed up with an unexpected guest. Hannah on the other hand, cocked the half barrel aside from her and Telion, and tilted her head with a narrowed and inquisitive gaze. "And... Miss Leukos?" The wolf should've figured she would remember the lady, even if they only saw one another for the briefest of moments during the Harvest Ash Festival Ball.

"What's goin' on, big guy?" The rogue sharply inquired at the pair, leading Rickter to grimly bite his lips before glancing at the winged lady.

"Lady Kala here has offered to help with Telion's recovery." He started, before allowing the noble herself to speak on her own behalf.

"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"
"Rickter" "Telion" "Hannah" "Patrick"