Dancer's Ambition 
Ash 8th, 123rd Year, A.o.S.
When they had talked and shared personal things that had been on each other's mind late in Sun's Zenith, he had been under the impression she'd revealed everything. But this? "You're not-"
"Please!" That outcry came with the raise of her sword, leaving it pointed toward Rickter even from her distance. The wolf raised his hands as if to surrender, but only because he had nothing but compassion for the woman. "I know the risks. I haven't forgotten them. And I still want this, no matter how much you detest it." The wolf started to step toward her with his hands still raised, until the edge of the blade gently pressed across his chest, and he looked into her pleading eyes with sincerity before reaching out to her.
The warrior before him dropped her blade, if only to reach up and hold him at his forearms, while he cupped his hands along her jaw and pulled her close for an earnest kiss. He was so mesmerized by her. So taken aback by her sheer tenacity, as well as her determination to push forward against all obstacles. Most importantly, he was deeply and truly in love with this woman. For knowing her reasons for fighting, for knowing her reasons in pushing him in turn.
Once they pulled apart their foreheads lingered together, and the wolf brushed a curled finger along the edges of her hairline. "You do realize... that once this happens, I cannot be as kind to you as I'd like to be."
"I know..."
"And by doing this, you will have to put every ounce of that willpower of yours into this test?"
"I know." Her voice did not falter even in the face of adversity, knowing full and well the consequences waiting to happen. The look on Rickter's face grew a little stern, the unease in his expression hidden by a look of pure determination. He knew the risks as did she, and therefore, he would grant her what she requested not just out of love... but respect for the ambition she possessed.
"Then take up your sword once more, and with the Rune inscribed upon your flesh..." He instructed as he gradually loosened his grip upon the woman, taking a slow stride around her as she looked to where the blade fell, and lifted it back into her hand using her Kinetics rune. "Channel your aether through it, and into the blade itself once you feel it upon your soul." The wolf stood at her back now with a hand gently massaging her neck, before the press of an index finger trailed down to the nape resting between her shoulder blades.
"And whatever you do... Don't let go of that blade." He instructed as he pressed with a little more pressure, channeling aether into the surface of her skin while his Rune of Reaving glowered on his back. He watched the woman breathe deeply as she listened to him, and put to practice the instruction he gave her upon feeling the Rune settle in. Rickter observed diligently as he could see her aether channeling through it, and steadily forging what would be the first Pact weapon of what would eventually become her arsenal.
He could see the pain she had started to fight off, knowing full well that the Rune of Reaving was marked upon her soul. There was no turning back from this point, and now, the wolf had to literally pit himself against her... or risk losing her entirely in the process. Rickter strolled several feet away from her before he turned to face her once more, the blonde healer gradually turning to face him as she held the hilt of her glowing saber tightly. "Be strong, my love. And come at me with everything you have." Rickter's eyes glowed briefly as his Negation rune flared to life, glowing with the fluorescence of the northern lights before his very skin shimmered the same hues.
Within the span of a few seconds, the wolf unleashed the Locke of his first armor, donning the half-plated mail he'd stored within it moments before arriving here. Telion raised sword arm once more before charging at him again, but this time as she closed in to swing at him, Rickter threw out his own sword arm to materialize the blade Way to Dawn before him. The impact of her steel against his caused a cry of metal out into the open sky, as he watched his beloved wince and almost stagger from the aftershock of her first attack.
"Don't stop!!" He commanded which brought her attention back into the moment, leading the woman to twirl out of line from the direction of his forward cut. Her saber clashed into his armor with ease but in doing so, the backlash nearly caused her to stagger as she took a moment to catch her breath. "Keep pushing!!" Rickter barked as he pressed the assault on her, moving into a leftward step to pull his weapon along into another cut.
The dancer angled her blade to parry the attack from her side, pulling into a twist to alternate the blade's direction above her, and flourishing into her own counterstrike as she assailed him with another blow. His armor withstood it with relative ease, leading him to worry that her attacks weren't going to be enough. Not if she wanted to complete the Pact. He immediately defaulted to thinking of other alternatives, knowing he had to gradually intensify the pressure, if only to push her harder now that she'd developed an awareness of the backlash's effect.
The hard part truly began here. If he could've then Rickter would've attempted to Negate the rune he'd engraved on her entirely, but, he truly believed in the unwavering resolve of the woman before him. Once that initial blow had hit, she pushed past that overwhelming sensation she felt prior; then went in for another secondary attack at him. Good! He noted to himself as he pulled away with a tug of his Kinetics for support.
Discharging aether throughout his aura he channeled a Pull current to lodge him further away, pulling out of the blade's trajectory just enough for the tip to graze his steel-plated chestpiece. At that moment, the aether throughout his aura flashed with the northern lights, shimmering across the different pieces of armor he wore. Rickter's negation magic charged the plates as anchors, when he had set his mind to the task of nullifying physical blows. Though he did have to divert his attention into reacting still, and so with the brush of a thought, his armor was reinforced with a physical protection ward.
That left his counterattack in play, as Telion's blade had finished its full swing, and her eyes were sharply on him when Rickter engaged to strike next. Now, fight Telion! He'd seen her prowess before and been proud of her skills as a fighter, but now, he was on the verge of witnessing greatness from the woman he loved. As he pulled his sword downward from overhead, Rickter hacked his blade until his it reached an angle his hands could curve from.
This led to Telion darting out of the first attack's trajectory, only to bring her saber around and intercept the second blow with a spiraling pirouette. Another strike came at him when she caused the blade to rebound above her, the parry following with a continued twirl that spiraled into a double slash on Rickter's upper back. The half-plate rebounded her blade each time to reduce the impact of each blow, however, wasn't enough to stagger Rickter once he regained his footing and moved into a rounded counterswing.
Their blades clashed against one another with howling fury, with Telion deflecting his blade with her saber accordingly, even as he increased his attack patterns with aggression. As the wolf pulled his blade roundabout back towards her, he held it in reverse to intercept the coming blow that was soon to follow. For the dancer unleashed her hardest blow, when their blades clashed for the final moment, and the impact was followed by a wild surge of power from her blade.
Pressure gusted from where Rickter felt his own sword stricken, as Telion had stiffened after the recoil she felt from that final pulse. The warrior held her blade there steady, as the wolf looked to gauge if she had indeed succeeded. The saber no long glowed as it had before, signifying to the wolf that the Pact had been forged. "... Well done." He started with a chuckle of relief, after seeing how hard his packmate fought to achieve her goal. "That sword is now ingrained into your soul. The aether contained within can be drawn back into you, and that is how you dematerialize your weapons."
He then tilted his head forward with a warning stare. "But take caution love, the more stress your blade has taken, the worse the backlash will feel every time you restore it to your soul." He demonstrated by easing the grip on his weapon, and relaxing his face and shoulders to ease the aether from within his blade. Way to Dawn then dissipated from tip to pommel into minuscule particles of light. He had felt it so many times, but on this occasion, he looked forward to appreciating every bit of that pain.
The worse he did was wince as he felt the backlash of his weapon, before he overcame it with a soft grin cast to his beloved afterward. Now he didn't have to be the hard and difficult leader, now, he could be the loving and caring wolf he enjoyed being once again. "So this'll sting a little, huh?" The warrior observingly teased before she lowered her weapon, focusing on the saber before she closed her eyes. Within moments her saber did the same, dissolving into tiny lights that glimmered out seconds after.
When she started to fall forward the wolf immediately moved to catch her, keeping the lady close as he checked to make sure she was okay. Telion remained conscious once her pain had passed through, and she immediately responded to him once he looked down into her eyes. "It's okay." He assured her with another soft grin. "I'm here for you. And I'll always have your back, and be at your side."
"Good." The woman remarked wearily as though she were to tease. "At least I'll have you around, to teach me everything I need to know."
"All that and more," he promised with a soft kiss on her forehead, "you handled that quite well."
"Yeah well, try being in labor with your twins, nothing's topped that quite yet." The woman finally found her enthusiasm again, leading the wolf to chuckle while he still held her close.
"Shall we go back then?" He inquired, even if he didn't want to really leave right away. He was enamored by her, lost in her presence even as he felt utterly at ease with himself.
"Yeah, let's." Telion agreed with a soft nod, leading the wolf to chuckle once more, before looking at the sky overhead to translocate their way back home.
"Please!" That outcry came with the raise of her sword, leaving it pointed toward Rickter even from her distance. The wolf raised his hands as if to surrender, but only because he had nothing but compassion for the woman. "I know the risks. I haven't forgotten them. And I still want this, no matter how much you detest it." The wolf started to step toward her with his hands still raised, until the edge of the blade gently pressed across his chest, and he looked into her pleading eyes with sincerity before reaching out to her.
The warrior before him dropped her blade, if only to reach up and hold him at his forearms, while he cupped his hands along her jaw and pulled her close for an earnest kiss. He was so mesmerized by her. So taken aback by her sheer tenacity, as well as her determination to push forward against all obstacles. Most importantly, he was deeply and truly in love with this woman. For knowing her reasons for fighting, for knowing her reasons in pushing him in turn.
Once they pulled apart their foreheads lingered together, and the wolf brushed a curled finger along the edges of her hairline. "You do realize... that once this happens, I cannot be as kind to you as I'd like to be."
"I know..."
"And by doing this, you will have to put every ounce of that willpower of yours into this test?"
"I know." Her voice did not falter even in the face of adversity, knowing full and well the consequences waiting to happen. The look on Rickter's face grew a little stern, the unease in his expression hidden by a look of pure determination. He knew the risks as did she, and therefore, he would grant her what she requested not just out of love... but respect for the ambition she possessed.
"Then take up your sword once more, and with the Rune inscribed upon your flesh..." He instructed as he gradually loosened his grip upon the woman, taking a slow stride around her as she looked to where the blade fell, and lifted it back into her hand using her Kinetics rune. "Channel your aether through it, and into the blade itself once you feel it upon your soul." The wolf stood at her back now with a hand gently massaging her neck, before the press of an index finger trailed down to the nape resting between her shoulder blades.
"And whatever you do... Don't let go of that blade." He instructed as he pressed with a little more pressure, channeling aether into the surface of her skin while his Rune of Reaving glowered on his back. He watched the woman breathe deeply as she listened to him, and put to practice the instruction he gave her upon feeling the Rune settle in. Rickter observed diligently as he could see her aether channeling through it, and steadily forging what would be the first Pact weapon of what would eventually become her arsenal.
He could see the pain she had started to fight off, knowing full well that the Rune of Reaving was marked upon her soul. There was no turning back from this point, and now, the wolf had to literally pit himself against her... or risk losing her entirely in the process. Rickter strolled several feet away from her before he turned to face her once more, the blonde healer gradually turning to face him as she held the hilt of her glowing saber tightly. "Be strong, my love. And come at me with everything you have." Rickter's eyes glowed briefly as his Negation rune flared to life, glowing with the fluorescence of the northern lights before his very skin shimmered the same hues.
Within the span of a few seconds, the wolf unleashed the Locke of his first armor, donning the half-plated mail he'd stored within it moments before arriving here. Telion raised sword arm once more before charging at him again, but this time as she closed in to swing at him, Rickter threw out his own sword arm to materialize the blade Way to Dawn before him. The impact of her steel against his caused a cry of metal out into the open sky, as he watched his beloved wince and almost stagger from the aftershock of her first attack.
"Don't stop!!" He commanded which brought her attention back into the moment, leading the woman to twirl out of line from the direction of his forward cut. Her saber clashed into his armor with ease but in doing so, the backlash nearly caused her to stagger as she took a moment to catch her breath. "Keep pushing!!" Rickter barked as he pressed the assault on her, moving into a leftward step to pull his weapon along into another cut.
The dancer angled her blade to parry the attack from her side, pulling into a twist to alternate the blade's direction above her, and flourishing into her own counterstrike as she assailed him with another blow. His armor withstood it with relative ease, leading him to worry that her attacks weren't going to be enough. Not if she wanted to complete the Pact. He immediately defaulted to thinking of other alternatives, knowing he had to gradually intensify the pressure, if only to push her harder now that she'd developed an awareness of the backlash's effect.
The hard part truly began here. If he could've then Rickter would've attempted to Negate the rune he'd engraved on her entirely, but, he truly believed in the unwavering resolve of the woman before him. Once that initial blow had hit, she pushed past that overwhelming sensation she felt prior; then went in for another secondary attack at him. Good! He noted to himself as he pulled away with a tug of his Kinetics for support.
Discharging aether throughout his aura he channeled a Pull current to lodge him further away, pulling out of the blade's trajectory just enough for the tip to graze his steel-plated chestpiece. At that moment, the aether throughout his aura flashed with the northern lights, shimmering across the different pieces of armor he wore. Rickter's negation magic charged the plates as anchors, when he had set his mind to the task of nullifying physical blows. Though he did have to divert his attention into reacting still, and so with the brush of a thought, his armor was reinforced with a physical protection ward.
That left his counterattack in play, as Telion's blade had finished its full swing, and her eyes were sharply on him when Rickter engaged to strike next. Now, fight Telion! He'd seen her prowess before and been proud of her skills as a fighter, but now, he was on the verge of witnessing greatness from the woman he loved. As he pulled his sword downward from overhead, Rickter hacked his blade until his it reached an angle his hands could curve from.
This led to Telion darting out of the first attack's trajectory, only to bring her saber around and intercept the second blow with a spiraling pirouette. Another strike came at him when she caused the blade to rebound above her, the parry following with a continued twirl that spiraled into a double slash on Rickter's upper back. The half-plate rebounded her blade each time to reduce the impact of each blow, however, wasn't enough to stagger Rickter once he regained his footing and moved into a rounded counterswing.
Their blades clashed against one another with howling fury, with Telion deflecting his blade with her saber accordingly, even as he increased his attack patterns with aggression. As the wolf pulled his blade roundabout back towards her, he held it in reverse to intercept the coming blow that was soon to follow. For the dancer unleashed her hardest blow, when their blades clashed for the final moment, and the impact was followed by a wild surge of power from her blade.
Pressure gusted from where Rickter felt his own sword stricken, as Telion had stiffened after the recoil she felt from that final pulse. The warrior held her blade there steady, as the wolf looked to gauge if she had indeed succeeded. The saber no long glowed as it had before, signifying to the wolf that the Pact had been forged. "... Well done." He started with a chuckle of relief, after seeing how hard his packmate fought to achieve her goal. "That sword is now ingrained into your soul. The aether contained within can be drawn back into you, and that is how you dematerialize your weapons."
He then tilted his head forward with a warning stare. "But take caution love, the more stress your blade has taken, the worse the backlash will feel every time you restore it to your soul." He demonstrated by easing the grip on his weapon, and relaxing his face and shoulders to ease the aether from within his blade. Way to Dawn then dissipated from tip to pommel into minuscule particles of light. He had felt it so many times, but on this occasion, he looked forward to appreciating every bit of that pain.
The worse he did was wince as he felt the backlash of his weapon, before he overcame it with a soft grin cast to his beloved afterward. Now he didn't have to be the hard and difficult leader, now, he could be the loving and caring wolf he enjoyed being once again. "So this'll sting a little, huh?" The warrior observingly teased before she lowered her weapon, focusing on the saber before she closed her eyes. Within moments her saber did the same, dissolving into tiny lights that glimmered out seconds after.
When she started to fall forward the wolf immediately moved to catch her, keeping the lady close as he checked to make sure she was okay. Telion remained conscious once her pain had passed through, and she immediately responded to him once he looked down into her eyes. "It's okay." He assured her with another soft grin. "I'm here for you. And I'll always have your back, and be at your side."
"Good." The woman remarked wearily as though she were to tease. "At least I'll have you around, to teach me everything I need to know."
"All that and more," he promised with a soft kiss on her forehead, "you handled that quite well."
"Yeah well, try being in labor with your twins, nothing's topped that quite yet." The woman finally found her enthusiasm again, leading the wolf to chuckle while he still held her close.
"Shall we go back then?" He inquired, even if he didn't want to really leave right away. He was enamored by her, lost in her presence even as he felt utterly at ease with himself.
"Yeah, let's." Telion agreed with a soft nod, leading the wolf to chuckle once more, before looking at the sky overhead to translocate their way back home.
"Common" "Synskrit" "Norvaegan"
"Rickter" "Telion"
"Rickter" "Telion"
"Every side attacks you when you don't pick sides."
