To Gaze Upon Divinity
Glade 62nd, 123rd Year, A.o.S.
The warmth of the desert filtered through his window this morning, though with the Sceptre still burning brightly outside, it always remained difficult to determine the time of day for Lykos. That did not matter though when he knew when his other packmates had stirred, and, after what had been a rather hearty breakfast from Lana and the servii; the wolf had found himself full with only minor pains lingering in his gut.
After almost nonstop eating and the occasional answer to nature's call the past few days, he expected all this residual cramping and hunger in his tummy would've ceased already. Clearly, whatever power was used to save Hilana as she'd described, had a toll that the wolf would have to consider if he ever learned how to use it again.
But after seeing the younger sibling off from the Citadel, which Lykos nearly moped about, he spent a bit of time with Athalia before deciding not to bother her for too long. The older sister was intent on studying a tome based on Scrivening, and even if the curious wolf wanted to learn himself, he felt that there were other important things to consider in the meantime.
So, Lykos retired to his private quarters for the remainder of the morning, bearing only the cloth-like trousers so that his skin could still breathe. He wasn't sure if he'd ever grow accustomed to the South and how warm it always felt wherever he lingered.
While he sat in front of the vanity where the mirror was, he pondered if he ought to tend to his hair and beard first, noticing how ruggedly scruffy he looked just from initial observation. But then he thought more about it. On the observations made with his Runes yesterday, and what all he could glean if he applied one to anything he focused on.
But would he be alright if he used Semblance upon himself? The Lord of Frost hadn't the slightest clue what to expect if he tried, but after gazing upon his own flesh long enough, he had started to consider the idea at least worth a try.
He had scars and runes alike which could've told him stories, though, he could only wonder what possible information he'd truly gain upon the attempt. Would it be like staring into the sun? Or would he be able to see more about himself that his naked eye could not? Questions weren't going to answer anything for him at this point, therefore, after a bit of pointing around with the hand mirror to gaze at the runes on his back...
Lykos decided to take that curious dive.
Just breathe... And then focus. He assured himself with some small confidence, focusing on his reflection in the mirror before he flexed his aetheric muscles. Lykos honed in on himself as he reached deeper, mentally, to pull some of his regained energy to the surface.
The reserves of his aether fluctuated momentarily until he witnessed a glimmer in his eyes, and then when they brightened into their silver hues, the world in the reflection of the mirror brightened with almost overwhelming intensity.
Lykos squinted before his eyes adjusted to it, and found that the brightness only lasted for a few seconds. What he gazed upon a moment after, led him to eye the reflection of himself with pure astonishment.
Around his entire reflection was a cloud or veil that shimmered radiantly with vibrant hues; cerulean, sapphire, teal, and even magenta danced across it as if the veil were reminiscent of a sky he'd once forgotten. Crowning that veil was the head of what appeared to be a wolf, bearing into him with eyes deep as the ocean and fur which glowed of ice.
Was this... his aura? Looking away from his reflection to the crown above him, Lykos found the head of the wolf wasn't there but something else. A different crown which remained hidden away, until his golden eyes found it lingering above him. There were beautiful symbols that hung above him, marking his Divinity with a single sigil and two empty spaces.
Is this... He let his gaze spread further out from the crown which hung over him, and observed the flow that emanated from it as the aether spread outward. It traveled further than he anticipated, covering not just the wall in front of him, but almost the entirety of the room in turn.
Holy shit, that is my aura?! He realized now why he needed to learn to control such powers. If he were truly just radiating aether to that extent, then he could only imagine how stressful it would be for others to gaze upon him. Nay, even feel the influence of his presence at best.
It was no small wonder that his emotions exacerbated the weather in Tertium, even if his aura wasn't as strong that day, just his mere presence likely influenced the atmosphere enough to generate the deluge.
I need to get this under control! If I just alter it somehow, maybe by sucking it in? He hadn't the faintest idea...
But Lykos had to try somehow. Therefore with his gilded eyes cast back on his reflection, the wolf took a deep breath and focused on himself. He closed his eyes then and released the air in his lungs, taking in a deeper breath that was rooted deep into his gut.
Lykos felt the air around him grow cooler for a moment as he did, the heavier intake leading him to hold it in when he opened his eyes once more. The aura he was radiating had significantly diminished, flowing like a soft fluorescent blaze that still reminded him of the North.
That was far better than where he was before though, and significantly much easier to gaze upon now that he did. Releasing the air in his lungs once more he felt a sense of relief, to a degree, as he focused on the Runes that were visible on his flesh next.
He knew he had Semblance as he was using that now. He also knew he had Elementalism as demonstrated yesterday, and when he looked at his left arm to inspect the runes there, he determined that Nyx had to be the dark rune radiating on his outer forearm.
The energies within it felt mystical but also sinister, as though a power embedded within the Rune craved to devour all things. It was no small wonder they needed to find a mentor to help him understand it better, for Lykos already felt an underlying fear from just gazing upon the Rune.
But the one on his inner forearm? That didn't resonate like a Rune to his senses, rather, it felt much more similar to his own divine energy. Lykos didn't quite understand it but then again, he hardly understood his own powers at the moment. It would have to be something he further inspected down the road, once he grew familiar with the rest of his Runes.
The one on his left shoulder though, that Rune resonated with the same familiarity of his Divinity, if only with the fluorescence of the aether shimmering from its design. The wolf could see that the energy radiating through it rejected, or rather, reinforced the aether that became channeled through it. This led to Lykos looking from the mirror to the Rune itself, pondering if it might indeed be the Rune of Negation he might've possessed.
There was an innate sense of protection that lingered within the Rune, a sheer force of will that seemed to echo within its resonance. I wonder if that's the same power used to protect Hilana in the Void... He brushed a finger along the surface of that Rune, before gazing into the mirror once more to observe the next.
The Rune drawn from his neck and over his sternum was elaborate, and from what he could tell, the aether which resonated from it fluctuated in different intervals. Lykos focused on that one next to see what he could determine, and found the fluctuations were akin to his breathing in turn.
So somehow, this Rune influenced the flow of aether itself, leading him to wonder what it could do if he tried to actively use it. The wolf felt like he'd gleaned enough for the time being though, and allowed the aether in his sight to ease.
In watching the colors of his aura fade out, he witnessed the amber in his eyes die out a moment after. Three runes remained a mystery, but two of them he at least had a better grasp on. The next time Hilana and her sister were ready to continue their research with him, Lykos felt he'd be better prepared to help narrow down their options.
After all, if he were to be the Lord of Frost that he needed to be, understanding himself better was the best route to pursue. We'll figure it out, he reminded himself with echoed words, all in good time.
The sentiments were one he shared with the sisters, as he felt determined to return their kindness down the road. Hopefully, sooner than he initially believed, with the right amount of luck and fortitude along the way.
Glade 62nd, 123rd Year, A.o.S.
The warmth of the desert filtered through his window this morning, though with the Sceptre still burning brightly outside, it always remained difficult to determine the time of day for Lykos. That did not matter though when he knew when his other packmates had stirred, and, after what had been a rather hearty breakfast from Lana and the servii; the wolf had found himself full with only minor pains lingering in his gut.
After almost nonstop eating and the occasional answer to nature's call the past few days, he expected all this residual cramping and hunger in his tummy would've ceased already. Clearly, whatever power was used to save Hilana as she'd described, had a toll that the wolf would have to consider if he ever learned how to use it again.
But after seeing the younger sibling off from the Citadel, which Lykos nearly moped about, he spent a bit of time with Athalia before deciding not to bother her for too long. The older sister was intent on studying a tome based on Scrivening, and even if the curious wolf wanted to learn himself, he felt that there were other important things to consider in the meantime.
So, Lykos retired to his private quarters for the remainder of the morning, bearing only the cloth-like trousers so that his skin could still breathe. He wasn't sure if he'd ever grow accustomed to the South and how warm it always felt wherever he lingered.
While he sat in front of the vanity where the mirror was, he pondered if he ought to tend to his hair and beard first, noticing how ruggedly scruffy he looked just from initial observation. But then he thought more about it. On the observations made with his Runes yesterday, and what all he could glean if he applied one to anything he focused on.
But would he be alright if he used Semblance upon himself? The Lord of Frost hadn't the slightest clue what to expect if he tried, but after gazing upon his own flesh long enough, he had started to consider the idea at least worth a try.
He had scars and runes alike which could've told him stories, though, he could only wonder what possible information he'd truly gain upon the attempt. Would it be like staring into the sun? Or would he be able to see more about himself that his naked eye could not? Questions weren't going to answer anything for him at this point, therefore, after a bit of pointing around with the hand mirror to gaze at the runes on his back...
Lykos decided to take that curious dive.
Just breathe... And then focus. He assured himself with some small confidence, focusing on his reflection in the mirror before he flexed his aetheric muscles. Lykos honed in on himself as he reached deeper, mentally, to pull some of his regained energy to the surface.
The reserves of his aether fluctuated momentarily until he witnessed a glimmer in his eyes, and then when they brightened into their silver hues, the world in the reflection of the mirror brightened with almost overwhelming intensity.
Lykos squinted before his eyes adjusted to it, and found that the brightness only lasted for a few seconds. What he gazed upon a moment after, led him to eye the reflection of himself with pure astonishment.
Around his entire reflection was a cloud or veil that shimmered radiantly with vibrant hues; cerulean, sapphire, teal, and even magenta danced across it as if the veil were reminiscent of a sky he'd once forgotten. Crowning that veil was the head of what appeared to be a wolf, bearing into him with eyes deep as the ocean and fur which glowed of ice.
Was this... his aura? Looking away from his reflection to the crown above him, Lykos found the head of the wolf wasn't there but something else. A different crown which remained hidden away, until his golden eyes found it lingering above him. There were beautiful symbols that hung above him, marking his Divinity with a single sigil and two empty spaces.
Is this... He let his gaze spread further out from the crown which hung over him, and observed the flow that emanated from it as the aether spread outward. It traveled further than he anticipated, covering not just the wall in front of him, but almost the entirety of the room in turn.
Holy shit, that is my aura?! He realized now why he needed to learn to control such powers. If he were truly just radiating aether to that extent, then he could only imagine how stressful it would be for others to gaze upon him. Nay, even feel the influence of his presence at best.
It was no small wonder that his emotions exacerbated the weather in Tertium, even if his aura wasn't as strong that day, just his mere presence likely influenced the atmosphere enough to generate the deluge.
I need to get this under control! If I just alter it somehow, maybe by sucking it in? He hadn't the faintest idea...
But Lykos had to try somehow. Therefore with his gilded eyes cast back on his reflection, the wolf took a deep breath and focused on himself. He closed his eyes then and released the air in his lungs, taking in a deeper breath that was rooted deep into his gut.
Lykos felt the air around him grow cooler for a moment as he did, the heavier intake leading him to hold it in when he opened his eyes once more. The aura he was radiating had significantly diminished, flowing like a soft fluorescent blaze that still reminded him of the North.
That was far better than where he was before though, and significantly much easier to gaze upon now that he did. Releasing the air in his lungs once more he felt a sense of relief, to a degree, as he focused on the Runes that were visible on his flesh next.
He knew he had Semblance as he was using that now. He also knew he had Elementalism as demonstrated yesterday, and when he looked at his left arm to inspect the runes there, he determined that Nyx had to be the dark rune radiating on his outer forearm.
The energies within it felt mystical but also sinister, as though a power embedded within the Rune craved to devour all things. It was no small wonder they needed to find a mentor to help him understand it better, for Lykos already felt an underlying fear from just gazing upon the Rune.
But the one on his inner forearm? That didn't resonate like a Rune to his senses, rather, it felt much more similar to his own divine energy. Lykos didn't quite understand it but then again, he hardly understood his own powers at the moment. It would have to be something he further inspected down the road, once he grew familiar with the rest of his Runes.
The one on his left shoulder though, that Rune resonated with the same familiarity of his Divinity, if only with the fluorescence of the aether shimmering from its design. The wolf could see that the energy radiating through it rejected, or rather, reinforced the aether that became channeled through it. This led to Lykos looking from the mirror to the Rune itself, pondering if it might indeed be the Rune of Negation he might've possessed.
There was an innate sense of protection that lingered within the Rune, a sheer force of will that seemed to echo within its resonance. I wonder if that's the same power used to protect Hilana in the Void... He brushed a finger along the surface of that Rune, before gazing into the mirror once more to observe the next.
The Rune drawn from his neck and over his sternum was elaborate, and from what he could tell, the aether which resonated from it fluctuated in different intervals. Lykos focused on that one next to see what he could determine, and found the fluctuations were akin to his breathing in turn.
So somehow, this Rune influenced the flow of aether itself, leading him to wonder what it could do if he tried to actively use it. The wolf felt like he'd gleaned enough for the time being though, and allowed the aether in his sight to ease.
In watching the colors of his aura fade out, he witnessed the amber in his eyes die out a moment after. Three runes remained a mystery, but two of them he at least had a better grasp on. The next time Hilana and her sister were ready to continue their research with him, Lykos felt he'd be better prepared to help narrow down their options.
After all, if he were to be the Lord of Frost that he needed to be, understanding himself better was the best route to pursue. We'll figure it out, he reminded himself with echoed words, all in good time.
The sentiments were one he shared with the sisters, as he felt determined to return their kindness down the road. Hopefully, sooner than he initially believed, with the right amount of luck and fortitude along the way.
