Pacts, Symphonies, and Spirits [Lykos]

[Hilana Chenzira]

71 Glade, Year 123

[Closed - Lykos]

With five Runes down, there was one left. They had tried Animus. Hilana had a feeling that the excess Runes that she had gotten from the Void-Shade, the Masquerade and Traversion, belonged to Lykos. That was the only possible solution: there had been three of them, Æros had only lost one Rune, and still possessed Masquerade. He hadn’t had Traversion at any point. They would keep it as a possibility, but for now, they were not going to attempt those two just then. If Reaving, Mesmer, and Summoning did not pan out, then they would reevaluate. But for now...

Lia was certain that it wasn’t Affliction. It didn’t seem to fit him and who he was, but it was another possibility. Maybe he did, if only for the ability to break curses to complement his Negation Rune. Hilana had a feeling that Reaving was likely to be the sixth and final Rune, if only because it seemed to fit with Lykos as a warrior and a protector.

Lia led the way out to their table under the pergola. It was later than usual, but the youngest Chenzira sister had had work and lessons of her own, and those were not something she could so easily neglect. She was committed to their little pack, but the Sentinels had set these lessons up for her, and Hilana had had enough time off with the Derby and the ensuing shenanigans that had come after it.

It didn’t matter; it was one of those days when leftovers were perfect with pita breads and she still had plenty of energy. Considering how late she was getting back to the Citadel... well, it worked. “How did your day go?” Hilana wanted to know, setting the tray of steaming tea down with the large plate of warm baklava. The nuts and spices in the tea would complement the sticky honey dessert, and she settled down in her chair, smiling at Lykos and her sister. Tiaz and Fiya were perfectly content to hang onto her, as Tiaz had claimed his usual spot along Hilana's shoulders, and Fiya was wrapped around her arm. Now that Hilana was sitting, the steely female noodle was moving to rest on her half-exposed chest, enjoying the girl's body heat. "Were you working on Scrivening during the day?"

[Rickter]

Pacts, Symphonies, and Spirits

Glade 71st, 123rd Year, A.o.S.

While they were still diligently researching and experimenting to figure out the possibility of his final Rune, Lykos had moreso been ruminating on literally everything he'd been learning the past two weeks. It had been an eventful stay at the Citadel for him, and continually, he proved to be ever-busy with a packed routine throughout the day. This helped pass the time of course when Lana had other places to be, and of course, his company with Lia remained centered within his routine.

Where she often taught him tidbits of Solunarian culture, or whatever magic she might've been studying, Lykos applied himself where he could observantly. Today, however, he had been more focused on one particular course of magic study, mainly because he wanted to ease into a couple of theoretical concepts he'd been ruminating on. So he spent the day mingling and learning from Athalia, while patiently observing her very character through tidbits of Semblance and just simple observation.

What he wanted to gather was the information he felt necessary, for when he might one day try to cleanse her of the Void entirely. It was a bit of a long shot on his part as he needed to be delicate about it, identifying every piece and part of her individually, and then singling all that out; come the time to filter the hold the dark abyss held on her. Could he actually pull it off? Probably not. But as long as he kept an inquisitive mind about it, Lykos felt he could potentially achieve it if he bore a few things in mind. That was one step at a time though, and though his observations spanned throughout the whole day with her, the wolf attentively treated her with the warm fondness he'd found for the sisters.

So naturally when Lana finally returned from her busy schedule of the day, the wolf's smile had remained bright and cheery as the presence of food had accompanied her. It might've been leftovers from the day prior, but that didn't mean it still wouldn't taste as delicious. "Another day of hitting the books." Lykos responded warmly as he looked at the platter presented, admittedly, cold sweet tea also sounded rather delicious to have at the moment. With the inquiry on Scrivening the wolf chuckled a bit, a thoughtful glance given to Lia as he poured himself a bit of tea.

"Yes, well, sort of. Lia here's been a diligent study and it's given me some ideas." The one he had in mind he would wait, as he waited to mull it over since it'd require some thought and consideration with his Divinity, but there was little harm in sharing what his other observations were leading him to. "I've actually used the time to discern things about her, though I wanted to tell you after the fact so you wouldn't feel as reserved as you might've." The wolf admitted with a bit of an apologetic look to the older sibling, having felt a bit inconsiderate for not being upfront with the approach prior.

"It was only to observe you in your natural element, since with Negation, I'll have to be very particular with how I attempt to cleanse you of the Void. If you'll let me try when the time comes that is." He admitted plainly with a more hopeful smile cast at her in turn, before he shifted his gaze back to Lana after the fact. "And how did the day proceed for you?"

"Every side attacks you when you don't pick sides."

[Hilana Chenzira]

"I'm sorry that so much of it is book learning. I'll have to take you out into the sands over the next couple evenings and show you some more of our homeland beyond the citadel, and we'll see if we can't practice some more, too. There's a training area around here, it wouldn't hurt for us to get down there and see what all we can do," Hilana smiled at them. Lia just shook her head at the mention of going out into the sands. She would go, though she wouldn't necessarily... well. She might like it more than she would admit. Being out of the Void was a wonderful feeling, and she knew her sister was happiest on her camel. She also knew that her little sister had shut down the trauma she was feeling and dealing with in favour of focusing on everyone else. That was easier for her, and as a healer, it was natural for her to think about Lykos, Lia, and her patients at work.

At Lykos' words, though, the idea of cleansing the void off of Lia made the sisters share an intrigued glance before their attention returned to the Lord of Frost. "That can be done?" Hilana blinked at that concept. That... seemed awfully challenging, to try to do such a thing. Lia had become part of the Void over a decade ago... and it was surely a part of her, if not a huge part of her. Hilana was an apprentice at Semblance at best, but even she could see that. It would be challenging, but if he could do it... that opened up a world of opportunities. Otherwise, it was for Lia to use Semblance, or acquire the Rune of Negation, and keep everyone from finding that out about her. But by just hiding it... would it impact her ability to participate in the world around her in the future? She would always be looking over her shoulder, always trying to hide things. Would she be able to have a family? She knew from talking with Hilana that Athalia in Tertium... who she was a part of... had multiple children with her spouse. Would she have the same opportunity? It wasn't... it wouldn't be what had been set out for her, but she could take a page out of her sister's book and trust the process. There would be options. She would just have to trust in the future.

Leaving things to chance was decidedly un-Solunarian... but Hilana managed. Lia would, too.

"Theoretically, it could," Lia admitted, pouring herself some tea now that Lykos had gotten his. "It would take a very...very exacting set of wards and even then, trying to purify this... well, I have faith in you. I saw what your Negation did to that monster that took my sister's face and power, and I think with enough practice and determination... I think that you could do it. I will let you try," she smiled at him. It would take time, and it would take a lot of work.... but time, they had. They had really nothing but time out here. With enough practice and fine-tuning of the process... perhaps the Grandmaster could pull it off.

Hilana was concerned, but at the same time... magic was a part of the fabric of life. If anyone could do it, she had a feeling that Lykos could. She hadn't even considered such a thing possible, but if the two of them thought it could be done, then that was up to them to try. Fortune favoured the bold, and venture belonged to the adventurous. "My day went well," she took her turn with the tea and used the triangle-shaped lifter to lay a large, if impossibly sticky and delicious, triangle of baklava on her own little plate. Forget fruit, the younger Vastiana wanted the goodies, and by that she meant dessert. "Work was fairly smooth, though I did have to set a few bones. It's not even Searing yet and children are getting their wild hairs. I had one boy that had fallen from a building... I guess he was trying to run and jump and cross the gap with his friends, and he didn't make it. Down he went, and he's lucky he didn't kill himself." She didn't sound too condemning about that subject, and judging by the look Lia gave Hilana... Lykos could likely guess she had done the exact same thing countless times and had probably had hundreds of close calls when it came to shenanigans. "But it will heal. Just takes time. Got it set, and he has medication to help the bones knit together faster. Could have gone to a necromancer and that might have been faster... but there's something to be said for tradition and our native plants and their abilities to help with the healing."

"Right, with the gum and such," Lia nodded. She was not overly familiar, but she had nothing but time. It did not hurt to take a glance at the books to help herself pass the time, especially since there was an overview of Necromancy in Hilana's larger book that offered insight and instruction into the basics of the world magic disciplines. "And you had a lesson?" She prompted her, curious, and wanted to know what her little sister was studying and playing around with.

"Alchemy," Hilana nodded. "With Domina Clelia. It was arranged by the Sentinels. I don't know if she was one, I don't know why or how they are connected... but I'm glad. She's lovely, but really strict. We are working on improving my solution for star thistle restoratives in order to amplify the amount of healing that they can do in less time."

[Rickter]

Pacts, Symphonies, and Spirits

Glade 71st, 123rd Year, A.o.S.

The lupine demigod chuckled heartily when the younger sister apologized for the repetitive bookwork they'd put him through. Truthfully while some of it might've challenged his attention span a little, he had found nothing but interest from all that they had to teach him. All the same, the idea of practicing and changing things up did appeal to him a little. "It's quite alright. We're in a safe and controlled environment, so getting my bearings has been easier in the long run." He reasoned fairly confidently with a rise in his shoulders, his arms briefly crossed as he noticed the fact he'd garnered their attention.

Indeed he had been observing more than just the lessons they were providing him. Their time spent researching together has been majorly insightful on things, particularly, on possible ideas he'd adopted once he realized his potential with magic. "You're correct on that one, Lia." He murmured with a smile before he started to sip from his tea, admittedly a little fascinated with how she elaborated on the process. While he had indeed thought of a similar step-by-step process, the overarching concept of it all remained the same in the end. "Thank you," he shared with a gentle nod of his head in regards to their expressed faith, "I've no doubt that Negation may seem... limited on how we may apply it here. But I feel it in my bones, this is something I can do if given just a bit more time."

His assurance came with a smile of confidence in turn, having felt a sense of familiarity sink in when he thought of the magic involved. Negation would obviously be at the heart of it, but he would undoubtedly rely on Semblance and even Nyx to a degree. Regardless, he was positive he could remove the Void of Athalia completely, making her a separate entity from it and giving her the freedom of living a life free of it. Hearing the kind of day that Hilana had went through, however, piqued interest from the wolf with a raise of an eyebrow. She was setting bones right and saving children's lives, along with taking up lessons in her spare time as well.

The younger sister hardly ever knew rest, that much he ascertained, but that was just another faucet about her that he adored. Lana always acted with the interest of others above her own, and that compassion was what kept him both warm and grounded as he were. If Lykos had awoken alone and wandered out from that tree in such a state, he felt certain he would've grown cold as the North itself before too long. "Look at you being a heroine as usual. Keep saving the day, and you might never know rest again, young lady." The wolf mused to the woman with a gentle smile, taking another sip from his tea before he rested the cup down.

"So, what's left to tackle for the day?" He mused to the sisters with a playful grin, suspective of the fact they'd tackle discerning his final rune no doubt.

"Every side attacks you when you don't pick sides."

[Hilana Chenzira]

"If you think it's possible, then I believe it is," Hilana smiled at them when Lykos offered his thoughts on the matter. She had faith in the lupine demigod, once he got his bearings and could sit and assess Lia. She had never heard tell of Negation being able to do that, but she was also rather ignorant of it and its possibilities... out of pure spite. That was her father's Rune, and their eldest sister's Rune, and for that reason alone, she had spent exactly zero time and effort on anything to do with it... except for refusing it no matter how many times he had tried to bestow it on her. Lia wasn't about to go there. As stubborn as she was, she had to admit that there was some good aspects to that same stubbornness.

Her tenacity was what she needed to thrive in this life, if she had decided to turn away from the easy road. Lia understood, now, that everyone walked their own path. What might have served her did not necessarily mean it would serve her little sister. Just as all three Elementalists in the room bore the same Rune... each was different.

"Hilana rarely rests anyway," Lia teased her sister, sipping the hot tea and relaxing in her chair. "I'm pretty sure she would need some of her concoctions to knock her out if we wanted to see her actually get some sleep. That's the Wildness in her for you. But where are we starting today, soror?"

The girl was mid-bite into her wedge of positively sinful baklava at Athalia's question, but she didn't let that stop her. "Reaving," she managed once she had swallowed the sticky confection. Hilana licked the honey off of her fingers before wiping them on a fabric napkin, and reached for her rucksack for the first of the books. "And it's just doing my job. Well, one of them. I need to get a second one next season if I want to get more knowledge about poisons. It's one thing to be able to use the ring to go to Tertium and see Great-Aunt Eliana, but it would be smarter to do something close to here, too. Learn everyone else's recipes, too," her grin was impish.

"You are something," Lia sighed. "But better you learn from someone trained rather than just flailing around with it yourself."

"Gratias," she beamed at her, and opened up the book on Reaving. "So Reaving is a magic that is suited to combat and conflict," Hilana told Lykos, her big brown eyes on him. "But the basics of it means you would have weapons that are pacted - that is, they are bound to your soul. And you can materialize them at will. Which is to say, some Reavers are walking armouries, and they choose what to bring to them. Some have many... some have a few. Some may only use one. But making a weapon a pact weapon can become very powerful indeed." She flipped through the pages, her eyes reading quickly to find what she was looking for. "So to materialize a pacted weapon, you will concentrate on your Rune and will your weapon into being present."

[Rickter]

Pacts, Symphonies, and Spirits

Glade 71st, 123rd Year, A.o.S.

The humor in the banter between the ladies rubbed off on Lykos rather easily, as it garnered a reactionary chuckle out of him when he listened to the two. Truthfully, he wanted to believe that he actually could cleanse Athalia, but at the very least he could still work out possible wards for her safety along the way. If anything, it was an idea he didn't just want to think possible, it was a goal he wanted to see himself pursue down the line.

The limitations of Negation may have certainly applied but for Lykos, there was a sense of consideration on how he could apply principles. Most of it of course was just theories, thoughts he'd only mulled over since he was still in the process of recovery. Reaving had been their subject of approach for the day, a discipline that revolved around the art of combat and weaponry at its heart.

To Lykos, there felt a sense of familiarity dancing on the edges of his mind, an elusive feeling though given that he couldn't recall ever using the Rune prior. "That's interesting, to say the least." He admitted aloud with a curled finger underneath the whiskers of his chin, curious as to what sort of weaponry might remain at his disposal.

It was a rather big fellow, after all, maybe he might've wielded larger swords or massive great axes. Who was to say in that regard, but either way, it was about to turn into a rather interesting experiment on his behalf. "Soulbound weaponry would imply that one has familiarity or even expertise with whatever they've bound themselves to."

The fact was ruminated upon aloud just for the sake of clarity, since they were all discussing the principles of magic from a theoretical standpoint. The concepts laid out before him always remained sound, but therein remained the challenge, which was that Lykos hadn't quite grasped his identity both physically and spiritually. So who was to say he'd just materialize a Pact weapon easily, much less discover that part of him that remained a stranger even to this day? There was only one way to find out...

Lykos looked down at his hand as he moved it from underneath his chin, contemplating what he might exactly possess in this magical arsenal of his. "Well... Here goes nothing." The motive remained simple at best, try and channel aether through his Reaving rune, and see if he might release something that rested within his soul. Attempting the first part of this took no small effort to be sure, as the rune upon his nape started to glimmer in response to the excess aether he channeled. However, nothing seemed to respond as he watched his hand for something.

Come on now, materialize already damn you... He might've briefly strained just to put in more effort, only to find that no result stemmed from the added concentration. He lowered his hand for a moment then and rested it on the table, and within a couple of seconds after, the rune no longer glowed upon his skin. He'd wanted something small at least, nothing potentially dangerous to grip either, though that might've been too specific. Was there a requirement or trick to it he just hadn't caught on with yet?

This already perplexed Lykos, enough to where he leaned over to glance at the book, and skim over the page Hilana had read over moments before his attempt. "Looks as though it'll require more than just channeling aether." Something told him he'd need to reach deeper than before, and try to grasp what all he might possess as a Reaver.

"Every side attacks you when you don't pick sides."

[Hilana Chenzira]

"Just so," Hilana agreed when Lykos said that it should imply some familiarity with the weapon. "Most initiates with them here use blades, though I've seen others that use others. Halberds, polearms, staves, and so on." She was quite certain that Lykos probably had a sword as big as he was tucked away somewhere if he was a Reaver, but it was just a matter of focusing on it. And surely he was a Reaver. Someone that was built like him, with the physical conditioning and strength that he had, especially since he had that many Runes, she would have been shocked if that was not one of them.

"Maybe try thinking about a sword. A big one," Lia offered, holding her cup of tea with both hands. "And then focus the aether through your Rune." She was no Reaver, and she had zero interest whatever in taking the Rune, but she did understand it on a rudimentary level. "Materialization is a relatively simple process, and shouldn't take much more than a thought, but then again... normally a Reaver knows their pacted weapons," she was not unkind. She knew the words might have come across as a little unfair, considering the situation, though she didn't mean for them to be. "Perhaps that's what the block is, thinking about the weapon. But we will figure it out. There's a whole arsenal available here, and if we have to go weapon by weapon to try to make a connection, then we've got the time to do it," she smiled at Lykos.

They had faith in him. It might take some thinking and figuring it out, because Reaving was such a unique Rune in this regard. That knowing his history was going to be key to understanding it. But inversely, if they were able to figure it out with him, they might just learn more about Lykos and his past, too. "If need be, I can drag you out to one of the Reavers that I know that regularly initiates others. He might be able to help." Hilana added.

[Rickter]

Pacts, Symphonies, and Spirits

Glade 71st, 123rd Year, A.o.S.

The Lupine Draegir listened intently as he considered what Hilana suggestively shared with him, regarding the plethora of weaponry that a Reaver could possibly be well versed with. It was one thing when there was intimate familiarity residing between blade and wielder, but when the slate had been wiped clean for Lykos, that in itself posed a bit of a challenge to make true.

At Athalia's suggestion of thinking of a "big" sword, the Draegir couldn't help but slightly tilt his head with a slight grin. He supposed that it made sense given his size and stature, grasping the point of her insight before he contemplated the faucets of the Rune himself. As a Reaver, he should have felt something of a connection to the weaponry that was bound to his soul. Lykos had only recently studied that part of himself through Semblance, but that state of reflection wasn't used to glean information relevant to Reaving at the time.

If I had yielded anything worth learning from that experience... He had started with himself mentally before gazing down at his hand, his thoughts spent on what he might've possibly wielded prior to forgetting. No. None of that matters, this is a simple exercise and nothing more. Now... All he had to do was pick a weapon and try to materialize it. Such an act shouldn't have been so hard if he could only determine what experiences he might've had with weapons prior to.

He understood himself to be a defender and pondered the probability of a shield, if anything, since he possessed the Rune of Negation and that seemed to bear his strongest affinity. Yet because of that, it also challenged the longevity of how well that went hand in hand. A mage who utilized both physical and arcane shields with his magic seemed indomitable, but that also challenged him with limitations as a Reaver in general. Shields were hardly appropriate weapons no matter how you looked at them, better suited for defense over offense when you closed the gap between you and the enemy.

Think. Whether it's a blade or not, I simply need to grasp it mentally somehow, and see if it's Pacted in my arsenal to give it a try. As a warrior the options were limitless and given he originated from the North, he pondered what weaponry might've been available to him based on those assumptions. Regardless, it was enough to help him draw a conclusion, to say the least. A longsword seemed feasible but did not match the quota in his mind, and the longer he thought on it, the more he considered what felt right based on something else he used to determine the choices at hand.

Athalia suggested bigger swords earlier and Lykos had to ponder for a minute, as to what type of swords likely resided in that category altogether. Falchions did come to mind but they didn't seem to populate the Northern culture like he would've expected, even with his limited grasp on what the culture was there. Lykos contemplated the possibility of a broadsword since they're typically one-handed but could often be utilized with two, and his hands did often feel as though they wielded something weightier than that.

"That might not be a bad call," he then regarded to Hilana when she suggested finding another Reaver within the citadel, "they could potentially help me rediscover something I don't know. But... let me see..." Lykos considered the weightier part and thought of the larger swords that existed, the huge blades that quite regularly required two hands just to swing them about. The Lupine Draegir remained transfixed on the palms of his hands as he thought to bring them together, as if he were on the verge of grasping the hilt of a claymore or something just as heavy.

Familiarity tinged throughout the muscle fibers of his forearms and wrists when he did, and with a steady intake of breath he deeply reached within himself to engage on that feeling. To manifest a two-handed blade that would rest firmly between his hands. Lykos then channeled his aether through his Rune of Reaving, activating the first ability to see what exactly he would materialize within the air he grasped. The Rune on his nape shimmered briefly in response.

And then with a brief flourish of light that flashed between his hands downward toward the ground, metal took form in between his palms as he felt the intensive weight of a massive sword rest within them. A Greatsword. Not as quite familiar as he'd hoped when his hands gripped it, but the sensations there were as close as he'd get with them in the meantime. Still... the heavy blade threatened to topple downward if raised, suggesting to Lykos that he was in fact a warrior of plausible strength in the end.

"There." He remarked as he shifted the hilt so that the blade's tip would poke into the sands beneath his feet, his eyes observantly upon the weapon as it bore no remarkable features to notice. "Not quite what I anticipated but... it's a start." The sword itself was taller than Lykos by at least a couple of feet, with the body of the blade thick with steel that could slice a pillar or tree in half. "I still think a fellow Reaver could help me explore the other possibilities, but, I'd call this a success after the amount of time it took to give it a try."

The Lupine Draegir regarded them with a modest grin across his lips.

"Every side attacks you when you don't pick sides."

[Hilana Chenzira]

They would make it work, one way or another. They had to figure out these mystery Runes, and while the individuality of every Rune was a welcome aspect of it, it did make identifying them difficult. She did know a fair few Reavers - Raithen was one, Phocion was another, Arvaelyn, Finn, and a whole cadre of soldiers, many of whom she had looked after and assessed following their initiations. She could reach out to them and see what they thought and could do. She just needed to be mindful, since Lykos was here at the Citadel, and he was there for a reason.

Involving those beyond the Sentinel order would be a risky decision. But there was no shortage of Reavers here, either, and if she asked around, she could likely find another one without having to bother Phocion unduly. But she had seen him in action on the Mount, between Reaving and Kinetics and Elementalism, and that had been a spectacle. Raithen was quite impressive with it, too, and she did know that he had wanted the opportunity to spar with the demigod. But this was a theoretical thing, and she didn't know if she would be able to get these answers right away from these books.

And then, all of a sudden, there was a substantial sword appearing out of thin air. "Founders," she stared at the overwhelming size of it. He was already a good size, and this sword? How in the name of the Gods did one use it? Maybe it was also in tandem with kinetics, because if she hadn't known he was Rathari, she'd have expected that blade to belong to a Moratallen. "I look forward to seeing you somehow use that in some situation or training, because it could cleave a horse in two. Maybe a water bison. How in the... why?" She couldn't help laughing. Lia just shook her head in wonder.

Unbelievable. But they had succeeded, at least, in identifying it. And now they could relax with their treats. And if Hilana teased him about the length of his... sword.... well.

[Talisman]

Review

Name: Lykos

XP: 10 Points, no magic
Injuries/Ailments: None
Loot: None

Name: Hilana Chenzira

XP: 10 Points, no magic
Injuries/Ailments: None
Loot: None

Notes: That was painstaking work, but they did at least help him learn about himself.