Into the Unknown

[Rickter]

Into the Unknown

Frost 86th, 124th Year, A.o.S.

Everything that was happening almost occurred too fast, too quick paced for any singular or ordinary mortal to follow. And yet, Hannah worked brilliantly in tandem with Mathias, blinking at different positions to test other angles with her pistols, while each paired volley of castor shells shot at the creature smashed into the morphous beast that the group continued to battle. The young knight himself was emboldened by the extra defenses bolstered on him, granting Rickter more opportunity to generate a lodestone of ice imbued with another dosage of Negation magic.

However, the cascading ice he sent forth had not hit the target since the beast they fought seemed frantic initially, the spikes of ice just shy of their mark as the thing now seemed more defensive on the retaliation factor. Tentacles for arms had oozed and solidified as these tendrils reached out to grasp Mathias, which in turn, led Talon to react quickly now that his young squire was in immediate danger. "Talon!!" He screamed out at the top of his lungs, a rising desperation felt within his heart as Lykos finished implementing the final activation ward within the lodestone they created.

Any more seconds that passed would've nearly resulted in their dear and beloved Synnekar being devoured, or at least, torn apart to still feed the beast that had now gotten its wicked tendrils and maw on Talon. Just when danger had found a hand to hold with demise, however, something miraculous took root within the Wolf as he felt every fiber of his being alight with burning passion. "Tal-" Just as Hannah and Mathias were bound to scream and cry out for their wounded deity, the ice spikes that were generated before glimmered with a sheen of aether, before a cascade of ice and snow plowed out from beneath the creature's form.

What happened as the body of that creature's lower half became struck with ice stalactites, however, was an unrelenting rush of wind and snow as though an avalanche had actually caught the knight and rogue in their tracks. All around them, frigid winds whirled to block their path and vision, whilst an unyielding cold seeped through them until it filled their being with a warmth not unlike Arcas' own flame.

---

The moment he felt himself slipping away, and the white hot pain claimed him, a sudden cold seeped into his soul to numb and ease the pain. Talon's figure had only loosened somewhat from the tendrils of the beast from the initial wave of ice, which had speared the beast from underneath before a wicked blast of diamond dust had assaulted the rest of the creature's body. Sheer cold seeped into the oozing tendrils that burned with green flames, causing steam to radiate where ice threatened to accumulate, until the figure of a massive Lycan wolf reached the Synnekar's body with a mighty swing of his arm.

Tendrils were cleaved off in a mere blink of an eye as the winds howled behind him, Talon's form caught within the furred arms of Rickter as he projected himself forward without a second thought. Time after time, he had seen situations such as this, instances where Talon was put in a position of compromise, where a choice of instance had to be made that somehow always risked the life and welfare of the Synnekar. But not today, nor would that remain such for any longer.

The fading wards of the armor Rickter previously instilled carried out one final duty as the wolf finished riding his wave, the Seeming current he'd generated guiding him back toward the ground as diamond still accumulated on the beast he'd passed. A bloodcurdling roar was heard as his boots raked against the snow-covered ground, the wolf himself twisting to realign his form back toward the beast now that it had a taste of Frost itself. I've had enough of this parasite. Rickter concurred as he willed the fading armor on Talon to absorb any residual corrosion within him, utilizing Osmose to extract the toxicity from Talon's injured form while the aether of Rickter's aura bathed him.

It wasn't entirely intentional on His part, but Rickter felt the depths of his Domain responding to Him just now, embedding the very Idea of it into what now became an Emblem manifesting on Talon's body. Talon, as well as the other two, were blessed with the gift of Frost now as the Wolf rested his comrade down on the snow, so that he might see his beloved companion completely protected while the beast itself also eradicated. For there was no solace from the Wrath that would soon follow Rickter's fixation on the beast.

It's done. The wards didn't cleanse him fully, but Talon is no longer threatened by the creature's corruption.

Good. He remarked with his eyes cast from the near-unconscious Synnekar to the writhing black mass, the tentacles that had been frozen earlier just now shaking off the attack Rickter had unleashed before. "You dare..." His Divine Nimbus manifested in full with bright hues of the aurora, the skies overhead shining brighter now in tandem with the manifestation. "You tread upon my Domain. You invade and infest where you do not belong. Most importantly..." The monster's rows upon rows of teeth flashed toward Rickter now, a hot and heavy breath carrying the stench of rottenly gutted fish assailing his nostrils.

"You DARE threaten members of my pack!" The Wolf spat in disgust as He felt His self and the other side of His being resonate into one singular entity. The creature, having drawn its ire on Him, went in for the attack, tether's coiling about and lunging toward Him as Rickter bent His knees and extended His senses. Directing another current of aether forward past where Talon was lain to rest, the wolf darted forward into what appeared to be a rapid blur. Not quite as instant as the Blink of a Traverser, but just that His actual person seemed to disappear as such. Another abrupt cone of snow and ice erupted behind the Wolf's trajectory, as he slid underneath the beast's maw with his weapon materialized in hand.

With a flash of light that flourished down along the blade of his bastard sword, the blade of Way to Dawn gleamed with Dawnfire that became surrounded by an aurora. Rickter's arms cleaved furiously at the tendrils that immediately assailed him, cutting them apart in one swoop as the gustful impact of his advance shoved the beast several feet back. Sending the creature into a retreatful stagger, its maw threatened to snap at him, boasting a vengeful clap at His form while the Wolf dipped his shoulders back to tuck away. Now, as he rolled backwards onto his feet beneath the beast, the Wolf pivoted to perform a spiraling cleave all around His figure, to cut at the appendages further as the culmination of Frostfire sought to burn away at the parts cleaved.

The aberrant monster was sent reeling now as the full Fury of Rickter overtook His senses, leading in to charge and assail the beast once more while Hannah joined Mathias to check on Talon and further dress the Synnekar's wounds. "Hold on Talon, help is coming!" She urged as she drew off the pack from her shoulder, determined to reach down inside and fish out any salves or potions she had on hand.

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

[Paragon]

The Plane of Ice came alive as frozen winds, deadly spikes of ice, and bitter cold was mixed with fires that burned paradoxically with frigid intensity. Before the uncontained Wrath of the Winter King. Called to action by the presence of their Lord, a howl echoed through the winds that battered the oily creature. As the aurora of Rickter's nimbus shone like a beacon across the Plane of Ice, that light heralded the arrival of a pack of dire wolves whose wintry coats glistened with the power of the ice realm. Without hesitation the wolves leapt at the creature, joining their Pack Lord. Every swing of Rickter's sword was followed by a gnashing of teeth and frost. The monster's body was frozen, shattered, broken and whittled away relentlessly. The wolves moved instinctually, being exactly where Rickter needed them, when he needed them.

Until with a final swing of his sword and fury, the body of the creature was covered in ice only to be shattered completely.

Rage would coil itself inside of Rickter. A cold fury that painted the world in an icy sheen.

Why was he always one moment too late?

One movement too slow?

The anger swelled. Wrath coiled inside of him. Something settled into place as the glory of Rickter's nimbus grew brighter. Another symbol took its place. The purest meaning of the concept that became His to keep, His to guide, His to guard.

But the taking of Wrath was not without Contest. Another essence clung to it still. Faded. Weakened. Diminished…but still there. As the cold fury of Rickter's Wrath manifested, another sought to sink its teeth into the weft and weave of his soul. A voice---or was it several voices?---echoed around Rickter.

S̸̨͈͔͎̼̏u̶̢̢̺͎̭̫͊̌̇c̴̯̮͖͕͓̍̌̎̏͑h̶̯̫̘͓̑͐̚ ̸̧̐̆͑͐͌͠a̵̮̦̩͚͆͘͝n̵̢̨̻͚̊́g̵̗̾͂̍͝è̸̺͔̦͛̀̌͘r̵͚̂̓̈́͘…̶̣̼́͌͜p̸̱̯̯̟̀̈́̚ȃ̶̬́̽̈́ţ̴̤̳̉͌͋̌̎h̷̯̞͈̥̼͚̕e̴̮͔̋͌̋̂ͅţ̵̧̨̳̫̱̑i̴͉̤̟̥̹͊̇̐̑c̶̼͉̩̥̊̀̊ͅ.̸͉́̚

Such anger…pathetic.

The symbol of Wrath in Rickter's nimbus warped. It writhed and twisted as this Presence crept its way into Rickter's soul, seeking not harmonize but to devour.

You do not know it.

Ȳ̷̳̊́o̴̪͇͍̅̂̌ṷ̸̧͖̺̭̃͒̅̌͝ ̴̞̫͂̈́͝d̸̢͍̮̼̥̅́̌̓̎ô̶̪͖̞ ̴͉̫̲̝́̀̈́ņ̷̓͝o̸̜͈̼͆̾̅̿t̷̺̦͙̜̭̣͗ ̷̡̼̬̮̤̤̄̾̉͐̕͝ķ̴̡͎̖̓͒̿͑͌͝ǹ̸͔̠̖̝̖͇͌̓̾͌͘o̴̤͐̒̆͑̓͠w̵̨̥͓̝̠̄͂͊͋͘͠ ̴̞̰̘̜̘̇̏

You cannot wield it. It is not yours.

N̴̮̎ȏ̴͉͉̱͔̟͓̽̂̾͛ṭ̷̬̘͈͖͐̔̀̕ͅ ̸͙̻͓̲͐y̷̨̲͕̠̲͛̽͠o̵̪͙͔̮̿̎͗̐̐ṵ̴̢͇̼̍̓͊̾͠r̶̹͎͔̣̓̐̏͋s̷̭͑̑̊͘...

Sickness sought to spread its way through the divine crown that manifested over Rickter's head. Bile bubbling up from the symbol of Wrath that sought to infect all that was around it.

It is mine.

M̸̧̮̊̊̈́͠I̵̢͙̺̹͂̔̃̒N̷̛̳̭̝̯̉͂͆͆̒Ę̴̮̙̆̒̓́͘

Snow and ice began to grow around him. The winds and the wolves howled.

What do you know of it? You are not worthy. You are a dog. Owned by others. You would claim godhood? You are not even the god of your own self.

D̷̮̠̩̯̣͒̂̿͐̾o̵̫̼̳͑̚g̶͔̭̲̩̾̏͒͛̕.̵̭̣̊̈ ̷̠̥́̈́̕͝ͅŎ̷̹͉̩͆̈͗͛͝w̵̨͓͂͝n̸̺͊̽̎̀͌̕ę̵̣̱̫̊̿d̷̡̪͕͍͆͂̏̀͠.̴̫͈̟͔̗̰͋̈̈́̈́͐ ̶̥͔̝̐̆̈́͝͝N̴̟͉̙͓͒͒̏͊͑o̸̦̝̝̜̟͆̏̒̇̚͘t̴̡̞͈̋̓ͅ ̸̟͈̼̝̓͌w̵̘̥̾̽͋̌̄o̸͚͚̿̈̅̂͛̕r̶̝̠̠̖̬̃͘t̷̺̟͈͌͆͌̓̄͝h̸͊̈́̀͘͜͝y̴̩̦͇̱͈͑́̃͑͌.̴͇͒́̉̎͗̎͜͜

Visions of the chains that tied him to foreign gods such as Avaerys and Varvara showed in his sight. The Bond he shared with Talon became a noose around his neck, a hand gripping his heart in a vicelike grip. The duality he shared with Lykos. A cage around his mind. What were these burdens? These things that made him owned by others than himself? What use were they?

Tools. All of them. Tools to control. To render Rickter powerless and subservient. The ice shelf that they stood on rumbled as more of that sickly blackness latched onto Rickter's nimbus and crept its way into his soul, smothering everything in its path.

B̸̳̫͓̭̳̈́͛̂̑̚r̸̲̯̙͚̭̂ͅo̵̦̞̝̿k̵̟͍̙̹̾͒e̵̲͓̪̺͗n̸̨̝̹̜̣̓ͅ

.̵̢͛͆ ̴̧̧̪͇̈̑̐̊

Ẁ̸̰̠͔͌̒̈́͝r̴̀̀̉̄̉̚͜ḛ̶̡̤̗̦̇̀̊̆̏t̸̤̰̍̐c̶̡̧̻͖̙̍̈́̉̀̕̚h̷̹̘́̄͑́e̴͙͂̌̏d̵͈͈̩̎̀

.̶̗͛̿͑́̆ ̴̧͚̃̿̅̎ͅ

Ŵ̴̗̝ĥ̷͉͉̮͂ĕ̶͎̇͂̚͠l̵̤̋p̵̧͉͕̺̀́̒

.̴͖̟͇̺̽̆͊̂̾̈

You are not Wrath.

I…am Wrath.

Ạ̸̎̽n̶̛̹͎̱̐d̷̫͕̿̕ ̸͙̤͙̽̿̽Ì̴̩͔̗͋̿ ̸͔̤̹͊͘ş̶̜͇̐h̷̛͇̒ǎ̴̛̝̜ĺ̷̘̤̭̀͝l̸̹͚͍̈́͊͆ ̴̳̭̩̾ḽ̸̡̆ḭ̷̘̭͐v̴͍̿̄e̸̺̺̼̓́̓ ̶̼͐̂͝ȁ̴̺̲̾g̴̜̼͔̍ȁ̴̧̛͔͔ḭ̶̞̲̅n̵̦͍̋̂ͅ.̷̬̀

A war began in Rickter's soul. A war for Himself.

[Talon]

T A L O N

Talon's awareness ebbed and flowed. One moment he saw razor sharp teeth. The next he felt himself being scooped up into arms whose warmth he knew quite well. He felt comforting cold wrap itself around the painful heat that had bled into his whole body. The throbbing pain in his wing and shoulder eased. Talon clung to that coolness that made the pain fade, even if only slightly.

Slowly, consciousness came back to him as he felt hands gingerly prop him up. He hissed, eyes opening as Mathias lifted him so that Talon's upper torso was angled slightly to allow for easier inspection of his injury.

“I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…” Talon looked up to see Mathias face pale with fright. He could feel how distraught his knight was. More than that, he could feel Mathias already blaming himself. Talon reached out to clasp a hand over Mathias own. He squeezed it gently, throat still a little raw from his screams of pain. That drew his knight's attention.

“Wounds…” Talon cleared his throat. “Wounds will heal.”

As Hannah slid close to him, pack opening to dig for salves or potions, he gave her a nod of thanks.

Talon watched as the wolves came running, called to the side of the Winter King. He could feel the fury and anger building up inside of Rickter. The soothing cool that had stolen away the worst of the pain that he felt began to change. It became less of a comfort and more of a twisted icy spike that was slowly driving its way into him. He heard a hiss of surprised pain. He looked at Mathias as the young man held up his left hand, watching as ice began to cover it. The ice spread and before he could stop it, Mathias whole body was encased in ice. He looked over to Hannah to see that she was frozen with a look of shock on her face.

That was when he heard it. A voice he did not recognize.

Talon looked back to Rickter, witnessing as the light of his wolf's nimbus began to blacken with unnatural bile. Fear threaded itself through him. Talon stood up, stumbling slightly as his broken wing and wounded arm flared with pain. He pushed through it.

He heard every word.

He ignored them.

One step at a time, Talon made his way over to Rickter as this invasive presence sought to overtake his bondmate. Cold sweat covered his body and he stumbled with every step, battling both the pain and the winds that howled around him. Until he stood before Rickter. Across the Bond he pushed through his own pain and weariness just as he reached out to physically touch Rickter's face.

“Rickter? Come back to me, my wolf.” Talon curled his fingers into the fur of the Lycan in front of him. “Come back.”

[Rickter]

Into the Unknown

Frost 86th, 124th Year, A.o.S.

If Rickter was anything it was usually restraint due to the severity his strength and power possessed, and such a concept existed long before he ever ascended to become the King of Frost. However, once pushed to that edge, it was nearly impossible for him to refrain, and often times, embracing the chaos that followed usually came with consequences born from his own fallout.

This was yet another one of those times. As he'd finished his battle with the aberrant beast that followed him in, the fury that flowed through his veins developed a will so fierce, even the hounds of the Ice were beckoned to accompany his war cry. Thus, as the Wolf skidded and darted around, hacking and slashing, avoiding every writhing tentacle that dared to retaliate, every bit of life and limb became severed from the monster's main body.

Beasts of brilliant white and epic scale were there to aid his attacks, their frigid teeth gnawing and tearing at every other limb, their claws raking into the bubbling skin of the creature they overpowered. The monster they fell went from a writhing mass to a frigid blob, the bellows that were cried cut short as chunk after chunk of the creature broke away. Until all that remained was just several large steaming pieces from the body, which even that grew to freeze as the cold seeped deeper into the dead creature's flesh. There would be no peace or escape from the hellish agony the Lord of Frost had wrought upon it, for it ever dared to revive itself or reincarnate in any form, there would always be a scar upon it from what it had experienced today.

And yet...

---

As Hannah had reached inside to fish something useful out, by chance, one of the leftover Jovmandr's Elixirs that Rickter had bought them a while back, then there was the chance Talon would remain physically unscathed from this ordeal. Relatively speaking, of course. Yet, something was off when she experienced a different sensation. A cold that was not unlike what Rickter had filled her with before, but certainly not the same that had been accompanied by the warmth of his presence either.

She'd reached out with a look of shock on her face, hopeful that she might draw attention to the immediate situation, only to find that no hope remained for her or for Mathias as he, too, became frozen over. The moment of respite that they had hoped to gain, all of that came crashing down in an instant, only because something suspicious took root deeply in the depths of the Wolf's very soul.

Rickter, now standing abroad with his back to the group, had not only been surrounded but purely enveloped by the light of His new claim. The Domain of Wrath, which would've been His to declare, were it not already under the grip of another who had a claim to it prior. Earlier, once Rickter had set his ire upon the aberrant monster, there was a clarity that came with the rage, a deep-seated anger that he could concentrate all that aggression upon. Now, however, that same anger merely roiled inside as it threatened to swallow him whole, to consume him as it did before when...

When...

Telion flashed in his mind, and as he sought to wrestle control, a voice with an onset echo resonated throughout his entire being. Feeling the light of his Nimbus warp and distort the aurora surrounding him, paled, and the vivid light within his eyes had turned ominous now that he stood still as a statue in the dead of quiet. He had heard this voice before but in his own tone before, now, though, now he could finally understand where they truly came from.

Dark and fierce doubts about himself had always been a plague on his mind, yet this voice (this entity) literally sought to drown him out and overtake his will. You think me pathetic? There was a curt tone of offense before the Wolf gave the thought a moment, the pondrance met with a subtle affirmation on his own behalf when the circumstances were considered.

He did have chains that bound him, chains that weren't his to mind to begin with, were it not for the other half of His being that forged them at the time. Rickter felt antagonized by the entity as it seeped deeper and deeper into his soul, clamoring for control it did not deserve to demand or even usurp. R-k-r Lykos reached out to him, but it was far too out of reach, practically a whisper upon a sea of static compared to the voices in his mind and soul.

So you're intention is to return using me as a proxy? Rickter's thoughts confirmed as he felt his muscles spasm, convulsions to resist the gradual sensations which threatened to overtake him in every shape and form. Mind, body, and soul would become whatever this Outside influence was, that is, if the Wolf were in such a mood to allow such things to transpire within His self.

Now who's wretched and broken? His jaw might've actually clenched from the spite He possessed with such a statement, but deep inside Rickter's heart and soul, this interaction between him and Wrath's previous possessor had started to take a turn. The sad part is, you might've actually had a point earlier. A warmth radiated deep within Rickter, and within that abyss he felt pulled within, the Wolf looked up to whatever Outside influence was dominating His soul.

That warmth which came from Talon burned hotter in His soul now, allowing the rage that roiled within him to be harnessed once again. Rickter!! Flashes of his loved ones filtered through now that Lykos had reached out to him clearly, giving the Wolf enough clarity to take all the essence of ice He felt accumulating within and on His self, and pouring it into the rage he pitted toward the voice that challenged Him so.

You want to live again? Sure. You want to reclaim what I took from you? Try it! As He felt Talon's gentle caress, Rickter's arm reached out to firmly grasp the King of Dawn's forearm, not out of self-preservation but for more of the support his Bondmate provided for Him. But just remember, these Bonds aren't my cage; they're my armor! Mustering the will within His soul, Rickter poured every ounce of effort in redirecting the turbulent rage inside him, allowing the Outside voice to taste firsthand what true, unrelenting fury could be.

Dare to touch or tamper with them again, A clicking could be heard in his jaw as the Wolf literally drew blood from the corner of His lip, and I'll condemn you to a life wrought with unending frigid misery. Rickter thought of all that he loved and all that made Him feel angered, empowered, and driven to drown the voice's influence out with the might of cold, unyielding fury.

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

[Talon]

T A L O N

Momentary surprise filtered through the influence that wormed its way into Rickter. That was soon replaced with dark amusement.

Misery? Curious.

Power swelled and the faded symbol of Wrath was ripped away from Rickter's nimbus, pulled back to its wielder who held yet a greater claim to the Idea. Wrath, it seemed, was not his to claim this day.

You are a candle in a hurricane, Little Wolf…

…and soon you will be extinguished.

Ẽ̴̛͎̖͆͌͘x̷͍̹̎̈̀ṫ̸̥̫̈́̀͝͠ḯ̶͓̬̫͙̍̎̆n̴͔̘͔̍̌̌̍͠ͅg̷̛͚͍̝͑͝ǘ̴͎̻͙̯͍̇̾̆̎͘i̸͚̿̓̈s̴̩̰̐͛̽̇̈́͠ḧ̷̲̭͔̖̳́é̵̦̹̪͎̹d̶̨̝͕́͆͗̏͜

---

As the conflux of energies faded and the struggle for dominance over an Idea ended, Talon gripped Rickter tightly. The winds around them died down. As the chaos of the moment passed, Talon turned slightly. He exhaled, a breath of silver dawnfire flowing out of him to wash over the ice that covered both Mathias and Hannah. He watched as the Emblem on Mathias body glowed brighter, wrapping the young knight's body in the silver flames. The ice broke away in chunks and water, flowing onto the frozen surface of the shelf they stood on. He watched as the ice melted away from Hannah as well before slumping against Rickter.

He could still feel the poisonous influence of the creature in his bloodstream. It was interfering with his ability to reshape his Mortal Seeming in order to mend the worst of the injuries that he had suffered.

The shadows around them swelled, rising up from the ground and from them burst forth a towering figure of fire and darkness. Rage, panic, and an overwhelming desire to protect sprung forth across the Bond for both Talon and Rickter to feel. As the shadow kissed flames quieted, Aoren stood there. He was fully armored, draconic scales present in places on his features. Claws extended from his hands where he gripped lethal looking blades wrapped in fire that was touched with a whisper of his Dragoncraft. His raven wings were extended in clear agitation but as soon as he saw Talon, the pact blades vanished from his hands and he was sprinting forward, sliding across the ice to draw both Talon and Rickter into a careful embrace.

“What the fuck happened!?” A dragon's eyes looked at Rickter. When one of the icy wolves moved to step closer, Aoren bared his teeth emitting a growl. The wolf immediately stopped but did not back away. It looked to Rickter as if awaiting further guidance.

[Rickter]

Into the Unknown

Frost 86th, 124th Year, A.o.S.

A feeling Rickter wasn't used to indulging in washed over Him as he listened to the Outside influence venerating through Him. There were always those times in life when certain rushes of emotion overwhelmed Him due to being caught off guard, but then, there were those times when He felt the temptation to embrace the chaos within that emotion. Such seemed to be the case in this instance, where the seizure of the Idea He'd claimed had seen it retaken, and with it, a residual hunger that the Wolf had not expected to feel.

A hunger that would've outright scared Him if he had taken time to contemplate it before, yet now, Rickter's taste of what that Idea could've been seemingly left Him wanting more. That so? Now, I'm intrigued... He reluctantly mused as part of his lips wanted to shift, but the underlying smirk remained overpowered but the scowling frown resting in His expression. Rickter's form softened in the areas He remained tensed, and even his towering Lycan form started to shrivel.

The hairs of his exposed body receded, and steam radiated where muscle mass strained, as though the heat off Rickter's body burned hotter during the reversion of His form. And while His eyes never once shifted from the overhead gaze held prior, the reality of what took place had finally sunk in with the Wolf. The taste of iron on his tongue signified the sharp clenching of his jawline earlier, where fangs likely tore a bit into his gumline now that tension eased in those tight spaces. Nothing his own mortal coil wouldn't heal from quickly, even if a minor jawache was the worst that would come.

But the rest? His heartbeat remained erratic, and the weariness of his rage started to settle, like a stormfront which whirled overhead in passing. Terror and elation were both feelings that still lingered on his mind as he identified those emotions first, before the release of their fellow companions helped the Wolf to ground himself in the present moment at hand.

Talon laid into him over the shoulder with his wounds still rather grave, likely ready to fester if they remained unchecked at this point. The corruption of those aberrations wasn't something to waste time with, and just as Hannah and Mathias seemed eager to recollect themselves from being thawed out, the arrival of another figure led Rickter's mind to briefly spiral as he whiffed the scent of dragonfire.

Ever the sight he is. The wolf observed as Aoren noticed that threat seemed to linger here, only the baffled company that was present with the injuries they carried. As the dragon drew closer to embrace the two though, a question which stirred grave emotions prompted Rickter to reflect on his answer with consideration. What HAD happened just now?

The white direwolf that stood nearby had paused and remained stationary, looking toward Rickter as if asking for direction or guidance on what to do next. What do I tell Aoren? Not that Rickter felt as though he'd crossed a line, or perhaps, maybe it was likely that he had which prompted him to feel such apprehension. Had he blundered again and failed to consider the consequences behind His actions? Where he thought He moved with purpose and intent before... Had that only hindered both Him and the ones He loved so deeply?

"I... I'm sorry." He started right away with the hopes such wasn't the case, hoping that everything that took place hadn't jaded or hindered Aoren's feelings toward him. "We came here to visit the Plane of Ice, when another one of those weird beasts attacked."

"Then this bad boy went out on a rampage!" Hannah remarked with a slight snark in her tone, unbowed to any looks Aoren might've spared as she stepped up to modestly punch Rickter on the shoulder. "You're lucky the phial wasn't yanked from the bag before you froze us, asshole."

While Rickter could've accepted being called a 'bad boy' for his behavior, the fact he could've frozen a valuable salve that could help his beloved. "Again, I'm sorry, as I don't know what came over me. Regardless," Rickter shifted his gaze from Hannah and Aoren to Talon so that he could get a measure of the wound, having to observe it without Semblance to avoid any grievances with his vision. The bite itself looked astoundingly awful to endure, but even if they failed to protect their intended ward, the armored reinforcements constructed earlier did help a little. Still...

I need to get stronger. Damn it! Frustration roused in his gut and for a moment he wanted to curse the entity that contested Him for the Idea. That'll come later though... For now. Rickter shifted his gaze to his other hand as he'd remembered the lodestone he'd crafted earlier, only, neither that nor his sword were in his possession now that the battle was over. The blade had likely fallen in the snow but it could just be dematerialized afterward, it was the other item in question he needed to seek out immediately.

That was when he looked to the wolf. Oy! The wolf's ears perked as it seemed to acknowledge the prompt, paying Rickter heed as he noted the attentive change in behavior. I must've dropped a magical stone nearby. Care to fetch it for me? The wolf gave a low growl of acknowledgement before sniffing the air, tracing the signatures radiating from Rickter before his nose pointed toward the snow.

While they all had that minute for the wolf to scour through powdered fields on the shelf, Rickter returned his attention to Talon now that Hannah pulled out the vial of elixir she'd reached for before. "A moment, Hannah." He urged her before looking to Aoren to see if he'd help ease Talon down, at least, to allow him to sit on the snow or an ice-made construct. Something to allow the Synnekar to get comfortable instead of standing around, given that what Rickter would need to do required a bit of effort and focus.

"Sorumeito, I'm confident you don't need me to say this, but the essence of that beast is corruption in your veins." Rickter lifted his human hand gently up so that it rested near the shoulder, several injuries away from the injury where Talon would feel the bare press of skin upon his flesh. "I need to see if I can cleanse it from your being, so that the elixir helps expedite your recovery." The way Rickter expressed this was to convey a suggestion to a lover, as he wanted to do this without feeling intrusive upon Talon and Aoren.

After all, what he had to do would require a bit of an intimate approach, and, given that Lykos had achieved this before with someone else, it wasn't by far a difficult thing to achieve as a master Negator. As the direwolf finally brought back the smoothly rounded orb of ice Rickter created earlier, he accepted it with a nod of approval toward the big white beast next to him. Good boy. The acknowledgement of the deed brought a few shakes of the wolf's tail as he sat down, patience in his eyes as he opened his puzzle to pant a few hot breaths.

Just now, He felt the semblance of an Idea rooted within Him there. Perhaps it was due to the fact Rickter already saw his self as a wolf, or maybe it was because He, as a Draegir, felt ready to accept things He didn't care to acknowledge before. All of that would have to remain an afterthought, however, as Rickter personally wanted to see the care his soulmate needed firsthand. Lykos. I know the steps from your memories, but I would appreciate a bit of guidance during my own assessment.

Start with identifying the corruption. Trace the root of its spread throughout Talon, and then see about isolating it from the rest of his form. The other half of His being articulated as Rickter looked at Talon, first endearingly then apologetically, before bowing his head to alter the shift of his focus. Semblance was still a bit too risky to utilize, but there were other ways for Rickter to sleuth out the essence of corruption. Gauging his senses to stir the flow of aether within His body, the Wolf slowly manifested His arcane aura so that it would engulf both him and the two Avialae in His presence.

Allowing the aether to flow out into His aura, the Wolf allowed it to saturate Talon, specifically, into the wound where it could accumulate in concentration and continually flow into him. Utilizing his Rune of Negation to harmonize with the flow he created, Rickter consistently released increments of aether to gradually saturate the deeper parts of the wound further. Moments after that, he could feel the residuals of corruption that fed off the excess dosage of aether, already identifying the properties and the extent to which it had spread within Talon.

"I believe he can be purified, but the process will take a short length of time." He assured Talon and Aoren as he held the ice lodestone up, the anchor within it glinting with a potency of grandmaster craftsmanship.

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

[Talon]

T A L O N

Talon gently reached up to press the flat of his palm against Aoren’s cheek. His partner’s response was immediate. Aoren’s eyes shifted from the wolf to Talon, softening. The dragonfire that raged in his eyes calmed. His posture became less tense, although it was still alert. Gently, he helped Talon into a sitting position, dark wings spreading outward protectively. Each of the tips of the feathers on his wings was alight with a subtle luminance, the power that Aoren wielded over Reaving manifesting as blades quietly waiting to be released in a barrage against any perceived threat.
The dragon pinned both Hannah and Rickter with an annoyed glare.

“Were you anyone else, Rickter, I would have you by the throat.” He looked to Mathias who stood nearby, an almost ashamed look on his face. The dragon did not comment but he did jerk his head, signaling Mathias to join the small circle that had formed.

“Do not be cross with them, beloved. I—” Talon was silenced as Aoren touched the tips of his fingers to his lips. Talon quirked a brow at his husband.

“You are whom I am most annoyed with, love. I am glad you are alive but you will not be leaving my side for quite some time.” Talon almost protested but the hard stare from the dragon made it die on his lips. He sighed, nodding. Mathias joined them, hand resting on one of the daggers that was at his hip. The other hand still had his pistol drawn, his eyes alert for the slightest sign of danger. Clearly he was still struggling with feelings of guilt about how the entire situation went down, regardless of the truth of the matter.

An examination of Talon’s wounds showed what looked to be torn flesh in his shoulder. Exposed muscle bled slightly and the arm of his corresponding wing was bent at an odd angle. Although he was quiet, there was a hard edge to his eyes as he endured the pain. The adrenaline still pumping through his body was helping to numb the worst of it but the corrosive nature of how these beasts ate away at aether was clearly taking a toll on him.

“Were I wearing anything else, I am sure I would have lost my arm and wing. It looks as though I will need to reforge this.” A small gesture to his raiment. He gave a lopsided smile to Rickter. The ensuing growl that rumbled in Aoren’s chest made him reach out, entwining one of their hands together giving it a gentle squeeze. Silver eyes met icy blue as Rickter explained what he needed to do. He nodded. Across the Bond, there were feelings of annoyance from Aoren, something the dragon had made clear but there was no resentment. From Talon, there was weariness from the battle and his injury, but no anger. Both were open and waiting for Rickter to move forward with his plan.