the argyris

[Talon]

the argyris

53 Frost 120 Steel

It was the early hours of the morning. Talon could not say that he was completely confident but this was the final test. It was the final trial of whether or not the final two aspirants were capable. He observed the crumbled ruin that was to serve as the final proving grounds of those who had made the decision to carry forward on this harrowing journey. For the past season, Talon had been reviewing the progress of the men and women who had applied and trained to be members of his personal guard. The contest had come down to just Rickter. He took a deep breath. They had spent the past two seasons preparing for this. They would be ready.

He hoped.

Taking a pouch from the belt upon his hip, Talon opened it and began the slow process of emptying its contents onto the floor in a careful pattern. He walked in a slow circle, letting what looked to be white crystalline sand fall from the pouch as he did so. As he walked he made certain to remain on the interior of the circle that he was creating. Once the outer circle was complete, Talon then began making a smaller inner circle. He finished emptying that first pouch then withdrew a second. Carefully he poured a line of the powder from the northern aspect of the inner circle so that it was connecting the two rings. He repeated this at the eastern, wester, and southern portions of the inner circle until the second pouch was empty.

With the circles in place, Talon let out a low breath. He knelt before the elaborate circle and began concentrating. He focused on the shield enhancement glyphs that he had first seen from Lyra not that long ago. He concentrated on enhancing the powers of negation as he pooled his aether before stirring it into motion. He brought forth his hands building an anchor that he then placed at the northern connector of the inner circle. As he constructed this anchor he imparted to it the task of allowing only a person who carried his personal essence, his aether, his signature to cross the threshold of the outer and inner circle. He impressed upon the anchor the severity of this task and how important it was then set it in place. He then turned to the southern connector as he conjured a second anchor to put in place there. This anchor he impressed upon it the same task as the first only, with the assistance of the glyph he had built to enhance, it would only activate if the outer circle was breached by something not bearing his essence.

To the final two connectors, Talon imparted his power of kinetics to the circles, reinforcing the barriers and doing his best to create a series of failsafes that would protect him in the event that his Negation shields were broken. The first was to be a dome of kinetic force that would erect itself around him. The second was a pulse of kinetic energy that would be released once the dome was activated. Talon brought out a third pouch of sorcerer’s sand and added a few pathways in order to more carefully guide the powers that would be at play within the large glyph circle. As he was making those pathways he saw an error in his creation of the circle and amended it with a convergence point so that the magics in play would not interfere with one another. It was slow and tedious work but it had to be done. It was as he was finishing making a few corrections to the circle and double, triple-checking his work that he heard the sound of heavy booted footsteps coming his way. He turned to see the dark raven wings of his companion and lover spread as he landed nimbly.

“I checked the area. There is a pocket of the creatures not far. There is also...there’s also a Hungered.” The two of them shared a moment of heavy silence before Talon nodded.

“Then undoubtedly they will be drawn here. As they are meant to be.” Aoren worried his bottom lip as he stared at Talon. The young Novalys could feel his partner’s discomfort. There was much uncertainty but they had prepared as much as they could.

Silently the two of them finished warding the area and setting in place several defenses to ensure that if things did go wrong, nobody would be left without a fighting chance. Talon watched as Aoren produced several elemental lodestones. He imbued one of them with the elemental powers of Air. The second he imbued with the powers of Fire. Using more of the sorcerer’s sand, Talon created a bridge between the two that would enable the two lodestones to blend their magic together to create lightning. When the defenses had been put fully in place, both of them turned to a bundle of cloth sitting in a corner. Aoren went over to it and picked it up. The distinct rattle of metal and chains came from it. Talon swallowed. He reminded himself that they were mostly for show. He could break them with a thought.

Aoren must have sensed his nervousness. He tucked the bundle under one arm, grasped him by the chin and kissed his softly. Talon felt the tension in his shoulders lessen. The two of them just breathed.

“This was your crazy idea.” Talon chuckled. He had to nod at that. It was crazy. But it would also drive Rickter to the lengths he would need to go to. Talon was not an idle man. He did not spend his days cooped up in the palace being constantly tended to by attendant staff. He was a man of action and these were part of the dangers that would be faced.

Going to the center of the glyph circle, Talon knelt down. He extended his arms. Aoren avoided the crystalline sand as he stepped up to him. His companion took his right arm, kissed the back of it and then placed a heavy iron clasp around his forearm, from the back of which was connected a long chain. Carefully, Aoren ran that chain to the furthest inner edge of the circle so that one of the metal stakes was positioned just within the boundary. He looked to Talon which made him chuckle. Reaching out with his kinetics, Talon grasped the aether flux and, after Aoren had looped the chain onto the stake, drove it into the ground where his companion positioned it. The same steps were repeated with Talon’s left arm. Once both chains were in position, Talon tested them. They pulled taught, restraining him physically. He would not be able to break them with sheer brute strength alone. He nodded.

Aoren knelt before him. Talon looked up into his eyes with a soft smile. The two of them shared a kiss as his companion cupped his face.

“If you feel unsafe for even a fraction of a moment…” The fire in Aoren’s eyes burned a bit brighter. The meaning was clear. Talon simply nodded.

With that, Aoren took several careful steps back until he was outside of the circle. With a mental command, Talon activated the barrier that he had put in place. There was a flash of bluish magic as the dome settled into place. Aoren tapped it experimentally and Talon watched as ripples appeared across the surface of the barrier. His companion then went to where his pack rest. He withdrew one of Talon’s silver feathers and stepped up to the perimeter of the barrier. Taking a deep breath, Talon watched as he extended the hand grasping Talon’s feather. It passed through without any difficulty. Aoren then stepped fully into the circle. Satisfied, he walked up to Talon once more.

“You should--” Talon’s words were cut off as Aoren planted a fierce kiss upon his mouth. It lasted for several long moments and left Talon a little dazed. “Uhh…”

Aoren laughed. Talon shook his head.

“Your mother is going to kill me.” The two of them shared a laugh.

“She is going to kill us both after she finds out.” With that, Talon watched as his companion slowly left, hesitantly, reluctantly. But it was part of the trial.

Things would go well.

Talon hoped.

----

It was still dark out as Aoren made his way to the door of Rickter’s small home. Hopefully soon his other bondmate would have a room in the palace, if he proved himself. Aoren had faith he would. The Knight-Captain was fully dressed in his regalia. The dark black and silver vestments that had been fashioned by Talon himself to outfit his personal guard. Across their bond, he could feel that Rickter was still asleep. It wasn’t even dawn yet, which was to be expected but the sun would be rising soon enough. Through the bond, Aoren sent a full mental command filled with urgency, enough to wake him from his slumber. He then pounded on the door using a good deal of his strength.

He did not call for Rickter aloud but continued to reach for him across their bond. When finally the door was open, Aoren’s burning eyes showed a sincere and desperate urgency. He focused on how uncomfortable he was with the fact that his bondmate, his other half, his charge was in chains within the Warrens. He focused on how much he hated the fact that he had to leave him. He focused on how much he desperately wanted to be back by his side with Talon safely in his arms. He let those things pass across the bond.

“Talon has been taken.”

[Rickter]

Frost 53rd, 120th Year, AoS

For what it was worth Rickter had been having a strange dream, in fact, there had been one or two since the day the scar embedded itself on his forearm. Most of it was just incoherent nonsense for the wolf, however, and like always he simply chalked them up as unusual dreams. What made this one stand out though was the feeling in his very core, this urgency that shook him within, stirring him to awaken as his mind returned from wherever the dreams took him. It took a moment for his senses to follow after his awakening, but the wolf realized there was a banging within the confines of his home. The front door? He could sense Aoren there, close enough to be a beacon of vexation. What had happened? The wolf wasted no time to scramble on his feet, quick to open his bedroom door and walk briskly towards the entrance.

Stirred by the commotion it would seem Telion and Hannah had been aroused as well, for they were both peeking out their doorway moments after the wolf strut toward the door. Upon opening it to see the flaming eyes of the Knight Captain, his hopefully soon Captain, a sense of foreboding dread had accompanied him here as well. He was clearly dressed in the new attire, as Rickter recalled the fact he too had been measured for his own variant of the design. That's not what troubled the wolf, however, as it was evident something else drove Aoren to his door. Otherwise, Rickter would not have been stirred to rise, just moments before the Kathar himself came knocking on the door. But it was the words that came out of his mouth that changed everything, the very statement that brought all the innate confusion in him to a dead end.

Shock coursed right through his mind as chills wracked his entire body, leading the wolf to look at the man in a bloodshot daze. "Aw, SHIT!" He swore as he left the door wide open, beckoning for Aoren to come inside as well as urging him for details. The wolf wanted to know everything, what had happened, where things went down, his mind had all these questions and yet, without even thinking, he'd gone straight into his room to start throwing just the essentials on.

"Rickter?!" Telion and Hannah were both heavily concerned, watching to see if Aoren had came in as beckoned, while bard herself turned to retreat back within their room.

"What happened?!" Hannah called out to the wolf, her gaze alert and wary as she watched Rickter dress. The wolf had finished clasping the chainmail greaves around his waist, and taken a seat to throw on his boots next as he almost didn't seem to register her presence. "Rick!"

"Talon's in trouble, no time to explain." He stated aloud as he finished slipping on his other boot, grabbing the chainmail coat next as he rose onto his feet. Within just a couple minutes he was all armored up and ready, quickly marching back out to meet with Aoren as his eyes narrowed on the Captain. "Where is he? Do you know?" The wolf quickly beckoned as Hannah's expression was fixed on the two of them, her arms crossed over her bosom as she stood in her nightgown. Telion on the other hand came out right behind her, dressed in her own fur armor as well, with her staff held close and her hair wrapped into a loose bun.

"I'm coming to!" She demanded as Rickter and Hannah both looked at her with awe, and together they were ready to object on such a dangerous notion. "You can't stop me! Talon needs you, right? Then you need me Rickter." Her eyes were determinably narrowed on not just Hannah or Rickter, but to Aoren as well, leaving the wolf to look at the Knight Captain as well to see what he had to say. All the wolf wanted out of this was a when and a where, and he was determined to set off after him without a second thought.

[Talon]

the argyris

53 Frost 120 Steel

Aoren was pacing. In part he was pacing because he did not like the situation itself. He did not like leaving Talon alone in that dark place. They had done what they could with the skills that they had to make it as safe as possible but nothing was for certain in the Warrens. Nothing at all. So Aoren let his nerves be on display. He paced as he thought through every possible wrong that could happen and he hoped silently that they had done everything right.

“I do not know. Talon went to his shop this morning to place finishing touches on your armor. I went to meet him but he never arrived. I then felt him in distress and followed where I could sense him.” Aoren stopped pacing. He clenched his fists and stared down at the floor. He was silent for a few moments.

“He is being held captive. I found him chained in a circle of some sort. I do not know what it is for and he is closed off to me. I can only get glimpses, brief flickers. There was a swarm of shinaegri nearby so I could not get closer. Not on my own.” Aoren stared at Rickter pleadingly. His form was shaking with the need to go down into the Warrens and immediately break the chains that were binding him.

“I can’t go to the palace, Rickter. There’s not enough time.” When Telion announced that she would be accompanying them, Aoren opened his mouth to object. He was stopped at her firm assertion of going. After a brief stare down, he nodded.

“Come. We need to move and we need to move now.” With that, Aoren spun on his heel and walked outside. He waited patiently for the others to join him. When Rickter was outside, Aoren stepped up to Telion and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“It will be dangerous where we are going. Most everything that moves will try to kill you.” That was all he said. He did not try to convince her to not go. He did not belittle her skills but he simply imparted that warning. To Rickter, Aoren reached out. He grasped the Rathari’s shoulders and brought the man in close. He squeezed the man’s shoulders before touching a hand to Rickter’s chest.

“Follow our bond. Focus on me.” Stepping back, Aoren gave them both a nod before spreading his wings. “Do not delay. Talon is counting on us.”

Leaping up, Aoren’s raven wings spread and carried him into the sky. He turned mid-air and began flying in the direction of the Warrens.

---

Talon was meditating. He kept his mind focused and his senses on alert. His breathing was being measured and controlled. With an intake of breath he remained aware of the fluctuations in the aether flux around him. The ping of the skittering of insects followed by the dripping of water off of rock registered on his senses. He filtered it out. This was followed by the dim awareness of the shambling group of monstrosities that was not far off. They had not yet taken notice of him or Aoren. He hoped it remained that way.

Movement of a different sort registered on Talon’s senses. He furrowed his brow and turned his head in the direction he sensed. He saw nothing there but that meant little in a place like the Warrens. For several long moments, Talon focused on the spot where he had sensed movement. When nothing presented itself, he eased the tension in his shoulders. It was as he was about to go back to meditating that he heard the distinct twang of a crossbow releasing a bolt. He simply reacted as he fed aether to the shield that he had constructed, strengthening it for whatever was coming his way. The impact of the crossbow bolt against his barrier drew his attention. He watched as the bolt bounced off of the shield sending ripples across its surface.

Talon opened up his senses greater to the aether flux around him. The flow of aether came into his vision and he observed not just one but four spaces that were interrupted. The flow was obscured in that place, meaning there were people standing there.

“I can see you.”

Another crossbow bolt was released. It bounced off of the shield but this time Talon noticed that the ripple was not quite as strong as the first impact. He fed the shield just a bit more to reinforce it. From out of the shadows, four figures stepped into his field of view. The first was a man with a bald head. He was human, at least he appeared to be, and by the crinkle at the corners of his eyes Talon could tell that he was grinning. He was wielding a crossbow that was resting over his shoulder. He was thin and looked to be built of wiry, lean muscle. Beside him was a thickly muscled Dwarf who hefted an axe over his shoulder. The other two looked to be a Siltori elf woman and another human man. The elf woman spoke.

“You possess Semblance then. That is helpful to know.” Talon did not confirm or deny her statement. He had never been particularly secretive about the disciplines of magic he practiced and while she was correct, it had not been Semblance that had revealed their presence to him.

“Imagine our luck, the First Prince of Kalzasi, shackled, chained in some unknown ritual. Here, I was thinking it would be hard to kill you.” The bald man’s voice had somewhat of a raspy quality to it. Talon merely narrowed his eyes.

“Vicis has smiled on us, that is for sure. Tell me, how did you end up here, my prince?” The bald man gave a flourishing bow. Talon did not answer. The man frowned. “Alright then.”

He moved lightning quick and threw a dagger in Talon’s direction. Talon tensed, the chains binding his arms rattling as he did so. Again, the dagger struck his outer barrier. The bald man looked to the Siltori woman.

“Can you break it?” The Siltori woman observed the circle. Her eyes followed the pattern and then rested on Talon.

“He is protected. We set foot in that circle and we’re fried. Whoever or whatever placed him here, they wanted to make sure no one could enter and I’m guessing that he could not leave.” She smirked and stepped forward, her eyes meeting Talon’s.

“But though he is physically protected, I wonder, how strong is your mind?” It was then that Talon felt two things.

The first was an acknowledgement from Aoren that he and Rickter were on their way.

The second?

A haze began to envelope his mind. Immediately he pressed back against it. He reached for his aether, preparing to discard all that he had planned and simply breaking out to deal with these intruders. His attempt to marshall his magic was stymied as whatever influence the Siltori woman was exerting on him interfered with his ability to focus. As soon as he attempted to divert his attention away from fighting against the invasion of his mind, he felt her gain greater control. This was evidenced by the fact that Talon felt his body jerk as though compelled to walk through the wards in place. He resisted and doubled his effort to fight back. The woman frowned and focused.

Talon felt a note of dread pass through him.

Things were no longer in his control.

[Rickter]

The sense of urgency wasn't ignored at all when Aoren paced about, in fact, it was a sentiment they both shared for quite the obvioust of reasons. So as the Captain relayed what he knew to Rickter, the wolf mulled over every detail diligently, his mind nearly racing before his own body as he tried to grasp the situation. So... Talon wasn't at his shop, therefore, Aoren followed the trace of their Bond... to find him captive with a horde of shinaegri nearby? That led to a momentary pause as he rolled his head back, nearly cursing at whatever fucking Gods had decided to guide him there. "Fuck's sake..." He quietly murmured to himself at the thought of the Warrens, knowing full well that any time a Shinaegri horde was involved, it was typically within that damnable part of the caverns below.

What's more there wasn't enough time to return to the palace, not when Talon was left alone in some trap down in the First Deep. Gods only knew what else lurked down there, waiting to stumble upon him just to tear him apart. No. Thoughts like that merely hastened Rickter's preparation, and he needed to focus on the task at hand, rather than the uncertainties that quickened their demise. "We'll get him back!" He about damn near yelled as a promise to the Captain, eager to rejoin the man when he'd finally finished donning his armor for the trip. Then, of course, the brief insistence Telion displayed in accompanying him. Aoren seemed ready to object just as the other two were, and yet, seeing the determination in her eyes must've given him a change of heart. Though discreet about it, the wolf admittedly sighed through his nose, sharing the sense of dread in knowing another person he cared for would be at risk.

It was bad enough Aoren and Talon were there, the latter alone no less, but now the bard ignored all sense of logic just because she cared too. "Telion..." Hannah's arms were crossed as she looked to the blonde then, her eyes gushing with worry as the wolf watched the Captain leave the premises.

"I'll be fine Hannah, I know how to support Rickter best down there, so we'll all be back before you know it." Even with the affirmation Telion gave the brunette looked to Rickter hard.

"You both better bring her back unharmed!" To that the wolf nodded before focusing on Telion, gesturing for her to head out the door first as he followed right behind.

"Count on it." The wolf promised as he marched out, closing the door behind them to leave Hannah alone in his abode. Aoren had seen to warn Telion of the dangers below, to which the bard looked up to him with determination still, and nodded in agreement from her past excursion into the world below.

"Exactly why I'm helping the both of you." Was her response to that warning, although the confidence in her voice experienced a tremor when she spoke. Good. She was scared just as he was, which meant Rickter wasn't going into this alone after all. He had no idea awaited him down in the Warrens this time, however, he made certain that he would listen to Aoren when told to follow their bond. That was enough for him, so long as he had Aoren to guide him, the wolf would hound his friend to the ends of Ransera if he had to. Though not without a little extra preparation beforehand. "We'll follow. Go." What he probably should've said was that they'll try to keep up, because even then the two were only so fast on their feet. Regardless, it was imperative Aoren get to Talon first, that way he could protect their Bondmate while the wolf caught up later. It was a solid plan to be sure, one that left the wolf watching as the Captain projected out into the air, and soared into the night towards where Mistveil Keep stood within Kalzasi.

"You ready for this?" Telion checked with him as she took a few steps forward, her eyes on the edges of the keep outlined within the darkness. The wolf clutched his hands tightly then, taking in a deep breath as he started to focus on meditating as he walked.

"Let's go..." The wolf answered lowly with a heavy gaze cast before him, his mind spent on the task of preparing anchors for him to store on the way, so that he'd have at least three pre-generated shields to throw by the time they reached the entrance to the Warrens. Neither Rickter nor Telion were slowing down either, for Aoren had quite the head start now that they had just reached the gateway to the First Deep. "We'll make stops to catch our breaths only as necessary, treat this like your first venture down here with me-"

"Stay close and behind you, I know." She assured him in-between pants as they were both jogging together, the bard holding her staff along one of her arms as she stuck closer to Rickter. "We''ll be there in time Rickter, I just know we will!" To that he hoped she was right, but for now they had the task of getting there first.

Thus as they drew further and further into the maw of the First Deep, Rickter threw out his right arm to materialize his bastard sword. However... it was no longer the form of Sleeping Dirge when the blade manifested, for the simple iron like qualities of the Pact weapon had changed. Now in his hand was a weapon as black as the night itself, with a circular ring born around the crossguard that connected into the blade itself, and the pommel of the sword now shaped into the head of a wolf howling into the night. In materializing in his hand the aether not only flourished into his grip, but accompanied Rickter with a cry for battle that only the wolf could hear.

The cry of the Howling Fang.

"Speech"

[Talon]

Thread Title

Time Stamp

Talon felt a bead of sweat work its way down from his brow to his chin. He kept his gaze focused on the woman in front of him, jaw tight and muscles straining as he resisted the influence she was attempting to exert over him. He could almost hear whispers in the back of his mind. He could feel the haze attempting to press itself over his consciousness and blanket his mind with thoughts that were not his own. He would not bow down to her will. He would not give in to her sinister whispers.

“I thought you said this would be easy?” Another crossbow bolt hit the barrier but Talon noticed the shield was significantly weaker. He was running out of time. The woman spoke through clenched teeth.

“He is Avialae. They are literally made to resist mind control.” One of the other assassins stepped forward. He looked to be a dwarven man. Bringing up a hammer he slammed it against the barrier. The ripples in the shield around Talon became cracks. Talon was unable to funnel more of his aether to the shield in order to sustain it. He did not have long before it would crumble.

“Then let’s stop wasting time!”

“W-why are you doing this?” Talon felt a little of his focus slip. The presence invading his mind wormed its way in deeper but he grit his teeth and pushed back. The woman frowned further. Another hit against the barrier that he had constructed and Talon saw a crack begin to form in the shield.

“Not that it will matter here in a moment but…” It was the human man who stepped forward. Upon closer inspection, Talon could see that he was not quite human but a mix of something else. There was a sly grin on his face as he leveled his crossbow once more and released another bolt. It hit the shield but this time instead of bouncing off, it pierced the barrier but came just short of hitting Talon himself. The man grinned wider.

“For the same reason we killed the rest of House Novalys some years ago.” The words fell like stones in Talon’s ears. His eyes went wide and his body went still.

“Killed…” Talon could see the pain in his father’s face as he recounted the horror of what happened thirty years ago. He spoke of his brothers and sisters, of his own father and mother, of his nieces and nephews. House Novalys had been full and filled with warmth once. His family had been large and prosperous. His father might have continued his life as a Skyrider. Talon might have been born as a humbler man. But then Jacien’s madness lead to that terrible, awful slaughter. It was a family that Talon had never known. But it was a family that he still mourned because he could feel his father’s pain.

“Oooh, did that strike a nerve, Your Highness?” The man gave a mock bow. Talon’s vision began to tunnel. There was a deafening silence that began to grow in his ears. He began to laugh. That laughter was cut short as the dwarven man elbowed him.

“Quiet, you fool! There’s still the horde nearby.” The man sneered. He brought up his crossbow once more and loaded another bolt.

“So what? This idiot made this simple. If the horde gets drawn over, we just leave him to die.” The man took aim at Talon’s chest. The young Novalys’ vision was nearly completely faded out. “I still remember the stories of how those Novalys pigs choked on the poison, gasping and gagging like fish on the sand. Wings flailing like sick pigeons. Eyes bugging out of their heads as they clawed at their throats.”

The man grinned.

“I’m gonna enjoy ripping those pretty wings off of you.” He released another bolt. The barrier around Talon shattered. The second failsafe kicked in but the glyph, drawn by an amateur, faltered. And yet, the crossbow bolt did not hit Talon. He acted on instinct. He acted on what he knew. Talon reached out with his kinetics as quick as he could think and stopped the bolt dead in its tracks.

“He-he’s...I can’t…!” Talon’s eyes shifted to the woman. With a flick of his thoughts he compressed the aether flux around her neck and raised her off the ground. The others jumped into motion as the woman clawed at her neck, eyes wide. Talon felt numb. These were people responsible for the murder of his family. These were people who took pleasure in killing. These were people who wanted to murder him and in his arrogance and stupidity, they might have been successful. The dwarf, the bald headed man, and the fourth, a silent observer thus far, all sprung forward with their weapons drawn. Talon tipped his head back and sent a wave of kinetic force cascading outward from himself. The dwarf and the bald one were sent sprawling backwards. The fourth however planted two blades into the earth and held himself steady managing to just slide back to the edge of the circle.

Rising to his feet, Talon folded his wings and then extended them, sweeping them outward. As he did he grasped the chains binding him and ripped them apart with his kinetics, sheering metal apart. The resulting shockwave rippled outward from him and sent the sorcerer’s sand billowing up into the space around them. Talon clenched his fists, he glared at the assassins before him as he felt a cold fury begin to fill his body. He knew this anger. It was the fury that had filled him as he had faced the Archwraith the winter prior. It was the anger that had propelled him forward to the dark reaches of the Warrens and cull the monstrosities that lived there.

It was his rage and he embraced it fully.

“What the fuck was that!? Eadra! Do something!” The bald man shouted to the woman. She coughed and raised a hand even as the other still reached for her throat. A ball of flame short forth from her hand. Talon raised his left hand. He gathered the aether flux around himself and compressed it in the space just in front of his body. With a lazy flick of his wrist, the fireball was deflected. Talon threw the woman toward her compatriots. She gasped as she was sent sprawling through the air and landed squarely on her companions.

“We need...we need to…” She coughed. Talon spoke.

“You have threatened me. You have tried to kill me. You have mocked me. You have invaded my mind and made a fool of me. These things, I can forgive.” Talon lowered his hand, clenching it into a fist. “But you laugh at the pain you caused in service to a madman. You celebrate the slaughter of innocent men, women, children, my family.”

Talon’s face twisted into a sneer of absolute rage.

“This, I will not forgive.” Aether gathered in Talon. He felt it present itself almost without conscious thought. It took form in his hands. A sword, his sword, the very longsword that he had wielded during his initiation, materialized in his grasp. He spread his wings as he glared at those in front of him.

“I am Talon. First Prince of Kalzasi. Firstborn Son of Savien. Heir of House Novalys.” Talon narrowed his eyes as he positioned himself to strike. “And you will know justice for what you have done.”

Talon struck.

---

Aoren landed nimbly before the entrance to the caverns leading down to where Talon was waiting. He hoped that they would make it before the horde was drawn toward the heavy presence of aether and the smell of a living, breathing man nearby. It was only a matter of time before they noticed. He waited patiently, with his arms folded over his chest and eyes staring out over the landscape. He hated having left his partner there in the dark pit of the Warrens. But this had been his bondmate’s idea and while he disagreed with it, he had agreed to go along with it. Aoren had a sinking feeling that he would live to regret that decision. As Rickter and Telion became visible, Aoren signaled them over.

“Come. This way. We haven’t much--” Aoren hissed and pressed a hand to his head as he felt a presence invade the sanctity of the mindspace he shared with his bondmate. It was foreign and ugly, with an insidious desire to compel and pull toward pain and suffering. He looked to Rickter with a very real and urgent fear in his eyes.

“Something is wrong. Something--” Aoren winced as he felt that presence try to tear through the strength of the Bond and yank Talon’s mind away from him. The Kathar grit his teeth and pulled his bondmate closer the best he could. He wasted no more time on words. Aoren turned and began making his way hastily into the dark depths of the Warrens. He had to get to Talon. He had to get to him immediately. He cursed himself every step of the way. He should have argued. He should have fought. He should have gone to Talon’s father or his mother. He should have done any number of things but he hadn’t.

“Move, Rickter! Telion! Please!” There was a very real desperation in Aoren’s voice then. This had not been planned. Someone or something had come and had jeopardized things in a very real way.

And then it happened.

Aoren staggered as he felt it. The cold snap, like being dumped into a bucket of ice water and sliced with jagged knives. Anger. Grief. Pain. And a rage so blinding it made Aoren want to pull away mentally. He had seen this before.

“Oh no…” Aoren stood, one hand bracing himself against the cavern wall. The other was pressed flatly to his chest over his heart.

“Rickter…” Aoren’s voice shook. “We can’t lose him. I-I can’t…”

[Rickter]

Together the pair ran as hard as they could, Rickter visibly starting to sweat now that they were drawing near the entrance. Before too long they were finally meeting with Aoren, who had waited up for them as he said he would. "Come. This way. We haven’t much--” Just as soon as he'd started Aoren quickly reached up to his head with a hiss, as though something pervasive had carried through their Bond with Talon. The wolf himself felt something too, though nothing quite as strong as what Aoren had felt. What was that?! Was it the work of his captors!? Immediately his mind went into overdrive as the two drew near Aoren, Telion quickly looking up to the Kathar with innate concern in her eyes.

"What is it!?" The wolf's expression, if it weren't grim enough, darkened when he asked the question.

“Something is wrong. Something--” Aoren looked to be in a mental tug of war just then, further feeding the fire under Rickter's heels as he started towards the entrance, no longer content with trying to discern what was happening. Talon was in trouble that was all he knew, and it took every ounce of willpower not to just charge in. Telion on the other hand lingered for a moment with sheer concern for Aoren, uncertain whether she out to stay behind and help him, or continue to follow the wolf when Aoren beckoned for them to hurry. Rickter didn't need telling twice in that regard. He carried Howling Fang over the shoulder as he ran forward, his face reddening as he too felt it then, that cold dark wave welling up deep within him just now. He knew what it was, he knew it because he'd remembered it.

They had shared it's memory to him, Talon's memory, and by Gods that would be where it remained. A memory. The wolf clenched his jaw by that point, the back rows of his teeth nearly grinding as he ran, with Telion after him as Aoren's words had prompted her to follow pursuit. "Rickter!!" Her words were a cry on deaf ears by that point, however, the wolf's hairs had started to rise on end as he grew hotter. Inherently his runes started to heed the call of the wild brewing within, the tumultuous storming sea of his soul respondent to the call of his closest friend. The lines started to spread and expand like before, the glow of his runes lacing their way along the covered parts of his skin, while Rickter himself started to slow with a bit of heavy breathing. Something was wrong.

For a moment he felt like he was running toward death, as though a part of him deep down had seen this situation before. Ali-"ter!!"

His eyes widened at the name and for a moment he twisted around, looking upon Telion as though she were completely somebody else. The bard stopped before him, panting heavily, with her eyes widened as she caught sight of what was becoming of Rickter. Markings traced their way from his eyes, above and below his pointed ears, and practically everywhere else along his body. By now a slight glow emanated from the wolf where he stood, though that too quickly faded as he remembered who was with him. "Why'd you stop?" She checked with a look of puzzlement, although, relief was hinted in her eyes when she found the moment to catch her breath.

The markings prevalent on his skin still glowed as he looked from her towards the entrance into the first deep, the wolf hopeful that they wouldn't find anything to deter them from advancing on Talon so quickly. "Nothing. Nevermind." Rickter shrugged it off as he remembered the feeling, rather the fear, Aoren had with those last words before the wolf ran on ahead. Resuming his charge the pair advanced further in as they made their way into the First Deep, the very air of the Warrens filled with a lingering sense of dread as the two hurried along.

"We have to follow the connection between you two, that's the only way we'll find him faster." Rickter nodded to her suggestion, determined to seek within himself that tether. That connection. It felt lost deep within a sea of cold, limitless fury, washing through him like a monsoon's tide over the port. It led him to stop in place so that he could concentrate, the bard herself leaning over to try and regulate her frantic breathing now. They'd done so much running to get here, and now, here he was about to risk losing everything. Searching deep within him Rickter reached out, beckoning for Talon to return his call, only to feel that same cascading flow of frigid rage. The kind so overpowering that once swept away, one could only lose themselves to the chaotic currents of the undertow within. The runic markings on his skin brightened a little as he concentrated, his eyes closed as he fought past every wave that battered him spiritually.

It was so damn cold, colder than his own threshold sickness with Elementalism. He shivered where he stood as, mentally, he dove further and further in to seek where the source of all this was. The source of that anger, that pain, before he in turn opened his eyes in the direction that called out to him most. "There!" He pointed hastily with a look to Telion. "Beyond that ruin over there!"

"Let's go!" The bard called to him then as she took the lead now, rushing just a few feet before him when Rickter followed alongside. It wouldn't be long now, before they would arrive to lend Talon a hand. The question was...

Would Rickter be enough to bring him back?

[Talon]

the argyris

53 Frost 120 Steel

The ring of steel meeting steel echoed across the cavern. The hooded fourth assassin had met Talon head-on as he had charged forward. Talon’s sword was met with the double blades of twin daggers. The two of them stood in a stand-off of sheer brute force for a few moments before the assassin slid his daggers along the edge of Talon’s blade. He ducked just as Talon pushed forward, falling into a crouch as he swept his leg out in an attempt to trip him. Talon jumped into the air, lingering there as he surveyed the area. Stragglers from the gravebound horde were beginning to meander their way over to where they rest. He regarded them much like he would insect that were a pest to be dealt with. It was as he was turning his attention back to the threats in front of him that he felt a sharp stinging, biting pain in one of his shoulders. He looked to his left shoulder to see a crossbow bolt sticking out of it. Through his cold fury he felt the pain, he knew it was there, he grit his teeth and moved past it. Reaching up he took hold of the bolt and pulled it from his shoulder.

“Come down here and fight, you flying rat!” It was the bald headed man. He was loading another bolt. Talon narrowed his eyes. The others were picking themselves up off the ground. The dwarf was helping the Siltori woman to her feet. The fourth, hooded assassin was standing just beside them in a ready stance.

“I have a better idea.” Talon threaded his power through the aether flux around him. He sent tendrils of force flowing outward. They grabbed the crossbow in the bald man’s hand. Within moments, the weapon was mere splinters as he crushed it with a thought. Pushing past the crossbow, Talon raised his hand, wrapping his telekinesis around the bald man who squawked and flailed as the young Novalys yanked him into the air. Raising a hand, Talon pulled the man forward until his fingers were wrapped around the man’s throat. The bald man croaked and flailed, scrabbling at Talon’s grasp.

“I want you to know that, yes…” Talon leaned in close. He let the rage in his eyes bore into the man he held by the throat. His deep voice resonated with the icy cold of his fury. “You struck a nerve.”

With that, Talon threw the man with as much force as he could muster toward the gravebound shinaegri that were making their way over. The man screamed as he was tossed through the air and into the monstrosities. The creatures immediately set upon him as he landed with a crunch of a snapping bone with how hard he was thrown. He screamed as they began to tear into him. Talon could not be bothered to care. The Siltori woman looked horrified. The dwarf roared in rage. The hooded assassin flung a dagger at him. Talon raised his sword and deflected it. He dove down, meeting the dwarf as he brought his hammer down. The ring of their weapons meeting each other echoed in the cavern. In the back of his mind, Talon heard the growing rumbling of more monsters shuffling their way toward them.

He looked forward to eradicating them, just as he would those in front of him. There were no cries of rage or grunts of anger as Talon match blade with hammer. As the hooded assassin leapt to join his companion, Talon knocked him back with a bat of his wing, sending him careening through the air. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the sorceress gathering a ball of fire once more. When she threw it, Talon side-stepped the dwarf maneuvering him into position to take the fireball in his flank. He jumped into the air to avoid being burned. The dwarf wobbled then dropped to the ground to avoid the fire, avoiding Talon’s tactic. It did not matter.

“Die you bastard!” The dwarf roared charged just as Talon landed again. Across the aether flux, Talon sensed movement behind him. He ducked and rolled out of the way, narrowly missing a slash of a blade that would have cut across his neck.

“Eadra!” The dwarf called out to the Siltori woman raised her arms. The earth shook. Talon watched as spikes of earth shot out from the ground toward him. Talon stood up tall, brought his wings in close and created a net of kinetic force around him. He did not try to block the stone spikes so much as catch them in the net. He felt the press of them as soon as they made impact. He let his kinetic influence flow over them effectively creating slow tunnels for them to burrow through which he filled with an opposing force to slow their momentum. The force against his own influence was surprisingly strong which told him that the woman was a far more powerful elementalist than she was a mesmer. A contest of wills played out but in the end, Talon managed to push back harder. He swept his wings outward, sending a ripple of force against the spikes aimed at him. The rocks shattered and the wave was sent billowing outward. The dwarf planted his hammer, the hooded assassin dropped by the Siltori woman and pulled her down to help her cover.

As the three picked themselves up, Talon readied his sword. It was the woman who spoke.

“What are you?” Narrowing his eyes, Talon spoke with a voice that he almost did not recognize as his own. Dimly through his cold rage he was vaguely aware of something...someone….was calling out to him, reaching for him, begging him to do...something.

“Your end.” Talon charged, meeting the dwarf once more as they crossed blade and hammer.

----

Aoren was running, half gliding as he mixed jumping, sprinting and soaring in order to get to Talon. He could feel the rage building inside of Talon with every growing second. It felt as though there was an ocean of ice between him and the man he, without any shadow of a doubt, loved with all of his heart. He reached out with Rickter, feeling the wolf searching for a way to wade through the ice that separated them mentally and spiritually from their bondmate. There was so much rage but beneath it, Aoren could feel the pain. Talon was hurting. More than that, he was screaming internally with an agonizing grief. This was almost as bad as what Aoren had to been forced to pull him back from.

He came to a stop. Before him was a ravine with a half broken bridge stretching over the gap. For him and Talon it had been nothing. The gift of their wings allowed them to cross such an obstacle with ease. Across that ravine, Aoren could hear the sounds of battle. He heard a terrible, terrified and bloody scream followed by a bellow of anger. Aoren’s heart clenched. Landing on the earth, Aoren spoke with a shaky voice as Rickter and Telion neared.

“This is like...like when we first bonded. Talon was lost. He was filled with a grief so powerful it consumed him. But…” Aoren shook his head looking to the area where the conflict was taking place. “It was more than that. It was almost like he wasn’t himself. Something had taken Talon, drawn him into a shell of cold anger, freezing over his warmth, his compassion, and his joy. When we bonded, it was like watching a cocoon of ice crack to reveal the real him inside.”

Aoren took a deep breath.

“There are times, when Talon unleashes his fury, that it’s like I’m dealing with an entirely different person. A person that I have to convince to let him go.” Aoren shook his head. It was sometimes confusing to deal with but there were moments when Aoren believed he could almost see the duality inside of his lover. It was as though there was a piece missing, something he couldn’t see.

“I learned that Talon's anger stems from loss. He is desperate to protect his people, his family, his loved ones. But...he has a gentle heart. He does not enjoy killing and does so with regret. But this? When he is enraged? It's like something else takes over. He might not even recognize us, Rickter. Be ready.”

[Rickter]

Thread Title

Time Stamp

The pair continued their way toward the ruins found within the cavern, and much to their surprise the faint sounds of battle could be heard in the great beyond. Though still heavily distanced the fact they were getting closer and closer spurred Rickter even further, for every time he reached out through their Bond, there was only the overwhelmingly cold sensation that battered him at every turn. This rage... the wolf honestly didn't know if he'd be able to withstand it, in full force no less, were he to meet with Talon face to face to try and calm the prince. "Up ahead!" Telion called out with her free hand extended to point at the next stop, seeing the figure of Aoren dart and glide about almost nearly another mile ahead of them.

"I forget how fast he really is." The wolf remarked in between his pants as they drew closer, coming upon the ravine that the Kathar stood over to join him in turn. Not much farther now from the sound of it, for the call of battle could be heard echoes overhead, in a way signifying the rampage that Talon himself unleashed onto those who'd taken advantage of him. Standing next to Aoren now that they'd caught up with him, Rickter and Telion both looked over his way, the wolf's eyes fixed onto the Kathar's own gaze as he listened to the captain speak.

"This is like...like when we first bonded. Talon was lost. He was filled with a grief so powerful it consumed him. But…" The man shook his head for a moment and Rickter's gaze shifted, following Aoren's to the area where the combat heavily resounded from. "It was more than that. It was almost like he wasn’t himself. Something had taken Talon, drawn him into a shell of cold anger, freezing over his warmth, his compassion, and his joy. When we bonded, it was like watching a cocoon of ice crack to reveal the real him inside." Even now Rickter could fathom such a reality, for the situation felt just about the same really. No matter how hard he tried, only ice seemed to assail him with each attempt at reaching out.

However, being this close now, when he could smell every trace in the air... the ozone, the very aether, and the various other scents to distinct what entities loomed nearby... The rune markings on Rickter's skin began to glow a little more, as his breathing started to deepen from the sudden fire that flared in his very core. "There are times, when Talon unleashes his fury, that it’s like I’m dealing with an entirely different person. A person that I have to convince to let him go." Telion looked from Aoren to Rickter then, noticing the narrowing of the wolf's eyes as the three stood there, bracing for whatever was to come in the brewing storm ahead. Quite clearly she was stricken differently, for innate concern grew in her eyes and she looked intently upon both of them. She looked down at her own hand then, clutching it to her heart as she held herself up with a lean into her staff. "I learned that Talon's anger stems from loss. He is desperate to protect his people, his family, his loved ones. But...he has a gentle heart. He does not enjoy killing and does so with regret. But this? When he is enraged? It's like something else takes over. He might not even recognize us, Rickter. Be ready."

"Oh, I'm ready..." The wolf's voice was a very low growl now, his eyes beginning to alight from the glowing of his runes, while Aoren would be able to tell that something innate was reacting just now. Something fiercely driven, primal even, as Rickter focused solely on the one thing he wanted to save. Talon.

"That's good then," The bard finally interjected as she moved to stand between them, her tactical gaze fixed on Rickter first when she started to speak, "before we do this, however, I think I might have a plan." The wolf looked down to her then, as she quickly glanced to Aoren in turn, before focusing on the scene of where they would be fighting. "There's not a lot of time to explain, so if you trust me with the details then I'll keep it brief."

The wolf's eyes lingered there for a moment, looking upon the determined woman standing next to him, before his eyes shifted to Aoren once more with a brief statement. "I trust you." That trust went not just to Telion, but to the bondmate close to him as well. Rickter hadn't the slightest clue as to how this was going to go down, nor did he have any other plan of action other than to storm the battlefield and save his friend. What Telion might've had in mind could've come in handy, given how quick-witted she was in the heat of any situation.

"Right. Rickter, prepare one last shieldcrafted anchor before we go in. Nothing fanciful, just another dome or bubble if you can."

"What for?"

"Details." She reminded him, leading the wolf to lightly grumble before focusing on his other free hand. "Under any circumstances are you to refrain from using this barrier, until the right moment comes along for us to use it on Talon alone." She looked to Aoren then, expecting any kind of backlash he might have against the idea. "We need a means of keeping him suppressed, the closer you or Rickter can get to him the better. Once he's on the ground, Rickter, I want you to prep the anchor but leave me to cast it."

"I trust this is all part of your plan?" The wolf lightly speculated as he focused, channeling his aether into the anchor he'd created to forge the domed barrier as instructed.

"Not entirely. We're up against incredible odds, and that barrier is meant to be saved for Talon. What we do with the other obstacles before that... is up to us." The blonde pointed out thoughtfully as she seemed focused, or rather fixated on the battle ahead of them. "The sooner those are cleared the better, however, I expect we'll have to deal with creatures from the Warrens here. If we manage to successfully contain Talon, then either one of you is going to have to fend them off, while the other reaches out to Talon through the Bond." Admittedly it was a plan of action that Rickter thought better than his, if not a bit more riskier in turn, should they be forced to try and contain the prince as she expected to. Moments afterward when Aoren would have a chance to say his piece, Rickter finished with concentrating on the anchor he'd made, absorbing it into his aether so that it'd be reserved for later.

"Done." He assured the both of them, his eyes still alight from the runic markings that spanned across his entire form.

"We're both ready then," Telion remarked with an appraising look at Aoren, "following your path Captain Aoren. We're right behind you." After expressing this Telion then brought her staff over, holding it with two hands as though she were readying for battle, while the wolf's right hand clutched the hilt of Howling Fang tighter.

[Talon]

53 Frost 120 Steel

Talon skidded back as he was hit with the full force of a blast of wind and fire. The only thing stopping him from being burned was the bubble of force he had projected around himself. The Siltori sorceress had given up using anything but her elemental magic. It proved to be a match for Talon’s kinetics which meant that the two of them could at least face off against one another in that regard. He leaned forward into the gout of fire and wind then made a slashing motion with one of his hands. A blade of telekinetic power cut through the stream of flames forcing the sorceress to leap out of the way. As soon as her attack was dispersed however, the dwarf and the hooded assassin leapt into action. Talon deflected a slash to his gut with the broadside of his blade. He prepared to take flight again only for the dwarf to reach out and yank at one of his wings. Talon grunted in pain as the dwarf actively tried to bend his wing at an unnatural angle. Not waiting to see how far he would push it, the young Novalys swung his wing outward sending the dwarf sprawling backwards.

He was again met with the attacks from the hooded assassin. Talon parried, deflected and maneuvered his way away from the daggers, not allowing the man to get too close to him. Up close, the assassin had the advantage of more maneuverability versus Talon’s longsword. He heard the dwarf once again charging him. Rather than meet him, Talon spun. He used his wings to bash against the frontal assault of the hooded attacker while bringing up his longsword to meet the dwarf’s blow, angling his body so that the swing of his hammer glanced off of his blade. Talon jumped up, taking flight once more. As soon as he was airborne, the sound of breaking glass reached his ears. He felt a stinging in one of his wings. It startled him and made him dip out of the air. Turning his head he watched as ice crawled over the arm of his wing making it stiff and immobile. The sound of breaking glass alerted him to what came next but he was too late. Both of his wings began to freeze over making him plummet.

Rather than fall however, Talon reached out with his kinetics and wove his flux into the flux of the air several feet above them. The result saw him pulled from his downward trajectory and into the space at the center of the area where they fought.

“Keep up the heat! Don’t let him recover!” It was the dwarf who shouted. Out of the corner of his eye, Talon saw the sorceress take out a fiery orange-red stone. She aimed it at him and released its power. A torrent of fire cascaded toward him in a wave. Talon immediately enclosed himself in a dome of force. He felt the impact smash against his kinetic barrier. He felt the reverberation across the aether flux as the hooded assassin leapt up and attacked the bubble. Even the dwarf picked up a stone and hurled it at him. Talon knew he could not keep this up. He had been holding back on one technique. No more. It was time to end this.

Gathering his aether, Talon focused on his rage. He let the icy stillness and the cold anger flow through him. It plunged him deeper and deeper into his fury. These killers, these deceivers, they were tied to the murder of his family. They had served the whims of an insane lunatic who had stolen the lives of countless people. Friends, family, entire Houses wiped out because of his deranged madness. They served that cause still as they sought to end his life. How long had they been allowed to run rampant, killing innocents? How long had they evaded justice? Evaded judgement? Talon touched upon the web of the flux around his body. He felt the ice covering his wings and the pain it was causing to hold them in such an unnatural position for so long. He pulled in the flux around him. He bound it tightly to his body. He funneled into it all of the hurt, the pain, the anger, and the grief of everything he was feeling and then…

...he released it.

A shockwave rippled out from Talon. The space went quiet as dirt and dust lifted. The ice along his wings cracked and with a scream of absolute fury, Talon unleashed his anger. A bubble of raw, destructive force blasted outward, tearing up the rock and stone, ripping through the air and echoing with his raw pain and rage.

“ENOUGH!”

The dwarf’s hammer shattered as he was blasted backward, rock and dust cutting into his skin. The hooded assassin landed near the sorceress, yanking her down and covering them both with his cloak just as her own plume of fire was sent flying back at her. The ice shattered from Talon’s wings sending splinters of frozen shards in several directions. Talon felt a trickle of blood. The ice shards had cut him as well but he paid it no attention. He had felt worse. Slowly he lowered himself to the ground, folding his wings behind him. His grey eyes bored into the dwarf as the man picked himself up.

“You are one tough bastard.”

Talon did not respond. He gripped his sword more tightly. The sound of growling and the scrape of claws on stone drew his attention. The horde was enclosing on their position. It was a swarm.

“Talon!” Talon’s head turned immediately to see Aoren descending from above. Rather than joy at seeing him, Talon felt numb. He saw just behind him were Rickter and Telion. That made him frown. Across his bond, to both of his bondmates, Talon sent a forceful rebuke. It was a command that he poured his sense of will and authority into. It said one thing: Stop.

Being more deeply bonded to him, Aoren staggered as he was hit with the force of the soulborn command that Talon had issued. His eyes went wide and the muscles of his body visibly strained as he resisted Talon’s influence. Talon did not want either of his bondmates to interfere. Dimly, somewhere inside of himself, Talon thought he should not be pushing his bondmates away. He needed them. But a stronger force was telling him that he was doing what was right. The horde was swarming. The killers before him needed to be dealt with. Neither Aoren nor Rickter needed to be there and certainly not the kind but spirited Telion.

“Heh...looks like our time is up, Little Bird.” The dwarf was cradling a wound on his abdomen. Talon’s frigid gaze returned to the killer even as he felt both of his bondmates pressing against his will. “Tra’atak thacco vorum!”

The hooded assassin threw something to the dwarf following that shout. Something he caught. As soon as he did, the Siltori sorceress screamed.

“Gershin! NO!” The hooded assassin wrapped an arm around the woman’s waist and brought out a medallion. The woman struggled and seemed to be desperately reaching for her dwarf ally. There was a moment of stillness as the dwarf looked to his companions and gave a lopsided smile.

“See you around, Starlight.” The dwarf held up a black and crimson stone, crushing it in his hand just as a violet light encircled the sorceress and the hooded one. The woman screamed out in grief, horror, and anguish. Something in her desperate cry of pain and loss struck Talon. These were people. Talon did not know their stories and not a one of the people before him had taunted him the way the bald man had. Where he had seemed to take pleasure in suffering these three seemed...closer. For a moment, for the very briefest of moments, Talon wondered what they were fighting him for? And if they were fighting him, what had pushed them to this point? But one thing was certain, he would not forget her face. He would not forget the tears streaming down her eyes as she tried in vain to reach for her dwarven companion. The sorceress and her hooded companion vanished just as black smoke surrounded the dwarf.

The horde surged forward where the two others once stood. The dwarf emit inhuman screams of pain as whatever he had unleashed took hold of him. Talon sprung into motion then, he moved to attack the cloud of darkness that had begun to gather only for a tendril of darkness to slam into him and send him hurtling back. Talon lost his grip on his sword and was sent rolling back onto the rocks. He let out a cry of shock and pain as his head smacked against a rock making him see stars. His hold on the command he had sent to his bondmates slipped away and at the same time, Talon felt like he was dragged out of icy cold waters. He gasped as though he were drawing breath for the first time in ages.

The horde reached the dwarf but instead of overtaking him...the black tendrils began to drag them into its form. Squeals, the crunch of bones, the screams of what once was a man, and...something else, echoed in the chamber. The swarm of monsters and whatever the dwarf had unleashed was transforming into something. Something twisted. Something dark. Something terrible.

And as Talon’s vision swam while he picked himself up off the ground he realized two things.

First, he had crossed a line.

Second? The man he loved, a friend who was not far behind and yet another friend, were in danger because of his arrogance and stupidity. And now? An abomination was standing between him and then. Talon blinked.

“Gods forgive me, what have I done?”

[Rickter]

The pressure in the atmosphere felt far more intensified the closer they drew near, Rickter's very core feeling alight with an unusual fire that radiated strongly within him. He didn't know where it was a burning hatred for the very ones that threatened his comrade, or unyielding passion to save that very comrade from the threat of losing himself. The wolf did not care to question this, though, he could barely even fathom the true extent of Talon's power. Up til now at least. Whatever that outrageous burst was it was maddening, and the closer Rickter grew toward his dear Bondmate, the hotter his skin started to feel as they were closing in on their destination. Finally, they had arrived.

"Talon" Aoren called out ahead of them as the pair followed him, though not before something slammed Rickter into a complete still in his tracks. What was that!? Sheer force of will!? He could barely even budge when it passed through their bond, the rebuke an overwhelming force of nature as the wolf struggled intently to resist it.

"Rick" or!? Alistor!! There came a flash in the wolf's mind then as he experienced a sudden daze, like the burdening demand to stop had become a weighted lock on his being perhaps? His head suddenly grew foggy, and for a moment he felt himself slip away within. Lost in a turbulent sea of emotion he became completely petrified, his feelings all but numbed as the markings on his skin started to lessen their glow. "Rickter!" His senses came back to him and for a moment he felt devoid of himself, slowly regaining the scattered sense of composure he had as Telion held his face with two hands. "What's wrong!?"

“Heh...looks like our time is up, Little Bird. Tra’atak thacco vorum!” The bard peered over her shoulder in hearing that obnoxious talk, with the wolf's eyes following her gaze as he locked eyes on a dwarf. Funny, and he thought Telion was short. But now wasn't the time for jests, Talon was focused on him and now, the two knights on the board were now immobilized.

"Shit!" The bard cursed with a stomp of her foot, her eyes widening with concern when she saw what had been thrown at the dwarf. His companion cried out for him desperately, evoking a sheer sensation of terror that tickled the very surface of Rickter's burning skin. For good reason as well, for whatever gut-wrenching feeling Rickter had in his stomach, it certainly had to do with what would come as after that scream. Moments after crushing whatever orb he had caught, the dwarf became cloaked with a veil of black smoke before their eyes. The lingering horde of Shinaegri nearby came to consume the dying remains of that man, for the ungodly sound of terrorized screams raged between the very stalactites of the Warrens. Yet out of that wretched, foul suffering was born something even worse, an alamagation of Shamblers twisted and consumed into whatever entity the dwarf's being became. Talon sprung into action against the darkness, only to be subdued by that very force the moment he attacked.

How ungodly awful. Telion had to cover her mouth as the wolf protectively turned her toward him, his own eyes widened with pure terror at what had taken place. Whatever this thing was, it rapidly grew into the form of something otherworldly. Perhaps one of the first inherently evil monstrosities Rickter ever laid eyes on, for out of the smoke came more than just fire. Out came a demon from hell, as Rickter would describe it, sheering and molding the flesh of its carcasses to take on an entirely new form. Slenderly curved horns jutted from the paled skin of a hollowed looking skull, with the eyes of a hungry monster, and mouth of a voracious eater covered with visceral. Bone structured shoulders, with a wretched steaming rib cage, and fearsome razor claws to gaze upon; what the wolf looked at appeared to be exactly what he pictured as a denizen from hell. Iron and sulphur began to assail his nostrils then, sickening him almost, as he drew back with her still in his arms.

He could move again. Realizing this he looked from his hands over to Aoren, who was now heading closer to Talon as he regained his own sense of self. Had he regained himself from that hit he took? The wolf hadn't the chance to determine what the cause was yet, only that his friend was now seemingly close to normal once more. "Rickter!!" Telion urged as she pulled away from him then, looking up to him desperately as she twisted to face the wretched horror before them. "BARRIER, NOW!" The wolf's eyes widened as he realized what she meant, his left hand thrown out so that with a flick of his wrist, he casted forth the very anchor that Telion had asked him to make earlier. Yet why now?! She planned to use this one Talon, so was there another plan of action in her mind already!?

The bard caught the anchor between her palms, her own aether weaving into it as she unleashed it, weaving out a single-layered domed shield that encircled the creature within. Telion didn't waste any time channeling more of her aether into the anchor, weaving another layer over the barrier as she continued to focus on trapping the beast within it. "Did you plan for this?!"

"Fuck NO!" She called out over her casting, as her aether started to generate a light hum around Rickter's anchor. "Flank it's rear! This isn't going to hold it for long, if at all, so you all need to move it!" The bard called out desperately as she poured as much aether as she could into it, her eyes fixed on her target as she intended to hold the barrier for as long as she could. "Do it," Alistor!!

The fire in his veins thrummed then, the runic markings on his skin emitting a brighter blue akin to Talon's own runes. His very eyes started to glow as he turned to face the creature, looking past the edges of the barrier Telion held in place, while his mind told him to move practically every-fucking-where at once. "Who..." His consciousness slipped just then, the wolf crouching down as low growls stemmed from his very core. By now he had a target, that's all that mattered at this point in time. Thus without wasting this opportunity, Rickter charged straight for the point where he knew he'd get a strong hit in. Bolting into a single dash forward Rickter brought out one of the three remaining anchors left, swiveling in the air midway as he reached out behind him to release it. Deconstructing it so he regained the aether the wolf released the light charge he'd planted in the anchor, pulsing his way through the air to cover the distance before jabbing his sword firmly into the rock.

There was a bit of a drag as stone and gravel gave way to his boots, before the wolf plucked Howling Fang from the crevice he'd made. Raising the weapon up to where he gripped it with two hands, he then varnished the element of wind on to the blade's edge. Just as he did the creature unleashed it's first attack, throwing a hefty fisted blow into the very shield meant to contain it, and easily shattering it as particles of aether surged away. Telion was flicked with a backlash from the anchor's own pop, the concussive force enough to throw her between Talon and Aoren once it went off.

Just then as he glimpsed the sight of her hurdling, the wolf's eyes glowed a little brighter.

"Speech"