Venture to the South

[Rickter]

Venture to the South
Frost 16th, 124th Year, A.o.S.

Confidence clicked in the heel of her boots as Auntie Hannah strode down the hall of the familial home, her direction aimed toward the office where she suspected Rickter and Telion to be. Donned in her roguish attire the brunette had already donned much of the leather gear she preferred, although, she undoubtedly had questions to ask Rickter in regards to their upcoming trip. After all, enough time had passed and he'd received word from Hilana that the Vigil had found a preferable location at last. This meant he'd be returning back to Atraxia fairly soon, and with it being Frost now where his power seemed to resonate the strongest; it was likely the best time to get down there and carry out the second duty his other half had been charged with back in Arx Rubrum Petram.

Of course, his family naturally wanted to come along but the desert was no place for children. So, after a bit of a family discussion between the two, Hannah had elected to accompany Rickter since she was the better Traverser. It gave them the means of warping there later whenever the rest of the details were worked out, but in the meantime, assured the family he'd loved that he'd have more than just one means of returning home safely. Not that would be an issue...

The real issue apparently was that Hannah hadn't any idea what she needed to wear, or even pack considering she had no idea how long she'd be gone. Rickter, or rather Lykos, had already given assertions to the fact they'd be well taken care of, since he had already been looked after quite well at the citadel before. Thus she decided to give a moment to pester the wolf himself, only to slow her gait so that as she drew closer to the office doorway, she could tread quieter with her approach and listen in. After all, she did enjoy peeping in on Rickter and Telion's conversations from time to time. Except...

"Why? Why do you do this to me?" The wolf muttered lowly almost with a flustered tone but Telion sounded playful, the remark eliciting a chuckle from her in the quiet of the office. One of the staff of the house silently walked down the hall, passing by Hannah with an expression that looked both appalled and amused with the brunette. "You do realize anyone can walk in at any moment, right?"

"Shush," Telion clearly remarked in hushed whispers, "better pretend nothing's going on then, huh?"

"But Teli-" He started to softly protest before Hannah heard his voice crack, a short sigh escaping his lips soon after as he could only chuckle after the fact.

Wow Teli, the rogue thought to herself, get you some you dirty whore! The brunette smiled big as she pondered whether to give them their privacy, but then also remembered the reason she'd come to find them in the first place. Thus, with a steadiness of her posture she leaned from the wall, mimicked a few leg pumps to pretend she was walking, and then proceeded to knock on the door before sliding the panel open.

Almost immediately, Rickter's shoulders had stiffened and reactively his legs jolted a bit, bumping the interior of the desk as he somewhat straightened in his chair. "Oh, Hannah, what's- uh, what do you need?" He greeted her as he watched with near-wide eyes, clearly taken aback by her entry, but also clearly distracted by what was going on beneath the desk in turn.

"Hey," she started before trying to hide a chuckle, "so we never covered what all I need to bring along for the trip." The brunette's eyes watched Rickter as he timidly drummed a few fingers at the edge of his desk, his attention fixated completely on her as he felt the need to clear his throat.

"O-Oh. Oh yeah!" He started and for a moment Hannah nearly giggled, wondering what part of that was Telion's doing. "Yeah, sorry, I'd forgotten to elaborate after the light clothing bit. Which..." The wolf noticed with a glint of amusement, enough to part his lips in a partial grin, to say the least. "Leather's gonna feel real hot and sticky down there, I'd suggest just a simple layer of clothing. As for gear... Rickter leaned back into his chair with his eyes shot to the ceiling, and for a moment, he felt the need to bite his lower lip as the concentration on thinking bit seemed challenged.

"Shouldn't need more than just basic essentials, couple of weapons if you prefer but that-" He paused before awkwardly chuckling in response, "that should about do it."

Amused by trying not to cackle her ass off, Hannah raised an eyebrow while smiling toward the wolf in return. "You okay big guy?"

Rickter nodded anxiously toward her, determined to sell the gesture even if his eyes weren't so convincing. "Yeah! I'm... Great. I'm just great." He continued as the rogue straightened from resting her shoulder on the doorway.

"Kay, I'll find something lighter to wear." She started with a twist for the hall, but not before looking at the base of the desk where one could see Rickter's boots and the frills of a light blue dress between them. "Keep up the good work, Teli!" Hannah called out nonchalantly as she slid the panel door to a close, the click of her heels leading Rickter to believe that the woman had actually returned to her chambers for the time being.

The wolf could still only shake his head as chuckles came from beneath his desk, the wolf leaning further back into his chair to gaze down at his beloved and the atrocious torture she'd subjected him to. "You're being very naughty right now..." He mused with a vivid grin shared with her, the mother playfully smirking up to him as her hands still explored his inner thighs close to home.

"Shut up, you know you like it." Telion retorted as Rickter brought his hands down to cup her face gently.

"You know Hilana and Athalia are on their way right? I need to finish getting ready for-" Yet Telion did not relent from her disposition, eliciting another soft moan once Rickter felt the moist warmth envelop the one bone his favorite beta had to indulge. Clearly, she was in a mood that needed tending to, and while the wolf himself felt a little pressed for time, a few extra minutes in the office alone with her wasn't going to harm anyone.

---

Ten to fifteen minutes later...

---

After their little deviation in the office had transpired, Rickter took to their private chambers with Telion accompanying him, this time to legitimately help finish his preparations instead of distracting him with other things. The wolf often shot her a playful glare in response to what happened, but from the way she carried herself, Telion was quite proud of the work she had done on him. Regardless of the fact, the wolf made sure he had only the essentials taken for this trip, the featherlight bag which he knew was filled with the camping gear already, plus the other items that he may or may not end up using for this venture.

He had quite a feat to pull off but honestly, Rickter hadn't the slightest idea how he'd go about accomplishing it. Gradually introducing ecological changes into a different biome was never on his bucket list, but from what Lykos told and talked through with him so far, it seemed somewhat approachable with the usage of his Negation and with the power of his domain in tandem. So, after donning only the silken garb Lykos had returned from Solunarium with, the wolf and his partner did not take much longer to return to the common room where Hannah already sat waiting.

"Do you both feel better?" The brunette remarked with a raise of her eyebrow, warranting a proud smirk from Telion as she barely even looked over to her beloved.

"Much actually." She gave a subtle nod to Rickter as she resisted another laugh. "He does too, even though he wouldn't admit it."

"I've never been so proud of you." Hannah casually applauded with slow soft claps of her hands, causing Rickter's cheeks to flush vividly as he sighed exasperatedly.

"I hate you both right now..." He regarded as the women in the room broke into laughter, his eyes directed to the door of the foyer as he wondered if their guests were arriving soon. Any moment now would be great, since they'd save him from further embarrassment.

[Hilana Chenzira]

Hilana and Lia didn't have to bring too much with them for the time being, since it was just a trip to go and pick up Rickter and whomever was coming with them. They would of course be met by Sentinels, and the extra guests would be assessed, scrutinized, and cleared for entry into the southern kingdom. Random portals into Solunarium were not appreciated, and were met with immediate action whenever they occurred. Hilana didn't come empty-handed ever, though, and when they were shown in, she had a beeswax-lined sack filled with cookies for those who were staying here. They weren't too spicy, as she wanted the cubs to enjoy them, but they were warming, and the scent of spices would fill the room when they were shown in.

They didn't remove their light cloaks this time, since they would be going back soon. These ones were not negated to the extent that Rickter's had been; this was Lia's handiwork. The winter season in Solunarium was nothing compared to Karnor for Karnorian residents; but Vastii were used to hot temperatures, and there was still a drop of nearly 100 degrees from the heat of Searing to the depths of Frost. The temperatures wouldn't go down to the level of the Ice Box or Karnor, but it was still a drop, and rather than something thick like Hilana might have worn during her years in the sands, Athalia just worked charms into the nicely-cut cloaks to protect the occupants. Those who were used to the colder temperatures wouldn't need much at all, but for the sisters who lived there...

"Salve, how are you?" Hilana beamed at those assembled, happy to offer hugs to whomever wanted to claim them. Her long hair was braided into two plaits, with all of her usual accessories woven into them - teeth, claws, beads of glass, stone, and metal, not to mention the lodestones that had been filled by both sisters and Rickter. She was wearing her usual skirts underneath the cloak, brightly dyed in hues of blue and grey, a small nod to the Lord of Frost. Lia's cloak covered more of her outfit than her sister's did, though black fabric was visible beneath the hems. Where there had been a golden Rune on the palm of her right hand before, there was now a new one on the left palm in silver. Rickter, with all of his abilities, would find that the intrepid Vastiana had acquired a new Rune, and had a spectral snake resting in the hood of her cloak, his head sticking out over her shoulder. He had chosen to take a form for this foray back to the north, and blood red eyes looked around with interest in sharp contrast with white scales and oddly, feathers.

"It is good to see you. Are you ready to go?" Lia was smiling. She was interested to see how this venture went; and between the group of them... hopefully, it would go well.

[Rickter]

Shortly, as sure as the signs would tell, the onset arrival of their southern companions became noticed by the wolf himself. While the two ladies in the room had obviously enjoyed their moments of teasing him together, the subtle flicker of expectation marked the adherence of a gentle set of knocks on the front door. Naturally, Rickter had heard their footsteps toward the entrance from within the living area, and didn't hesitate to move closer to the door to greet them briskly upon their timely arrival. The sisters were nothing short of clockwork when it came to their appointed times, and like always, brought something of substantial value for the gut when they often did visit.

Seeing the pair of them well acquainted, and surprisingly not so layered, with the northern climate garnered some amusement within Rickter, but the invitation for them to come in remained as swift as it was generous in turn. After all, he understood the measure of love and camaraderie his packmates had with the two, which, all the more, instigated excitement as he watched the sisters enter with a generous smirk. "Hello, hello, hello!" Telion automatically cheered with giggles as she wasted no time, eager to draw both Hilana and Athalia into their own personal hugs with her. Hannah remained the calmer of the two but still joined in on the merriment, giving them hugs also until Rickter rested a hand on each of the Vastiana sisters' shoulders.

"I see you've been keepin' busy." He pointed out with a raised eyebrow to the spirited noodle nested in Hilana's hood, detecting scented aether signatures subtly radiating from the spirit in question. A new rune was always impressive to attain, and if the silver crest he'd spotted was a match with the scaled spirit keeping close to Lana; then that in itself should've been an indication enough of what she might've attained.

"And yet she still makes time to make treats for us!" The blonde mother cooed with vibrance as she graciously held her hand out to accept the sack of spiced cookies. Rickter could already smell the blended aromas that tickled his nostrils a bit, his mouth almost salivating a little at the thought of trying one now, in fact.

"Been alright, busy as usual with things here." Rickter remarked to the inquiry Hilana made, although, Hannah proved quick to lean in on the wolf afterward.

"Frost just came not too long ago, but I'm sure you girls haven't had trouble with that yet." Her lips curled in a wide smirk as she tilted her head to the side, eyeing Rickter, leading Telion to burst out a raspberry with a giggle to follow. The wolf nearly scoffed before clearing his throat, doing his best to pretend the jest meant nothing in turn. Still, his cheeks did rosy up a bit from the statement.

"Ignore her... I've already gotten some things packed for the trip, in the event we need to rest or shelter out somewhere in the wilderness." He casually remarked with a few steps taken away from the rogue, the featherlight bag carrying everything he'd packed, grabbed by the strap before he dangled it over his shoulder. Telion had taken a moment to recompose herself, yet with Hannah's soft chuckles that had been a challenge, before facing the group of four with a glow about her.

"You both stay out of trouble," she teased with near tears in her eyes from the laughter, before her gaze rested on the Vastiana sisters with a warm hope, "and you two take care of them for me please."

"Please, with Rickter, we'll probably be back in time for dinner," Hannah jested once more with a suave lean to rest her arm around Athalia, "right cupcake?" The nickname was genuine and, from what Rickter could tell, Hannah certainly looked to already be enjoying the company. Needless to say, after the discussions were past, they'd soon be off to Atraxia once more. It'd probably feel weird for Rickter, even if he had technically been there before, but experiencing for himself in the waking world felt as strange as it was exciting.

[Hilana Chenzira]

The sisters hugged Telion, Hannah, and Rickter in turn. The serpent in Hilana's hood wasn't as thick around as her pythons, nor was it as long, but those blood-red eyes were unsettling, and the fact that the spirit had feathers along with scales just made it clear that it was no normal snake. "Always," she smiled up at Rickter. The young woman got along well with the natural world; this just seemed to be the next natural step. But baking remained one of those things that she enjoyed doing, and with Sviras draped over her, or resting on furniture, or exploring her apartment, she was able to do that.

Hilana's problem was that there were never enough hours in the day, and no matter how few of them she used for sleep, there was always just so much to do.

Hilana passed Telion the laden sack of baked goodies, and at Hannah's comment about Frost, and the face Telion made in reaction, she looked amused and raised an eyebrow up at them before dissolving into giggles. Lia, at least, blushed and didn't press it further - the younger of the two tended to push that envelope more. While Solunarium was rather liberal in terms of sexuality, their family tended a bit more towards modesty as their father had tried to guard his daughters for multiple reasons, though it was primarily to secure the best matches he could for them. "Did he now?"

But Rickter fortunately changed the subject, and Lia seized it. "I don't think Hilana ever took you camping in the sands, but I assure you that for all of her... inclinations... in strange situations, when it comes to Solunarium, there is no one better to be with in the wilds. That's where she grew up, and she knows it like the back of her hand. The Sentinels have shown us where we're going, so Hilana's already got supplies there for if we need it. Worst case, then we'll go back to one of our apartments," she smiled at Telion. "There is nothing that the four of us cannot handle in the sands." Hilana smiled at her sister, and gave Telion's hand a squeeze with reassurance. She would look after them. Promise.

When Hannah slipped her arm around her, Lia smiled at her. "There is a good chance. The instructions were that this task is to be done slowly, so we'll likely be putting together an action plan and proceeding from there. Begin with the basics, delegate, and begin. It won't be done in a day, but we'll see how far we can go."

[Rickter]

He should've known better than to think the coy little joke Hannah made wouldn't have gone unnoticed. She always had a way of teasing him and, obviously, the Vastiana sisters were way too sharp not to miss the jab at him.

Luckily, Athalia picked up on the similar vibes the wolf presented and proceeded to gracefully segway the playful banter to the more important conversation at hand. While Rickter had gone out of his way to prepare basic travel gear for this trip, he did lack a rather tactful consideration for what the desert called for in terms of survival gear. He'd never gone out to stay within the arid sands at all, and from what he remembered, Lykos hardly left the confines of the citadel He remained within; unless there came a valid reason to leave that is.

Rickter... The thoughts of his other half resonated in his own mind a moment, temporarily distracting the wolf as Athalia provided assurances that all would be well to his beloved. I don't wish to impose, but could I perhaps?... At first, a look of ponderance came upon Rickter's face, but when his gaze fell back on Hilana and then Athalia, a soft and understanding smile took root.

You wish to take control for a bit so that you might catch up with them, don't you? There was no verbal noise to his assumption, but the response had been enough, as the waking sensation of excitement budded in what would've been his tail were it actually present to see. It wasn't unreasonable for Lykos to feel this way, hell, Rickter couldn't even fault Him for wanting to spend a bit of personal time with the sisters. Of course, Lykos, I'm more than fine with it.

Thank you. The wealth of gratitude in Lykos' emotions flooded through him for a moment, and as Hannah finished leaning on Athalia, she gave a robust sigh toward Rickter-now-Lykos as He was. The wolf's eyes brightened with the ease of transition as Rickter felt the mental attachments he felt on his body give way, lifting with a sense of ease as he felt the other half come to the forefront of his very thoughts. It was strange for a moment because it felt like an out-of-body experience, one where he could see what happened but held no physical control over himself.

Of course, it felt all too easy to be able to seize back that control, however, Lykos was just as responsible as he was, if not more by comparison. So naturally, the other Wolf deep within Rickter settled to take the reins and greeted them with a warmer smile. "We good to go then, big guy?"

"Yes," Lykos nodded assuredly toward the rogue before looking to the sisters in tandem, "shall we?" At the invitation to depart into the front gardens of the manor, Lykos gave Telion the due farewells and promised to return. Shortly afterward, the Wolf, the rogue, and the sisters were ready to port back toward the Atraxian Sands, where they would begin their first step on the project Lykos had been assigned by Sentinel Phocion himself.

[Hilana Chenzira]

The sisters would say their goodbyes to Telion, and then Hilana activated the ring to produce the portal to take the group of four, well, five, with her spirit friend, out into the sands.

There was remote, and then there was remote. All around them was golden sands and blue skies, and for Lykos and Hannah, quite a bit of warmth that had been gone months ago up north. There was a small shelter built to protect those there from the elements in a hurry, and to more or less mark the spot where they would be working. But aside from that, all there was to see, in any direction, was sand. Lots, and lots of sand. There were no plants, no cacti, tumbleweeds, no sources of water. Nothing but sand.

The door opened of the small shelter. "Miss Chenzira," one of the Sentinels greeted her. The two figures were shrouded in black, as usual, and their veils concealed their identities. Their voice did not sound familiar to Lykos, so perhaps this was either deliberate to hide that identity, or it was someone he didn't recognize or hadn't met. But it had been a year since he had been back... "Your guests."

"This is Rickter, as expected by Sentinel Phocion, and this is Hannah," Hilana indicated the brunette. "She lives in Kalzasi as well. He chose her to come with him today."

There was a long moment, and the Sentinel who had spoken to Hilana nodded. The guests had been assessed, and deemed appropriate for admission. One was a citizen of the realm, one was not. But they would know what to look for should she return. "We have prepared this stretch of land for you to work with. It is approximately one hectare, or nearly two and a half acres. Sentinel Phocion felt that this would be sufficient for you to work with. The area has been marked with anchors." The second Sentinel raised a hand, and in the distance, and when they turned around, they could see four corners clearly marked, each producing an emerald-green pillar of light. "Your project is to take place within those boundaries The beginnings of wards have been made to clear out wildlife from within to vacate the area for your work. Miss Chenzira, your supplies are within the shelter if you need them."

"Gratias," Hilana and Lia offered slight bows to the Sentinels, who would return back where they had come, probably to let headquarters know that the Lord of Frost had arrived back in Solunarium.

"Shall we?" Lia extended a hand in gesture to the area to Lykos with a small smile.

[Rickter]

It was not very long, almost instant, actually, before Lykos and Rickter were treated to the warmth of the southern sands they were returning to. Atraxia had been a place the two had only traversed somewhat on foot, or rather by paws, when Hilana had accompanied the Wolf out on a run to get out and enjoy the night sky. A meaningful night had been found between Lykos and Hilana at that time, and a sense of hindsight quickly filled the mind of the Draegir once they finally stepped out onto hot sand once more. "Eikean's balls, you weren't kidding about the heat down here!" The rogue briskly remarked, with the cuff of her blouse pinched, the fabric of it tugged a few times to filter some of the dry air across her exposed skin.

As they had arrived to be greeted by the sentinels, however, Lykos barely needed even to gesture or look toward her suggestively; as hot air across Hannah's skin soon met with a thinly layered application of aether from the Wolf's aura. At the confirmation of their arrival to the sentinels, Lykos briefly nodded his head forward as was his respective custom. At the same time, Hannah, on the other hand, raised her eyebrows and eyed the sentinels up and down curiously. She likely wondered what the elven man looked like beneath the garb, and if he could even breathe like she could without the aid of some type of magic or enchantment.

"Greetings, thank you kindly for having us here today." Lykos remarked since it wasn't normally like him to bring guests along. Though, that was likely due to change now that Rickter had his pack once again, so it remained important that he clarified who might return with him upon later visits. Hannah would certainly be one of those people, as would his immediate family, but all of that remained a subject for later when he would not remain occupied. They had come to handle a rather important undertaking after all, and so, the wolf did his best to pay the sentinel mind as their environment was explained to him.

Anchors from Negation magic already established a boundary of a sort, the borderline of the area he was to attempt this experiment with, as it were. Even now, he could sense the passages of aether established within the distance, marking the suggestively impeccable size of land he was to alter incrementally with his power. Well, they certainly know what they're doing with their magic. Rickter admired within their shared thoughts as Lykos slightly grinned, an appreciative glance cast from the area back to the sentinel in charge of their post.

"Gratias." He also offered with the sisters while Hannah posed her hips and crossed her arms, clearly unaccustomed to the language and culture of Solunarium. When Lia suggested that they venture into the threshold of the area Lykos was to alter, he gave the older sibling a warm grin before nodding to agree with the thought. He felt it best to get to the center of the hectare, where it would likely be the most appropriate place to start with this trial. How exactly he was going to begin altering the biome itself remained the lingering question in his mind, luckily, the Wolf felt that he had plenty of time to consider it when they started for the center.

Barely even need to alter or improve the wards they created. I could actually stand to observe a few things with the network of their wards from this. There was a buzzing excitement in Rickter's thoughts as they began their march, Hannah strutting alongside Lykos' left as he kept the sisters on his right, at least, if they both wanted to walk with him in such fashion.

You're actually more invested in this than you though, aren't you?

Magic has always been an interesting matter to me, not that Rickter needed to remind Lykos, I've always enjoyed developing my grasp of it.

We're one and the same on that mindset. The Wolf hadn't forgotten his own vested interest in relearning the Runes that were in Rickter's possession. And while he eagerly wanted to reminisce and contemplate the magic that would be at play, Lykos knew there was something important he had to discuss with the sisters first. "Lana, Lia, there's something that I need to discuss with you before we begin." He started as the soft crunch of sand shifted beneath his shoes, Hannah quick to turn her head before realizing the change in dialect Rickter displayed.

"Holy shit, I barely even noticed you, Lykos." The rogue remarked aptly before glancing at the Vastiana sisters, curious as to what the Wolf had to say given his history with them.

Lykos paid her with a welcoming smile before his lips softened, though, as the matter that came to mind was not easy for him to ruminate on. That part of Rickter cared just as much, if not more, for the incredible amount of care and attention they gave to him a while back. Helping a Draegir with no sense of identity surely had come with a plethora of challenges, and in that time, Rickter could already see the reasons why Lykos felt so strongly as he did about them being a part of their pack as well. "Since you've helped me regain Rickter's identity and reawaken him, there's been some... developments that I need to share with both of you."

Already, he could feel the heaviness weighing on his heart, and while it was not much, Rickter did everything he could to be supportively encouraging to the other half that retained control.

[Hilana Chenzira]

For Hannah and Rykos, this was warm. For the sisters, it was pretty cool, but that was why they had their cloaks on, and Lia had done her own little wards into the fabric to help keep them warm and modulate the temperatures. Even Sviras, in Hilana's hood, was nice and warm. He was a spirit, and the temperatures didn't really bother him, but it was always nice to be warm. "When Searing is at its height, the temperatures are nearly thrice this," Hilana told Hannah. "And the sun is here much longer than it will be now in Frost. Right now, the days get quite short; we only have perhaps seven hours of bright sunlight at this point in the season. In a month, it will be even less," she shielded her eyes with her hand and looked up. "We have maybe four left today before sunset, but if need be, I can provide us with light." They might not stay all that long today, but they could at least start figuring out the project.

When Lykos studied the wards framing the area, he might well recognize that same elegance of the negation that had been woven into the Cold Room at the Citadel. For Rickter, it would be a revelation, but for Lykos, who had 'grown up' in Solunarium, such as it was, this was normal and to be expected. There were many wondrous acts of magic from the Circle of Spells, but Solunarium was a land that was very openly steeped in the arcane arts. Just as they had with the Cold Room, the Sentinels would be watching.

When he used the Solunarian word for 'thanks', the sisters glanced at each other, and shared a small smile. It seemed likely that their Lykos had returned to them, however briefly, for however long it might be. Ever since they had brought him to the Orkhan seer that had been able to reconnect 'Rickter' from what was buried, they had sometimes wondered what happened to Lykos. "It is good to see you," Hilana smiled up at him as they fell into step with him. It was good to see Rickter, too, but they usually saw him more than they saw the one whom they had spent a few seasons with on a daily basis.

"What is it, Lykos?" Athalia found his hand and squeezed it reassuringly, looking up. His solemn tone had both of them curious and concerned, and clearly, this was something that was weighing on him that needed to be addressed.

[Rickter]

Hannah paid Hilana attentive care as she explained the logistics of Winters down in Atraxia, given this was the furthest south that the rogue had ever traveled in the world. There were, of course, the charms and mannerisms Hannah was taking note of, since she was getting to spend actual lengths of time with the Vastiana sisters. This was a solid opportunity for her, one she didn't plan to squander now that it was ripe for her to partake in.

"From what I know, Atinaw is mildly cooler but still pretty humid, depending on how far south one goes. It's actually interesting to see the difference in climate." As they walked, Lykos could sense Rickter's amusement with an underlying suspicion, given Hannah's credible penchant to flirt and tease others. It was only a matter of time, of course, but naturally, the wolf eyed the skies as he heard the mention of hours left in the day.

They wouldn't need to be out too late for this first visit, not since Lykos and his other half only needed to observe their environment for the first day. It was admittedly much like what Sentinel Phocion had described it to be, expectedly a vast and barren stretch of land riddled with naught but sand. The perfect blank canvas for this little venture, they were determined to start.

As they walked, Lykos started to talk. There were subtle engagements of his other senses; a mindful glance around to take in the sights themselves, combined with deep inhalations to consider the mixture of scents in the air. The arid air had felt dry and dusty to his nose, but nothing out of the ordinary marked significance for his wolven mind to notice right away. When he'd felt Lia draw close to grasp him by the hand, Lykos couldn't help but softly grin once more, feeling the comfort he didn't expect to need as he came to a slow stroll with the three women.

"I've been here, and, I will always be in here." He started calmly with a compassionate tone for the two, Hannah being more observant of him as well, now that she was getting to see a completely different side of Rickter as it were. But there was also a sadness he kept hidden within, if only because Lykos knew of the eventuality that existed. "There is, however, something that you both need to be made aware of."

The wolf swallowed hard as he felt the supportive warmth of Rickter swell from within, paired with the outer comfort of Athalia's physical touch, which had been enough to motivate the other half to speak plainly about what was on his mind. "After you both helped me to restore Rickter, and a bit of time was spent helping him reawaken, there have been some... side effects of the outcome that I've been reluctant to share." He seemed a bit ashamed to share this, if only because they were details that would bear a significant impact further down the road.

What they implied would certainly be left open to interpretation, but ultimately, the finality in conclusion remained ever a constant fact. "Since you found me in that dark room, I've only been another aspect of Rickter. You could say I was what remained after everything of his original identity was stripped away. But... now that he's been completely restored, there's been a boundary that's existed between him and me. A boundary that's gradually blurred with each passing season, and if my theory is correct, then there will come a time when that boundary itself will no longer remain."

Lykos then paused in their pace for a moment as he averted his eyes, admittedly, he felt a little more sad at the revelation than when he initially grasped it. Probably because he hadn't forgotten the time he shared with Lana and Lia, and intermittently, that time together had created a special bond the three of them shared. To think there was something of an end to that, even if it wasn't a legitimate end, evoked stronger feelings than he initially considered when this moment had been contemplated.

"You see, I had originally surmised such a thing would come to pass, that is, once Rickter awoke and regained his sense of self." The wolf finally elaborated as he started to stroll once more, his grip on Athalia's hand a bit firmer but not much tighter. "As we are now, currently we seem to be two halves of a whole. Separate entities that share both a mind and a body. Eventually, however, that will include the soul also, even if that is something Rickter wishes against."

He then gave a thoughtful glance down to each of the sisters, pondering what crossed their minds now that they were hearing this. "The reality of this possibility has been a circumstance I've embraced head on. I understand and accept the reality of it, knowing eventually I will fade away entirely... But finding the right way to tell you this, has admittedly vexed me for a time now." Lykos expected that the sisters would have questions regarding this situation, given he'd just now come forward with the conclusion in mind, therefore he gave pause for them in the even they did desire to say or inquire on the matter.

[Hilana Chenzira]

The sisters could imagine it was. There was little to no humidity in the Atraxian Expanse until one hit the borders of the Commonwealth. That was when it became apparent and oppressive. The coastal areas did experience humidity, but it wasn't that harsh, and the populated areas had enough elementalists and aerolyths to keep it moving. The merchant princes of Tertium liked their comfort, after all. Solunarium proper, while it was on the Vasta, had no such issues.

His tone made it clear that this was important, and so they gave him their full attention. Hilana's hands went to the straps of her rucksack as they usually did, while Lia's thumb stroked the back of Lykos' hand as he talked. The dark-haired women digested this news in silence, looking from each other to him. They both looked solemn, and that solemnity was tinged with sadness.

"We knew that there was a chance that you would be gone when the seer connected you with your past," Lia said. "We were prepared for that then. That 'Lykos' was a placeholder for 'Rickter', that you would be absorbed into him, or perhaps vanish altogether. But in adversis etiam fida... faithful even in hardship," she translated for Hannah. "We knew that it was important to see this through, not just for Rickter's family, but for Rickter himself. For you. There was really no way of knowing how it would go, but sometimes we have to take a leap of faith."

"Neither one nor quite the other... but two parts of one whole," Hilana remarked. "We have watched as time went on. We could see that the two personalities, I suppose you could say... were bleeding into one another more." She scuffed the sand with her sandal and sighed. It was sad, but this wasn't altogether unexpected. They had known it was more or less coming, it was inevitable, and there wasn't anything that they could do about it. They couldn't really split a personality off and get Sivan to artifice up a body to somehow stick it in, even if that was possible. That would have been weird, not to mention unfeasible. It would have just had the same problem as before... that they wouldn't have been whole.

"There is nothing for it... but I hope that the lessons and experiences that you learned here will remain." Her grip on her straps tightened. There had been some valuable lessons they'd shared together, particularly about discipline and thinking things through rather than just flying off the handle. She realized something, perking up a bit. "Have you not prayed to Domina Divina about it? You did swear to Her. Perhaps She and His Divine Radiance could help."