A Learning Experience [Talon]

[Hilana Chenzira]

10 Glade, Year 125

[Closed - Talon]


It was almost a lazy morning for Hilana. Almost. But Lia and Kalor, the fire palarae that inhabited his specially-made golem body that had been crafted by Sivan, had come by for breakfast with her and Kor, and rather than let her sister do all of the work, Lia had picked up some braided loaves of bread for them for a treat. She knew that their newest arrival liked the savoury side of things, and with the bread toasted with cheeses and herbs, that made for a lovely start to the day. Especially since it would go with whatever main Hilana was making - hash, or a bean stew, or an egg pie... there was no way of knowing; Hilana sometimes cooked for whatever she was thinking that day and whatever she had on hand. It was nearly always desert-inspired, sharing the traditional dishes from the sands in some way, shape, or form with the much-greater access to ingredients that she now had in the city.

But after a good morning together, Hilana and Kor would be going north. Lia headed back to her own apartment with Kalor - she had a date of her own to prepare for that afternoon, and dinner was always open. If they were back in time, they were back in time, and if they were not, there was no pressure.

It had been a little while since her last lesson with Talon, and while Hilana had been working diligently across multiple disciplines, the Vastiana was realistic. She wouldn't master all of them in a day, and these were arts that took lifetimes to learn. But she was determined, and she knew that she could learn a lot from multiple teachers - if someone was willing to offer a piece of advice, or lessons, or insight, she would be foolish to refuse. The silver-haired Avialae prince had taught her quite a bit, from Scrivening to Alchemy to Semblance to Elementalism, and she was always down for more. However, in her apartment, she did not have room for a proper alchemy lab, and Domina Clelia would take umbrage at her bringing a pair of Peregrini into hers. And Hilana was absolutely not trusted on her own in there, not yet.

She was looking forward to introducing Kor to Talon and Aoren. She wasn't sure if perhaps he knew the Avialae pair, but she was going to find out. She had told him about them, so that he could at least be prepared a little bit for where they were going: the Palace of the First Wind. The Featherlight Satchel was stuffed - she had desserts and baked goods in there, a large bowl of lemon custard, and packets of a tea that she had been testing out. The bread that Aoren had loved at the market the last time they had visited, some prickly pear syrup, mead, honey. There were jars of nuts and native fruits, particularly figs and dates and olives. They had just come through winter, and the sun was gradually returning to them again, and with it, the bounty of the world around them. The rucksack held her Aalchemy notebooks and pencils. She had brought her Alchemy textbook, though she wasn't sure she would need it, but sometimes it was always nice to have things on hand.

Her hair had been bound up in a rather large bun of curls, secured and held in place to keep it out of the way. They were going to be in a lab, surely, which meant it needed to be out of the way. Attire was almost tricky - if she was going to the Palace as a guest of the Daizoku, then she absolutely needed to dress accordingly, even if she was going to be in a lab for most of it. The result was a nod to Kalzasern fashion with the skirt and scarf of teal and gold, along with her usual short blouse, which bore the a similar pattern as the scarf. The skirt was not as full as her usually colourful pieces - it was highly unlikely that she would need the sheer volume that she had gotten used to wearing at home, especially in the sands. When Kor was ready, and Hilana had her final gift for their hosts in her arms - a fairy castle cactus in a pot made by some friends of hers, she activated her Ring of Traversion and made the portal that would allow them to step into the Inner Sanctum of the Palace of the First Wind.

[Talon]

T A L O N

The chamber that awaited Hilana and Kor was one that was open to the air. Several stone pedestals upon which stood crystal arches inscribed with a multitude of pictographs formed a circle. Between each pedestal stood an armored Avialae guard. At the center of the circle stood a white robed woman who smiled at Hilana as soon as she walked through the arches.

“Honored guests, you are expected. Please follow the attendant to the His Highness' laboratory.” Immediately a well dressed human servant stepped forth. He offered both Hilana and Kor a smile before bowing. The middle-aged man then turned on his heel to guide them away from the Traversion platform. The walk revealed that they were on a floating island just above a garden at the interior of the palace. The servant stepped onto a stone platform, as soon as he was joined by Hilana and Kor, the platform descended to the ground.

The two of them were led away from the more public and busy sections of the palace and into the sections reserved exclusively for the family and select guests.

“This way, honored guests.” The servant guided them through another spacious and airy section of the palace where a group of children were playing. Several women, along with the unmistakable Queen-Dowager, were sitting comfortably not far removed from them enjoying what looked to be tea and snacks while discussing. Talon's younger brother, Rien was seated with them along with a few other young men and women. The children were a mix of winged boys and a few wingless girls. They were playing a game that involved the boys gliding while picking the girls up in a makeshift game of chase, a small cloud of Minova bats, fluffy white bats, were intermingled with the children, joining them in the fun.

The attendant led them past what was clearly Talon's family and to a set of large wooden doors. The doors looked to be thick and heavy, covered in an artful design depicting the Star of House Novalys emblazoned upon the breast of an icewing phoenix with wings spread wide over the city of Kalzasi. A closer look would reveal that every inch of the door was covered in small, intricately carved pictographs that were protective in nature. The servant knocked lightly. After a pause, the doors were opened.

The chamber was rectangular in shape, with high stone columns that supported five distinct floors. Each column had a concave shape forming a half-circle, at the base of which was a circular stone platform large enough to accommodate up to four or five people at a time. The center of the tower was completely open, with a clear view all the way to the ceiling where hung a chandelier that looked to be made entirely of high quality aetherite. The entire tower was cast in a soft blue glow stemming from numerous dragonshard lanterns spaced around the tower. As soon as they entered, the servant bowed and took his leave politely. He was replaced by an older human man dressed in black robes lined with silver.

“Ah, Mistress Hilana and guest. His Highness is at the alchemy floor. Please follow me.” The robed man walked over to one of the high columns and stepped onto the stone platform at the base. He motioned for Hilana and Kor to join him. As soon as they did, the platform beneath them began to ascend. It rose to the fourth floor. Once they arrived, the man gestured for them to proceed.

“Did you apply Lyrielle's Theorem of Substance Entanglement?” Aoren was reading from a thick tome of arcane lore. He was dressed simply. A pair of plain brown leggings tucked into black boots. A white linen shirt hugged his muscular frame comfortably. His long red hair was tied back.

Talon was crouching atop a raised slab of solid aetherite. Painted over the entire flat surface was an elaborate alchemical sigil that he was scanning meticulously. His silver-white hair was braided into a long ponytail that hung down to his waist. He was also dressed simply, a pair of black leggings, slippers and a white linen shirt that hugged his form comfortably.

“Yes, love. Though, if Lyra were here I am certain she would have already sighed at me in annoyance.” He looked up from the sigils with a smile before his silver eyes settled upon Hilana and Kor at their approach. His smile brightened and he rose from his crouch fluidly. He took a small set of stairs down from the raised slab, coming to meet them. Aoren joined him.

“Welcome, Hilana. Whom do we have the pleasure of meeting today?”

[Hilana Chenzira]

Hilana was rather delighted as they were led on through. She wasn't used to such grand places; and her eyes were properly enormous. She did thank the woman who greeted them, beaming, and she and Kor followed their guide. Etzalal stayed close, tucked under her scarf while observing through the gauzy fabric. When the spirit saw the minova bats flying, Hilana felt their wings flutter a little bit like it was considering joining them, though they decided to stay with their Summoner. As the platform went down, she steadied herself, and Kor kept a golden eye on the Vastiana, who was drinking the place in with utter interest. She did note the children, doing a quick head count. They were surely Talon's family, but she would certainly ask later on and confirm that. The Siltori woman made her suspect that that was the Dowager Queen Sahfri, especially as there was a definite resemblance there between her and the Prince that they were going to visit. She would have to ask. On the other hand, she didn't think it wise for someone like her to be in the eye of the Iron Queen, lest she cause offense without intending to.

If the opportunity had come, Hilana might well have tucked a bat into her bag, but she also wasn't going to snatch one without permission. Charm, maybe, especially with permission, but outright scoop up, not so much. She wasn't one to take something that wasn't hers and wasn't properly wild unless she was told she could do so. The doors... well, she wanted to sit and study those for a while, and use Semblance and investigate each of the pictographs, but today was not going to be the day to do that. She knew that Lia would find it fascinating, and she likely would have been able to understand them far more than she could. They followed the servant until they got to to the lab, and they were handed off to the robed man. The servant that had guided them was thanked as well. "Good afternoon to you," she beamed at the robed man. She was excited to see one of Talon's Alchemy labs - she had seen the Skyforge many times, but the lab? This was going to be different. She could only imagine how it looked compared to Domina Clelia's, and she was quite eager to get inside of it. She also missed her friends, and she was looking forward to seeing them again. She'd have to see what they had been up to.

She also needed to introduce them to Kor. She was quite curious to see what each of them made of the other. The soft glow of the of the lanterns led to an ethereal, otherworldly feeling as they made their way to the fourth floor. She hung onto the odd-looking cactus with both hands, its highest branches perhaps 6" tall. It had room to grow in the pot, and its branches were shaded a bright green that had been mixed with pink, and when they came to greet her, she was beaming from ear to ear as she looked from one to the next. "It's so good to see you again, thank you for having us. How have you been? This is my friend Koraellon," she smiled up at the dark-skinned man, who smiled in kind and inclined his head to Talon and Aoren. "Kor, this is His Highness, Prince Talon of House Novalys, and his husband, Lord Aoren."

She had given Kor some details about her friends before they had come - Lia had rather insisted that she explain that Talon was in fact Arcas reborn, just so that he was prepared for it, and that Aoren was a red dragon. These were important facts for Vastii, and since it hadn't really been settled if he was Vastian like they were or a traveler, despite the fact he managed so well in their homeland that the two of them had quietly decided he likely was at least of their blood. Especially since he had known Etzalal of the myth and story. "Prince Talon, Lord Aoren, the pleasure is mine. Hilana has spoken so highly of both of you. It is an honour to meet the Prince of Dragons, and an Elder dragon of the Red Dragonflight," he offered a bow to both of them before straightening. If Hilana had let him in on that, then she certainly seemed to trust the tall man that had accompanied her. He was dressed more simply than she, but tidy nonetheless in dark trousers and boots, and a white shirt that had stitching on it the same colour as Hilana's dress. Lia's handiwork, naturally.

"And this is Etzalal," Hilana tried not to laugh as the winged serpent launched itself out from underneath her scarf, flapping around to investigate the wings of the Avialae. "Forgive them, please, they're... rather inquisitive about meeting new people," she explained. She didn't bring her pythons north, but this winged beastie was determined. "This is for you," she offered Talon the cactus with a smile. Gifting plants, especially one of hers that she had grown and coaxed and babied, was giving a part of her.

[Talon]

T A L O N

Talon blinked as he was presented with a cactus. He reached out, accepting the plant. He observed the branches of the cactus, the flowers at the top. A warm smile spread across his face. Leaning forward he released a breath over the cactus. The divine symbol of Light manifested over his head. A glowing mist that shone with the warm but gentle light of the morning sun wrapped around the cactus, creating a cloak of warmth and sunlight. A mote of light took shape just above the flower of the cactus, the softly glowing mist falling from it in gentle waves.

“There. It shall be wrapped in the warmth of the morning sun, free of the cold that the Northlands are known for. Although, I do not want it to stay here in the tower. Would you be interested in helping me build an arid garden, Hilana?” He extended the cactus. A red robed mage walked forward, taking the cactus from his hands walking it over to a collection of other plants, giving the cactus a prominent spot. The red robed mage then went to join other robed mages tending to various aspects of the laboratory. Hilana would be able to see various robed figures, all of whom wore attire that was either white, black, or red comparing notes or discussing various arcane subjects. Scattered among them were some of the mage-priest Spellforged of the Dawnmartyrs, each of them wearing sashes around their waists with dawn motifs.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Koraellon.” Talon looked at Koraellon, one of his eyebrows raising slightly as he took in the dark-skinned man beside Hilana. “Also, you may just call me Talon. At least while my mother is not around."

He chuckled. Beside him, Aoren has extended an arm allowing Etzalal to coil around it. The two were looking at each other curiously. He looked to Koraellon with a smirk before offering a bow, bending slightly at the waist.

“Pleased to meet you, Koraellon. Hilana, your little friend here is quite majestic.” Aoren smiled, reaching out to brush the tips of his fingers over Etzalal’s head, prompting the serpent to fluff up its wings in pride as if to say that Aoren’s assessment was acceptable. “Also, just Aoren is fine and to echo my beloved, only when Her Iron Ladyship is not around.”

Aoren’s face went comedically grim at the thought of Sahfri overhearing someone addressing her son improperly. She would be mildly annoyed in Aoren’s case but largely only due to his proximity to her son. Talon shook his head.

“We are in the middle of a few alchemical experiments. Would you like to join us?” Talon smiled brightly. Aoren was in the middle of letting Etzalal inspect one of his wings as he spoke.

“Us, he says. I am just here to read his notes back to him.”

[Hilana Chenzira]

Hilana was quite pleased with his reaction to the strange cactus, watching with fascination as he breathed over it and cloaked it to protect it. That was fascinating to see him do that, and her eyes were properly enormous as her head tilted. That was different, and she was quite happy that it would be safe from the inclement weather so far from her warm and sunny apartment where it had grown off of her main cactus over the years. Talon and Aoren had received a slow, but steady stream of desert plants from Hilana since they had met, from the native hibiscus now to this fairy castle cactus. "It's called a fairy castle cactus," she explained. The name was pretty self-evident, considering the 'towers' the castle had that formed the 'castle'. The pink and green hues did lend into the realm of cuteness. "And I would love that very much," she brightened. "I can bring some soil samples and I've made a lot of feed and fertilizers for mine, so I can bring those, too." She was always happy to have a project like that, and it would be fun to work on - she could doubtless learn more from the mages here and from Talon about the process, and so if she ever got around to having her own bit of property...

"The pleasure is mine, and duly noted. Kor is fine for me," he nodded. He smiled at Aoren's expression of horror. Hilana had mentioned that it was best to avoid upsetting the Iron Lady, the Dowager Queen, but that was from her preference of avoiding upsetting royalty no matter where she went, but this was also Talon's family, and she didn't want to cause any problems or upsets, lest she make things difficult one way or another.

"Etzalal really is," Hilana smiled at the winged serpent that was getting comfortable with Aoren. Perhaps they'd known each other long ago in another time, but the enormous red-headed Avialae had a way with animals, including enticing her oldest cat, which had barely ever happened before. The elder queen had taken quite some time to warm up to Raithen, but her friendliness with Aoren had learned to extend to the golden-haired one in case he might also have treats... which Hilana had taken to giving him in order to help him bribe Risdra as much as possible to encourage her... but Etzalal was something else entirely, and nosy as anything... but the dragon recognized like with the spirit, it seemed. "They're very curious and interested in everything that's going on, and that means everyone." Etzalal had taken to being all over Sweet Remedies, and everyone that came into it, much to the delight of the of the children that visited. And an entertained child was oftentimes easier to treat. "No zappy flaps with Aoren, please," she smiled at the metallic spirit as she recognized the beginning of happy sparks. Enthusiastic, of course. And majestic.

"We'd love that, please," she was as eager as ever for a lesson. "What are you working on?" Kor was chuckling at Aoren's words - he seemed to understand the position, even if he was more of a teacher than an assistant with Hilana. But sometimes that was the way that it went. She retrieved a notebook and pencil from her rucksack, setting her satchel and rucksack down and out of the way. Aoren may well have detected the scent of baked goods contained therein, but considering that they were in the middle of experiments...

[Talon]

T A L O N

“I look forward to the project. I am not a gardener but I enjoy the beauty of them. Perhaps you can teach me a thing or two?” Talon smiled, clearly eager at the idea of learning more about tending to plants of all sorts.

“Kor, it is.” He stepped up beside his husband, inspecting the winged serpent curiously. He had never seen a creature of Etzalal's like. Reaching out, Talon let the serpent inspect his fingers before he stroked its head. The feeling of its metallic scales beneath his fingers was smooth. Gently, he pet Etzalal's nearest wing, feeling the buzz of electric sparks in his hand. It was not painful but it did make his hand tingle.

“Beautiful.” Turning to look at Hilana, Talon nodded toward the large slab of aetherite that he had been crouching on. The surface was covered in carefully chiseled markings, runic sigils and sprawling pictographs in a complex pattern that methodically guided and structured the aetheric power resonating within the softly glowing dragonshard. The slab itself was roughly three meters by three meters, forming a square. It was elevated off the ground with stone lifts along each of its sides bringing it just below Hilana's waist level. A small set of stone stairs allowed for easy access to its surface.

“Orichalcum. It is a substance that can only be made through alchemy. Unique in its ability to be implemented in runeforged weapon and armorsmithing, it is the only material recorded to be able to handle extreme levels of enchanting.” Excitement was clear in Talon's eyes. As a craftsman, he was always tinkering with and pursuing new ways of employing his trade. He motioned for Hilana to step closer to the slab of aetherite.

“The challenge is in timing the transmutations correctly, not counting the material components required to make it. The metal has to be made under very specific parameters whose reactions have to be strictly controlled.” Talon touched the surface of the slab. A spark of aether passed from him to the slab. The pictographs carved into the slab's surface illuminated in a soft light before fading back to their normal hue.

“Only absolute masters of alchemy are capable of making it correctly. Which…” Talon sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. “…I am not. However, that does not mean I cannot do trial runs and practice by transmuting other materials. I thought to start simple by transmuting stone into diamond, dirt into iron, and if we are lucky, lead into gold.”

Talon certainly possessed skill in alchemy that could be considered respectable but he would not have considered himself a master of it. His experience with alchemy was in part, largely due to the amount of resources he had the ability to experiment with. He wanted to refine his control over the reactions. He wanted to expand his knowledge of the school on a level worthy of what he should be capable of.

“Are you familiar with alchemy at all?”

[Hilana Chenzira]

If the absolute joy that radiated out of Hilana was anything to go by, she would be delighted to teach Talon about the plants and climate from her end of the world. She had taught him some - food and language, mostly - though she was primarily the student of the two of them. Rare would be the situations in which it was the other way around, but she was thrilled with the possibility of the opportunity. She loved to share her culture and her knowledge, and where she could, she would.

Etzalal was pleased with the praise, and they wouldn't mind hanging onto Aoren for a while while they were inspecting the red dragon, too. Talon was interesting too, and his silvery hair was like a lure. The spirit looked like he might try to weave himself into it for a moment, or so their focus seemed to say if one examined them through Semblance. But the spirit did seem to be as ebullient and cheerful as the summoner to which they'd bound themselves: curious, enthusiastic, and likely down for anything.

But as Talon began to explain the experiment, Hilana's pencil was soon writing rapidly in the notebook that she held, her curious gaze looking from the big slab of aetherite to Talon and back. The movement of the pencil brought Etzalal back over to her, winding their metallic body within her hair and settling. Only their head was visible, just to their eyes, and this way they could peek out and pretend no one else could see them, but they could see all of the things. Orichalcum - alchemical substance created to hold extreme amounts of enchantment. "What form does orichalcum take when successfully made?" she was curious to know if it was more akin to an ore that could be forged, or a powder or liquid.

"I started studying it a few years back," Hilana admitted. "Though I am probably slow at it compared to other subjects. My pedagoga just passed me through my journeyman levels in my most recent evaluation... though I mostly use it to enhance my medications and such, I did use it to learn about the void hunters that are devouring and gathering aether, if you remember that. Most of my training is in the traditional school right now, she said I can learn the tricks of occult once I've got the proper foundation." She also used it for poisons, but that was a less popular topic, and so the young woman left it alone. It may have been less that Hilana was slow, and more that her regular teacher was thorough and a firm believer in mastering basics before advancing. "I've got something for you that I made with alchemy, but we'll come back to that when we're done here." That was to say that she had a decent enough grasp to understand what was going on, but she was definitely not a master of this craft. Then again, she was juggling studying multiple disciplines, so she wasn't doing too badly.

Kor stepped up behind Hilana, inspecting the slab with a thoughtful expression on his face as he analyzed the pictographs that were there. Talon may have said that his alchemical skill was not that of a Master, but his Scrivening? Elegance was defined in those pictographs.

[Talon]

T A L O N

“It is not entirely clear. The creation of orichalcum is considered a lost art.” Talon mused. He stepped over to a stack of books nearby. Reaching out, he grabbed a worn leatherbound tome that bore no overt markings on the cover. It was humble, unassuming, bland even. The book itself seemed to give off an aura of being forgettable, as though it wanted to be ignored. He turned the pages delicately, as if afraid he might damage them with the slightest brush of his fingers.

“This is the only tome in the libraries of Kalzasi that even mentions it. The majority of the text speaks only of failed experiments rather than success.” A slight frown crossed Talon’s features as he read the material.

“It is written in pictography. Not as the means of channeling a spell, as a means of conveying concepts and ideas in their truest form. That adds another layer of complexity.” He motioned to the script that Kor was analyzing. Across the surface of the aetherite slab were carved symbols that Talon had painstakingly etched into the surface with special tools. On the one hand, it might have been easier to write the scripts utilizing his technique of kinetic carving, there was too much risk in damaging the aetheric flow of the aetherite. He had found that he was a better scrivener on dragonshards when he was using a combination of Semblance, his own hands and his tools.

“Pictography is, first and foremost, a language. The difficulty in reading this type of book is in matching the concepts initially imprinted upon the pictographs into ones that align with the concepts you know. It is easier to read the pictographs of a mage you know than one you do not or from a mage who lived centuries ago. Ideas change. Concepts shift. Symbols mean different things across different eras.” He let out a small sigh before gently closing the book.

He extended it to Hilana so that she could examine it if she chose to. If she opened the pages, every page was covered in violent script. At first, it was easy to assume that everything on the page was nothing more than the manic scribblings of a madman. Upon closer inspection, especially with Semblance, there was meaning hidden within the seemingly random twists and turns of symbols on each page. Beyond that, it would become clear that the pages themselves were similar to that of the grimoire that Talon had gifted to her previously. The ink used to create the scripts on the pages hissed quietly in her vision, as though bitter about the fact that another were attempting to glean their secrets. This was not the book of a scholar interested in sharing knowledge but of a sorcerer who most definitely wanted secrets kept.

“Alchemical presents? Sounds exciting. We look forward to them!” Aoren grinned. He nodded to his husband.

“I have been able to help, a bit. If only because there are concepts written in the pictographs that I know from bygone eras. Poor Talon has been walking away from that book with a headache.” Aoren stepped up to him, gently touching the tips of his fingers to the base of Talon’s neck before thumbing over the stiff muscles there. Talon visibly relaxed, some of the tension in his shoulders easing. He gave a grateful look to his husband.

“It would not surprise me if there was some record of orichalcum in Atraxia. Although, from my understanding, it was lost long before Solunarium was even a thought.”

[Hilana Chenzira]

Hilana continued to make notes, mostly "orichalcum" with question marks under it for liquid, gas, solid, powder. This was an odd puzzle, and that book seemed to be designed to make others leave it alone. She wondered if her own grimoire would be like that some day, when it was full of important things. Lia had already practiced putting wards on things to try to convince others to overlook it, but there was also the downside of the fact that Founders forbid you forgot where you put it down...

She set her notebook aside on an empty spot on a table when he offered her the spellbook, and took it, frowning. Soft hands. The young woman investigated the outside first, chewing on her lip, before opening it and looking over the pictographs. He was right - ideas and intentions could change over time, and what was known then might not have been known now, or had been replaced with different concepts. And if you didn't know the processes... it was going to be an awful lot of guesswork. She did wonder if some of the scholars in Solunarium might be able to help with figuring it out.

As she looked upon the pages with careful hands and the ink hissed at her, Hilana activated her Semblance Rune to investigate the book and try to find its echoes. Doubtless Talon had already done that, and his Semblance was far better than hers, but sometimes one might pick up on things that others missed. "Don't be rude," she told the book like she was speaking to a particularly grumpy cat. "Why wouldn't your old owner want others to learn how to make something lost to the past? If their work was the stuff of legend and myth, it should be continued, no? I'll make sure Talon gets you a freshly-made wrap of Cloth of Comfort if you wanted to be helpful."

Kor refrained from cracking a smile, and Etzalal wriggled in against her neck. "Here's hoping," she smiled at the red dragon when he mentioned that the gifts were exciting. She'd worked hard on them, so hopefully they would enjoy them.

As she scrutinized the pages, she blinked, looking from the book to Talon to Aoren to Kor and back to the grimoire with surprise. She recognized these. "This is from the tower, isn't it?" she realized suddenly with surprise. "Aoren, these pictographs. They were in the tower when we went with Valaera!"

[Talon]

T A L O N

Talon could not help the smile that tugged at his lips as Hilana chided the book for its foul aura. When the Vastiana began perusing the book, he watched closely. He sifted through the layers of her aura in order to observe the fluctuations in what she was feeling. The moment she was struck with the emotion of surprise, he could see it bubbling across her aura in soft waves. At her declaration, he looked to his husband curiously.

Aoren was still. His expression was blank. There was a muted sensation coming from him across the Bond. Whatever was spinning in Aoren's thoughts was obscured from him. It made Talon furrow his brow in concern.

“Aoren?” He stepped closer, reaching out to touch his hand lightly upon the dragon's forearm. Almost mechanically, Aoren grasped his hand with his other, entwining their fingers together. Across the Bond, he felt Aoren pull him closer. Talon matched that with physical closeness. He spread his consciousness into Aoren's, wrapping around his husband's mind, threading himself deeper into the crevices of the dragon's soul, sensing clearly that his partner needed the closeness in that moment.

“Burn it.” The statement made Talon blink in both surprise and confusion.

“Wha--?” He barely got the word out before Aoren was moving. He snatched the book from Hilana's hands. Fire gathered in his husband's throat. This was not the fire of an elementalist. This was the fire of a dragon. Before Talon could stop him, Aoren tossed the book into the air and exhaled a gout of flame igniting the book. As soon as the dragonfire touched the book, there was a horrid shrieking. Talon winced, covering his ears. The sound was piercing. Were it not for the fact that he was demigod, he was almost certain it could have made his ears bleed.

Black smoke billowed out from the book in a garish display. The pictographs practically leapt from the pages, forming clawed symbols that raked at the air as Aoren continued to breathe dragonfire onto them. With an agonized wail, the symbols were scorched away as the book was reduced to cinders.

Aoren stood there, chest heaving. Sweat beaded on his brow.

Talon moved to go to him but Aoren raised a hand. Across the Bond, he felt the force of a Core Bond command halt him in place. Talon's eyes went wide in shock. The shock lessened when he saw, in the ashes of the book, marks sear themselves into the floor. Immediately, Talon shook off the command. He stirred his aether into motion, conjuring a barrier. He erected a small sphere anchored at several points around the walls of the tower and threaded a layer of Static throughout the sphere around that space to suppress whatever malevolent force was etching itself into the stone. The symbols burned themselves into the ground but halted at the edges of the containment sphere.

Talon gestured to several large dragonshard crystals nearby. They floated over to him as he grasped them with his kinetics. Carefully he wove the energy of the dragonshards into sustaining the ward that he had put in place. Once he was certain they were adequately sustaining the barrier, he ceased actively powering it himself. He then turned to his husband expectantly.

“Kaitos.”

Talon felt his stomach drop at the utterance of that single name. He looked down at the black markings that were currently contained with both newfound appreciation and newfound horror.