Dancer’s Dreaming

the-shadow-of-a-wielder

His head still hanging low, Sceada looked every bit the disheartened lad that had to an extent already given up.

“So if those of our generation are only led by desire and lust… - How come you and I are so different? How come we don’t belong? Or is there something you’ve hid from me, Amina…?”

He had a point there… Neither of them had truly exhibited a great deal of lust and willingless to get intimate with others, nor the desire to pursue carnal pleasures. Maybe they spared them a thought every now and then, that much might be true - but at least in Sceada’s case, it wasn’t a main concern. No… for him, what he wanted more than that, what he truly desired… It was people who wanted him around. Who enjoyed his company.

And whose desire to be with him went beyond curiosity, for he is all too aware that his novelty would fade quickly once any of the girls had gotten her wish…

Still, there was likely some truth to Amina’s words. He was indeed not the most social of people, a trait born out of having been unwanted and unwelcome for many years, and it was easy for him to retreat from others. But what to do about it? Finally he looks up again, glancing to his friend and looking intently at her, curious to what she might propose - or how she might react to his words.

“Alright then… let’s suppose I would agree to this, would open myself to such advances that’d only sate their curiosity and lust… - I wouldn’t be surprised if it’d turn into a competition even, to see who gets the different guy first, who get’s to brag about it… - kinda like how it has been back then, a few months after we got here when the boys had a challenge about you Amina, to see who’d-”

Oh. No. No, he should not speak any further. After all, if he disliked turning into such a challenge, then there’s no reason to assume his sister wouldn’t. Even if the competition had only been about who could beat her one-on-one - a test which by the way to his knowledge not one of them had passed so far.

“To see if any of them could beat the new battle recruit in a fight? Did you know they’re still trying to beat me, they think something will come from it.” She just chuckled, waving a hand to brush off his worries. “Nothing will, not gonna be interested in someone because they can beat me up... kinda one of the biggest things that would make me kick someone to the side to be honest.” She just leaned onto an arm, not really wanting to continue that line of thought.

“Like I said though Sceada, it’s up to you if you want to do this... the school has a social event coming up soon, why don’t we try to help you find a date, and see what develops from that? If you don’t enjoy what comes from it, we’ll find you some other way to try and commingle a little more... peacefully? yeah, lets say peacefully, with people, and then maybe we can find you a more fitting girlfriend who’s sister approved.” She gave him a smile with that, joking that he’d need her approval like she was his parent or something. 

Quite a Lot to Explain

the-shadow-of-a-wielder

Sceada wasn’t about to protest the Fenrir’s words, after all they had been nothing but helpful and the beast was more knowledgeable on this matter than any other he knew, but he still did not like this turn of events. Cutting a piece out of him? That just seemed wrong…

Especially after how Amina had torn him apart just a week ago.

Still, he did not stop her, and watched with uninhibited curiosity as his companion stepped up for the task. He couldn’t help but notice the wincing of the Great Beast, and instinctively clutched his own chest as though it had been him who was struck and not the Fenrir. This had to hurt… after all, these crystals were part of his body, similar to how it was now with Amina, so they had to be connected to the nerves somehow…

But there is little gained from musing over this or feeling bad for the Fenrir’s sake. It had been his decision to take this step, and it would be nothing short of insulting to question it now. Instead he would better focus on what happened, and observe what the pup would do next - only to be surprised when it is promptly absorbed into the crystal shard.

“A.. a name…?”

The Fenrir’s question takes Sceada by surprise as he still stares at the shard and it’s changing light. He had to pick a name for the pup? But why him? And did it not already have a name? He seems a bit perplexed as to the why, but still begins to ponder what name would be fitting.

There is a wry little smile on his lips when he finds the answer.

“Hatii. We shall name it Hatii. Is that okay? Any objections?”

Hatii, the name of an ancient wolf of legend, that was said to be a son of the mighty Fenrir of legend - What other name could be more fitting?

“Hatii...” That was a interesting name, she sort of wondered what it meant, did it mean anything? The way Sceada suggested it, it sounded like he had quite some confidence in the name and how fitting it was, so something about it had to have something to do with these wolves. Were there legends of these great beast where Sceada came from? “I like the name.” She said simply after her thoughts calmed a bit.

The Fenrir nodded, before bowing its head to the crystal and speaking the wolf’s new name to it within its new crystalline form. The light within it sparkled brightly, sending off waves of energy that radiated a joyful glow. The light that sprayed from within collected and formed before the two around that shard of crystal. And just like that, the pup stood before them once more... and wasted little time jumping up to Sceada, seeking his attention once more. Though unlike before where it had had to run up a rock to reach him, this time it just jumped from the ground into his arms... clearly this process had made the little guy stronger.

“So... will you two be leaving now? Forgive me for not being able to offer more assistance on your travels. I hope your journey will be safe... though, with your goals in mind, I have doubts that they will be.” The beast at least spoke honestly, what they were planning to do was crazy, there wasn’t much else that could be said, they were going against the forces of something far larger than them, far larger than the guilds, they were in over their heads... and there wasn’t really any backing out now, sense the gravity of it all was probably only known to the two of them.

Well That Hurt

Send me “ ☹ ”, and I’ll generate a number between 1-75 to see where/how my muse is injured. Send “ ☹ ⇋ ”, and it’s your character living the pain. The third option would be “ ☹ ☹ “ to have both wounded (in which case first generated number will be for my muse and second for yours).

Tw for possible blood and gore! Please be mindful of your partner’s possible triggers that might only apply to a couple of these.

Keep reading

Quite a Lot to Explain

the-shadow-of-a-wielder

Sceada nodded to her words, it seemed they were agreed then. They would return to the inn, retrieve what little things they had left behind there and pay their goodbyes to the patron of the inn. And then, they would leave - though they’d yet have to decide on a destination. But that could wait until they were ready.

Kneeling down the Burmecian now held out his hand for the little wolf pup to rub it’s head against and nuzzle up to it. Indeed it seemed quite attached to him, and it would be rather cruel to leave it behind… - but they could not just take it with them either. First off all, how would they take it with them, how could they enable it to travel with them? And what would such a journey do to it? Would the Fenrir even allow such a thing?

He turns his head to face the Fenrir and voice his question, but is stopped by the mighty beast’s expression. Was… was the Fenrir mulling over some question…? It seemed just that way…

“Great Fenrir? You look as though something weighs heavy on your mind - is there anything we can do to help you?”

There were a few more concerning moments where the Fenrir said nothing to the two of them. But soon enough it refocused and gazed at the two, a beastly smile forming on its face. 

“No, Nothing truly weighty, but I have thought of a way that I may be able to provide you even greater assistance. The Scarlet one’s jewels can lead you, but she will need time to learn their ways. Until then, and perhaps for a time more, a hound might do better as a guide” The great beast chuckled, before turning it’s head to Amina. “Scarlet one, use your blade to cleave a piece from the crystals in my chest, I shall use it to create something akin to the core within you, for it, and that you can carry with you forward.”

Amina looked... understandably a little concerned at that request, but she turned her head to Sceada for a moment and just shrugged. So far it seemed like this big beast knew what it was talking about, no reason to go against it now. So she did what was requested of her, and slashed the CoreDriver through one of the crystals, dropping a piece to the cavern floor before she stepped back.

The Fenrir winced, but otherwise didn’t react, and soon shared a gaze with the pup that still moved around Sceada. The two of them seemed to share some sort of connection, an unheard conversation was played out over minutes, and at its completion, both nodded, and the pup stepped forward towards the crystal... and was absorbed into it, giving the lightly glowing stone a whole new light within it. Then visible energy flowed from the point where the shard had been cut from, and infused itself into the piece and the pup within.

“Give it a name, that will seal this little spell.” This was something all guardians and their followers could perform, a binding spell to create an avatar of their power to aid those they truly believed deserved it. But so rare was it that a guardian deemed a mortal worthy, that the Fenrir itself in all its lifetime, comparatively short as it may be had only known of it to happen but a few times.

Quite a Lot to Explain

the-shadow-of-a-wielder

The Burmecian could not help having a slight smile on his lips upon hearing these two speak with the intent to instill confidence in him. He had not thought that he sounded so weak and doubtful merely by admiting that this taint of darkness was among the questions he wished to find answers to, but he’d take it as it was.

“Your confidence in me honors me, Great Fenrir - as does yours, Amina. Still, you’ll both understand when I remain careful about this matter - after all, it is often from a lack of caution that calamity is born.”

There was truth in his words, and he knew that, but that did not mean that he was from now on going to be on his guard at any given moment. He was only a mortal as well - or well, actually, if he took a look around here, the only mortal…

“Still, you’re right, there’s little point to worrying already. We should probably return to the Inn and make our preparations, and then plan where we head to next. I’m sure there will be plenty of options to choose from once we start to look into it.”

The fenrir had nodded its head to his comment about calamity, meanwhile Amina was left awkwardly rubbing the back of hers. It was her lack of caution in this world that had caused Sceada so many issues, so that was a lesson that she would really need to take to heart.

“Yeah, heading back to the inn to get our things together would be for the best, we have a lot of ground to cover... that’s an expression that loses a bit of it’s meaning when we’re not gonna be staying on this world.” And right back the hand went to rubbing her head, she was going to develop a bald spot if she wasn’t careful with her silly comments.

“So what are we going to do about the puppy by the way?” She asked, noticing the fact that it was still quite keen on nuzzling close to her burmecian companion. “He doesn’t really seem like he wants to leave you alone too awful much. And I still don’t know if we have any way to take him outside of this world.” At that comment, the fenrir’s eyes grew unfocused with thought, schemes of a way to aid the two forming in its mind. 

Quite a Lot to Explain

the-shadow-of-a-wielder

He knows he shouldn’t, but Sceada could not help having a little smile on his lips when he sees his comrade stumble over her words like this.

“I know, I know, don’t worry my friend. For now I’m just glad you are well. You have given me quite the scare today, you know?”

Indeed, this day, much like the one they entered the caverns originally, had been quite the rollercoaster for him. He had seen Anima die twice in that same pool of aether within merely a week’s time, that was bound to leave some scars - quite frankly, no one could have blamed him for walking away from this.

But even though he had not known her for a long time, Sceada had come to care about her. More than he’d probably care to admit currently…

“But yes… confused is indeed the right way to put it, although I have to admit… I have gained more answers that I dared hope.” Turning around to face the Fenrir properly once more, the Burmecian gave the mighty beast a court nod. “Indeed you are right. We were told that these Arcane Compasses have the goal of leading us to dangerous anomalies, so that we could cleanse them. There are others who have received them as well, but they have already left this realm quite some time ago, following their compasses’s guidance.”

To be quite fair, he wasn’t sure what to make of their affiliation with the others, or what to expect from them. They had left him behind on this world without much of a thought about him, never questioning why Amina hadn’t returned with him. Chances were, he’d not see any of them again.

Which meant… sticking with Amina was the best course he could take.

“I’d wager that if we combine our compasses with the crystals my companion is sprouting now, then we should be able to slowly, gradually inch closer to the truth behind what’s happening. There are plenty of questions we still face, after all: Where that taint of darkness hails from, and what is it’s nature? Where did Amina come from, and what happened to her? What is she, truly? We may speculate that she is akin to you, Great Fenrir, but I wonder if that is true? What could she have been before becoming like this? And furthermore… what is this darkness you see within me, why is it there? I think all of these questions are important, and will require our full attention.”

Hoo boy, that was quite the list he got there…

The fenrir cocked its head to one side. “I mean not to take steam from under the wings of such a passionate want for answers Azure one. But I had not intended to cause doubt within you by showing you that there was darkness in your being.” The beast huffed a bit, having thought it explained this when it told him not to let that darkness overtake him. “The darkness within both of you, it stems from the same source as the magic that accosted this place, but it is not the same power. Should you control it, and yourself, you have no worries, but you know the harmful nature of black magic. Many have been swayed into it’s grasp before, but you are smart, and strong, and willful. I do not believe you will falter.”

Amina still wasn’t totally sure what was going on, or the exact nature of this conversation. But, she could tell that the Fenrir was trying to give Sceada a bit of a confidence boost going forward, and she was behind that idea wholly. 

“Well Sceada, we don’t need to worry about the rest of that too much for now.” She moved beside him, and lightly nudged his side with her elbow. “A huge nature spirit thing believes in you, and so do I. So I’m certain that we’ll be able to get some answers for your... and well, my questions somewhere along this weird road we’ve set ourselves down.” She smiled at him as she said all that, hoping it would be enough to show her support.

Quite a Lot to Explain

the-shadow-of-a-wielder

Concentrated Aether was a dangerous thing, Sceada had known that before. They said that coming into contact with pure aether could whisk away one’s essence, and while he doubted it to be this extreme, he held no doubt that there was still merit in being careful.

Nevertheless it had something deeply disturbing when the Fenrir’s fur, hit by a wave of aether bursting forth from the pool, got singed off.

“..you… You have my thanks, mighty Fenrir… I daresay it was now you who saved my life…”

His voice is still rather low and silent, as he watched Amina emerge and - to his surprise and shock - open empty eyes. Had she… Was that truly…? He has a hard time wrapping his mind around what was happening, and behind the Fenrir’s mighty body he did not have the best view of the scene either.

And yet still, he could not help but look, could not avert his eyes.

Then the spark contained in her pendant, the pendant she had thrown him before disappearing into thin air following the battle that took place here merely a week ago, flickered forth and drove into her chest, towards the other charm from that day. And the emptyness in her eyes faded.

So that is how they work… How she forms… Interesting…

When Amina finally speaks, Sceada could not help but feel that her promise likely wouldn’t hold up in the long run. And why would she even promise him such a thing, after she had told him yesterday, in the baths, that she could not make any promises, that she couldn’t guarantee that she’d be less reckless? He didn’t like this change, he had prefered her honesty, and he does not hold back in letting her know.

“I doubt that will be in our hands my friend, and even if it were, it’d not turn out that way.”

But that was besides the point right now. There was another question that was more important right now, and he hesitates not in asking it with his brows furrowed in concern:

“How do you feel, Amina? Is everything… everything alright…?”

“Well- I mean- what I meant was-” She stumbled over her words, she hadn’t really had a chance to plan out how this sort of conversation would go... But then again, she’d never been in this position before, she would never stay in a world after already dieing once. Sceada was the first person to ever see her reform her body like this, normally she would piece it back together from the Aether between worlds as she drifted to whatever place would next have her, and she would never be able to... or willing to, find her way back to a place she’d already died at.

“Listen, I get that this is hard to believe, I know I said I can’t make promises, but I really doubt I’ll die this many times in this short a time frame in the future!” She knew that sounded awful, but it was really the best she could do. “I mean... at least I’ll try not to... and I don’t think I will, this body feels... sturdy.” She stretched out her limbs a bit, then rubbed the back of her head. “I’m still confused... you’re probably infinitely more so, sense you’re smart enough to know how to question this all and try to think ahead. But-” She moved her hands to her sides, forearms horizontal with the earth, and looked between her balled fists and the strange new crystals on her arms, and then up to him with a confident gaze. “I don’t think I’ll fall apart with this body, not for a while at least.”

“Scarlet one, I do believe you’ve also just given your friend a convenient out for one of his queries.” The Fenrir rested back on its haunches, the ear on the now singed side of its head twitching and flicking every so often. “Those crystals, they were formed from the pure aether of a wellspring, and they will do well in serving as a guide to lead you to more of our kind... Perhaps, even better than the small sliver of stone you both already carry on your persons.” The Arcane Compass, that which guided them here before. “Though, I sense that those stones are attuned to a different power... They seek to guide you to the darkness, do they not?” Amina wasn’t sure how to respond to that... she hadn’t heard any of the conversation leading up to this, so she was lost.

Quite a Lot to Explain

the-shadow-of-a-wielder

So the Fenrir didn’t have any answers either.

Sceada seemed rater displeased at that realization, and his gaze laid on the pool of aether as he absentmindedly petted the wolf pup on his arm. If not even a mighty being such as the Fenrir had answers, then where was he supposed to find them? Where should he look, what should he do?

It is apparent to him that Amina, in her current condition, will not be able to endure the strain this uncertainity put on her mind for a long time. Maybe an answer, even if just a tiny one, would help alleviate this to an extent, would grant her enough peace to endure until they’d find more answers… - But where to find that one answer? Where?

“You need not apologize to me, Great Fenrir. You have told me as much as you could, and that is more than I could truly have asked for, so if anything, I am thankful to you.”

He now returns his attention to the great wolf, looking at him with a silent determination to do whatever he could. And the first step would be to carefully think this over - and analyze what the Fenrir had said.

“…From your words I can tell that it is outside of your power to tell which world my friend originally hails from, correct? If so, that leaves us with little choice in where to go, seeing how we don’t have any real clue. Maybe we could continue traveling to other worlds and clear any anomalies we come across, hoping to learn more from other… - Guardians, you called them? And if you are a comparatively young one, then chances are, the others might hold more knowledge…”

By now he was more thinking aloud than actually speaking to the Fenrir, and he realizes this. As such, he looks up, facing the Fenrir again, a sharp gaze in his eyes.

“Correct me, if there is anything wrong in what I say. But lat me ask you, what do you suppose is the best course of action for us? And, if you may, can you tell me more about these Guardians? How could one identify them?”

“I will tell you all I can.” The beast laid itself down before him, putting the two nearly on an even level. “Guardians are beings born from the wild magic contained within aether, clinging to a form the world provides it so that the wellsprings may be protected from outside forces. Not every world has a guardian, most do not, as most have not faced dire threat. Some worlds have faced so many threats that their wellsprings have been forced to craft many guardians.”

“Your best course, would be to go to one of those worlds where many guardians have been born, ones with a long history of calamity. And search for great concentrations of energy like the one you sit beside now... Or, follow that tool on your side, and seek out more and more guardians afflicted with this darkness. They will owe you a great debt if you can save them, and they might hold the answers you seek... as for identifying them... save for your friend, I’ve never known of a guardian to be a small being, creatures of pure aether, far larger than all their companions around them, those are what you should seek.”

The wolf was about to speak again, but its eyes went wide and it suddenly lunged for him as the water’s surface exploded. Luckily it covered him with its head before a wave of Aether could hit him, for the Fenrir, it but singed its fur... there was no telling what it would have done to the Burmecian... Barring that potential, but avoided reality, above the water’s surface floated a restored Amina, her body shimmering with bright light before it finished forming, first her rough outline, then for a second her naked form, and the quickly followed by her clothes. But, unlike the bit of time they spent together after her first reformation, she looked... more vital. There was something about her that had changed, even from their first meeting, it was very possible, that this was the first time in a long time, that she truly had enough energy to form her body as it was meant to be made.

The fenrir moved its head from over him as Amina’s still seemingly Unconscious form drifted towards the edge of the pool, her feet touched down, and there was something different about her. Crystals, not unlike what covered the Fenrir’s chest, had grown from this body as well, they were a dark grey in color, and from within them, there was a constantly dancing display of brilliant lights that would not settle into any reasonable pattern. But beyond those crystals and those lights within, there was something else different that was more... unsettling. Amina’s eyes were open, and for the first few moments she stood there, there was nothing in them, just a mute, red gaze, dead to the world around her as she stared off into nothing.

But a spark flickered from within the heart pendant around her neck, it raced into her chest, to the other charm inside her, and once that spark connected, she gasped and was animated, alive once again. And it was probably made clear why Amina had kept the pendant before, it was what animated this constructed body of hers.

“W-Woah...” She said, after a solid minute of getting her bearings, she had the CoreDriver back in her hand, she felt frankly better than great, and Sceada was still here. “Haha...” She laughed nervously, clicking the CoreDriver into its place on her belt. “For future reference, I’ll try not to cause this much drama... this time has just been one thing after then other...”

Quite a Lot to Explain

the-shadow-of-a-wielder

It is not like he hadn’t himself just suggested the idea of asking for the Fenrir’s aid, or to use the Pool of Aether, no, he clearly did that. But nonetheless he could not help but being shocked at what had just transpired before his very eyes.

Did the Fenrir truly just flick Amina into the aetherpool where she simply dissolved?!?

That was a bit too much to take in, and so the Burmecian falls to his knees and - much to his own dismay and likely that of those around him - emptied the contents of his stomach onto the ground. What a pity, after that nice breakfast Amina had prepared…

Still, it changes nothing. He is still on his knees, breath heavy and ragged as he tries to regain his composure, appearing deeply shaken from what had just transpired. The little pup meanwhile seems intent on cheering the young man up, and affectionately bumps it’s head against his thigh, drawing his attention. And it helps him.

It takes him a good moment, but once he feels a bit better he gets up again, the pup on his one arm while the other hand absentmindedly petted it’s fur.

“…you… You seem to know and understand more about her… than she herself does. Could… could you tell me… tell me more about Amina? Who is she truly? What is she? I’m afraid I won’t be able to find those answers on my own, and neither will she…”

The beast’s eyes looked troubled for a moment, both at the burmecian’s reaction... understandable as it was, and at how it was lost in thought as it tried to think of how to provide him an answer that would be worthy of the debt it owed. But even after that moment was up, the Fenrir did not look sure of itself anymore.

“Who she truly is... You must understand Azure one-” The wolf turned its head away. “You both, though your origins diverge, do not hale from this realm. Who she was, before she became what she is, that is beyond my reach. Even if I delved into her mind, if her memories are as locked away as they seem to be, then my search for that answer might destroy her.”

The beast adjusted its stance, looking slightly more confident now. “As for what, though this is guess work. Her body is not unlike my own or my kin of other realms. Pure Aether given form to protect the wellsprings of power that unite the worlds together.” The Fenrir turned it’s gaze to the pool as bright lights shot from it before plunging back below its surface. Something was forming around the CoreDriver in the water’s depths.

“Though, Never have I in all my years, even if I am young for a guardian, seen another of our kin by itself... I must wonder what world she guards... and why she has seemingly abandoned it.” A mild tone of distaste touched the beast’s voice, but it faded as it remembered just who it was that saved its life and world. “You may find answers with guardians older than I, ones that may be able to peer furthering into the veil between realms, and find where she came from. But those are all of the answers I can provide you Azure one... I’m sorry there is not more.”

Quite a Lot to Explain

the-shadow-of-a-wielder

This… came very unexpected.

He may have expected her to be quite shaken by all of this, that she’d be struggling to keep herself together after such a vision and the myriad questions it raised, that she might be in desperate need of some support, all of that he could have imagined - but for her to literally start falling apart?

That was a bit much.

And it shows in the astonished and mortified reaction of the Burmecian. His sapphire eyes are wide open, staring at the scene before him with horror, while his posture has shifted instinctively into a defensive one. The hand that he had intended to place on her shoulder was now held in a shielding position before his chest, and everything about him seemed to be set on escaping, on an instinctive retreat.

But he could not run. Not now, not here. This was Amina, a friend, a companion, no threat. And above that, she seemed to be in trouble, needed help. He could not just turn his back on her, not now.

“Amina, try… try to hold on…. we… I’m sure we can fix this… I.. I mean, there must be some way to stabilize you, there must be… Maybe… maybe we could ask the Fenrir, or… or use the Aether from the pool and… and…“

He’s trying. He’s really trying. But he simply cannot calm himself, and his thoughts keep racing. He needed to find a solution, he needed to do something, he.. he… Just what could he do?

Amina was too in shock to really hear him, her emotions, her thoughts- This body was made in such a short time, with so little resources, it was a shell compared to what she would make normally after “dieing”. But this time, she had just rushed, she didn’t care to try to rebuild a stable body because she needed to show herself to Sceada again, to prove that she wasn’t gone like it seemed she had been. Every second she was in such a hastily thrown together shell, it took conscious effort on her part to keep it together, so when her thoughts were so totally ripped away from her, that was it, this body just couldn’t take the strain or existing.

Of course, even before she could try to say something, an outside force intervened. The Fenrir had simply walked around the pool as the two had been distracted by this development, and with all the casualty in the world, used one of its huge paws to flick Amina into the pool of Aether... where she just sank below the surface before Sceada, and seemed to vanish from sight as if consumed her body and left those charms sinking down into it’s crystal clear depths.

“As I said, your worries: I think I can do something about them, but first your friend needed to be tended to. The Scarlet one seems not unlike our own kind, Her spirit is separate from her vessel, as long as the spirit is safe, the vessel can simply be remade.” The pup ran over to Sceada to check on him, as the Burmecian was obviously distressed, and it wished to provide him some comfort... and perhaps its very existence could, after all... look at how many of the wolves the pair had killed before, and yet, now they were all safe and sound, reborn anew, Even the Fenrir itself was reborn, healthy despite the damage done to it’s body before.

“But that may take time... I’m sure you have questions to the nature of things... let us discuss before you two leave once more.”

Quite a Lot to Explain

the-shadow-of-a-wielder

Had the weapon they came here looking for already been hanging at Amina’s side, then the Burmecian would likely no longer draw breath.

After all, he had approached her entirely unshielded, at a range close enough to touch her, so there was no doubt she would have hit him, that he could never have evaded that slash. And knowing what damage her weapon was capable of inflicting… 

No, best not to think about that.

It was far better to focus on the young woman wielding the weapon herself, than what she could have done with it.

“Amina, try to calm down. Try to steady your breath… Slowly… regularly… We can try to solve this later, when we both have a cool head, okay? Right now, with how heated your emotions have become, it would lead to nothing, so please… do try to steady your breath, alright?”

People she had known? It was at best very confusing what she uttered there, and he simply had not enough information to make sense of it just yet. So, it was by far better to focus on trying to calm her down, was it not?

“You’re right...” She tried to steady her breath, but it was a losing battle, her mind was racing with far too many thoughts to focus on just breathing, everything was too much, the world was too much, the situation was too much, the weight of her memories trying to claw their way to the surface was dragging her into the blind darkness. “Sce-... Sceada... I don’t... I don’t feel very-”

All at once, it felt like something struck her, and she stumbled to the side, dangerously close to falling into the aether... That magical material was what all things, well, most of all things, were formed from, and anything formed from it was doomed to return to aether eventually. 

Amina was on the ground now, the reason for her fall painfully apparent as she tried to push herself up onto her knees... or rather, knee. As one of Amina’s legs had just fallen off her body and shattered into light on the ground... A fact she seemed more annoyed about than concerned or in pain for.

“damn it... I knew I put this body together too fast....” At least now her mind was off her memories, now it was on what was around her. “Sceada-don’t worry, I know this looks bad, but I’m fine!” She went to raise her hand to try to ward off his worries, but a crack split down her forearm, and it and her hand simply fell to the ground, where it shattered like glass. Amina just sort of... looked at the gagged stump left behind, unsure about what to say.

Quite a Lot to Explain

the-shadow-of-a-wielder

You have not let it consume you yet.

That single one word quickly became the lynchpin of Sceada’s worries.

It’s not like he had never expected to find some hidden darkness within himself, no, he was not that naive. Someone who spilled blood, even in self-defense, could never be free from the taint of darkness, and even if he had not been such a man, one could still argue that all who lived carried not only white but also black within them. The world just was like that, and always had been.

It’s the possibility that it could overwhelm him, devour him like it had the Fenrir in front of them, that scared him. If a beast so mighty and regal could be subdued by this darkness, what hope did a feeble young man such as him have? A boy with so many cracks in his being, so many wounds from his battered past…

No, he ought not think about this right now. He couldn’t just let his worries dictate his thoughts.

Especially not when he looked over at Amina and saw just how shaken she appeared to be.

One of them had to be the strong one that supported the other, right…? It felt weird that this role would fall upon him…

“Great Fenrir, rest assured that I, no, that we shall heed your warnings. I am saddened that you had to endure this fate, but I am thankful for the insights you were able to gain through it, and that you shared with us.”

A court bow follows, one that the pup takes as invitation to jump off the Burmecian’s shoulder, and run up to it’s giant brethren, seaking to cuddle up with the lord of the cavern - ah, youthful innocence could be so… well… innocent.

Meanwhile, Sceada made his way over to Amina and, gently, careful not to spook her, places a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

“Amina…? Are you alright…?”

“I sense a worry within you Azure one, one that I believe I may be able to relieve. But tend to your friend first.” The beast was nothing but patient, especially with its saviors. Till then though, the Fenrir was content to play with the little one with its paw.

Meanwhile, the moment Sceada touched her, Amina jumped away reflexively, hand falling to her side where the CoreDriver would sit out of instinct... it was probably for the best that they had not gotten it back just yet, because she might have slashed the blade at him in her stupor. A fact she seemed keenly aware of as her senses returned to her and her thoughts were regrounded into the world around them.

“S-Sorry! I didn’t... I wasn’t... My head...” She cupped the hand that would have just struck at him in her other, looking down at the both in a shameful manor. “Those things... those lights... those people... I, I know them?” She didn’t even sound sure herself, but she knew she at least had known them. “Everything is just so... fuzzy Sceada... I feel like I just saw something my head tried to make me forget...” She didn’t even know if that was what it was, she just didn’t have the right words for this.

I just want to see

Reblog if I could just drop a starter in your ask and you wouldn’t mind

Quite a Lot to Explain

the-shadow-of-a-wielder

This… was quite a lot to take in.

It had not been the first time he had been shown projections, but what they had shown him today was nothing like his past experiences. This creeping darkness that invaded the Wolves’ Den… it unsettled him. And why it explained the change that had occured, the “anomaly” as they had called it themselves, it also raised the question of it’s identty - and why there appeared to be a fraction of it imbued within them as well.

What was this Black they saw? Was it the same Black in both cases, were they carriers of the same plague that had turned the wolves hostile and plunged the cavern into eternal frost? Or were they different in nature? Truly, ultimately it had raised more questions than it had answered…

But the most unsettling question was another one.

Looking up from the pool of Aether and over to Amina, Sceada’s forehead was wrought in wrinkles, the question running deep displayed plainly on his features: What was the meaning of these four figures that had emerged from her? Was there something Amina did not tell him? Or was it instead something she did not know either? She didn’t exactly look as though this display had left her unmoved, there seemed to be confusion in her gaze as well… - The question was just, Why?

“…Great Fenrir.” Finally, the Burmecian turned his attention back to the mighty beast and spoke, raising his voice in a polite, humble tone. “I thank you for showing us what you did, as well as for your words. To know that the ones that fell by our hands were able to return to life, untainted by this darkness, brings peace to my worried heart.”

Indeed, it did. He had been distraught at the thought of how he had melted those Ice Exergons ever since the pup had found him, and he had felt a guilt that was not easy to ignore. To know that they had not mercilessly - albeit unknowingly - slain younglings, it was a relief.

But that did not solve all the worries nagging at him.

“…please tell me though, if I may be so bold as to ask this of you… Great Fenrir, what was this darkness? What did consume you so, contorting you so drastically? What was it that overpowered even you? Surely, you must have felt it’s nature… - after all, ultmately, it chose you to be at it’s core…”

Here’s to hoping the mighty wolf would not take offense at his boldness…

Where the features on the wolf’s face could once be called happy, they now turned dark, grim as the question ran through its mind.

“You at least deserve that information... though I’m not sure if what I have to give is worthwhile.” The aether’s surface became like ice once more, and more images formed: The thrashing form of the fenrir as that darkness bore into it, and the beast as it was now. Darkness was still present in its form, but it was tightly locked away within its crystals. 

“Through the pain, I did try to understand my foe. It seemed a fruitless effort at first, the darkness was just that... darkness. But as it overtook me more and more I began to understand.” The images faded, and now there was just a slowly, wildly twisting cloud of the same force they continued to see. “It fell from a much greater mass of untamed dark magic that drifts through the space between the aether and reality... I do not know what guides it, or really what its true goal is, but its purpose seems to be only to corrupt and consume all things it comes across.”

The great beast let out a huff-like sigh, and turned its eyes to Sceada.

“I know your concern. you saw the darkness within yourselves as well... it is the same force. Wild, powerful, black magic, but yours, you have not let it consume you yet. For now, as long as you maintain your control, you will not be twisted into the pure elemental form of hunger and destruction that force desires to be.”

Amina was just silent, she almost looked... scared, terrified even, something was running through her mind and clearly had over taken her after seeing the projections before. It had started as a though, simple confusion like Sceada had noted, but now it was eating away at her focus and trying to force her back into her own thoughts.

She knew those figures. something about them was some familiar it filled her heart with happiness to see them once more. But their faces, their names, how she knew them, those memories, she could feel them trying to break through, but something was holding them back for some reason. She was being taunted with their closeness, and it was driving her mad.

Flight of Sceada!

the-shadow-of-a-wielder

While the short-lived altercation with this monstrous dragon had caused quite the uproar amidst the students and teachers, there was one who did not notice the commotion despite being at it’s center: Sceada himself, exhausted by his injuries and the magic he had depleted, had lost consciousness during the flight.

When he’d awake in the infirmary later, he would be faced with a multitude of questions. Who was with you? What did you do? Why would you venture into a dragon’s lair? Did you really seek treasure? How could you be so foolish? And many, many others.

It is nigh certain that Amina’s story would not add up with his once this all was done, and that there would be ramifications. But with Sceada unable to tell them the truth, there is but one choice he’ll be left with:

Once he’d have recovered enough, he would leave and seek his sister out. Whether they’d let him or not, he’d not be stopped.

But that… That is a story for another time.

~~~~~~