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Post by Siric of the Deep Howl on Mar 16, 2013 23:36:41 GMT -5
Siric let out a breath and closed his eyes, as he did as instructed. Except he was no longer sure where that was. He would always love and support his people in the Deep Howl, but Strayhaven also laid claim to his heart. They were the ones pursuing what he pursued. They were both his home at once, and he would fight for their continued existence. Even against the raids and attempts by Calircian soldiers to dislodge and subdue them. He remembered the acts of safekeeping which he and his fellow hunters had had to stay vigilant to maintain, regardless of the cost....
There was a sudden tempest around him, and a sharp jolt to his senses. The black wolf thought he'd been thrown through the air, tumbling wildly around as he tried to grit his teeth. Then everything stopped though, and Siric saw nothing. A moment later, he heard a voice speaking to him, telling him to open his eyes. He did so, and everything felt different. It was foreign to him. It almost felt like the natural world around them, but there was definitely something different.
He was in a kneeling position, and as he looked up, he saw Kazane, but not as she usually was. She looked like an elf! It was a bit disconcerting to him to see the change at first. He stared at her for a long time before standing up and looking around.
"So this is the spirit realm, which you have access to. It feels very strange to my senses. It's difficult to perceive clearly...."
Siric had not noticed it yet, but he had changed as well. His appearance and features remained identical to his normal humanoid form, but seemed intensified somehow, as though the strength of his spirit was shining through. His clothing had altered though. Instead of the tattered garb he usually wore, his coat had been replaced with a wolf pelt half cloak draped over his shoulder. A sleeveless shirt left his muscular arms bare. Its v-neck front was tied shut with leather cord lacing it loosely. His feet still bore the same gladiatorial sandals, but leather covered his shins, and his pants, while still loose cut, looked of finer make. His hair was still wild, but there was now a zig-zag design of black, gold, and red emblazoned on his headband. A hammer, the tool of the builder, and weapon of the warrior was clenched in his hand as he rose, though he didn't notice it immediately....
If the changes stopped there, things would have been fine, but there was more revealed. On his skin, over his whole body were dozens of small fractures, as though someone had taken a strong ceramic bowl, and tried to crack it repeatedly. Most looked old, and as though someone had gone over them with mortar and pasted them shut. A few were much larger, and could be seen peaking out from under his shirt though. Scars which still plagued him today.
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Post by Kazane on Mar 16, 2013 23:56:31 GMT -5
Huh, it would be Siric appearing bare chested and showing off his wolfish heritage, wouldn't it? Less then ten minutes after she'd finally understood their relationship, and the world was trying to tempt her back into changing her mind again. He remained silent for a time, but that allowed her time to soak in his appearance as well. And it scarred her.
I mean, the primal and regal look of the northerner. That she was fine with, and it was actually very attractive. But...the cracks running up and down his body, fractures...like he was a broken man. No, that wasn't right. The fractures were covered...hidden, but not removed. It was like...some scar he could not ever escape. She, still on her knees, shuffled closer to him and ran a hand over one of them gently.
"Brave warrior, you're body is touched by the marks of your battles...they cut deep, deeper then can be healed." She remarked, though she was speaking in an oddly formal way. "Are these from failures? From lessons? From people?" She asked, leaving her hand to rest against the damaged flesh as she wondered to herself.
She spoke of herself next, knowing that the older wolf would think her appearance odd. "What you see here...is how someone truly is. Not how we show ourselves to be, but how we are in the center of ourselves. I have always seen myself as...well as a daughter. And so...I resemble my mother in almost every way. It's...been what I have been striving for since the day I learned magic." She said, looking up to gaze into his eyes again.
"And what of you, Siric of Strayhaven? What does your body show off you? What tale does it tell?"
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Post by Siric of the Deep Howl on Mar 17, 2013 20:05:14 GMT -5
He looked down at himself and was surprised to see the shatterpoints on his skin. Understanding of what it meant dawned on him even as she explained what the nature of this world was though. When he looked down at his marks, it was as though there was a name or event tied to each one. A few were of his own making, but there were far more which he had been unable to do anything about.... Deaths of his huntmates from Strayhaven, deaths of the soldiers who'd been killed in their lands, and his inability to stop it from happenening. He felt the reminder of each and every tragedy he'd suffered as he looked at them, but there was something else which kept him on his feet: Hope. He would never fall as long as he had that to hold on to.
A few of the larger fractures he tried to avoid seeing. They reminded him of Milly, and the curse she was under. Also, his sister Ravyka, and the conditons of her departure.... And lastly... ....
He frowned at the ground, the indistinct surroundings around him ignored. Kazane was seeing this: something he'd hoped to spare her from if possible. It wasn't that he was ashamed, though it could be hard to bear some times. He simply didn't want her to see him as a cracked and damaged man. He didn't, after all. These scars were a part of him, but they did not control him. They did not define them. Someday, he knew he'd be free of them.
"They are.... losses. Of the ones I valued." He recalled, clear as day, hearing the sounds of battle raging around him in the woods in an ambush gone wrong. Calircian elite troops had been ready, and had concealed their locations to set their own traps. As the wolves had passed through the woods, ready to turn back a new wave of enemy scouts and raiders, bolts of brilliant gold and white had begun crossfiring through their ranks. Many had been cut down instantly, and it had taken several crucial seconds of being scorched by blazing lights before some of them had managed to break out and join battle. Extreme disorientation and chaos had followed.
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Post by Kazane on Mar 17, 2013 20:31:56 GMT -5
Kazane watched Siric as he recalled things from his past. Failures. Maybe disappointment, maybe death, and she couldn't shake the feeling that there was a scar for Milly in there too. About her injury...her curse. All the wolfish pride, the joking, the silence he took when it came to speaking of himself. Siric had said that he didn't want to be treated as flawless, but this was proof that he tried so hard to make it seem so. Kazane reached out, and took both of Siric's hands in hers, meeting his eyes with a strong, though compassionate gaze.
"These are the hands of a warrior, strong and noble. I would gladly place my fate in them. Even with all the power in the world, judgment is finite. We can only do the best we can think of at the moment it happens. These scars don't deform you, they shape you. From every scar, from every painful memory, you learned. And their presence here is a reminder that those who suffered never did so in vain." She spoke the last words with a true smile on her lips.
"The suffering did happen, it has come and passed, do not feel like you have to hold on to it. We all feel...some amount of shame for our past failures. But carrying that guilt around with you, even if you can fight it off, is not wise."
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Post by Siric of the Deep Howl on Mar 17, 2013 22:11:35 GMT -5
There was a moment of relief as Kazane didn't recoil from him, even seeing what he was. She would have to be strong on her own now, as she had before meeting him. It was her own responsibility. He wasn't fit to serve as the indomitable, indestructible role model anymore, but he still hoped to set a good example with his actions. An example for all of Strayhaven, and all who would look. That was his task.
"You're almost right. Not all of these are scars of guilt. Some I've taken by choice, to carry on the cause of others.... When Strayhaven stands on its own among the nations, then I will finally be able to recover from this war." He spoke about it with a familiarity which had not shown itself before. It was easy to guess that he had taken part in some terrible situations.
"I will continue to be the best I can for those who I remember. I will lead by example how to both protect and live in peace with those who are at odds with us. This is who I am, and I must continue my course for as long as I can continue the hunt...."
Siric exhaled heavily. He was completely and absolutely wide open right now. There was nothing held back and hidden about his past, and it was fatiguing to have it all rush back.... He was glad to have Kazane with him though, even in this odd guise she now wore....
He dropped the hammer at his side, and smiled tiredly. It was relieved though. "You've seen into me, and not turned away. I'm glad my trust in you was well placed, Kazane... even if you're talking funny." His change in humor was no disguise. His pain simply lacked good purchase on him. It was not so much controlled, as left in the past.
"We came here with something in mind. You wanted to speak to someone, if I remember correctly."
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Post by Kazane on Mar 18, 2013 14:59:43 GMT -5
Kazane smiled warmly as Siric spoke, keeping her grip on his hands. "After all you have done for me, it would be very poor manners to leave you to bare this burden alone. In time Strayhaven will be it's own land, and I hope to stand beside you when that day finally does come. Few people in this world have earned the rest you so rightly deserve. But, as you said, there is still much to be done."
When Siric mentioned their reason for coming here, she nodded and released his hands. She raised her thumb and index finger to her mouth and blew, releasing a rather shrill whistle. For a moment, there was nothing, and then a silver cloud of light began whipping and swerving through the trees before them. It came ever nearer, without shape or form, until it was practically upon her. It settled down by the pair of them, as the light solidified into a shape. It was an ethereal coyote before them, which slowly took on a more 'solid' form, the white fur becoming a bit more pronounced as he looked from Kazane to Siric. The eyes focused on Siric, and the animal seemed to smile (if such a thing were even possible).
"Good company you keep lately. Much better then those stuffy grumps." The male voice reverberated, though the coyote's mouth did not move. It merely stood there, looking at her as if to ask why it was summoned.
"This." She started, gesturing to the animal. "Is my...I guess Spirit Guardian would be a good term. I call him Raymond. He is, as confusing as this may be, the representation of the beast side of me. If I understand it correctly, the ritual that allowed for me to learn magic actually severed him from my spirit. Which is why such people cannot transform. That is my guess, anyway." She spoke, running her hand through the coyote's mane as it lay down on the branches.
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Post by Siric of the Deep Howl on Mar 19, 2013 20:51:34 GMT -5
He gave her hands a brief squeeze of thanks before releasing them, and... waiting. As she raised her fingers to her lips and blew, his ears flicked in response to the shrill sound. There was nothing, until he began hearing another sound. It was accompanied a moment later by a streak of silver flying through the trees around them. He felt muscles twitch briefly but didn't panic. Kazane had called whatever it was, as evidenced by her waiting for it.
It formed into a coyote.... And yet something about this... spirit creature seemed familiar. Like when he'd first met Kazane and noted that something about her was unusual before picking out her evlorei features. His ears perked forward as he watched it, wondering.
"It speaks!" After he said that, he wondered if that had sounded stupid. This was the spirit realm. There were not going to be any plain coyotes here. He thought. After her explanation, it began coming together better. And he figured he understood why this "guardian" could talk.
"I suppose you're meaning elves by "grumps", eh? Kazane I think your spirit approves of me." The black wolf thought to himself. If this was her severed spirit... how on Belorath were such things possible. And it was hard to imagine accepting this sort of ritual, himself. Every beast mage did though....
"Raymond?" Interesting name.... "Do you know who I am?"
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Post by Kazane on Mar 19, 2013 21:20:58 GMT -5
Kazane could not stifle her giggle at Siric's surprised reaction to Raymon speaking. For all the refined and knowledgeable guises he put on, some times they slipped and he said something totally innocent. If the coyote was bothered by this reaction, it didn't show it. The only reaction were it's ears perking slightly as it lay on the branches with Kazane stroking his mane. When Siric asked his question, the coyote raised it's head to look at him.
"Hmm? Why must your mortals be so fixated on names? I have been watching over her since she was born, though my ability to act on her behalf is gone. You are the wolf who bathes as a wolf instead of in your more common form, yes?" The coyote said, seeming to grin as it did so. He didn't share these same...curiosities that mortals did, but he was very familiar in what things to say would get a rise out of them. "I believe the mortal phrase is to 'remove temptation', yes?"
Kazane's reaction was not as expected, as she grabbed on to one of Raymond's ears and pulled. The coyote yelped slightly. "And I do believe I want to hear no more down that line of conversation." She spoke as the coyote continued to whine, before she released him. The coyote raised his paws to scratch at his ear, obviously trying to straighten it out after her discipline.
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Post by Siric of the Deep Howl on Mar 19, 2013 21:53:54 GMT -5
Siric blinked and fell into a fit somewhere between laughing and coughing. Even he wasn't sure which. To hear that sort of comment coming out of something that was supposedly a part of Kazane was completely unexpected. Ray appeared to not care a thing for social politeness or tact. In many ways, it was a welcome reminder of home.
The yelp of the Coyote occurred somewhere near when he began getting control of himself again and settling down. He shrugged his shoulders at the coyote at Kazane's actions, and grinned innocently.
"Actually, I bathe like that because it washes me and my clothes at the same time." He would be impressed if they caught onto whether that was true or not. It was a common enough tease in Strayhaven.
"So he is a part of you.... I thought I recognized something about when you first appeared, Ray. It wasn't your tact though." Here he was, bantering with a spirit creature while on a completely different realm from what he was used to. A few hours ago, he would have never have thought this possible.
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Post by Kazane on Mar 19, 2013 22:20:24 GMT -5
Kazane watched as Siric quipped right back at Ray, and sighed. The coyote, on the other hand, seemed to be enjoying the battle of wits that Siric had unknowingly started.
"Oh she hasn't felt my influence in some time. She used to be quite the troublemaker, but that seemed to stop awhile ago. Couldn't make the kid sit and stare at those leather blocks, no matter how hard the mother tried." Kazane was slightly surprised by this, but turned to Siric first to offer an explanation.
"He's talking about books, I think. It is true though, I did not much enjoy studying when I was younger. I really didn't take to it until I took up magic. But I do not think I was that rebellious as a child, I just grew up."
The coyote shook it's mane, however. "Changes in this realm can have subtle effects, but you mortals cannot comprehend them. Sometimes, you don't even realize what changed until someone points it out. When was the last time you played a joke, got into a good fight for fun, or climbed around just for the sake of doing it? You didn't even notice that your speech changed while you are here, because you aren't actively perceiving it."[/i]
He turned towards Siric, as if seeking conformation. "You saw it too, right? The change in tone, in demeanor. The more magic you control, the more you can effect this place, but the more it effects you too."[/i] He turned his eyes back to her. "You don't even realize the subtle changes, instead your mind adapts and tells you everything is perfectly normal."[/i]
Kazane paused for a moment, considering her reply. "That is not...I mean that isn't...I..."
Raymond shook out his mane for a moment, walking about to a sunnier spot of the clearing. [blue]"Not like it matters. It's just a part of your spirit body, it'll go back to normal in the mortal realm."[/blue] He said, looking as if he'd just yawned.
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Post by Siric of the Deep Howl on Mar 21, 2013 2:14:45 GMT -5
The wording that the coyote used was a little confusing, but Siric thought he got the gist of it. "Right... Leather blocks."
He was a skeptical about her thoughts on not being rebellious growing up, and he didn't bother to mask it. In fact, he gave her a steady raised eyebrow, accompanied by a small smirk.
"How quickly we forget." He smiled and laughed, remembering the port town, and the spire. Hadn't she just been upset about that a few minutes ago?
"As I said earlier, you're talking a little funny. Much more formal and classical than usual. Why do you think that is?" Siric was still getting over the alteration in appearances that had occurred. The idea of it changing their minds as well, was far more troubling though. Even if it was temporary....
"I honestly don't feel any different though..., and I think the last time she got in a fight for fun was shortly after we met. Sound about right Kaz? Maybe we should have another go."
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Post by Kazane on Mar 21, 2013 13:55:05 GMT -5
Kazane took slight offense to Siric calling her rebellious, but decided to let it slide. By the way he explained his home, it seemed that she was still 'rebellious' by his standards. When they mentioned the way she was speaking again, her brow furrowed in concentration.
"I..had not noticed that it had such a...powerful effect on people.." She spoke, trying to remember the old way she talked. It just....didn't seem right. Ray glanced at her and growled.
"You are wasting your time, it's part of your Spirit Body. It's just like trying to grow a tail by thinking about it." He looked over to Siric, as if to answer his question. "Mortal forms here are based on how you perceive yourself. Even out of your element, you still see yourself as you were years ago. She, on the other hand, well it shouldn't be hard to guess what she sees herself as. Her way of speaking reflects that, cause she's in tune with this place. Everything here feels odd to you, abnormal, right?" He asked, moving closer and circling around Siric.
"The stronger your magic is, the more comfortable you feel here. And the more you can be, drawn into this place. That's why you only changed in appearance, but are still aware of it. You should have seen her when she finally realized she didn't have a tail here. Took forever for her to notice."
Kazane turned around and rolled her eyes as the boys spoke. "If you too are quite done having some fun at my expense, there was actually a reason I called you here Ray. Every beast mage, they have a spirit like you that they severed, right?"
The wolf looked up at her. "Maybe? The few you've met here did. No way to guess if that's the case for all though."
Kazane thought to herself. "It would suggest that either the presence of the beast in their spirit blocks them from magic, or that the removal of the spirit is some kind of side effect. But there are people who lose their ability to transform without gaining magic...so hmm.... She mused quietly.
"Could just be another spirit jumped into the hole." The coyote said, scratching his ear.
"Huh...other spirits? Can they do that? I thought they couldn't interact with mortals without the aide of the rods."
The wolf seemed to sigh, urgh. Mortals were so dense sometimes. "No no, not the royal spirits. Those are the ones you mortals have names for, I am talking about the common ones. There are countless spirits here. Nature, Elements, and things you mortals don't even have the ability to comprehend yet."
The influx of new discoveries was proving a bit much for Kazane, who seemed staggered by all the new information.
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Post by Siric of the Deep Howl on Mar 22, 2013 17:42:13 GMT -5
"I wouldn't say it's wasted time." Siric slurred in response to the spirit. "Knowing the extent and habits of one's self -or others- can be among the strongest advantages you can possess in life.... Do you realize just how useful the ability to come here would be for our warriors? Our Elders? I bet it's not without danger, but... the power of this place is amazing."
As the spirit wolf circled, Siric tilted his head to the side slightly and bent all of his senses to where they were. It was odd. There was a powerful sense of familiarity, but it was off. As if he were looking at everything in the reflection of a still moonlit pool.
"It does not feel... stable. There is a connection with the world around me that I'm used to feeling. Here it feels distorted. Twisted. It's there, but not." That was about the best he could do to describe what he was feeling accurately, and he wasn't sure it was really made clear.... Come to think of it, he wasn't sure Kazane would even understand what he meant by "connection." He wasn't sure the non beast races shared what he spoke of, and it was very clear what she identified most with.
There was something akin to a blink, and Siric was suddenly in wolf form. He rested on the ground, front paws crossed over each other and chin resting on them as this "Ray" and Kazane spoke of things of magical and spiritual nature. He heard the words, but didn't understand them. It was like another language, that he couldn't bridge the connections with. He did make one important connection though.
The wolf's head lifted quickly and there was another blink, leaving Siric in his humanoid form sitting comfortably, if alertly on the ground.
"Ray? How much do you know about spirits of mortals, and injuries to them?"
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Post by Kazane on Mar 23, 2013 21:55:16 GMT -5
Ray looked at Siric, his eyes betraying a cool gaze. "You'd be wise to not think of this place just as a vantage point, either for looking at the world or looking at yourself. You can survive here, yes, but it's foreign to you. Spend too long, and your body will suffer for it...perhaps your mind as well." He paused, as if thinking. "Consider it...mental training. It is important for those who use magic to understand it, but any who train know the value of respecting your limits. Those who fail to learn it...well...there are naturally things lurking here that can hurt spirits." He spoke, a chilling warning.
When Siric asked his question, Kazane knew what he was getting at almost instantly. "Milly...Siric I don't think you want to..." She started, but Raymond cut across her.
"Did you know, young wolf, that there are people on your plane that once tried to surpass mortality? Not only did they fail, but they were punished for this hubris. I know why you ask this, I've seen the damage even from my vantage point here, but you look down a dangerous path." He spoke, as a word of warning. "The magic of this place is powerful, and destroying is always much easier then fixing."
Kazane looked timid, worried even. "Siric I...there are some things...that even magic cannot fix. Amazing as it is, even it has it's limits..."
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Post by Siric of the Deep Howl on Mar 24, 2013 20:16:26 GMT -5
"I understand that there are dangers. There are always dangers for the unwary, but this is something... well, look at us! As far as I know, this is a nearly untapped resource to my people. It shouldn't stay so!"
Siric listened to the others discouraging him from placing hope in, or even pursuing the idea of this world benefiting Milly. And as he listened, he felt his heart hardening. This was not some idle fancy to be abandoned so lightly. He would search out anything... EVERYTHING, in order to free his sister from her curse. He could feel his own heartache for Milly pulsing in his chest, and he knew that hidden in him was one scar which was not repaired. It never would be until he found a way to break Milly away from the dark magic which had plagued her.
"You warn of the dangers of pursuing this place, but do you know that even now, the damage to her soul is killing her?" There was a great deal more bitterness in the black wolf's voice than he meant to let carry over.
"What was the point of that shadowmage taking us that day. Nothing more than to inflict pain! ...And he did." Siric snapped his hand out in a cutting motion, turning to look back at the two. There was a snarl on his lips now, and his eyes had gone feral. There was still a sense of control about him, even in all his finally released animal fury: predatory control. He'd been on this hunt a very long time. All the same, his prey continued to elude him. Whether he was hunting a cure or the progenitor of the problem suddenly felt debatable to him.
"I will not stop until every possible avenue has been explored. To do so would be a betrayal to her!"
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