The Tip of the Dagger (closed)

[TirithIre]

The prophecy had been handed down through the ages from descendant to descendant, the tales of destruction coming to pass could not be forgotten, nor could they be ignored. The realm of this world had long ago been broken up into three main continents. In the north, where human’s, dwarves and elves lived. To the east, where inhuman species such as dragons, griffins and other non-human species resided and to the south was where the celestial, demonic and fey species lived. For the most part people did live in peace amongst themselves, however the prophecy in the south was one that had called for the murder of a specific type of being.

Blended of light and dark, blood will run from the heavens and all shall burn.

Those words had carried from wind to mind to tongue through all time. Blended of light and dark of course spoke towards a half breed, and as such over the last few centuries anyone who had been born of both light as well as dark energy had been sacrificed to the gods to prevent the world from ‘burning’. Of course no one actually knew what such things meant, however the mortal races were very impressionable people. For Tryton however, such matters had not actually been his concern. Indeed, his concerns more lay in the fact that he had been chained. Born from the relations of a demonic woman named Lamia and the incarnation of the shadow god Ratri, Tryton had initially been ignored by society. That was fine with him as people were complicated and he instead wanted to keep to himself. This changed over time however as despite being part demon he did actually have quite the moral set of standards.

Beyond that however his power did seem to be beyond the realm of both demon and approached the levels of his father Ratri before he was seen as a threat to the gods. True to form (and knowing and understanding that the gods did not willingly share power), they used their followers to trap Tryton in a prison realm. The process was completed through a betrayal and split Tryton’s body up into five pieces of power which then were sealed away in various places within the realm so that he would never be re-awakened. His mind however was sealed into the initial tool which was used to kill him initially, namely a fine ritualistic dagger. Such a tool for the first few decades was kept sealed away very carefully in a temple to Aethar in the southern continent. After the first century however there was a war that broke out between the local demons and the followers of light Aethar. The temple where Tryton was sealed was sacked and from there he ‘traveled’, being used as a dagger and going from faith to faith.

For Tryton however he did not even know of the passage of time, nor how the world or realms changed. He was trapped deeply asleep within the dagger and no one had used any magical power which would have ‘woken’ him even slightly. It was as though he floated through space and time with no concept of anything. So it was to be according to the gods of light… he was a threat to their power and as such would remain chained for all time. At least if they had anything to say about it anyway.

 

[katalynn]

“There you are! I’ve been looking all over the place for you.”

The familiar voice caused Sylvania to frown slightly as she didn’t expect to be found so soon, which could only mean that Dalianae had been on a serious hunt. With a sigh and rolling her eyes, Silvania turned to face her guardian.

“What did I do this time? What does it matter if I disappear or not, it is not like anyone wants me around as it is.”

Dalianae sighed while softly shaking her head and walked up towards Sylvania.

“You have done nothing wrong. I know that you feel trapped in this place and alone. You know the reasons though. It is for your own protection. It is not safe out there for half bloods like you. I promised your mother that I would keep you safe.”

She gave a weak smile and sat down next to Sylvania and wrapped her arm around the little one. Giving a soft kiss on the forehead for some kind of comfort.

“Lazuli has also been looking for you too. She says she a surprise for you. Something about an early birthday present. She wouldn’t even tell me what it is.”

Sylvania smirked a little and pulled away from the so-called comforting hug, walking away to distract herself with the flowing water of the creek.

“Lazuli? We both know she can’t be trusted when it comes to me. She is always trying to get me into trouble. Wonder what she has up her sleeve this time.”

This did make Dalianae frown considering it is true. Lazuli has always had it out for her since childhood and throughout the years, it has only gotten worse. She never did like the fact that a half-blood is being protected from the world. If she had it her way, this half blood would have been banished from the fae realm the day she was born. Or better yet, killed instantly. However, thanks to that damn promise Dalianae made, this half-blood has been protected and hidden from the world for the last 300 years.

“She has been…… good… to you for the last few years at least. Maybe her feelings towards you have changed? Either way, you will never know unless you go see her and find out what she wants.”

Sylvania rolled her eyes, thinking back on the last time Lazuli betrayed her and since then have kept her at a distance. Although, to be fair, she keeps all the faes at a distance. There have been a few times when Sylvania has run off beyond the protection of the fae realm. Sadly, Dalianae always found her and brought her back, restricting her even more. Little did Dalianae know, Sylvania can survive on her own and had made up a few well-hidden spots to call home if she was allowed to.

Sylvania didn’t understand what was so dangerous out there or why she couldn’t go out on her own. No-one here cared for her and all wanted her gone. Yet, Dalianae is very determined on keeping her here and somehow always knew how to find her. She also knew all about the truth of little fae’s history, the stories behind the hunting of half-bloods, things that she kept to herself and never told Sylvania. The other fae will tease her about it, although, she kept it as teasing only and never put any thought behind it beyond that.



“Yea, I suppose… I doubt her feelings have changed though...”

With that, they both walked off to go find Lazuli.

~~~~

Meanwhile….

“How did you… A fae of all things… Come into possession of this dagger? It has been missing for well over 500 years now… Yet, here it is, in your hands.”

The male in the white cloak kept his face hidden as he examined the dagger, casting a light spell over it to make certain it is the real deal. The sash that is wrapped around it prevented the dagger from detecting any use of magic and is also what kept it hidden all this time. Preventing anyone from detecting any energy it might have.

“Never mind how it became mine… Just keep your promise and it is yours. Remember, I can’t be a part of this… No one must know that I am involved with any of this…”

Lazuli had a protective bubble up around them, making certain that no one could see or hear them talking. The cloaked male waved his hand at her and never took his eyes off the dagger, as if dismissing her words.

“Yeah, yeah no one will know of this. The plan will move forward as planned. Just make sure she will be at the sacred grounds tonight. It is the full moon tonight; it must be tonight…”

Shortly after, the cloaked male wrapped the dagger back into the black sash, making certain it wouldn’t detect any use of magic. With a wave of his arm and vanished into the void, leaving Lazuli alone with her plans. Shaking her head, cursing under her breath as her shield vanishes and soon, she went off to go after Sylvania. There is a small part of her that is regretting this choice… Then again, it needed to be done. There is no place in this world for half-bloods… They are a danger to everyone around them.

~~

It didn’t take long at all for Lazuli to find Sylvania walking alone towards her living quarters, with a smile and a little skip in her step, Lazuli went up to the half-blood.

“Sylvania!! I’ve been looking for you! I have something to show you. I promise you will like it.”

Naturally, Sylvania is hesitant to follow along, last time she followed Lazuli, it didn’t end well. However, it did force her to learn a few new tricks to get out of that trap.

“Seems like everyone has been looking for me today. What do you want to show me this time? You know you can’t trap me anymore. I’ve learned how to get out of your little traps.”

Lazuli gave her a dirty look for a split second, thinking that she wouldn’t be able to get out of this one.

“Trap? No, no traps this time. This is a genuine surprise, from the heart type thing. I want us to be friends, to clean the slate and start over. You will like this one, I promise there is no trap.”

Sylvania is still very hesitant to believe her, all the same she followed the fae. When they got to the barrier protecting the realm Lazuli pulled out a black silk sash.

“From this point I need you wear this. It’s a surprise after all, I don’t want you to see where we are going before we get there. It also allows you to leave the barrier undetected.”

Again, there’s some hesitation, no trust at all between the two and it did take more effort on Lazuli’s part to convince the younger fae to comply. Eventually, the sash covered Sylvania’s eyes. Little did she know that the sash couldn’t be removed by her hands, and it did allow her to go through the barrier without any issues. However, Sylvania could feel that the sash did something else to her, made her feel strange as if it was preventing her from using her powers. For now, she kept quiet and put what little trust she had into Lazuli, for what it was worth. After a time, they stopped, and Sylvania could hear male voices in the distance which confused her greatly.

“Is this her? The half-blood?”

The male voice was right in front of Sylvania, it wasn’t long before her hands were being tied behind her back. Naturally, she struggled, making it difficult for them to tie her hands. Fear and anger filled her, knowing full well she shouldn’t have followed Lazuli like this.

“What’s going on? What did you do Lazuli? LET ME GO!”

Sylvania began to put up more of a fight, doing what little she could to get away. In the end, she is outnumbered and though she did try, she couldn’t use enough of her energy to transform into something that would help her.

“Why won’t you behave? This is for your own good, just stop fighting and allow this to happen… This is meant to be!”

She could hear Lazuli and yet, the words fell on deaf ears as Sylvania kept trying to fight back. Using all her strength that she could muster up to gain use of her magic… That need to shapeshift is all she could think of right now, that need to break free and run…



~~~~~~~~~~~


Sylvania


Dalianae


Lazuli

 

[TirithIre]

The followers of Aethar weren’t the worst kinds of people, they honestly did believe that good overcame evil, and that things in the end would always work out. Of course however there were fanatics among most if not all types of religion. Within the followers of Aether were those known as ‘Bringers of Light’. These fanatics followed the letter of the gods to a tee, and had no patience or even consideration for leniency. The one who met with Lazuli was a person sent by the head of this sect of Aethar who was only known as the Lightbringer. Even he was shocked when the lower priest arrived with the covered sash making sure of course that he did not imbue it with any magic.

" We will need the blessing of the light on tonight's clearest of moons."

The voice which rang out seemed to reverberate through the halls of the hidden temple they were in. With the acquisition of the dagger, they would be able to pierce the seal that the troublesome fey had placed on the half breed that the girl Lazuli was leading to slaugher. Past the veil of the fey, through part of the Greywood forest the half breed was lead into the sacrificial ruins, there were five priests including the Lightbringer present. They but nodded to the others who moved to restrain the sacrifice.

" Enough, the prophesy will never come to pass. Bring her forth."

The voice almost seemed to come from every direction, and even with all her struggles, the sash which covered her eyes also sealed her powers, from shapeshifting to any magic at all. It was as though she was ‘capped’ and could not change no matter how hard she would try. Two of the priests soon tilted her back and supported as well of course held her by the shoulders while the other two priests grabbed her legs and lifted her off the ground, carrying her kicking and screaming up to the alter which of course had places for them to connect her wrists to the main surface, she finding soon her legs were trapped as well. The four priests who had carried her over to the alter took their positions on the four cardinal locations around the alter as the Lightbringer took his position at the head of the alter which was to Silvania’s left, not that she could see the being, but the pure power of the Lightbringer would feel warm, almost comforting if the half breed wasn’t about to die.

For Lazuli, she was permitted to watch from just outside the walls of the ruins… however unbeknownst to her or even the Bringer’s of Light, the blood which did indeed flow through Lazuli’s veins would be the most crucial part of what was about to ‘go wrong’. The hilt of the dagger which had been used to seal Tryton in was crafted from the scales of a dragon, the pommel from the tooth though such a thing had been covered in gold of course to make it look finer. The core of the handle however still was incredibly susceptible to magic, especially draconic magic. As the priests and the Lightbringer began to call down the gods of light to smite the half breed laid beneath the brightest moon however, the circle around the area began to glow, unintentionally ‘sucking in’ any passive mana which was in the area… including Lazuli’s.

" Let her blood prevent the coming of the fires, let light lift her soul..."

The Lightbringer did not feel the subtle addition of Lazuli’s mana in the mix, otherwise they would have slain her on the spot. The dagger which slid from the black sheath glimmered and began to shine with the light of the moon. The dagger which Lazuli had provided to the priests had it’s own name… specifically it was known as iepb ilmbnjv, the soul sealing dagger. As the dagger pulled in the surrounding mana however beneath the gold of the pommel, the dragon’s tooth reacted. Pulling the draconic energy into the dagger ‘cut’ the first part of the seal which had kept Tryton asleep within his prison for hundred’s of years.

For Tryton, it was as though in a void of nothingness, the lightest of nudges stirred his consciousness. It took him a good minute to ‘wake himself’ enough to be able to reach out beyond the confines of the dagger itself. To even exert himself that much felt as though he was straining every part of his own being, and yet it was the fist opportunity that he had had within honestly he had no idea how long it had been.

Can... anyone... hear me?

His ‘voice’ was as soft as could be… barely above a whisper… and in her current state Sylvania might not hear him. He centered his focus on ‘himself’ for a moment and realized more accurately where he was. The last actual memory he had before the nothingness had been of being stabbed by a dagger from behind, coupled with a fiery sensation that had seemed to burn him alive and pull his spirit into the dagger. Realizing that… he heard a female’s screaming cry, and that pulled his attention more to her. He was able to ‘see’ through the surrounding shadows, though that even was difficult as it WAS a full moon so there weren’t a lot of them to access. There was enough however, and seeing the Lightbringer only made Tryton SEETHE with anger. That bastard was still around?!

Tryton didn’t have much time however, so he focused on Sylvania again and reached out.

Make a contract with me…

He didn’t really have much time to explain at all, but this time his ‘words’ would cut through the surrounding noise… and it actually was helpful that she was blindfolded right then… it gave him darkness within which he could manifest a small ‘avatar’. To her, she would only see a shadow within her mind, however at the moment, it was all Tryton could do. He could not slow the passage of time, and if she did not make contact fully with him soon, she would indeed die.

 

[katalynn]

Lazuli did hang around for a little while longer, mostly wanting to make sure that they did in fact get that half-blood secure. However, the moment the area started to glow, and she could feel this strange energy coming from…. The dagger? She took that has her cue to leave, especially when all the focus is on the half-blood. There is no trust with these beings, she didn’t want to be their next target. Granted, she isn’t of half-blood, though, she is of dragon blood and had the energy of the dragons which is highly sought after. She would be a nice little prize for them to sell off or to use for their own gain. Especially since she had the dagger, which means she has the ability to seek out other items of power. Which, she has already gained quite the collection of such items. Whether they were thinking of that or not, didn’t matter to her. Lazuli didn’t want to take that chance and took off when she felt the shift in the energy surrounding the area.

The entire time, Sylvania continued to fight as hard as possible, making any attempt to kick, twist, buck... anything at all as they carried her. The altar is cold against her back which intensified her fears, followed by the binding of her limbs. There is no escaping this ‘trap’. This is the one trap that will actually end her and with one last attempt to fight, she let out this scream that should never come from such a tiny body as hers. In her mind, the hope is that Dalianae is out searching for her and would hear the scream. That hope is slowly fading though, the idea that it would be too late, even if she did hear it, she wouldn’t be able to appear in time to stop this.

Ever so slowly, the fight within her began to fade and she started to accept this fate. It isn’t like she has anything keeping her in this world. She had no friends, no life of her own, in reality she felt as if she was a prisoner being held captive in the fae realm. She couldn’t move freely like all the other fae are able to do. Another thing that seemed to calm her is the warmth coming from… well, she didn’t know where this warmth came from. All that she knew was the warmth that she felt and with the blindfold, all she had to do was close her eyes and submit to this darkness. Submitting isn’t something she is good with, however, in this situation… It was that calming warmth that she couldn’t resist.

It isn’t all that strange for her to see shadow figures within the darkness, it is one of her abilities after all. However, in this case it was all in her own world of darkness, nothing at all like the darkness of the forests. There is no questioning what this shadow figure is, or how it got here. With her situation and all the things to consider, she figured this must be the reaper coming to take her to the underworld. His words did confuse her for a split second, yet she didn’t hesitate to run towards this figure and embrace it. Sylvania had no idea at all as to why she instantly embraced this figure, there Is no reason for it other than perhaps the fear that is still racing through her taking over. In reality, she isn’t ready to die, even though she is accepting that fate, it didn’t mean she is ready for it to actually happen.

“Please… Help me… Please…”

The words barely came out as she choked on them, no matter how much she tried to hide this fear, it is very clear within her shaky voice. It isn’t like her to show this kind of weakness, whether this shadow figure is indeed the reaper or not, she felt safe with it. She always felt safe within the darkness as it is and never feared anything that would appear from it. This is the first time she has felt this much vulnerability and instinctively went to the first thing that felt safe to her. It certainly was better than being completely alone in her last and final moments.

 

[TirithIre]

Lazuli wasn’t completely wrong in her assessment of the situation. Had the task of getting rid of the half breed not been so dependent on time, the Lightbringer would have turned their attention to her. Instead, the Bringer’s of Light were completely focused on their precious ritual.

I do not have… much…

Tryton spoke into her mind though as he was trying to ‘connect’ more fully with her she made that process MUCH easier as her mind legitimately within that mental space between realms ran over and took hold of him. Out in the night from the corners of the ruins the shadows began to react to the connection and as she wrapped her arms around him, she’d feel that this being was not the reaper of death come to bring her to the land of the dead but instead something else.

A binding vow… assist me in recovering my body and I will save you from this fate.

He could feel something deep within her, but he did not have the time, power or focus to pay much attention to that. Instead, with the mental connection between them, her physical body’s markings began to glow a deep mixture of black and purple which of course was different from her natural state. The Lightbringer did notice this and beneath the mask they wore their brow furrowed in confusion.

What is going on?...

Not even they truly understood what was sealed within the dagger… they had been told that the dagger would allow them to pierce the barrier placed by that meddlesome fey on the brightest of moons, which of course was a full moon, namely tonight.

“ Hurry… finish the rituals incantations!”

The Lightbringers words rang through the area… and yet as they raised the dagger above Sylvania’s torso, Sylvania would feel the warm energy move with it. Tryton waited until Sylvania had made the vow before she would feel a portion of her energy being pulled directly out of her as though he was legitimately going to take it all, though that wasn’t the case. Instead, Tryton only took what was needed to break the rest of the seal.

From the Lightbringer’s point of view they saw the runes on the dagger alight, matching the purple hue of the glowing on Sylvania’s skin as they understood the demonic: zgea dmgcjlii seali bnvrh (From darkness comes light)

“ We call down the gods… of… light…”

The Lightbringer’s words trailed off as they looked around the area in horror as he could see them. Each of the Lightbringer’s priests had been murdered within an instant in various different ways. The priest across from the Lightbringer had a specter behind him which had stabbed one of two of their swords through their neck, blood spraying out seemingly without an end. The one to the Lightbringer’s right had a spectre to their right who had stabbed them directly through the side of their ribs, ripping them apart. The one to the Lightbringers right had been riddled with at least six arrows, a spectre having come to stand behind the priest had slumped dead. The final priest looked around terrified look at all the death, however only the Lightbringer could see the shadow rise behind the priest, a massive figure seemingly rising before the axe took the priests head clean from his shoulders.

“ Fuck… shit shit shit…”

The Lightbringer knew these four specter’s. They were the four generals that the demi god Tryton had before he had been sealed. The Lightbringer’s fear dissipated slightly as the four shadow’s disappeared after completing their task. He’s not fully released… I can still… Their thoughts seemed to freeze for a moment as Tryton’s consciousness reached out and ‘connected’ with the Lightbringer’s. The Lightbringer found themselves in what appeared an empty field no more than twenty yards, beyond which was only an endless nothingness. Across from themselves, a form began to twist into being before the avatar of Tryton appeared. The shadow of Tryton came into being and even as he did the Lightbringer fled immediately, dropping the dagger on the ground as they did.

“ I must inform the others…”

The Lightbringers form disappeared from sight and mind as Tryton fully broke finally from the seal, the dagger levitating itself.

Don’t move for a moment.

His warm voice connected with Sylvania’s again for a moment before the dagger swung down and cut the back of the sash first, he feeling the sealing powers of it he destroyed it first before she’d feel her wrists cut free, he leaving her to right herself as he broke from the dagger fully and manifested in the same shadow like form that she had seen in her mindscape. He waited patiently… she must have many.. many questions. Truth be told so did he, but he could wait for now.

 

[katalynn]

The only thing Sylvania could do was lay there helpless while listening to the awful sounds around her. She may not know exactly how it is all happening, not only by the sounds, but also by scent of the death. Somehow, she wasn’t afraid of that anymore, it no longer was focused on her death. While this shadow figure was doing his thing, she sat in her darkness thinking about the vow that she had made. Wondering exactly what he meant by “Recovering his body”. To her knowledge, the shadows don’t have bodies, or at least most don’t. They can become solid for a short time then fade back into the darkness. However, he made it sound as if he is more than just shadows… As if he was an actual being at one point in his life.

When all is said and done, she slowly sat up on the altar while looking around at the area. It may have only been a few moments while he was freeing her, it was enough time to get the fear under control. There is still a mixture of emotions though, anger, hatred, sadness all rolling around at once.

“Damn Lazuli… I should have never followed that damn dragon…”

Shaking her head with a heavy sigh while jumping off the altar and began to search the bodies for any worthwhile treasures. It could be seen as odd behavior from someone that moments ago was terrified and begging some strange shadow figure for help. However, her anger was rising and it distracted her from stewing in that anger, also she knew they couldn’t stay around here for too much longer. More will come, as with all magic, it never goes unnoticed. Not to mention the creatures of the night that will be following the scent of death.

“Thank you for saving me. I owe you my life… I will keep my vow to you. It’s not like I can go back home now anyway. Especially with this desire to kill me a damn dragon fae…”

During her little treasure hunt, she found the dagger that almost took her life, and it only fueled her anger. Vowing silently to kill that dragon with the very same dagger if ever given the chance. Never having seen the dagger before, had no idea what it is actually used for or how it works. She had no idea that the shadow figure came from the dagger, no clue that he had been trapped in the item for ages. All she knew was the simple fact that it was going to be used to end her life. Finding a sheath that fit perfectly, she put the dagger against her hip as she finished looking around. There wasn’t much on the men, and it really didn’t take all that long.

She did have a ton of questions, however, she really didn’t know where to begin with them. Especially with all her thoughts running wild with the emotions. After a couple of moments, she finally stopped to face the shadow figure… The best place to start any set of questions is with a name.

“We should be going soon, but first… I would like to apologize for… earlier… hugging you like that… I’m I.. normally do not act like that. I’m not sure why did that… And secondly, My name is Sylvania. Some call me Sylvie tho, up to you. What should I call you?”

Once he gave his name, she paused for a moment thinking she’d heard that name before. However, it was only through stories and rumors that she didn’t believe. Something about a god like being banished or imprisoned some stories say he was even killed. There were so many variations of the story, she wouldn’t know what one is true. It couldn’t be him though, how would a god like being that has been banished, killed or any number of situations… become this shadow figure in front of her? It didn’t matter right now though, she is starting to feel uneasy about staying here for as long as they have been. It’s also difficult to say how much longer he will remain in this form, wherever he came from, she can sense that he is weak.

“You mentioned something about finding your body? Do you know where we should start this little adventure? Questions can be asked while we travel… It is really not safe here. This altar and temple have quite the history and it isn’t kind to visitors. I’m honestly surprised those fools were able to get in here…”

She paused again, looking down at the dead, realizing the dead alone would have attracted a few things that she didn’t want to play with right now. It's not that she is afraid of this place, in fact it's quite the opposite, she has respect for it and the spirits that call it home. The creatures fascinate her more than anything, however, after this fun little event, she is simply not in the mood to upset anything by hanging around here.

“Since you are… in this form now…How do you plan on traveling around? I know you cannot remain in this form for long. I feel that you are weak right now, what you did for me took quite a bit from you… I’m assuming you plan on going with me. It is your body we are searching for after all.”

 

[TirithIre]

Oh normal shadows or specter’s couldn’t willingly manifest on their own as it was. They were effectively servants of the shadows after all. Not to say that she should really have been considering those kinds of things right then and there. Instead, the screams and cries quieted down after a moment before the dagger cut her free and Tryton freed himself from the confines of the dagger of course it fell powerless to the ground.

With that being gone and fled, Tryton stretched in his own mind as he waited for her to sort herself out. The avatar representation that was his mind at the moment he was considering what exactly to do next himself when he heard her little comment about this Lazuli, though it was more the mention of her being a dragon that drew his attention at the moment.

Actually, had that dragon not been here, I may very well still be stuck in the sealed dagger.

Of course, he wasn’t trying to say what had happened to her was right in any way, shape or form. Betrayal seemed to be how those who thought they were doing what was ‘right’ got around such complexities. Watching her though he nodded his head when she remembered her thanks, though as she also introduced herself, the shadow was beginning to flicker in and out of existence which of course made sense if his being had been separated from his mind, he was more a spiritual being at the moment than a ‘real one’.

I am Tryton… or rather, what you see would be what is considered my spirit or mind. I am sure that the true story has been lost to time.

He remembered these ruins when he had ‘been alive’ in the full sense, and they hadn’t actually been ruins but a very prominent and powerful site of rituals which had deteriorated over time. Even as she mentioned that they could speak on the road so to speak his eyes seemed to glow with that dark power before the specter disappeared completely from sight. Before she had a chance to wonder or worry however Tryton’s voice smoothly spoke directly in her mind.

I will travel in this ethereal and invisible form. If my memory serves correctly, those assholes who sealed me used the ritual svullal c darknela, which would have bound my mind into the dagger you now carry. The parts of my soul which will make up my body will be bound chained in four other locations. Where those are I am not fully sure, once we get closer to them I will be able to see a trail.

He knew it wasn’t the best of answers when it came to ‘where to go’, however he did remember one other piece of information which might have been helpful to her.

The one who performed the original ritual was a being named Adhara. In my time, they were one of the highest priests of Aethar, so perhaps some of the alters or temple’s of those gods?

He was ‘tied’ to her as well right then, as he didn’t have a physical form the binding vow which she had made with him, combined with the energy he had taken from her allowed him some freedom of course, but it wasn’t like he was fully revived as of yet. That would take more time and work on their both parts. As he considered these things however she’d hear the roars off in the distance a good way away announced some un-welcoming parties were coming.

We should go. I doubt highly that you want the beasts to catch up to us, and the Lightbringer will return quickly with re-enforcements.

 

[katalynn]

When he practically praised that damn dragon for freeing him, she didn’t quite know how to feel in that moment. Of course with being freed, he would think the dragon being here was a good thing. Still, she glanced at the dagger on her hip and swore to herself that it will be used on that dragon. This is the last time she will fall for tricks and lies again. Although, truth be told, she could be falling for a trick right now with this strange being in front of her. In reality, Sylvania is very naïve about the world around her, having lived an extremely sheltered life. No one has seriously taught her anything about herself, let alone the outside world. All she has to go on are stories and rumors that others have told her. When it came to her, practically everything was learned on her own. The magic she knew is from observing others and then going off in secret to practice it.

“That dragon is not to be trusted… Whether she freed you with intention or not… She is not good…”

The anger she felt towards that dragon is also more towards herself for falling into another trap. Glancing at the dagger one more time, thinking if it trapped him, then perhaps it will trap that dragon as well. However, she wouldn’t know how to use it properly and thinking it is something she will have to research when there’s a chance. Oddly, the idea of trapping /imprisoning that dragon seemed like a better idea then outright killing her. In that same thought, she suddenly feared the dagger thinking it was almost used on her... would she have been trapped in that thing too? Taking his place perhaps? In there with him?

“Well, that isn’t much to go off from… Depending on how long you have actually been imprisoned. If you are the one the stories talk about, you’ve been imprisoned for nearly 1000 years… At least from the stories that have been told to me anyway…”

The howling and growls could be heard from the shadows, indicating the shadow wolves had arrived to claim the dead. Other sounds in the distance proved that others had arrived as well, rather quicker than she expected. Without wasting any more time, Sylvania shifted into a raven and took to the skies, leaving no trace of the direction she went. Any magical trail she left disappeared within seconds, there will be no sign that she was ever there. Her raven form isn’t that of a normal raven, the feathers are longer and instead of markings, the tips the feathers have a blue glow to them. She is also much faster than a typical raven as she flew through the trees.

Her first stop is the fae realm, however she didn’t enter the barrier, instead went to a particular spot, and landed in the trees near a cottage. In a few seconds, Dalianae stepped out and looked directly at Sylvania, there is a sadness in her eyes, knowing then that she wouldn’t be returning this time and watched as the raven took flight again. For a time, Sylvie flew in silence to sort herself out mostly, there were far too many emotions running wild and it wasn’t helping the situation at all. The anger she felt towards the dragon and herself is at the top and she needed to get that under control. The other emotions were easy enough, the sadness and confusion, lack of trust in this current situation. All those emotions can be dealt with as she moved forward.

“I do not know if you can hear me or not… Not even sure if you are with me… But I hope that you are not tricking me. I want to trust you, and yet, I don’t know what you did to get imprisoned. The stories told about you are many. Some say you are good, others say you are evil and deserved what your punishment… I do appreciate you saving me, however, when you get what you want from me… What happens to me?”

It is obvious that she has a lot of trust issues, with good reason and if the situation had been different, she wouldn’t have trusted a strange shadow this easily. Having no idea of what she is getting herself into made it that much more difficult to trust this situation. Which only led to another question of whether that dragon did free him intentionally or not. Did she even know that’s the dagger he was imprisoned in? If so, what reason would she have for doing so? There is no doubt at all that the intention was to get rid of the half-blood… Yet were there other intentions for what she did?

“It is a long travel and I’ve only been there once when I was younger… However, I know someone that might be able to give us some directions to start with. She is an dryad and knows the history of these lands better than I do…”

Sylvie flew in the direction of the moon as it slowly slipped into sleep with the sun rising behind her, the entire time she stayed hidden within the trees and never flew above them.

 

[TirithIre]

It wasn’t really that he was happy that the dragon had betrayed her or had gone about trying to get her killed, it was more that he was simply thankful that dragon blood had been running through Lazuli’s veins in the right moment to act as a catalyst for his freedom. As she said that the dragon was not to be trusted though, Tryton’s attention which had begun to wander returned to her as she could feel his presence there beside her nodding in agreement with her.

I did not mean to say that her actions were correct, or that she was in the right to do what she did. I myself am simply thankful that dragon’s blood was near.

He could not read her mind or anything so sophisticated as that, so he didn’t know what she was wondering about the dagger or anything of the sort right then. Had he, he would have let her know the dagger’s soul sealing ability was only activatable with the correct ritual and series of events, so she didn’t need to fear it’s power. The reason the Lightbringer had coveted it was the material that the dagger was made from. Cold Iron Steel was able to pierce fey barriers, and clearly unbeknownst to Sylvania her fey protector Dalianae had done everything she could to help protect the one who now ‘fled the nest’ per se.

Hearing the shadow wolves coming, Tryton’s attention returned to her as she spoke about how long he had been sealed he mentally paled. Thinking to himself about how much time had passed he felt sick in his being. He certainly didn’t have any idea how long it had been, since the sealing he had legitimately been locked away in nothingness, basically a suspended animation of his soul. He noticed though that she had changed shape. A shifter hmm? That’s helpful… He thought quietly to himself, though as she took flight he did willingly follow after her. After all, they were effectively bonded to each other. As she landed on a particular branch though Tryton could feel the barrier of the edge of the fey realm. He was honestly thankful that Sylvania didn’t go through it though. Even though he was freed mentally, he only had one sixth of his normal power and going through a barrier wouldn’t have been a pleasant experience.

Seeing a rather beautiful fey come out, he could tell the two of them knew one another in some way, and yet Sylvania didn’t speak in that moment. Tryton chose not to disrupt the moment since it was important for her, so as she took flight and seemed to be comfortable in that moment, Tryton took the time to go through what he did have available and what he did not. He could feel his four shadow followed, though the calling of them previously had used quite a bit of his strength so he wouldn’t be calling them again unless things were dire. He had other powers as well however most were still ‘locked’ as he didn’t have a physical body. He mentally chuckled to himself. At the moment I am not much more than a ghost.

His own inner thoughts were disrupted by her speaking to him, though as she said that she hoped he wasn’t tricking her he found it difficult to even take offense to that as clearly she had been dealing with quite a few challenges herself. I have no reason to trick you. You have formed a bonded vow with me, the breach of that would not end well for you, not that I am threatening you.

He listened to what she said about the tales said of him. Truth be told the words made sense. Some in his time did see him as good, some as evil. He didn’t bind himself by such thoughts though, and as she seemed to be looking for answers he responded to her.

I am neither good nor evil in my own eyes. I did what was necessary to protect those I cared for, and in the end the gods were able to convince a close friend of mine that I was a threat.

He left further words unsaid right then, however his usually warm voice had taken a sharper edge with that. As she asked what he would ‘do’ with her when he was fully resurrected, she could ‘feel’ him shrug as he considered it.

When I am fully recovered, our vow will come to an end and you of course alongside myself will be free to make our own choices. For myself, I intend to reclaim what was mine. I had a small realm and would like to re-claim it or rebuild if it is gone. You are welcome to come with me when such a time comes, but I will not force you to do so either.

As she flew however Tryton did take notice of something strange in relation to Sylvania’s current body. Namely, there was a patch of her feathers in her current state which were different from the others. She’d feel him ‘touch’ her, an invisible pressure for just a moment on that spot before it disappeared.

Interesting… tell me little one, do you know why those followers of Aethar were trying to kill you?

He was beginning to get a better idea of what was going on, but he wanted to see if she was even aware of what she was.

 

[katalynn]

“So that’s who those fools were? Followers of… Aethar? Figures she would go to them…”

With that, she fell silent again, not to avoid his question or the things he said, more to the fact of trying to process it all. He is right, he really has no reason to trick her, he doesn’t even know her enough to play tricks. Still, they were both desperate at the time to be free of their situations, anything could have been said save themselves. Overall, there is no choice now, she must trust him and it’s not like she has anywhere or anyone else at this point.

“I have no idea where I will go after helping you. I appreciate your offer and I will certainly consider it. It obviously depends on how things are when that time comes.”

In truth it didn’t matter what his past was all about, whatever it was, it happened forever ago and should no longer be an issue. At least, that is how she sees it… Although, the stories say it is dealing with the Gods and they don’t seem to forget past issues easily. Gods and their grudges can last an eternity sometimes.

There is no ignoring that touch either, it’s extremely rare that others will touch her. Not to mention, she felt something strange with the spot he touched. It wasn’t like a normal comforting type of touch… There is no explaining the sensation that was felt, the best way to describe it is a surge of heat. Not painful, yet not pleasurable either… Just… confusing.

“I do not know the details. I have never actually seen them before, only heard about them in stories I have read. It makes sense that the foolish dragon would go to them though. I am of half-blood. I am hated by all it seems. I have no idea why. I have not done anything to anyone for them to hate me so much. My guardian never told me why, all she ever said is that it is dangerous for me to go beyond the protection of the fae barrier… That foolish dragon had all kinds of stories to get a reaction from me. Sadly, there is no trusting her words so I ignored majority of her stories . She has always wanted to get rid of me… Guess she went to them to do it for her…

It is obvious from the mixed tones in her voice that she is very confused and lost as to why people are always trying to get rid of her. Glancing around the area as she flew through the trees and turning towards a cave. There is doubt that he needed to rest, however, she had a very long and stressful night and with all the threats behind her, it seemed like a good time to take a moment to relax and find some food.

“I need to take a moment to rest and gather a few things. I have no food or supplies for the distance we are going to be traveling.”

She flew deeper into the forest, the thickest part where very few wander into. The land here doesn’t like to have visitors and will play tricks with your mind. If you are not careful, you will end up going in circles. The air will feel very heavy and thick, as if the forest is trying to suffocate you as it blocks out the sky from view. However, Sylvania knew this forest and clearly did not fear it as she flew further to a cave entrance. When she landed, her form began to shift into the more human-like form and walked into the cave.

“I don’t get to come here often. There have been times when I was able to break free from the fae barrier. I found this place when I was still a child, not even my guard… I guess used to be my guardian… Knows of this place. She always caught me in other ways... The magic here can’t be detected easily. We will be safe here.”

The cave at first appeared to be like any normal cave, the path continues into the darkness. Although, she only went about halfway down the path before touching a wall and it began to glow a soft green as it opens. Once she walked through it into a room, the wall closes behind her.

“Make yourself at home… Not entirely sure what kind of comforts you can have, but I’m sure you will find something to entertain you.”

She smirked mostly to herself, wondering just how a spirit would be entertained. Then again, it has been nearly 1000 years for him, there are plenty of books and such for him to read. Without much thought as to what she was doing, she began to strip off the silky dress she had on while being in the fae realm and went to clean up and change clothes more suitable for traveling. In the process, she looked at the dagger before placing it on a table.

“Do you know if they had intentions on trapping me… Like they did with you? Would I have replaced you? That dragon had some kind of intention… I just can’t figure out what those intentions were… I know she wants to get rid of me… But… Why this dagger?”

 

[TirithIre]

As she said that about the priests being followers of Aether his rumbling chuckle seemed to come from above her, he somewhat floating along with her. Being ethereal wasn’t the worst, that was for sure.

They HAVE been a right pain in the ass all through time it feels like… though truth be told, there are fanatics in every faith.

He left her to her thoughts as he himself thought about things as well. He would never forget Zoela, however it wasn’t for the kindest of moments either. His thoughts drifted to his past, he had been called to the undercroft, an area where the most dangerous and ferocious beasts were said to be coming from various different gates. For Tryton, he had been helping the humans and various mortal species to safely close the gates, and Zoela had been one of his fondest companions. That was… until that night.



He still didn’t know why even to this day really why she had done it… but she was the one who had taken the iepb ilmbnjv and had stabbed him with it. He remembered looking down at the dagger as it had pierced through his back on the right side and had gone straight through his chest. Instead of blood flowing, he had felt his entire spirit seeming to go aflame, before he had burst into five portions. Four portions had flown out of sight as the darkness had pulled him into the dagger.

He did doubt that things were ‘over’ between himself and the gods, especially if he did fully reawaken and revive. He would be much more careful this time around however, and as he did touch that spot on her back he felt the seal there, however doubted she even knew of it’s existence based on it’s location. As she seemed not to know about her own history or why others would be looking to kill her, he decided that he would wait to deliver that kind of information to her right away. Instead, he listened to her explanation about this other female dragon kin, and it certainly was clear there was no love lost between them. As she headed into the forest however, he instinctively covered her with himself, which did help to block the various natural magics of the area. It was much easier to find the cave with him around.

As she explained that she did not have any supplies he couldn’t help but chuckle in amusement. Whaaat? You didn’t think to pack for a long journey when you woke up this morning? For shame… His tone was completely disarming, letting her know that he was teasing her. As she shifted into the more human like form that he had initially been in contact with, he followed after her into the sanctuary like place. He could tell that this place was meant to stay hidden as a way to hide those who were nature’s friend.

As she walked forward however he did notice that she seemed not to pay attention to the fact that he could see as she undressed, he actually did take a moment to admire her natural beauty which lended itself well to her. She was on the daintier side of things, however what drew his attention the most was the lightly glowing marking on her back which was in between her shoulder blades, which matched the strange spot that she had felt him touch in her raven form. He did also take in that she was hairless from the neck down and that she did have some muscle as well as beauty to her. As she asked him if they had intended to trap her like they had him she’d feel his eyes traveling over her as he shook his head.

No. The ritual they were performing wasn’t one of sealing. It was a sacrificial ritual. You may believe it or not, but within you lies a great power Sylvania.

As he spoke, he decided to take his more spectral form again. After all, conversation with the invisible air wasn’t the easiest to hold. The glow of his eyes seemed to see right into her, though as well he did admire the natural markings that her body did have. If anything, he was admiring her. Yet he added.

For the Lightbringer and his minions, the dagger was needed because it’s blade was made with a combination of cold iron and steel. As I am sure you are aware, cold iron can pierce fey protections, which it would seem whoever that caretaker fey you visited back near the barrier was have placed on you for protection.

Even as he spoke however he moved silently through the space, coming closer to her while wondering if she was going to run from him. He was quite interested in her, but wasn’t about to force her. Besides, he was sure that she had further questions.

 

[katalynn]

His little joke had actually made Sylvania smile a little, the first smile in a long time it seems. The truth is, she does have a pack ready to go, all she needs to do is put fresh food in it. He doesn’t need to know that and that made her smile a bit more.

“I simply did not know today would end up being so eventful…”

She smirked as she examined the dagger and thought about what he just said about it. Up until now, she didn’t notice the iron in it as she pulled it from the sheath. The entire time she stood there naked in front of him and it didn’t seem to phase her that he was looking at her. Living such a sheltered life and being naïve about such things, she honestly didn’t know any better. Certainly, didn’t know she needed to be fearful of a male looking at her in such ways. Of course she sensed it, able to feel his eyes roaming all over her and to some extent it did make her uneasy. In other ways it somehow excited her too.

“I do not understand this hatred towards me. Others outside of the fae realm do not even know I exist. Well, until now that is… I’m sure those fools of Aether have spread the word about me by now. You are wrong, I have no great power. I must study the animals before I can take their shape, even then it only lasts for so long. If I had great power, it would be no problem to take on any shape I wish, for as long as I wish to…”

While she spoke, there is a hint of sadness in her tone and out of curiosity, she lightly touched the blade of the dagger which burned the tip of her finger. However, she didn’t flinch, only looked at her finger as if it is the first time she’s touched or seen iron.

“If I had great power that foolish dragon wouldn’t have gotten away with the things she did. I would have been able to free myself without any help. Sure, it was my fault for following her, curious to see if she had actually changed this time and telling the truth for the first time. Still… If I had great power…”

Shaking her head as she put the dagger back in the sheath and placed it back on the table. There is a long list of ‘If I had great power’ scenarios, though she decided to not go on a rambling vent that would upset her more. Sylvania turned to go take a bath yet found him right in front of her when she turned. There is no reason to run from him, or fear him… He did save her after all, why would she fear someone that saved her?

“If I had great power, I wouldn’t need saving or protection from the world. That fae you spoke of, yes, she raised me and did her best to keep me safe. However, Dalianae only did so as a promise that she made with my mother. If it wasn’t for that promise, I’m sure I would have been banished from the fae realm a long time ago. Perhaps even killed with my mother…”

Sylvania sighed and looked down before closing her eyes.

“I apologize, it’s been a long and stressful night, and you don’t need to hear me venting my problems like that. Also, for some reason my back feels like it is on fire which isn’t helping me to think straight either.”

She couldn’t explain why her back is like this, the best she can assume is that maybe there was some iron on that alter. Then that surge of heat from when he touched her earlier could have had something to do with it too. For a moment she wanted to ask what he did, however, she didn’t want to accuse him of anything right now either. It could all just be coincidence with everything else going on. All she can really do is hope that the bath will help.

“I’m going to take a bath and get cleaned up now. Again, I apologize for the venting. I was not upset with you. It’s just you are not the first one that has said that, and nothing has happened to prove that I have this great power. It is difficult for me to believe is all.”

With that, she proceeded to walk away only to stop for a moment to look up at him.

"I'm sure you have plenty of questions, I will do my best to answer what I can. Unfortunately, The only knowledge of the outside world I have are through the books and stories that I have read. I will try all the same to give you answers."

 

[TirithIre]

He noticed the smile and though he did see her pull out a pack that she had stored here, he was glad that she hadn’t taken his little joke as something more serious or mocking because that hadn’t been his intention at all. As she said that though he nodded to her and shrugged slightly.

Most don’t see the closest to them betraying them to death… or otherwise.

There certainly was something left unsaid there, however for Tryton he didn’t feel the need to elaborate. As she stood comfortably naked in front of him though, Tryton did take the time to admire the soft curves of her body. She was well proportioned for a woman, and he could tell that this was her natural state. Some shifters used their powers to hide who they really were, but there was no need for that for Sylvania. Her markings suited her quite well, and though he knew some of her kind, he was thinking to himself as she said that she did not understand the hatred towards her.

Truthfully I don’t think it’s hatred but fear.

He knew though that she wouldn’t understand what he meant by that, so he continued on with his words.

Back when I was first growing up there was a prophecy that was handed down by Lordos. It said, if I remember correctly that One Blended of light and dark, blood will run from the heavens and all shall burn. Since then, those who are mixed blood especially those of Celestial and either shadow or demon bloodlines have been hunted and sacrificed to prevent such a prophecy coming true.

As he explained that though she seemed focused on the fact that she was weak and worthless, though Tryton certainly didn’t think as such. The outer seal which was in between her shoulder blades spoke of a very different kind of power, and though he didn’t know much about it, he did feel the power behind it. As she said though that had she had great power the dragon wouldn’t have been able to trick her Tryton’s silvery gaze seemed to narrow ever so slightly.

Before I was sealed, I was a commander of an army of shadows. I held the physical power to crush Adamantine if I so desired and was feared by the gods of light for my power even though I had no intention of laying waste to their precious god lands. Even so, they turned my closest friend against me and sealed me away into such a state. You should not be so hard on yourself.

As she turned fully to him though he did admire the medium sized breasts on her chest, the smoothness of her torso and also the hairless slit between her legs, though he wasn’t in a state to physically do much to her, at least not yet, his ‘eyes’ certainly took in their fill. She seemed distracted by her back though and as she mentioned going to take a bath and that she didn’t believe she had much power, he followed after her since she had said that she would answer his questions. Yet as she stopped by the tub Tryton reached out with his spectral form and touched the mark on her back again, he exerting some of his own power into the mark.

His power wasn’t strong, certainly not enough to even begin to activate the seal fully or begin to unlock it at all however it WOULD bring her attention to it’s existence.

Your power it seems has been sealed. It’s not a fey marking, truth be told I don’t recognize it but I am not a specialist in seals or anything as such.

He pulled his hand away from her since she had not actually given permission for him to touch her, however he nodded when she said that she would do her best to give him answers. Looking around, he saw a padded stool and even though he could have stood by the bath the entire time, that seemed strange so he brought it over and sat down.

Well, let’s start with some general questions.

He figured he would need to learn more on his own which was helpful as there were quite a few books in this place, however he also found that he liked spending time near her. He felt a slight kinship with her which may simply be because he had been sealed away. He didn’t think so, however he did ask her if she knew where close temples of Aethar might be. After all, they were the one’s who had sealed him, so it would make sense that other temples in various area’s would have the various sealed ‘parts’ of him. As he spoke with her however he did ‘take’ the cloth from her with some basic shadow magic and began to wash her back for her. It was something he could do that she wouldn’t have been able to do for herself.

Lordos:

 

[katalynn]

“Lazuli has never been a friend to me. I have noone that is close, I am a loner in this world. I am not being all that hard on myself… It’s just I should have never followed her.”

Sylvania pretty much left it at that while she soaked in the tub and closed her eyes, relaxing more towards his touch. It didn’t take long for the room to show its true nature as the illusion of the simple bathroom took on another form. Opening into another section of the cave with a few hot spring pools. The tub she is soaking in turned into a smaller pool and the water seemed to glow with her in it. She didn’t move from her spot while she enjoyed the attention of him washing her back. It seemed to calm down the burning sensation she had earlier, however that spot he pointed out between her shoulder blades is throbbing now.

“I guess following her to my death was not all that bad… I mean, it brought me to you… I still don’t know what that means. Though, it seems as if we were meant to meet.”

She seriously didn’t know what to believe right now. This complete stranger is telling her things that she should have already known about herself. He keeps touching that one spot between her shoulder blades. She did hear him say ‘interesting’ when he first touched it and each time he does touch it, that spot reacts. It is safe to say that there is something there… Though…

“I do not know of any seals that have been placed on me. No one has told me about it, this is the first time anyone has pointed it out to me. If it is not fae, then perhaps my father placed it there when I was born. But… I really can’t say for sure since I do not know who my father is.”

Taking a couple of moments to think about the other things he spoke of, saying that about the half-breeds being hunted because of some lame prophecy. How it is out of fear rather than hatred. She really didn’t know how to take that in, it’s not the half-blood’s fault and like her, majority of them don’t know anything about some prophecy that deals with the heavens.

“People are fools… Blended of light and dark could mean anything. Magic, perhaps two people, weapons… I mean really, what reason would I have to go to the heavens and do whatever… Let alone know how to get into that realm. Hunting down innocent beings is just foolish…”

It made no sense to her at all, instead of dwelling on it though, she pushed that thought to the side as it would only upset her again and right now the point is to relax and calm down. She did turn around, resting her arms on the ledge and her head down on her arms and closing her eyes while considering what he had said about himself, a commander of an army, and was betrayed. There is one story that spoke of such things and she’s trying to recall what book it was in and how it ended.

“To my understanding, most of the Aether temples have been turned into ruins. At one point, I’m not entirely sure who started it, but they raided and plundered a bunch of temples. They were angry with what the Aether fools were doing at the time. Also, from what I’ve heard, they were looking for something. It was never clear on what they were looking for, it was important though. There is a temple in the human realm that is highly protected, and I believe there is another one, maybe two. However, the dryad that we are going to see will be able to tell us more. With me being hunted, I’m not sure where I can and cannot go at this point…”

He would notice that the markings on her back had stopped glowing and didn’t seem so angry the more she relaxed, matching the rest of her markings. The seal mark still has some glow to it, though it is dull and does seem to be pulsing, most likely to the same beat of her heart. Indicating that it is attached to her heart somehow.

“Tell me more about you. Or Any other questions? I like hearing your voice.”

 

[TirithIre]

He couldn’t help but sigh when she said that she hadn’t actually had friends before. He knew that feeling quite well. For her, it had been due to the fear the others had of her. For him, he had been on a different path but one that ended in betrayal all the same. They were alike in more ways than not. As she seemed to relax to his touch he worked the cloth over her back, coming back to the mark each time he shrugged as she mentioned that no one had told her about the seal.

The outer seal doesn’t seem to connect directly to the inner workings… I do not know much on those things.

He wasn’t an expert in any manner of those things. He was more a being of contracts and vows. Such things were more… absolute in a way. As he noticed the illusion of the basic tub disappear, he smiled slightly to himself. Tricky… tricky. He thought quietly, though as she turned around and rested on the edge of the tub, he moved his ethereal form and glided behind her, the cloth moved over her back as she mentioned that their meeting was a positive thing, he would agree with her.

As he worked on her back he did notice that the calmer she became the more steady the seal became, and even as he did he let the cloth float away as instead she would feel shadowy fingers moving over her back, rubbing and tracing the markings on her body and also in the same manner massaging her to relax her further. As she said that people were fools he had to laugh, the laughter rich and warm as he mentally nodded, agreeing with her.

People are mostly lead by self-survival which many times is fear driven. I haven’t been around, but based on your descriptions of the temples sackings it would certainly seem that many things have changed.

As she said the dryad they were going to meet would know more, Tryton nodded. He found he rather enjoyed tracing her markings, his ethereal touch seeming to trace more over her sides as they spoke. He wasn’t intentionally trying to tickle her or even arouse other sensations from her, though of course such things were impossible when one wasn’t being shunned or hated on. As she told him to tell her more about himself though he smirked as he replied.

I was born from my mother who was a demon, her name was Lamia. She and my father who was an incarnation of Ramos bore me, and from there I was taken into the god realm.

He spoke to her as his touches moved over her hips, just above the curve of her back side before he moved his touch up and down, over and around her, learning about her as he told her about his childhood, how the demi gods like himself were sequestered away, how the incarnation which bore his father taught him about his godly powers, and how eventually he went out into the mortal realms. He took his time speaking to her, his voice within her mind rumbling, warm and in many ways comforting, yet when he spoke of different more difficult things, his tone became colder and less kind. After all, as he had said to her, he was neither good nor evil, but more a neutral being.

 

[katalynn]

Sylvania can honestly say that this is the most relaxed she has been in a very long time. His voice is very soothing, even with those few times when his tone changed, it didn’t seem to phase her. It is easy for her to understand how difficult some things are to talk about, at least he got to live a life. Compared to him, she is rather boring.

“At least you knew who your parents were and what you are… My father ran off, or that’s what I’ve been told anyway. For all I know, he could be dead too. Mother died shortly after I was born, they say she was taken and killed for being with my father. Again, that’s just what I’ve been told.”

There were a few spots he roamed over that were ticklish, causing her smile and bite her lip to fight it. Though, the tiny jerks would give it away more as she tried to fight those too. She’s never been tickled before and though it couldn’t be helped, she didn’t want to ruin this moment either. As far as being aroused, there is a sensation that she couldn’t quite explain and the more he teased her back, it became more intense. Again, she’s never been aroused either and couldn’t understand what is happening.

“Do you think that whoever it was that raided those temples, was looking for you? From what you have told me so far, it would make sense.”

The tone in her voice sounded exhausted and on the verge of falling asleep where she is. Again, she didn’t want to ruin the moment by moving away from him. Doing her best to stay awake, wanting to hear more from him.

“I wonder if I will discover who my parents are during all this. It almost feels like they are involved in all this somehow. Of course, it’s just a feeling, I have no way to prove it.”

She fell silent, a mix between falling asleep and thinking about the events that happened tonight. His story felt so familiar, a story that went beyond the books she read, almost as if she had dreams of it long ago in her childhood. It wasn’t worth mentioning though, those were just dreams of a child after all. After so much time, dreams really meant nothing to her since she was never able to live those dreams, or to even understand their meaning.

“What do you think we should do with the dagger? It can stay here, it will be safe… But, to take with us will be dangerous. Considering they are hunting for me and if they get the dagger again… Will they be able to use it on you again?”

 

[TirithIre]

Tryton took time to learn about her body and how it responded. Along her sides near her ribs seemed ticklish which he learned when her body gently jerked from being touched there. Down over her hips above the curves of her back side seemed sensitive in a different way, which he could tell by how her hips shifted as well. She may not recognize the various ways her body moved with his touches, but he was learning. As she explained that she didn’t know who her parents really were Tryton nodded to her.

Many fools have killed others over time for reasons they justified as right.

As she asked him about the raiding of the temples and whether it could have been his people he mentally shrugged to her. Truth be told I do not know how many of my followers are still alive anymore. Most were imbued with a portion of my power, however what that may entail when I was sealed, whether they would remain free or have been bound as well, I do not know. I know the four that I called to save you I cannot do so again until I have recovered a part of my body. Currently, I am only one fifth of my power.

He explained it easily, though as she seemed ripe to fall asleep, he smirked mentally as he prodded her.

This journey will not be a short one, I would suggest that you take rest here for tonight, we can depart in the morning.

Though as he said that she would feel him shift his presence around to her side before she would suddenly feel herself being scooped up into his shadowy arms. Taking her from the bath he set her onto her feet before he picked up a towel and hushed any protests from her, instead he took his time to dry her off, of course at the same time not shying away from touching her all over.

The ritual that can be used to seal anyone is a very particular one. I doubt it could be used again very easily. I would suggest however that we do leave it here for safe keeping. I can provide you with a different one.

As he said that, she would see a small shadow portal appear, although it would be more accurate to call it an astral storage space. Reaching inside, Tryton retrieved a very different dagger to the one that she held. Closing the portal he held it out to her.

This one doesn’t have an original name, however it can channel all forms of magic through it, which makes it very helpful against all types of enemies. The central gem also houses the ability to poison enemies struck upon choice, you only need to imagine your intent.

She would find the dagger quite light to be held, it didn’t come with it’s own sheath, instead he taught her the command words suna llusdh which would magically summon the dagger into the callers hand. It was a very fine dagger, and in essence it was a gift, though tool as well for her.

Now then, you should go to sleep. While you sleep I will work to recover some of my strength. If you have dreams, I will be able to visit you there.

He hoped she wouldn’t be adverse to that idea… He was very interested in continuing what they had started in the bath!

 

[katalynn]

She was surprised at being lifted up from the pool, unable to believe he had that much strength.

There was a little bit of childish protesting, mostly because she felt like she ruined the moment they had. However, with him drying her off and touching certain areas that clearly have never been touched before, it causes her to shy away a little. Unsure of how she really should feel about it, also too exhausted to seriously question it.

“Thank you for the new dagger, I love it and will always keep it close. I will think of a name to give it.”

She smiled and with a wave of her hand, a clean, sheer blue nightgown covered her. Before long, she went to bed, falling asleep instantly. At first there were no solid dreams, mostly flashes of the night’s events. At one point a vision of Lazuli being imprisoned in her quarters back home. There were flickers of a past that was not hers, yet they played out as if she was looking through their eyes. Traveling and fighting in different realms, sometimes hiding out and always looking over their shoulder.

Eventually these strange visions stopped, ending with her being in an empty space with water at her feet. Darkness surrounded her and like always, she was alone. Ever so slowly a glowing path lit up in front of her and she noticed something strange at the end of this path. Cautiously, she walked towards this object.

“What is this? I’ve never seen you before.”

It reacted to her light touch, as if it was calling to her and when she looked inside, all she could see is a curled up figure that appeared to be sleeping.

“Who are you?”

Sylvania wasn’t expecting an answer, though she did start roaming around the sphere in hopes of finding a way to crack it open. There is a sudden urge to save the figure inside of it, though, from what she can see, there is no way to break it open. With that, she started to examine every inch of it, wanting to memorize the details in hopes that she can find it in a book somewhere…

 

[TirithIre]

As she had ‘complained’ with his handling of her, he couldn’t help but chuckle as his form handled her quite easily. Even at one fifth of his power, he certainly had enough to handle her, and he certainly didn’t see things as her ‘ruining the moment’ by being tired. He was sure that she had endured a very long day herself. Once he had set her down he took to his ‘task’ of drying her off.

Tryton did take his time to enjoy touching her, even if not in a truly physical way from his end, he could tell by her responses that it was very real for her, and truth be told though she did get a bit shy towards the end of his attentions to her, he did also take note that her lovely nipples had gotten hard, and it wasn’t cold in the space they were in so he assumed she had enjoyed his attentions.

As she thanked him for the dagger he but nodded to her, though as the sheer nightgown covered her his spectral form disappeared from sight as well, he instead putting his attention to recovering himself from the use of power that he had used not only to save her life, but to take physical shape and do what he had done with her. Luckily, his physical manifestations were empowered by the shadowy like environment they had been, but he would need to rest as well. He was actually thankful that she didn’t dream straight away, so he was able to recover some of his power before her dreams did pull his attention.

Tryton found it interesting though that her dreams didn’t seem to be so much random dreams, though he figured that she might think as such for herself, but rather did have semblance of memories to them. One such memory made him mentally gasp to himself. He would never forget the auburn haired shifter that he had befriended when he had last ‘been alive’.

Adélie…

He mused it to himself, though for Sylvania, she would feel the kinship there. She may or may not realize it, however she was looking at one of her ancestors who had allied herself with the shadow monarch. That was what they had called Tryton, as he was their leader. It only made Tryton wonder again what had happened to his allies over the centuries he had been gone. He inwardly resolved to find out for himself. There were also instances through her dreams where Tryton ‘connected’ with her, she feeling his presence there to support her.

As she seemed to come to a quiet place with darkness all around the area, Tryton watched her inner dream sense approach a strange object. He did not recognize it either, though Tryton decided to take on one of his more common forms, she seeing him appear much more ‘in the flesh’ in the dream scape, though he himself was curious about what this was, he really had no more of an idea on that one than she did!

 

[katalynn]

The dream has always confused Sylvania. One of the fae’s she was raised with always told her there are ways to learn from and to some extent, control the dreams. The entire time Sylvania is looking at this strange sphere, she thought about the previous dream, one where she felt scared and was hiding from someone. There’s only been one other time where she had a similar dream of seeing through someone else’s eyes. It was the same back then as well, a different scene, yet the same person and the feeling was so real as if it was happening in the present.

“This is all just a dream though… None of this can be real… Yet, why am I dreaming of other people? And you… Why are you in my dreams?”

Sylvania sat down next to the sphere and seemed to be talking to it like it was a friend. The one thing she couldn’t figure out is why both this sphere and the female earlier felt like they were a part of her life. The dreamworld is supposed to be one of her skills, or at least that is what Daliane has always told her. Something about her mother being a dreamwalker, of course, she had idea how much truth there was in that. A few times Sylvania did try to learn how to work things out, yet she could only go so far. She did try to focus on that female again, wanting to learn more about who she is, possibly where she is.

For a moment she did make a connection and realized this female is in the demon realm searching for someone. At one point she thought she heard a name, it almost sounded like Tryton’s name. However, it was too muffled, and the ‘vision’ of the dream was fading rather quickly, unable to hold the connection for long. Though, she did try her best to hold onto it for as long as she could. Unfortunately, it was too difficult to say if it was happening in the present, or if it is something from the past. It certainly felt like in present times.

When the connection with the female broke, Sylvania expected to find herself back with the sphere. However, she was thinking of another place instead, a place where she goes to hide from the world... well.. mentally hide anyway. Where she ended up this time is a very familiar place where the river stretches on forever and there is nothing but peace here. This is the place she tends to go when she meditates and to destress herself.

“I have never been here physically, not even sure it truly exists. Yet, I have dreams of it all the time, pretty much made it a mental escape for myself.

The entire time she knew Tryton had been hiding in the background and watching her. Although, this is the first time she acknowledged his presence. Of course, she isn’t used to sharing her dreams either and the dreams were a bit out of control for awhile there.

“Someone once told me that I’m able to control dreams. Sadly, like everything else, this is really the only place I can control. I’m really surprised I was able to connect with that female… What was her name again? Adelie? I had a dream of her once a long time ago, she was in a cage at that time though.”

With that in mind, she went to sit down by a tree that looked to be the oldest tree in the valley.

“You can sit with me if you wish too… It took some work, but I do finally have control now. There was just too much confusion earlier, my thoughts were everywhere.”

 

[TirithIre]

Tryton viewed the previous dream as a third party. His presence was there; however he didn’t interfere with it as she clearly wasn’t the one in control of the dream. He watched Adélie though quietly, he remembered her quite well, truth be told he and she had been more than just lord and ally, but he didn’t know if saying such was appropriate here. He didn’t even know how Adélie connected with Sylvania, so he didn’t have all the answers, or really anything of importance. As she asked why he was in her dreams though his chuckle rang slightly through the air.

Dreams can and will hold many memories, especially if a part of yourself has been sealed. As for how I am here, most demons can do so on some level. My mother was a night hag, who specialized in dream walking.

As he spoke and she sat down next to the sphere, Tryton brought forward some of the shadows surrounding the sphere and created an image of what his mother looked like. It only lasted a moment but even a mirror image spoke of the power the demoness had held. As she seemed to make connection with the female though, for Adélie she was completely unaware that she was indeed being watched. Even Tryton did have to admit that it did look like Adélie was in the demon realm, though he didn’t recognize the area. Tryton’s realm lay not fully in the mortal realms, but had been almost it’s own pocket dimension.

As she invited him over to sit with her, he was then able to more freely move in her dream. Of course, he could have brute forced his way around, but since she had seemed to be taking more control of her own dream he didn’t need to do that. She said that she didn’t have control, he didn’t at first bother to let her know that the fact she had managed to bring any form of control to the dream spoke to the fact that she did indeed have that power.

When she spoke about the river he did look around, recognizing the place. When he had first went to make his own realm, he had decided that he did not want to create it fully within the mortal realms. The reason was simple; he had seen how claiming or taking land always seemed to lead to feuds and wars, so he had actually worked with his fathers power to create a dimensional space that was connected via a gate to the mortal realms. The river she was looking at was a river within his domain which was also why it was so peaceful.

He did however take the opportunity to move over, His golden eyes, smooth and somewhat pale skin and multiple natural markings on his body shimmering as he moved, the black and gold pants that he wore both were quite nice looking on him, but were actually well made items of power. He moved to her right and settled himself down, though as she asked about Adélie he sighed slightly though actually ‘spoke’ in the more real sense as he had an actual form in the dreamscape.

“ Adélie; when I first met her she was a slave to a rather sadistic celestial who was a believer of beating out the ‘sin’ of others. At the time, I was just passing through the area, but seeing the Lord’s treatment of those who were enslaved to him… well I wasn’t about to let that pass. Afterwards, she refused to go back to where she had come from, and followed me all the way from the southern continent to the eastern one. We ended up being friends and allies, until I was sealed. Since then, I do not know.”

He glanced over to her though looked out over the river. The tree’s reminded him of home, though his home wasn’t even accessible right then. He closed his eyes with some inner frustration though… So much had been lost, the extent of which he didn’t even fully know just yet. He would find those who still lived, re-claim what he had lost, and make those fucking gods pay if it was the last thing he did!

“ The river we’re looking at is actually a part of my realm… or it was. I do not know what has become of it, though it at least looks to have remained in one piece.”

 

[katalynn]

Like earlier when he was admiring her, Sylvania couldn’t help herself as she admired this new look of his. Certainly, far better than any story she read had described him, none of them mentioned gold markings or eyes. There’s a sudden temptation to trace over his markings, much like he had with her. However, she bit that temptation back and tried to keep from staring. With her already sitting down, there is no escaping a quick glimpse of what hid in his pants. Granted, she has never considered men in that way, yet after earlier with her bath and his voice alone, she couldn’t help the sudden thoughts.

Naturally, she kept those thoughts to herself, still uncertain of what these new feelings really are and trying to understand how to handle them. In the meantime, she averted her eyes and looked out to the river while he spoke of that female and the river. That was the last thing she expected, having him say that this river is part of his world.

“I wonder why I started to dream of this place if it is part of you. I’m glad to know that it really exists though. Perhaps we can go there, at the very least, see if the entrance is still there.”

She thought about his story with the female and the way he spoke, it sounded as if there was a lot more to their relationship than he’s saying. If that is true, then perhaps for now, she thought about not allowing things to go to far between them. Especially if that female is still alive. The last thing Sylvania wanted to do is get between them.

“Maybe we should go searching for that female… I mean, Adelie. I wouldn’t know how or if she is still alive after so long. However, both dreams I’ve had of her felt as if it is happening in the present time. This last vision of her made it seem like she is searching for something… or someone. I’m sure you are curious to find out about her too.”

There is a tiny part of her that didn’t want to go find this female, unsure of how she feels about the idea of sharing him. With a tiny smirk to herself, shaking that thought to the side wonder why she would feel like that. They don’t even know each other all that well, let alone be close enough to not want to share him.

“If this place is yours and if it is still there, I can honestly see myself living in a place like this. I’ve always felt safe here. I’m sure it was… perhaps still is… a safe place in reality. It is quite possible any entrances to the realm could have sealed shut when you were sealed. It was connected to you after all. I’ve read that it is possible for realms to close with their creators.”

She relaxed against the tree a bit more, thinking of what would to be like to actually live in a place like this. Away from all the fools that are hunting her down. Of course, the idea of being hunted caused her to frown slightly and the sadness crept in again.

“Will I always have to be hidden from the world? There is so much I’ve always wanted to see and experience… But, if I’m being hunted… I don’t see how I can do those things.”

 

[TirithIre]

For Tryton, when he moved into view of her he could feel her eyes travel over his form, though truth be told he didn’t mind in the least. After all, he knew he was a handsome man, and of course though such confidence could be misconstrued with arrogance, there was certainly a fine difference. He didn’t treat her as lesser just based on the fact that she was naiive in this world at all, nor did he consider himself better than her even when he would be fully revived. As he moved however, she could see that there certainly was a very impressive bulge that was at his groin, which of course would only tantalize her inner thoughts all the more.

When she spoke about why she had connected with the river within his realm he shrugged as he moved to sit down, settling down in the dream scape grass and propping one leg up

and resting one arm on it, he looked to her as he nodded.

“ I fully intend to see whether my realm still exists, it either would have been sealed with myself, or left open by the natural power connecting to the mortal realm, in which case I don’t have any idea right now.”

He did notice that she seemed to be trying not to be ‘caught’ staring at him, so he did move the arm from his knee and ran it slightly over himself, though he looked to her as he did.

“ This was my natural form when I was alive.. you are welcome to explore if you like. I am only able to take this form in the dream scape for now.”

For some reason, he had a good inkling that she wanted to touch him, though he also surmised that she might be too shy to do so unbidden, so he gave her the opportunity, if she so desired to take it. As she mentioned Adélie and finding her however Tryton nodded to her with a handsome smile.

“ I would like that… to know what became of those who followed me in life… you’re right, the dream tonight seemed more present than past, though if what you said earlier about being able to dream walk is true, I could see that being the case here.”

As he sat with her though he looked over to the lake and nodded slightly to her. Truth be told, he had no idea what had happened with his realm either, there were many mysteries still, the beginning of their journey certainly still laying in shadows of the unknown, however as she mentioned potentially living in his realm, he sighed as she asked if she would always need to hide.

“ The truth of the matter is I do not know the answer to that question Sylvania. As I grew up, my father hid me away from the other gods as demi gods are generally scorned and sought out either to be used as weapons for divine wars, or killed mercilessly. The truth is that when I say I am neither good nor evil I mean that. I decided to create my realm as a refuge from all the idiocy. In the process, I pissed many beings and people off, defied the gods themselves, and did many things that went against the status of the world.”

He took a moment to consider his own words… it had been a long time, and wounds within still ran deep, though he looked to her directly as he added quietly.
“ All you need, is power. I feel it within you, and you have seen the seal itself tonight. How to open that, or if it will be enough power to actually give you the freedom you seek, I do not know. However if it is not, then I will take you wherever you wish to go, see whatever you wish to see, and if any would harm or stand in your way, they will be wiped from your path.”

There was a deep sincerity to his words which would resonate truly… he did not say it just to placate her, nor did he not understand the trouble he may be causing for himself. He simply knew that her journey was worth aiding for himself, and freely chose to support that.

 

[katalynn]

There’s no hiding the shyness that burned in her cheeks when he gave permission to explore him. There were times when she had to keep reminding herself that this is a dream, that it isn’t reality. Even though there is possibly another female in his life, it’s not like dreaming about him is a bad thing… Or is it? She really didn’t understand how all of this is supposed to work. It’s bad enough the world hates her for no reason at all, the last thing she wanted to do is get this other female upset with her. It’s all too complicated right now and she didn’t know where to begin with sorting it all out.

“Well, maybe that could be a starting point. After we speak with the Dryad about the temples and see what she might know of you… We can at least find out about your realm and find more information on the way. Don’t We kind of have to in that direction anyway if we are going to look for Aedile…”

She had studied some maps here and there out of boredom and knew they had to head towards the human realm eventually. Knowing there are a lot of places to get through between here and there. Unfortunately, this journey she has set out on will not be an easy one. Especially, if she must constantly stay hidden. The one good thing she had going for her is the shapeshifting, that has always kept her hidden… in this place anyway.

“I have read that about Demi-Gods. I guess we both have to stay low in all of this. Even if I did have full access to my power, I wouldn’t be able to defeat certain beings if it came to that. Even with the power I do have now, I’ve never been taught how to fight or use it against others. Plus, I’m still young, those like that one that almost killed me… I felt the strength of his energy…”

She sighed, the more she talks the more she realizes just how weak she really is. At this point she isn’t quite sure how she’s going to be of any help to him. She did glance at him for a moment when he practically vowed to protect her. With all these other mixed-up emotions, she wasn’t certain of how to take that. To her, it’s just another person protecting her from the world, something she has been trying to get away from. All the same, she did appreciate the sincerity in his words. At least she knew his protection would be different compared to the prison she was raised in.

Sylvania may be unsure of many things right now, but she is doing her best to be strong and not be a weak little girl. This whole situation is happening so fast, and she hasn’t had much time to put a real plan together. For now, her only plan is to go see the Dryad to hopefully get some ideas of where to look, it has been a long time and so much has changed in that time. With all the raids to the temples, it’s difficult to say who has what and where.

Eventually, she took a small chance to touch him, it was a simple touch to his arm to feel his markings and trace what was on his shoulder. Then she reached up to touch his hair, running her fingers through the silky tail and tracing over the band that held his hair up. She wasn’t brave enough to explore more than that though, unlike how he explored her earlier.

“I think I’ve seen your mother in a dream once. I was just a child then, but the image you showed me looked very familiar. I don’t remember much about the dream, I think she was trying to say something… Her voice was silent though and all I saw was her lips moving. I never put any thought into it, I was just a child. Now that I think about it… You say she was a dream walker… I wonder if she came to me with a purpose. It wasn’t long after that I started to dream of this place…”

While she spoke, she kept playing with his hair and enjoyed the feeling of it. It seemed to calm her down far more than she realizes.

 

[TirithIre]

He certainly did take notice of how her cheeks burned with shyness when he did invite her to do so. Dreams were certainly a place where people or in their case beings could let go more so than perhaps in the real world. Besides, it wasn’t really a case where Adélie was even really in the picture per se. First, he had to recover the various parts of himself to fully recover, then investigate what had happened with his realm and many other things. She seemed to think that touching him even here was a bad thing, at least that’s what he had thought. He listened to her about the Dryad and nodded to her as she pointed out that they would be heading towards that direction.

“ We will indeed. The gate I had created was located deep within the Fullcrest kingdom. Are they still around?”

Tryton didn’t know really, but the truth was that the Fullcrest Kingdom had indeed survived through the last millenia though of course the leaders had changed through the time, the kingdom itself was located in the northern continent and was made up when he was last alive by a tribunal of Elves and humans. Tryton hadn’t meant to just be dismissive of her. The truth of the matter was that Sylvania reminded him a lot of himself when he was young. He hadn’t been sought out by EVERYONE to be sacrificed, but they both had their own challenges and he certainly hadn’t started out as strong as he had become. As she spoke about the Lightbringer though Tryton tensed slightly.

“ The Lightbringer isn’t a normal human. They are effectively an avatar for Aethar. The problem is, the power of the gods isn’t something a mortal can handle very well, and most of the time the Lightbringers host either is completely repressed by the godly power and influence, or they go mad. You, and even myself at my current power would not be able to stand against them for long. We were lucky the first time because of the binding vow and the situation, I was able to use some of your power to pull forth my generals.”

He had been talking through things when he felt the faintest touch to his arm, and as she did trace the markings up his arm he smiled and nodded to her. The markings themselves had a warm feeling like the rest of him, and yet he was also legitimately a very muscular man in every way. She’d be able to feel his smooth yet hard skin, and as she moved her hand up to the band, he felt her run her fingers through his silvery almost white hair. Listening to her mention his mother though he nodded ever so slightly.

“ My mother did like the more interesting beings…”

He actually let out a slight sigh as she spoke about his mother being a dream walker and nodded again.

“ She was and is a Night Hag. Dream walking is one of her specialties. For myself, I need to be connected to the person in order to enter their dreams. Like you, I have the vow to connect us. My mother never needed that connection, though it helps.”

He shrugged, though found himself enjoying her touch to his hair as well. He didn’t really ask for her to touch more, though as he did sigh, she’d be able to see how incredible he was physically. He had worked hard to become the ‘person’ he had been, and with her help, he would again eventually!