Ascending Legends

[BookWyrm]

Dayn held up his hand. "Wait, just for a minute." He could sense it moving, though he wasn't entirely sure why. Maybe it had to do with it being his "progenitor" of sorts, or maybe his senses were that enhanced now. Either way, he could tell it was still over there. He could even smell it occasionally when the wind blew the right way. Despite the fact that it was on the other side of the river Dayn was hesitant to pursue it, even with an armed band of fighters. "Wait, somethings different." Dayn felt something stirring in him. He could feel the hair on the back of his neck stand on end as a low growl rumbled in his throat. Not here you won't.


When the wind blew again Dayn suddenly snapped back to attention. "It's leaving." Dayn checked to make sure he was right. "Yeah, it's leaving. Its gone now." Dayn slowly turned around and looked at Arryn, his eyes glowing with a slight hint of green before fading to their normal greyish color. "For whatever reason, it's gone now."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn heard Dayn growl and noted the green in his eyes - had she not looked lovingly into those eyes enough to notice a change in color? Had he just almost lost it? This wasn't good in any way. She took his hand, quietly asking, "What if it's just looking for another way to get near? A way that you're not guarding? We should go tell Japhet to put more men on guard. He'd trust us." She didn't want Dayn getting hurt, much less killed, and she also didn't want to risk any innocent lives. This was too foreboding to be ignored.

 

[BookWyrm]

In truth, that wasn't a bad idea, but he had to wonder. "How would I explain to him that I know it is prowling the other side of the river without telling him about me? I know Japhet too well, he'd want to know how we found out before he'd give the order, especially since he's already doubled the guard." Dayn ran his hand through his hair as he struggled to think about what to do. He could go to Japhet and say that they had seen in while at the river front, but he would need some type of spy glass or something to so him proof, and even then Japhet would want to go and see if he could spot it. Gods he could be so stubborn at times.





"As much as I don't want to do this, I think we are going to have to keep this to ourselves. For one, that side of the river is outside of the city gate. It would have to climb the wall or ford the river and climb up the river front wall to get into the city. And with all of the people from the outer villages being in the city there shouldn't be anyone it can get to." Dayn sighed. He didn't like how his plan sounded. "I'm not trying to justify leaving it alone, I just don't want to put ourselves in a bad position. I love my brother, but Japhet can be obstinate when it comes to these things. He would have to know for sure that it was over there before he would send out a party to hunt it, and to tell him that would mean telling him about what happened to me."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn sighed, rolling her eyes. "Dayn, I used to run an unofficial Black Market raider party. You think I don't know how to manipulate the truth and make it so they won't question me? It's easy, I go to Japhet and say, 'I'm from the far North, I've seen this shit, Dayn was showing me the other side of the river in the moonlight using a spy-glass,' which we'll buy before seeing him, 'and we saw the beast. It disappeared, back into the tree cover where it couldn't be seen. I know these beasts, you have to use silver to kill it, but don't let anyone get bit, there's a chance of contracting lycanthropy - I'd have to check them like I checked Dayn, and chances are, they won't be as lucky as he was.'" She shrugged and said, "I can even roll up my sleeves a bit if you think it'd get the point across. I can even rush him so he won't have time to think it over."





Once upon a time, she never would have relented form this point. But that was long ago, and in honesty, the fact that her old stubborn, logical sass had come back this much was surprising to her - and it felt kind of good. She took his hand again and said softly, "I can do it. But if you don't want me to, I won't. If you like, we could even just tell him they need silver, they don't have to go looking for it, I'll use the same excuse." Arryn leaned her head against his chest, running her thumb over his hand. "Do you think he'd hurt you if he knew? I think he'd let you speak, and if he did, there's no way he could hurt you or banish you. I won't let him know either way, but... I think he wouldn't do anything to you."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn was surprised by the sudden aggressiveness as Arryn explained how she could persuade his brother. To a degree it made since, to another it made him wonder what they could cover up if they ever needed to, but in truth Dayn was paying more attention to how good she looked when she was miffed. He hugged her and smiled. "If you feel so strongly about it then who am I to refuse. My only request is that you leave the parts about lycanthropy out of it. I know Japhet, he isn't the type to take legends seriously, but telling him what it's weakness is would help him overlook a lot. He can be a little single minded at times, especially if he is focused on a goal. I can guarantee you that he is trying to find a way to kill this thing, and knowing that it is on the other side of the river and that silver is it's weakness would be plenty enough to get him going." Dayn looked up, realizing a slight issue. "Now we just need to find him."





After searching the crowd for a bit Dayn rolled his eyes as he came to an idea. Just smell him out. Within minutes Dayn had tracked his eldest brother down. "Alright, here we go. Japhet! Japhet come here quick!" For his part Japhet practically ran over, concern on his face. "What is going on?"

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn stepped forward, saying, "Dayn and I saw the beast, it's on the other side of the river. We were looking at the stars through a magnification shield I cast, and when we looked down, I saw it. We watched it run back into the tree cover, where we couldn't see it any more. I hadn't gotten a good look at it before, but I can recognize it now, it's a rare breed of wolf from the far North, where I'm from. Your men must use silver to kill it - and don't let them get bit, the bite is poisonous. Dayn was lucky because I was right there to heal him, but if someone's not right there to heal the men immediately, it's lethal. Use arrows and spears - distance weapons. It's not going to go down without a fight, but silver is the only thing that will kill it." She made sure it was evident how earnest she was, and how much she believed it a danger that had to be killed immediately. She quickly added, "I'd keep quiet about it, though, people might panic."

 

[BookWyrm]

Just as Dayn predicted, Japhet focused completely on the task at hand and looked over the details. Score one for knowing your siblings. "You know how to choose them brother." Japhet leaned forward, kissed Arryn on her head before thanking her and running off. "I know this probably goes without saying, but you just elevated yourself in his eyes. Knowing him and his men they will no doubt have the beast cornered and killed before the night is done." Good riddance. Dayn growled quietly again as he thought about the beast. Something about it being around his loved ones made his more protective side come out. But he was quick to focus back on the night and company at hand. "Well now that we've done our good deed for the night, would you actually like to go look at the stars down by the river? There is actually an observatory down on the overlook if you are interested."

 

[Dragongal]

Internally, Arryn slightly worried that something would go wrong - what if they got too close and it overpowered them? Ignored the pain of the silver? She watched Japhet as he ran off. Gods watch over. She returned her attention to Dayn when she heard his quiet growl - whenever that happened, she worried it meant he was slipping, but at least his eyes didn't have the green tint this time. Arryn's eyes lit up when Dayn mentioned an observatory, forgetting her worries. "Really? Could we please?" Arryn loved stargazing, she could easily spend the rest of her life looking at the stars - well, if Dayn was with her. In her excitement, she held Dayn's hand tighter, hoping he'd say yes and enjoy it as much as her.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn smiled at Arryn's enthusiasm. "Of course we can. Why else would I have asked?" The walk down to the observatory was filled with color and music as dancers and minstrels performed merry jigs, jugglers dazzled crowds with the talents as children laughed and cheered. All around them the people were happy, even the drunks were merrily singing ballads of war time victory, drunk rambling, and exploits with women(when the kids weren't around). Dayn couldn't help but smile at the sights and sounds of the Festival.


The observatory was less crowded than the rest of the city, but it overlooked a beautiful stretch of the river where the sky opened up into the brilliant stars above. Dayn led Arryn up to the top level of the observatory, which opened up into a massive deck that stared up into the twinkling stars above. "What do you think dearest?"

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn smiled to him, then sat down, gently pulling on his hand to make him sit as well. The moment he was sitting, she promptly pushed him over and laid next to him with her head on his chest, still holding his hand. She could name nearly all of the stars in the sky with ease. As leader of Night's Ascension, she'd also worked as navigator for part of the time. Any leader or navigator had to be taught in astronomy - and who had taught them but herself? She pointed up to a few stars, saying, "There's Dubhe and Vega, and up there is Atria - the one up North there, see?" She sighed contentedly - this was like the best dream she'd ever had come true. She glanced at the edge of the balcony, seeing the tops of the trees, and for a moment wondered how the hunt was going. Would Dayn hear it? She refocused on the stars and Dayn. She quietly said, "I used to lay on my roof and stare at the stars, just... watching. It's so easy to stop worrying about things or feeling bad or having memories you don't want, when you're just staring at the stars. They're always shifting slightly - sparking up - but they're consistent too. It's so pretty and peaceful...." She glanced at him, then quietly said, "Thank you, Dayn. For everything." She wasn't sure how to say it any other way, there was too much to thank him for, her stubbornness earlier tonight was clear proof. She looked back at the stars, running her thumb lightly over his hand.

 

[BookWyrm]

As Arryn pulled his hand Dayn got the gist and sat down, only to have her push him over so that she could lay her head on his chest. It was the goofy, playful gestures like these that Dayn loved about Arryn. That and her heart, which always seemed to be bigger than the day before. Watching her point out the stars and talk about them caused Dayn to smile. He enjoyed seeing her happy. It was such a change from when he had first met her. Dayn pulled her close and kissed her. "Your are welcome. For everything." Dayn couldn't help but laugh as he laid there with Arryn. He enjoyed many things in life; walking in the woods after a rain, seeing new places and experiencing new things, but most of all he enjoyed the simplicity of spending his free time with Arryn. He moved his free arm behind his head while gently running his fingers along Arryn's arm with his other hand. His eyes closed as he listened to the distant music mingling with the sound of the loons calling out on the river. It was as if the night was serene.


Until he heard the beast cry out.


Dayn's body tensed up instantly at the horrid scream that came from across the river. He listened carefully, trying to pin point what had happened. Apparently the birds and other night animals heard the scream as well, for they quieted down for several minutes as Dayn continued to listen. Then, somewhere off in the distance, Dayn thought he heard the faint sound of a horn blow, followed shortly after by what he thought was men cheering. A sudden peace came over Dayn as he heard the faint cheering from across the water. "It's dead. They killed it."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn could feel Dayn tense up, so she rolled over to look at him, propping herself up on her elbows. She patiently waited while he listened, and when he told her it was dead, she smiled and said, "Wonderful. Can you tell if anyone was injured?" She paused and asked, "How do you feel? You're okay, right?" She wasn't sure if there was still some tie between him and the beast. He seemed fine, so she rolled back over, putting her head back on his chest as she waited for a reply.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn nodded slowly. "Yeah, I'm okay. I don't know if anyone was hurt though." Dayn took a few deep breaths before feeling his body ease off the tension. "I feel relaxed, almost on an instinctual level." Dayn felt weird about what he was going to say, but he knew that was the only way to describe the sensation. "I felt like it was intruding upon territory that didn't belong to it. When I heard it on the other shore I wanted to chase it off this land. I felt offended, actually offended, by it being here. I know this sounds more like wolf instincts, but I don't know how else to say it." Dayn slowly began to laugh. "I mean, I didn't go out and pee on fence posts and all that."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn laughed loudly at his last statement, taking a few seconds to catch her breath. The funniest part wasn't what he'd said, it was that he'd said it - her noble knight errant. "Gods, I never expected these kinds of conversations when I met you," she sighed happily. She took his hand again, tracing her fingers across the lines on his palm. "I get it. You were just being protective. I can appreciate that." Arryn laughed slightly, saying, "Gods... besides the whole seeing the wolf fiasco, this has been a wonderful night." After giving the stars one last wistful glance, she rolled over, saying, "Come on, let's go welcome Japhet as they return victorious. You lead, wolf boy."

 

[BookWyrm]

"Okay, okay, we can go. But only if you rub my belly when we get back to the inn." No doubt their laughing could be heard across the city as they walked down from the observatory. But the laughter quickly faded when Dayn caught a sickening smell on the wind. The putrid scent smelt faintly of silver and burning flesh. His color drained for a second as he paused, his stomach turning slightly at the smell. For a few seconds he thought he might retch. "It's okay, I'm good.", he said as he regained his color and continued on, wondering what the smell had been. Then again, did he truly want to know?


They arrived just in time to catch Japhet and his men returning from the hunt. The men were jesting and cheering among themselves as they passed into the gate, even Japhet seemed to be in a lighter mood. "I oh an debt to you, Arryngale. If it wasn't for the silver we would have never been able to kill the beast." Dayn watched the men as they marched in, their silver coated spears glinting in the fire light in a menacing way. Something about the silver, even from a safe distance, was off putting to him. Dayn reached over and took Arryn's hand, giving it a light squeeze before relaxing. It wasn't so much the silver that bothered him, but the smell of the blood on the silver coating. To anyone else it wouldn't seem like anything, but to Dayn's heightened senses he could make out what faintly smelled like the blood burning against the silver. It was about enough to make him sick. "What...did you do with the body?"





"We dug a pit and burned it, but not before running a silver coated blade into it's chest for good measure." That explained the sudden sickening smell that had bothered him earlier at the observatory. He would lose no sleep about the beast being killed, but simply the smell of another moon-born's blood and body being burned was enough to make him sick. "Ah, don't let me hold you two up any longer. Go on and enjoy the festivities, the night is still young." Dayn forced a smile before nodding and walking away, the smells just about overwhelming him. When they had finally walked a safe distance away Dayn stopped and leaned up against a wall before retching. After the flow stopped he walked over to rinse his mouth out from a barrel of water. He swished the cool drink around before spitting out any dregs that remained. "Gods, the smell. I'll lose no sleep for that beast, but the smell. I could smell it burning across the river, and it's blood burning on the weapons of the men coming back into the city." Dayn took another mouthful of water before spitting it as well, wiping his mouth before turning back to Arryn. "I could go the remainder of my days without smelling that again."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn had worried about Dayn when he first smellt the burning - that seemed to be happening to him often lately, his colour draining and his body going rigid for a few seconds. She congratulated Japhet on their victory, then followed Dayn and waited patiently for him, trusting that he would explain, which he did. She reached up and ran her fingers lightly along the back of his neck, using her magic to help calm his body. After a few seconds she stepped back and took his arm again. “It’s alright dearest. If you’re alright now, let’s keep moving. We’ll stay away from the river, where you might smell it. Would you like to go back to the inn, or stay with the festival for a bit longer?”


She couldn’t help but think that that could be her Dayn some day if someone didn’t let them explain - being killed by silver and burned in a pit. But she wouldn’t let that happen anyway. She paused, and said thoughtfully, “Dayn, they said the beast had been around for months… what if there wasn’t just one…?” Knowing her luck, she wouldn’t be surprised if there was another, but she would be a bit miffed.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn smiled as he felt Arryn rubbing his neck with her fingers, the sensation causing him to shiver and break out in gooseflesh, which only made him smile all the more. "All of this is so strange to me. All of these new experiences, it can be overwhelming." Dayn sighed contentedly when Arryn took his arm. At least she would be with him, no matter what happened. With all of the excitement of the Festival and the sudden hunt Dayn had lost track of time. He looked up at the moon, trying to judge the hour by it's position. He felt warmed, calmed even as he looked up at the pale orb which hovered in the night's embrace. "It has been quite the exciting evening, and it is rather late. But," Dayn's tone was mischievous, "how about you tell me what you'd like to do." Dayn smiled as he stood in front of Arryn, her hands in his own as he playfully swung them back and forth before pulling her close to him and spinning her gracefully. "Then again, we could just find a quiet place and dance the night away."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn smiled, quietly saying, “I like that idea. If you’re up to it, of course. There is another night of festival, after all.” Dayn seemed to have ignored her last question. Was it on purpose or no…? She decided not to bring it up again, at least not for a while. “You know the city, find us someplace nice to dance.” They had just re-entered the market place and begun walking down the street when Arryn glanced at one of the merchants, then quickly grabbed Dayn’s wrist and dragged him into an alley. She looked at Dayn, saying, “That man, I sent him to jail years ago, I don’t doubt he’ll recognize me. The scar on his face, It’s from my blade. Please, look and see if he’s still there… if he is I should be able to slip us by, if he’s not… we’ll have to be careful, he might have seen me.” She took both of Dayn’s hands in hers and said calmly, “If he did, please… allow me to handle it. I won’t get hurt.” (Letting you choose if there’s going to be conflict or not)

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn peaked back out of the alley way, checking to see if the man was still around. He had seen the one Arryn mentioned before she drug him into the alley, the scar an obvious give away. But, to his sudden concern, the man was still out in the streets. Dayn made a mental note of the man's face. He would bring it up to Japhet later. "I don't think he saw us. Here, follow me." Riverbend was a city of streets and alleyways, some of which looked like they ran into a dead end, but in truth the city possessed more secret passages and interconnected routes than some larger cities. Dayn led Arryn through alley after alley before coming out in a small clearing. The walls were overgrown with blooming vines and the stars shown directly above them. Dayn bowed low before offering his hand to Arryn. "May I have this dance, my love?"

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn took his hand, saying, “You never have to ask, love.” Music from the nearby minstrels could be vaguely heard, so she chose one song from the plethora blending through the night air, gently leading Dayn into the dance before taking the passive. The song had a rather slow pace, which she thought was good after the chaos of the last few days. She laid her head against his chest, focusing on him and their dance, ignoring the faint, distant noise of the crowds. (You can time skip if you wish)

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn and Arryn danced until the weariness of sleep began to overtake them. The Festivities of the night were dwindling down as they made their way back to the inn. Within mere minutes of laying down they were fast asleep in each others arms.


Dayn opened his eyes, finding himself standing alone in a forest. The mist had rolled in and was almost suffocating, the trees claustrophobically tight. But the tight trees and thick fog didn't bother him. He took off like a shot, running through the woods, heading towards some destination. As he pushed further he realized that he was shifted, he was a wolf again. This feeling, this exhilaration was borderline nirvana. He launched himself out of the tree line, landing in a sun swept field of wild flowers. There, in the center of the field, Arryn sat on a rock humming the elven song she always did. She looked to Dayn and smiled, beckoning him to come to her. As Dayn neared her he suddenly saw darkness close around him. Men ran out of the trees carrying spears and bows of silver. Arryn's look of happiness faded into terror as she yelled for him to run.


And run he did, back into the woods as he tried to evade the hunters that sought his blood. Dayn pushed himself harder and harder, his pounding in his chest as he stormed through the darkened forest. But a looming shadow appeared ahead of him, and suddenly Dayn found himself bottlenecked into a gorge with sheer cliffs in front and to his sides. The hunters poured into the only exit, their leader raising his spear before speaking in a familiar voice. "You're no brother of mine beast!" Dayn recoiled in horror as Japhet plunged his silver coated spear into his heart...


Dayn woke himself up with a yelp, his eyes snapping open as he shot to his feet, frantically looking around to room for unseen attackers. He realized that he was at the Inn, and slowly began to feel his heart rate decline. When he heard himself whining he realized that he had shifted sometime during the night, but why? Had it been the emotion in the dream, or did it have to do with the hunt and smelling the other lycanthropes blood? Whatever the reason for the shift, Dayn was still in control despite having not been aware of his shift. But, if he had shifted during the night, shouldn't he have woke in pain? In fact, now that he thought of it, Dayn was not hurting at all from any residual pain. Perhaps the shift was painless now? Dayn could hear Arryn stirring in the bed. He whined again, feeling slightly bad about the yelp, which had no doubt woken her. The last thing he wanted was to disturb her rest, seeing as how she had had so little of it recently.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn’s dreams were far more peaceful than Dayn’s, but rather odd. She saw her father, oddly enough. She was using her old equipment - which had been his - and he had an identical sword and shield and they were talking while practicing. She had a feeling they were coming to an important point in the conversation - involving Dayn, likely - when she woke up.


Arryn opened her eyes in the darkened room, quickly realizing that Dayn wasn’t next to her. She sat up, jumping slightly when she saw Dayn. The room seemed much smaller now that a giant wolf was in it. “Dayn! You - you shifted….” Of course she was stating the obvious, but she was more of telling herself than anything. She slid out of bed, moving to his side. “But it’s not a full moon….” Right, he couldn’t reply. “Was it an accident?” She paused, ran her fingers lightly through his fur, then said, “Can you shift back?”

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn's ears laid back and he whined quietly as Arryn came to his side. He licked her face as she ran her fingers through his fur. Could he shift back? Good question. Dayn looked at Arryn, nuzzling her neck, before closing his eyes and focusing for a minute of so before opening his eyes again. No change. He huffed, lowering his head in slight frustration. As he looked up his eyes met Arryn's. He could see the love and concern in her beautiful grey eyes. Dayn gently reached out and laid a "paw" against her cheek before trying again. This time he let himself focus on Arryn, her hand on his head as she ran her fingers through his fur, the feeling of her skin against his palm. It was calming, and he felt his whole body relax as if he was slowly sliding into a warm pond. As he calmed down Dayn felt his body begin to shift. It wasn't painful, but it wasn't the most comfortable experience he'd ever felt. Before too long Dayn gasped, opening his eyes to find that he was out of breath, but human again.


"I must have shifted in my sleep. I was having a really good dream that turned into a nightmare." He had to speak in between gasps, taking a moment before continuing with a slight chuckle. "Japhet stabbed me with a spear. Not the most pleasant dream I've ever had." Dayn smiled up at Arryn, gently rubbing her cheek with his thumb now that his hand was back to human proportions. "It didn't hurt, though. Its not overtly comfortable, but it didn't hurt me this time."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn smiled, saying, “I’m glad, beloved. I’m sorry you had those nightmares, though; they didn’t sound very pleasant at all.” She kissed him lightly when he’d caught his breath, then moved over to his pack and tossed him a pair of pants. She shifted the covers on the bed, removing the scraps of his clothing, glancing at him. “This is going to become quite expensive quite quickly, I can just tell….” She sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, saying with a tired smile, “Well, I guess I’ll have to start carrying an extra set of clothes for you in my pack.” After another glance at him, she gently said, “We’ll have you practice shifting at will along with your casting while we’re on the roads… ok? But you seem tired at the moment.”

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn was tired, and he had half a mind not to struggle with putting the pants back on, but relented before looking back at the bed with a heavy sigh. He had made a bit of a mess during the shift. Scraps of his pants were everywhere. "Well, I could always take up sleeping nude to save a few coins, but I figured it might still be a little too early on for that." Dayn's smile said it all as he helped Arryn clean up what was left of his pants before climbing back into bed. "Then again, I could try shifting every night. It'd be great during winter you know." Dayn lay there, a lazy smile on his face as he stroked back a strand of Arryn's hair before kissing her softly.