Ascending Legends

[BookWyrm]

Dayn had already begun eating the deer by the time Arryn sat down next to him. He hadn't been paying attention to it until he saw her arm reaching out to the carcass. He jumped, startled by the sudden appearance of the arm that was poking the now more than dead deer. Last he recalled there wasn't an arm on the deer, so where had it come from? Dayn stopped moving, his jaws clamped shut around the deers ribs. He slowly let go of the bite and looked to his side, just now realizing that Arryn was sitting there. Oh, must of been focused. Dayn wanted to lick her, but figured she'd rather not have deer blood all over her. He looked up at her, meeting her gaze before sneezing. He pawed at his nose, trying to remove whatever had bothered it, before turning back to the carcass.


It didn't take long for Dayn to devour the deer. He had even consumed a few of the smaller bones. Despite his surprise that Arryn had sat next to him the whole time Dayn had enjoyed being near to her. Her presence was soothing no matter what form he took. After he had finished he commenced to rubbing his face and body, anything that had blood or gore on it, in the grass. He wallered and rubbed around, looking rather comical, before running to the creek and continuing the process in the water, finally walking back out and shaking off the excess before coming back around and sitting in front of Arryn. What happened next Dayn couldn't very well understand, nor would he until later on in their travels.


<Is everything okay, love?>





(Yes, telepathic communication)

 

[Dragongal]

Dayn's trying to clean himself was quite funny to watch, and rid her of any slight guilt she'd felt for startling him as she had. However, when she heard his voice in her head, Arryn jumped, falling back onto her forearms. "What in Hel!?" Arryn had had voices in her head before; this wasn't similar, but she didn't like it at all. Sudden, unwarranted, uninvited, unnatural, not hers. Hel, she didn't even like her voice in her head sometimes, but this was different. This was unexpected and potentially not real at all. Her coice wavered slightly as she nervously asked, "D-Dayn? H-how did you -" She slowly sat up and put her elbows on her knees and her head in her hands. "Please tell me I didn't just imagine that, that it wasn't random, that it was somehow you...."

 

[BookWyrm]

<I-I don't think you did.>





Dayn lowered his ears and his head almost in unison. If there could ever be a confused look on a wolf's face, it was Dayn right now. How in Hel had he just done.....whatever he did? What did he just do? Did it have something to do with the deer? Gods, did he just gain telepathic powers from eating a deer? Did the deer have telepathic powers? Dayn stood up and stamped around on his feet, whining uncomfortably. <I don't understand this. Before I couldn't talk, think, whatever in Hel this is, you wouldn't hear it. But why now?> Dayn felt stressed. He paced back and forth in front of Arryn, growing at nothing in general. What had happened that would have caused it? Did it involve the deer, the hunt? Dayn looked up at the hole in the ceiling. There, in a gap in the clouds, the moon was visible, as it could sometimes been seen in the early evening and late afternoon sky. It appeared to be facing straight down through the hole, which aligned perfectly to where Dayn had shifted the first time and to where the deer remains now lay.





<It must have something to do with the first hunt. In the book, where the man had met the female, she had said there were two kinds. What if those who remain human at heart, what if they are different than the beasts?> Dayn walked over and laid his head in Arryn's lap. <I am sorry love. I didn't mean to startle you with all of this, whatever it is.>

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn ran her fingers through Dayn's fur. "It's okay, mo chroi. It's not like it's anyone's fault. And it is a good thing that we can communicate. I'm just... jumpy about voices in my head, is all. I wasn't expecting it. But now I know to expect it, and I know it's not just me, so... it's all okay." Arryn sighed, muttering to herself, "It's all okay." After a few minutes, Arryn gently moved Dayn's head from her lap and stood up, walking back to her basket of fruit. She smiled to him the smile only slightly false, "You got your food. I'm still hungry." She grabbed a pear and took an emphatic bite. As she chewed, she thought about something, then commented, "If you're going to need a while deer to feel full, all of the time, we're gonna run into problems. However, if it's just because of the moon and the... telepathic thing, then it should be ok." Arryn tossed the core of her pear aside and grabbed another, before saying with a slight laugh, "Shall we head back to the inn? You'll probably still need a bath, even after all of your cleaning."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn wanted to pout when Arryn laid his head on the ground and got up. He had been enjoying having his head rubbed. He looked up with a slightly miffed but mostly goofy expression on his face. <I don't think we will have to worry about it all the time. I hope not any way. That could get very tedious.> Dayn stood up and followed Arryn over to where their things had been sat earlier. He watched Arryn eat the pear, his eyes following the core as she tossed it into the air. He took off after the core, catching it before it hit the ground, and walked proudly back to Arryn before he promptly ate it. <Why waste such a good pear core?>


When Arryn mentioned the inn he put on his pouty wolf face. <But it is such a beautiful evening. Tell you what, though, if I stink we can go back and I'll scrub myself stinkless. But if I don't, would my lovely dearest care to join me for jaunt about the garden?>

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn laughed, and said, "You smell like a wet dog, but I don't think there's much that can be done about that. Maybe a 'jaunt' about the garden would do us both some good." Arryn finished her pear and tossed the core to Dayn. While she'd have eaten everything except the seeds when she was younger, now that she could more often afford pears, she preferred not to eat the stringy core. She moved to Dayn's side and ruffled the fur behind his ear saying, "You're the one who's been here since a kid. You lead. Show me some interesting things."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn caught the second pear core, wolfing it down before standing up again as she walked over to him. He tilted his head slightly, his eyes half closing as Arryn ruffled the fur behind his ears. <I am going to be rendered useless if you keep doing that....don't stop though. That feels amazing.> Of course Arryn did end up stopping, but Dayn was sure he would find some way for her to do that again. <Would you like me to carry you?>

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn paused, looking at Dayn. She laughed slightly, then said, "How? There's no such thing as a wolf saddle, Dayn." While she was certain he was strong enough to carry her on his back in this form, she wasn't sure they should, and she wasn't one hundred percent sure she wouldn't slide off of his back.

 

[BookWyrm]

<I can carry you on my back while not running at full speed. It shouldn't be too bad.> Dayn looked up at Arryn and smiled again. To a degree he wanted her to experience what it was like, but he also knew that she had a point. <I don't think we need to look into a wolf saddle though, that just sounds uncomfortable.>

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn smiled and ruffled the fur behind his ear. “Well, we can try it.” She gingerly stepped over his back, commenting, “Not going to lie this is a little awkward, but, I mean, if it actually works….” She wrapped her arms around his neck, since she didn’t want to pull on his fur. She slowly picked her feet up off the ground, carefully balancing herself as she got adjusted. “No worse than bare-back on a horse, I guess….” Once she was balanced enough, she gently tousled the hair behind his ears again, smiling. “So… go slow, I don’t want to lose my balance and fall, ok? I need to get used to it.”

 

[BookWyrm]

<I love it when you do that.> Dayn shivered as Arryn played with his fur again. He had to admit though, he really liked the feeling of her arms around him, no matter what form he was in.


Slowly, carefully, Dayn began to walk forward, letting Arryn adjust herself the his body moving. It felt odd having a person on his back. It wasn't a strain really, but it was the presence of another body being on him that he was unfamiliar with. As Arryn seemed to get the hang of holding on to him Dayn slowly moved into a trot. He liked this speed over running already. It put little to no strain over that of running and he felt like he could do this for hours on end. Arryn was still holding on, and she seemed to be getting the hang of it, but Dayn held this gate. He didn't want her to be uncomfortable, or worse, fall.


The garden was bigger than what you would think at first sight. The further you went into the old ruins the more nature began to reclaim the ancient structure. The elves had always had a mix of building work and nature in their architecture, and obviously the nature was a lot more potent than some would believe. But as they moved further into the "building" Dayn got the sense that they were moving out of the garden and into somewhere else completely. <I've never been this far back. I didn't know this was here before now.> Dayn suddenly slowed his gate and stopped. He had spotted something in the distance.


They had apparently traveled all the way to the back of the original building. There was a massive archway with old hanging vines draping over it. But that was not the thing that had caught Dayn's attention. Small orbs of ghostly fire would sporadically appear, travel a short distance, and then disappear. <Wisps?> Dayn slowly crept forward, pushing under the vines before coming out in a massive opening. <Arryn, are you seeing this?>

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn was too in awe to answer Dayn. When she could though, she quickly said, “Yes… Just don’t follow the wisps… you know they lead people to their deaths. “ Arryn had had such stories drilled into her head since childhood. Quietly she said, “We couldn’t be in the old building still… could we? I mean… just look at it. It wouldn’t make sense…. Let’s see if there’s inscriptions on the pillars, it may make some more sense….” A wisp flitted close to Arryn’s face, and she pulled back a bit, then it landed on her arm. She gently blew on the little flame, that oddly enough didn’t hurt, and it flitted away, then landed on the nape of her neck. She waved it away this time, disgruntled. How could the wisps know about that…? Whether this was truly the type of wisp that led men to their deaths or not, she was against them. “Come on… I’m not getting off of you since I don’t think humans are really supposed to walk around here….”

 

[BookWyrm]

<If that's the case, what does that mean for me?> Wearily Dayn stepped forward, wincing as he placed his paw on the ground in front of him. He had half expected to burst in flames, but when he remained intact and not combusted he opened his eyes and slowly continued on. In front of them was some kind of ancient, no doubt magical tree, but before that was a deep gorge into which a waterfall fell. Stretching the length of the gorge was a single massive root large enough to walk across. Dayn felt his claws gripping at the root as he carefully managed his steps across the makeshift bridge. His body was tense underneath his thick double coat of fur, which bristled slightly as he concentrated. Some of his scruff bristled up into Arryn's nose and over her mouth as he made it half way over the root.


When he finally step foot on the other side Dayn sighed, his hackles finally calming down. He stood there, gazing up at the massive tree, watching the wisps flit to and fro about the branches that stretched forever up into the air. <I don't think this is in the old garden, but I think it might have to do with the garden being here. I'm not sure what this is, though.> Dayn turned and padded off towards the first pillar, getting close enough so that Arryn could read it without getting off of his back. For a place that humans maybe shouldn't be in nothing had seemed hostile...yet.

 

[Dragongal]

"Perhaps they were protecting something...." Arryn looked to the pillar and slowly read the inscription. There were two versions, one in Elvish, one in Trulanian. "The heart tree here grown is guardian over a gateway to the spirits' natural mana well. Few elves can tap this source, and fewer humans; this is merely one of many. However, the tree must guard the gateway, as humans have an innate bloodlust that ruins the gateway and sickens the nature spirits. Few humans are found without such greed and hatred, but those that are pure of heart and soul are welcome to the gardens and to the use of the artifices." Arryn looked to Dayn and said, "Well, I think we're welcome, but what artifices does it mean...? Are there relics we can use for something it is referencing? A tool to access the well? Or mayhap something else?" Arryn was hesitant to set her foot on the ground; pure of heart and soul, right? She wasn't certain that applied to her anymore. At one time, most certainly, but she wasn't as certain anymore.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn did the nervous stamping thing again, slightly disconcerted about standing in such reverent ground. But, he hadn't been killed or petrified yet, yet being the key word there, still he felt like he might not be welcome entering such an important place. <I don't know. But...I can't help but think about that inscription. Forest spirits, pure of heart and all. I mean, I'm not exactly human any more.>





Dayn stopped moving suddenly, his hackles raising again as he slowly turned around. He had sensed something...else. As he turned he saw...well he wasn't sure what they were. Featureless etherial beings that almost levitated over the ground, but where ever they passed over the ground became vibrant and budded with life. They looked almost like ghosts, but they moved in natural ways, like blades of grass being blown by the wind or tree limbs in a cool summer breeze. The wisps were flitting about them, even around inside them. Dayn slowly lowered his hackles, realizing that these were the nature spirits that the pillar spoke off. Almost as if on cue as Dayn recognized them he saw their form shift into a more natural, almost plant like form. The wisps lit on their bodies, crawling below the bark-like flesh, leaving only a ghostly light where they hid. These creatures were gathering around the two of them, though they stopped only a few feet away. They just stood there staring, almost as if they were trying to figure out what Dayn and Arryn were.


Carefully Dayn stuck out one leg and straightened it, pulled his ears back, and lowered his head slightly in a bow, but maintained a posture that wouldn't let Arryn slip off his back. He peaked up at the beings, his eyes widening in wonder as he watched them. A quiet sound like a breeze blew in around Dayn and Arryn and slowly a voice could be heard. It was a breathless, inaudible sound, but Dayn discerned that it was a welcome of some sort, otherwise he figured the beings wouldn't have slowly parted from around them and returned to wandering about the sacred area.


But one had remained behind. Dayn judged that by it's vibrant color that it was younger than the others. It's head tilted slightly before it turned, holding out it's arm towards the great tree, where a dimly lit entry stood waiting for them. Dayn slowly walked towards the tree before turning back to look at the creature. It nodded it's head slowly before fading from sight and disappearing. <Arryn, do you understand what is happening?> Dayn asked this even as he crossed over the threshold and into the tree. The light was dim, but his wolven senses aided his passage through the tight corridor and towards the opening at the other side.


(I'll let you describe the next room)

 

[Dragongal]

"I can pretend," she replied quietly. Her eyes widened as they exited the hallway, entering an immense circular room brightly lit by a number of large glowing leaves in the branches above. This was evidently the center of the tree, as the walls were made from seamless wood, and the ground was similar, with rings of age radiating from the center. Looking up, intersecting branches filled with leaves formed the roof. In the center of the room was a well, a seemingly endless hole in the ground with clear water filling it up to the top, right to the edge of the floor. On the other side of the well was a raised dias, and on the dias was what appeared to be some kind of table. Arryn couldn't see what, if anything, was on it, from their distance. "If you're feeling okay with it... I mean with your wolf senses and all... we should see what's on the table, if anything."

 

[BookWyrm]

<I don't sense anything off, but then again with the mana flowing in this place...>





Dayn carefully walked around the well towards the dias and the table. He stopped only a few steps away before gently laying down on the ground and letting Arryn off of his back. Once she was on the ground next to him Dayn stood up on his hind legs and carefully walked over to the table. Laying on the table was pendant, it's design in the elven style and distinctly feminine. Dayn looked over to Arryn. <I'd say that this is for you.> Dayn reached out carefully, trying his best to be gentle, and managed to grasp the pendant between his claws. He took it in both hands and carefully held it out before laying it around Arryn's neck. Dayn watched it curiously, it almost appeared that the pendant conformed around Arryn's neck to fit her perfectly. Dayn smiled his wolfish smile, running his claws gently(doing his best not to scratch her) along her cheek. <It looks beautiful on you love.>





Dayn looked around the table, this time finding a second pendant. It was shaped in the elven design of a wolf's head. Dayn chuckled lightly, knowing that this one was his. <I don't think this one will fit around my neck right now though.>

 

[Dragongal]

How is he so gentle, even as a wolf? Glad he's mine. Sometimes his smile - with all of those of-so-big-teeth - was almost scary, but at these times she recalled images of his human form smiling instead, and it had the same effect as if he were standing in front of her as a human, grinning. Arryn smiled, then ran her fingers lightly over the pendant, the light metal (it seemed too white to be silver, oddly enough. She couldn't recognize it) wrapped around a smooth opaque green stone with light grey flecks, seemingly a type of granite. Heh, almost like my eye colour inverted. She looked on the back of the silver, and noticed something that made her eyes widen: a small griffin design etched into the pale metal. How.... Arryn looked up at Dayn, walking over to the table to look at the pendant that was to be his. She took it and put it in one of her belt pouches. "I'll give it to you when you shift." She looked up to him, then reached up and gently scratched under his chin - she couldn't reach his ears.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn closed his eyes and slowly dropped down to all fours again. <Under the chin, behind the ears, all over my belly, I don't care. Just don't stop. It feels soooo good.>





(Its all I had....)

 

[Dragongal]

"Oh, now, I can't spoil you now can I, dearest?" Arryn stopped and stepped back to tease him, then stepped forward again, scratching behind his ears. She laughed, then said "I don't know how long we're supposed to say here. We have to get back to the festival later, remember. If you'd let me, I'd like to ride back to the garden... I don't like the idea of walking over that root on only two feet. Not saying I have anything against this place, but..." Arryn paused, her eyes widening. "Dayn, what if time passes differently in here?"

 

[BookWyrm]

<Its a possibility. You are right, we do need to leave.> Dayn let Arryn climb back onto him before he walked back out of the tree. Once again he crossed the root carefully, making sure to watch his step as he made his way across and on to the other side. Dayn stopped for a second, turning back to look at the tree. To his surprise the massive root suddenly pulled back from their side of the gorge before falling down past the waterfall. Dayn wondered about this place, and if they would ever see it again. With a short huff he turned and took off towards the garden. Dayn allowed himself a bit more speed this time, though he was still conscious of Arryn and slowed down whenever he felt her moving around. It felt incredible to run like this, even more so now that Arryn was experiencing it with him. Before long they were back at the main courtyard of the garden, the basket and their items right where they left them.


It took hardly any time at all for Dayn to shift back and get his clothes on. He slid Arryn's talisman over his neck before looking over this new pendant of his. It was made from intricately designed and shaped pattern welded steel shaped like a wolf's head with two smooth obsidians for eyes, though as he looked at the eyes now they faded from the obsidian into the grey smoky quartz. "Incredible." Dayn slid it over his neck as well and took Arryn's hand before walking out of the garden.


Strangely enough it was still early evening when they got out of the garden. The Festival fires were just now being lit as the crowds began to walk in. Dayn looked over at Arryn, surprise and wonder written across his face. "It would seem that we still have our evening love."

 

[Dragongal]

"Wonderful. Want to try that practice I promise you?" Arryn pulled up her hood, took his hand, and led him into the crowds, saying, "I should really go over the first lesson first, but this one is more available. Maneuver through the crowd without attracting anyone's attention." Arryn let go of his hand and slipped into the crowd, saying, "Then find me. It's like hide-and-seek! No cheating." The instant Arryn disappeared into the crowds, she ducked down an alley and vaulted over a fence, then walked casually into another street, already a block away. Since Dayn could sniff her out, she figured he could find her easily, but that wasn't the point of the exercise.


However, someone grabbed her shoulder, and it wasn't Dayn. She turned around to find the man she'd seen last night, the one she'd jailed. He smiled and said, "Pardon me, miss, but I can't help but think we've met before. Is your name Arryngale Eleran?"


"I am sorry sir, but we have not, and that is not my name."


Are you sure? I knew a girl who looked just like you from back in the North, red hair, poison green eyes, about the same height, oh yes, I'd not forget her." It was clear he was going to try to fight her if she admitted.


Arryn could have played with the man, tricking him easily, but she didn't feel like it. She pulled back her hood, revealing her silver eyes, then said, "I am not her, however, you are not forgiven for your offenses." She brought her leg up in a high kick to the man's stomach. As he bent over, out of breath, she grabbed the back of his head and brought her knee up, smashing his face into her knee. She could hear his nose crack loudly, then she tossed the unconscious man aside, looking up to see Dayn. She smiled, blushing a bit with embarrassment. "This is why I told you to leave my old acquaintances to me..."

 

[BookWyrm]

As expected, Dayn had been able to track Arryn easily. He almost felt back because of his wolven senses. Almost. But when he came around a corner to see Arryn fighting, no, whipping an attacker...did he attack her?, Dayn rushed quickly to her side, his eyes glowing with a green tinge as he closed in. When she turned to him blushing he calmed down some. "Would you believe me if I told you I hadn't doubted you when you said that?" Dayn looked down at the man before continuing. "How do you want to handle this?"

 

[Dragongal]

Damn, I'll have to avoid fights more... I don't want to risk him losing it, his eyes had that green tint again... She smiled coyly, saying, "Well, you haven't seen me realy fight 'til just now." She glanced at the unconscious man and commented, "Let's leave him here, make some beggar's day. I'm sure he has plenty of cash in his pockets." She kissed Dayn lightly, taking his hand. Her adrenaline was running, and if she were honest with herself, it felt good to fight again. But she knew that she shouldn't fight, and that having fun with it was bad. She pulled Dayn into the crowd, saying, "Let's practice tomorrow, then... we'll just have fun tonight."


(You can timeskip if you wish, as you wish)

 

[BookWyrm]

The rest of the night was spent enjoying the remainder of the Festival. They watched mimes and dancers, ate the cuisine of traveling gourmets, laughed at the stories and antics of by far the greatest murmur Dayn had ever seen, and then they wrapped the evening up with the other participants by dancing to the Annual Festival Jig. As they crowds began to disperse and return to their rooms or homes Dayn found a quiet alleyway and pulled Arryn aside to share an intimate and passionate kiss. In truth there was no rhyme nor reason to it other than Dayn enjoyed kissing her. Well, he really enjoyed kissing her. "Follow me, I know a short cut to the inn. If we don't use it I fear we will be mobbed by the after party."


They arrived back in their room right before the crowds hit the dining room. Dayn could faintly hear the sounds of the after party beginning, thankfully on the other end of the inn. Dayn latched and locked the door before flopping onto the bed face first. As he rolled over he found himself pondering a subject he hadn't thought about for a long time. "I wonder what my daughter would have been like, had her life not been ended so early. Would she have taken after me or her mother?" Dayn chuckled slightly. "She would have thought I was a big doggy now, probably. Children are so innocent to the world, they don't know any better. But, would I have been a different man? Would I have been a good father to her?"





Dayn shook his head before looking to Arryn. "Ah, that's just the blundering of a tired man. Come on love, let's get some rest before I start howling at the moon."