Ascending Legends

[BookWyrm]

As the first course of the meal was served, a light soup with green onions and small pieces of fish, the conversation slowly picked up around the table. Rasrik and Japhet were bantering about the crops and normal fief duties, Hamish and Geoff were recalling a tale about hunting an ogre near the mountains, Dayn was enjoying the company and the soup, though he had made sure his chair was a slight bit closer to Arryn just because. Josephine looked over to Arryn and smiled. "So, tell me, what are your intentions towards my son?" Despite being gathered around the table with the others, with all of the conversations going on, Josephine might have well have found a secluded corner of the Manor to have approached Arryn. Dayn had warned her that his mother would probably threaten her sometime. He hoped she had been prepared for whenever that would be.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn looked to Josephine with a polite smile. She was glad that nobody else a the table, besides Dayn, had seemed to notice. "Well," Arryn said evenly, "I intend to continue to travel with him and act as healer, as well as help him in battle, on the jobs that Lord Aric and Lord Rorik have sent us on and seem to continually send us on." She added, "M'Lady, in all honesty, I never intended to fall for Dayn, and I did not intend for him to fall for me. It was... unintended, but not entirely unwelcome. I believe our relationship has been beneficial to both of us."

 

[BookWyrm]

Josephine nodded, though she seemed like she might have been looking for a different answer. "That is good. I've always thought Dayn needed someone to travel with. All of that wandering around alone had me worried he'd never find someone again." She paused, returning to her soup for a few moments before leaning in closer to Arryn. "Now, I implore that you divulge your true intentions for my son. I can understand the convenience of traveling together, but you two are more than just traveling partners no? Well, don't be shy dearest, I'm not overly fond of secrets. Did my son tell you what I did when I found him and that last girl of his together in bed?"

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn nodded, still smiling, and said, "He did indeed, however, I did not lie to you, or intend to misguide you. Dayn and I are incredibly close, M'Lady, but I will tell you now, we've done nothing of that sort. In fullest honesty, I've never courted before, and he understands that, and we are taking the relationship slow. I am still figuring things out as we go, but I have no intention of leaving his side."

 

[BookWyrm]

That brought a smile to Josephine's face. "Well then, I believe I can consent to that." She turned back to her soup before quietly muttering under her breath. "Io sono una donna Claf cara. Posso aspettare per il tetto Amser roddir la paura di chi ancora."


Dayn snuck his hand under the table and gently rubbed Arryn's leg before smiling. He had overheard most of the conversation, he wanted to let her know he was proud of her. She did admirably, although Dayn knew his mother wasn't done with her yet.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn smiled to Dayn.She was thankful that his wolf telepathy was one way only. She was not as much of a fighter as she had been, true, but she still had the fighting spirit and determination that some had learned to fear. M'lady, it truly does not matter if you consent or not, as I said,I have no intent of leaving him.

 

[BookWyrm]

(Gonna skip ahead a little bit)


As the evening progressed the various courses came and went. Small quail with creamed potatoes, the main course of venison roasted with vegetables, and for dessert, a simple bread pudding. Dayn and Arryn laughed and conversed until the sun began to set, at that point deciding it was best to return to the Inn and rest. Sure, rest and ponder over Samhein. Dayn was still nervous about the date coming up. Not knowing how his lycanthropy would react was starting to eat at him again, though he did his best to hide his worry from his family. When they had finally said their goodbyes and stepped back into the carriage Dayn let his mask drop. He laid down in the seat, his head gently laying on Arryn's lap as he tried to get his mind off the subject.


"Have you read anything before that talks about Samhein affecting lycanthropy, or something similar? I mean, I feel like we are stumbling into this without any idea of what could happen, and that bothers me." Dayn reached up and gently pulled Arryn down into a kiss. "I don't want to hurt anybody, especially not you."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn smiled and ran her fingers through his hair, saying, "Well, it's when the planes get closer, so it may have an affect - it affects all magic in the slightest, even mine - but I know nothing of lycanthropy specifically. I've heard of enchanted items becoming haunted and stupid mages who tried necromancy spells or very large casts becoming possessed, but nothing of lycanthropes." She leaned her head back against the carriage wall. Her blood loss was still nagging at her, and by halfway through the evening, she'd started feeling it weigh down on her. Luckily her body wasn't trying hard to regenerate mana, then she probably couldn't have been able to get out of bed.

 

[BookWyrm]

The carriage had dropped them off at the inn before slowly meandering it's way back to the Manor. Back in their room Dayn and Arryn were snuggled up in bed, though Dayn found it hard to doze off. His nerves were bothering him again, or was it Samhein on the horizon? Oh well, they had another day between now and then. Dayn leaned over and kissed Arryn before getting comfortable. "Goodnight love."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn nuzzled up against Dayn's chest, saying, "I promise, mo chroi, everything will be fine. Good night." She woke up a little after dawn and didn't even want to get out of bed. She wanted to move around, but her body seemed to disagree, her limbs feeling heavy and sore. Knowng that tomorrow was Samhein, though, she forced herself to get up, waking Dayn in the process. "You can stay in bed if you like, I have to make some potions." Arryn set up her equipment over the fire and got fresh water from downstairs before taking a pillow and sitting on it in front of the flames, a blanket wrapped around herself. She began adding the ingredients and stirring the liquid, knowing that she was doing it right without having to test it.

 

[BookWyrm]

"Sounds good.", Dayn yawned. He got up lazily, stretching out only to find that he was suddenly feeling really good. His body felt loose, but not at the loss of power. He decided to set up a bath, and by the time Arryn returned he had already sank into the tub. After cleaning up and soaking Dayn felt slightly more human again, though when he was dressing himself he noticed that his physique had changed. He looked over himself slowly, taking note of the changes; his muscles were well defined and cut, and it almost looked like he had gained some mass. Was this something to do with long term affects of lycanthropy? He slid on his trousers and walked out to Arryn. "Do you notice anything, different?"


Dayn suddenly became aware of how strongly he could sense Arryn. She didn't stink by any means, but he was more aware of her scent, more so than he had been since his lycanthropy began. She smelled.....enticing. What has gotten into me all of the sudden?

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn looked at him, her eyebrow knitting together slightly. "You're not as... lean. Like you're more mesomorph - built than ectomorph...." She glanced at him and said, "Basically you've gained muscle mass. Your eyes are the right colour, though." Arryn looked back to her potion, continuing to stir it. She paused to cut off a piece off of a root before tossing it in, but just as the knife was going through the root, a snap could be head as static ran through the blade and into the root, making her jump and cut her thumb slightly. Ah yes, the fun of her magic reacting to nothing at all. Fun. "I hate being a mage on Samhein," she mumbled.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn could smell the sharp tinge of blood right as soon as Arryn's thumb was cut. He walked over to the desk and mussed through he kit before pulling out a small bandage. He walked over and knelled, taking Arryn's hand as he bandaged her thumb. "Hopefully this will be the only time it happens. If not I'll need to stock up on bandages before the trip out." Dayn finished wrapping her thumb before slowly sitting behind her and massaging her neck. Although he felt slightly off he was still himself, right? As he slowly worked on her neck he zoned out, an image appearing in his mind. A blood red moon in the sky, the sticky sweet smell of fresh blood, and the exhilaration of the hunt as he closed in on his prey. The figure turned, tears running down her face as he leaped into the air....


Dayn shook his head, taking one hand off Arryn's shoulders to rub his eyes. "Sorry, had something in my eye.", he covered his steps before going back to work, looking over her shoulder and watching the pot. "What are you making? It smells....different."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn let Dayn take care of her thumb. She had to admit, it was nice having someone else who'd care for her wounds. "It is. It's just a mana draught, for emergencies. Next I'm making a Holy potion for weaponry. Minor demons and evil spirits are not fun, and they're sadly a part of Samhein." Arryn leaned back slightly into Dayn's hands, smiling. She was still tired, but it was nice to be doing something, and Dayn was always good at massages.


After finishing the mana draught, she filled a few empty vials with the liquid, which had a slight blue tinge, then empties the pot and got more fresh water, working on the Holy potion. It was more like an acid to unholy things, but it wasn't technically an acid, so she called it a poison. For a brief second she had to wonder what would happen if Dayn touched it. "Don't touch this potion, I'm not sure how you'd react to it, okay love?" Once that was finished, she poured that into thin glass vials - thin so they could easily be broken on the ground to create a barrier. There was a knock on the door, which she answered, telling Dayn to stay sitting (she was a bit worried since he seemed... off this morning). It was Brunhilde, offering them lanterns for their windows to keep the spirits out, something she gladly accepted, immediately putting them in the window before sitting back down next to Dayn. "Well, my alchemy work is done, all of three hours later. Record time, actually. Do you have anything you need to do today?"

 

[BookWyrm]

"Might be worth getting some incense to burn alongside the lanterns. It keeps beasts away....." Dayn looked up at Arryn, a grimace on his face. "Just encase. There is nothing wrong with being extra careful." Although Dayn didn't like what he had suggested he knew it was important. "Most people hang the lanterns from the windows and leave the incense burning outside on the door step. I'm sure the Inn will have some burning though, if you don't want to worry over it. I mean, it's just....." Dayn trailed off and stared into the corner. Something was off big time, he could feel it, but he couldn't peg it.


He hadn't eaten yet, and even if he wanted to he didn't feel like he could. He just didn't feel right, though something about him felt really good. His wolven senses were on overload and his endorphins were off the charts, yet his stomach was twisting and he felt anxious. About what though? It was the kind of nervous anxiety like he was waiting for something to happen. He could feel it in his bones. And then there was the sudden change physically, like his body had strengthened itself, almost like it was preparing for something to happen. "I..could actually use something for my nerves. Tea, something to calm down a bit."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn looked at him with her head tilted slightly to the side, then nodded. "I'll buy some incense from Brunhilde and put it outside the windows." By beasts, Arryn wasn't sure if he meant even in human form or not. He could be considered a beast, at least, as a wolf, he could. "As for tea, you have the right woman." Arryn smiled and set to making a tea of chamomile, mint, and ginger, before giving it to him then moving to the bed. "I'm going to doze for a little, ok? Unless you need me. At the moment, being a mage and all, I'm probably safer to be around; I don't know how bad my control will get, even if it is the day before. And, well..." Arryn looked at him apologetically and mumbled, "I can't stop thinking about the banshees." Being spirits, banshees also got quite a boon on Samhein, and were more likely to be encountered. While she knew it was extremely unlikely, since Banshees only haunted graveyards, or places where many were buried, even if not officially, she didn't like the idea anyway.

 

[BookWyrm]

"No that's fine. I should be good for now with the tea, thanks." Dayn walked over and kissed Arryn after she had gotten comfortable, taking the chair closest to the bed. The tea was nice, and it helped calm his nerves, but he still couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. After he had finished the tea and checked to make sure Arryn was asleep Dayn crept downstairs and bought the incense and a small burner. As he brought it up to the room he found himself having to take it in stride. The incense reeked, but then again it was designed to drive off beasts, so he figured it was already working. He laid the supplies on the table and sat back down. What am I going to do tomorrow? The whole town is going to smell like incense, and I've got a feeling I'm not going to be in good shape because of it.





Dayn woke up from a dreamless sleep. He looked around, trying to figure out what time it was. He looked out at the sky. Midnight. Something hit him suddenly, causing his head to swim. He stumbled back and went to his knees in the middle of the floor. "What in Hel's name......." Dayn felt his body begin to ache. "No..no....no....not in here." Whether he wanted to or not Dayn shifted, though unusually this shift was painful. Dayn tried his best not to cry out as his skin ripped, bones reformed, and his muscles grew. Dayn opened his eyes, a struggle in it's own right, and looked down at his arms. He could see where the new body was growing underneath his skin. He tilted his head slightly. His fur was white underneath.


His body jerked suddenly as the skin loosened up and fell to the floor. Dayn took a deep breath, thankful that the painful transformation was over, but when he looked down at the mess he knew he'd need to clean it up. Before he stopped himself Dayn consumed the old skin, even lapping up the blood off the floor. What am I doing?! Dayn knew what being a wolf was like, but this was different. His instincts were more at the surface, and he even looked different. He was taller, his fur was white, and his form was more of a mix of man and wolf. <What has happened to me?>

 

[Dragongal]

Aryn had slowly begun to wake when she heard Dayn's knees hit the floor, slowly coming to as his grunts of pain dragged her from her deep sleep. Her body wanted more rest, in case of danger, but once she realized it was Dayn she was hearing, and not a dream, she opened her eyes, rolling over to see Dayn. Well, that was Dayn, right? His fur wasn't white, and he'd never been that big before. He didn't even seem full wolf, but his transformation was evidently complete. She glanced at the table at the bedside, where her silver-coated dagger lay. Se looked back at him, quietly saying, "Dayn...?" She estimated that she could move to the dagger and hold it up before he - it? - could get to her if it was necessary.

 

[BookWyrm]

Damn.





Dayn visibly tensed, took a deep breath, and turned around to look at Arryn. The last thing he had wanted to do was wake her up, but then again, he didn't know what was happening to him anyway, and it had been unexpected, so it wasn't like he could have predicted this. <Arryn, I......help......please.> Dayn didn't know what else to say. Here he was stuck in some form he wasn't used to and worst of all, he was stuck in the inn. <No time to explain, even if I could. I need to get somewhere safe.>

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn looked at him again, then nodded, the slightest green tint that was in her eyes becoming slightly more vivid as she was given the job. "Alright. You can still fit out the window. You shouldn't even have to squeeze." Arryn took a second to put on her cloak and grab her weapons belt, before rolling her sleeves up to her elbow, displaying the end of the feather scars on her arms and the rest of the broken chains. She hated her scars, but if she ran into someone, and they had yet to see Dayn, the scars were an easy distraction so he could slip past. She gave him one glance, then said, "I lead, you follow. Leave people to me. We see people, you keep going." Arryn opened the window and tossed the incense into the street below before waiting for Dayn. They were on the roof of the lower level, but they couldn't be seen, unless someone looked form their room.


Arryn looked at the building next to them, the roof a good jumping distance away. While she knew she could do a roof-run, Dayn weighed too much and would make too much noise. She carefully but quickly dropped from level to level until she was on the ground, rolling as she hit the road on the side of the inn. Once Dayn was next to her, she looked at him once then nodded, and started leading through the streets, using every alley she remembered. All of her senses were set on high, she was doing a night run like the old days, and again, being caught could mean things worse than her death - Dayn's death. SHe waited at corners to listen before moving ahead. The Elven Garden was a fairly straight shot. Ok, if he's seen, he can run ahead, and I'll say it was an illusion I cast as part of a Northern Samhein tradition - everyone thinks Northmen are aff anyway - and use the little mana I have to create an illusion as "proof". Arryn managed to get Dayn to the garden without incident, opening the gates for them, again wishing she had some kind of rope or chain.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn had never been as worried as he had that night. Moving through Riverbend on a literal life or death mission made all to real by the fact that the guard's were still carrying silver weapons and had been pulling double duty because of Samhein. But shortly after squeezing his now massive body through the window and out into the streets Dayn found himself following Arryn's lead in a slight state of awe. She moved so lithely and with grace, ducking and weaving her way through the alleys and to the garden with ease. Dayn couldn't have been happier to see the gate. Each time that they had stopped at the end of an alley Dayn's heart pounded in his chest until they knew they were clear. He dashed inside the garden swiftly, perhaps even more so than in his normal wolf form, and checked to make sure it was clear.


<What has happened to me?> Dayn stood up to his full height, dwarfing Arryn, and snarled in frustration before grabbing a large boulder, hefting it up, and throwing it across a good length of the garden. <Why do I look like this? What does all of this mean?> Dayn slammed two great fists into the wall, creating two impressions where they had hit, though he wasn't paying attention to his new found strength. <Calm down. FOCUS! Shift back.> Dayn drew on his focus points, the moon, Arryn, seeing Kara and Lia again, but no matter how much he relaxed and let go, his body stayed the same. Every attempt just angered him that much more before finally he turned around and howled before leaning back against the wall and sliding down to the ground. He reached up with two very human like paws and covered his face, whining as tears slid down his snout.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn slowly moved to Dayn's side, sitting next to him patiently. She'd watched his accidental shows of strength with concern, but not fear. The green gleam in her eyes had died away again, now that her job was over. She quietly said, "I'm sure this is just for Samhein, love. Just one day. I'm right here, and I'm not going to leave." Arryn leaned slightly against Dayn's side, noting that her scars had begun to ache. I hate Samhein. Arryn looked across the garden, her stomach dropping for a moment. She closed her eyes and shook her head, but they were still there. She whispered, "Dayn, do you see two glowing white people across the garden from us?" Of course Dayn couldn't, since there was nothing there, but she had to make sure, since normally shaking her ehad made the images go away.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn slowly pulled his hands away and looked out at the garden through blurry eyes. <No, I don't see anything.> Dayn slowly laid down, making sure to move closer to Arryn, as he tried to wrap his mind around all of what was going on. <If this has to do with Samhein, why do I look like this?>

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn reached out and gently began petting Dayn's head, ruffling the fur behind his ears. She kept her eyes closed - Dayn would let her know if something was wrong, no need to get worked up by illusions. "Well, Samhein is on the autumn equinox... and your whole lycanthropy kind of revolves around the moon, so maybe it ties in with the equinox through that somehow? Maybe it's because the spirit planes are so close.... Anything supernatural gets a boon, kind of." Arryn winced as she heard a scream that was in her head - not a banshee's scream, but a scream nonetheless. She continued petting Dayn as she focused on calming down and slowing her breathing and heartrate.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn readjusted himself, wrapping his body around Arryn when he sensed her unease. He leaned his head up and licked her from neck to forehead on accident. <Uh, sorry about that.>





(All I had XP)