Ascending Legends

[Dragongal]

Arryn stirred a bit as Dayn moved. She adjusted her position to lay her head on his shoulder. She was actually sleeping without nightmares for once, so needless to say it was a pretty deep sleep, especially since she was so warm and comfy cuddled up to Dayn.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn smiled before getting comfortable once again. If he hadn't been exhausted for the most part over the past few days he might have complained about all the sleeping, but right now it felt good.

 

[Dragongal]

About the time that Dayn fell asleep, Arryn found herself dreaming. She was in some kind of large, stone hall. There was evidently a party, but the air was cold despite the torches and braziers and numerous people. At one end was two thrones, which she slowly approached. One thrown was empty, in the other a beautiful young woman sat with a kind smile as she watched her friends and people enjoy themselves. Arryn took a few steps back the moment she recognized the woman, and at that moment, the woman locked her eyes on her and rose from her throne. Arryn turned to run, but the woman was right in front of her now. The woman smiled a bit as the air got colder. "I'm so glad you could join us, Arryngale." "How do you know my name?" Arryn tried to back away but the woman's voice had her almost entranced, and she couldn't move. "I know all about you." "Just leave me alone. Please, just leave me alone." "I'm only trying to help you, to make you understand." "Well, just stop!" Arryn finally found the strength to turn to run, but the woman reached out and grabbed her arm, and the freezing pain lanced through her again.


She whimpered and stirred against Dayn, struggling against the nightmare.

 

[BookWyrm]

A growl rumbled throughout the hall. The shadows flickering in the edges of the light stirred as if some amorphous life had suddenly been breathed into them. As the crowd looked around in fear a shape began to form in a dark corner. It took on a loose visage similar to a wolf with pale, white eyes, though instead of walking it appeared to float over the ground as it moved towards Arryn, it's legs only appearing when it came to a stop in front of her. The wolf was huge, at least twice the size of Dayn, and swirling in darkness that was palpable. Within moments it formed around Arryn like a living fog before it's head appeared to stare down the woman as he growled menacingly. The only thing that wasn't made from shadow was the strange mask that covered it's face.


Dayn and Arryn both were suddenly awake and in their home. Had that really just happened?

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn looked Dayn over for a few seconds. She shivered and pulled the covers up, but didn't take her eyes off of him. "Did you...? What was that?"

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn found that he couldn't truly answer that question. "I don't know." Did this have something to do with the hooded figure? "I don't know."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn looked at him for a few seconds, before saying definitively, "We're going to Libro."


Many miles away, the messenger entered the room of his Lord. "M'Lord, it seems the Lycanthrope escaped from the banshees along with Eleran. If rumor holds true, he was carved as well - he was seen carried away on a bloodied stretcher by Eleran's allies. And Eleran herself was said to have given part of her lifeforce to save him. But there has been disturbances in the ley lines of that area, so we will be sure to keep a lookout." The "Boss" chuckled darkly. "The Griffin just continues to amuse...."

 

[BookWyrm]

"Why?" The question had a slightly defensive tone to it. Dayn grimaced. He hadn't wanted to cue Arryn into his slight bit of worry.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn looked at Dayn with one eyebrow raised. "Because you just entered my dream in the form of a shadow wolf of some kind. After what happened earlier? Dayn, I'm not willing to take any risks with you."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn felt the muscles in his jaw clench and tighten before he finally relaxed. "Alright. I won't fight with you about it." Once they had dressed for the trip Dayn opened the door and let Arryn walk through. He wasn't exactly liking the idea of going to Libro over this, but he wasn't sure why.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn turned around and took his hand, and refused to let go for the whole trip. Majority of the walk she was pondering ways to torture the person who had done this to Dayn. What would be better, poison or a couple of throwing knives? Of course she just smiled to Dayn and squeezed his hand occasionally. When they arrived to Libro's she walked in first, and sure enough, there was the ancient dwarf, reading a book in front of the fire.

 

[BookWyrm]

When are we just going to visit this dwarf for tea? Dayn felt horrible about bothering him, again. They only ever showed up to see the dwarf if there was trouble they couldn't solve, which was frankly quite a lot more often then Dayn preferred. At least the answer to anything in the campaign was stick something pointy in it. "Hello Libro. Arryn would like to ask you something." Dayn kept his eyes straight ahead, but he knew the remark was sure to get him a stern glaring. It was her idea. Let her ask the question.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn turned to give Dayn a little glare before looking back to Libro. "Alright, so, Dayn's had some odd occurrences lately." Arryn relayed the events in the best detail that she could. Despite the glare she had given him earlier, though, she couldn't help but squeeze Dayn's hand any time she mentioned something painful and by the end her hand was even slightly trembling.

 

[BookWyrm]

Libro stroked his beard thoughtfully for several long minutes as he pondered over these things. Dayn, all the while, couldn't help but notice Arryn's hand shaking. He gave a couple of short, reassuring squeezes to try and calm her. She is really worried about this.

 

[Dragongal]

Libro sighed and shook his head. "I don't know what to tell you. I've never heard of anything like this." Arryn would have been lying if she had said she wasn't disappointed and that much more concerned. She nodded and looked to Dayn, then back to Libro. "Alright. Well... we're going to head home, then. We'll keep in touch." Once they were out of the cave, Arryn didn't even try to keep his disappointment from showing. She pulled Dayn into a hug, if not for him then for herself.


About halfway home, Arryn paused in her walking for a few moments. What was that...? That sound? Dayn couldn't hear it, but she could. It was lovely, but she couldn't tell what it was or where it was from. A second later she nearly passed out from the sudden pain that swept through her whole body and made her collapse into the snow. She clung to consciousness, but only barely.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn stuck his arms underneath Arryn's and hoisted her up over his shoulders before taking off at a jog towards the house. "Hold on, we'll be home before you know it." Once inside Dayn laid Arryn on a cushion before checking her pulse. "Arryn, you still with me?"

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn opened her eyes a bit and tried to smile. She'd been fading from consciousness and back for the whole time on the return. "I-I'm... I'm here...."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn pulled open their connection to try and use his Thaumaturgy to stabilize Arryn, though what happened was far from what he had wanted. From the fingers on her neck dark lines began to spread out over Arryn's skin. Dayn stared at the scene for several moments before pulling his hand away and severing the connection. Why hadn't his thaumaturgy responded? Dayn looked to his palm and focused, only to have the dark, writhing shapes appear in his palm. Dayn cried out and backed away, trying to pull on his pyromancy to burn whatever was in his hand, only to cause the shadows to grow larger and begin to pull the ambient light from around the room. Finally, though, Dayn closed off his magic and the shadows dispersed, letting the light back into the room.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn had watched as best she could, though just keeping her eyes open was difficult, especially once the pain set in. As much as she wanted to help Dayn, she was having difficulties just breathing. Her blood felt like it was some kind of freezing acid and her skin burned with the pain of icy daggers cutting into her. She didn't even know that her breathing was getting shallower and her heartrate was weakening....

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn watched Arryn in utter helplessness. He had no method for being able to assist her or take away the pain that plagued her. In a way it felt like watching his old cabin burn while knowing Kara was inside of it. Just the comparison of the two events suddenly caused panic to set in. No.....no...no no no no no no no.....

 

[Dragongal]

Calma tú féin, Dayn. Calm yourself. Suddenly a voice was in Dayn's head. The voice of a young woman, almost a musical sound that was absolutely impossible to ignore and inspired tranquility and hope with every word. Give her warmth. As much warmth as possible. To Dayn, a vague, wispy image of the woman from Arryn's nightmares and visions could be seen sitting next to Arryn. There is a fire in the hearth and warmth in your body. If you want Arryn to have a chance to survive, you must listen to me. Move her close to the fire and keep her close to yourself. Both are essential. Through your bond she will draw warmth and life - but only if you are close. The absence of warmth she is experiencing creates a vacuum and will pull warmth in any way, even if it is not magical. It will be so because she is struggling to survive. To get back to you.

 

[BookWyrm]

When the voice first spoke Dayn and frozen stiff. When the woman appeared to him he felt a strange, otherworldly calm settle over his body. Within seconds he was at work, his mind and body driven by the need to keep his wife alive. He laid several furs down on the floor in front of the fire and followed up with a couple of pillows and one of the magic blankets they had brought from Lenza's. Carefully Dayn lifted Arryn from the cushions and laid her on the improvised bed before undressing her. One thing he had learned in wilderness survival was that body on body heat was the quickest way to warm someone up. Despite knowing it was going to be horribly uncomfortable, even painful for him, Dayn undressed himself as well and laid down before pulling the second magic blanket, along with a thick elk fur, over them as he pulled Arryn against himself.

 

[Dragongal]

Well I didn't say that that was quite necessary, but then again, anything would help her chances at this point. The woman sat on the cushion still and glanced at the fire. Arryn's heartrate evened out at a weak pace and very slowly started to regain strength. She truly is quite the fighter. You were lucky to be there this time. She wouldn't have even survived the journey back to your home if you hadn't carried her. That much contact was enough to keep her alive.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn turned just enough to glare at the woman. "I know you. Arryn was trying to get away from you when I came into the room." If Arryn hadn't been in dire straights Dayn would have probably attacked. "What the Hel do you want with her?"

 

[Dragongal]

The woman smiled a bit. You've met me twice yet you already hate me? In fact, neither of those were truly meetings. If you didn't notice, I just helped you save Arryngale's life. She got caught in a power struggle over none other than herself. The last few dreams were only nightmares because she fought it, and her new magic isn't adjusted yet. Well, actually, the first one was that power struggle interfering again. Not really my fault.