Ascending Legends

[BookWyrm]

"You didn't answer my question.", Dayn growled. The room grew suddenly dim, as if the shadows drew in a chunk of the light from the fire. Dayn felt a burning desire to let himself shift, if for no other reason than to give himself an edge. When it happened though it took him by surprise. His body was wreathed in shadow, made from it, and in the shape of a wolf. The mask across his face bore the likeness of the wolf totem familiar in elven crafts and was made from something that favored bone or pure white wood. After a few moments his body became corporeal: his appearance changed to that of a normal wolf but his fur was pure black now, and he was twice his previous size(now he almost perfectly resembled the dire wolves of old in build), yet Dayn still managed to encircle Arryn just as delicately and protectively as he had before. <Who are you? What do you want with Arryn?>

 

[Dragongal]

Mar sin, cosanta. Tá sé a fheictear. Well aren't you threatening? Come now, Dayn, I clearly don't want to hurt her. The woman was clearly not scared of Dayn in any way. Truthfully, I have overstepped my bounds merely by speaking to you. The image was already fading as Arryn weakly stirred; her heartrate had leveled out at a weak but healthy enough rate. In the next moment, the woman was gone.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn growled in frustration, though to no real affect other than making him feel better. Whomever the woman was she obviously had some deeper connection to Arryn. In a way she reminded him of Lleuna. Now, though, Dayn could turn his full attention back to his wife. He remained curled around her but he couldn't help but feel like some kind of beast laying there beside her. What would she do when she finally saw him?

 

[Dragongal]

At least a half an hour passed before Arryn stirred again. She tried to moved closer to Dayn, but was roused from her sleep when she couldn't lay her head on his chest. She opened her eyes, and it took her a few moments to process that Dayn had shifted. Once that was processed.... why in Hel was Dayn so big? And where were the white spots? She tried to prop up on her elbows but couldn't find the strength or coordination. She looked at Dayn for a few moments before slowly reaching out and petting along his neck.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn, having woken from his light dozing, turned and looked at Arryn before nuzzling her. <How are you?>

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn smiled a bit through her weariness and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Tired... sore... weak... but how are you? You're... different."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn sighed as his ears drooped. <I know. I'm okay I guess. I....don't really know what has happened though.> Dayn shifted so Arryn could snuggle against better. <Just rest and get better. We'll worry about me when you are well.>

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn wrapped her arms around his neck and nestled her head against his shoulder. "Mm, well... I don't even know what happened to myself. One minute I was walking, then I heard this sound, and I was on the ground barely conscious. Speaking of... where are my clothes...?"

 

[BookWyrm]

If a wolf could have blushed Dayn would have. <You were freezing when I brought you home. The quickest way to warm a freezing person is body on body heat, so I improvised.> Dayn's eyes moved over Arryn's face for a few moments. <In another situation it might have been pleasant, but you were almost dead. I took no pleasure from seeing you like that.>

 

[Dragongal]

"Oh, okay." Arryn closed her eyes as she cuddled against him. "Do you know why I was dying...?"

 

[BookWyrm]

Time for the truth. <The woman from your dream was here. She....seemed worried about you. She said you were dying because you were in a power struggle. Something to do with your magic trying to adjust.> Dayn nuzzled against Arryn's neck before continuing. <I don't know who she is, but there is something about her. Something....good. She said she has been trying to help you in your dreams, but that you keep fighting it, and in a way that causes the problems.>

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn looked at him for a few silent moments. What had he just said? That.... Witch was only accidentally hurting her? That it was her own fault for the dreams hurting? "Well... what did she expect? That I just relax as a nightmare ensues around me? Dayn, you don't know what I saw in my first vision, okay...?" Arryn shivered just thinking about that. The first had been the worst, without a doubt. She pressed her head into Dayn's shoulder more.

 

[BookWyrm]

<I know what I saw in the last one.> Dayn replied after a few moments of silence. <I know who I saw and spoke to while I struggled to save your life. I know that I tried to use my magic, my thaumatrugy and pyromancy, and it was gone. Both of them are gone. I know that if it wasn't for her pulling me out of my own fear and telling me how to save you that you would be dead right now.>

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn looked up from his shoulder to look at him for a few seconds. "Dayn, she made me watch from her perspective as she murdered me. It was... gods... I basically had to murder myself."

 

[BookWyrm]

<I can't explain everything!> Dayn's hacks raised about the same time a low growl rumbled in his throat. The realization of his outburst came a moment later, causing him to sigh heavily before he walked off for a few moments. <I'm sorry Arryn.> He let that sentence hang in the air for a few moments as he tried to think back over everything. It didn't help that he was still trying to figure out what had happened to himself in all of this. <She said all of it, the nightmares included, were a part of the power struggle inside of you. If you want more information you'll have to find a way to speak with her yourself. I have the feeling she won't return to me.> Dayn sat a few paces away with his back to Arryn.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn started shivering the moment Dayn had left her. She had felt weak before, but now that he was gone, it was so much worse.... To add to that, she felt guilty for upsetting him. He was having a rough time too, after all. Losing his Thaumaturgy and pyromancy, and this whole new shadow form...? After some struggling Arryn managed to get to her feet and wrap a blanket around herself before walking over to Dayn and sitting next to him. She still shivered, but being closer to him made some of the weakness leave her bones. "I'm sorry, mo chroi. It's just... she's a banshee... you know what she did to me... to you... to my team... I just - it's really hard to take all of this in. One minute I'm walking home with you, the next I'm dying and I wake up to find that she spoke to you." Now that Arryn thought about it, she realized that she had been somewhat angered that the woman had spoken to Dayn - to her husband. After what she did, she dared speak to him? Messing with Arryn's mind, yeah, that she could see, but even contacting Dayn? This woman was a banshee, one of the creatures that had killed her team and led to her insanity. And they'd carved up Dayn, too! Now Arryn was supposed to believe that this woman wanted peace? No, she wanted something.... It... it just had to be.


Arryn reached up and gently scratched behind Dayn's ear. "You look handsome in all black."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn lowered his head and rested it against Arryn for what bit of time it took to get his composure back. He raised his head up enough to look at Arryn before pushing her, then reaching down to take her hand gently in his mouth and pull her back to the improvised nest. <You need to keep warm.> It was only after they had both laid down and gotten comfortable again that Dayn relaxed. <I can't look nearly as good as you do in all red.>

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn smiled as she settled down, with her head against Dayn's forearm. In honesty he was so big now it wouldn't be comfortable to lay her head on his neck unless he were on his side. This was close enough, though. After a few moments, she reached up to pet across his paw. "Thank you, mo chroi. Is it... is it okay if I sleep some...?"

 

[BookWyrm]

Seeming to have heard her thoughts Dayn rolled onto his side, offering himself for Arryn's respite.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn was going to take that as a yes. She lifted his arm and cuddled up so her body was pressed against his chest, her head was on his neck, and his arm was around her. Not more than a few moments later, she was asleep.


I'm glad to see that she pulled through. There was no body to go with the voice this time, but it was that same enchanting, musical voice.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn responded with a quiet growl. <She doesn't seem to like you very much, especially since you seem to only want to speak with me.>

 

[Dragongal]

In her current state, I doubt it would be wise for me to speak with her. I tried to before, it did not turn out well any of the times I attempted. I must stress to you though, keep her close. The struggle isn't over quite yet, and if they find a weak point, she could be at risk again. You may feel some slight fatigue, as she is, without knowing it, drawing from your warmth and life force, but not enough to do any true damage.

 

[BookWyrm]

<Why are you helping us? What have you to gain from any of this?>

 

[Dragongal]

The voice chuckled a bit. Nothing. Well, nothing that either of you would lose, anyway.

 

[BookWyrm]

Alright, fine. <Is there anything you can tell me about what is happening with Arryn?>