Ascending Legends

[BookWyrm]

Dayn shrugged slightly. I guess we are starting to take after each other. He didn't have a problem with how she dealt with the old man. Obviously he was one of the conspirators that had set her up to begin with. He walked up and laid a hand on Arryn's shoulder. "If there is nothing else....."

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn looked at him, then at the old man, then back to Dayn and nodded. "He's useless now, like usual." As they walked outside, Matthias commented, "I never thought I'd see you acting like that again." Arryn smiled to him, then said, "I'm glad we know that it was O'Rouke that set us up. Now... Theodas, Kalie, Matthias, try to find him. Dayn and I are going to the church." She didn't want to go to the church, but... what choice was there? She needed to know if it was just dark magic or something more.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn winced, shaking his head slightly. "Are you sure we need to be going there alone?" Dayn looked over to Arryn, obvious concern written across his face.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn paused, thinking it over. "Theodas, would you mind...? That might be better, since these villagers know you even less than the ones in Rorich." Theodas nodded. Arryn looked up to Dayn, smiling uneasily. "Are you okay with it now?"

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn took her hand and squeezed it tightly. He needed to be strong for her now. "Better." He slowly walked with her towards the church. He felt better now that Theodas was with them, though he wasn't sure why. He and Arryn were a competent team, but then again her old team had been competent, and most of them were dead now.

 

[Dragongal]

As they go closer, Arryn's scars began to hurt more and more. She squeezed Dayn's hand tightly. When they finally entered the place she was in intense pain, but she ignored it. Light filtered in through a hole in the ceiling, a thin scattering of snow on the ground below the hole. As they walked in, Arryn looked to the floor. There were eleven blood stains on the ground. She walked over to one, saying, "This was where Demi fell... there's where May fell... Louanne... " There were tears in her eyes as she looked back to Dayn. She pointed to a lighter but larger bloodstain close to the pulpit. "Atria...."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn felt Arryn squeeze his hand as they moved ever closer to the church. He knew she must be in pain, but the way she pushed through it filled him with both admiration and heartbreak. When they finally walked into the church and Dayn saw the blood stains he found himself at a loss for words. And then she pointed to where she had fallen. Dayn walked over and wrapped his arms around Arryn, both out of sympathy and out of protectiveness. He held her tightly against his chest for a good while, trying to find the words to say but coming up wanting. He tried his best to keep his own emotions under check. His whole body tingled with nervous energy. He didn't like this place at all.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn smiled up at him, then put her hand over his arm. After a few moments, she disentangled herself and moved over to the pulpit. She knelt down, and said, "Nails... It's been nailed down...." Arryn set to frantically trying to pull out the nails or else carving the wood around the nails.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn laid a hand on her shoulder and moved her aside. He focused, concentrating on the air underneath the boards, causing it to expand and push against the boards, which began to push out from the pressure. Careful, control it. Dayn laid and arm out and pushed Arryn back as he took a couple of steps back himself. The boards suddenly gave, popping up as the air pressure shot out from around them. Dayn couldn't hold back his smile as he walked over and moved the boards aside before turning back to Arryn.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn smiled and stepped forward, moving the pulpit over with ease, revealing a hole in the ground with metal rungs leading down. "Who wants to go first...?" "I will," Theodas volunteered, stepping forward. He didn't give either of them a chance to argue before he lowered himself down the rungs. "We'll need a torch...." Arryn picked up one of the wooden board sand held it out to Dayn. "Can you light it?"

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn only had to reach out and grab the board to light the end of it before handing it down to Theodas. He carefully followed Theodas down into the hole before offering a hand up to Arryn. "Its a bit tricky, but it won't be too hard."

 

[Dragongal]

Theodas glanced at the makeshift torch questioningly before shrugging. He used it to light the way down a tunnel that went back... toward the graveyard. A quarter way down the sort tunnel, Arryn began shivering. Half way down, she stumbled, but forced herself to continue, holding Dayn's hand tightly. The tunnel opened up into a small, carved-out, circular cavern. Theodas carefully walked around, lighting some very old torches left stuck into the walls. When he was done, he looked at the ground and shook his head.


A summoning circle was etched out in purple and red chalks, candles around the edges and a skull in the center. Arryn shivered, holding Dayn's hand tightly. Theodas said, "This isn't just a dark summoning circle - look at the colors. The red is normal but not the purple. We're directly under the graveyard. I am willing to bet they summoned the banshees here, and the banshees then used the dark circle to call forth the power they needed. This is extremely complex stuff."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn squeezed Arryn's hand tightly as he shook his head. This was far more than what he had anticipated it being. The dark energy could almost be felt in the air. In many ways it brought back the feeling of being around the necromancers back in Ironcrest. "Shouldn't the circle have faded by now?" Dayn had almost been scared to ask the question. "That was two years ago. I mean, the chalk should have faded....unless someone is still using it."

 

[Dragongal]

Theodas shook his head, reaching down and picking up a dark crystal. "The energy in the chalk faded. The darkness has been purged from the markings - you can feel it in the air instead. Without such in its making, the marks are merely chalk. It would need magic or another charged crystal to be reactivated. Seeing as how there's no reports of banshees and the pulpit was still nailed, I think it's safe to say it's been left alone."

 

[BookWyrm]

"Good." Dayn slowly rubbed his thumb over Arryn's hand. "What else do we need from down here?" He wanted to get Arryn away from this place as quickly as possible, but if there was something else that they needed he wasn't going to drag her out. They were here to solve this once and for all hopefully. The last thing he wanted to do was muck this up

 

[Dragongal]

Theodas shrugged, before walking forward and picking up the skull. Arryn said, "I just wanted to make sure it wasn't... you know... still being used." Theodas sighed and said, "Now that I have the original skull and that dark crystal, it'll be more difficult if anyone did want to reuse it." Arryn nodded and led the way out, replacing the pulpit to make sure nobody accidentally fell into the hole if they came in. They walked back into the village, meeting up with Matthias and Kalie. "He's gone. He didn't even arrive here, that's the thing, but there's nowhere else that that pass goes, and he was seen going in it. Makes me think there was some path we somehow missed, or a cave... something." We'll have to look closer into it, then. We'll catch him eventually, though I wonder why he returned to Rorich in the first place? He has no allies anymore. We outnumber him. Curious. Perhaps there was something you didn't find in his house...." Arryn looked at Dayn and shrugged.

 

[BookWyrm]

Before they left the chamber Dayn used his aeromancy to blow away the chalk outline, removing any other trace of the summoning circle and dispersing it throughout the chamber. As the met up with the others Dayn couldn't help but feel some relief, though returned Arryn's shrug. "I wasn't in the best place that day, I could have missed something." In truth he was just glad to be out of that church. That place felt evil.

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn looked between the others and nodded. "I don't know, but we can't change it now... We still have a few hours before sunset, I think we should go. I'm going to assume a few others in the village knew, but they're not on O'Rourke's team - otherwise they'd have moved to the city. It was a one-time deal." Arryn looked at Dayn again. "They hate me more here than they do in Rorich. It would be best if we didn't stay long..."

 

[BookWyrm]

"By all means then, let's get out of here." Dayn couldn't help but ponder over everything as they traveled back towards Rorich. Obviously the Black Market had done everything possible to ruin Arryn's name anywhere they could. By default that also meant that his name was probably being slandered as well, though he could still hold some authority over people because of his nobility. Other than with other nobles maybe. This would change though. Arryn was his betrothed, his fiance. Marrying him would make her a Lady in status. Arryngale Eleran Braegland. Dayn couldn't help but smile. The name tasted good on his tongue. He smiled at Arryn as he was thinking about her. He knew she wasn't so sure about having children, but if Dayn was being honest with himself, he wasn't so sure about it either. After what happened with Kara and Lia....well, it was best not to think about that now. He had Arryn, and if if was only the two of them for the rest of this life and on into the next, he would still be a happy man.

 

[Dragongal]

Kalie, Theodas, and Matthias were quietly debating the pros and cons of a longsword to a broadsword while Arryn walked with Dayn, enjoying his company after such an emotionally tiring day. She was looking forward to getting back home and cuddling up with him by the fire, eventually the Yule celebrations too, she hoped he'd like those.


Theodas was the one to stop them. It was dark, and the little moonlight there was reflected off the snow. He hadn't heard a thing... it was the trees that sounded different. The few trees there were were still, as if they were waiting for something... or hiding something. He drew his swords, prompting everyone else to arm up. They knew better than to question the wood elf in things like these. Dayn would hear a familiar voice, Hello again, Moon-Born before the skinchanger burst forth from the trees in front of the group.


Arryn's mind was racing. Why was this bear attacking all of them, now, when before it had been too scared?

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn put himself between Arryn and the Skinchanger as he quickly undid the belts on his body, letting his sword and Arryn's shield drop before shifting. He didn't care for his clothes at the moment, his main concern was getting ready to counter the beast as it charged them. When he felt his body stop he dashed forward, running hard through the group before leaping into the air to clash with the Skinchanger. Sinking his claws and teeth into his flesh, Dayn held on tight and let his weight shift, yanking the Skinchanger off balance and causing him to topple over, exposing his stomach. Dayn brought his claws down raked back, tearing large gashes down the fatty flesh of the Skinchanger as it howled in pain. Dayn leapt off mere seconds before the Skinchanger swung at him. Dayn put himself in front of the group and snarled, his hackles raised like spikes over his shoulders as he reared onto his hind feet. His focus completely on the Skinchanger, Dayn didn't notice the wind picking up around him. <Arryn, don't let him get close to you.>

 

[Dragongal]

"Dayn, stay back, I don't want to hit you," Kalie said, an arrow pulled back and ready to fly. She aimed for the skinchanger's eye - but the arrow didn't fly. Arryn had leveled her crossbow at the beast's heart, about to pull the trigger - but the bolt didn't fly. But there was a solid, wet, thunk as an arrow hit its target.


Arryn looked down at her chest in confusion as blood ran down her clothing. She put her hand on the shaft, but didn't pull - she was still processing that she'd been shot when she fell to her knees. She looked at Dayn as he fought, thinking, Dayn...? Help.... Theodas ran forward and grabbed her gently, pulling her back, away from the skinchanger. "Matthias, Kalie, guard! Kalie, look for the archer!" Theodas focused on pulling the arrow out - a silver arrow - and healing Arryn's wound, though it was a fruitless effort. She'd already lost consciousness by now, and he was nearly certain the arrow had nicked her heart - if it hadn't pierced it - any way about it, there was nothing he could do. "Dayn, come here! Kalie, keep it distracted!"





On a ledge high up the slope, hidden behind an illusion spell, an archer was terrified. He had been supposed to hit the target non-lethally. And he'd just taken her out. Years of being used as an assassin must have taken hold of him at that moment. He turned and fled as quickly as possible, leaving the skinchanger without the promised help - he could take the four able ones on his own, the archer was already running.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn's ears picked up the sickening sound of the arrow as it hit Arryn's chest. Oh....gods no. Dayn turned, hearing Theodas' screams, and his eyes came upon a sight that could have drained the will to live from him. An arrow jutted out from Arryn's chest, dangerously close to her heart. Dayn felt his throat closing in on itself as his heart stopped beating. His whole world focused on his love. Ar....Arryn.....





There was a sudden crackling sound, almost like that of dry timber catching fire. The Skinchanger picked himself up off the ground only to see the arrow sticking out of Arryn's chest. "No, that wasn't the plan." Dayn turned to face the Skinchanger, his eyes blacker than the darkest night and his lips curled back into the most evil snarl the Skinchanger had ever seen. Dayn growled, paying no real attention to the fact that his hands were now burning with fire and a strong wind was whipping around him. The skinchanger took several steps backward, his face drawn in terror."No...this can't...you.....your a...how?" Dayn took a step towards the skinchanger, getting ready to pounce, when Theodas' voice reached him again. Arryn.


Dayn turned, paying the beast no more heed, and doused his fire before running back to Arryn. He looked down at her frantically, spying the silver arrow that had pierced her chest. Focus.......focus Dayn.........oh....gods.....Arryn.......this can't be happening.......this can't be fucking happening........

 

[Dragongal]

Matthias stepped forward, sword at the ready, as Kalie pulled back a sliver arrow, firing at the skinchanger, lodging the arrow in its chest - however, this didn't do much as it didn't hit anything important through the thick fur. Theodas looked to Dayn, saying very evenly, "Dayn, she's dying. I can't patch something like this. We'd need a mage. Right now, her only chance is you. Once the internal damage is fixed, I can take over. But I can't fix it, and it's not going to happen on its own." Theodas thought it quite clear what he was asking of Dayn. Arryn's breathing was getting shallower by the second, and her heartbeat weaker. They needed to act fast.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn felt weak.


She doesn't want this. She never wanted this. She loves me, even loves my wolf side, but she said she never wanted this.





Dayn watched the blood flowing out of her chest, he knew he didn't have long to think about this choice. He couldn't let her die...but.......but.....And then he remembered the conversation from the other day, when they had been in bed together. Lycanthropy isn't that bad. It would be better than dying. Dayn felt the tears running down his muzzle as he took her into his arms. He couldn't close his eyes for this. This had to count. He felt his saliva drip down from his canines as he positioned his open mouth over her. The taste of her blood was almost intoxicating, despite his gag reflex. He held it, letting his saliva mix with her blood as the tears poured off of his snout during what felt like the longest moment of his life.


Finally Dayn felt it. He couldn't describe it as a feeling, but he knew it had passed to her. Slowly he opened his mouth, bloodily saliva slinging from his jaws as he held her against his chest. He didn't really know why he opened his eyes, but when he did he saw the White Wolf looking at him. Dayn locked eyes with the wolf despite the tears that clouded his vision. Arryn's heat beat was still so faint, her blood soaking into and matting his fur as he waited. Until, suddenly, the beat returned. Dayn could feel, could hear her heart beating again. It was slowly gaining some strength as her body accepted the gift, allowing the internal wounds to heal. Dayn slowly eased down into a crouch as he looked to Theodas with a slow nod.