Ascending Legends

[BookWyrm]

Dayn hadn't really had a plan when he bolted off, but finally after putting enough distance between himself and everyone else he stopped running and vented in the best way he knew possible. His howls echoed through the forest for miles. Dayn thrashed anything within sight. I should have let her die, at least she wouldn't have to suffer. Gods, I am a fool. In saving her I've condemned her. I am a curse, a blight on this world. I shouldn't have loved her, I knew it would only end in pain. He snarled and growled, looking in honest truth to be rabid or possessed as he tore his way through the woods, leaving a deep gouges in trees and burned patches through the forest in his fury.


"You couldn't protect my sister, what made you think you could keep Arryn from dying?"


Dayn's body shook with rage as he turned around and snarled at the source of the voice. Kara's brothers stood in front of him tauntingly. "Our men had such fun with her before they killed her." Dayn pounced, tearing into their bodies with teeth and claws, but when he looked again there was nothing but an eviscerated deer where the brothers had been standing. Dayn howled again, no doubt sending any living animal within range running for safety. He could feel the desires coming back to him. An eye for an eye, blood for blood, anything that could take his mind off his own pain at the moment.


But even in his deepest rage and sorrow he felt her pain.


His snarling slowly faded as he felt his heart ache in that all to familiar way. Arryn was hurting. Gods....I left her. Dayn looked off towards the source of the connection. He could feel it pulling him back to her. Tears clouded his vision as all of his anger, all of his frustration and rage left him. It flowed out of him like puss from a festering wound, the clean blood behind it being the concern for his love that drove him back to her. Through misery and tears he followed his heart back towards Arryn, pushing through thorns and bramble that tugged and tore his flesh. When he finally broke through the trees and found her his heart ached in ways he never knew it could.


There, huddled under an oak, Arryn cowered. <Oh Arryn...> Dayn's ears laid back, his head held low as he slowly approached her. He whined quietly, tears dripping off his muzzle as he gently nudged her leg with his nose. <My dear, dear Arryn. I am so sorry.>

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn pulled away a bit when he touched her leg, pausing before raising her hood slightly, scared of what she might see. When she saw it was Dayn, a slight smile lit her face. She reached out and gently touched his muzzle, making sure he was real before wrapping her arms around his neck. "Dayn, my Dayn, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry my love." Despite her tears and the nightmares around her, she was smiling as she held Dayn close. "I love you Dayn. Thank you for coming back. Thank you, mo chroi," she sobbed.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn's tears mingled with Arryn's on the dirt below them as he gave in to the sobs. <I promised you I would never leave you. I don't plan on breaking that promise.> Dayn felt horrible for having ran off, but he hadn't known how to deal with everything. He felt utterly useless in everything he did to try and protect her, but no matter what it seemed like he had failed her in every possible way. <Arryn, I am the one who needs to apologize. I've failed you. In saving you I've condemned you, cursed you. I'm no better than the banshees that gave you those scars.> Dayn laid down in front of her as he continued. <Am I cursed to watch those I love die in agony around me, or am I the curse that consumes them?>

 

[Dragongal]

"Dayn, no. No, no, no. You saved me. You left before Da could explain. I could be fine for years. There's a way to fix it. Dayn, my love, you gave me time. You saved my life, Dayn. Again." Arryn pulled away from him to look into his eyes as she gently ran her fingers through his fur. "Please stop hurting yourself when you did the right thing." Arryn moved closer to him, laying her head against his neck as she held him close.

 

[BookWyrm]

<Oh Arryn.> Dayn gently nuzzled against her neck. <I am sorry I left you. Everything has been eating away at me. I feel so useless during your nightmares, I couldn't keep you from getting burnt or poisoned. I wasn't able to keep you from getting shot, and then when I try to save you I find out that the only thing I could do could kill you in the end. I couldn't deal with all of that. I felt like I had killed you. Me, not something else, but me, I had killed you.> Dayn slowly curled around her as she laid against his neck. <I am so sorry I left you. I didn't think about what would happen, I just had to get away. I didn't mean for any of this to happen love.>

 

[Dragongal]

"It's not your fault, Dayn. You're here with me now, as you have been. And that's more than I've ever had. I had my friends and all of that, sure, but... they weren't there for my nightmares, they didn't save me when some black market idiot stabbed me, they didn't help fix me. I think the best thing you could do for me when I have the nightmares is stop beating yourself up about it. You've already made it so much better. If you need time to just think things through, tell me. I understand that. I got scared when you ran, but it's all okay now. You don't have to be sorry." Arryn idly ran her fingers through his coat as her tears soaked his fur.

 

[BookWyrm]

<There......there wasn't much thinking to it.> Dayn felt vulnerable, but he was knew she'd understand. <I lapsed.> Dayn lay there for several minutes as he slowly calmed down. He could feel Arryn's tears soaking his fur as they lay there together. <So, Eleran's are descendants of the Griffin lineage. I always knew you were special.>

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn smiled a bit. "Besides being cursed, half insane, and carved up? Yeah, I guess I'm special." Arryn gently laid her hand over the small cuts and tears in his skin from the thorns and brambles, meticulously healing each one. "Dayn, when you worry you might lapse, or are even getting the slightest bit too stressed... tell me. I'll go with you, away from whatever is stressing you. I know you don't like when you lapse. And if you don't want me with you, that's ok. I just want to know that you're alright. You know that by now."

 

[BookWyrm]

<I know love. I'm just glad you weren't there today. It....it wasn't good.> Dayn sighed heavily. He felt miserable for leaving her, and for everything else, even if it wasn't his fault. <I know I shouldn't try to fix everything, and I know there so many things that are out of my control, but I can stand the thought of losing you too.> Of course Dayn was referring to Kara and Lia. He knew that night had been the source of all his insecurities now, even since he had made his peace with Kara and Lia. <Even then I knew there was nothing I could have done to save them. If I had been there I would have been killed along side both of them, but I don't know how to forgive myself for not being there. Even though it wasn't my fault.>

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn looked up from her work and nuzzled against his cheek. "Maybe that just takes time." She smiled before going back to work on his wounds. "I think we've got a whole lifetime together, now that you saved me. Sure, we'll probably both get close to death again eventually, if we plan to keep up this life of adventuring, which I kind of enjoy, but still. And we've pretty much been promised that we'll be together after everything, so... there." Arryn smiled, trying to cheer him up a bit. Normally it was his job to be cheery, her job to be cuddly. Now she seemingly had to do both. "Do you want to play with the griffins?"

 

[BookWyrm]

Well, it was better than being depressed for the rest of the day. <If it'll get my mind off of everything, yes.> Dayn stood up and stretched out his back and his legs before looking up at Arryn. <I really am sorry about earlier love.> He rubbed his head against her leg. <I promise I won't leave you again.>

 

[Dragongal]

"It's alright. I just got scared. I understand that you need time alone." Arryn stood up and wiped off the last of her tears, before they began the trek up the mountain again. She found the path easily, and there were no delays on the path. On arriving to the ledge, the white griffin was out playing with the youngest, but upon seeing Dayn, immediately flew over to Dayn and dropped into the play position he'd shown him. The matriarch curled up next to Arryn again, watching the young ones. They're quite fun to watch. Arryn jumped nearly a foot, pulling away from the griffin and looking at it with wide eyes. She glanced over to Dayn, then back to the griffin, a slight smile on her face. "Did you... Did I just hear...?" Yes. It's about time you discovered your lineage.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn laughed slightly before dropping down and running off, this time being chased by both of the younger griffins as he raced around the plateau. Despite actually enjoying himself some Dayn found that he was still hurting from the incident earlier. During a breather between bouts of play Dayn found a spot a little ways off from the others to lay out in the sun and try to relax. Of course his relaxation lasted only until the young griffins found him and sprawled out on top of him, eventually dosing off and sleeping. Dayn managed to look over at Arryn and roll his eyes. <I think they find me comfortable.>

 

[Dragongal]

"They're not wrong, dear, you are very comfortable." Forgive them, we're still working on their manners. "It's fine, I think Dayn's used to it by now. He's really very cuddly." Such an odd word. "Cuddly"? "Yes, um... it's like, comfortable, warm, soft. I'm sorry, do you have some form of name I could call you?" Nerulia is quite sufficient, m'lady. The youngest there is Basil, the older one is Bahn. "You do not need the formality. Dayn, the young one's Basil, the white one's Bahn." She looked to Nerulia again. "Bahn as in the Northern word for 'pure or fair'?" Nerulia nodded. We do understand you humans, even those not sharing your bloodline. "Oh. Can you hear Dayn when he speaks to me?" No, that is a link between the two of you, and it is solely yours to share. I could not access it if I wished. Your bond is very strong. Arryn looked at Dayn and smiled contentedly. "Yeah. I know."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn nodded slightly, the combined weight of the two young griffins sufficient enough to hold him down. <Excellent. I know their names and have no way of communicating with them.> Dayn gave Arryn a wolfish smile. <I know that smile, you're talking about me aren't you? Wait, you are talking with a griffin?>

 

[Dragongal]

"Yes on both accounts." Arryn smiled, then stood and walked over to him, gently nudging Basil away so she could curl up against his neck.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn mewled contently when Arryn curled up against his neck. <Hello beautiful.> He managed to stretch out some, only to have Basil and Bahn snuggle around him and Arryn again. <I'm sorry love, it would seem you have to compete for snuggle space.>

 

[Dragongal]

"I could probably tell them to back off if I want, but they're warm too. Unless you mind." As I said, their manners are not the most... polished yet. Apologize to him for me, please? "Nerulia apologizes for their lack of manners."

 

[BookWyrm]

<Their not too bad. As long as they don't crowd you out I'm fine.> Dayn wrapped his head around Arryn to the best he could manage. <I'm usually the one keeping you warm, and now I feel like they are helping keep me warm. It's kind of nice.>

 

[Dragongal]

We were going to begin war games soon, but you can... "cuddle"... with them as long as you like. We're in no hurry. "That works just fine for me." Arryn smiled and nuzzled against Dayn. "We should seriously just take a nap here. Yep, we're taking a nap. Right here. Covered in griffins." Arryn closed her eyes and dozed off for a bit, until the beating of wings woke her up again. Another griffin arrived back from a hunt, a large male, larger than Nerulia, but not quite as old. What have we here? He walked over to Arryn and Dayn and sniffed them slightly, then bowed, and returned to Nerulia's side. Arryn could tell they were conversing, before he laid down next to Nerulia as well. This is quite interesting. We haven't had one of the Line up here since Alistair, that was twelve of your years ago. And you're a lycanthrope as well? That's not healthy for you, my dear. "I'm aware," Arryn mumbled as she cuddled closer to Dayn. "He says hi."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn felt the eyes of the other griffin on him even before he had been sniffed. It almost felt judgmental in a way. The griffins respected Arryn because of her lineage, which in truth dwarfed his nobility by every standard. Maybe this is what commoners feel when nobles are around? <You seem to draw them out of the wood work love.> He was still trying to process everything that he had learned about Arryn. It was strange to be honest. He honestly felt meaningless compared to her, yet she loved him with reckless abandon, the same way he loved her.

 

[Dragongal]

"It's because they live right on the other ledge, and their young are laying on top of you." They're not my young, lass. I'm more of what you would call their uncle. "That... that's not the point, sir...." Leofald. Nerulia just pointed out to me that we don't actually know your name. Leofald was promptly cuffed over the head by Nerulia's wing. Arryn laughed and said, "I'm Arryn. This," Arryn nuzzled up against Dayn, "is Dayn."

 

[BookWyrm]

<I love it when you do that.> Dayn returned the nuzzle before tenderly licking her neck. <I know that they haven't seemed to be bothered by me, but I am still curious why.>

 

[Dragongal]

"Probably because you're mine." Arryn smiled as she said this, enjoying the attention from Dayn. I thought humans did not own each other anymore? Again Leofald got a cuff from Nerulia. Not that kind of possession you idiot. Arryn was busy laughing, then she relayed the comments to Dayn so he'd understand what she found so hilarious.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn smiled and chuckled. <Though this is probably obvious, they can't here me can they?>