Tales of Aequar: Runite's Rise IC IV

[Dusk Eclipse]

"How much of San De sol have you seen?"

"Not much really, between Assassin vines and crazy warlocks with Landshark pets we haven't been able to explore as well as wanted to, we entered through the westernmost entrance and followed the corridors until we found Alice" Artorias summarizes.

The hawk lets out another cry, and the other two fly to her.

Sif barks hastily to the halfling, who translates, "you. Are you an arcanist too?"

Artorias seems surprised by the question "Sort of.... I don't know how to explain it, but I've been studying arcane magic for a few weeks now and.... well it is weird, but coming here somehow allowed me to finally understand what I was supposed to do" Artorias produces a small flame in his hand*"I never thought I would be able to do stuff like this" he plays with the flame as he speaks.

Spoiler: *

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Just casting prestidigitation to produce the small flame

[super dark33]

Oh that explains a lot. I knew somthing was different.

Surdrak didnt know somthing was different or had a way to. he sounded weary and slightly down.

[Silverraptor]

"Wait what?!"
Sora starts as Artorias conjures the little flame in his hand.
"You mean you have been becoming a Jadeite on us for a few weeks now without telling any of us?!"

[Dusk Eclipse]

Sora's outburst is startles Artorias, but he manages to keep the flame controlled "Becoming a Jadeite...what?" he sputters for a moment before managing to compose himself"As clichéd as it sounds I didn't tell you because you never asked... to be honest I wasn't even sure what I was studying exactly, I mean I knew it was a spellbook, but I couldn't make any sort of sense of it, at least until now"

[CoffeeIncluded]

Jadeite claps a hand to his chest. "Oh Sora, how could you say such hurtful and untrue things about such a benevolent man as myself? And to insult Artorias for such a great achievement as well!"

[super dark33]

Never heared of anyone named "Myself", or the mention of him in the discussion. He sounds like a chill person. But anyway, as far as wizards go the bar has been set incredibly low so dont worry about disappointing us Artae.

[Silverraptor]

"I'm not insulting anyone. I'm just hurt that Artorias didn't think to trust us enough to tell us about what is a life changing aspect."
She puts on her best fake doggie eyes, looking up at Artorias.
"Is it true that you don't like us enough?"

Spoiler

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In case its not obvious, Sora is joking around and milking the situation the best she can.

[Dusk Eclipse]

"I uh...wait... what?"

[CoffeeIncluded]

"Surdrak, you know a better wizard? Oh, please do introduce me to them." He grins.

The halfling and dogs look at each other. When there's a break in the conversation, he clears his voice and asks, "Um, anyway, where did you meet Ciaran?"

[Dusk Eclipse]

"Ciaran?Artorias asks confused before an shrill cry from the hawk makes him understand "She found us after we killed Alice, she is the one who brought us here"

[CoffeeIncluded]

The dogs and halfling go silent as they look up at the hawk. The three other hawks, two smaller males and a female about the same size as Ciaran, fly to the lone hawk and hold some sort of conference spoken in tail flicks and rustled feathers as much as raspy cries. Below them, the blink dogs do the same.

When the halfling eventually begins translating again, his voice is much more unsure and deliberate, as if he really isn't understanding what Sif and the other blink dogs are saying but simply parroting it instead. "Ciarian was the familiar of our leader," he says. "When he died, she escaped. Though she is no longer a familiar, she always was, and remembers that. You, do you have a familiar?"

[Dusk Eclipse]

"A familiar?" Artorias sounds cofused "I do not have one"

[CoffeeIncluded]

There's some more whispers (loud whispers, ad dogs aren't known for keeping quiet and blink dogs are no exception) until the halfling translates, in a somewhat awed voice, "Ciarian seems intent on changing that."

Spoiler

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Sorry, I'm studying for my physics final right now.

[Draconi Redfir]

Elsee scratched at a bite lil'miss had left on her head, pointing at invisible dots with her free hand as she thought. "Waaaiit... aren't familliers supposed t obe fragments of your own soul or something? How can one guy get annother guy's famillier as a famillier?"

[CoffeeIncluded]

Jadeite looks at Elsee, surprised that she knows that fact about arcane spellcasters and their familiars.

"Not quite," Jadeite says, reluctantly stepping in as the halfling is clearly out of his depth. "The soul is shared, but his old...we, dog is now dead. She is on her own, but remembers being a familiar and recalls that bond. To put it in common parlance, there is a gap, and that gap should be filled."

[Dusk Eclipse]

"Wow.... I'd be honoured"

[CoffeeIncluded]

"Then we can begin now," the halfling translates as Sif and the other dogs vanish for several moments, only reappearing with chalk, candles, and multiple strange implements. Jadeite seems to recognize them though, and immediately steps in to assist. As Hemlock climbs up his shoulder to flick his tongue out at the hawk, Jadeite gives a list of short instructions which he clearly expects Artorias and the rest of the Wyvern's Fangs to promptly follow.

"Stand here. Raise your arms like this. Step back and stand in a circle, everyone--yes, just like that. Recite this chant as accurately as you can."

Soon Artorias is standing in the middle of a carefully drawn and marked circle bound by candles, whose light reflects off the stone and the eyes of every being in the ancient room. Though it's a bright sunny day the room seems to dim, even the light filtering through the windows seems to darken and fade until the main source of light present comes from the flickering candlelight. As the ritual chanting, so strange when spoken in three languages at once while following the same rhythm in all of them, continues, even the least magically inclined present can feel something changing and shifting in the air. Surdrak can feel the voices growling in the back of his mind.

And Artorias...

As the chants continue, he can feel himself shifting and expanding, spreading out thin, stretching out until he feels himself, his consciousness brush against something small and feathered and red. A bright shining swift red, a predatory mind, a cooperative and proud mind that looks straight back at him in the body of Ciaran.

The spell continues but Artorias doesn't really hear it anymore, not when he can hear the thoughts and the mindset of Ciaran become more coherent, not when he can feel the link being built. And then the spell finishes, abruptly stops.

It's a sudden sharp shock, not painful but more like ice water down the back of his neck and it's enough to make Artorias reflexively jerk his head up and gasp. And then it's finished. He doesn't feel much different at first, but then he looks. There's a path in his mind, an extra space that moves somewhere else where there wasn't one before. And as Artorias moves into this new space in his mind, he can feel things that are entirely new. He feels like there should be feathers down his arms and stretching over his fingers, like his vision should be several times more keen than it is. He can feel not-feathers rustling as the dogs exhale on them, can feel the currents in the air.

And he looks back at Ciaran and knows that the hawk feels the same things when she looks into the new space in her mind as well.

Spoiler: How's this?

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you can post now.

[Dusk Eclipse]

Artorias stares at Ciaran; for how long? He isn't really sure, it could have been a second, a minute, an hour it doesn't matter. He offers his right arm to Ciaran, welcoming her into his mind, into his soul.

[CoffeeIncluded]

Ciaran hops onto Artorias's arm, holding on with a loose grip and only hooking in her talons in clothing, not his skin. She hope onto his shoulder and stretches out her wings as if she's always belonged there.

"...She suits you," the halfling says. "And you suit her as well."

[Dusk Eclipse]

Artorias smiles fondly "I know" despite the feeling of content this new presence in his mind reminds Artorias that someone had hurt his pack, and they should be punished for that. "You are right, we have some unfinished business" he turns towards the halfing and the remaining blink dogs "Do you have anything that could help us track the warlocks?" he asks with a predatory grin.

[CoffeeIncluded]

The dogs and halfling pause, look at each other, and then return equally predatory grins in kind.

"You mean something containing their scent?"

Spoiler: On my presence tomorrow:

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I might be able to do one post in the morning, but then I'll be drunk as a skunk and out of commission until the afternoon.

[Dusk Eclipse]

"Excatly, a scrap of cloth or anything really" Artorias nods.

[CoffeeIncluded]

The dogs nod, and one of the more wiry dogs vanishes, returning with a leathery strip of...something that's rough even as it smells vaguely of dried blood.

[Dusk Eclipse]

"I need to learn to do that" Artorias deadpans before taking the... something, he closes his eyes focusing for a moment before sniffing the strip.

Spoiler: Actions

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Enter Hunter's Sense stance
Take 20 in wisdom check for scent

[CoffeeIncluded]

The smell is faint inside this still room, and the only molecules of this dusty dry iron-and-stone smell present came in as the Wyvern's Fangs entered. Artorias has to step outside to get a good whiff, looking up at the still-shining rays of light as he breaths in deep. There isn't much of the smell on this side, but it gets stronger the further on the other side he goes. They're somewhere on the other side of San De Sol, the side they haven't yet explored.

Meanwhile, back inside one of the puppies pops out of the room she was in and appears not too far from Badger and Naga. The blink puppy looks up at Naga and whines, curious. One of the sorcerer blink dogs notices and stands closer, protective but not yet aggressive.

The puppy takes the time to look at everyone else as well.

[Dusk Eclipse]

"Aww isn't that cute" Artorias says as he comes back into the room. "I think I found a lead on them"

[CoffeeIncluded]

"Where are they?" Jadeite asks as more puppies appear to play with the group, much to the consternation of their parents. One particularly bold puppy darts forward to lick Surdrak's hand.

[super dark33]

Surdrak's resolve started to fracture as the adorable pup started to lick.
In an attempt to stay calm, He reached with his hand to pet the pup, his hand going through it two times before managing to pet it proparly.

[Dusk Eclipse]

"Across the ruin, probably on the other side" Artorias answers "If we hurry we can maybe catch them by surprise, take them down before they can retaliate"

[Athedia]

The smell is faint inside this still room, and the only molecules of this dusty dry iron-and-stone smell present came in as the Wyvern's Fangs entered. Artorias has to step outside to get a good whiff, looking up at the still-shining rays of light as he breaths in deep. There isn't much of the smell on this side, but it gets stronger the further on the other side he goes. They're somewhere on the other side of San De Sol, the side they haven't yet explored.

Meanwhile, back inside one of the puppies pops out of the room she was in and appears not too far from Badger and Naga. The blink puppy looks up at Naga and whines, curious. One of the sorcerer blink dogs notices and stands closer, protective but not yet aggressive.

The puppy takes the time to look at everyone else as well.

Badger laid her hand on Naga's muzzle, encouraging the small dog to lie down so the puppy could approach. She sat still waiting for the puppy to approach and held out a hand so the puppy could sniff.