His quest had led him to the Frostfields, and Hadama stood wrapped in a thick parka against the unfamiliar cold of the northern clime. Even though Longheat warmed - or baked - the rest of Caido there were still stretches of Halo that resisted the season. Beneath the silvery moonlight he had teleported from the southern corner of Svaturis Bay to the very western edge of the island overlooking the ocean to satisfy his task from Safrin.
But he was not alone in that isolated promontory.
Across the gently rolling stretch of frosty ground to the east a pair of luxere with violet-black antlers grazed beneath the northern lights, occasionally snorting or shaking their heavy heads with a sense of constant irritation. As Hadama turned to investigate the sound of crunching hooves and animal presence one of the Void Luxere lifted its rack, dark eyes focusing on the demigod with the first spark of territorial rage lighting in them. It pawed the ice-covered grasses and let out a bellicose trumpet to alert its herdmate before charging the Tidebreaker.
Void Luxere (Common): Their once glowing antlers now emit an unsettling void-glow, repelling light magic and casting a shadow over the icy landscape. Extremely aggressive. If killed, they yield rotten meat.
Back from Torchline, Noah was out on the tundra. He and his children had hunted early in the morning, but the demigod had since sent them home with what they harvested. There was some evidence of the void that Noah wanted to tend to, and he didn’t want his children in the fray should anything go south (such as a giant massive crazy ursur show up again).
Stalking along, the demigod found the same pair of luxere that Hadama had, though from the other side. It wasn’t until the luxere lifted its head and gave the signs of violence that Noah noticed he wasn’t the only one there. His glacier eyes widened and he acted quickly and with force. Noah summoned his Spirit Stag to charge the luxere that had chosen his friend as his target. the forsaken
Beneath the protective light of Safrin's stars, Hadama showed no fear at the unexpected attack. The ocean at his back was no barrier, but he was disinclined to retreat from any creature of the Void and so he stood his ground with grim determination, though he didn't have time to do more.
The flare of sunlight was almost blinding in the night as Noah's Spirit Stag appeared, a visual antithesis to the Void Luxere in every line. The Tidebreaker did not relax, but some of the grimness eased from his jaw at the realization of what that creature meant, even as it slammed into the dark luxere and sent it staggering to its knees, scorched and wounded.
The second luxere had not quite grasped the how the situation had changed and it turned to follow its herdmate. The strange glowing stag had disappeared but Hadama remained--
Ready, now that his friend had bought him time. He borrowed strength from the moon above to generate a trio of Gravity Spikes on the charging beast. The first caused it to stumble, the second brought it to its knees, and the third finished it off. The dark light in its eyes snuffed out, leaving only the wounded first luxere struggling to its feet as it stumbled towards Hadama, determined to strike at least one blow against someone - anyone - in its maddened state.
Despite the luxere’s determination, drowned and tainted into evil inclinations from the possession of the void, Noah was stronger. He summoned his stag again to turn and charge on his first target, and without hesitation the embodiment of Vi’s bright and brilliant dedication to life brought decimation to the creature.
The Forsaken teleported to Hadama’s side, offering his friend a massive grin and his arm out in greeting. ”Nasty things, compared to what they should be.” Noah said, turning to look at the now deceased void luxeres. ”Rae’s creation is much, much better.” It truly was — being able to dispel dark magic and keeping not only Halovians, but many others, safe for generations in ways ranging from their meat to their magical properties. These twisted bastardized things made his stomach turn. the forsaken
There was no time to call on the moon a second time in so short a span, but neither was there reason to worry. A second stag of brilliant sunlight appeared, far swifter than the injured Void Luxere, and it brought a final end to the threat. Grateful for the help, Hadama began to look around for his friend, who must be nearby--
The sudden appearance via teleportation caused the Tidebreaker to draw a quiet but sharp breath of surprise that turned into an exhalation that was almost a laugh as he reached to clasp his friend's forearm in a sturdy grip. "Noah, thank you. The help was most appreciated." Clean kills for them both, in contrast with the corruption of what they had slain and he nodded grim agreement to the Forsaken's sentiments. "Indeed. Were you hunting them?" An assumption that Hadama felt comfortable making, given both Noah's skills as a hunter and his staunch defense of his home from the Void. The night was more than merely chilly on the Tundra at night, even in Longheat, but the light of the stars and partial moon overhead reflected from the frost-laden grasses and lit the scene in bright if monochrome illumination.
With his Sentinel's jacket, and even on the tundra at night, Noah was warm. Pulling the collar up closer around his neck and the wool covering that was there, he nodded again at his friend. "I was. Well, I was at least investigating for them. I was on a hunt earlier with my children, and when we got back to the lodge there was report of some void luxere and ursur about. These were the first ones I found." He let his eyes fall out over the horizon, half shifted, to be able to keep an eye out for the also mentioned, but not yet detected, ursur.
"What brings you out to Halo?" He didn't glance back at Hadama, instead keeping his head on a swivel. He then took his spear from his back and walked a few paces towards the dead bodies of the luxere. Once close enough, he used the spear to spray fire over the corpses. the forsaken
Hadama was less warm, but at least Halo's eternal chill was slightly less brutal in Longheat - even at night. The parka he wore was nowhere near as insulating as Noah's magical jacket, but it was enough for him to maintain a pretense of comfort it was a lie. Halo was no place for a Torcher as they spoke. "Mmh. They are spreading." A grim realization, and he stepped up beside the Forsaken as he began the task of cleansing the permafrost of the corrupted carcasses.
The question eased some of the tightness at the corners of his eyes, and he cast his gaze upwards for a moment to admire the stars above, and the faint ribbons of colors in the sky to the north. "A task for Safrin. To improve my own teleportation." He looked back at his friend to see how much was left to burn. "I must travel to the four farthest points of Caido at night. This is the place farthest west." And only one journey remained, once this was done.
But it would not be finished tonight. And there was a more important task immediately at hand. "Would you like company on your hunt?"
Noah lifted a brow when Hadama mentioned his quest. "I hope she isn't sending you to the Draig alone." But the hunter knew Hadama to be a wiser man than a risk-taking man,so hehad certainly figured out the northern most part and its dangers on his own.
"Unfortunately so." Noah said, finishing charring the last remnants of the bastardized luxere stag. "Having you along would be great." He flashed his friend a smile before he replaced his spear back on his back and started off deeper into the tundra.
And so the two demigods set off, and with the same ferocity and tenacity that they used to bring down the luxere, they were able to slay two lumbering void ursur with the same grotesque, destructive path.
Fin the forsaken
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