send your spirit to follow

The night was clear, but cold enough that the air still burned in his lungs. Yet, it was calm enough that the stars hung still and sharp above the Citadel. Compassing easily from his lodge in the Greenwing to the Palace, Noah moved through the shadows until the faint warmth reached him, steam coiling in slow ribbons from Safrin’s Mirror. Tthe pool shimmered like a wound in the earth, as if filled not with water, but with starlight. 

He crouched at the edge, the warmth seeping into his knees, and set down a large, canvas and ursur-leather waterskin meant for transporting water on long trips. He propped it up and opened the top, readying it for filling. He then lifted a buck to the edge of the pool. The attuned watched silently for a few moments reverent before beginning his task. the ripples distorted the mirrored constellations from above, bending them into dancing shapes that gave their own worship to the herald here and now. It looked like it could swallow him whole, body and soul, and he wondered if that was what the goddess intended when she left such beauty here.

Noah

I still believe we can live forever
You and I we begin forever now

and the only solution was to stand and fight

Finishing his round of patrols, Deimos tilted his head to the wind, catching the cold breeze along his cheeks and jaw, content with the spring air. He might’ve gone home immediately after snatching the mail waiting for him at his multiple offices, stuffing it deep into his coat pockets to peel apart in the coziness of the Ignatius family’s dens, had he not caught movement out of the corner of his eye. Arching his brow, he took a glance towards Safrin’s Mirror, and figuring he’d see someone either soaking the day away or craving relaxation, he was surprising to see Noah there, affixed with canvas, waterskins, and along the edge, rather than within.

Torn between simply ignoring the situation or alleviating his curiosity, the Sword fought the entanglement of his primordial pettiness and apathy. In the end, he’d promised to try, and though their last conversation hadn’t gone wholly sideways, he knew there’d been far better days in the past. He settled for stoking inquiry, still a fair distance away, but close enough so the rumble of his tones would carry easily across water and snow. “You all right?”

DEIMOS

The silent admiration before beginning the task at hand ended when Deimos' voice broke over in the silence of the night. The Sentinel lifted his head and turned towards the warden, hips and legs twisting but not lifting him from his position. He let his eyes flick from his warden to his tools, then back, and he let out an airy response, somewhere between a laugh and a breath. "Yeah, I'm alright. Just gathering some materials for the shrine."

His hips twisted again and he gestured to the bucket, and then to the waters. "Safrin's stars are always here, and I wanted to have that be a piece of it." His voice was loud enough without shouting that Deimos would catch every syllable, but the attuned made note of the distance. Trying not to put much thought into it, and trying still on his part, Noah brushed it aside. "I was just about to climb in and start."

Noah

I still believe we can live forever
You and I we begin forever now

and the only solution was to stand and fight

The Sword listened as the explanation carried over the chilly breeze, and his gaze went down to the tools assembled, the comprehension and understanding of it reaching him. He took a long, deep breath, clenching his jaw, processing his next course of actions; to leave Noah with the starlit waters and the warm plumes, or to conduct what had always called at him; assisting, aiding, lending a hand when and where it was necessary.

Eventually one wore over the other, and he took a few steps towards the springs, but not enough to feel as though he was overstepping. “Do you want help?” Simple and easy enough, letting the low rumble persist along the open air. If not, then the decision had been made for him.

DEIMOS

”Sure.” Noah said, giving a nod. Steam drifted in slow veils over the pool, thin enough that the stars beneath still glimmered. ”I was going to use one of my new shifts to walk on the surface of the springs. I’ll fill the bucket, and you could fill this water skin?" Noah asked, indicated to one of the skins. The water shimmered with constellations arranged perfectly across its surface. Hands would shatter that. Magic could lift it whole.

Without hesitating any longer, Noah lifted himself up and shifted. His limbs lengthened, spine stretching into something lithe and powerful. Scales shimmered where skin had been. His mane unfurled in a soft, flowing crest. He stepped forward and the springs did not break beneath him. The surface held, rippling only in soft halos. Starlight clung to his scales as he stepped out onto the water, having lifted the bucket by its handle in his mouth, and he made his way towards a cluster of specifically beautiful constellation reflections.

Noah

I still believe we can live forever
You and I we begin forever now

and the only solution was to stand and fight

At Noah’s acceptance, Deimos steeled and forged himself, calm and composed as he took steps and strides over to the springs. Warm, inviting, and invigorating, the essence of Safrin remained wholly transfixing; he could see why it’d been appropriate for Noah’s quest. At the indication of next and necessary steps, the Sword nodded, arching his brow, briefly curious about the newest shift and how that would help –

So when it arrived, he relented with another brief nod, keeping his gaze downward thereafter, ensuring his focus and concentration on his own task at hand. Tilting his head and contemplating portions, he banked the waterskin with Earth incantations, ensuring it would stay put, as he unfurled other means and methods – snagging at the liquid with Water and Air, combining the segments together as they floated, glided, and filtered into the waterskin.

DEIMOS

Hold fast till the brink of daylight

Stepping out onto the water as a longma served Noah better in the long run. He didn’t have to take the time to strip off his clothes, submerge, gather the water, dry, dress, and then haul everything home. While he would still need to carry the water, he could easily manage that with several of his other shifts. But in this form—this water-walking dragon-horse—he didn’t have to risk frostbite from wet hair or lose precious time drying before bringing the water back to the lodge.

Flicking his gaze to the clearest patches of reflected sky—a bright cluster near the far edge, a steady arc in the center—the hunter moved toward it. Lowering his muzzle, the Sentinel dipped the bucket carefully into the spring. The metal clanged softly as it touched the surface, sending rings of silver and gold rippling outward, distorting the mirrored constellations and making the stars dance across the water. He could feel the bucket gain weight as water filled it, and he watched as flickers and reflections of stars almost swam in to be collected.

Where the shadow proves the sunshine

and the only solution was to stand and fight

Deimos fell into an easy rhythm – concentration and focus honed in on utilizing the three incantations simultaneously. Power and prowess merged as they functioned and traversed, gently escorting constellation filled water from one spot to the other. The reflection of the sky would remain embedded as the portion of water was raised upwards on the air, traversing in a quiet, unsung glide towards the waterskin. Some pockets would trace flickers of starlight and others a depiction of the moon; enigmas of the surface they reflected beneath light and along grandeur.

And while Noah might have expected silence, the Sword could stretch his mind in capacity and deliberation, purposefully ensuring his thoughts were strengthened and dispersed simultaneously; growth for the brain as well as all his other enchantments. Marcus has been out quite a bit lately he mentioned, casting the rumble through the Attuned bond to the dragon-horse. Offered to help bring the luxere herd in.

DEIMOS

Hold fast till the brink of daylight

He is certainly trying to find his place in the world. I’m happy he gets to do it in relative peace. Noah regarded, walking back towards the edge of the pool where the other water skin rested. Graceful upon the water in a way he did not know in any other form, there was barely a whisper of his presence. His hooves, golden and solid, were almost phantoms on the surface of the water with only the faintest of ripples disturbing the tension of the surface.

Better him than me! the Sentinel guffawed. There are lots of things I am, but I’m no singer. They’d of been running from me. there was humor run thick over the attuned bond, and as his glacier eyes flicked to the Sword he waited for the rumble of laughter he knew to be so familiar to come. Noah stepped over the edge of the pool and set his bucket down. How is Erebos?

Where the shadow proves the sunshine

and the only solution was to stand and fight

More quiet casting of magic unleashed; ensuring droplets were forged in measured precision and the wake of their starlit designs. Opening up about Noah’s son seemed to have spurned away the silence, and while Deimos wasn’t certain about the multitudes, he could, at the very least, try there. Agreed,, he cast, brows furrowing when he caught and snagged on the pulsing wake of cosmos flickering about the liquid, before carefully assembling it within the waterskin again. That their children would know peace and repose well before violence was something the Sword had rarely opportunity to consider; too busy forging himself on frontlines ensuring neither Erebos, nor many others, would bear such scars.

I am hopeful Amhran can sing us through he granted back; never quite certain on his own musical talents – his dark magic would be an onslaught against the herd on its own. Erebos is doing well. Lots of talking, running, and getting into mischief.

DEIMOS

Hooves dissolved into hands, scales fading to skin. The longma’s strength folded inward, ribs tightening, spine shortening, until Noah stood on two feet again, breath fogging in the cold. Speaking of, he started, still choosing to use the attuned bond to speak rather than break the solace of the starlit night, have you ever thought about creating something like the King’s End refuge here in Halo? protected stretch of land… somewhere people could run to if things ever turned bad again. His tone held no judgment, only a steady curiosity.

He crouched beside the bucket he’d filled, steadying it with one hand while he retrieved the other, waiting waterskin with the other. The starlit water shimmered faintly, and he carefully he tilted the bucket’s lip toward the mouth of the skin. The liquid slid in a smooth, glowing ribbon, light catching and bending in the leather. I bet he’s putting Evie through the wringer. He mused, looking towards the Sword with an eye-wrinkling smirk.

Noah

I still believe we can live forever
You and I we begin forever now

and the only solution was to stand and fight

Checking the status of the waterskin, he peered into the depths of moonlit water, figuring it was likely enough – Noah would say otherwise. He didn’t expect the statement rambling through the Attuned bond though, and his brow arched. An understandable notion, but given what they knew about the Refuge, and the work behind it, he wasn’t certain if it was a necessity. From what I understand, the Refuge is there for the whole of Caido. Not just King’s End. So, would it be necessary for Halo to also construct one? He and Evie had discussed possible shelter opportunities, hence why the Palace had been converted – but the Citadel itself was one massive structure meant to protect and shield. The amount of labor they’d put into it, especially against the Family, left him pondering, eyes narrowed as he brought the portions over for Noah.

As for Erebos, he wasn’t certain if there was an implication that he wasn’t also caring for his own child, or if he was leaving everything up to Evie. It couldn’t be further from the truth, for he’d long since spent hours working towards schedules, appointments arranged, to ensure he could be home at some points throughout the day. All of us, really he sighed, quirking the barest of grins, wondering if he was being seen as some kind of absentee father. But he is kind and clever, so we will endure.

DEIMOS

Filling his waterskin from the bucket, and then accepting Deimos' work, Noah was satisfied that the work was done. Noah let out a breath, its steam arleady causing more ice to form along his beard. Not instead of the Refuge, he clarified, the thought low and even. Just… Halo’s distance. If something ever happened again—gods forbid—it’s a long run from here to King’s End. He rolled a shoulder as if to shake off the heaviness of the idea. Which is just what it was. An idea.

The Sword carried the world on his back. He carried Halo, its people, its borders, its politics; and fatherhood was hardly separate from that. Noah hadn’t meant it like that, that Deimos did not care for his son or meet his needs. Not even close. He never doubted Deimos’s presence. Never doubted his effort. He just knew the reality of raising children -- mothers, more often than anyone else, carried the heaviest burden. It was the nature of having grown, nurtured, sustained, protected, and shared the life with them. You're both lucky for him. The Sentinel smiled.

Standing, Noah gathered up the supplies and reached out to shake Deimos' hand. Thanks for the help. I will be assembling the shrine soon and will need other followers of Safrin and Vi to help. I'll send word to the Citadel when it will be, and if you're not already busy maybe you would like to see it.

FIN

Noah

I still believe we can live forever
You and I we begin forever now