[SE] What ghost around, comes around

Time has stopped before us The sky cannot ignore us Ordinarily, the Sword’s patrols had him on foot; committed to walking amidst the boundary lines of the Citadel’s walls or hastening along with other soldiers, ensuring safety measures were productive, resolute, and enforced. They didn’t need another horrific incident like Rhiannon’s, nor any other unsatisfactory notions leaping into Halo’s sanction. For today though, with the weather looming and promising another bizarre set of events, he opted for the thunderbird approach. Half-hoping nothing else had been affected in the bizarre status of rain, the usual snow, or the strange screaming thunder patterns, he’d taken to snagging his massive form amidst the open Fangs, staring down into the jagged mountains and fallen crag. Their fallen springs was its own ghost now, swallowed up by snow and stone, and with Safrin’s fringes tucked well within the Citadel, perhaps it scarcely mattered. Moving onward, his sharp gaze bore witness to the collapses caves, the labyrinth of rock if strangers crossed too many lines and shoals. Then, gazing upward, he thought he saw someone else flying amidst the patterns of eerie, enigmatic sky; wings outstretched. Hello? was a customary extension; his Attuned skills honed enough to speak through either bonds or rarer creatures - mind already beginning to strive and determine on what was incoming, and what to do about it. the Resurrected Sword No one can separate us For we are all that is left

Like any great love, it keeps you guessing

What had brought Sohalia to Halo in Leafchange was an ever-present sense of searching that she had failed to curtail in the time since Stormbreak's fall. Her time had been so wrapped up in searching for a solution, then in evacuating the city, that to have nothing specific to do now rankled her. She stayed at Wildering House in Torchline for a few days at a time, then wandered off again to some far corner of the world. This time, she was studying the strange weather patterns.

Halo, it seemed, had the same oddities that the other regions were experiencing, and as the pegasus lanced through the clouded sky, she contemplated the bizarre happenings of the past few seasons. Was there something sinister in it all, she wondered, or was this simply natural occurrences gone wrong?

A familiar voice rang out over the Attuned bond; Soh startled, not having seen anyone approach through the clouds. Deimos? she replied, flapping her wings hard to hover, briefly, and search for any figure that might be the Warden.

Like any real love, it's ever-changing

Sohalia

Time has stopped before us The sky cannot ignore us Eternally suspicious, given the track record of his multiple lives, he waited, hovering, large wings extended, snagging at the different thermals rising above the Fangs’ wide open persistence. When an answer resounded, and not one he expected, his thunderbird head tilted a degree, as if there was a puzzle he was attempting to solve in midair. On recognition, he flew towards the sound, so he wasn’t a glimpse or an echo; only for enemies, not friends and familiar individuals. Sohalia? What brings you out this way? As she shifted closer, she was far more recognizable in stature, having witnessed her attempts in Pegasus form amidst the rodeo. Snorting on an inward thought, he flew a little closer, but still cautious, the expansion of this shift always something he had to mull over. Congratulations on your efforts at the rodeo. Erebos, and himself really, had found Koa soaring through the air greatly amusing, and quite swift – hidden talents lurking in the depths of the Luminary. the Resurrected Sword No one can separate us For we are all that is left

Like any great love, it keeps you guessing

A shadow appeared through the clouds, and upon further inspection, Sohalia found that Deimos was in the form of a thunderbird - not a shift she'd previously seen of his, but one that did not particularly surprise her. Of course Deimos would have badass shifts. Not that Soh's were bad, by any stretch - just that his fit him just as hers fit her.

Finding hovering to be difficult, Soh shifted her wingbeats to allow herself to soar more readily through the air, gliding through the clouds near Deimos. Is it terrible that I'm not really sure? she mused, finding that she was more comfortable around the Warden after their game of tag last season. I've been having trouble staying still, since Stormbreak fell.

His congratulations landed and Soh snorted, a small giggle escaping despite her efforts to remain indifferent. Oh! Thanks, she replied. It was a lot of fun. Particularly given who her rider was, though she wasn't about to get into that history with Deimos. Some things were better shared just amongst one's girlfriends.

Like any real love, it's ever-changing

Sohalia

The air grows suddenly, oppressively still around you. Caught in the eye of a storm you didn't know you were in, you almost wish for the shrieking cries, for thunderous wails of unrest.

Instead, it's a mournful, keening sound that sighs overhead, like a voice too tired to scream any longer. More human, perhaps, than any other voice in the storm, you're nevertheless relieved when it's gone.

---

You have encountered one of the Scream Rain SE serendipities! You may use this to complete requirement 1. of the seasonal event. Please note: this serendipity CANNOT be used for levelling purposes.

Time has stopped before us The sky cannot ignore us Her response didn't bother him - prone to those notions himself. No, he answered honestly, a shrug brimming through his hovering depths and wide plumage. How many times had they all wandered, perilously or not, due to the circumstances surrounding them? Sometimes to think. Sometimes to seethe. Sometimes he would go out into the void to simply unfurl away from the masses; unleash a quantity of violence and vehemence, a way to not stay cooped up and frustrated. I think you are allowed to figure things out. Sometimes those journeys are crucial. He maneuvered slowly, a light downward spiral of movement and motion, taking to the skies on patrol and leisure simultaneously. Wholly unaware and ignorant of the relationship history between Sohalia and Koa, though on the latter he wouldn’t be remotely surprised, he simply nodded, meant to say something else, when the sky lamented. Like the dying ebb and flow from earlier shrieks and screams he’d heard in the Greatwood, this was like one last guttural nuance before giving up and giving in. The mourning keen drowned his senses and caused him to still. If he’d had more than a beak to clench, he would’ve; instead he felt the pervading nuances oppressively and overwhelmingly tied across his ribcage; knots he’d known, nooses he’d once made for himself. Only when it was gone did he sigh, bothered, perturbed. I will be glad when all of those stop. the Resurrected Sword No one can separate us For we are all that is left

Like any great love, it keeps you guessing

Deimos's understanding filled the Attuned bond, and something in Soh's chest relaxed at the notion that perhaps she wasn't a foolish girl striving to find something that didn't actually exist. Maybe this was just a part of her journey - a rite of passage, as it were - and she would emerge on the other side, victorious, stronger for having made the trip.

A sudden stillness had the pegasus tensing, wings flapping awkwardly enough that she dropped a few feet in the air before steadying herself. The moaning, keening sound of the sky was an unpleasant thing, and a shiver ran up the Luminary's spine as she waited for the sound to pass. You and me both, she commented, relieved that she wasn't the only one bothered by the scream rain. Give her a good thunderstorm any day; no more of this shrieking, wailing, moaning nonsense.

In any case, with the passing of the noise, her manners returned and she filled the void left behind with polite inquiries. How is your family? she asked. How old is Erebos now? And how is Evie?

Like any real love, it's ever-changing

Sohalia

Time has stopped before us The sky cannot ignore us e kept his eyes on the sky, upwards and then along the horizon, studying the formation of vivid grief before it filtered and dispersed onward, as if it was never there. But they all knew better; the tragedies lingered for far longer than most, and grappling with those parameters was never an even, straight line. His head tilted though at her questions, bringing back the moments into focus; a long deep breath passing through his massive form as he hovered in place, then began to maneuver again, circling above the Fangs on a leisurely approach, trying to see if he could snag on any movement from below. They are well. Erebos is six, and recently bonded to a frost fox. So perhaps Sohalia could imagine the additional chaos of the Ignatius household; companions amidst the host of individuals. All they needed was Amhran to find something and they’d each have some semblance of their own bonded mayhem. Evie and I have been working on the nursery. But then he couldn’t recall what Sohalia’s plans had been for the thereafter; perhaps there hadn’t been one at the time. Get the citizens out. Let Stormbreak fall. A system of abrupt, harsh, unrelenting changes in the face of devastation, and while he didn’t voice it, he had to wonder how the young woman had grappled with everything – from once leading the city, inspiring changes, being abducted from her throne, and then to watch it destroyed from the inside out. And then, just when they’d reclaimed it….to have it all splinter and fracture apart again. He voiced none of those things; it wasn’t in his nature to make the barbarities worse (unless of course it was an adversary or an enemy; the Luminary was neither of those things). Instead it was light, hoping she’d caught a line somewhere in the wind. Did you find some place to settle in? Even if it was just for the present, Deimos had always believed stability was important. the Resurrected Sword No one can separate us For we are all that is left

Like any great love, it keeps you guessing

The scream rain seemed to move on, leaving them behind for the time being, although Soh was under no illusions that it would be back with a vengeance. It seemed that, like seasons prior, strange weather occurrences were here to stay. At least this time it didn't come with memory mud or wildfires - so surely they could withstand a bit of wailing and moaning from the sky if it didn't come with any real consequences.

Six! Already? Soh asked, surprise filtering through the bond. It seems only yesterday he was just a baby. And a frost fox? How exciting for him! Perhaps less so for his parents; Deimos, she knew, had companions of his own, and if she recalled correctly, so did Evie, though she didn't know the woman well. What chaos they must live in, with so many people and animals, and another on the way!

If Soh felt a pang of envy, she shoved it down; she was happy for Deimos and his family, truly. But it was true that maybe she wished for just a little of that chaos for herself. Perhaps one day she would be so fortunate.

As for where she was staying, that was easy enough: I'm living in Torchline currently, she said. Although I've been traveling a great deal. Unsure where to put down her roots, and in being untethered, she found herself falling back into old, wandering habits.

Like any real love, it's ever-changing

Sohalia

Time has stopped before us The sky cannot ignore us His eyes glanced down towards the Fangs themselves; the wide open abyss and the stony, grave of the former springs still there, before maneuvering onward, catching another long line of labyrinthine proportions awakened to the sky. Her surprise made him laugh though; for not that much time had passed. Ordinarily he would still be a toddler. He aged himself up at a shrine. As seemed to be the typical way of it; though Deimos was still always a little wary of the notions, of a youth wanting to be more and rushing through the process. But these were things he’d worked for, strived for, over many years of heartache, loss, grief, and sorrow – and wouldn’t trade them for anything. Nodding with thunderbird movements and motions at the Torchline aspects, a predictable outcome, he curved and banked along to the right. Probably a good time to do that anyway. Not tied down to anything. Beholden to no one but herself. It’d probably been a long while since the Luminary had been able to do just that. Halo has a new hot springs, if that suits your ambitions. And Safrin has upgraded our warmth barrier. While the wintry terrain wasn't always the most ideal vacation spot, it certainly allowed for traversing and exploring, so long as they did so safely. the Resurrected Sword No one can separate us For we are all that is left

Like any great love, it keeps you guessing

The landscape meant little to Soh, who was unfamiliar with so much of Halo; it was something she intended to remedy in this strange and somehow exciting time that she had to herself, now that Stormbreak was gone and its citizens were settled in their new homes. Still, she could appreciate the sheer size of the region. It would take her ages to map it all. Maybe she'd decide to do that when summer rolled back around. It would be far easier and more comfortable to map things that weren't covered in snow.

The news that Erebos had aged up was a surprise, but it made more sense than him being six already on his own. I see, Soh said dubiously. That... seems like a lot to process for your family. For parents who, perhaps, were not ready to see their child begin to grow up so quickly. But then, maybe she was projecting feelings onto the Ignatius family that did not belong to them.

Soh banked alongside Deimos, careful to stay clear of his massive wings as the wind carried them along. That's wonderful news, she said of the changes to Halo. I'm so pleased for you all, truly. Her mental smile could be felt through the bond. I'll have to investigate before I return to Torchline. There was certainly much still for her to see, and if the warmth barrier was upgraded to keep the area warmer... well, that was one obstacle, at least, out of her way.

Like any real love, it's ever-changing

Sohalia

Time has stopped before us The sky cannot ignore us His eyes flicked over to the edge of some portions, where the Crag lingered below, in the outcrops of wild, icy sea; fallen away and holding mageglass for those who sought its power and dominion. From there, he took a slower approach towards plumes of high-rising and jagged rock, glancing into its depths and seeing naught out of place, the stray glow of a few moonshrooms contorted in shadow a vibrant taste of things still capable in the darkness. Sohalia’s response would’ve made his brows furrow, had he any on a thunderbird’s countenance to do so. Instead, he extended his wings out a little further, letting the wind ruffle the plumage. I had a harder time with it, truthfully. Did not want him to rush through childhood. To miss out on things that shaped and implored, on times fresh, fragile, but necessary, of growth and character and personality, all shifting into place the more one experienced. For the Sword, his youth had been one of the few fleeting, precious things before disaster struck; battlefields made juvenile innocence seem like lifetimes before when it had been only days prior. And for Erebos, he'd only wanted to be with them – venture further, dare farther. Sohalia’s statements seemed to hold true, and he nodded. I also heard from Ru, per their last discussion, between falling pieces of Stormbreak and a lost friend. All of your citizens were accounted for, in the end? the Resurrected Sword No one can separate us For we are all that is left

Like any great love, it keeps you guessing

The landscape far below was rocky and barren, or at least it appeared to be so to the naked eye. But where nothing seemed to grow, Soh knew better: in Caido, there were often dangers lurking unseen, or creatures thriving where they had seemingly no business doing so. In all likelihood, there were all manner of things below, both friend and foe.

For her part, she was glad they were in the air.

Deimos's honesty surprised her, but she couldn't blame him for his feelings. She herself couldn't imagine not having lived through her childhood. If she'd been able to skip years, what would that have done to her? She might not have had a family to worry about her, but even so... I can understand that, she said. She didn't pry any further. It wasn't any of her business, really, though she longed to ask so many questions.

The conversation turned towards earlier discussions, and Soh perked up at Hotaru's name. Oh! I'm so glad! Is she alright? She didn't know the Valkyrie well, but if Deimos's nickname for the woman was anything to go by, Soh imagined that she must be a very dear friend of his.

As for Stormbreak, Soh might have nodded, had they not been midflight. As it were, she replied with no small amount of relief evident through the bond. Yes. They're scattered now, of course, but Safrin helped us to ensure everyone was out before the fall.

Like any real love, it's ever-changing

Sohalia

Time has stopped before us The sky cannot ignore us Threats amidst Halo also came from the air (white dragons, especially), but Deimos wouldn’t make any mention of it. Their region had an awe-inspiring way of being formidable and ominous at any given moment, and while he relished in it, not many would choose to say the same. But with Sohalia’s understanding came his brief nod, and then he swept the remaining emotions and feelings on the matter deep within. Mulling it over and being melancholic about the situation wouldn’t help matters anyway; it was over and done with, and Erebos seemed content, happy, young, ready and eager to explore with impulsive, emboldened notions and a strange need to prove he could be capable of anything. The privilege and ignorance of youth combined, he supposed, and then he banked lower, trailing large thunderbird shadows over the other glowing proportions of moonshrooms. This is where we had the old healing springs, he pointed out with a stray movement of feathers, where the rubble and ruin remained; no sense in hauling any of the old stone out unless it was necessary. Before the Family destroyed it. Ru was a little more difficult to pin down and determine, especially with the way she’d worded her letter. Hard to tell. I am going to try and see her, once she either ceased avoiding him or stopped her usual disappearing act. Sounded like she had a rough go of it. None of the apprehension built within flickered over to Sohalia; he wouldn’t push any of those strong tethers and trepidations onto anyone else. Maybe it just went to show that no matter the promised peace, others always had a knack of finding danger. Citizens alike – scattered but whole – gave one glimpse of relief. Good. Koa came by here to ensure those who wanted to come to Halo were safe. She could probably imagine there hadn’t been many; but still, sanctuary and shelter in its regards had been extended. the Resurrected Sword No one can separate us For we are all that is left