[SE] and then that sound is gone

DEIMOS

The sound of iron shots is stuck in my head
The thunder of the drums dictates

Ice was a familiar thing in Halo; beautiful and treacherous, all in the same vein. Common happenstance, given their livelihoods, routines, and region, but sometimes tricky, even making the landscape of the Citadel difficult to traverse.

Overnight, once more, portions of the road had frozen, and upon morning patrol, the Shields had discovered rampant components of the street and avenue along dangerous levels. While the guards successfully blocked off the paths for citizens, urging them towards detours and alternate roads and rows, the Sword got to work.

Facetiously, he thought it was a damn shame that it hadn’t iced over by the council hall, but kept those notions to himself. Instead, he and several others began to utilize their water incantations, altering the elements nearby to melt the frozen components. “We can all start in different spots,” he mentioned via planning, figuring they’d each take a section, turn it into snow, and shovel the pathways free again. Once the directions were given, they could start applying and modifying.

The rhythm of the falls, the number of dead
The rising of the horns, ahead

Rhiannon

All I know is this could either break my heart
or bring it back to life

Every Deepfrost, the same thing happened: ice took over Halo.

This year was no different, and on this particular day, portions of the road had frozen over, making travel through the Citadel treacherous. Rhi had ended up on patrol in the area and, of her squad, had drawn the short straw when they were trying to decide who would help with cleanup duty. It wasn't that she was unwilling to help her homeland; it was simply that she would have preferred to help in other ways.

She stood by, trying not to look bored, shovel in hand, waiting for the workers who were able to manipulate water to turn the ice into snow. She wished she were one of them. That would have been better than shoveling snow, which, by chance, she absolutely hated. A bit ironic, given that she lived in Halo, but here she was.

Maybe one day she'd move somewhere warmer.

Deimos seemed to be leading the proceedings, and Rhi promptly stood a little straighter, shifting her shovel from one hand to the other. It wouldn't do to look bad in front of the Warden. With instructions given, Rhi offered a sharp salute and then returned to waiting for the ice to turn to snow, glancing every now and then at the Sword as though to see if he noticed how ridiculously bored she was.

Got a feelin' your electric touch
could fill this ghost town up with life

DEIMOS

The sound of iron shots is stuck in my head
The thunder of the drums dictates

The ice broke away under their predilections and persistence, melting or altering into snow once more. Smooth and efficient, it was as if they’d done this almost every day (typically in this season), and had come into proficient operations. Deimos snorted when he noted Rhiannon, looking as though she was struggling not to fall asleep on the job. Shoveling wasn’t glamorous or interesting, so he didn’t give her much more than a wrinkle of his nose, nearly juvenile, as he passed by. “Rhiannon. How are things? Enjoying yourself?”

And, because he too sometimes needed a break from the tirades, he opted to pause for a moment, and form a perfect snowball. Then he launched it, innocently enough, towards the back of another guard in a further section, where it splattered in a large array and had the man wheeling around in confusion. Deimos, of course, pretended as if nothing was untoward and continued altering further sections of rime.

The rhythm of the falls, the number of dead
The rising of the horns, ahead

Rhiannon

All I know is this could either break my heart
or bring it back to life

Deimos passed by and Rhi straightened almost imperceptibly, attempting to rouse some level of give-a-shit while her Warden was in view. Failing to do so, and offering a sassy grin, she saluted lazily. "Oh, immensely," she said, eyes twinkling with mischief. "Best assignment of the week." At least with Deimos around, things were sure to be interesting. And, as if on cue, the man scooped snow into a perfect ball before launching it at another guard.

Rhiannon watched, deadpan, pretending as though she'd seen nothing, though of course she was dying to join in on the fun. Throwing her own snowball would, unfortunately, only make it look like she'd been the one to throw the first, though, so for now, she would simply wait for the opportune moment. "Nice shot," she offered to Deimos beneath her breath, collecting her shovel and beginning to clear away the snow.

Got a feelin' your electric touch
could fill this ghost town up with life

DEIMOS

The sound of iron shots is stuck in my head
The thunder of the drums dictates

“Nowadays I prefer anything normal and routine,” he countered. If it wasn't world shattering or life altering, Deimos considered it a decent day. Granting her a light wrinkle of his nose before moving more, icy dissipations altered into snow, and then he started yielding to more Air arrangements, utilizing it as a shoveling proportion as the powder maneuvered under his incantations with ease.

It helped when the guard turned around and huffed – clearly trying to decipher the culprit. But given how many allies the Sword had cultivated within his own, no one, including Rhiannon, seemed to give him up, and the soldier turned around with a roll of his eyes, to continue in the rest of their feats.

Granting a cheeky grin back at the fellow hybrid, he bobbed his head. “Thank you.” This time, as he formed another, he manifested more of the Air again, so that it gently glided over the same soldier, dropped unceremoniously over the top of his hat.

The rhythm of the falls, the number of dead
The rising of the horns, ahead

Rhiannon

All I know is this could either break my heart
or bring it back to life

Fair enough, Deimos. Although, to be fair, the man saw a great deal more of the world and its dangers than Rhiannon had thus far. She shrugged and moved forward to begin shoveling snow, tossing it neatly to the side of the road as she worked alongside Deimos. Of course things were easier for the Warden, who had much more magic than Rhiannon at his command; the young woman had to rely on her physical prowess and the shovel instead of air or water manipulation.

At least he was determined to keep things interesting, and Rhiannon smoothly continued her work, seemingly unruffled by the Sword's antics, though she watched from beneath her lashes as yet another snowball sailed over to the poor soldier and dropped upon his head. She wondered if he'd be able to figure it out and, if so, what he'd do. It would be entertaining to no end if their work dissolved into a snowball fight, but then, she supposed they should keep clearing the roads. "What's it like?" she asked softly, for all the world looking like a soldier chatting with her superior officer and not someone watching him dump snowballs on his subordinates. "Having so much power with so many different elements?"

Got a feelin' your electric touch
could fill this ghost town up with life

DEIMOS

The sound of iron shots is stuck in my head
The thunder of the drums dictates

Deimos relied on many things; his enchantments, his strength, his fortitude, his might; all things cultivated and grown on his experience, determination, and sagacity. None of them had come overnight – only through years of perseverance, walls around heartache, and the resolve sculpted, carved, and whittled over his bones. If it seemed easy to him, that was from parallels of machinations and proficiency, masterful practice across seasons upon seasons. She didn’t say anything to counter his notions, save for a light shrug, and he snorted in response, maneuvering more of the snow and unfurling portions of the ice once more, watching as it cracked apart.

He wouldn’t need to glance back at the soldier for a reaction – it was clear in a vivid snort and brief umbrage and outrage, beginning to accuse his friends nearby. When they scoffed, the Sword merely arched his brow and hid his amusement, pondering if he should continue to harass the youth or merely move on to bothering another while they worked.

Though Rhiannon had inquiries apparently, and he paused in his ministrations, gaze flickering back to her. No one had really asked him such a question, and he had to take a moment to pierce and lance through the answers. “Reassuring,” he offered first, watching again as rime dissipated into nothing more than snow or cascading, rippling droplets. “To know and feel that power – and to understand how it works. That you can control and wield it to your preferences.” Alter the elements. Protect loved ones. Shelter an entire sanctity. Bend and break one’s enemies. “But it did not happen instantly,” he reminded her, should she begin to remark upon it. He’d been like her before, practicing and trying and striving and feeling like the wheels were only spinning.

The rhythm of the falls, the number of dead
The rising of the horns, ahead

Rhiannon

All I know is this could either break my heart
or bring it back to life

The soldier began to accuse his friends nearby, and Rhiannon’s lips twitched upwards in a faint smile. She herself wielded only the smallest form of lightning, and even if she were more powerful, there was little she could do with her magic aside from frying her enemies. For the first time, she wished for something like water magic that could throw snowballs and craft ice and all manner of other useful things.

She listened as she shoveled, noting the pause before Deimos’s response. When it came, it was measured and calm. Nothing came instantly. Strengthening her magic would be much like strengthening her body - it would occur through hard work and perseverance. She knew that, at much as she wished she could speed up the process. ”Hmm,” she hummed, thinking. ”What’s your favorite element?”

Got a feelin' your electric touch
could fill this ghost town up with life

DEIMOS

The sound of iron shots is stuck in my head
The thunder of the drums dictates

He continued watching the antics, provoked by him, from the corner of his eye. Once everyone seemed rankled and riled, spewing venom at one another, he opted to aim another snowball towards the same victim – namely so he couldn’t continue accusing the others. The blatant confusion surrounding the trials and tribulations made him snort inwardly again. Should they have glanced over in his direction, they’d only seem him seemingly quietly contemplating something Rhiannon said.

Though her inquiry was met with a more automatic answer on this interval. “Fire,” said, uttered, and rumbled through his chest with little hesitation. While life drain had always been his first and far more familiar than any others, it wasn’t an element per se, and the flames, embers, tied back crucially to his family and heritage; not to mention the level of demolition, destruction, and necessity it seemed to harbor.

Tilting his head and maneuvering more of the snow, he offered the notions in return. “Is there one you hope to gain?”

The rhythm of the falls, the number of dead
The rising of the horns, ahead

Rhiannon

All I know is this could either break my heart
or bring it back to life

Rhiannon continued to appear deep in conversation with Deimos, shoveling innocently as the Sword continued his ministrations upon the ice. If there was a hint of a smile her her face, it could surely be explained away by their camaraderie rather than by amusement at the antics of her Warden and the now-very-confused soldiers beyond.

To hear that fire was Deimos's favored element was interesting, if not surprising. She'd often wondered if he was more intrigued by the destruction and demolition of flames rather than the colder workings of ice and snow. Still, she'd always seen him as a somewhat reserved man (an opinion that was changing by the minute as he continued to mess with his soldiers), and so she might have guessed at something more steadfast, like earth.

His query gave her pause, and she considered for a moment before answering. "All I have right now is lightning," she shared. "I'm working to strengthen it, but I suppose if I had to pick another... given our home, water seems like it would be useful." And all that she could do with it amongst the snow and ice.

Got a feelin' your electric touch
could fill this ghost town up with life

DEIMOS

The sound of iron shots is stuck in my head
The thunder of the drums dictates

While all the elements had served him well, it was standing amidst the fire that had lofted and preened at his soul. Dark and dangerous edges, pushing on fringes, boundaries, and limitations, carving control from something so bent into chaos; the magic scorched amidst his once blackened heart with profound amusement. Even if he didn’t use it now – preferences leaning into the water formations for snowball confusion and discord, it remained a powerful and potent layer amidst his repertoire of enchantments and incantations.

The soldiers bristled at one another, eyerolling and hand waving and challenging to something that sounded like an impending snowball fight when they were done, and so the Sword left it at that…presently, anyway. His attention returned to more shoveling, content with seeing the progress made despite the antics, and then arching a brow at Rhiannon’s response.

He’d never had lightning, but knew it well from Ru’s prior antics over the years. But he nodded at the water insinuation; ever functional, no matter the location. “A practical choice,” from one who enjoyed the sensible as well as the mischievous. “I have found Air magic to be very useful too. Especially against those currently working against us,” an insinuation towards the void and the Family in particular, tilting his head to give her time to guess at his indirect notions.

The rhythm of the falls, the number of dead
The rising of the horns, ahead

Rhiannon

All I know is this could either break my heart
or bring it back to life

Rhiannon couldn't help but be impressed with how well Deimos was able to multitask, simultaneously starting a snowball fight, presiding over the ongoing work, and carrying on a conversation with her all at once. She supposed it was practically a requirement of a Warden, though, for what use would Deimos be if he could only focus on one thing at a time?

At Deimos's quiet advice, Rhi raised her brows, her gaze cutting across to the Sword for a brief moment before returning to her shoveling. Then she nodded. The warning was duly noted. "I hadn't considered air," she admitted, grunting as she shoveled a particularly heavy drift. "But I will keep that in mind. Is it only magic that is effective, or are there other ways to protect Halo?"

Got a feelin' your electric touch
could fill this ghost town up with life

DEIMOS

The sound of iron shots is stuck in my head
The thunder of the drums dictates

The soldiers seemed to be settling nearby, back to their movements and motions rather than his juvenile provocations, and he’d grant them a light lull while he concentrated on actual work. More ice dissipated under his ministrations, and then a sweeping maneuver of his shovel took care of the rest, or when he felt inclined, lifted it via Air for a more amusing effect.

As far her following question, his brow arched, and a long breath filtered through. The man had a list within multiple offices, polished with ideas. “Depends on what we want to do. We have some options. Right now, we are upgrading the rainbow gate.” But thereafter left them with machinations and decisions to be had. “Other lands have safeguarded against the void, while we provided the healing springs.” If they were so inclined, they might have to go after the former (or it’d just be too late). “We could improve the stronghold, increase luck, activate traps…,” he permitted a slight smile towards his fellow warrior, waiting for her reaction. All of them were valid in his mind.

The rhythm of the falls, the number of dead
The rising of the horns, ahead

Rhiannon

All I know is this could either break my heart
or bring it back to life

Rhiannon observed the ease with which Deimos called upon his myriad magical abilities, envious of the flexibility that his abilities gave him. Perhaps one day she would reach such a proficiency with her own magic, but until then, she would simply have to use other means to accomplish her tasks.

While she’d asked what they could do in the sense of tangible things she could do to help right now, Deimos’s response was broader and left her thinking of ways she could contribute to their next efforts. ”Do you think the springs are safe?” she asked. ”I mean, they might be harder to get to during Deepfrost, right?” And all the weather and environmental factors at play. Or during Longnight, when the tundra went dark.

Got a feelin' your electric touch
could fill this ghost town up with life