Longest Night in a Quite Some Time

yet my blood renders me a King

It was dark and unlike recent LongNights were Sah was only mildly on edge, he was significantly more so this season. Dahlia hadn't replied to his last letter, but the bird had been returned. Still, he found himself at the barracks just in case. He'd spent the better part of the morning training and now elected to take a water break.

Taking a sip. the Wild Thunder observed the soldiers and citizens who had also chosen to spend this dark time honing their skills. The wolves were home guarding the house and patrolling the immediate neighborhood. The chances of this LongNight being uneventful seemed miniscule. Sah hoped that he would be proven wrong.

Sah

Rhiannon

Rhiannon, like Sah, had spent the morning training. She’d been on edge since the titan attack and her subsequent failure to be even remotely helpful, and had, as a result, spent more time than usual in the Barracks. On this particular morning, she’d already gone for a run, lifted weights, and completed the obstacle course; she now stood at the top of the climbing wall, accepting a flask of water from a fellow soldier.

From her vantage point, it was easy to see her fellow hybrid, and upon realizing that he also appeared to be taking a break, Rhi scampered quickly down the wall with the ease of long practice and strode over to greet Sah. ”Hey, Sah,” she said as she approached. ”I see I’m not the only one wanting to train. You need a partner?”

they say looks can kill and I might try

yet my blood renders me a King

Sah grinned at Rhi as she approached, "Sure, let me just finish something real quick." He pulled out a bracelet that he'd been working on during his break and gave it one last burst of magic. The item warmed for a moment before settling, the enchantment locking into place. Normally the Wild Thunder would have just made the item in one sitting but the restlessness that had been itching at his skin had made his creation magic less inclined to agree with him.

At least this time, it worked, and the bracelet was finished. Leather engraving upon itself and becoming more than a mere accessory. Sliding the bracelet on, Sah stood up and took one last swig of water before putting his cup to the side. "What do you want to work on?"

~
Sah has crafted:

Lucky Wolf Bracelet
Upgraded
A black leather bracelet with a wolf engraved on it. When worn, it grants the user +2 Luck . (Made by Sah)

Sah

Rhiannon

Rhiannon waited patiently as Sah did his thing, watching with interest as his creation magic took shape before her eyes. When he was done, he slipped a black leather bracelet with a wolf engraved on it over his wrist. ”Very neat,” Rhi said approvingly. She wished she could do things like that, but her power over lightning was… minimal at best. Other elements felt far beyond her reach.

Sah took one last swig of water. ”I was trying to decide if I wanted to practice with weapons or magic,” she admitted. ”I’m better at weapons, so I tend to go for those since I’m more comfortable. But I need work on my magic.” There was also her shift, although she’d taken to that like donning a second skin.

they say looks can kill and I might try

bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones, bones.

---

You've encountered the OG random event! This allows you to skip one levelling requirement with the character in this thread. (Unfortunately does not count for characters over level 10, how sad.)

yet my blood renders me a King

Sah let out a soft laugh, "Thank you." He considered their options for a moment, an idea coming to mind as he recalled how he'd helped Elizabeth with her lightning magic.

"Come on, I have an idea." He led Rhi to a more isolated training ground and held out his harm. Lighting came to life in his palm, flickering across his fingers and trailing across his wrist. "This is an exercise to get you more familiar with how lightning moves and how to direct it. Think of it like catch. I pass you this lightning, you pass it back to me. Once you get the hang of it, we can create a consistent flow of lighting. It might be a 'striking' element, but it follows a path not unlike how a river does. You need to learn to be that path." Sah tilted his head, "What do you think?" It trained general mastery but also forced the caster to think of the volatile element in a new way.

Sah

Rhiannon

Rhiannon followed Sah to an isolated section of the training ground, away from other soldiers who might get caught in the literal crossfire. She’d never thought about training her lightning in the way that Sah described, but it was certainly an interesting exercise to consider. ”I’m game,” she said after a brief moment of consideration. ”Let’s give it a try.”

The soldier watched the lightning in Sah’s palm, a moment of jealousy flaring in her chest as she thought of her own weak abilities. But that was not a beneficial use of her emotions, so she turned it instead to focusing on the task at hand. When Sah passed her the lightning, she tried to catch it, fighting to keep control of even the small amount of lightning she was given. Rhi looked back at Sah. ”I don’t want to hurt you on accident,” she admitted hesitantly. What if she shot it back too much or too fast?

they say looks can kill and I might try

yet my blood renders me a King

Sah smiled gently, "I'll be fine. Just do your best. If the worst happens, I have healing magic too." He readied himself for the return of the lightning, hoping that he'd successfully given Rhiannon the confidence to continue the exercise. The Wild Thunder was no stranger to the fear she was dealing with. After the Tournament, Sah had been terrified of using his lightning in any situation that wasn't life or death.

It had taken time and gentle exercises such as this very one to rebuild his confidence. Talyson had also pushed him to overcome it and the Wild Thunder would be forever grateful for the man's intervention. It had also been rather funny to see near heart attack he'd given the courier by hugging him after.

Sah

Rhiannon

Sah was nothing if not patient, and despite Rhiannon’s sudden nerves, she squared her shoulders and nodded once. ”Alright, well, if you’re sure - here goes,” she said, choosing to focus on the fact that Sah had healing magic and that her own electricity was fairly weak instead of the possibility of frying the hunter.

Gathering her courage and her magic, she tried to pass the lightning back to Sah, feeling a prickle in her fingertips as the magic left her and flew through the air towards him. Rhiannon winced as she braced for impact. She wasn’t used to using her magic, much less firing it off at someone else, and even though she knew this was the best way to learn, she couldn’t help but brace for the worst.

they say looks can kill and I might try

yet my blood renders me a King

Sah sent an encouraging pulse through the bond as Rhiannon returned the lightning to him. He was proud of her for facing her fears, especially given how logical they were. Still, she had nothing to worry about. Not with Sah. The Wild Thunder easily gained control of the lighting as it was sent his way, letting it reach his hand and wrap around his wrist. "Well done."

The volatile element sparked across his knuckles and gathered into a ball in his hand. Sah gave the younger hybrid a nod, "Ready for me to send it back?" When she gave him confirmation, the Wild Thunder gently tossed the ball of lighting back. "Try to pass it back to me a little faster this time, if you're comfortable with it. If not, we can keep going at this speed." It was practice, no matter the pace and all progress should be celebrated.

Sah

Rhiannon

Sah’s approval had Rhiannon smiling in victory. That wasn’t as bad as she’d thought it would be. The lightning had crackled as it left her, sending an interesting, but not unpleasant, jolt up her arms. She wondered if it would always be that way, if holding onto electricity would always give her the feeling of handling pure power.

”Ready!” she said, preparing to receive the lightning back again. This time, when she received it, she tried to gather it and send it back more quickly. They proceeded in this manner for a time, leaving Rhiannon feeling more confident in her abilities when they were through.

fin

they say looks can kill and I might try