they found your bones

DEIMOS And in your darkest hour, I hold secrets flame History repeated. Not in the same formations, but in the scheme, the theme. Maybe he should’ve seen it coming, instead of putting his head down and forging into work, into assurances, into strength and accord. Should’ve lifted his gaze away from snow and stars, and to the incoming, ominous dominion. Should’ve realized how little time they’d had. No more ice to encompass their stares, no more unwinding tundra to place their feet upon, no more rime to watch, no more peaks and valleys and mountains – and somewhere, in the midst of all that coiled anguish, beat a Basin heart contorted in rage. It didn’t show on his face. Not the stoic brand of his calling, not when he was guiding others into safety, not when his occupation would forever read warrior and soldier, even if titles could be stripped from him over and over and over again. But it lingered in the towering Colossus of his wake, it slithered and slid through his blood, it beat against his bones in wrath, abhorrence, and contempt – war outcries and days of refugee antics, pressed and solidified into caves. The memories pierced and conjoined, until maybe he didn’t see the forest, the canopies, the leaves, but just simplified derision, bitterness clustered behind his teeth and tongue. Reserved for chosen individuals. They’d known and they’d said and they’d predicted, and still, Deimos had always thought better of Morgan. Her alliances, incredibly flawed, skewed, and ridiculous, had all shaped into accord, emblazoned on the horizon, with all the promise of death and demise to her own. And that would be what crossed the line each and every time – no better than the Voice, or the Wraith, themselves. In another time, another moment, he could blend all those thoughts through, fissure them amongst other friends, family, and comrades; but for now, it all blurred together in his eyes, reaching out for shelter, to become immersed in a world of safety for those who no longer had it. With just the clothes on his back, companions at his side, bag of his shoulder, he moved behind leaves and ferns, intending to be another refuge in the storm, striving to eliminate the shaking in his hands. Head not down, for he refused to sink, but scrutinizing, examining, watching every footfall, every twist and turn of a frond. Into the woods instead of the mountains, a reversal of time and expanse that he didn’t want to slide over now. master of nothing place; of recoil and grace

The sun's coming up

The hunter stumbled through the Greatwood, clothes bloodied and smelling of burned skin. He made it a few more steps before he was able to lean against a tree and slide down its bark to rest on the loamy soil beneath. He let his head fall back, sweat matting his hair and sticking it to his forehead. He closed his eyes, focusing on breathing. His heart thrashed against his ribcage, each beat sending the truth of all that had happened through his limbs. His home, the place he had sacrificed everything he ever had for the safety and survival of his people, had succumb to the grasp of the Voice and her followers. Morgan had fallen to the trap of Neron and thus the trap of the Voice.

Noah knew in his heart that they should have exiled the ascended hybrid when they pulled him from his seat as Warden. Morgan's choices were no better than his. In fact, she was worse.

Eira, having followed Belial out of the frozen world she knew and into unknown territory, stuck close to the frame of Deimos. Her heart was frantic as she continued to reach out for Noah, hoping they would find her bondmate in the green of where they were. She knew, in the depths of her being, that he was alive -- because she was.

But the steel around your heart is starting to rust

table code from sky

DEIMOS And in your darkest hour, I hold secrets flame One hand went out to pat Zuriel, fingers intertwining in her mane, for she’d been every inch a formidable being, and he was so entirely grateful for her that words couldn’t express it. Not even now, when it was just pride and exhaustion filtering and flickering through. He would’ve searched and scoured for treats, but they were back – He couldn’t even say home. There was no sanctuary, no refuge. Just the shadows piercing through trees, just the abyss rolling between veins, just the shattered remnants of other things. And why did it always seem to fumble and break apart? Why couldn’t the worlds just stay together, longer for more than a few weeks at a god damned time? He breathed, and his lungs filled with air, measuring in the accustomed nature, in the necessity of it all. Belial alerted to another bramble of sounds, of movements, of Eira, and then the familiar hunter. Bloodied and broken too. A singular nod was given and granted to the griffin, and they turned, twisting, back into the foundations of roots and plants, guided by strong hearts and minds, by a well worn clarity of nothingness and that something, something, something had to get better. Because otherwise they didn’t have much left. “Noah,” he rumbled, stepping forward, crouching near the prone form, piercing eyes scrutinizing the trail of blood, the patchwork of chaos that had unraveled; noose strands gone, leaving behind pain and anguish. Reflecting on none of his own, the Sword nodded to Zuriel, who stepped forward. Another soul she’d save tonight. “Zuriel can heal you.” No questions asked, no indicators of anything else for the moment – because at least they were safe. And maybe that was all that mattered. The mare dipped her head, and the horn glowed, intending to counter the wake of dragons and chakrams, of piercing claws and mighty talons, to one who’d survived onslaught after onslaught, and terror after terror. master of nothing place; of recoil and grace

The sun's coming up

Sinking into the tree, the hutner continued to focus on his breathing. He was not sure how long he was there, bleeding and tired and destroyed, when his mind broke with his companion's. All of what she was surged into him and he opened his eyes, panic and relief flooding him in equal measure. The griffin bound toward him from the underbrush, and in her wake, Deimos.

Eira was careful not to jump on the wounded man, though she wanted to. She chirped and trilled and looked him all over. As Zuriel approached, the snowy white creature leapt across Noah's legs to rest on the other side of him, wings splaying over his other leg as she crouched protectively over him, her emotions too much to keep her bottled up in her body.

Deimos, Noah reached out, too tired to speak anything aloud -- and too cautious in this unknown forest. Then, the raven came down from his perch, having been watching over the hunter as he leaned against the tree. He rested on Noah's shoulder, unmoving. Where is Hotaru? He asked, though his eyes fell to Zuriel as she lowered her horn. The magic reached out for him -- pulling back and together ripped muscle and skin. Noah flinched, though as the unicorn worked her art of healing he felt the pain dissipate to a dull ache in his leg.

{Korbin mention and PP presence permitted by Chan}

But the steel around your heart is starting to rust

table code from sky

DEIMOS And in your darkest hour, I hold secrets flame Deimos couldn’t mend things. Had never been a healer. Had never been much for soothing, assuaging properties. Tried to fix and cobble together moments in his life, but it was usually with violence, vehemence, or some other attribute that had little place in the world of remedial results. Especially now, with everything but the weight of leaves and ferns crashing down around them. He watched as Zuriel mended, sighing once more, as she alleviated aches and pains, cuts and bruises, welts and lacerations, stitching seams, weaving wounds off and away. Yet to leave his crouch, he merely leaned against a nearby stump, contemplating efforts, the next round of steps, sliding portions of his furs up and off his forearms, away from the constant chill. His eyes went briefly to the raven, recognizing, nodding, before granting a voice back to the hunter. I do not know yet. I presumed if she escaped, she would come here. Hence why he’d done the same; intending to track the Valkyrie, to assemble them back together – And then what? He didn’t have a clue. Any and all machinations from before had disassembled in the need to protect, and then survive. Inform the leaders of the Greatwood of what had transpired? Find shelter in the Wilds? Naught formed well, not on the outer ridges of chaos and bedlam. Not when his mind still reeled from hours and moments before. I can send Belial. His stare rounded to the little peryton, and though the youth was obliging, he nodded at the figment of warnings instilled between bonded – before he sauntered off, wings above the canopies. A myriad of inquiries settled behind his teeth, and none of them seemed quite right. How did you escape? came anyway, drawing his bag over, searching through it to see if he had a canteen for Noah. master of nothing place; of recoil and grace

The sun's coming up

As relief flooded him from the act of Zuriel's healing, Noah let go of the breath he had been holding. It hissed between his teeth and he let his head roll back and rest against the tree. He closed his eyes again, the emotions of visions of all that had happened flooding through now that his body had been released from the prison of pain his leg injury had caused.

His home, his world, his people--everything he knew and scarified all he had for--fallen to the Voice.

He could hardly fathom it. Morgan, bringing destruction and danger to her people -- the people she had sworn to protect. She was a liar. A vile and evil and corrupt fool. The hunter's mind spiraled with all of it, white hot tears threatening to spill forth from behind his closed eyelids. He took in another shaky breath.

I was chased down by two, I think. I could only see one after it shifted into a massive dragon. It shot lightning, burning me and blinding me. I think there were two, though, because I had some sort of projectile weapon thrown at me -- something a dragon could not do. They must have a cloak like you do, because even shifted I couldn't see them. I ran for the Climb. The dragon tried to catch me, but between a polar bear I called to help me and my own abilities it could not. I outran it. I couldn't fight a dragon, Deimos. I couldn't fight anyone -- they would have slaughtered our people. They would have burned Halo to the ground if I had tried to fight them. I--

He stopped, voice choked by the lump in his throat and the rage boiling within him.

But the steel around your heart is starting to rust

table code from sky

DEIMOS And in your darkest hour, I hold secrets flame Zuriel stepped away and the Sword slid another round of gratitude towards the mare – who’d saved them both – ensuring she’d receive some spoiling later, when everything hadn’t seemed so fractured and fragmented. No canteen was found after rooting through his bag, so he conjured one of his own making, the satchel lacking any ornamentation or adornments, and then filled to the brim with his water incantations – passing it to the hunter without a word. Deimos hadn’t settled into his anger yet. It’d be a coldblooded thing anyway; for now it was all exhaustion, fatigue, and some wear and tear behind his eyes, sick and tired of the same old rounds and cycles of what they’d predicted, inevitably coming to fruition. Too easy, too peaceful, too liberating, to have permitted Morgan to walk freely out of the world, and then back in on the back of a dragon, her true allies visible, tangible, for the world to see. The woman didn’t know the meaning of neutrality, but she had strived to weaponize it. He gave no mind to Noah’s emotions either; understandable, given a world he’d yearned to protect at all costs, suddenly gone, out of his grasp. His eyes stared along the surroundings, eternally bound to predacious instincts, until the words came through minds rather than outward. Dragons again, which likely led to Nate and his connections with Sunjata. The other projectile was intriguing, made him wonder, made him ponder, in those frigid calculations, burning between depletion and enervation. Was it a chakram? But otherwise, other fruitions brought to light, he could hear the desperation in the man’s voice, in the way he’d felt weakened and contemptuous, and everything else spiraling down around them. You cannot be faulted for being incapable of battling a dragon. And you still managed to outwit them. For all the power and brutality that came with the form, Noah had still survived. I know he said in response to the other parameters; the potential slaughtering of people, citizens now safe, a Halo potentially burned to the ground, a world reeling and left behind. The Sentinel didn’t have to defend himself here. master of nothing place; of recoil and grace

The sun's coming up

Yes Noah's eyes widened at the question. Do you know who wields such a weapon? He felt his heart skip a beat -- as if he didn't want to know the answer. He had already wondered if Wessex, a woman whom Noah had treated with kindness as long as he had known her, was his other assailant. As the Voice's demigoddess, it would make sense. Morgan was bringing in her Voice allies.

Deimos gave him reason to comfort him, but Noah still felt the weight of all of what happened on his shoulders. There's--we--ugh-- Noah's mind was a jumbled mess, and it was easily felt across the bond. His words did not string together correctly, and the lump in his throat made everything difficult despite not even attempting to speak aloud. Korbin lowered himself on his shoulder, pressing in to the hunter's neck.

I've failed them, Deimos. My people. The people he sacrificed his entire life for. Everything he had ever had he had given up in service of them.

But the steel around your heart is starting to rust

table code from sky

DEIMOS And in your darkest hour, I hold secrets flame His jaw clenched, and he leaned back against the trunk of a tree, clarity brimming over his mind as the traumatic events continued to unfold, one by one, flickering back and forth. Forming sense out of nothingness, veracity in the hollows of shadows, in the Fangs’ caverns, in the way life had taught and unfurled wickedly. I had one flung towards me as well. And if they had to teleport from you, to me… He only knew a few with such power – and the Wraith had demonstrated it on multiple occasions. I suspect Wessex. He had no way of confirming the notion, but it was there all the same. The Sword grew silent, quiet, again as Noah contorted through his feelings. Deimos purposefully avoided his for now, because he’d had the weight on his shoulders a hundred times before and it wasn’t going to be any easier within these moments. The pivotal point of success in their rallying strides beforehand, only for it all to come tumbling down in one feral blow was the more condemning. He shifted his head so that it rested upon the bark too, lifting his eyes upwards, peeking through canopies and leaves, machinations brewing, but nowhere for them to go. If you failed them, then so did the rest of us. Gods, and how easy it would be to simply bow his head, tuck himself away, and disappear into shadows and edges. But we are not done yet, and neither are they. The people and citizens of Halo; the ones unfortunately caught and consumed by the whirlwinds of change. And maybe he said it for himself, as much as for Noah – because they had to have something to snag and snare upon when everything else threatened to dim. master of nothing place; of recoil and grace

The sun's coming up

Eira made some small noises, curling her wings in and leaving her protective stance over Noah. She curled at his side, resting her head high on his thigh. she clacked her beak and looked up at him with soft, golden eyes full of sadness. She could feel it reverberating from him, covering her in waves that she could not swim above. Korbin felt it too, and locked himself off from both the Sword and the Sentinel.

We can't let her kill them. She could not stay in her seat. The decision they had made could not be changed. They needed, once more, to take her from her position of destruction and subdue her. Her alliance with the Voice, her love for Neron, it was all to the detriment of the people of Halo. I will go to Frey--I-- he sputtered again, his mind spiraling. Eira pressed further into him.

He took a drink that the Sword had offered to him three posts ago, and just sat for a few moments in silence. His mind overworked itself, trying to mull through options. Every so often, Deimos would feel a surge over their bond. It was only a fleeting thing before Noah stifled it again, only partially baked ideas clashing against each other in his overly stressed head. No. I will go to Juniper first. I need to warn her about all of this.

But the steel around your heart is starting to rust

table code from sky

DEIMOS And in your darkest hour, I hold secrets flame Zuriel tucked her muzzle against his shoulder, and he stayed very still, very quiet, in the midst of their shared vexations and anguish. He strived to keep his low, tucked deep into his chest, not to spill out over, away, away, away, after deluges and doldrums. His hands reached for the unicorn, sighing, contemplating, driving over all the other nuances and disturbances. Only as Noah struggled to discern just what he needed to do, did his eyes slide back to the hunter, yearning for silence and knowing he couldn’t stay that way. I know. They’d already seen some lengths Morgan would go to – and despite the words she’d laced within the Citadel while her allies lanced, the measures had all been there. Layered in hypocrisy, in multitudes of vehement endeavors they’d never shown to her. He'd experienced the horrific designations of the Voice. Enough was enough. Perhaps it was time for different tactics. His gaze went back down to the forest floor, some restless proportion of him craving to move, to escape, to evade, while the other portions sat in the vivid stupor. Frey or Juniper first. He certainly wouldn’t be marching to Safrin: not after this debacle. Other methods would have to be discerned and yielded well before he bowed his head before stars again; a promise fulfilled once more. Give me some time, and we can try to gather everyone back together. And then maneuver, move, forward, somehow, some way. He didn’t want to think of the alternative. master of nothing place; of recoil and grace

The sun's coming up

(hi sorry i suck and august took away anything resembling "mental healthiness")

Noah could barely contain his thoughts as the weight of everything consumed him. Korbin pressed into him, as well as Eira, and Deimos' words rung in his mind. His sobs finalized, coiled, and pressed down into nothing. Ice drew over the dams that had broken, freezing everything in their path. Ice took no prisoners.

The Sentinel looked up and out, and taking another drink of the water, his jaw hardened. His eyes, nearly always glacial in appearance, took to the true nature of glaciers. Crashing and crushing and devouring -- cold, cold, cold. He breathed out. We will retake the Citadel for its people and their protection, the favor of the gods will be on us.

-FINomgimsorry

But the steel around your heart is starting to rust

table code from sky