[se] knotted and gnarled

DEIMOS

He flew on rapid wings and over pockets of heat he hadn’t missed once clambering into Halo. If he completed this proportion now, he could yield to more of what was required in the mountains thereafter; a reckoning and reasoning from a mind made of machinations.

Even above, above, above the eerie tranquility of still pools and ivory crystals, there was a touch of memories from beyond plucking and poking at the back of his mind – perhaps from the earlier life in Helovia. Visual reminders, touches of what had once been. Even if they were not one and the same.

Following at Maeve’s instructions and directions, bag of holding in his talons, the stench filled his senses and were he in human form, the wrinkle to his nose would’ve been harsh and evident. Instead, it was the mark of displeasure contorting down the length of his Attuned measures, until he eventually began to descend in wide, breaching circles, mindful of landsharks and their potential to be wandering below the surface. With any luck, he could complete the task quickly, efficiently, before anything else shifted within the world.

gatekeeper of an endless war

where lines between right and wrong

don't exist anymore

we are like birds of a feather, we are two hearts thrown together

Do you see it? Remi asks, looking towards the starlit fountain. Feeling the attuned bond would have been sufficient, but the bag held in the eagle’s talons provided irrefutable evidence that the creature gliding above the golden sands was more than meets the eye.

But who was it?

If the creature within the feathers was an ascended…given what had happened recently, what would he do? Attack? Send back yet another message to Isla? Do nothing at all? None of those seemed like particularly good options, but Remi was no longer the sort of man to simply let things happen around him without his interference. That was probably one of his qualities nowadays, but there you have it.

Gliding a touch closer but with enough distance that should the need to suddenly shift come about, the hawk slips himself into a warm thermal and stretches his wings wide.

THE ALCHEMIST

we will be forever as one, my brother under the sun

DEIMOS

The voice, familiar, rankled along Attuned measures for an instant, causing his head to snap upwards, gazing over at the hawk form looming nearby. Remi? He could be entirely wrong – he supposed – he had been before. Others could be the same animal. Ascended could have snagged the figure of the flying predator. Maybe someone had a similar pitch in their vocals.

He hadn’t answered the question yet though, and the uncertainty weighed through his frame. Eventually though, he continued the downward spiral, taking care in the distance, eternally cautious. It is Deimos. Waiting for a particular reaction – the Sword expected anywhere from residual frustration, neutrality, or ire, his wings extended, catching a thermal on the outskirts. What to do next would be gauged and waged based on the others’ behavior. No. Not yet. Maeve said something about a well.

gatekeeper of an endless war

where lines between right and wrong

don't exist anymore

we are like birds of a feather, we are two hearts thrown together

Remi’s voice was perhaps as easily identifiable as Deimos’. If any of the ascended could mimic their voices while shifted the alchemist didn’t know of it—though perhaps that would one day be to his detriment. Yes. The hawk replies, gliding lower now that he was more or less convinced of who he shared the air with.

Ahh, it is over here. I will show you. The eagle with his keen eyes would have seen it soon enough, but why waste energy in the desert heat? So saying (or thinking), Remi banked lower and to the left. Amidst the pools of bubbling sulphur was a singular beam of starlight that broke out of the sand in a perfect cylinder. We found the creature below not long ago. It seemed quite weak and in need of water. It is like…a living tree, I suppose. That was the best way of describing it that Remi could think of, or at least the only one that didn’t rely on Deimos’ knowledge of spriggans. But it seemed keen to remain on its own. He adds with a mental shrug. What Deimos would do with that information—whether he would decide to go down beneath the sands and see for himself—was not for Remi to dictate.

THE ALCHEMIST

we will be forever as one, my brother under the sun

DEIMOS

Presumptions made in full, and with no aggression to show for it, the eagle nodded, and followed along the air, coasting for a few moments lower and left. Thank you. The starlight was easy to spot thereafter, marks of either Safrin or something else. Absorbing the information caused a series of inquiries to launch within his mind, but he settled for one. Does it wish to stay here? Looking back on previous conversations with Hotaru, where she’d been convinced of people and things living underground, he might’ve laughed – opting to take the correction and eyerolls later.

He flew overhead for seconds more, before making the final descent, eyes watching once again for any sign of landsharks. Did you come across anything else? A reason for remaining beneath sand and earth? If it was something like a spriggan, he’d have to reference all the journals in the guilds’ inventory when he returned home. Or had it been trapped, sent there, in the bizarre happenstances surrounding most of the seasonal deities?

Upon landing, he shifted – bag of holding back over his shoulder, walking lightly, despite the bulk and size of his physique, over the loam towards the well.

gatekeeper of an endless war

where lines between right and wrong

don't exist anymore

we are like birds of a feather, we are two hearts thrown together

I cannot say for sure. It came to try and grow things, but..it seems even for a seasonal diety, creating life in the desert was a difficult task. Remi replies, offering as much of a mental shrug as the attuned bond could afford. How do you mean? We came across the ascended on our way here, though they quickly left. Wessex has a book that once belonged to the Eye of Stormbreak...it tells her things, so no doubt she learned everything that we did, along the way.

Following Deimos down, Remi shifts as well, though adds wings to his regular form just in case there was a need to make a fast getaway. Deimos, clearly aware of the presence of landsharks seemed to be moving silently enough, but Remi could see no reason to add extra sounds. Not when they could continue to speak silently. This well flows directly down to him. Remi says, opening his jar and pouring the liquid one of the Mer had gotten for him, down the well.

THE ALCHEMIST

we will be forever as one, my brother under the sun

DEIMOS

what tried to destroy you
didn't have the strength

Because they could afford the silent ventures of bonds even amidst human forms, the Sword persisted. I meant of the animal variety. Even that seemed less than remarkable now, given the other predilections following. He hadn’t known of the Ascended coming through – like another repeat of the Sea of Glass debacle; causing a slight clench to his jaw. And given the new information and insights, his eyes narrowed in varying degrees, approaching the starlit well with quiet, hushed steps. Noah told me about the book. Do we know what things it tells her? Locations of everyone, everything? How it could be avoided? Stopped? Or how to use it as a trap? A means to an end?

Watching as Remi tilted the jar and poured the elements down, Deimos called forth on his own incantations. Water streamlined, pulsed, reverberated in a gentle cascade, following after its brethren, control tight and effortless, striving not to spill a single drop.

still you stand
sturdy and smelling of smoke

REMI

Oh. Chuckling silently, Remi considers. Landsharks of course. There were some animals scattered about—camels and things like that—followed by vultures and the like. But nothing…interesting, I suppose. Or, not interesting in a we’re-both-powerful-men-with-lands-to-look-after-and-people-to-care-about sort of way.

Rolling his shoulders to ease out the tension of flying, Remi bites at the inside of his lip and tilts his head as if listening to something. From what I have gathered, it cannot predict the future. So she has no better knowledge of relics than we do. But, should someone find a relic or be on their way, the book would tell her. In how much detail I do not know. Standing back to give Deimos the entirety of the well, Remi surveys the desert for signs of a disturbance before turning back.

Did you hear about what happened in Stormbreak…? What they did?

Guess I'm feeling unmoored, can't remember
what I used to fight for
I rewind th? tape but all it does is pause on th? very moment
all was lost

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

DEIMOS

what tried to destroy you
didn't have the strength

Nothing noteworthy for the guild then, he noted by way of a stray arch of his brow, the slight muffling of laughter. Besides, there were further implications and details in the mix of so many other things, and he paused momentarily – so the water suspended somewhere in place – while the Lullaby continued. His thoughts were voiced through the bond, instead of his usual, residual silence, trying to adhere to the knowledge given, snagged, and contributed – a mustering and musing of understanding. So she would know the location of each relic bearer? And when they plan to make a move?

Permitting the water to flow again, continuing in its controlled measures, he narrowed his eyes at it, calculating, and thinking. Are there any plans to combat it? To have it taken from her, or used against her?

As for Stormbreak, his jaw clenched again – for while he’d had no connection to the place (wasn’t allowed, after all), the fact that the Ascended had turned their vehemence upon it meant other lands could be faced with the same barbarity. Very little. Something involving Gideon and Sam. Amun and Wessex attacking. He turned his gaze to Remi, tilting his head vaguely, presuming Remi held much more than that.

still you stand
sturdy and smelling of smoke

REMI

Perhaps not when, but she would know as they were doing it. Remi says, sounding all the more weary for explaining the sheer power and knowledge now at Wessex's fingertips. I am not sure if you have ever had to fight her, but she has...it is hard to explain. When you hit her, it is like being hit back twice as hard. No matter how powerful one was, Wessex was someone always stronger. We could storm into the Grounds, but...I worry that would push everyone right to the edge of war, timeline or not. Glancing towards Deimos, the alchemist frowns and gives his head a shake. Though he doesn't try and dampen the feelings of hopelessness that shimmer through the bond, he does try and swallow them back somewhat.

Mmmm. Apparently Gideon and Sam killed one another, and then Edy, Amun, Wessex, and Nate attacked Stormbreak. With Sunjata's help, probably, given that Edrei and Nate had his dragon shift. Running a hand through his curls, which felt hot thanks to the oppressive sun overhead, the alchemist gives his head a slow shake. They toppled the Tower. Dozens died. Innocent people. He adds, clenching his teeth.

Nate died, and Ronin nearly did as well. What this means for us all....I honestly do not know.

Guess I'm feeling unmoored, can't remember
what I used to fight for
I rewind th? tape but all it does is pause on th? very moment
all was lost

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

DEIMOS

what tried to destroy you
didn't have the strength

It wasn’t dread or consternation that flowed over the Sword; but a singular snap of foreboding that hadn’t been present in such a distinct manner. Not for a while anyway. He clenched his jaw once more, persisting in the venue of thoughts and machinations, adhering to the information readily given and granted. Right. And then none of this would matter anyway. Because it would brew and start and fall apart, with whatever they’d planned and asserted gone by the wayside simply in the name of retribution and reclaiming.

But the news didn’t cease there – the finer definitions beginning to fill in the gaps of information. Gideon and Sam maiming one another. Edy, Amun, Wessex, and Nate assaulting and laying siege to Stormbreak. He wasn’t surprised by the Flood – the man was a living interpretation of poor choices and idiocy. A tower toppled. Innocents rendered gone. Nate dead. A revolving door of mistakes, cataclysms, and lives lost in the barrage of frustration and acrimony. For those yearning for their survival, and casting the Old Gods in belligerent lines, they certainly weren’t doing themselves any favors.

The hypocrisy does not shock me, and he shook his head, causing more of the water to flow in a widening cascade now, so that some concentration and focus didn’t go straight into that cold, frigid anger buried deep in his chest. He took a long, slow, deep breath, watching the elements bound down into the well. Do you think there will be consequences from the Grounds? Does Ronin seek retaliation? Had the siege been sanctioned by the world contorted by Ascended? Or is this where they all resided now, biding and waiting their turn for vengeance? And what of Sunjata?

still you stand
sturdy and smelling of smoke

REMI

I do not know. Remi admits, and though the words are silently said, somehow they still come on the end of a sigh. Apparently Isla knew nothing of the attack, so either there is really no political oversight in the Grounds, or Wessex and the group acted alone. Either way, when almost all of the ascended live in the Grounds, it feels impossible to separate. At least, that's what he had tried to communicate to Isla.

Ronin is furious of course, but...I think he is at least trying to be smart about it. There might be a way of keeping the ascended out of Stormbreak. He adds, still surveying the horizon for telltale signs of landsharks.

Sunjata...Ronin almost let him die once after Safrin had her way with him. Now I do not think Ronin would be so gracious. Clenching his jaw, Remi tries to restrain the sneer on his lips. We had a meeting of the demigods. Sunjata came. He listened as we said that we did not believe the ascended would attack Stormbreak. That there would be no point in it. Very nearly does Remi draw blood from the inside of his own cheek. And then he helped them do just that.

Guess I'm feeling unmoored, can't remember
what I used to fight for
I rewind th? tape but all it does is pause on th? very moment
all was lost

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!

DEIMOS

what tried to destroy you
didn't have the strength

Deimos stifled his own sigh, leaving it to meander into the dust and sand. It sounds as though Wessex does as she pleases. Who or what or however it started, the Wraith always seemed to be involved in the greater cataclysms; whether it be amongst and amidst relic chases, attacking Citadels, or rampaging down Towers. Can you use this as a way to regain the book? Trades or consequences, something rendered from the fallout and devastation? Other than innocent lives lost, which the Ascended, especially the Voice, had never seemed to care about?

Ceasing the flow of water, all his attention was directed upon notions and upheavals. His next words might have come across as cold and callous, but sometimes the Reaper shown through and through, and there were no bounds on edges of ruthlessness. He would likely need Ascended fluid. Could he use Nate?

The Sword’s gaze swept towards Remi, watching the restraint when mentioning Sunjata. The Flood somehow managed to come across as a sovereign of fools; continually making painstaking efforts to undermine, damage, and circumvent his own relationships, ties, and bonds. This, however, was treasonous in a disturbing amount of ways. Purposefully, Deimos permitted his frustration to wage and war away, instead, altering his composure into calm, flickering that back into the bond; nothing more than calculations. He has clearly chosen his side. A pause, likely speaking for Noah and himself, but he doubted the Sentinel would argue the case. He will not be welcome in Halo. Not that it’d be a possibility; but he wanted Remi to know just the same. Do you think he will hide away in the Grounds?

still you stand
sturdy and smelling of smoke

REMI

When it came to doing as one pleased, Remi couldn't really comment. Such had been his own way of life for long enough now to have fully become a character trait, and yet...at least he had Ronin. With no one to keep her in check. He agrees. Perhaps...or, Ronin might be able to. The Huntsman was probably the best of them to try and negotiate. Gods knew what would happen if such a task was left up to someone like Remi.

Grinning without humour, Remi nods. I think that is what he is thinking, yes. When the Greatwood had a quest to keep the ascended and ascended hybrids and demis out, I needed fluid from each type. So it would make sense he would need the same.

Lifting his chin that he might regard Deimos more seriously now, eventually the alchemist nods. I cannot see why not, although he and Nate were staying in King's End. They had built a home for themselves there. And then, because they were on the subject, Remi adds: His deal with Frey was to keep himself safe during the war. It also was meant to extend to Nate but Safrin does not think that possible. She took Kamaria away from him. Whether or not Deimos knew this already, Remi didn't know. But if not, at least now he would.

I had heard you turned her down, once. Where do you stand now, in all of this?

Guess I'm feeling unmoored, can't remember
what I used to fight for
I rewind th? tape but all it does is pause on th? very moment
all was lost

Code blatently stolen from queen of codes, Sky!