37th of Ashan, Arc 719
Edyn hadn't been kidding when she'd said she'd built a storm shelter around Evonshire; as they flew close, Praetorum saw there was a massive, curved wall of earth surrounding half the damn village, keeping the worst of the winds from wrecking the place. Like a wave of earth cresting over the village, frozen in time, shielding it from harm.
Personally, Prae was happier with the unnaturally still air that surrounded him and Edyn
Prae shuddered, and Edyn made a questioning noise. "I just don't think I ever really realized how powerful you are." Prae admitted. "I've mostly only seen you do... well, tricks with defiance. Nothing on this scale."
"Well, I haven't needed to use it much, but it's a lifesaver when you do need it, you know? It's amazing what you can do, with a little help." The two of them landed close to the wall, but on the other side from the village. As Prae stretched his limbs, Edyn pulled out a strip of cloth. "Now, I'm going to blindfold you, and then drop the protection I've been keeping up around you, alright?"
"Wait—"
"Don't worry, the wind's not strong enough to carry you away here." She tossed the strip of cloth at him, and it floated over to his hand. "Just listen to the wind, alright, just like you did during your initiation. Get to know it, do what feels natural."
"Don't you need to like, teach me what to do?" Prae asked nervously, still a little bit traumatized by his tumble through the storm. He eyed the cloth in his hand nervously, then wrapped it around his eyes, cutting off his vision entirely. He'd done training exercises blindfolded, but not often.
"Defiance isn't like Hone, mate. There aren't runes you need to practice and memorize, there's just you, the elements, and what they're willing to help you with. Trust me." And with that the bubble of dead air around him vanished.
Prae took a step back, crouching to brace himself against the wind. A little of his anxiety abated when he realized that yes, the wind was significantly lighter here; it would topple him on his tail if he let it, but it wouldn't send him flying. Alright. He could do this. Just listen to the elements; just do what feels natural.
Praetorum started to pace, perpendicular to the wind, letting it buffet along his right side. Or at least, that was what he'd intended to do.
It became obvious within a few steps there was something going on. "Edyn, are you doing that?"
"Nope." Prae took another step forwards, and once again, felt a strong wind directly at his back. "If you haven't miraculously learned how to do that, I'd say it's a witchmark. Like your rune of naming. I guess wind's taken a shine to you." Edyn laughed behind him. "Might have to do with how your initiation went."
That made sense. It had been air that Prae had reached out for first, and air that had been the first to shield him. And there was probably a reason it was wind Edyn wanted him to meet first; it seemed like she'd seen his strongest connection to the elements, however tenuous, was to it.
Turning to face the storm, Prae took a few steps forwards, and found that the wind at his back was able to counteract the wind buffeting him from the front. How curious. It was pointless to close his eyes behind a blindfold, but he did it anyways as he started to walk, to better feel the wind whipping at him from every direction. He spread his fingers, felt the wind catch at the webbing there, felt it swirl over his clawtips.
There, that same whistling, reverberating through the air around him, piercing not his ears, but something deep in his chest; the new spark he now carried within him.
Carefully, he brought his hands together, cupping them. The space between his hands still swirled with wind, that same rushing whistle, and he lowered his head to it. He did not open his muzzle, but he spoke to the air all the same, asking that it still in his cupped hands. And with an affectionate brush against his cheek—
— it refused.
It was air, silly, the wind whispered into the hide over his arms. It didn't want to stay still, not now when it was supposed to be rushing and spinning and twirling.
Praetorum nodded. That made sense, he was very new to them, and in truth, he didn't want to make them uncomfortable. Then can you ease up on me, he asked. I feel like I'm about to fall over everytime I even think about moving, and I think it's just going to be worse when I have to walk back.
The trill in his ear was amused, which he took as a yes. Turning, Prae removed the blindfold around his eyes, blinking in the sunlight. Carefully, he started to walk back towards Edyn, and nearly stumbled, as the natural wind of the storm compounded with the wind of his witchmark. Still, he hadn't fallen over entirely, which he took as a good sign. So carefully, he made his way over to Edyn, who watched with interest from where she was seated against the wall. "You know, most people get witchmarks that are a bit more... cosmetic. Dirt sticking to you, wind around your feet. Things like that. Not a windstorm everytime you take a step."
"Well—" Praetorum said slowly, fixing his mentor with a look of faux irritation— "I imagine most people didn't get initiated by being thrown into the middle of a bloody windstorm."
She laughed. "That's true. Most people only have one kin element, so they'd just bury you alive, or set you on fire."
Prae blanched a little at that. He was very happy to not be on fire, thank you very much. "What's a kin element?" He asked, settling down besides her. The wall was blissfully solid at his back, but the angle of it had his tail pressing oddly against the ground.
"All defiers worth the name eventually choose one. All four elements are your friends and constant companions, but with one, you can forge a bond like no other. Your kin element will refrain from harming you, will even come to your defense without you having to ask. It's rare, but eventually, those who immerse themselves as fully in defiance as I have can name a second kin element. I know... I've seen that it's possible to name a third, but that those who do pay a steep price for it."
"What do you mean?"
Edyn grimaced. ”A spark changes you, I know you know that by now." Prae nodded, his fingers tracing over the hone runes around his wrist. Oh, he'd changed alright. "Well, this is just the natural end of that. The spark changes you so much, and you change the spark, until the two of you are as one, in effect. You become something... more. Not better or worse, I think. Just. More."
It was an oddly somber speech for Edyn. Reaching out, Prae clasped his hand to her shoulder, offering her what comfort he could over something he didn't quite understand.
They sat there, in silence together, for quite some time, before Edyn spoke again. "My mentor revealed, a few arcs ago. It was like his body had become nothing but earth, water and fire. I wasn't even in Yaralon at the time, I had been off in Scalvoris. I first found out that he'd revealed when he emerged from the sea there, like a wave set ablaze. He asked... he asked me to join him, eventually. To come and frolic with him all around Idolas, experiment and explore for as long as our lives would allow."
"Will you?" Prae couldn't help but ask.
"I don't know. He said he would wait for me. For as long as it took. That the sea would always lead me to him." Edyn groaned, head dropping back against the wall. "Ugh, I'm sorry. This is supposed to be your introduction to defiance, not my time to rant." She hopped to her feet, a false smile plastered on her face. "Come on, let's keep going."
Prae nodded, and stood. "I don't mind, you know. Listening to you."— He didn't mind? Or his spark didn't?— "You've been lonely for a long time, it's only natural to want to share with someone who... is beginning to be able to understand."
Edyn smiled sadly at that. "Maybe. But not now. Come on, no time to slack off. We have a lot of training to get to."
Personally, Prae was happier with the unnaturally still air that surrounded him and Edyn
Prae shuddered, and Edyn made a questioning noise. "I just don't think I ever really realized how powerful you are." Prae admitted. "I've mostly only seen you do... well, tricks with defiance. Nothing on this scale."
"Well, I haven't needed to use it much, but it's a lifesaver when you do need it, you know? It's amazing what you can do, with a little help." The two of them landed close to the wall, but on the other side from the village. As Prae stretched his limbs, Edyn pulled out a strip of cloth. "Now, I'm going to blindfold you, and then drop the protection I've been keeping up around you, alright?"
"Wait—"
"Don't worry, the wind's not strong enough to carry you away here." She tossed the strip of cloth at him, and it floated over to his hand. "Just listen to the wind, alright, just like you did during your initiation. Get to know it, do what feels natural."
"Don't you need to like, teach me what to do?" Prae asked nervously, still a little bit traumatized by his tumble through the storm. He eyed the cloth in his hand nervously, then wrapped it around his eyes, cutting off his vision entirely. He'd done training exercises blindfolded, but not often.
"Defiance isn't like Hone, mate. There aren't runes you need to practice and memorize, there's just you, the elements, and what they're willing to help you with. Trust me." And with that the bubble of dead air around him vanished.
Prae took a step back, crouching to brace himself against the wind. A little of his anxiety abated when he realized that yes, the wind was significantly lighter here; it would topple him on his tail if he let it, but it wouldn't send him flying. Alright. He could do this. Just listen to the elements; just do what feels natural.
Praetorum started to pace, perpendicular to the wind, letting it buffet along his right side. Or at least, that was what he'd intended to do.
It became obvious within a few steps there was something going on. "Edyn, are you doing that?"
"Nope." Prae took another step forwards, and once again, felt a strong wind directly at his back. "If you haven't miraculously learned how to do that, I'd say it's a witchmark. Like your rune of naming. I guess wind's taken a shine to you." Edyn laughed behind him. "Might have to do with how your initiation went."
That made sense. It had been air that Prae had reached out for first, and air that had been the first to shield him. And there was probably a reason it was wind Edyn wanted him to meet first; it seemed like she'd seen his strongest connection to the elements, however tenuous, was to it.
Turning to face the storm, Prae took a few steps forwards, and found that the wind at his back was able to counteract the wind buffeting him from the front. How curious. It was pointless to close his eyes behind a blindfold, but he did it anyways as he started to walk, to better feel the wind whipping at him from every direction. He spread his fingers, felt the wind catch at the webbing there, felt it swirl over his clawtips.
There, that same whistling, reverberating through the air around him, piercing not his ears, but something deep in his chest; the new spark he now carried within him.
Carefully, he brought his hands together, cupping them. The space between his hands still swirled with wind, that same rushing whistle, and he lowered his head to it. He did not open his muzzle, but he spoke to the air all the same, asking that it still in his cupped hands. And with an affectionate brush against his cheek—
— it refused.
It was air, silly, the wind whispered into the hide over his arms. It didn't want to stay still, not now when it was supposed to be rushing and spinning and twirling.
Praetorum nodded. That made sense, he was very new to them, and in truth, he didn't want to make them uncomfortable. Then can you ease up on me, he asked. I feel like I'm about to fall over everytime I even think about moving, and I think it's just going to be worse when I have to walk back.
The trill in his ear was amused, which he took as a yes. Turning, Prae removed the blindfold around his eyes, blinking in the sunlight. Carefully, he started to walk back towards Edyn, and nearly stumbled, as the natural wind of the storm compounded with the wind of his witchmark. Still, he hadn't fallen over entirely, which he took as a good sign. So carefully, he made his way over to Edyn, who watched with interest from where she was seated against the wall. "You know, most people get witchmarks that are a bit more... cosmetic. Dirt sticking to you, wind around your feet. Things like that. Not a windstorm everytime you take a step."
"Well—" Praetorum said slowly, fixing his mentor with a look of faux irritation— "I imagine most people didn't get initiated by being thrown into the middle of a bloody windstorm."
She laughed. "That's true. Most people only have one kin element, so they'd just bury you alive, or set you on fire."
Prae blanched a little at that. He was very happy to not be on fire, thank you very much. "What's a kin element?" He asked, settling down besides her. The wall was blissfully solid at his back, but the angle of it had his tail pressing oddly against the ground.
"All defiers worth the name eventually choose one. All four elements are your friends and constant companions, but with one, you can forge a bond like no other. Your kin element will refrain from harming you, will even come to your defense without you having to ask. It's rare, but eventually, those who immerse themselves as fully in defiance as I have can name a second kin element. I know... I've seen that it's possible to name a third, but that those who do pay a steep price for it."
"What do you mean?"
Edyn grimaced. ”A spark changes you, I know you know that by now." Prae nodded, his fingers tracing over the hone runes around his wrist. Oh, he'd changed alright. "Well, this is just the natural end of that. The spark changes you so much, and you change the spark, until the two of you are as one, in effect. You become something... more. Not better or worse, I think. Just. More."
It was an oddly somber speech for Edyn. Reaching out, Prae clasped his hand to her shoulder, offering her what comfort he could over something he didn't quite understand.
They sat there, in silence together, for quite some time, before Edyn spoke again. "My mentor revealed, a few arcs ago. It was like his body had become nothing but earth, water and fire. I wasn't even in Yaralon at the time, I had been off in Scalvoris. I first found out that he'd revealed when he emerged from the sea there, like a wave set ablaze. He asked... he asked me to join him, eventually. To come and frolic with him all around Idolas, experiment and explore for as long as our lives would allow."
"Will you?" Prae couldn't help but ask.
"I don't know. He said he would wait for me. For as long as it took. That the sea would always lead me to him." Edyn groaned, head dropping back against the wall. "Ugh, I'm sorry. This is supposed to be your introduction to defiance, not my time to rant." She hopped to her feet, a false smile plastered on her face. "Come on, let's keep going."
Prae nodded, and stood. "I don't mind, you know. Listening to you."— He didn't mind? Or his spark didn't?— "You've been lonely for a long time, it's only natural to want to share with someone who... is beginning to be able to understand."
Edyn smiled sadly at that. "Maybe. But not now. Come on, no time to slack off. We have a lot of training to get to."
