Staining Snow [Wycliff, PM to Join]

[AevumEternity]

She laughs, the sound hollow and with an utter lack of humor as she sits up, scooping up a handful of clean snow, chewing on it thoughtfully before speaking," I should kill you then, if you are to be the future cause of all Connlaoth's troubles- besides... We Mordecai serve the people, and the people are content." She tilts her head," We will oly change when the people do, and they will not any time soon."

[Wycliff]

Aven shakes his head. "You're wrong. Did you take a vow to serve only some people? Mages are people, Lady Hakon, can you not understand that?" He gives her a sorrowful stare. "Did any of us ask to be born with magic power? No, it is not a choice, it is chance." He stands up, Beatrice shuffling nervously on his shoulder, remaining silent. Aven lets his arms hang their sides. "If you believe that mages are not people, and deserve to be put in camps, led to the slaughter, Lady Hakon, then strike me down here. I will not dodge. Should I leave here alive, however, it is certain that I will oppose the Grand Duke with all my might."


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[AevumEternity]

She pauses, gazing at him for a moment as she chewed on the handful of snow- as it provided the only water within the area. She blinked slowly, Hakon tilts her head, straight strands of platinum-blonde hair slowly sliding down her shoulder as she furrows her brow. Her gaze flickers slowly toward the fire, observing it closely, watching the red tongues lap at the air greedily before speaking in a quiet voice.

" Do you want to die today, Aven?" she asks softly, once more, hazel-grey gaze locking with his. her tongue briefly swiping over her chapped lips.

[Wycliff]

Aven smiles, a genuine, trusting expression. "No more than any person wishes to brave the great unknown: but I have a faith, Lady Hakon. A faith in humanity, a faith that it seems many people have lost." Beatrice ruffles her feathers, anxious. Aven's eyes are soft, vulnerable. "I believe that people fight when they are attacked, an instinct that has lead us to this chain of violence. My dream is to shatter that chain with my resolve, that mages as non-mages will one day walk arm in arm throughout this country." He closes his eyes. "I do not wish to die, no, but that is not the question I have asked you. Do you wish to kill?"


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[AevumEternity]

" I do," she answers  but gazes at him unblinkingly," But not you. Not yet." she slowly stood, reaching out before placing a hand on his head, looking down upon him with a shadow of a smile playing upon her lips. Made even more cryptic by the dancing shadows brought about by the small flames. She stayed there for a moment before chiding quietly-

" We should sleep, talking until the sun rises will not help us get out of this pass, right?" she points out softly, offering a weak smile as she strode back over to the Theocog which lay fast asleep on its side.

[Wycliff]

Aven nods quietly. "Very well. Sleep on my words, Lady Hakon, and we shall speak in the morning." When Hakon turns around, Aven and Beatrice are gone without a trace.


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[AevumEternity]

Hakon had wrapped her cloak around her shoulders, turning to speak her own goodnight to him- finding him gone- this caused her to stiffen for a moment before slowly settling beside her noble steed, soon falling asleep. Fitful and anxious but sleep nonetheless.

-The Sun Rose Several Hours Later...

She awoke, freezing, slowly sitting up to find herself in a dome of glowing blue ice. The Major took a  moment to appreciate the beauty of it before memories of the previous night came flooding to her, immediately causing her to glance around warily.
She stood now, moving to adjust the fire as the massive Theocog shifted, standing as well, flank quivering once to shake off any frost clinging there. It was so quiet- for a moment she actually  missed her odd companion, pausing in her actions to try and recall his features... She worried- he seemed weak.

[Wycliff]

From the snow on the other side of the igloo, a pitch black shadow appears from under the snow. Up from the darkness appears Aven, his form rising out of nothing but the shadow, Beatrice faithfully perched on his shoulder. He stretches, yawning. "Did you have a good rest, a Lady Hakon?"


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[AevumEternity]

Inhaling quickly, she furrows her brow at him for a moment, briefly pressing a hand over her mouth as if to stifle either a yelp or strong profanity. Chuckling dryly, she sighs weakly,"... Do you sleep in the shadows as well?" she reached back, beginning to slowly unbraid her hair, watching him warily

[Wycliff]

Aven squints at the light peeking in through the ice. "It's easier for me to sleep in the dark, I've found." His eyes droop a bit. "Certainly more comfortable than the sun."
Aven straights, crossing his arms. "So, have you made up your mind?"


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[AevumEternity]

" Hm? Of what? Killing or allowing you to live? Joining or destroying you?" She muses quietly, carefully concealing the fact that she felt now like a prisoner in this ice dome from him," That seems like something to take many days to consider, rather then mere hours. Besides... It would make no difference if we both freeze, starve or simply die in the Godforsaken pass, yes?"

She turned away from him, slowly scooping up her pieces of armor, redressing herself in the massive metallic pieces in a slow, methodical practice that seemed to automatic that she seemed a mere machine in that moment.

[Wycliff]

Aven raises an eyebrow to the entrance that he's left open, only to find that it was also frozen over. He shrugs, and gestures toward the wall beside him, three tendrils of shadow rising from behind him, dagger-like blades at their tips. The shadows strike at ridiculous speed, each slicing a line in the wall to form the shape of a doorway. Aven performs a pushing motion, and the three tendrils simultaneously strike the ice, shattering the thin slab they'd created. A chilling wind flows into the enclosure, but the rest of the ice remains intact. "Perhaps we should go, then. Reaching civilization is a priority for me as well."
Beatrice turns her head away from Hakon, unwilling to look the woman in the eye, but still does not speak.


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[AevumEternity]

Placing the rather vicious helm over her head as the wind blasts into the room, the knight slowly leads the Theocog from the enclosure, mounting the huge creature even in the deep snow before turning slightly toward him, cloak draping over the warhorse's haunches as she suddenly offers Aven her hand,"... Come on- we'll get there faster this way-" her voice slightly muffled by the hem.

[Wycliff]

Aven accepts the gesture, but a hesitant look in his eyes points to complete inexperience with horses, much less Theocogs. "Thank you, Lady Hakon."
Beatrice finally snaps. "As your Guardian, dear, I cannot allow you to ride to your doom on such a perverse monstrosity!"
Aven shakes his head. "Tricey, have some faith. When was the last time I died from one of my ventures?"
The bird is dumbstruck, unable to answer such a loaded and utterly ridiculous question.
Aven laughs, a light, carefree sound. "Exactly!"


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[AevumEternity]

Smiling beneatht he helm, she motioned for him to take her hand," Come- before we all freeze to death," she urges with a soft laugh, armored fingers creaking slightly as the metallic plates squeak against one another.

Purgatorio looks around, one large blue eye fixing on the bird as he sneezes once, as if to say 'You wot m8?'. He pawed the icy ground with two of his massive hooves as Hakon hushes him with a soft word- the charger tossing his head in response.

[Wycliff]

Beatrice squeaks in derision, giving up and angrily transforming into black fur on Aven's trim. "Do not say I did not warn you, dear!"
Aven takes her hand, and allows himself to be pulled onto the muscle bound steed. "Do you know the way to the closest city? I can't say that I do."


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[AevumEternity]

" There is a town- a miner's village which I have been heading to in order to investigate some... Happenings," she admits as the horse moves into a methodical looe, pushing through the snow strongly as they begin to travel away through the pass," You'll have to be content there until you find another way out,"

She glances back, as if wondering if he would try to leave her company as soon as possible or perhaps linger.

[Wycliff]

Aven is attempting, and failing, to look calm as Purgatorio surges forward. His balance seems to be terrible, and at one point, he nearly tips off the steed, instinctively hugging onto Hakon's waist as she glances back at him.
Aven meets her eyes, extremely embarrassed. "Sorry, I've never ridden before... What kind of happenings?"


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[AevumEternity]

Her arm snaps back at one point, briefly acting as a railing to ensure he wouldn't tip too far to one side before returning to the reigns- in truth, it was likely excruciatingly uncomfortable but to the cloak acting as a slight cushion between him and the massive Charger's armored hindquarters. Nonetheless, they were moving much more quickly steadily then would have been possible plowing through the deep drifts by foot.

" Not to worry-" she assures him, scanning the forests as they pushed through the forest- the day was clear now, not a cloud in the sky- only the deep snow a testament to the previous night's awful weather,"-Some residents fear the use of primal magic being used to increase the amount of ore that the mountain is producing. You see, people want to make a profit... But some do not wish to cheat nature for it. So lately the village has all but become a battle ground.

[Wycliff]

Aven shakes his head sadly.  "Fools. Do they not realize that the matter needs to come from somewhere? They're weakening the structure of the mountain by transmuting like that!" He looks down, still gripping Hakon's waist. "What an arrogant misuse of power..." His words trail off and become less and less audible, as his eyes droop. "...Blasted sun..."


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