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Post by Rena Brighteyes on Jan 7, 2024 23:26:08 GMT -5
Rena giggles, trilling softly and crouching down to pick up the practice dagger before gently tossing it to him before moving over to stand…on the other side of the clearing from the target.
She watches Lucian practice with the knives she carved for him for about an hour before she calls for a break, “alright, time for a break. You’ve definitely earned it, and I don’t think we’ve eaten yet anyhoo. I’d say summon up your loose knives, and then we’ll see how well you can explain that little trick while we figure out breakfast”
Those silver eyes of hers shift, then, flecks of bone white appearing and slowly expanding as she hums, something shifting under the feathers of her face as she turns away and spares a moment to check over her bayonets in preparation of the hunt to come.
Finding that her blades require no sharpening or other maintenance, she slips all but two up her sleeves before turning back to the draconynh, eyes bone white and wild, "...you eat meat, yeah? then I hope you've got good aim with that offensive spell, 'cause we're earning breakfast the hard way today. If'n you're not good with that, I can help you forage before hunting for my own, but I need me some meat"
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Post by Lucian Lucifen on Jan 7, 2024 23:52:35 GMT -5
Lucian panted a little, having worked himself a hard during the hour of training. He had to move over to the shade in order to help regulate the heat of his body, starting to overheat from the activity. Humans would be able to sweat to regulate their body heat, but he’d need a bit in cooler temperatures to return his temperature back to normal.
He took this time to think about what Rena said. Right, breakfast. The two would need it, he especially. He hadn’t really eaten since before he had gotten off of the boat, and he’d need his energy back. Meat would be good. It’s been a while since he’d had anything but fish.
“Well, I’ve spear-fished before, but we’ll really just have to see how good my only combat spell is.” He said with a small smile on his face.
He summoned the harsher light to his claws. He grasped it tightly, the light hardening in his grip to the point of becoming almost shotput-like. It was clear he could use it to bash something’s brains in, or throw it at something for heavy damage.
As he moved into a more stalking stance, he began to move through the nearby trees, watching for potential prey with Rena. Right, she asked about the summoning spell.
“With the summoning spell, it’s like… Bending the space around your claws… Or I suppose feathers in your case.” Lucian explained, keeping his voice quiet as to not disturb the wildlife. “How you bend it seems individual, though? I primarily use my light to almost… fracture space. And then you reach out to that thing that’s yours, that you know is yours and it just… Appears. As though returning to where it belongs, because you made that hole in space for it to fit.”
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Post by Rena Brighteyes on Jan 8, 2024 10:14:03 GMT -5
Rena grins, nodding softly as bone-white eyes scan their surroundings, quietly murmuring, “...makes sense so far. Find a way to make your magic drag against the fabric of reality, then twist until you’ve got a hole you can reach through and just…grab whatever it is you’re trying to summon. Just…need to figure out a way to sink my hooks into the fabric, first…”
She sighs, moving ahead a little, bayonets held point-down as she stalks through the brush, movements soft and sure and not quite silent. Rena trills softly, listening closely for anything of note…then she darts backward, skidding to a stop as she flips her drawn bayonets up and into throwing position.
And that’s when the deer passes mere meters in front of them, one of those big black eyes seeming to zero in on the two of them for a moment before the creature startles…and then a bayonet nails the animal through the temple and the thing goes down like a sack of rocks.
Rena shivers, trilling softly as she raises her hand, “...alright…so…fiddle around until I feel it start to catch…” frost gathers on her fingertips, threads of the stuff spreading off them and into the air above them, “...focus on what’s mine, what’s mine is mine and it’s here. Doesn’t matter that it’s there because it’s here…” frost forms in the shape of a handprint on the handle of the buried bayonet, “...then push and twist,” there’s a crack of breaking glass - or possibly ice - and then the bloodied blade is in her hand, and she’s panting from the exertion.
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Post by Lucian Lucifen on Jan 8, 2024 11:37:42 GMT -5
Lucian gave her a quiet round of applause at her success, both regarding the successful kill and her ability to master the spell so quickly. It was impressive that she could do so with only theoretical knowledge and seeing it occur before. She must be a really powerful mage to understand it so easily! His admiration towards Rena grew a little.
“Wonderful!” He exclaimed, a big smile crossing his scaled lips and revealing the sharp rows of small teeth within his mouth. “Don’t strain yourself too hard with it, it’s going to take some time for it to feel natural. Especially so if it’s a spell out of your comfort zone specialty-wise.”
He approached the deer, looking it over. Hopefully this will be enough for the two of them. Even if not, whatever’s left could be buried in the dirt for the detritivores to consume and break down, bringing more nutrients to the soil. He took out a simple knife from his satchel, and began to gently carve into it, slicing out chunks of flesh for consumption. If need be, he could make a fire to cook it, but he was sure both of their constitutions could handle some raw meat on occasion.
“Do you think this’ll be enough, or should we try to hunt more?” He asked.
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Post by Rena Brighteyes on Jan 8, 2024 16:04:50 GMT -5
Rena chuckles softly, movements slow and methodical as she cleans her blade of blood and brains, a lilting hum snaking out from her throat as she works, “...felt…weird, using my curse’s power for that…but it worked, so I guess it’s more akin to a muscle unused to being worked? That would make sense…”
She shakes her head then, refocusing on the task at hand and approaching the carcass, “no, this should be enough…I don’t need much when my condition isn’t acting up, and it’s been quiet lately”
The crow takes her own blade and begins to carve into the deer, humming softly to herself as she carefully opens up the belly near the bottom of the ribs so she can reach in and pull out the creature’s heart. She considers the organ for a long moment, torn arteries and veins still drooling blood, then sits down and begins to dig into the meat, eating fastidiously to avoid getting any mess on her tunic or shirt.
the thing under her skin calms further as she eats, the dense nutrition of the deer's heart soothing the Beast's ever-present hunger. By the time she's done there's no sign of white in her irises, and she sits back with a pleased hum.
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Post by Lucian Lucifen on Jan 9, 2024 0:32:44 GMT -5
Lucian primarily focused on slicing off the flanks of the deer. He wanted to go for some of the larger pieces specifically. He grabbed a slice in his claws and began to chew. Which felt weird. Normally, he would be able to slice through a fish easily with his teeth, but the venison was much tougher than he was used to. Whatever, he could handle it being tough to chew through.
To accommodate for how tough the meat was compared to his usual fair, he began to tear the meat in his claws into smaller, easier to chew through bites.
Between attempted bites, he pondered on what Rena mentioned just now. Her curse? Is that why her eyes kept changing color before? And was that was what was crawling underneath her skin in her sleep?
“So, you have a curse?” He asked, wanting to confirm. “And it requires you to eat a lot of meat? What exactly is this condition of yours?” He paused, realizing this line of questioning was rude. “Ah, I might’ve pushed too far with that, only answer as much as you feel comfortable with.”
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Post by Rena Brighteyes on Jan 9, 2024 14:38:39 GMT -5
The crow, to her credit, very decidedly does not flinch. She doesn't. Anyone who says otherwise is a sneak and a liar. she takes a moment before speaking, choosing her words carefully, “I do. We’re still not sure where it came from or why I have it, but there’s this…thing inside me. I don’t know if it has an actual physical presence, or if it just uses its powers to make itself known, but it’s there, and it’s always hungry. It doesn’t really care what I eat, but indulging its preferences makes keeping it under control easier. Raw, bleeding meat is the best, so I’ve had to acquire a taste for it. As for what it is…I’ve done some research, and I think it’s a flavor of the Werebeast curse. Probably Earth domain, judging by how tough the transformation is”
She hums softly, digging back into the deer heart with a vengeance, occasionally letting out a gentle trill or chirp as she devours it.
and then it's gone, and she goes in for a chunk of venison off the haunch, digging into the meat with the same fastidious urgency as before.
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Post by Lucian Lucifen on Jan 9, 2024 19:57:42 GMT -5
Thankfully for Rena, Lucian had very little social awareness, so he didn’t notice her flinch, which she certainly hadn’t done. He continued to tear his share of deer into smaller pieces for easier consumption. But he also pondered on what Rena just said. The biggest inconsistency, though, was that, her summon: possession attempt was almost… icy when she had supposedly used her curse to help. This wasn’t necessarily consistent with the fact that she described it as an earth domain curse.
“Oh really?” He spoke with a contemplative hum. “I didn’t realize ice magic was a part of the… earth domain, you said? Sorry, I’m unfamiliar with overall domains and classifications, I’m from an isolated community and all. But your attempt at that spell looked more icy than… earthy? And you said you used your curse’s magic to help with it so…”
He wasn’t trying to be malicious with this statement, it was more… He saw a potential inconsistency in what she said, and wanted her to explain it so that he could understand better. The draconynh honestly saw her as someone who could help him navigate this land better, and possibly teach him. As a result, he had no need to actively try to be hostile towards her.
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Post by Rena Brighteyes on Jan 9, 2024 22:05:33 GMT -5
She hums softly, tilting her head a little and shrugging, “...the classification is more a matter of what traits the transformation grants, rather than the magic attached to the curse itself…Earth domain werebeasts become tough and strong, Sky domain grants speed and flight, Sea domain grants gills and one hell of a swimspeed…my Beast is of the Earth, but the curse itself was born of frost and desperation, and the magic it grants is reflected in that”
The crow finishes off her strip of venison, then stands a few feet away and hurls all five of her bayonets into a tree on the opposite side of the clearing before summoning them back one by one. The summoning takes a few minutes in all, but each is notably shorter than the last, less frost building on both the blades and her hands.
Then she does it again. And again. And again. By the time she’s done she’s sweaty and panting, swaying a little as she summons her bayonets one last time. She shudders, sliding the blades her husband had made for her back up and into her sleeves, letting out an exhausted trill as she sinks to her knees, "...definitely...getting easier...not quick enough yet, though"
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Post by Lucian Lucifen on Jan 9, 2024 22:20:49 GMT -5
"Ah, I see! That makes a lot more sense then." Lucian spoke, a small smile on his scaled face. "You seem to be doing well to manage it, so I won't pry any further."
There was no need to worry about Rena at all if she's been able to control the effects of the curse and hasn't been hurting herself or others with it. So, Lucian chose not to pursue this line of questioning further. Instead, he watched Rena practice the spell as he finished eating, giving her a small round of applause after she finished the training session.
"You're mastering the spell wonderfully!" He exclaimed. "Seems like the spell will be very useful to you once you're able to summon your blades within seconds."
Honestly, he was happy he was able to teach Rena something. It felt like he barely knew anything, after all, so being able to provide some knowledge made him just a bit more proud of himself and his abilities. He'd certainly have to learn more spells at some point, however. Maybe something else besides the summoning spell that could combine with the knife skills Rena had him practice? But that would be another day, and likely a lot of self-tutoring.
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Post by Rena Brighteyes on Jan 9, 2024 23:11:50 GMT -5
Rena smiles a little wanly, taking a moment to steady herself as she catches her breath, “...thank you, Lucian. That’s…very kind of you to say. I…I just have a knack, I suppose, for anything that seems particularly useful…it served me well when I was first learning to throw my knives…and again when adapting that to these blades my husband forged for me…”
She seems…vaguely sad at that, sliding one of her bayonets free and staring at her reflection in the surface…that…now that he’s paying more attention, there’s something strange about the blades. Almost as though they were hammered into shape from polished feathers…and aren’t her eyes silver? Then…why are the eyes in the reflection...amber?
She sighs softly, letting out a soft, mournful hum...at this point it's obvious she's lost most awareness of her surroundings, focused solely on that strange, amber-eyed reflection in the bayonet she holds, "...feels strange, knowing it's only been six months...just glad you're still here to some degree...but I'll find a way to talk to you again, ka'to'bi...and I still need to find the other set you made me..."
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Post by Lucian Lucifen on Jan 9, 2024 23:22:00 GMT -5
Lucian's excitement turned down a bit as he noticed the change in Rena's tone. Ah. So this wasn't necessarily something to get overly excited about. It was clear by her voice that such a development was bittersweet. The blades she wielded her made by her husband, but by her words, it was clear something happened to him. He shuffled a bit on his feet, a bit unsure of what to say at the moment. It took him a bit to come up with the words.
"I'm sure he's proud of you and all that you've managed to accomplish thus far." He assured, a small smile on his face.
Seeing the amber eyes in her reflection made Lucian blink, however. Was he just seeing things? Ultimately, he just brushed it off as a trick of the light, or some sort of issue in how the water reflected. Maybe it was just the ripples altering the coloration.
He stood there for a moment, before clearing his throat. "Right, um! We should probably get going soon. Let me just bury the deer first."
He approached the now somewhat sliced apart deer corpse, digging into the ground with his claws. It took a bit of effort, but he made a shallow grave for the deer. He swiftly covered it with dirt, creating a mound in the dirt where the deer had once been.
He pressed his claws together in almost a prayer. "Thank you for giving your life for our survival. Rest peacefully, and may your body return to nourish the earth."
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Post by Rena Brighteyes on Jan 9, 2024 23:58:59 GMT -5
Rena hums softly, tilting her head and trilling quietly as she sheathes the blade she’s been holding as she stands, “...I’m sure he is…” and slowly stretches, cracks and pops rattling out from her joints as she lets out a soft, relieved sigh. Rena adjusts her tunic, smiling a little as she chirps and stretches some more before glancing around. She hums softly, tilting her head as she steps over the carcass, smiling a little and laying one black scaled, dull taloned hand on the beast’s side, “...thank you, friend, for lending your life in aid of ours…may your rest be peaceful, and may you awaken to a good life…”
The crow glances up at the sun, now about midway up in the sky, “...hm…you want to spend some more time on your own training, or should we get moving and continue your training later?” then glances back to the draconynh, an eyebrow quirked above one shining silver eye...
Then she chuckles, shaking her head, "...sorry, sorry, didnae mean t' put you on the spot...but if'n y'feel like you've got an answer, I'm all ears...metaphorically, at least," the crow snickers into her hand, trilling in amusement at her own little joke.
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Post by Lucian Lucifen on Jan 10, 2024 0:11:26 GMT -5
Lucian pondered the question, he tail flicking back and forth on the ground. He could certainly use more training, at least when it came to throwing knives. His spells were pretty secure at the moment, it was mainly just his ability to throw knives. He had improved a lot over the course of a single practice session, so trying to practice some more could be helpful. Besides, having skill in some sort of weapon may help him should another encounter like the wolf happen. This way, he wasn't standing there useless again if something happened.
"I think a bit more training could be helpful. I wouldn't want to be standing there useless in a fight." Lucian decided. "Though... I won't be able to do much damage with the wooden knives. But that's what my spells are for!"
He approached a tree, clawing into it to make a target similar to how he saw Rena do so earlier. And then, he began to throw. Visibility was a bit more difficult in the more dense forest, but his practice earlier paid off. As he threw, the wooden knives successfully dug themselves into the tree. He wasn't quite hitting the target consistently, but he was at least hitting the tree with the correct ends of the knives now. Every time he ran out of knives, he'd quickly summon them back into his hands.
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Post by Rena Brighteyes on Jan 10, 2024 1:15:35 GMT -5
Rena smiles, nodding as she watches Lucian move to resume his training, “...fair ‘nuff. In any case, you’re improving fast. We’ll see about getting you some proper blades once we get to town. Shouldn’t be more’n a few hours walk…I think. Might still be thinking in flier’s terms…”
The crow hums softly, trilling to herself as she resumes her own practice, this time merely tossing a single bayonet to the dirt a few feet away before summoning it and repeating from there. It’s still taxing, but she can feel herself getting better at it. Each casting is easier, each summoning is faster. Still not enough. She needs to be able to summon her blades on a whim for this to work properly.
She summons her blade again as her fingertips ice over, the frost spreading down the bayonet’s handle, covering the faint pattern of feathers in a layer of sharpened ice before she flicks the blade down into the earth once more, the iced-over weapon driving deeper into the soil than it had before she’d applied her curse’s power to it. The crow stares down at the blade, silver eyes shining with little flecks of bone white as she sighs, grabbing at the air to her side...this time she's not even focusing on summoning the weapon, more on how much she misses being able to hold her husband's hand...
...and then the blade's handle is just there, warm and comforting in her hand...
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