Just when he imagined his lover was finished, he found himself surprised. Fridgar's eyes opened, and as if he was born to it, he instinctively punched the Harvester through the maw and split his face in half. The creature appeared to die, devastated by the raw strength of Fridgar's hook, his carcass peeling away and fading into the darkness of the hall. The Fracture rumbled, and a wailing cry sounded in the distance. Chains slithered along the floors, and apparitions from dream to nightmare fled these halls to hide somewhere else - somewhere farther from Emea.
The man's heart grew fearful, and it beat quickly. Fridgar spoke to him, though at first, he barely heard the words.
--back to normal... didn't I promise I'd turn you back?
"Huh?" he asked, quivering in an apparent fear, one that Fridgar would see clear as day. His eyes were wide, and his body grew weak with fragility, set on by an anxiety that overwhelmed all things. Steel dragged along the floor, and he knew it - it was him. That creature from his dreams, the one that stood and watched him by the tiny bedside table, staring into his eyes with an emptiness that brought terror to even the Witch who had seen his face. A tall, lanky figure, with tattered clothes and a shear-like object that could rend a man's head from his neck. Chains that dragged on the floor, crawling up the side of his bed, or towards him as he cowered against the wall. He felt that nightmarish presence here.
He almost forgot to collect the well. Doing so quickly, he pulled the chisel from his satchel and removed the object from its place against the wall, head growing light as the sound of dragging chains grew closer. The Emetyte was disconnected from the Fracture, and he placed it into his bag. He took a breath. As he returned to Fridgar, the much larger man nuzzled into his neck, asking to return home. He nodded. "Yeah," he said. "Yeah, let's do that," he nodded his head, nuzzling back into his lover, stilling enough of his worries to allow concentration for but a moment.
"Icarus, Andreas, gather the... Lesser Harthyte quickly," he commanded his Revenants, fairly sure that was Harthyte, probably. The two wells looked pink and organ-like, and that was fitting of the description. They worked at it with precision and speed, removing the heated stones from the walls they clung to. Meanwhile, he focused, concentrated. He hadn't used magic in a Fracture before, but he knew it was not likely to lead to any grave outcomes if he only did it once. He needed to get out of here; that thing was coming for him. The fear had grown in him immensely even in just these last few trills, and his heart commanded his head to comply.
He focused on safely, cleanly using his ether; the most precise, pristine portal he could possibly create. And then it opened, several meters behind Fridgar, with a connection to the Coven base. When the Revenants had gathered the stones, Alistair guided Fridgar to the portal, and felt the outcome of his magic take place; the portal, appearing to be a black canvas covered by a swirling blaze - like it always was - felt almost as if an actual blaze lived inside of it. It was hot, so hot. He had felt heat similar to this in bonfires and razed townships - it was like the portal was a fire. He stared into the blaze of energy, and sighed. "Fridgar," he whispered his lover's name. "Don't be afraid."
The mage stepped into the portal, feeling the incredible heat upon his skin. Fear engulfed him, though scars and brands did not. As he stepped through the heat, he found himself unharmed, staring quietly at the black walls of the Coven stronghold, with glyphs and sigils along them. Icarus and Andreas stepped out after Fridgar, with two Lesser Harthyte wells, Alistair holding an Emetyte within the thick leather of his bag.
"Okay," he whispered beneath his breath. "Okay -- we're unharmed." With the Revenants first handing him the gems, he passed them on to Fridgar, handing his lover two Lesser Harthyte in exchange for his service. "They're very relaxing," he said, underplaying it -- they were rejuvenating, far moreso than he even knew. "And if they're over-exerted or destroyed, they will take you with them. I would keep them safely away for now. One day, we can refine them together, and you can use them for whatever you like." He kissed the man on the lips, and caressed his back. He was glad both of them were unharmed, though he still hadn't the faintest idea what the man meant by... 'turn you back'. What was Alistair in his vision? Then a thought crossed his mind, and he chuckled beneath his breath; he imagined himself as a rose, jumping around stupidly.
No, Fridgar would never imagine him so fragile and lowly.
The man's heart grew fearful, and it beat quickly. Fridgar spoke to him, though at first, he barely heard the words.
--back to normal... didn't I promise I'd turn you back?
"Huh?" he asked, quivering in an apparent fear, one that Fridgar would see clear as day. His eyes were wide, and his body grew weak with fragility, set on by an anxiety that overwhelmed all things. Steel dragged along the floor, and he knew it - it was him. That creature from his dreams, the one that stood and watched him by the tiny bedside table, staring into his eyes with an emptiness that brought terror to even the Witch who had seen his face. A tall, lanky figure, with tattered clothes and a shear-like object that could rend a man's head from his neck. Chains that dragged on the floor, crawling up the side of his bed, or towards him as he cowered against the wall. He felt that nightmarish presence here.
He almost forgot to collect the well. Doing so quickly, he pulled the chisel from his satchel and removed the object from its place against the wall, head growing light as the sound of dragging chains grew closer. The Emetyte was disconnected from the Fracture, and he placed it into his bag. He took a breath. As he returned to Fridgar, the much larger man nuzzled into his neck, asking to return home. He nodded. "Yeah," he said. "Yeah, let's do that," he nodded his head, nuzzling back into his lover, stilling enough of his worries to allow concentration for but a moment.
"Icarus, Andreas, gather the... Lesser Harthyte quickly," he commanded his Revenants, fairly sure that was Harthyte, probably. The two wells looked pink and organ-like, and that was fitting of the description. They worked at it with precision and speed, removing the heated stones from the walls they clung to. Meanwhile, he focused, concentrated. He hadn't used magic in a Fracture before, but he knew it was not likely to lead to any grave outcomes if he only did it once. He needed to get out of here; that thing was coming for him. The fear had grown in him immensely even in just these last few trills, and his heart commanded his head to comply.
He focused on safely, cleanly using his ether; the most precise, pristine portal he could possibly create. And then it opened, several meters behind Fridgar, with a connection to the Coven base. When the Revenants had gathered the stones, Alistair guided Fridgar to the portal, and felt the outcome of his magic take place; the portal, appearing to be a black canvas covered by a swirling blaze - like it always was - felt almost as if an actual blaze lived inside of it. It was hot, so hot. He had felt heat similar to this in bonfires and razed townships - it was like the portal was a fire. He stared into the blaze of energy, and sighed. "Fridgar," he whispered his lover's name. "Don't be afraid."
The mage stepped into the portal, feeling the incredible heat upon his skin. Fear engulfed him, though scars and brands did not. As he stepped through the heat, he found himself unharmed, staring quietly at the black walls of the Coven stronghold, with glyphs and sigils along them. Icarus and Andreas stepped out after Fridgar, with two Lesser Harthyte wells, Alistair holding an Emetyte within the thick leather of his bag.
"Okay," he whispered beneath his breath. "Okay -- we're unharmed." With the Revenants first handing him the gems, he passed them on to Fridgar, handing his lover two Lesser Harthyte in exchange for his service. "They're very relaxing," he said, underplaying it -- they were rejuvenating, far moreso than he even knew. "And if they're over-exerted or destroyed, they will take you with them. I would keep them safely away for now. One day, we can refine them together, and you can use them for whatever you like." He kissed the man on the lips, and caressed his back. He was glad both of them were unharmed, though he still hadn't the faintest idea what the man meant by... 'turn you back'. What was Alistair in his vision? Then a thought crossed his mind, and he chuckled beneath his breath; he imagined himself as a rose, jumping around stupidly.
No, Fridgar would never imagine him so fragile and lowly.
