The world was broken. Cursed—corrupted—damned. These were the only words the young alpha could possibly come to when he watched the sun set over the western sea. This was the third night in a row that the sun had failed to cast the evening sky in its beautiful explosion of warm colors; reds, oranges, and goldenrods were absent from the sky and in their place were deep indigos and navies, the heavens perpetually cast in a veil of twilight when not plunged into the infinite blackness of night. Though Artorias didn't have as many years on this earth as others in his pack, no one seemed to have an answer or explanation for the strange events going on as of late. It was as if the entire world had shifted off course, a train derailed from its proper track and careening into an empty and terrifying void. Amber eyes watched the last fading moments of light over the western horizon with a tense grimace. The night had brought beauty and terrors the likes of which he never would have been able to imagine before now, and as the world grew more and more bizarre, the recently anointed Aegis worried for the safety of his pack and his wolves.

Silhouetted by the ever growing full moon, Artorias held his breath while the final rays of the sun's dying light vanished—and then the world was gradually plunged into the dark of night. His eyes closed, waiting, listening to the sounds around him. A cold breeze picked up almost immediately, the wind rippling around him and shuffling his fur with its chill. It appeared like a phantom eager to embrace him with its icy breath. Art's hackles raised, an instinctive reaction to the strangeness of the unknown. When Artorias opened his eyes once more, the world was filled with those blue fireflies once more. Though... were there even more of them now? Everywhere he looked, he saw more and more of the blue lights. What had begun as a few dozen had now become hundreds. There was a noticeable drop in the temperature and the wind seemed to be picking up even more, whistling in his ears. He could almost swear he heard a voice in it.

That's enough for one night... thought the dark-furred wolf to himself. Rising to his paws, the young brute turned and gazed out over the firefly-laden plains. The unnatural mist had yet to roll in, but the moon hung fat and full in the sky, closer to the earth than ever before. It looked as if it were about to crash into the earth at any moment, held on only by an invisible thread. Artorias didn't like this one bit. With a deeply concerned sigh, the Carpathian wolf began to head back towards the castle to make sure every Hallowed wolf was safely within its walls for the night.

"Artorias..."

His name whispered in his ear gave the young brute pause. Black ears stood erect on his head as a chill ran down his spine. Artorias turned, casting steely amber eyes out across the plains. He scanned the empty lands, looking for some sort of explanation, a logical answer to what he thought he heard. Had the wind just whispered his name? No, that was impossible... right?

"Artorias Carpathius"

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
____________________

When all the fireflies and odd glowing plants began she had been confused by them, but had only thought about how beautiful they were. She supposed she should have been more unsettled by them than she was, but they were lovely to look at at night and she had been enjoying laying outside the den in the evening and watching the fireflies go by until she was ready to go to sleep. However, as the season continued and things started to change more and more she was beginning to lose her positive opinion on it all. With the lack of real sun during the day and the massive full moon that had gone on far too long it felt like the world around them was hung in some kind of weird state. Briar had been resisting going to The Hallows since she left with Lia after Artorias' recovery, but with the strange state the world was currently in she just couldn't resist at least making a quick trip just to reassure herself that Artorias and The Hallows were okay.

By the time she made it to the edge of the Starlit Plains it was pitch black out—not that it was even felt that dark out considering the massive amount of fireflies that filled the chilled air around her. It didn't really occur to her how cold it was considering she had just come from the wintery weather of Boreas, but she remembered how warm it had felt when she was here just a few weeks prior and the fact that it was suddenly so gold made her hackles bristle uneasily. She hadn't even really intended to stay the night since she just wanted to check in with Artorias and head home, but with the strangeness of the evening she turned her head to look at Willow who was perched on her shoulder and asked the falcon to go back to tell Lia that she would be longer than expected, watching the bird fly off before turning her turquoise gaze back to the plains in front of her.

Through the sea of blue lights she spotted the figure of a wolf and after a bit of squinting she realized it was just the man she had come to see. "Artorias!" she called as she trotted over the border toward him, loping across the plains to reach him. The fact that the fireflies vanished as she ran through them was strange in of itself, but when she glanced back there was barely any trail left by her path through them and she couldn't tell if they just returned to their positions that quickly or they were just brushing past or under her somehow. The thought of them going through her wasn't one her mind was willing to consider. She slowed to a stop in front of Artorias, immediately leaning forward to give him a gentle kiss. "I wanted to come make sure you and your family were alright with all this that's been going on," she explained as she waved a paw to the crazy world around them.

"Briar Zeitgeist Fatalis"

"Artorias..."

Again the voice whispered in his ears with a gentle gust of wind, as if the air were caressing his face while it spoke to his mind. Artorias' heart missed a beat. This had to be an auditory hallucination, his stress-riddled brain playing off his nerves... right? The fireflies all around the plains continued to float about lazily like they hadn't a care in the world, illuminating the fields in their ethereal blue glow. It looked like the plains had been engulfed in some strange world, like the realm of the dead had begun to seep over into the living world with its almost sickly iridescent glow.

"Artorias..."

The black and blue brute spun around, searching for the source of the voice. There was no one around him. Aside from him and the sea of cool-hued fireflies, the plains were barren. Darkness had fully closed in around him, twilight a distant memory. Only the bioluminescent bugs kept total blackness from swallowing him whole. His breathing picked up, a panicked flutter of his heart in his chest. What the hell was going on?! The wind picked up again and Artorias recoiled from its gentle touch rippling through his fur. It felt like the touch of death with how cold it had become, unseasonably so for the Austerian summer. The fireflies around him didn't come close, instead forming an almost perfect circle around him a few yards in diameter, like they were keeping their distance while also surrounding and encasing him in their unnatural light.

"Artorias..."

"Artorias!"

The very real voice of Briar joined the spectral whisper of his mother's voice in his ears, drowning out the ghost and making the young brute startle with surprise. His head turned quickly in the direction of his girlfriend's voice, spotting the Fatalis princess trotting up to him. The sea of fireflies parted to give her a path to him, seeming to vanish before she could make contact with her, only to reappear behind her once more. "Briar!" he called out to her, hurrying to meet her on her approach. He greeted her with a soft kiss in return and an affectionate and relieved nuzzle to her cheek and neck. Thank the gods she was okay! But... what was she doing here? As if reading his mind, Briar explained that she had gotten worried about him when all the strange events got worse. He could echo that sentiment; seeing her here alive and well, it brought him comfort.

"I'm so relieved that you're okay as well," he replied. Had he not had his commitments to the Hallows as their Aegis, he would have been up at the Armada to make sure she was all right the second the weird fireflies had begun to appear. Now, in what felt like the end times, he was just glad to see her safe and unharmed. "Things have been getting worse. I... I don't know what's going on." It felt shameful to admit that he was scared, so he didn't, allowing his concerned eyes and lack of understanding speak for him. He needed to be brave and strong, for his family, for his pack. No sooner had the two lovers reunited, the wind began to pick up again. Artorias' hackles raised in preemptive defense, stepping closer to Briar until he pressed into her, ready to spring into action to protect her from whatever malevolent forces were at work.

"Artorias... I thought you were better than this..."

Artorias' body went rigid as the unmistakable voice of Resin sent chills down his spine. His stomach twisted into knots, frantic mind racing to try and find a logical explanation to what was happening and the voices he was hearing. "Can you hear that?" he asked Briar, concerned that he may come across as insane if he was the only one hearing the voices. The thin, chilly fog from the previous time he'd seen his mother's ghost began to creep across the plains like an ominous entity. The fireflies continued to surround them, unhindered or impaired by the mist. If anything, they seemed to be embracing it, welcoming its arrival. "Briar... are you hearing voices?" He looked back to her turquoise eyes, hoping to the gods that he wasn't losing his mind.

"Artorias Carpathius"

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
____________________

"Same here," she agreed when he said he was relieved she was okay, returning his affectionate nuzzles as they stood in the middle of the field full of fireflies. It always felt like there was some strange event or tragedy or something of the sort whenever they were apart that kept drawing them back together and she wished now more than ever that she could just be with him permanently. The more the world darkened and changed around them the more she just wanted the stability of being with Artorias and knowing that he was okay. "I don't either..." she said as he said how things were getting worse, letting her gaze drift over the mysterious land around them with her ears flicking back against her head. She had no idea what was going on and hadn't discovered anything new since the last time they saw each other and now things were just getting worse.

She squinted a bit as the wind picked up again, blowing in her face and making her turn her face away as Artorias came to stand beside her, leaning her side into his, shivering against the unnatural chill. With the wind blowing around them and her ears pinned against her head she very nearly missed the whispers somewhere near by and she thought it was just the sound of the wind whistling by her until she felt Artorias stiffen beside her and she looked up at him with worry creasing her expression. She was about to ask what he meant when he asked if she could hear something when another whisper, louder and more distinct this time, reached her ear and made her jump a bit, quickly looking around as if she expected someone to be there. She couldn't quite make out what the voice was saying and she didn't immediately recognize the voice, but it was too distinct to just be the wind.

When he asked if she was hearing voices she brought her gaze back to his, her expression wide and worried. "I... I think so," she said uncertainly, her fur bristling. The voice was indistinct and distinct, but it still made a chill run up her back and she leaned into him again with her heart beating hard in her chest. "We should get inside," she insisted, nudging him in the direction of the castle as she glanced around the misty plain, everything outside of this small circle they were standing in getting more and more difficult to see and making panic rise up in her chest.

"Briar Zeitgeist Fatalis"

Briar didn't need to verbally confirm that she was experiencing what he was with the way her fur bristled and stood on end and her body pressed into his seeking comfort and security. He could tell by the panicked look in her green-blue eyes that she was hearing things as well. Was she hearing his mother too—or something else entirely? Despite the cold and the overwhelming urge to lower his ears, Artorias kept them pricked up and alert, desperately trying to catch every sound around them. He felt Briar shiver and curled his body closer to hers, letting her use his warmth to stave off the chill of the wind. Wide amber eyes gazed through the sea of fireflies in all directions, trying to find where the wind and the voice were coming from. None of this made any sense, but Artorias felt paralyzed in place, like he couldn't leave yet. Not until he found some answers.

"How could you, Artorias...? Murdering that innocent girl..."

Artorias' blood turned to ice in his veins. Murder?! No, no he hadn't killed anyone! He'd made a mistake giving into his urges on Fenmyre, but he had made sure the slave girl hadn't been hurt badly, was being tended to by medics, was alive! He'd fucked up, but he'd done everything he could to rectify the harm he'd caused! Artorias' heart began to race in his chest, a chill rising from within his core that made him tremble—whether it was from emotion or fright couldn't be discerned. "No... I swear, I didn't..." Artorias' whispered words drifted off into nothingness. His mother's chastising tone cut through his soul. How? How could the ghosts know of his deepest guilt? It was like the spirits were preying on his insecurities, his doubts, his guilts. The worst part? It was working.

The young brute barely even registered Briar nudging him and pleading him to head back inside, he was so wrapped up in his own head. The wind picked up again, whipping around the wolves like a gale, and with it came another voice. This time, the voice was clearer than ever, its anger and disgust evident in its scathing tones. It rang so lucid in his ears that he felt like he were having a face to face conversation with Resin once more, just like when he had been a puppy. But instead of warmth and love, the voice of his mother was filled with disappointment and frigidity.

"You are no son of mine... You aren't worthy to carry my name..."

Artorias' head was spinning while his heart cracked. Hearing those words spoken in Resin's voice did more to damage his confidence and feed his guilt and doubts than a hundred failures ever could. He stumbled backwards when Briar nudged him in the direction of the castle again, unable to tear his eyes away from where the wind was blowing. This couldn't be real. It couldn't be! This was a trick. A ruse by some... thing. Something had to be using his mother's likeness to try to hurt him. And while that terrified the young wolf to consider, it also angered him. How dare something mimic and make a mockery of his mother like that! "No, you're wrong!" he called back into the wind, holding his ground while amber eyes narrowed with determination. "I am Artorias Carpathius, Aegis of the Hallows, and I will not be scared away by a phantom that dares to desecrate my mother's memory."

Gently shrugging off Briar's nudges, Artorias strode past Briar, placing himself between where the wind came from and his girlfriend, facing out into the fireflies, the mist, and the darkness. Just one wolf, unwavering against the night. "If you want to talk to me about my faults and flaws, come face me and talk. I won't be scared away," he called into the void. Artorias stood resolute, breathing strong and steady while his pulse raced, scanning the dark for any signs of movement. Then he waited for a response.

"Artorias Carpathius"

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
____________________

Artorias

As your voice echoes and dies on the wind a response rises up, surrounding you. A rasping laugh so unlike any noise you've ever heard your mother make. As the laugh grows something tickles your inner ear, the laughter seeming to echo from within your own head now and no matter how much you scratch it, it remains.

Maybe you shouldn't have done that...

Briar shivered against the frigid wind and the uneasy chill that sank straight through to her bones as little distant whispers felt like they were tickling her ears and creeping up the back of her neck. She desperately tried to nudge Artorias toward the castle, refusing to go on without him, but he kept brushing her off, seemingly transfixed by whatever he was hearing. Whatever voice he was hearing was clearly louder and more understandable than whatever she was able to make out, but occasionally she would catch a word here or there like she was catching snippets of a conversation. Artorias, murdering, son, worthy, name... Individually they didn't really make sense as she tried to piece them together, but it felt more and more like this was a conversation meant solely for Artorias and she had happened to walk into it.

"Artorias, we need to go," she insisted again after he whispered something as if he was responding to whatever he was hearing, looking at him with fear and worry as she tried to nudge him toward the castle again. But he couldn't be moved and he pushed her off, stepping past her to face down whatever this was more fully, yelling out into the night about who he was and how he wouldn't be scared away by the phantom, daring it to come talk to him about his faults and flaws. She glanced around nervously, fighting against the wind that buffeted her fur to come stand beside him again. "This isn't a good idea,," she she said, her expression creased with concern. "We need to go. Now." Whatever this was she didn't want to be around it for a single moment longer and whatever it was doing to Artorias was scaring her.

"Briar Zeitgeist Fatalis"

Briar

The sea of fireflies that once encircled you suddenly vanish, leaving you and your companion alone. While their absence should feel comforting, you can't help but feel like it's the beginning of something and not the end.

Maybe you shouldn't have done that...

Artorias kept his ground, staring through the sea of fireflies and into the darkness. The whispering had fallen silent for the moment, and all he could hear was the gentle rustle of the wind and the distant waves from the ocean. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, a low laugh began. What started as a subtle chuckle rapidly grew into a manic, rasping laugh as the wind whipped around him. It no longer held any semblance of Resin in its tones, further solidifying Artorias' suspicions that this was not his mother's ghost and instead some sort of demon mimicking her. The laughter got louder and more menacing as the wind grew stronger. It tossed his fur about, but still Artorias did not back down or retreat. He grit his teeth and stared into the darkness as if he were facing off with an enemy he couldn't see.

Gradually the laughter began to die down along with the wind, yet still the voice rang in his ear. His ears flicked to try and rid himself of the ominous sound, but still it persisted, echoing about his skull like the darkness had seeped into his brain. Briar's concerned voice drowned out the laughter, and the young brute glanced to his beloved while she stared at him, brow creased with worry. His hardened expression softened when he saw the genuine fear in her turquoise eyes, her voice keeping him held down to earth amidst all this madness. He drew in a deep breath, peering back into the dark of the night for a brief moment.

He had been about to agree with her that they needed to go when all of a sudden the swarm of fireflies that had blocked them in together just vanished in the blink of an eye, all of them fading into the aether at once. Every. Single. One. The blue glow was gone, and now darkness had crept in around them. Only the moon's heavy glow illuminated the world in a sickly silver-teal sheen. Artorias drew in a shuddering breath, feeling more perturbed by the retreat of the strange fireflies than comforted by their absence. "Maybe you're right," he mumbled under his breath, keeping his guarded gaze up and around the dark of night that had encroached toward them. When the ghostly lightning bugs decided to leave en masse, that couldn't be a good omen.

"Artorias Carpathius"

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
____________________

It Continues for Briar...

Huh? It doesn't seem like anything happened... Well, maybe that's for the best...

Firefly Shoppe- Artorias

A firefly draws your attention nearby to reveal a cloaked figure with a small wooden table in front of him. On the table lay three items, with their prices beside them. "Artorias Carpathius, Aegis of the Hallows, who will not be scared away by a phantom that dares to desecrate his mother's memory, choose wisely, and only choose one," the figure says. "If you can afford it, that is. Or shall we discuss your faults and flaws?" Perhaps he accepts cŕ̷̕y̵̍͊stals and mushrö̸́̀ō̴̉ms... or perhaps its worth bargaining for something greater...


Inventory:

• Mushroom Based Acid- 2 /
  A small vial with a convenient handle that almost makes it seem throwable. Upon the label is a skull and crossbones symbol beside a shattered shield.
  
• Pungent Potion- 1 /
  This tiny bottle contains a green globby liquid, the label claims it was made from local mushrooms.
  
• Grow Potion- 1 /
  This bottle is shaped like an upside down pear and within it swirls a sparkly gold liquid. The label shows a crudely drawn image of two wolves of vastly different sizes, with a green checkmark over the largest one.
  

Briar almost didn't notice how the fireflies had vanished with her attention fully set on Artorias and her concern for him and whatever was going on far outweighing her attention on the world around them. She was able to breathe slightly easier when Artorias' amber gaze refocused on her and she could see him take a breath, knowing now he was listening. Whatever she had heard hadn't been nearly as impactful as it had been for him, that much was obvious, and the way it had riled him up so easily made her think that whatever it was saying to him had really gotten under his skin. She wanted to ask and wanted to know if what words she had been able to hear had correlated at all, but all of that could happen after they got inside. That was her top priority right now.

She nodded slightly when he agreed, following his gaze as he looked back across the plains around them. After living with the ever present fireflies for a while now looking around and only seeing the darkness of night it was somehow more unsettling than looking around and seeing fireflies everywhere. The darkness was strangely oppressing now that they were left alone without them. She leaned into Artorias' side, waiting for him to start moving toward the castle.

"Briar Zeitgeist Fatalis"

With the settling of the world, Artorias had been prepared to leave it all behind and head back to the castle with Briar. There was no chance in heaven or hell he was going to let her leave after all this, so she'd be spending the night in the Hallows at the very least, where he could keep her safe. Tomorrow, he'd have to send her back home, and as much as it pained him to do so, he'd have to tell her to not come back here until the world was more stable. He couldn't risk Briar traveling the distance between the Armada and the Hallows alone when such supernatural and downright dangerous events were going on. As much as he loved her, he needed her to stay home and safe. "No" would not be an answer.

Yet as he felt Briar lean into his side and he went to turn to head back to the castle, a single blue firefly flitted by Artorias' nose. He blinked in surprise, following the slow bug with curious eyes until it led his gaze over to a stranger cloaked in black robes standing behind a table. Its gaze was a piercing, cold blue glow that reminded the young alpha of the fireflies—except these eyes felt as if they were peering through his very soul. Artorias' mouth hung open in shock, unable to look away from the entity, whose body was hidden, save for its glowing hands which appeared to be made up of those blue fireflies. Despite his apprehension, Artorias could not resist the pull to approach. "Do you see that...?" he whispered to Briar, gently pulling away from her side to step up to the table.

When he approached, gold-flecked amber eyes roamed over the assortment of vials the entity had laid out, curiously studying each one. The entity spoke then, responding to his earlier call with the exact words he'd called into the darkness before. A cold chill gripped Artorias' pounding heart. Was this the being responsible for the voice he'd heard? Was it also the cause of the world turning crazy? He peered up at the tall figure like he could glean some information from it. "As helpful as your potions could be... what I seek isn't something that can be bottled." He looked up to the entity, wondering what it looked like behind the cloak and hood. What he desired most was a way to ensure the safety of his loved ones, his family, the Hallows. "I'd like to discuss my faults and flaws. And..." Artorias delicately laid each and every crystal and mushroom he'd collected on the entity's table. "...if you have something that could keep my loved ones safe, I'd like to discuss that too."

It was no secret that, being his first season as an alpha, Artorias was feeling waaaaay out of his league. All he desired was to be someone worthy of his family, worthy of the Hallows, to protect and provide. The young wolf was having a hard time finding that within himself thanks to the changing of the world. But after the attacks on Gwyn and Rudy, the grave robbing of his mother, his own brutalization, Artorias had to find some way to protect those he loved. He glanced back at Briar for a second; he couldn't fathom something happening to her as well...

OOC: Artorias is bargaining with Firefly Guy. He offers all of his items (2 crystals and 4 mushrooms) in the bargain, and asks for a means to protect Briar and his family.

"Artorias Carpathius"

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
____________________

Firefly Shoppe- Artorias

The man offered to discuss his flaws and offered all of his currency in exchange for something to keep his family safe. Firefly guy seemed to consider his words for a while. A handful of currency to protect his family? "Let us speak of your flaws," the figure began, leaning forward. "You wish not to see your family be hurt, yet this is all you have to offer?" Its words drawled on as if coming from every direction. "Perhaps you are looking at things all wrong... I will help you with that."

As his words trail off, you find your vision becoming lighter, washed out in a faint blue hue with no indication of light, shadows, other colors, or shapes. From the outside, the golden flecked eyes become glowing blue orbs, much like the fireflies around you.


You gain:

• Nothing!- It's really nothing!
  

You lose:

• Your sight (5 OOC days)- This can not be diagnosed IC as temporary, but OOC it is. Please play accordingly!
  
  

The entity was silent for a while, its visage hidden and expression unreadable. It glanced down at the half dozen items Artorias had laid out in offer, then looked back up to him. The entity spoke, leaning across the stall towards the young wolf. Then he chided Artorias for not offering more. His brow furrowed in confusion. Was this not what the being wanted? Was this not enough? He didn't have anything else to offer. What would a supernatural being even want? Turned out, it didn't matter. The entity stated that it would help Artorias change his perspective on the matter, and no sooner had the words left its invisible mouth, Artorias began to see bright blue light creeping in from the edge of his peripheral vision. "Wait, what are you doing?!" Artorias snapped at the entity, stumbling back from the shop stand with panic in his fading eyes. Gradually the blue began to engulf his vision until it was all he saw: a world of pale blue the same shade as the moon and the fireflies and every other damned thing that had happened since the world had gotten fucked up.

"No, stop!" It was far too late to plead. In an instant, Artorias' vision was swallowed up by empty blueness, the world around him completely gone. He lunged forward, paws seeking the shop stand to ask for mercy or forgiveness or whatever the hell the entity wanted so long as he could have his sight back—but his paws found nothing but air. The shop and its owner had simply vanished as unexpectedly as they had appeared. Artorias gasped as he collapsed to the ground, his paws landing on his cluster of mushrooms and crystals, left behind by the scornful entity. Artorias swung his head around, unable to see anything, but still able to feel, hear, smell the world around him. The entity had taken his sight and left him with nothing but confusion and fear.

Gasping for air and trying to keep himself from panicking, Artorias slowly rose to his paws, trying to figure out what he was supposed to do now. How could he live like this? How was he going to lead the Hallows?! There was no way they could rely on a blind leader! He'd asked for a means to keep his family safe and instead the malicious entity had crippled him, making his desire impossible! He was lesser fit to lead now than he'd felt before! Gods, what was he supposed to do?!

"Artorias Carpathius"

One big happy family

Artorias has two ravens named Corbin and Eira and a fox named Argent. Assume they are within calling distance at all times.
As his mate, Briar may enter Artorias' threads unless marked Private.
____________________