Awakening thread! Anyone welcome, posting may be slow

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Smoke had filled his lungs; made the horns of war sound distant, muffled. It had shifted through the tall firs and blacked out the sun. Vehemens was running through it, on the frontlines towards what was meant to be the final battle for his rebellion. The beat of his steps, the labor of his breathing, the crackling of fire and distant shouts being the sounds that surrounded him.

Until, they faded.

He wasn't sure how. It had felt both abrupt and gradual, the way his heavy breaths brought fresh air to his lungs, the way the forest brightened. At first, the rebellion king had thought he only made it to the other side of the Empire's defenses, and so he charged forth still, unyielding. Then, eventually, he realized that he could no longer hear the bugles, the voices. The very presence of his comrades felt absent in a way he was not familiar with. Vehemens believed that he must have gotten turned around in the thick cover of smoke, and so he had raced back the way he came through tall stands of pines, growing desperate to follow his trail back to his team, until it, too, faded.

He couldn't make sense of it. The rebellion leader's mind reeled with possibilities, his limbs feeling numb while his blood felt alight with adrenaline. Or was that panic? He couldn't be sure.

Neither could Vehemens be sure how long he must've spent trying and failing to find his way. The air was cool, pure. The sun was aloft in the sky, bright and clear, and the forests sounded unburdened. He could not share the sentiment. The fear gripping his heart relented as he walked aimlessly, leaving behind a cavity of dull uncertainty instead. After some time, he found himself along the banks of a river. Not one he was familiar with - something he noticed was beginning to be a theme. The man's legs shook beneath him, from exhaustion, adrenaline, nerves. With dwindling hope, he let his strength give way, laying with his front paws just dipping into the waters, and bending to drink. It tasted like perfection, as fresh as a mountainous river should. And yet, the relief on his tongue and throat felt like a distant sensation.

The young king stared at the surface as it slowly stilled, bringing his reflection to the forefront of his attention. With ears held backwards, a tense and pensive face stared back at him. His feathers still remained, tucked into the fur of his scruff. He could see the familiar red fabric of his cape tied around his shoulders: the last physical semblance of his role, a small comfort. Vehemens seized the moment to rest, and to gather his thoughts. He wondered, did his trail simply disappear for his friends as well? Or would they think he had fled, and abandoned them in battle? The thought urged a small, distressed whine from the man as he stared down into the river, unbecoming as it was.

The sterling river tumbled swift from the heights of mountains somewhere in the backdrop. Mountains of home, for the journeyman, who strode along the bank-side without much purposeful direction. Another day, another different path to take to wherever her feet might carry her. This place she knew well though and the woodland regions just south of her. Soon enough, she would have to come to expand herself further but already, winter was coming and home would call their ranks more closely.

A whine caused her pause. The pale valkyrie lifting a leg close to her chest as she sniffed the air. A wolf was near. Not at all surprising and as she began to take slow steps again she comes to find him further down the river side. A young man, wall built, timber coated and dressed in feathers with a red cloak. He looked a fitting knight, she thought and perhaps would find she was not all wrong.

Hállo. The northerners would greet as she halted her movements not all that far from him.

As lost in rumination as he was, his nerves were still on fire from impending war, not allowing his senses to dull. Distant creatures in the woods and along the river he paid no mind, until one seemed to approach him. An ear swiveled in their direction before he acknowledged them properly, with a turn of his head as they stopped some paces away from him. Laying red eyes upon the figure of a woman, he guessed, of alabaster and ginger, who greeted him with an accent.

He exhaled an inaudible sigh of relief through his nose. Thank the mountains and skies themselves.

Hello, Vehemens returned the greeting while rising to sit before the woman, keeping his hackles smooth. Despite all he felt, he was careful to keep his expression and tone steady. Practiced; he ought not show weakness in the presence of a stranger. Nor appear too desperate, regardless of how absolutely relieved he was to see another face. Maybe this woman could answer some of the many questions burning in his mind. Except - now, he was unsure which was proper to ask first, his uncertainty betrayed in the faint crease of his brow. Is this your land? He finally settled on something neutral: beneficial to both of them, should he have not realized he was trespassing, and for him to gauge if she was familiar with the area. If she was and allowed him the time of day, then he could ask about where he was. If he were lucky, perhaps she would even know how he ended up here.

skill: Cartographer

The wolf sighs, but it is not one of annoyance. Instead, relief, and soon after comes the same small greeting given back to her. He lifted and he questioned, brow creased. Though he had yet to ask much, he was, indeed, lucky to come upon Journey, for she was a wolf who knew well of this world, its lands and how he might have come here, too.

It is not, but the waters of this river do stem from it. She turns her head upstream and points. Here, with some woodland cover around them, the northern mountains were not seen so clearly, but if only had found open ground he might easily see them. My home is in the mountains of Northfall which rest along the coast.

She turns back to him and as she does so, she takes a few more steps forward. She moves slowly, in case he was cautious of her being near. He was young and appeared healthy and uninsured so she rather doubted he had reason to openly fear her. Still, she would sit as she got close enough for proper converse, just in case.

I am Journey Stormborn, as Ambassador of its people, and you?

Evergreen had apparently developed a habit of finding people beside rivers. She wasn’t sure when that had happened. Perhaps it was an unfortunate consequence of using the damn things as roads. Rivers were considerably more difficult to get lost beside than actual paths, after all, and after her recent experience attempting to cross one, Ev had decided she preferred keeping the water to one side of her whenever possible. Preferably without having to throw rocks into it first.

The steady rush of the river had accompanied her for some time now, close enough that she could use its sound as a guide without risking another unwilling swim. For once, the weather had decided not to make traveling actively miserable. The day was mild, the ground beneath her paws reasonably forgiving, and even the familiar ache settled deep into her joints had remained tolerable. Naturally, something had to ruin it.

Voices drifted through the trees ahead. Ev slowed. Two of them, by the sound of it. One masculine, one feminine, both unfamiliar. She couldn’t make out everything being said beneath the constant rush of water, nor did she intend to try. Other people’s conversations were generally best left to other people, especially when Evergreen had spent quite enough of her life becoming involved in things that were none of her concern. She adjusted her path slightly, intending to give them room.

Then one word reached her clearly. Northfall. Ev stopped. Ah. That place. She knew the name now, though she had yet to become particularly acquainted with the wolves attached to it. She’d smelled the unmistakable presence of a group during her travels and had gone out of her way to skirt their territory rather than accidentally wander across a border she couldn’t see. Apparently that decision hadn’t prevented Northfall from finding its way back into her life. The other woman continued speaking. Something about the mountains. The coast.

Then came a title. Ambassador. Well, that was considerably harder to ignore. Ev stood there for several seconds, caught between good manners and the increasingly desperate realization that someone who represented an entire group might actually know enough about this place to answer some of the questions she’d been accumulating since she’d woken here.

Good manners lost. They usually did. With a quiet sigh, Ev turned toward the voices. She made no effort to hide her approach. Sneaking toward two strangers while blind seemed like an excellent way to get herself bitten, and she had survived far too much in her life to meet her end because somebody mistook an elderly woman for an assassin. Instead, she picked her way carefully across the unfamiliar ground, following their voices until she judged herself close enough to be heard without intruding too deeply into whatever conversation she’d just stumbled upon.

“Forgive me. I hadn’t intended to eavesdrop.” Ev stopped a comfortable distance away, leaving space between herself and the two unfamiliar scents. Her nose worked subtly as she separated one from the other, committing both to memory without any idea yet which belonged to whom. “Though, in my defense, you mentioned Northfall rather loudly.”

There was the faintest trace of dry amusement beneath the words. She tipped her head toward where she’d last heard the woman’s voice, assuming that must be the ambassador she’d overheard. “I’ve been trying to make some sense of this place since I arrived, and I’ve had rather mixed success.” A pause before continuing. “Mostly the sort involving rivers.”

Her attention shifted loosely toward the second presence. She knew next to nothing about him beyond the voice she’d caught before approaching, and considering she’d walked into the middle of his conversation, she wasn’t about to make assumptions.

“Evergreen,” she offered to them both. “And again, apologies. Please don’t let me interrupt on my account.” Which would have sounded considerably more convincing had she not very obviously walked over specifically because she’d been listening.

Vehemens listened to the woman with ears keen, his mind doing everything it could to make sense of what she said and connect it to the land he knew. The mountains around here had been unfamiliar to him, he acknowledged to himself. The coast? The nearest one he remembered was far, far north, past the tundra and ice. He had only heard tales of it from his tribes elders. Northfall. Not something he had heard of before, either, but at this rate that was to be expected, wasn't it?

The man lowered his gaze, brow furrowed with thought. The only explanation was that he ran too far, to some distant land from his own, but how could that happen so quickly? How could his trail just disappear, hidden from his own nose? How could the air be filled with smoke one moment, and clear and serene the next? He truly had so many questions, and unfortunately, he would have to burden this poor woman with all of them if she'd let him. His eyes raised as she stepped closer, and allowed him some relief that she planned to stay. She introduced herself, and he committed it to memory. 'As Ambassador of its people', so she was from a group, he guessed. He couldn't tell if that was the Northfall she mentioned, or if Northfall was name of the mountain range. About to speak his own introduction, before his attention was stolen by the approach of another, and he shut his mouth as his head turned to watch with patient curiosity. A dark-furred woman appeared, grey around her muzzle and weathered. She even had a tattered red scarf, much like himself. At least not all things were different here. She deserved respect, he thought, and so Vehemens rolled his shoulders back, sitting a little straighter, and dipped his head in greeting.

She spoke, and her words intrigued the man greatly, though he didn't quite understand her comment about rivers. He shouldn't get his hopes up; perhaps she was just a wanderer curious about the place or pack the Ambassador mentioned.  Maybe, by some slim margin, there was also a chance that this elder was in a similar situation to him. As the elder - Evergreen, she called herself - finished on pleasantries, he looked to the Ambassador, giving a tiny nod before addressing their new company.

You're welcome here, he offered on behalf of them both. This was hardly a private conversation, after all. I am Vehemens Wedhō, honored to make both of your acquaintances. He gave both women a courteous dip of his head before he continued, it's rather convenient that you say so, Miss Evergreen. I find I also have many questions about this place, it seems we're fortunate to be met by an Ambassador familiar with the area. He looks to Journey, expression polite but edged with something hopeful. If you would not mind helping us.

skill: Orator

The man looked like he was about to speak. Surely he wasn't planning on leaving her hanging, just sitting there, but apparently someone else's arrival drew his attention and just a moment later, it did the same for Journey.

It was a dark wolf, black mostly so, with a red tattered scarf wrapped around her neck. Curious. The man here had a cloak of red and if it wasn't for the woman's words, Journey would have thought the two of them perhaps were from the same alliance. She spoke about Journey mentioning the name of Northfall loudly (loud and proud) and to this Journey chuckled. Ah, yes. I can say with confidence that Northfall's people are quite known for their… boisterousness. They should definitely meet her sister! And her nieces Kvitrafn and Roskva!

As she turned to the man and continued, Journey could confirm her thoughts that this woman was in fact, blind. Deep brown eyes Journey could notice were clouded over whenever the light caught them. She didn't want to interrupt and yet, she stood amongst them now, waiting to listen into their conversation. She sought information, obviously, being new to this place too and Journey didn't at all mind the addition. Neither did the soldier.

Journey's smile is deep as this man finishing speaking, despite the fact that the elder woman very obviously could not see it. She did not introduce herself to the woman, but this was only because she apparently heard her speaking of Northfall and her place as Ambassador and so surely she had heard her name as well.

Of course I can. It is my business to do so, after all. A pleasure, Vehemens. Is that… a Roman name? Through her many lives of course, she was somewhat knowing of the European Romans and, more specifically so, by the familiarity it held with one of their members. There is a woman within our ranks, Agrippina. She is a Roman woman. At least, to her core, despite her extended time in the north among its many Norseman.

Now, She situated herself in her place, passing a glance between the soldier and elder. Do you mean this area, or this world? Journey stops for dramatic pause. No creature simply wanders into place by travel. You're either born here or you Awaken here. Would they think her crazy already? She had only just begun….

Mythris is a world of magic. Magic which is sporadic at times, to say the least. She would not tell either of them of the disasters which had passed not all that long ago. A year of spiraling chaos that nearly had been the death of every living thing in existence here. No, that would be a horrible tale, especially now. If you both haven't just simply lost your way from home through a Traveling Tunnel… A pause. Yes, the teleporting tunnels would be another explanation. Then I fear you've been taken far from the world which you had once called home.

Evergreen listened without interruption, though somewhere around world of magic, her whole form had gone noticeably still. Of all the explanations she’d considered since waking in this place, being pulled entirely out of her own world hadn’t made the list. Lost, certainly. Dead had crossed her mind once or twice, though she’d dismissed that fairly quickly on account of still being inconvenienced by hunger, aching joints, and ice. Apparently the truth had decided to be even more ridiculous.

“I see,” she hummed.

She did not, in fact, see. Ev shifted her weight, taking a moment to sort through everything Journey had just handed them. Another world entirely, hm? There were enough questions buried in that alone to keep them standing beside this river until nightfall, but one particular detail had caught somewhere in her thoughts before Journey had even gotten to the unbelievable part.

“Before we get into the matter of being dragged between worlds,” she began, her tone pretty calm for someone who’d just been informed that everything she knew might be impossibly far away, “should you really be giving away this much information about your clanmates?”

Her head tipped slightly in Journey’s direction. She’d given them Northfall’s location readily enough, her own position within it, and now the name and background of another member. Perhaps things were done differently here? Ev had spent enough of her life around groups, alliances, and enemies to find the ease of it mildly alarming.

“We could be spies, for all you know.” There was no accusation behind the words. If anything, Evergreen sounded a little bit concerned on Northfall’s behalf. Her ears flicked toward Vehemens before settling back toward Journey. “He could be gathering information, I could have followed you from your border. You’ve known us for all of five minutes.”

She paused for a moment to let that land. “I didn’t,” she added, because that clarification was necessary. “But you don’t know that.”

Ev let the point sit there for a moment before giving a quiet huff and returning to the larger problem at hand. “Now. You’re telling me that I didn’t simply wander farther than I intended.” Which would have been impressive enough, considering she was blind, but apparently even Evergreen wasn’t capable of accidentally walking into another universe. “Something brought me here.”

Her brow furrowed. There was one obvious question, and she suspected she wasn’t going to enjoy the answer. “Can it send me back?”

The Ambassador asked of his name, explaining about a woman within her ranks. He took this in, and though it wasn't the most pressing matter, he obliged an answer with a polite smile. We do not have a word for it, in my home, but archaic names are passed through my lineage. Pyralis founded us, Odyssey made us great... and amongst others, there is me. He decided against voicing the names of the tyrant queen who destroyed their reputation, or his mother who aimed to mend it. Vehemens recalled the woman Journey had mentioned, and thought of a man he had heard of before. One cloaked in garnet, with a cape and shining helmet capped with bright red fur. The Red Warrior, he was called, one of the queen's strongest acolytes. This, Vehemens knew from the stories told by the rebel leaders.

Journey's next words had his ears upright, and an unsettling pit weighing heavy in his core. His brow was knit with consternation as he tried to figure it out, it making no sense how he could have awakened here when he had not been asleep, and knew very well that he had used his own four legs to get to the very spot he was sitting.

Magic.

It was whispered of, sometimes, in his home. Something mysterious that would shift through the world like a gust of wind, disappearing almost as quickly as it appeared. He hadn't quite believed it himself, assuming most tales were made to keep the little ones from wandering off at night. But what other explanation did he have, that was any better than the one Journey gave him? How else could he justify what happened, from impending war to a clear alpine day in the matter of a few strides? For two wolves, Evergreen and him, arriving here and being unsure how? The elder spoke now, sounding far calmer than Vehemens felt internally. What she prioritized truly perplexed the young man - though he wouldn't allow it to show on his face - and as much as he wished to focus on their current problems, he didn't dare interrupt the older woman. Instead he waited, shoulders stiff, for her to finish. Her words worked well to sober him and his patience, for he was all too familiar with the concern of spies, of protecting one's home. Though he came with no ulterior intent, and he suspected the Ambassador to know that, the elder's meaning rang clear. Staying quiet, Vehemens regarded Journey then with subtle curiosity. Northfall must be a strong community, he assumed, to share about it so freely without concern.

To his relief, the topic returned to their predicament, and this world. A world which was not his own. Evergreen asked the question that had been burning in the back of his mind. Yes- He chimed in at last, I did not come here through tunnel or sleeping. Vehemens paused, considering how much he should share here. Explaining how he arrived may provide clearer answers, he decided. I was leading the charge into a battle, through smoke and ash, when I lost sight and sound of my comrades and the smoke cleared from the forest. Briefly, the man pointed his muzzle to the firs lining the river. His gaze settled back on Journey, his focus narrowly concealing tempered desperation. It is imperative that I return. She had been helpful, and it was a subtle plea that she have yet more answers. He didn't dare consider, yet, that there wasn't a way to return.

skill: orator

Journey listened to the names given to her- Pyralis, Odyssey. They sounded ancient, from a world of kings and queens, gods and goddesses far from her own pantheon.

While they both seemed to drink in Journey's words quietly, it only seemed the soldier was still focused on this while the elder…. She spoke on now, seemingly quite concerned and perplexed about Journey and her own packmates instead of her own predicament.

Journey almost found it an insult on behalf of her own self that Evergreen suggested the possibility of an elder, blind woman following her from lands which she had traveled so frequently would have gone unnoticed. She was, after all, born here and professioned as a scout. This woman was new to these lands, by her questions, let alone the ability to quietly traverse them unnoticed. Maybe, in the end, she was simply a concerned elder thought to teach a young woman a lesser. Yet, as it were, Journey's true age was within the hundreds.

Journey's smile remains soft, even if it could not be seen. I'm afraid you've mistaken Northfall for one which lives cautiously of conflict. We are not. In fact, a good battle would likely be welcome. My family is viking. We want to be known. Want to be challenged. Journey didn't fear their defeat, either. A fight would only heighten their reputation. It would be a great honor for any of us to die in battle. Worthy of Valhalla. She pauses, realizing they may not know what Valhalla is. It would greatly appease our gods.

She waits a moment, for any retort. Then, she would move on to the original discussion. If there is a way which you can return at your own whim, I know not of it, but there are some which have been taken from us just as easily as they came. Her brother, her father’s first wife, for instance, though she didn't specify her own losses. Those who come here, it may be of any means. Simply traveling and walking through the veil, going to sleep and waking here, lost. Some taken during the heat of battle, still red with blood… Her eyes cast to Vehemens. Many, having died only to be reborn. Be it in their same form or another one entirely.

Humans, wolves, demons, gods or otherwise. Stripped of their fingers and homes. Stripped of their godly powers and magic. Torn from their bodies and forced into another against their will. The ways to be pulled into this world as though it were some great, magical black hole was endless. You could return, but it is not something you have the choice in.