[Bronze Wood] Hunting for Answers {closed Avi and Terminus}

[Terminus Norin]

Terminus was swept away from the first passionate kiss in a swirl of emotions and sensations. He felt through the bond all of Avi's passion toward him and it was nearly overwhelming at first. Then his mind began to accept and process what was coming through the bond that had formed between them and he could concentrate on pleasing Avi and taking pleasure from her.

He wondered what his life was going to be like now that he had accepted her as his bondmate. But the thought was pushed aside during the kissing and touching and all else that came with what was going on between them right at that moment. He pulled her close to him as she would allow and exercised all of his senses...even those granted him by the bond. To him this was a total experience, all consuming so that all he was aware of was himself and Avi, nothing else.


Their feelings crashed in on him like waves and then intermingled like strands of a rope weaving into a solid and strong whole. He could go on like this with her for a very long time as his endurance was very high. However he did not want to find out how much energy a dire owl could produce so when she slowed down to cuddle with him he placed his arms around her in a comfortable embrace, kissing her softly before she cradled her head on his.

He had noted the fact that her eyes were constantly changing during their time and that she was taking in every inch of him that her eyes could settle on. He felt the vague feelings of joy and contentment and wonder as the bond between them began to solidify and join them for life. He noted the vivid gold of her eyes as he felt the contentment as she snuggled into his shoulder. He had never felt this way with anyone even Sura.

When she noted his Gnosis mark which was a living flame imprinted on his right breast and asked if it was from Ivak, his answer was covered by a wonderful kiss and when she would let him respond he did.\

Aye Avi that is the mark of Ivak, it is the outward indicator of his gift within me. Should he gift me further the mark will become more vivid and complex and his gift will increase many times. But that is if I am faithful to him. I would be honored if he chose me for his champion when he is released. But i think he may chose another instead.

He sighed softly in contentment that Avi could feel and snuggled her a little more before he would encourage them to finish their hunt and return to camp for more snuggling and kissing

[Avi]

Avi listened with interest and reclined on him, nodding and tracing the mark with a fingertip, following the intricate pattern that was etched on the skin. She glanced at him at the last bit, about Ivak being released, and the god choosing another champion. "Where is he stuck? Do you know?" Avi angled her head just enough to look at him. "How do you release him?" This was something of interest to the Kelvic. Term had mentioned that hopefully Ivak had mellowed out by now. Best as Avi could tell, he had only several hundred years to simmer down. She didn't, however, want the world to go up in flames if another Valterrian happened. "Why did he start the Valterrian, anyway?"

Without even thinking about it, her breathing became synchronized with his, her exposed chest rising and falling with his. Once he had answered her, she gently nipped his shoulder then, playfully, grinning, her eyes bright with mischief as she stretched luxuriously before getting up, her eyes brightening as she looked down at him, her burnt almond skin glinting in the afternoon sun with the faintest sheen of sweat from their activities. "Do you want to fly?" she offered, her eyes becoming a mixture of gold and ruby. Eagerness. Excitement. She was already packing her garments, then, stuffing them into her bag. "It'll be more fun to hunt, too, from the air. Faster. Promise," she tilted her head enticingly.

She had everything in her bag, then, her braid taken out and feathers packed away, her spear secured. "I'm going to shift now," the Kelvic told him. "Just climb on. I'd rather you didn't pull my feathers, but put your arms around my neck. You should be able to get your feet in the straps, and your knees under my wings, whatever makes you comfortable, 'kay?" she tapped her backpack as she loosened the straps to allow for her shifting before crouching down on the ground, her massive feet outstretched, staring at him intently with amber-gold eyes, her pearlescent black feathers gleaming. Now or never.

[Terminus Norin]

Terminus snuggled Avi close to him and let her trace the mark which although it seemed like a live flame did not have the heat of one. Though even if it did he would not feel anything but its heat as he could not be burned by normal fire. He listened intently to her and answered her questions as they came out.

We do not know where he is being kept, we do know that Morwin and Izurdin do know as they are the ones that imprisoned him. As to how that too is a mystery.

He smiled with a terseness that was betrayed by the bond they had formed this day. He wondered..should he tell her the truth of the story that most give? The truth would put her in danger, however Rhysol's servants would come to attack her no matter what if it were known she was his bondmate.

Avi, the story of that is as old as the Valterrain itself. The truth has been hidden for 500 years and only recently have myself and the rest of the Triad come to know what really happened.

He smiled softly to her and spoke with a finality, she would know the truth and the danger, she was his bondmate and as far as he was concerned his mate...this would be his vow to her.

It is said that once the world was united under two kingdoms. The Kingdom of Suvan which was ruled by military might and the Kingdom of Alahea ruled by magic. They were always at war with each other. The one day the Emperor of Suva named Galhifer was to wed the Queen of Alahea Kova.

He continued on as the story was well known to this point It is said that on the eve of the wedding, Galhifer found out that Kova was not pure and in a rage killed her after brutally maiming her and dragging her through the streets of Suva. What he did not know was that her lover was none other than Ivak himself and Ivak's response was one of rage and anguish..he began using his power of Volcanoes and fire to destroy Suva. This got the other gods involved and the world was sundered before he could be contained. The god of peace Sylir was killed during the battle to contain Ivak. So for the past 500 years Ivak as been imprisoned

He swallowed and continued The truth that has been hidden for 500 years is that Rhysol had his hand in the Valterrain. His own champion The Voice had been poisoning Galifher for a long time before this and twisting his mind so that when the time came he would kill Kova in a fit of rage. This was to lure Sylir out where Rhysol could kill him. Once peace had been broken Rhysol could gain a foothold. That Avi is the truth behind the Valterrain...Rhysol caused it not Ivak. He waited for her to respond and once she did he smiled

Then she looked at him with a look of pure mischief and offered to take him on a flight. He would have been glad to do so before they bonded, however now he was thrilled to the core of his heart to ride with her in the skies, the owl was who she was and he loved the owl as much as the woman.

However he said nothing as she instructed him how to get on her back and hold to her while they flew. He watched the shimmering light show as her small Vantha body rippled and grew to the massive Dire Owl. He thought she was beautiful and noble like she was. As she crouched for him to climb on her back he looked for the best way to get up without pulling any feathers, he could hoist himself up by the pack straps and lock his fete just like she said. He then placed his arms around her neck and placed his legs under her wings snuggling in close and inhaling the strong scent of the bird before lifting his head so he could see. then he spoke in the faintest of whispers thinking at this distance she could hear him just fine.

I am ready my bondmate...my love. Let's enter your domain. He knew she could not answer him with words as he did not speak Owl but she could respond through the bond and by action.

[Avi]

Avi listened solemnly to what Terminus was telling her, her eyes enormous. Morwen? Her Queen Morwen? Well. Maybe they could ask her. Maybe she would tell them. But on the other hand if she had helped imprison Ivak, and didn’t know the truth… why would she? Her eyes were huge and luminous as she listened to this and considered, trying to work out half a dozen possibilities and probabilities all at once.

This explained a lot of things, and only hardened her resolve. Maybe someone else might have turned tail and fled, but Avi… Avi liked to know what was going on. Being kept in the dark would only have had her driving Term insane with questions about it. Curiosity may be what killed the cat, but if he hadn’t answered her, the Kelvic probably would have ascended to the Goddess of Nagging by the time she was through. “Everyone should know,” Avi told him, then. “It would make a great story to tell around the heathfire.” That was the Vantha upbringing in her – Avi loved a good story, and she loved telling one. She could only imagine how this one would play out in Vani. “If only a few people know, then he can eliminate those few to prevent them from telling… but if everyone knows…”

Rhysol would have to commit mass murder. Or so went Avi’s line of thinking.

The best part about the way Avi’s pack stuffed, and the way he was sitting, if you asked the Kelvic, was that the bag acted as a bumper. It was stuffed enough, and broad enough, that he couldn’t slide too far back, much less off, her back. One day she would have to see about something like that for him, a proper way of sitting himself that was more secure. She would have to see about making something like that, or finding someone that could make something like that. Then, when she was certain he wouldn’t plunge to his death, then, well, then she could really show him the skies.

But as it was, he was on her back, and he was settled down. Avi turned her head a full 180º to look at him as he whispered to her. She reached and caressed the side of his face with the smooth side of her beak, mindful not to catch the tip of the upper mandible on him. That would rip him open, even if she hadn’t intended to. Calm amber-gold eyes looked into his, glinting against the shiny blackness that were her feathers, and she let out a crooning noise. She had found him. Sure, she was hardly old, by either Kelvic or Human standards, but a Kelvic without a bondmate was incomplete.

And now… she had Terminus, who completed her. The feeling that came wasn’t something she knew how to express in words – so she simply let their bond, and the joy she felt in it, come through. Words had their place between a lover and a mate, and as much as Avi loved to talk and weave tales, she was an animal, and animals knew body language like nothing else. She rested her feathery forehead against his, then, before turning her head around and ruffling the feathers of her massive wings. Then they had liftoff.

Avi had chosen this spot well – she had wanted somewhere where she could see the sky, where she could weave out of the trees of the Bronze Wood if she had needed to. The wings flared on either side of him, the powerful limbs that had blanketed him before with air beating it, churning it up as the pair of them were launched into the sky. Into Avi’s domain, as he had so aptly put it. She let out a shriek, then, a sound of joy and delight and freedom as they cleared the treeline, rocketing into the sky. The ascent upwards was fast, but jerky - he could understand why Avi had told him to stay low and close to her neck. That way she was sure he wasn't going to go anywhere. She caught a thermal, then, and they were lifted higher and higher still, and soon they had evened out, and just glided in the cool air. She wanted to show him how the sky looked as Syna and Leth came close. Sure, one could see it from the ground, but until you saw it from the sky... well, one day Avi would show him the aurora... and then he would really see her world.

[Terminus Norin]

Terminus noticed the wide eyed look Avi got when he mentioned Morwen, then he remembered she was Queen of Avanthal..he would have to talk to Leo and Sondra about that as he might be able to arrange an audience with the Queen of Snows to plead Ivak's case for release when the time came. He could also see the intelligence in her eyes as she was working out the possibilities. She was staying despite the dangers and that was one of the many things that had caused him to desire a bond with her.

He also knew that if he had not answered her to her satisfaction he would have been bombarded by questions till he told her the truth. He was discovering that he loved her enough to tell her what she wanted to know..at least as much of it as she needed to know at this point. The whole thing about Glav being Sylir's son and ready to ascend was something he wasn't yet sure what to make of much less tell Avi about. He smiled as she suggested telling everyone the truth about Rhysol and the Valterrain

Maybe someday we can Avi but right now Rhysol isn't against murdering all who know the truth to keep his foothold on the world. he also knew telling the truth might expose Glav to danger that might end this quest before it was begun.

He did have to admit that her pack being stuffed the way it was provided an excellent bumper to keep him from sliding off her back. He wondered if there was a harness that could be made so that he could be secure on her back and she would not have to worry about him plummeting to his death when they were in the air. He thought that he and she would have to discuss the design and possibility of such a device when she returned to human form. Right now all he could think about was the thrill of being near her like this, for him this was a partnership, flying with her like this was intimate and one way of being close to her. His thrill and pleasure at this experience shone through their newly formed bond like a bright beacon.

Once he was settled in and secure and had whispered to her, she turned her head 180o and was facing him it was a strange sensation to look into those amber gold eyes from his position on her back. When she caressed the side of his cheek with the smooth side of her beak he smiled and closed his eyes allowing the joy at her affection to fill the bond. She let out a crooning noise and he felt the joy in her flood the bond and mingle with his. They had found each other and never had Terminus felt so complete as that moment, he was sure Ivak had or would have chosen her for him had be not been locked up. He stayed still,enjoying her affection when she rested her feathery forehead against his.

The she turned back to face forward and spread her enormous wings and ruffled her feathers, then there was the liftoff. Her wings flared and churned the air beating it and providing the loft they needed to launch into the sky. He felt the joy and freedom through the bond as she shrieked and they cleared the tree line headed to open sky and he let out a whoop of pure joy and laughed with a purity he had not felt for years. He snuggled in close to her as they rose and inhaled the scent of her his heart free at last of the burdens he carried.

She caught a thermal and they lifted even higher until they leveled out. He then rose his head and looked about the sky, he had never seen it like this. The burnt orange sky seemed to curve on forever as Syna was beginning to set he could see Leth rising in the east and it was as if the two were doing a dance just for Avi and him, it was breathtaking. They just seemed to catch each other as they chased across the endless sky. He leaned close and whispered

Thank you my love for taking me here and showing me this,I see why you feel so free up here, it is amazing! He knew she understood him and would respond in her own way

[Avi]

Avi evened out, allowing for a few dips and curves as they watched the sunset. She soared, her enormous wingspan steady on either side of him, and he could feel that she was pleased - pleased to have him up here, pleased to be in the air, pleased that he was enjoying himself. For all that she had been born to Vantha parents, and spent plenty of time on the ground, she was an owl, and the sky was where she belonged. This was her domain, her kingdom, and she ruled it quite happily.

Most of the time.

As she soared and enjoyed the sunset, she was thinking about other things as well. Avi's mind was always moving, and right now was no exception. She wanted Terminus to be able to sit upright, to feel the wind in his face, to stretch his arms and face the sky. She was going to have to catch something, make something out of it for him. Maybe a harness. That could work. Attached to her or her pack, that he wore, strapped around him. That could definitely work. She seemed to be particularly pleased with something else, Terminus could tell. Besides. It would make flying just that much faster and much more fun. She would have to measure him at some point when they landed, so she knew how long she needed to make it to fit right.

They flew for a while, just gliding, and covering far more distance than they had on foot quite easily. This was a very different viewpoint. From here, Terminus couldn't see the ground quite so well, but he was seeing a lot more than he might have expected to see. He was seeing through Avi's eyes, or at least partly - maybe it was just that he knew where to look now. His bondmate was a seasoned hunter, and was keeping an eye and an ear out for something for them to catch. This day would not be a total loss, not in the slightest - it couldn't be. They had bonded. They had joined. They had spent a day together. Just finding something would be the icing on the cake.

The twilight cast a magical glow as they went up and over the woods. Avi was also keeping an eye on any flying predators. An aerial battle Avi was fine with - and completely happy with, really... but for the fact she had Terminus on her back. That did not sit well with her, having Terminus at risk if something happened in the sky. He could get hurt, or worse, he could get killed. And Avi simply would not allow that. There was always that prickle of apprehension in the back of her mind. Big as she was, she was also a large target, and she wasn't flying anywhere near the height she would prefer to. She didn't want him falling, even if she could catch him. Besides. Some people had problems with the higher altitudes, and it made their ears and head hurt. This she knew from experience. This seemed to be a decent spot as it was.

They were well past the trees when Avi spotted a large, brown deer. It looked like a young buck to her if the antlers were any indication. It was moving from away from the woods, strolling along almost leisurely. She angled her wings to move them up a little further, tilting away from it. Hold on, Avi warned him. We hunt! We kill! There was a powerful mental warning there, insisting that Terminus hang on tight. Then she trimmed her wings again, and they dove down. Not at the angle Avi would have liked to have done, of course but at something more gradual so as not to risk unseating Terminus. Still, it was impossibly fast, and the ground was approaching at breakneck speed.

The deer had heard them, and was making a mad run for safety and cover as they evened out, soaring over the ground, the buck running, tail up, as Avi closed in on him. And suddenly, too suddenly, they were on top of it, Avi's wings spreading out in a broad buffet as she extended her talon-covered feet and grabbed the deer's neck as they jolted upwards as the powerful wings beat on either side of them. Close as Terminus was, he could feel their quarry jerking around, struggling, until Avi's muscles tensed, and the buck was suddenly dead weight as Avi broke its neck, and it hung limply from her feet. And despite all of this, Avi's blood was singing, and so was their bond - Avi enjoyed hunting. It thrilled her to the core. Triumph. Exhilaration. Hunger!

Despite that hunger, his bondmate flew them back over the trees where they had walked through earlier in the day, when Syna had ruled the skies. Now they were under Leth, and the skies were darkening, despite the stars that littered the landscape over and around them. But the night didn't bother his eyesight - Avi, he doubtless realized, could see equally well in both... but perhaps she saw even better at night. The descent when it came was slow, beginning with a winding, lazy spiral down. Terminus actually recognized the spot when Avi broke the treeline - this had been exactly the spot where he had camped the night before. She landed, then, letting go of the buck and releasing her feet, spreading them out on the ground to let Terminus untangle himself from her back and bags before rubbing her beak along his face and shoulder and shifting back. "That was fun," she grinned at him, standing naked before him, her hair sweeping around her bare shoulders.

[Terminus Norin]

Terminus kept himself close to Avi's body snuggling in as close as he could without pulling any feathers he compared it to having his short hairs pulled which was quite painful so he avoided hurting his bondmate. He was just happy to be with her and to feel her in his mind and heart, he knew he loved her even though they had not known each other long and that was unusual for him, Sura had taken months to get to know before he even thought about love.

He felt her level out as they began their flight while Syna set and Leth rose. He also felt through the bond that she was happy about something else other than what they were doing at the moment, he suspected she was thinking about something that pleased her. he might ask her what it was when they got back on the ground..if she wanted to tell him.

He lifted his head as they glided for a while and watched the ground, they were most definitely covering a lot more ground than they would have on foot, he understood why she got so frustrated with walking when she was hunting or tracking. He also noted that he should not be able to see very well from this high up as most humans had limited distance vision, but he could see much better than he should have been able to. He attributed that to seeing through her eyes now, the bond seemed to allow for that, or maybe due to the fact that she was a seasoned hunter, he now knew instinctively what to look for .

He also knew she was hunting and watched the trees as she did. He could also sense that she was concerned for his safety, frankly he would be too if it were not for the fact that she was his bondmate. He had seen a tiny infinitely tiny part of that bond in Nya and Abashai, but he knew that protectiveness was [art of that bond, Avi would not,could not allow him to he harmed if she could prevent it. He was now beginning to understand how wonderful these beings were as he shared his first day a Avi's bondmate, he understood better how it felt to be loved, and accepted for the first time in his life.

Then, after they had well cleared the trees, he saw the deer, probably well after she did. He also felt the warning that she was going for the kill, that image was so strong in her mind that it burned in his and he snuggled in tightly making sure he was securely tied down by the pack and putting his arms around her as best he could.

She trimmed her wings and they sped toward the ground at a breakneck speed and the ground rushed toward them, he could see this all through her eyes as the emotions were so strong that he was one with her. The the deer bolted, but he was not near fast enough as powerful wings and razor sharp talons resulted in his capture. Terminus could feel the buck's struggles as he fought against Dira's call, then with a flex of her powerful muscles, Avi broke its neck and it was still. He felt through the bond the singing of her blood, the thrill of the hunt and the kill and his heart sang for her and with her.

Then they landed in the same grove of trees that they began in and he marveled at her sense of direction. He also knew she could see much better than he could due to her being an owl and owls being night hunters. He was untangling himself from her pack as she released the deer. She also rubbed the side of his face with her beak in affection after he was free of the straps.

She then transformed into her human form and stood before him naked except for her long hair. He immediately went to her and took her in his arms and kissed her.

Yes my love that was fun. I know you are hungry and so am I. Lets eat what we have and I have to sleep.

He let her have as much as she wanted of the deer and he had some more rabbits that he had caught while they were gone. Then as he laid down for the night he felt her drape herself over him in a protective and possessive way as if to say MINE. He had never felt so good about that in his life as he drifted to sleep

OOCthat's a wrap

[Dusk]

XP Award! Terminus XP Award: Storytelling: 2 XP, Seduction: 1 XP, Riding (Dire Owl): 2 XP Lore Award: Lore of Prey Selection, Lore of Braiding Hair, Lore of the Basics of Hunting, Lore of Talderan Hunting Tactics, Lore of Aviquilat, Lore of Setting Boundaries, Lore of Kelvic Bonding Avi XP Award: Interrogation: 2 XP, Teaching: 1 XP, Hunting: 3 XP, Seduction: 1 XP Lore Award: Lore of Ivak's Triads (poor), Lore of Challenging Boundaries, Lore of Kelvic Bonding, Lore of Ivak Additional Note A great scene! I always love seeing how people play out their bonding. You guys make an interesting couple, and I look forward to reading your future antics in freeing imprisoned gods!