#enchanternova

Tybresa was surprised by the creature that dared to come so close to her, despite Eihwaz’s presence turning away any other living being that had any sense of self-preservation. Her hands would gingerly wrap themselves around the little bird, cradling it in her palms while her thumb would stroke across its simple creamy plumage.

This little ritual ... it made her incredibly happy, and yet infinitely sad as she recalled her own little hummingbirds, the few stragglers that still survived ... and how unwilling they were to stay in her presence.

She turned her attention to the note, unwrapping it before reading over the simple sentence and the mystifying signature.

Irving?

It took exactly one moment for her internal cogs and gears to finally make the connection.

“Heh.” She laughed to herself, obviously amused. “Very well ...” With a stick of charcoal, she wrote on the back of the note a similarly short and sweet message.

“Doran will be happy to hear that - as am I.” She did not sign it, instead securing it to the little sparrow’s leg and kissing its forehead gingerly before letting it fly back to its owner.

It had been a normal work day; nothing unusual or particularly crazy, if one could even consider politics ‘normal’. Vidrina was leaving the palace, glad to be done with it though, and she was letting her mind wander when she heard an interesting conversation nearby.

‘An enchanter’ she gathered, walking away from the pair after asking a few questions. Interesting. The blade she carried had felt sub-par and weak, especially after she had lost her best and favorite sword in Noxus on a business trip. She recalled another old family heirloom sword in her home; it had been long since un-useable. The blade was dull, coated with a thick layer of dust, rusting in some places, and the entire weapon itself was much, much heavier than the current standard issue. But it was hers, passed down from generation to generation, and would do her better then the current sorry excuse for a sword by her side.

He doesn’t remember how long it’s been since he’s been here. The last time he was here, this was a battleground. He remembers the power flowing through his veins, how he used his victims blood to fuel his own magic. Such.. such dark magics. But the power behind it… It ignited his veins, it felt so good. Even now, Skeins was reacting to his memories. It’s not totally bad right? The blood could be used as a catalyst to power even his healing spells. He rationalizes, after all, he used the same technique to save Alexander.

He shook his head vehemently, driving the thoughts away, that wasn’t why he came back here. The nexus crystal had shattered, and perhaps. Just maybe. He could find even a small shard. He’d always wanted to try playing with it. Learn more about it. Not every knowledge about everything is recorded. There’s something more to those crystals make and material. And he’s gonna find out.

The young enchanter, carefully sneaks into the area, sticking to the shadows, and sending Skeins ahead to scout out the area before moving in. Making a beeline for where he remembers the large crystal was being kept. So far, no signs of life. At least, that’s what he thought.

He hears movement behind him, and he dives behind cover. Water steadily pouring out of his canisters, mindfully keeping them well out of sight. He freezes a section of water and slowly raises the ice, using it as a mirror to see what caused that noise.

enchanternova

To say that Tybresa was on the alert was an understatement.

Rather, it felt more like she had just climbed the tallest fence of the world, made herself a comfy little nest up there, and now that she was looking down from it, realized that there was no sensible way to climb back down.

Ironically enough, Eihwaz only throbbed because of her heightened sense of anxiety rather than detecting a presence worth sensing. Nonetheless, the woman kept her nerves steady as she stalked through the hallways, trying to follow the trail of something that stood out between all the rubble and the dust - a sign of life, something that was trying to remain hidden yet failed to do so. Repeatably.

She kept a hand held before herself, ready to cast a strong barrier to deflect an ambush at the slightest, startled heartbeat. Her eyes scanned the surroundings, trying to pick up any oddity that might stand out in the otherwise desolate halls - a muddy footprint perhaps, some disturbed rubble, a cloak left behind out of carelessness? Who knew - she didn’t, and she wanted to be safe and certain.

She turned a corner and was surprised to find herself catching onto a sudden flare of magic somewhere further away from her, made even more prominent by the way the Rune also detected it, practically flaring like a triggered alarm. She approached steadily, her footsteps soft yet not completely noiseless, trying to come as close as possible in an attempt to detect the trace - was it a friend, or a foe? 

Another step - and she could feel a cool shiver run down her spine, giving her an idea of how tensed she was. Another step - did it suddenly feel slippery around here, or … was it damp?

She caught the signature of magic, realizing that a spell was being cast - and with that, she recognized him. Normally, that wouldn’t have guaranteed her lowering her guard so easily, but she was surprised. She straightened as stiff a plank, settling her arms to her side as her jaw hanged agape.