3/7/2019 Encountering Ethan (Rift Log 6)

[00:59] Venturing out to a rather quiet spot away from all nations was necessary for Ethan to get the silence he desired. Standing in the middle of the bridge he shifted his hand towards the waterfall, seemingly using the time away from most to practice some form of magic, though what it was would be a mystery to most.

Five green magic circles were floating in the air before him. Along their exteriors were glyphs that were being actively re-written by the blue-haired man. It looked like he was trying to figure something out.
(Ethan Hawke)
[01:07] A hunt. The Invidia humbly traversed through the lands south of their camp, crossing the river with little hesitation. Demonic, high statured warriors had since been summoned to scout the lands to signal for dangers. Nothing. Not yet. Their energies were negative, wafting a cool, dastardly ambiance.

Aspen trekked through the lands above Gehenna with little worry. Any that stepped in her path would've been taken care of, but these vacant lands towards the beauty of the waterfall only inhabited one familiar man.

A traitor.

The thrall's appearance would've been made known by the heavy footsteps of her boots down upon the bridge.

"Ethan," she calls out in a stern tone. She stood, scrutinizing his form and the circular magics floating before him in contemplation. There wasn't any desire to fight. She'd been fatigued, but her mien showed some irritancy, however.

Dawn's inhabitants were naught but nuisances. Staying clear of their air, for now, would likely do some justice. The very reason she found herself here before the former thrall of Nautia.

..and she stepped closer towards him.

"All this time I thought you were dead. How've you been?"
(Aspen Invidia)
[01:15] His hand dropped down, not expecting anyone to break the complete silence save for the soothing sound of magical circles. The green glow ceased as their presence was no longer. Ethan was prompted to face the one who had ruined it all - a surprise that wasn't too unpleasant. To her rather macabre demeanor he offered a smile, head tilting a bit.

"Hey, Aspen. It's been years, hasn't it? Lots of stuff happened, ups and downs, but more ups than downs I'd say."

A moment of thought came to him as his eyes assessed her form, her armor and the typically unpleasant expression she seemed to wear brought a bit of worry. She was with the vampires, after all. Nautia had been trying to get him to come back to either claim his life in one way or another; there was a chance this might be a trap of sorts.

Of course, the Magi had a few tricks up his sleeve. While illusionary arts could have gotten him out of the situation without issue he decided to use a branch of magic that was often underestimated: Words.

"I can tell that you've been doing good, though. Or at least the end result of it all looks good."

In his experience compliments always helped with trouble.
(Ethan Hawke)
[01:25] The warriors of the spirit realm accompanied Aspen, lurking behind the woman idly. From whatever he'd been performing of a runic ritual, or some essential ability, the Invidia's gaze reverts to him with a hard stare. Her visage was devoid of the displease mien, lessened into that of a blank stare with a quirked brow.

"Years? It hasn't felt like it's been that long since you left and Cordelia took your place under Nautia's guidance."

Another step closer towards the former thrall, closing in the distance, but her disposition doesn't show of any hostile intent. Instead she stops before the man a few feet away with a swift turn towards the waterfall.

"Don't try to flatter me. Compliments won't save your life if I felt like attacking you."

A side glance is had in his direction. One of the spiritual warriors steps aside near Ethan to block his path, another nearby the man's position, and the third at the right side of Aspen.

However? Each of them stood with high guard. Not to form a blockade against the man, but for protection. How odd of Aspen to do.

"You are a traitor to me, after all," louder in tone, a bit laced with a poisonous hiss, her head shoots in his direction with wide eyes devoid of any emotion.

"Tell me, where've you been hiding away all of this time, Ethan? What happened between Nautia? Cordelia refused to tell us anything about your whereabouts. I'm curious to know myself about you. Ambitions, things of the sort. Why you fought against Donovan with Vanika. Explain it all to me.

For I might just sway my decision to kill you."
(Aspen Invidia)
[01:35] With the air that came about Aspen it seemed almost expected of her to make threats in such a way. The influences around her and the thoughts that were shared by others about his whereabouts made him seem like a traitor. The unspoken story of his long road away from Dawn wasn't one that people shared, either, unfortunately enough. His eyes shifted towards the spectral entities as they surrounded him. Part of him wanted to test what he had learned on them in an effort to disperse them, but he decided against it. Instead a nod was given as he turned towards the waterfall, explaining it all.

"Donovan attacked Vanika and I in Dawn over some petty words. I tried stopping them from injuring one another and ended up hurting her in the process; it wasn't my intent. After that Nautia decided she'd take my life for being associated with Vanika. I fought her back - defeated her and decided that it would be best for me to leave after she refused to let me be around people I cared about. I... sought out my brother Huangzhou. I knew that I wouldn't be able to last too long without Nautia's blood and that I'd end up going back and either dying or being forced to submit to her again."

He paused for a moment, offering a smile to the girl.

".. They cured me. It was Hell. It hurt, but eventually I got better. It took almost a year. After that I didn't have much direction. I wanted to find a way to fix the problem with Nethradins, since no one's managed to close the rift and that they keep attacking people around. I've been working on that ever since."

Another pause, this time to clarify a bit more.

"Vanika and I spoke with Alastor a year or so after he put bounties on us. We got him to remove them. I don't know how Vanika convinced him, but she did. I haven't seen her since, though. That was... More than a year ago."

He turned to her, at last,launching the ball on her side of the field.

"What about you? You used to be happier, what happened?"
(Ethan Hawke)
[01:56] The explanation came to light about Ethan's bizarre adventure in Dawn and the Vampire's proximities. Not a story she heard before with detail, but the vague more harmful versions that cast her impressions of him to be questionable.

Now?

"Respectful," she states, turning her head away to stare outward at waterfall. Silence, save for the crashing water against the river below. Time felt as though it stood still in its sound. Tranquil. Beautiful.

"You bested the gluttony incarnate, damaged her mentality, and defeated your own sire. But.. running off to Huangzhou for a cure to the brother.. that I cannot respect. Huangzhou is an enemy to them. To me."

Disregarding anything of Vanika, she wished not to speak of the oscuri's transgressions in meddling with vampiric blood. Although.. Her attentive gaze returns towards him with a slow twist of her body in Ethan's direction as she leaned against the fencing.

"Just the usual with me lately. Nothing too.. harmful. My brother murdered Dawn's paladin, Fethi, I had to correct it, things like that. The days have been incredibly unhappy because of it.. but it'll all get better. I've been studying in the North.. but!"

The talk was inquired on her favorite subject most of all. Nethradin! Therefore.. the woman put it in the spotlight!

"As for the Nethradin.. they'll soon be my own allies. These entities before you are growing closer to what I'm aiming to rip out of Helheim and soon enough.. Nethradin will bend to my will. Then..

The rift?" A smirk followed by a malicious laughter. In a swift movement, Aspen's vital blade is removed from her side, pointed towards Ethan for some seconds. Forward before the waterfall, the woman aimed to delve into the intangible force of the lifestream, but not before collecting mana within her circuits as it circulated throughout her body, into her arms. Hands. Then the very blade she possessed in her grasp which illuminated a bright red from the amount of mana flowing throughout it.

"I'll be assisting Malentine in ripping it back open." Although.. she had yet to make a move in tearing open the palpable wall just yet.. Nothing was before her except the pointed blade.
(Aspen Invidia)
[02:16] "They were the only ones I knew would rather kill me than let me fall again." He answered, allowing her to understand that perhaps he wasn't too fond of everyone in Huangzhou and all of their customs. He followed the thought with the confirmation of such. "I don't like associating with any of the settlements. I don't... Agree with everything they do and there are things more important than territory or money. The world's in a pretty bad spot with that fallen angel around."

Her 'issues' seemed to pale compared to his, though being surrounded by people made him expect that kind of life out of her; she had people supporting her through thick and thin.

As her passion for Helheim's denizens lit up Ethan could only disagree. Those who were bound to be forever lost and stripped of their memories were not to be brought forth, let alone used. He answered with a bit of volume to his tone, perhaps as to show his passion towards it.

"You shouldn't do that. It's not right. It hurts the world and it hurts the lifestream, too. I had that same kind of obsession about them, I wanted to understand where they came from and... How. They were strong when they attacked Dawn, but..."

He lingered for a while looking at the blade tainted red for a few seconds before his vision adjusted towards the woman's own once again.

"They don't belong in our world. Miss Elisheva spoke about being able to cure them, to heal what happened to them and bring them to as state they'd prefer being in."

His left hand slowly rose up, fingertips shifting a bit as mana was being fed outside of his body. The same kind of circle that he had been practicing with came to life, glowing with a green light right before the tip of Aspen's blade. For someone who could bring forth spirits she'd certainly recognize the feel; the magical circle that had been cast forth made a direct connection to the Spirit World. It was no rift nor portal, but merely the basis to create either.

"If it's power you're after, there's another way. A way to... Do everything Riftmancy can do, but without harming our world in the process."

Anyone who had been enthralled for that long had a certain thirst for power, or so Ethan thought. Rather than pleading the girl to put down her weapon for the world's sake alone he offered an alternative.

A better alternative.
(Ethan Hawke)
[02:45] The blade of Aspen's crystallized blood remained held out before the waterfall, moving in an upward motion before-

The woman cocks her head, ceasing her movements. Beyond the point of her blade appeared to be the circular green illumination of Ethan's magic. It grasped at her attention, lessoning the flow of her mana momentarily, dimming the blade's glow, as she stared onward towards it.

"Harming the world is apart of my ambition." The woman's gaze flicks in his direction.

"This realm's living may have gifted me life, but it's their life I'll be abolishing in return."

Abandonment, desertion, heavily constricted Aspen's mind like prey. For the majority of Aspen's life that was the most of what tied her present emotions against even those who were considered 'allies'. They had their uses until it was far too expended, stretching thin, for her to break away.

"Elisheva cannot cure Nethradin. They're spirits who've fallen to regret in their life. They're corrupt and destructive demonic entities who feed off of the lifestream in this realm. Nethradin aren't like any regular spirits, Ethan. They can't find catharsis. Their only aim is to destroy.

The magnitude at which their destructive tendencies bring too much mayhem makes them perfectly considerable assets towards my own ambitions. Nothing you speak of to me will sway away my mind."

The blade is pulled over with her attention casting outward towards the prowess.

"Even your uncorrupt portals won't push my mind. The rift atop the mountain, in Malentine's domain, will open again.

This world is a terrible place, Ethan. It gives you life, but it takes away from your own mentality, crumbling it into nothingness. Empty promises from people you believe will love and cherish you. They'll only do worse by leaving you eventually to dwindle your morals. You'll be alone. That's the worst thing in life. Being with anyone who makes your loneliness turn you into a spiteful human.

But no more.. no." The mana is focused again, brightening the blade of her vitality.

"With Nethradin by my side and the people who I regret meeting falling by what I've done, their additive voids for me will no longer cease. I'll be at peace once they're all dead."

Even the Invidia's eyes begin to brighten. A deep mahogany hue, similar to her blade's color. She prepared to form the rift, but not where his magic was currently formed, but elsewhere.
(Aspen Invidia)
[02:57] He understood it now; the reason she hated the world so much and had pursued such an art wasn't for what came from it, but rather to bring forth destruction and mayhem, perhaps even the end of the world. It all stemmed from something much more beautiful, however, didn't it?

Ethan took the time to be careful here. His words, his thoughts, his actions and the order he'd put them in would drastically change the situation. It could go either way, especially with how it came to be, or at least what he assumed had provoked it.

"The worst thing in life isn't to end up all alone, Aspen; it's to end up with people who make you feel all alone."

His left hand shifted, the palm that was facing the circle he had created was turned and instead offered to the heartbroken girl. Though a small gesture like that wasn't enough to change everything - not nearly so. He'd open up, too, allowing her to understand where he came from and how he felt.

"You're not wrong. The world is pretty horrible. People hurt eachother, they fight, they do... horrible things over words or just because they want to feel superior to everyone else. If you're nice to people, they'll try to use you. That's what I've learned. Sometimes it's fine to be used, too, but... You have to put your own limits."

He took a step closer, his hand still held out, offering a grasp.

"I know how you feel. I know what it's like to lose someone you thought loved you. And... I know that nothing'll replace it, either."

He moved his hand a bit closer, uttering the words that would make it or break it at this point. Maybe destiny had let their paths cross for a reason.

"I can't promise you that you won't feel alone around me, but I can promise you that I won't give up on you if you let me help and care about you. There's a lot of memories left to be made and they might just beat anything that's been made in the past."
(Ethan Hawke)
[03:19] Words spoken similar to her own by the Hawke. The alignments Aspen held weren't enough to satiate the unbearable loneliness she dealt hidden deep within. There weren't many she opened up to about her ambitions, especially because of what it was the woman aimed to do in those goals. Because whom she had resided her heart in openness forced her away without a second thought.

Her heart, wrapped in a series of chains, locked away without a key. An intangible barrier, walls, set around the former Yano. Opening up again to anyone wouldn't prove fruitful.

Aspen found herself staring towards the man's hand after a sudden snap back into reality. The man's aim to console her was admirable. Affection was a far distance away, but so close in front of her own eyes.

A powerful build up of mana, illuminating both of the Invidia's eyes and blade remained, continuing. Perfection. To be an Invidia.

Did it hold meaning anymore?

Was the last name worth her risks? The enemies she acquired in its upbringing?

Aspen cocked her head, flicking her sight to Ethan's own. For as tempting as taking his hand felt, it couldn't be trusted. Therefore..

Her head shook slightly.

"You can't promise I'll be without loneliness, then there's nothing more for discussion here. Taking your hand cannot and will not be considered. Your temptations with swaying me from the fateless life I want live with can't be trusted. Huangzhou wouldn't be safe for me. I can't trust what I'd assume to be empty promises because..

They mean nothing to me."

With the rest of her words spoken, a brighter release of Aspen's willpower concludes discussion with a swift turn of her body, bringing up the sword and slashing it vertically behind her, forcing it to plunge through the envisioned, palpable wall of Eternia's lifestream to rip open one threshold here, and another elsewhere. Visions of Dawn's settlement - the location of where the other would open.

Albeit it was unstable, clear by the wavering edges of its opening working to be fixed by Eternia. Most of her mana worked towards creating the portal and she was adamant on traveling through, damage taken or not..

Although if Ethan worked to stop her? Then perhaps she wouldn't be able to get away in time. It was against fate if he attempted to before it closed.
(Aspen Invidia)
[03:31] His green eyes met hers, being able to see the pain she carried and the tremendous will to tear everything apart that came with it. It wasn't out of ill-intent that she was doing it all, but because she needed some sort of solution, some way to resolve what couldn't be resolved. As he watched her tear apart the fabric of space and harm the lifestream he couldn't help it. His heart practically jumped out of his chest as he moved closer, the extended hand aiming to take ahold of hers without any permission.

Have some initiative.

Those words from a displeasing Kitsune echoed in his head as he made an attempt at being more like the adults that were being constantly admired and feared and less like the kid that was being used like he used to be.

"If that's how it is, then I will. You won't be lonely. You don't have to take my hand, I'll take yours. I won't tempt you, I'll show you that life's worth living. I'll make sure you're safe in Huangzhou, just like they kept me safe.

You said you'd kill me without thinking twice if you wanted. I'm putting my life on the line for this; they're not empty promises, Aspen. I want to help you."

If she hadn't escaped by now he'd squeeze down on the hand he seized.

"You just gotta let me."
(Ethan Hawke)
[03:35] Ethan attempted to take Aspen's hand, adamant on keeping the woman back with him, but if her managed to be successful? Then she'd have to forcefully fight her way away despite the lack of energy and mana her circuits contained for it.

Whatever she'd have to do to ensure freedom.. Aspen would do it, even if it meant killing Ethan. Her head shot back with every step closer, as if time around the duo slowed immensely, but the Invidia kept moving forward.

The chances of success? Who knew. A rush of anxiety washed throughout her body.
(Aspen Invidia)
[03:35] With little time to spare, Aspen attempts to jump through the unstable rift portal to flee from the man, working on finding her way back into Dawn, but would she be successful?
(Aspen Invidia)
[03:37] Ethan pulled onto her hand as she leapt forward, his free hand moving towards the portal in an attempt to close it shut..!

.. Albeit he didn't have the ability to do so, at all. He wasn't even sure what he was trying, but it was worth an attempt. Magic circles spun to life to create some incomplete mess in the process.
(Ethan Hawke)
[03:54] A raging battle might've been the best way to put how their little interaction went. It wasn't out of malice from either of them, was it? He didn't feel as if she was trying to genuinely kill him, either. She was just like he had been back during his withdrawal; Ethan had sought out freedom at the cost of fighting others, she was trying to find a solution for herself too.

Panting a bit the young man moved up closer to the defeated riftmancer. This... Was going to be a long road back to stability. Not only did she possess magic that harmed the world, she was also enthralled. He'd have to solve much more than what had been done with him, but it wasn't over.

He'd give Aspen a second life, he was sure of it.

Ethan picked the girl up, offering a whisper as he did, hoping she'd be conscious enough to hear it.

"I don't want to hurt you. Trust me."

He hoisted her over his shoulder, departingwith her soon after.
(Ethan Hawke)
[04:00] Aspen failed to outrun Ethan, who pulled her away from the rift. Eternia's fixture of her work sealed it away, fixing the depravity of the threshold. Her chances of escaping were compact in this situation.

With the little of energy the thrall could muster up to fight with, it was obvious who the victor was. She knelt on the ground, barely conscious, panting heavily. The woman's eyes fluttered with her hoping to remain conscious. There wasn't anymore Aspen could accomplish.

There wasn't anymore chances of escape now. The energy she had left was expended away along with her mana. Ethan managed to heft her up and hoist her over his shoulder.

"..but they will.. for what.. I've.. done.." she spoke between heavy breaths, closing her eyes. The lids of hers felt heavy as if she hadn't slept in ages. Although she remained conscious, her limp appearance didn't make it seem so.
(Aspen Invidia)
[04:01] Ethan Hawke says, "I won't let them."