Checking In [End]

[Ovan Hellgate]

"...you look like you could use it." she signed, her hands moving with fluid grace. She didn't bother questioning Ovan's knowledge of VSL; she knew he was fluent in countless languages, a testament to his scholarly prowess.

"What exactly are you training for?" Okoye signed, her curiosity piqued by the notion of a renowned scholar and self-proclaimed pacifist honing his mechanical skills in such a rigorous manner.

Ovan's weary eyes widened in surprised intrigue, even exhausted he loved a good challenge. His VSL was rusty, maybe even rustier than Frances's at this point, but he was always a quick refresher. The aroma from the cup she poured for him warmed his heart and brought a little peace to his heart. It was his favorite blend in Cold Frontier, a soothing blend from the southeast Ovan swore could lift his spirit with its smell alone. He sat up straight and shook off the residual stress of his training regimen.

Thanks, how'd you know this is my favorite? he asked, relishing in the swet aroma one more moment before taking a big sip. If you must know, I'm training to slay a dragon. Ovan didn't make the signs for dragon, it was more like a shadow puppet hovering above the porcelain vessel between them. He hoped it would be a dragon, it'd been a minute since he came across one.

What are you training for? Ovan asked. He noticed a very faint weariness about her and thought she might be here to volunteer. Hyperion's climate made it a massive undertaking to travel to from some areas. His guest found herself the recipient of some legendary hospitality now, and should feel at least a little rejuvenated by the bottom of this teapot.

[Okoye]

“Thanks, how'd you know this is my favorite?” he asked, relishing in the sweet aroma one more moment before taking a big sip.. “If you must know, I'm training to slay a dragon. What are you training for?”

"Honestly, I've read a lot about you." Okoye confessed, her reserved excitement tempered by weariness evident in her expression. Her eyes, though tired, shimmered with a glimmer of admiration as they met Ovan's gaze. Sparking like man made stars, bound behind flesh and blood; his eyes were more beautiful than his legend foretold. "You could say... I'm... fond of your work and research concerning the Unseen." she continued, her pride preventing her from labeling herself as a mere "fan”, though the truth resonated in her words.

"My name is Okoye, and I've come a very long way to meet—" Her sentence trailed off abruptly as a yawn interrupted her, a silent testament to the toll of her journey. "...you."

The weariness etched into the lines of her face was unmistakable, the burden of her mission evident in the heaviness of her movements. "I'm training to kill a demon." she signed with a solemnity that spoke volumes, her determination shining through despite the exhaustion weighing heavily upon her. She only just realized how crazy it might have sounded to them.. Okoye simply assumed everyone knew and dealt with the supernatural to the same degree as she.

[Ovan Hellgate]

"Honestly, I've read a lot about you." Okoye confessed, her reserved excitement tempered by weariness evident in her expression. Her eyes, though tired, shimmered with a glimmer of admiration as they met Ovan's gaze. Sparking like man made stars, bound behind flesh and blood; his eyes were more beautiful than his legend foretold. "You could say... I'm... fond of your work and research concerning the Unseen." she continued, her pride preventing her from labeling herself as a mere "fan”, though the truth resonated in her words.

Oh thanks. Not to brag or anything, but I get that a lot.

Ovan laughed through taking a giant gulp of the still warm tea his guest poured for him. He could already feel the rejuvenating flavors beginning to wash away the aftershocks of the training regimen. It took him a moment to regulate his breathing and calm down from battle mode. Hearing that this person came all this way just to talk about the Unseen got his blood pumping more than any workout ever could, but his mind was still running a mile a minute. His favorite tea was just the thing to help remedy that.

"My name is Okoye, and I've come a very long way to meet—" Her sentence trailed off abruptly as a yawn interrupted her, a silent testament to the toll of her journey. "...you."

The weariness etched into the lines of her face was unmistakable, the burden of her mission evident in the heaviness of her movements. "I'm training to kill a demon." she signed with a solemnity that spoke volumes, her determination shining through despite the exhaustion weighing heavily upon her. She only just realized how crazy it might have sounded to them.. Okoye simply assumed everyone knew and dealt with the supernatural to the same degree as she.

A demon? That’s pretty serious business. You look like you’re getting some good work in.

She was almost asleep as she signed, fingers dreary from the training and the travel he assumed from her weary eyes. Ovan had come across demons very few times in his travels, mostly in a safari capacity, strictly for research. The few times he conversed with them, their nature was completely different from anything he’d seen in a living being. Demons, beings from another realm said to be born of the darkness in the hearts of man, magnets and conduits for negative energy given form. There were many different classes of them he’d encountered in text but some common themes were confirmed by his personal experience.

Reminisced on the majesty of the Cascada Mountains and their cotton candy sunrises over the Black Pit of Cascadaffa, the five eyed scion said to devour your soul with just a glance. The Cascada Atelier studying it lost three researchers that day and had very little to show for it but the original research that revealed the pit’s location to them. If Okoye was training to kill a demon and he a dragon, they already had something in common. He smiled knowing they had probably just started a very good friendship.

Where are you from? What’s got you on a demon’s tail anyway?

Ovan took another sip and relaxed into the booth a little more, sure that this visit would be a lovely departure from torture to matters he was far more well versed in.

[Okoye]

"Where are you from? What’s got you on a demon’s tail anyway?"

Ovan took another sip and relaxed into the booth a little more, sure that this visit would be a lovely departure from torture to matters he was far more well versed in.

"Duty." she signed, her expression grave, memories of Ellios's recent passing still heavy on her heart. His wisdom had been her guiding light, imparting the knowledge of her spiritual gifts and the weighty responsibility she now carried as the last bearer of the Voudani legacy. Before his death, Ellios had entrusted Okoye with unfinished missions, including the daunting task of eradicating the curse that plagued their tribe. "Duty and obligation." she reiterated, sipping her drink thoughtfully. Her victory over the creature would not only strengthen her position to challenge her father's reign but also honor her mentor's teachings. However, she hesitated to reveal her royal heritage. B'halia had a notorious history against those born of human descent.. no need to unnecessarily create tension. "I hail from Helidor—a place not my own but where I've immersed myself in study, particularly about you.." She paused, the weight of unspoken intentions lingering in the air, hinting at a complexity beyond mere ambition.

"The Horus Anthem. Is it true your eyes can peer into the Unseen?"

She asked outright. From what she understood about the intricate tapestry of the Hellgate lineage, Okoue knew their family branched off into several distinct factions-- each of harboring unique arbiters and abilities. Among them, the Horus were reknowned for their transcendent vision, blessed with an ocular anthem that unraveled the very fabric of reality. But even within this esteemed lineage, Ovan Hellgate was singular. Legend likened his boundless sight to the lens of God, for their existed no veil they could not pierce. Whether they be atomic, molecular, existential, spectral, jovial, terrestrial.. It was rumored that Ovan's gaze could see the edge of existence itself. But Okoye wouldn't put too much stock into that. As she looked upon this man, this humble, lean and meek human man.. she did not see a sage who stared into the void. His face was warm and kind. Kinder than any academic mind she'd met in her life. But with such a polarizing set of qualities, she couldn't help but have her doubts.

[Ovan Hellgate]

Helidor? Like the Voduani clan? I thought they were wiped out. Nice to know there’s still a few left.

Ovan leaned forward on his elbows while signing, ending them in a curious finger pyramid he peered at Okoye through. He’d only come across them a few time in his travels, but didn’t have the pleasure of perusing the works before moving to the next project. He remembered they were a very enigmatic sect known for their potent spiritual techniques and abilit/y to subjugate demons, utilizing them as weapons against their own kind. She didn’t exactly fit the mental bill of a terrifying demon slaying warrior, her body seemed fit and well built, but not to the terrifying, monstrous degree that he saw in one of the reference texts.

"I hail from Helidor—a place not my own but where I've immersed myself in study, particularly about you.." She paused, the weight of unspoken intentions lingering in the air, hinting at a complexity beyond mere ambition.

"The Horus Anthem. Is it true your eyes can peer into the Unseen?"

Well, yeah, that’s true. But that can’t be why you’re studying me, is it?

Horus Hellgates do possess the ability to peer into the Unseen, the realm beyond the physical one Vescrutia calls home. A Horus child could peel he veil back from the Unseen upon exit from the womb. Many of them recall and retain their “imaginary friends” into their young adulthood, those specters that only they can see with their unique birthright. Ovan remembered every spirit he encountered while still a child and could recount the frightening times some of them attempted to possess his body. The rites and practices the Horus developed became the foundations of their specific brand of mage arts and their duty to the clan as their attendants to the afterlife, one that Ovan held reverence for, but desperately craved freedom from.

While the Horus Anthem’s visual acuity was a cornerstone of their development as a culture, their talents could be turned outward. Behind the veil, Ovan could see myriad energies, planes and portals from or to parts of the Unseen one could spend years imagining and never get closer to understanding. From birth, Ovan’s sight was bombarded with a cacophony of colors he had the immense blessing of perceiving. While his contemporaries could see ghosts and work with some special materials synthesized from a realm Unseen, Ovan’s curiosity sent him skyward, where the dancing colors and starry formations dance a ballet across his field of sight. Sky gazing gave him the mastery of his Anthem to make sense of the chaos in front of him at ground level.

At ground level before him was a demon hunter, a weaponized body training to subdue monsters this world might do better leaving be.

I’ll let you know right now I don’t do funerals except for family. And I’m no pushover. Try to take my eyes and you’ll be sorry.

Ovan took another sip of his tea while winking at Okoye. He was half joking, not expecting her to travel all this way just to do him violence in the headquarters of a world renowned paramilitary organization, but expecting that he may not be a perfect judge of character and a journey off with her might lead to some unnecessary headaches. He’d hope to head a off any conflict now, but only time would tell.

[Okoye]

Helidor? Like the Voduani clan? I thought they were wiped out. Nice to know there’s still a few left.

Ovan leaned forward on his elbows while signing, ending them in a curious finger pyramid he peered at Okoye through..

Well, yeah, that’s true. But that can’t be why you’re studying me, is it?... I’ll let you know right now I don’t do funerals except for family. And I’m no pushover. Try to take my eyes and you’ll be sorry.

Ovan took another sip of his tea while winking at Okoye.

Okoye wanted to smirk in response to Ovan's obvious jest, but her expression grew somber as he broached the topic of the Voudani Tribe's tragic demise.

“No, you're right.. The Voudani were wiped out by the very creature I'm hunting..” she signed, her hands conveying the weight of centuries-old sorrow “Its name is Ashura.. and the whereabouts of his shrine has eluded all who've searched.”

She signed, doing her best to withhold her frustrations. In her quest for knowledge, Okoye combed through countless ancient tomes, scouring every page for a glimmer of insight into the demon's sanctuary– where it managed to tether it's soul to their realm. To find it meant the possibility of ending Ashura's reign of terror, granting peace to the tormented souls ensnared by its malevolence, including those of the Voudani tribe.

Though her time in Helidor had honed her understanding of the Unseen to a razor's edge, the shrine remained elusive, its secrets shrouded in mystery. Countless theories and antiquated maps offered tantalizing clues, but none bore the weight of certainty. But amidst the sea of speculation, there was one beacon of hope—a scholar whose expertise transcended the ordinary, whose insights held the promise of unlocking the shrine's hidden location..

“That's what has brought me to you.” She confessed, her gaze steady and determined. “I was hoping that, beyond just your expertise.. maybe you’d be willing to help me find it.”

[Ovan Hellgate]

A flattered, but displeased ecpression painted Ovan's face when she asked if he would help find the shrine of the demon Ashura. Ashura, the Shackled Star laid waste to the Voduani clan in mortal combat and laid in wait, trapped in the shrine the clan died to enchant. Ovan knew the story, but didn't know where to even begin looking for his shrine, demonology was a special extracurricular activity for him, his arena was the cosmos. And neither was mortal combat. Ovan's love of discovery kept him from unnecessary danger, and his status as the crown depended on being able to overcome this natural threat. His curiosity might not be able to support him through these challenges alone.

I don't think it would be responsible of me to neglect my dragon training to moonlight as a demon hunter.

He struggled with the choice before him, barely knowing Okoye's name but already feeling a curious connection building, the chance to uncover a mystery of the Unseen that colleagues of his might have perished for the opportunity to take. His integrity as a scholar and researcher hinged on his decision, so he thought best not to rush into it.

I have a Leviathan to slay as the first trial of my coronation, my background as a scholar means little in this area. How much information do you have on the thing?

[Okoye]

I don't think it would be responsible of me to neglect my dragon training to moonlight as a demon hunter.

He struggled with the choice before him, barely knowing Okoye's name but already feeling a curious connection building, the chance to uncover a mystery of the Unseen that colleagues of his might have perished for the opportunity to take. His integrity as a scholar and researcher hinged on his decision, so he thought best not to rush into it.

I have a Leviathan to slay as the first trial of my coronation, my background as a scholar means little in this area. How much information do you have on the thing?

Okoye absorbed the mixed emotions playing across Ovan's face as he grappled with her request. His reluctance was palpable, understandable given his commitments and expertise.

"My research suggests the shrine lies hidden within the treacherous alps of the Hyperion Mountain. However, a powerful barrier veils its location from sight, leaving it ensconced between realms."

She signed, her gestures punctuated by a determined gaze that met Ovan's uncertain one. She pulled a scroll from her cloak and began to trace a path along the parchment with her finger that outlined their potential route and destination. She had never heard of a Leviathan before, and was unfamiliar with the nuances involved behind a Hellgate Coronation. But she imagined they both required an extraneous deposit of time and effort. She was beginning to believe she couldn't have chosen a worse time to seek Ovan out, but she refused to give up and abandon her ambitions.

"I know this is unexpected, but I believe fate has guided me here. Both to you and the shrine.” She declared, her expression unwavering.. yet empathetic toward Ovan's prior initiatives. “I wouldn't want to draw you from your own obligations. All I would need is for you to help discern whether or not these coordinates are accurate.”

[Ovan Hellgate]

Ovan pursed his lips as he pondered the situation laid out in front of him. A legendary mystery right in the backyard of Cold Frontier sounded like just the thing he could use to unwind from the ringer Diamond Dust had only just begun to put him through. Normally, Ovan would jump at the chance to take a break from the kind of regimen Lana put him through down stairs, but his recent performance in the Crown Jewel Ceremony prompted him to reevaluate his place in the global zeitgeist. Okoye traveled quite some way just to sit with him and make a request that she felt only he could fulfill, peeling back the veil of The Unseen to peer between the worlds.

... I can nap later.

Ovan took a final sip of tea before pushing the kit out of the way, sliding the parchment closer to his body. The trail she traced seemed to show the continent of Muu, the Forest of Resonance massive side blotting out much of the geography, cradled by the Alps of Chaos and the Tarkan Plains a stones throw away, noted in faded gold ink, and Hyperion's cragged peaks unfurling on the page in black and silver vertices. Ovan could tell exactly where Cold Frontier would be on this map, and from there charted their path into the mountains, directly through Hyperion Valley.

Well if I was going to be a secret door, I'd probably hide there too.

Any journey through or to the heart of the Hyperon Mountains led through Hyperion Valley, a steep connected trench carved between the crags, snow hollowed fields cursed with terrible gales full of cutting snow and hail, the diamond dust the organization adopts their name and persistent nature. The hardy climate distilled only the most formidable creatures to reside within its fury. Though wildlife was sparse, what did survive grew to be the most formidable wildlife this side of the Alps of Chaos. Where they had Leviathans, drunk off Azure power, Hyperion bred apex predators and tenacious prey.

A five minute cooldown couldn't hurt.

They said I only get an hour break before they break me again. And I've always wanted to ride into The Pit.

Ovan pointed out a small spiral mound where Okoye's finger left the parchment. It was a deeply carved pocket he'd seen some creatures disappear into before. The frost was so strong in that area, it was a whiteout conditions on white mountains, with beasts unknown within. Ovan, looked back at Okoye excitedly, his fingers dancing in the air like he'd been signing since he could walk.

We're gonna need some different gear. And maybe some food.

A determined smile and heaving chest replaced his weary fingers and tired visage, gearing up for an active rest time before being beaten into a pulp again. A dark shadow rested over his shoulders like a gentle breeze and he took another, deeper sip of his tea.

[Okoye]

"Well if I was going to be a secret door, I'd probably hide there too."

Ovan pointed out a small spiral mound where Okoye's finger left the parchment. It was a deeply carved pocket he'd seen some creatures disappear into before. The frost was so strong in that area, it was a whiteout conditions on white mountains, with beasts unknown within. Ovan, looked back at Okoye excitedly, his fingers dancing in the air like he'd been signing since he could walk.

"They said I only get an hour break before they break me again. And I've always wanted to ride into The Pit.. We're gonna need some different gear. And maybe some food."

Okoye's eyes glimmered with anticipation after hearing Ovan's words. They intently trailed his fingers as he traced the scroll, She even flashed a devlish grin once he pinpointed a location. "Then it's settled." She signed, before finishing both of her drinks and retrieving an hefty bag of gold from her jacket and leaving it on the table for her waitress. " Ten minutes. Then we will meet outside. I'll be sure to get you back here before your break has passed." After this, Okoye promptly made her way from the table to explore the Diamond Dust's many different shops. Ovan said she needed food and a better set of clothing to properly embark on their journey and she wouldn't disregard the advice of an expert. However..

A dark shadow rested over Ovan's shoulders like a gentle breeze and he took another, deeper sip of his tea.

Okoye thought she may have saw something before she rushed away from the table..Something hovering over Ovan's shoulder. However, it was pretty feint.. and she was extremely tired..

I can rest later..

She thought to herself as she rubbed the fatigue from her eyes. Though bags on her eyes were deep, they weren't so weary that they couldn't see an opportunity when it reared its head. Okoye figured she would be fine with just some stimulants.. maybe a cup of coffee or something. But at this point, taking a nap or continuing this mission tomorrow was out of the question. The sooner she could get to the shrine, the better. Eurriel's notes were practically a cheat sheet to otherworldly power, and she needed every annotation if she were to defeat her father. With thr Bhalian Infantry possibly closing in since her last encounter with them, she couldn't afford to waste any time.