After tugging his brother into the small cabin, Ares sniggered at Hades's dumbfounded expression. Senri, still pretty much rolled into the provided by Raha blanket, smiled weakly from his position while Alisaie waved from her seat on the half-scorched edge of a small bed carved into the wall. Leaning his back against it beside her legs, his boy looked wholly comfortable, with Alisaie unconsciously almost resting her hand on Senri's shoulder.
Very few would guess how hard-won was that now easy comradery and accepting comfort for his host. And in that, again, Ares found an easy similarity between his reincarnation and younger brother rather than himself. Dropping to sit on the free side of the Elzen girl, he watched the ease with which Hades collected himself and effortlessly hid his thoughts behind the familiar-by-now scowl reminiscent of Damon's annoyance. He only grinned because also, similarly to Senri, as time went by and with Hythlodaeus's obvious efforts, he knew more and more often Hades was prone to relax and allow cracks in his assumed persona. After literally eons, one could not expect more than the process being far slower than in the case of his host, but he knew it was there.
"Let me get this straight," Hades drawled, dragging the unreadable gaze between them. "Father believe this had to do with the demise of Thirteen? And where is he?"
"Something similar seems to affect Rahm," Senri muttered, curling under the blanket as he let his head rest in Alisaie's lap. "And probably Shtola, too. They went back to Old Sharlayan to help."
"I see," Hades narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest. Ares didn't need confirmation to know his little brother was looking at Senri's soul – his grimace was telling enough. "I suppose I have he to agree with his estimation. Your aether looks wholly imbalanced… this aside," he motioned toward Ares, who nodded in agreement.
"Last time, it lasted a few bells," he shrugged helplessly. "Then, while still unconscious, he pulled me back in. This time that tether between us seems more firm, but I'm unsure if I'll retain this form longer… or if it means something else. So far, I have been able to access my magic easily, including my gift, if I can't see how it looks precisely. I can't see my own soul, never could," he added toward Alisaie's curious gaze.
"Ah," she frowned, then looked expectantly toward Hades towering over them. "I don't know the previous time since it was chaos on the deck during that storm, but this time Senri was confused and pissed when he forced Ares to split from him. He didn't recognize him as anything but Ascian," she rested her hand over Senri's head when he closed his eyes and scowled. That made him miss a brief smile on Alisaie's face when her blue eyes darted between his face and Hades's – undeniably taking notice of their similarity.
Likely, so did Hades, considering how the expression of his eyes softened, even while his scowl grew more pronounced.
"He seemed stuck somewhere in the past when he woke up," Ares added, bracing his elbows atop his knees. "I would guess somewhere right after he met Raha – and his hatred for our kind was at its peak. It was thankfully brief, but I think it very much affected whatever he was doing to kick me out. That shove was potent and tasted heavily of dynamis."
"Creation magic was always very much affected by the wishes of the caster," Hades paused, and his expression hardened as he narrowed his eyes toward Ares. "Plus, I would estimate that also your wish to remain split affects this state, Azem."
"What can I say," he sighed and smiled toward Senri when the boy's eyes snapped open and turned toward him. "You know I adore you, Senri, but this…" he waved toward himself and grinned at his younger brother. "…so far, at least, is far more comfortable. Above all else, let me do this," he said, stretching his arm and pointedly ruffling his fingers through Senri's half-bleached hair. And he couldn't help but grin when his host accepted the gesture with a similar ease he did Alisaie's touch. "I do, however, worry about how this will affect Senri's soul," he added toward Hades, motioning with his chin toward his boy's changed appearance.
"When he woke up, his hair was wholly black," Alisaie chimed in, and he looked at her with surprise. "Ah, yeah, you couldn't see it, obviously. But it was, and his eyes weren't as pale as they are now. To be frank, he looked normal – for him – and this happened when he shoved you out," she gestured her hand toward Senri's now half-white hair and smiled weakly when he looked up with a confused frown. "Your hair looks like it was robbed of color, Sen. I don't have a mirror at hand, but…"
"Here," Ares remarked, effortlessly creating one and handing it to his host. Senri accepted it warily, then gasped when his pale – nearly white now – eyes grew comically huge when he saw his reflection.
"What in the…?" he breathed, and Alisaie snickered, patting his hair in comfort.
"You're still as pretty as ever," she teased, grinning when Senri pouted and sent her a deadpan glare. "But I mean, obviously, there's something going on to change this… No?" she looked at Hades and frowned.
"Obviously," he nodded in agreement, looking between them. "I can't tell for sure, at least until you… merge once more, but my guess would be that he's expanding his body's aether – in particular – to grant you physical shape, Ares. Perhaps that's what this tether between you is in nature. I've yet to see those summons Themis mentioned, but I would assume that if it's similar to the summoners of Allagan Empire, and yet I see no grimoire in sight, Senri's – perhaps – is using you as the focus. You said that that storm of elements happened before he 'shoved' Ares out and took the shape of summons after…?"
"So… what? I'm harming Ares?" Senri paled, dropping the hand with the mirror in his lap.
"No," Ares assured quickly, sending him a soothing smile. "I feel perfectly fine, my boy."
"Harming? I don't believe so," Hades sighed, grimacing at Ares's following glare. "Again, I can't be sure, but summoning does require physical conduct, Senri. Allag summoners used the so-called carbuncles, plus the right designs as focal. Those we kept in the grimoires, like I said. With what I heard so far, I can only guess… But it does seem likely that Ares serves as your conduct while focal…? Well, perhaps that we can blame on your memories. After all, summoners couldn't claim to actually face each of the elements in their physical forms."
"You mean Primals?" Senri asked, scowling at his reflection.
"Yes, and like it or not, I would assume that those encounters left a lasting impression on both your mind and aether," Hades replied if his tone softened delicately. "With practice, I believe you would be able to shape them as whatever you imagine, Senri, not to mention have complete control over their actions. Which – controlling elements, basically – is a power to reckon with."
"But… I suck at magic," the boy groused under his nose, and Ares snorted.
"We know," Hades deadpanned, a stony expression in place when Senri looked up. "But whatever you like it or not, with elements in disarray, that makes you dangerous to your surroundings, Warrior. I can only assume that while looking to make up for the misbalance caused by the lack of darkness, those spikes will, at least for a time, get worse. People like you, with amplified alignment toward elements, will become focal for them to affect their surroundings. Themis and Hythlodaeus volunteered to scour the Source for those spikes. I can imagine they'll find a number of Warriors-to-be, who were affected by the Final Days two years ago. Before I left, Hyth had the foresight to notify Venat, Ares," he turned his golden eyes toward him and Ares flinched, then nodded in agreement.
"They'll need the Traveler's Ward," he sighed, smiling sheepishly. "I have to congratulate Hyth fast thinking next time I see him."
"Quite," Hades's slightly smug tone made Ares bite back a grin, instead nodding again. "Otherwise, we might find ourselves surrounded by an uncontrollable explosion of elemental storms. I suppose the Ward was also what saved Senri's skin in this case, as it adjusted his alignment in an effort to protect his – and your – souls. But if the process goes on, you do need to learn to control it," he nodded toward Senri, who sighed with resignation and then nodded back. "As to where… I would suggest doing so out of the Source."
"Huh?" Alisaie hummed, looking between them with a confused stare. "But what about Tulliyollal? We promised Wuk Lamat to support her claim to the throne."
"The what now?" Hades said, scowling.
"Ah, this whole trip to Tural," Ares replied, motioning toward his host. "One of the contenders, Wuk Lamat, hired Senri as her support. You weren't about when this whole thing came up," he shrugged helplessly toward his brother's dark scowl.
"And since when you're interested in meddling in other continents politics?" Hades sighed and shook his head. "And since when has Tural had a throne? Last time I was there, it was a mess of tribes fighting over every scrap of the land."
"Seventy years ago, Wuk Lamat's father, Gogool Ja Ja, apparently united those tribes and founded Tulliyollal, a city that's now a capital of Tural," Ares said, recalling what Senri read in Noumenon about it.
"Ah," Hades scowled, then scratched his chin with a distant expression on his face.
"I guess you were too busy with Garlemald?" Senri snarked, but Ares's younger brother only arched one of his white eyebrows in answer. "Never mind."
"I was, in fact," Hades replied anyway, smiling at the Warrior wryly. "But going back to my question… What interest do you and your have in getting entangled in Turali politics? I was under the impression that your resentment toward it was why you disbanded your organization in the first place."
"We were looking at that more as at a vacation and way to explore Tural," Senri admitted, then grimaced. "If since this started, I have my doubts about supporting our contender."
"Oh?" Alisaie arched her eyebrows, and Senri turned his head, sending her an apologetic smile. "I thought you liked her."
"I do, don't get me wrong," Ares's host said with conviction, then shrugged and met Ares's gaze. "But as a future leader? I don't know…"
"She reminds you of Alphinaud," he pointed out his boy's thoughts on the matter and grinned when Senri grimaced involuntarily. "I mean, from the time he founded Braves? Far too naïve and idealistic?"
"Yeah," Senri shrugged again. "And we know how that ended, right? But who knows? Perhaps that whole succession thing is what lets her get her feet more firmly on the ground? You can't say that Alphinaud didn't… grow up quite a bit since that time," he added, looking at him as if searching for confirmation.
"He obviously did," Ares nodded, then sighed. "But that didn't come about from nothing, Senri. This girl… Eh, I guess we will see. Damon's of half of a mind to switch our allegiance if any of her opposition proved to be more fitting," he shrugged toward Hades's questioning gaze. "You know he can't resist meddling, my boy. We don't know how this contest will be run, and she mentioned someone who 'can't be allowed to rule,' but you're Father is quite appalled by that being her whole motivation… as far as we can tell right now. After watching Raha run Crystarium for over a hundred years, he does have a better idea than me about what makes a competent ruler, I suppose. I'm more of a mind to not get involved in any of that and focus on finding that whole golden city Erenville mentioned."
"Golden city?" Hades's suspicious tone made him look toward his brother and scowl. "Never mind."
"What? You know something about it?" Senri chimed in, sounding quite excited. Ares scowled, watching his brother give the boy a long, considering look and then shrug.
"Some," Hades said noncommittally, then sighed at Senri's loud noise of protest. "Trust me, Senri, you don't want to know. Knowing you and your ideas, I wouldn't recommend you getting anywhere near… that. That's all I'm going to say," he stated with power when Senri opened his mouth to protest. "If you decide otherwise and choose to investigate it once you're there, don't say I didn't warn you. As for the issue at hand, I propose we move to my abode in the First."
"Why the First?" Ares asked.
"Simply out of convenience," his brother replied. "The time dilation between it and Source went quite sharply out of sync over last year. A few days there will equal, at most, few bells here, making your absence not as meaningful," he nodded toward Alisaie, who frowned. "You may explain that to my Father if he and his host are back before us, girl."
"Right," she sighed, grimacing. "Not that I can go to the First anyway."
"We will figure that out," Senri tapped his hand against her thigh in comfort, and Ares nodded with reassurance he didn't really feel. Considering the snag in Damon's calculations, he had no idea if that would be actually possible… but he wasn't about to admit that.
"Don't worry, Sen, I'm fine," Alisaie smiled at him. "While you're gone, I'll tell the others you fell asleep, and Raha and Ares are looking over you. Ah… Do you know what my brother told them about Ares?" she asked toward Hades.
"That he's Senri's father, apparently," the Ancient grimaced while the boy in question blinked with surprise. "I suppose that's the only way to explain their uncanny similarity," Hades motioned between Ares and his host.
"True," he agreed with a chuckle and ruffled Senri's hair again. "Huyr and Miqo'te offspring, most commonly being Miqo'te too, makes it quite believable, I guess. I bet Damon will find that hilarious."
"No bets," Senri sighed but inclined his head into Ares's touch and closed his eyes. "This does feel nice."
"I know, right?" he laughed, then sent glowering Hades a smirk. "One way or another, that would also make him your brother, no?" he added, reading his mind.
Hades snorted while Senri and Alisaie sniggered simultaneously.
"Do you wish for a bath in the ocean, Ares?" Hades drawled through his teeth, and he snorted.
"Been there, done that," he singsonged, then shook his head when Hades opened his mouth. "But let's focus, brother. I think your suggestion is the best course of action. I don't know how long Damon will be busy in Old Sharlayan, but if he's back ahead of us, tell him to join us in the First," he added toward Alisaie as he stood up. "Neither he nor Raha seemed affected the same way, but I worry that might be yet ahead of them. If we're back before he is, we will track him down, yes?" he asked his host, and Senri nodded with a determined expression.
"Ready then?" Hades asked, freeing his hands and raising one. Setting his fingers in a familiar snap, he arched his eyebrows in question and Ares nodded, teasing in preparation.
His brother snapped his fingers, and the world around them shifted. Ares blinked rapidly and only smirked seeing that they – missing Alisaie – found themselves in a familiar room surrounded by the typical for Amarout dark walls. His and Damon's bedroom, recreated to perfection by his brother's sentiment and also the place where their hosts rested and recovered from the mess of a failed teleportation to Thavnair two years ago. Hades colored slightly and looked away, noticing his gaze.
"It's useful to get away," he muttered, and Ares snorted.
"Especially when Damon's on the prowl, hm?" he teased and laughed when Hades sent him a murderous glare, again folding his arms over his chest.
"Nah," Senri added, standing up and folding the blanket around his waist. "Hyth said that when Damon's looking for models, Hades's away from any place Raha can access. I believe that he said last time he had to drag him from another Reflection. Which one was it?" he asked, running his fingers through his hair.
"That's none of your concern," Hades replied hauntingly, and Ares laughed.
"Not like he's going to disclose his hiding spots, Senri," he suggested and grinned at his brother's following glare. "Half a reason why Damon's bent on opening that gate to the Reflections, too. So Hades can't hide from him when he's in the mood to bully his favorite boy."
"I think I preferred when I couldn't hear you, brother," Hades drawled wryly but Ares only grinned again at the obvious lie. Like this, he could almost too easily see the nuanced shades of emotions tinting his brother's soul. Wistful remembrance and hint of amusement badly hidden behind the veneer of annoyance only served to make him determined to double his efforts.
Even if this shape he was given was accidental and perhaps temporary, he already had more than enough ideas about how to use it. Finding ways to reassure his brother and help him relax was definitely high on his list of priorities!