A Court of Blessings & Dark Things

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Rhys was staring at the photo he had on his desk, it was the only one he had of his Mom, Dad, Nyxanna and him. It was taken during the Solstice before the deaths. He looked at Nyxanna, she was just a child. A child when everything was taken away. "Rhys?" Rhysand looked up to see Feyre, "Are you alright? You don't seem yourself." He leaned back in the chair, "You're right. I'm not feeling like myself. It's Nyxanna." Feyre walked over to chair gently caressing his face, "What's wrong with Nyxanna?" He gently kissed her hand, "It's not what's currently wrong, it's what was wrong and will always be wrong." He looked up at Feyre who was now worried more than she already was. "It's about the day she and my Mother died." He stood up and walked over to the fireplace placing his arm on the banister. "She told me that when our Mother died it was quick for her. But, for herself not so much." Feyre eased her worry as it turned to horror, "They tortured her?" Rhysand twisted his lips, "They raped her. All of them. They took her body and choice from her." Feyre shook her head, "How could they do that..." She froze. "Did Tamlin.." Rhys shook his head, "She said he didn't touch her. But he was there." A Piece of Feyre felt relief that it wasn't Tamlin apart of that horror. "The only thing he did right was burning their wings." Rhys said as he held his head. "It was bad enough getting their heads on my front porch, knowing their wings were ripped from them. But this? She was 15. There were three of them." Feyre grabbed Rhysand's hand, "You couldn't have known." He shook his head, "At that time Tamlin I considered a friend. I taught him Illyrian techniques..." Feyre pressed down the bond gently, "Rhys. You couldn't have known. Nyxanna doesn't blame you." Rhys nodded, "I want her to blame me. I want her to hate me. I should have been there." He leaned into Feyre, her cool skin calming his heated forehead. "No matter how much you would want that, she doesn't. She probably blames herself." Rhys breathed in Feyre, "I know. She seemed so calm talking about it. I don't know how she wasn't angry." Feyre held Rhys closer to her body, "She's had centuries to hold anger towards that. She's either really good at hiding it or she's come to terms with that anger." Rhys kissed Feyre's neck, "You know I remember a Young Fae who blamed herself, now she's grown into this extraordinary Fae and High Lady. One who has to calm her High Lord." She smiled, "I learned from the best." Feyre gently kissed Rhysand their lips touching turning into fire. 

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Nesta put on her leathers, braiding her hair placing it behind herself. "Do you think Nyxanna can beat you and Azriel in a battle?" Cassian who was sitting on the chair behind her watching as she changed stood up, "Nice change of subject. I was thinking about ripping those leathers off, fucking you then redressing you." Nesta eyed him, "I'm serious. Is she really that good like Amren says?" Cassian sighed, thinking for a moment, "I don't know. I guess it's possible, but when I knew her she was just a kid. I remember their Father didn't let her do anything, especially train with any of us. He was a hard ass with Rhys while he was over protective with Nyxie, keeping her inside away from everything." Nesta continued to look in the mirror thinking of her father and Mother. Nesta always thought her Father was a lazy no good man and her mother was a cold hearted bitch who trained her to be what she is. "She hated her Father. He made her do things she never wanted, repressed her. Regardless if she did what he said or not, it's not what she wanted. I think she did get good in this Gaia world. She proved him wrong." Cassian watched as Nesta gently shifted to the door, "I would have done the same thing."  

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Nyxanna winnowed to the training ring at the House of Wind where she and Zaya would train everyone. Nyxanna looked to her left where Azriel stood in front of women, women who were priestesses. She was told they would be joining as they had been this whole time when Nesta, Emerie, and Gwyn when they studied the art of Valkyries. Zaya smiled at her Mother as she walked up behind her, "Finally you're here!" She said as she stood next to her shaking her hands ferociously, "So I am." She said giving a smile back. Feyre and Rhysand flew down in their leathers ready to train with everyone else. "You have wings!" Nyxie said shocked to see Feyre with them. "Yeah, one of the abilities I got was from Tamlin with shape shifting. When all the high lords brought me back." Nyxie nodded, "It's crazy that they did that once, but twice for Rhysand to come back? Unheard of." She giggled to herself, "What's so funny?" Rhys asked curiously, "We have our own little club of coming back from the dead." Rhys shook his head, "As long it's not a stay dead club, I'll happily be apart of it." Elain walked out of the house wearing leathers, but not Illyrian. Nesta's smile fell as she ran up to Elain who was thanking Zaya for letting her borrow some leathers. "What the hell do you think you are doing?" Elain sighed as she pulled on her tight outfit, never wearing anything so conforming to her body before. "I'm going to train with  you guys. Learn the Rite of Blessings too." Nesta shook her head, "No." Elain glared at her, "You're not my Mother, you can't just tell me what to do." Feyre was about to speak when Zaya interrupted, "I think it's a great idea for Elain to join us all. It's a great set of skills to have for oneself. It's very empowering, even if you never see the time of battle." Elain smiled easily at Zaya as Nesta stared her down, "I don't see how this concerns you. -" Zaya kept her smile, "Elain is my friend, if she wants to learn and grow as an individual than all the power to her. I don't see how that concerns you." Nesta was about to retorn when Cassian put his hands on her shoulders, Azriel looking at Zaya giving her nod and kind eyes for what she did for Elain. "We all are ready, this class is all yours." Azriel said as he looked to Nyxanna. Nesta lowly grumbled as she walked back towards her friends. Elain taking a spot next to Feyre still tugging at her leathers with bright eyes. Nyxanna smirked at Az & Cass, "Oh, I already knew that." She waved them off, "Ladies, and boys." Nyxie said as she looked towards Cass & Az then side eyeing Rhysand making him smile. "I would like to first introduce you all to myself and my Daughter, this is Zaya and I am Nyxanna." The priestesses started to whisper to each other, "I know it must be a bit of a shock to hear that name again, but I am Rhysand's sister that died centuries ago. I was reborn in another world and was blessed with the ability to come back to my home here in the Night Court." A red head priestess meekly spoke, "Is it because you were reborn is why you look so different?" Nyxanna nodded, "Yes. I was reborn as a different type of creature known as a Sith. I am no longer High Fae. Despite my different look, my blood is still the same." There were still some whispers when Rhysand interrupted them. "Besides our family, you now know about Nyxanna. There will be a formal statement made to the entire Night Court and Velaris of her return." Nyxanna clasped her hands together, "Without further delay, Zaya and I are going to train you in not only Slayer techniques but also how to begin the Rite of Blessings. To start off with I wanted you all to understand what this journey entails with the Rite of blessings and what the Slayer techniques are and how they are to be used together. With the Rite of Blessings, the journey starts with oneself. You must have mental, emotional and physical focus within yourself. When I say this, it doesn't mean you have to resolve all of your traumas, unstable behaviors, or pain. It means to direct them into one singular aspect. Outward at your enemy. To do this you must first know inside yourself, what you are made of, if it's love, anger, fear or Joy. What burns deep down inside of you, know your shadow self, embrace it and understand it. Then you can start to work with it to build yourself up. What you find within yourself you shouldn't be scared or hesitant of, for your shadow is part of you. Once you understand and embrace - Let it go. Once you have accomplished this and can stand on your own, then you will be granted to move on in the Rite of Blessings. " Nyxie looked to Zaya, both of them lifting up their right arm. Both of their wrists glowed brightly, Nyxie's was black and Zaya's was Red. "This is what a full marking looks like. You only get this when you have bonded or tied with your person. Getting this marking shouldn't be taken lightly, finding your bonded creates a Viopatarian bond - Soul Tie for short. Which is quite different than a mating bond, I should say this now because a Soul tie, a Viopatarian bond isn't fated, it's chosen." Nyxie tapped her wrist, it starting to glow a bit brighter. "Once you have accomplish your own bond, you are ready to find your bonded at any time. Now, just because you started the Rite of blessing doesn't mean you will find your bonded. You may never meet them, or you instantly will. A Viopatarian bond is one that two warriors share. You can only find your bonded partner during a battle or war that could result in death.  The bond is one of complete trust, vulnerability, friendship and strength in each other. Two who create a life long bond that is chosen by two. It can be unconscious or a conscious choice, but it's forever unless the bond is broken by one. Once you find your bonded partner you both get the full marking on your wrists. It glows a brilliant white."  Nesta squinted her eyes, "Why is yours black and Zaya's Red?" Nyxie held her arm up for everyone to see better, "A black glow like mine, means your bonded pair betrayed you. They broke the bond." She put her wrist down letting the glow dim until her skin didn't show the marking any longer. "When your bond is broken, everything that created that bond is ripped apart, it leaves a scar on your heart. It leaves a worse scar on the betrayers wrist which the Soul tie makes the mark turn into rotten flesh." Nesta looked at now bare wrist as she continued, "What did they do to break your bond?" Nyxie locked eyes with Nesta speaking with coldness, "Everything you possibly could to break a bond." Nyxanna turned to Zaya, Zaya giving her a small nod, "My marking glows a Red because my bonded died." Before Nesta could pry, Nyxanna moved on, "It would be a great honor to keep your bonded pair with you forever, but that isn't always the case. Bonds can be broken, bonds can die, but bonds cannot be altered." Zaya also put her wrist down, "To find your Soul Tie, means you are blessed, for not everyone will ever find one. With that you are given a blessing of your greatest desire." Zaya pointed her ears, "I was granted the ability to hear again, I was deaf for most of my childhood." Nyxanna extended her wings, making the priestesses gape in awe. "I was granted the ability to fly again with these Spectra wings." Emerie looked at the wings with intensity as her mind filled with hope that she could maybe fly again one day. Nyxanna's wings dissipated, "Now to start the Rite of blessings it starts with training. The one Art that has guaranteed anyone to start of the Rite of blessing is the Egoarda technique. This is the technique that causes the most strain and waiver in people. Due to this, most people can't complete the first step into the Rite. It is singularly the roughest of the Journey which is why it's first. This technique's soul purpose is to either tear you down, or empower you. It all depend on how you view it and accept it. You must work for the blessing, it isn't just given. If you are not able to complete it, or refuse to complete it, in no way does that mean you are any less than anyone else who has progressed to the next step in the Rite. It only means you aren't ready to know yourself, or don't have the tools to fully know and understand. It takes time, love and compassion along with strength of the body and mind. After you have accomplished that, you then learn the second technique which is Skars. This technique is essentially the power to destroy another or yourself. Which if you are a pacifist, I applaud you, but this isn't for you. You will learn the movements with your body and the mind, combining both to create it's own Mana or Magic. Once they are both combined you will feel a spark through your body, the magnetism will let you know you morphing into the final stages of the Rite." Nyxanna looked to Cassian and Azriel, "I will demonstrate the power of these Techniques once you have mastered them, on these two handsome fellows." She motioned for them two to step up, "Now, don't hold back boys." Zaya quickly walked off to the side and sat down. Azriel and Cassian looked at Nyxanna with skepticism, "You sure?" She nodded, "Positive. You'll be unarmed and on the ground quickly, so make it challenging will ya?" Both Cassian and Azriel got in their stances, nodding to each other to attack Nyxanna. Nyxanna looked like she wasn't even in a stance. Both men attacked, Nyxanna easily dipping down to right redirecting her body with swift feet movements. Nyxanna Harmonized with Cassian's and Azriel's energy, moving quickly but accurately, as if she was seeing where they going to attack next. Her arms blocked hits, her hands moving along their bodies attacking their pressure points. Cassian fell to the ground, "Fuckk." He couldn't move his body, Nyxanna had immobilized him with her quick strikes at varies points on his body. Zaya started to narrate, "If this was a real battle she would have used a sharp dagger or sword to attack the nerves to immobilize, since we are in a friendly battle, she is attacking the pressure points to temporarily immobilize." Azriel was holding up pretty well, Nyxanna smiled as she switched up her movements. "Previously, Nyxanna was using was using slow fluid movements, now she has changed it up now blending with Azriels energy, being able to neutralize the attacks." Nyxanna positioned her body to use leverage to overcome Azriel's body. He fell to the ground, Nyxanna putting her foot on his chest. The two boys were breathing heavily while she was barely breathing at all. The whole battle took less than 3 minutes. "And that is what these techniques do for you. They give you the power and intuition to understand who you are against as an opponent and take them down. Movements are fluid as well as your mind, you need to be mindful and open minded all at once. These techniques basically are spells your whole soul creates, so use it correctly and wisely." She moved her foot off of Azriel, putting her hand out, Az happily taking it. "Damn.. You weren't kidding about taking us down." She put her hands up, "Well what can I say. I was taught these at 16 and been studying them ever since." She turned towards the group seeing all the faces taking in the ones who were nervous, in awe and blank. "The Rite of Blessings isn't easy, it takes a certain stamina, but since you've all been learning Valkyrie techniques, I don't have a doubt that you won't be able to start the rite. However, if you start the Rite of Blessings you cannot simply stop at any given point, it will continue. It'll do one of two things, give you the power, or take it away. Now, these techniques are to be used with any skillsets you have known or will learn, it's meant to be integrated. Which is why I will also be teaching Slayer Techniques, which is from a Death league I was brought up in and eventually led. This will give you an advantage over an opponent especially since this is a form from another world practiced by an elite league. Which brings us to the Rite of Blessings when you use the first two techniques with a form of some sort. Zaya and I accomplished this stage with the Slayer Forms, which once completed will pulsate energy through your attacks. Giving you a power boost, accessing your origin of power." Gwyn who was listening intently spoke, "Origin of power? Does that mean of whatever you already have inside you?" Nyxanna twisted her lips, "It's a little more than that. In the other world I lived in, Gaia, there was an understanding that all living beings were given a small grain of light when they were first created. This grain grows and creates roots throughout your entire being. You access that point of what was given to you by the Mother. It's a light that everyone has, no one person has a stronger or weaker one, it's the basis of everyone. It's what you do with it that determines how strong or weak you are. Knowing you have it isn't enough, you need to feel it, tap into it. We are all already blessed with the gift of life from the Mother. Embracing that little grain she gave us, allows us to be better than what we have previously known ourselves as. A Soul tie is when you both not only see the light in each other, but also the darkness, and choose to love each other anyways, choose to be their bonded. Which is a miraculous and beautiful thing. Which is why a blessing is given, that all the hard work, sweat and tears were worth it. Your souls are tied. That grain of light you both have grow together." Nyxanna's face fell slightly, "That's why when a bond is broken. It guts you from the inside out." Gwyn curious question Nyxanna, "Why would someone break a bond like that?" Nyxanna thought for a moment, "It's a question that arises, especially since historically in Gaia it was rarely heard of, so then why does it happen? Some believe that a bond should never break, even if your other has done something awful or evil that you have already agreed to love even those dark parts of them. However, if that person did an awful or evil thing against their bonded willingly, they broke the bond. You have no choice to keep your bond even if you want when it's broken, it goes against nature, and the Mother herself for one to abuse the bond. So it breaks. And the person is marked for life that they were the betrayer of the bond. I guess the reason why some break the bond is because they decided it wasn't enough for them. They wanted something more than what they had." Rhysand could see the pain on his sister's face, who was it that broke their bond? Why did they do it. All he knew is that he could never forgive them for it. "Can you bond with someone new? After a bond is broken I mean." Gwyn asked intrigued by the idea, since they are chosen couldn't they choose someone else, again? "There is a legend that states one can become twice blessed, but it's never been documented that it has actually happen. Which is a running theme for the Rite of blessings, it's a very ancient rite with a lot of vague history. Most only being legend. That's also why I think this will be very interesting to have all of you do the rite. To have an actual log of what it takes for people to join the Rite and see what plays out for each one of you." She clapped her hands together, "So, without further ado, let's begin."