Emerald eyes followed the trail of perfect, pale fingers along the rose's stem before the King lowered his head in a nod at his goddess's words. If there were those who weren't affected yet... well. It was only a matter of time, it seemed to him. The void-touched plants and animals were everywhere now, and every day he feared that another report would come of a person with an unhealing wound. The elder gods had their own, larger concerns, and couldn't heal everyone...
But the worst had not yet come to pass. And Safrin had returned, radiant still in spite of the toll her battles had taken on her. Hadama raised his head again and straightened his spine, returning his gaze to his lady to hear her words. They were hard for him to envision; how to give a shape to something formless? But a many-minded entity...
"Yes," he said slowly, thinking of how certain schools of fish, though made of many, acted as one. Imperfect analogy, since they were both physical and vulnerable to attack, but it was the closest his limited mortal experience could come.
Though the news of this 'Dahlia' being was that she was physical, indeed. And therefore, perhaps, she shared some of the vulnerabilities of mortals. Or at least demigods. Few as those vulnerabilities were.
But his thoughts swam swiftly back to the one who sat before him amid the crystalline peace of the icy Sea. "Is there a way to help you recover?" For though there was much that might be learned of their new enemies from one who had fought them on their own turf, Hadama's concern was first for the one who had faced them alone and far from her home.
And paid the price for it.
But the worst had not yet come to pass. And Safrin had returned, radiant still in spite of the toll her battles had taken on her. Hadama raised his head again and straightened his spine, returning his gaze to his lady to hear her words. They were hard for him to envision; how to give a shape to something formless? But a many-minded entity...
"Yes," he said slowly, thinking of how certain schools of fish, though made of many, acted as one. Imperfect analogy, since they were both physical and vulnerable to attack, but it was the closest his limited mortal experience could come.
Though the news of this 'Dahlia' being was that she was physical, indeed. And therefore, perhaps, she shared some of the vulnerabilities of mortals. Or at least demigods. Few as those vulnerabilities were.
But his thoughts swam swiftly back to the one who sat before him amid the crystalline peace of the icy Sea. "Is there a way to help you recover?" For though there was much that might be learned of their new enemies from one who had fought them on their own turf, Hadama's concern was first for the one who had faced them alone and far from her home.
And paid the price for it.
