"Yeah... could be?" It actually wasn't the worst suggestion. Maybe since he was adding things that did extra damage there was an extra price? ...Or maybe the gods were just bullies. Sometimes the simplest reason was the right one, but so far they had been prices that Tal had been willing to pay. He wanted to be stronger, and that meant taking a few hits on the way up.
He wasn't willing to do it at the cost of Sah's peace of mind, however. Taking hits himself was one thing, but he didn't intend to traumatize the hunter if it genuinely seemed like the Wild Thunder would be too shaken to go through with it. The intervention could only work if Sah was ready for it, but luckily it seemed like he was. Tal could see the grin on his friend's face and the tight little knot of worry in his own chest eased as he stepped back. He wasn't relaxed, of course. This was still going to hurt!
...But at least it wouldn't hurt as bad as it would have if anyone else had done it.
He couldn't stop himself from tensing up as he gave the signal, teeth grinding together and eyes squeezed closed just before the lightning hit. He was glad that he had when the sharp fire-knife burn of the bolt crackled over and through his armor, the magic piercing the blessed Vest with ease; the garment only protected against physical attacks, after all. But thanks to Sah's careful aim he wasn't burned, and he managed to hold in his yelp. Spidery fingers of skyfire crawled briefly across the armor, drawn along the lines of silver that striped the black stone, and then dissipated between heartbeats. The courier wasted no time in clenching his fist around his Ring, and swift healing swept through him so that no trace of hurt remained.
He took a deep breath and then let it out, cracking his neck and wiggling his fingers before he looked back at his friend with a grin. "See? That barely tickled," he lied through his teeth - but uncharacteristically convincingly for once.
He wasn't willing to do it at the cost of Sah's peace of mind, however. Taking hits himself was one thing, but he didn't intend to traumatize the hunter if it genuinely seemed like the Wild Thunder would be too shaken to go through with it. The intervention could only work if Sah was ready for it, but luckily it seemed like he was. Tal could see the grin on his friend's face and the tight little knot of worry in his own chest eased as he stepped back. He wasn't relaxed, of course. This was still going to hurt!
...But at least it wouldn't hurt as bad as it would have if anyone else had done it.
He couldn't stop himself from tensing up as he gave the signal, teeth grinding together and eyes squeezed closed just before the lightning hit. He was glad that he had when the sharp fire-knife burn of the bolt crackled over and through his armor, the magic piercing the blessed Vest with ease; the garment only protected against physical attacks, after all. But thanks to Sah's careful aim he wasn't burned, and he managed to hold in his yelp. Spidery fingers of skyfire crawled briefly across the armor, drawn along the lines of silver that striped the black stone, and then dissipated between heartbeats. The courier wasted no time in clenching his fist around his Ring, and swift healing swept through him so that no trace of hurt remained.
He took a deep breath and then let it out, cracking his neck and wiggling his fingers before he looked back at his friend with a grin. "See? That barely tickled," he lied through his teeth - but uncharacteristically convincingly for once.
