The scream sounded far too much like a person for Tal's comfort - not that anything about the last thirty seconds had been comfortable - but he'd heard about the illusions that the LongNight monsters of yore could cast--
Except this couldn't be one of those. They had died even before the Voice had and all that was left now was Void.
He swallowed hard, clinging to his anger and his bravado as Alys's whisper cut through the paralysis of uncertainty that had fallen over him. Her presence at his side - his need to protect them both - shivered through his chest and broke the ice in his lungs. He drew in a short, sharp gasp and then gave a jerky nod. "If it's not a trap," he whispered back in grim agreement. "Hail...we're on th'second floor. There couldn't've been anyone human out th'window..."
But what if...?
Before he could lose his nerve he shuffled forward, keeping himself between Alys and the window. Boreal slunk obediently at their heels, nostrils flaring as the blood reached her and she shared her senses with her human in return. Tal grimaced and gripped his Dagger tighter, then hurriedly stuck his head out the window to check first above and then below the jagged-toothed frame with his Goggles for any sign of--
Well. Whatever lurked in the long, cold dark.
Except this couldn't be one of those. They had died even before the Voice had and all that was left now was Void.
He swallowed hard, clinging to his anger and his bravado as Alys's whisper cut through the paralysis of uncertainty that had fallen over him. Her presence at his side - his need to protect them both - shivered through his chest and broke the ice in his lungs. He drew in a short, sharp gasp and then gave a jerky nod. "If it's not a trap," he whispered back in grim agreement. "Hail...we're on th'second floor. There couldn't've been anyone human out th'window..."
But what if...?
Before he could lose his nerve he shuffled forward, keeping himself between Alys and the window. Boreal slunk obediently at their heels, nostrils flaring as the blood reached her and she shared her senses with her human in return. Tal grimaced and gripped his Dagger tighter, then hurriedly stuck his head out the window to check first above and then below the jagged-toothed frame with his Goggles for any sign of--
Well. Whatever lurked in the long, cold dark.
