Eye of a hurricane, listen to yourself churn

Koa

Don't you just wanna wake up dark as a lake
Smelling like a bonfire, lost in a haze?

He watches as Zavien re-dons his armor, wincing visibly at the 'First and last.' There should have been more - more speeches, more moments of community and camaraderie, more years for the Risen Sun to shine in his new role. But time is the thing they do not have, and Koa bites these thoughts back down, because if they focus on what will never be they'll never make it through life as it is.

Throwing his arm over Zavien's shoulder, Koa shakes his head. "You can eat now," he counters firmly, nudging his friend in the direction of the Tower and the kitchens that lie within. "You're no use to anyone half-dead from hunger, and I for one don't feel like incurring Erika's wrath." He shudders dramatically for effect, relying on a shield of humor to waylay the protest Zavien's sure to make.

As for when he got back? Koa exhales forcefully, licking his lips as he glances away. "We landed this morning. Got to the Greatwood and found a stack of letters waiting for me." Each more horrifying and frantic than the last one, most of which he'd finished on the skyship back. Running his free hand through his hair, Koa lets his bravado briefly fade. "I shoulda been back sooner. I didn't mean to be gone so long." Only a season away from Stormbreak physically, but he'd pulled back from his friends and loved ones well prior to that.

If you're drunk on life, babe, I think it's great
But while in this world I think I'll take my whiskey neat