Jigano, white haired and in his usual clothing, paced at the edge of the woods. The barrier was gone, but its scar remained on the earth and the fox-souled man walked it like a beast still caged as he stared intently over the line into the lusher, greener, and far more hostile world beyond. Thrice he'd entered those woods. Once at the call of a spirit of fire and water. Once in blissful ignorance, finding his way to Ludo's shrine. And once in company of others, friends and allies... people who had trusted him to lead them and keep them safe.
He had let them down. He had lost them.
Restless energy filled him, reminiscent of when Ludo had held his dreams. He hadn't been able to sleep then, either. He had pushed himself until he passed out, stolen a few hours of rest, and as soon as his body had let him he had thrown himself back into his research.
He was like that now, too. His dreams were filled with friends who disappeared, with nightmares of deaths they might have already suffered. Sleep was a thing to be suffered through when he had no more choice and his body dragged him down into it. He wanted to be out there, searching for his friends, saving them from what he had done.
But the Woods mocked him with its mysteries. It had devoured his friends and it would devour him too, if he went in unprepared again. Once he might have thrown himself at it regardless of his own safety but that was before...
Before he had found his life no longer his own.
There was no one here to see him, to judge him, and he found a smooth-barked beech tree to lean back against, sliding down to sit on the soft moss beneath. He tilted his head up, looking towards the sky, bits of blue still visible between the greening Flowerbirth branches, and wished fiercely that he had the answers to what came next.
Eliza
He had let them down. He had lost them.
Restless energy filled him, reminiscent of when Ludo had held his dreams. He hadn't been able to sleep then, either. He had pushed himself until he passed out, stolen a few hours of rest, and as soon as his body had let him he had thrown himself back into his research.
He was like that now, too. His dreams were filled with friends who disappeared, with nightmares of deaths they might have already suffered. Sleep was a thing to be suffered through when he had no more choice and his body dragged him down into it. He wanted to be out there, searching for his friends, saving them from what he had done.
But the Woods mocked him with its mysteries. It had devoured his friends and it would devour him too, if he went in unprepared again. Once he might have thrown himself at it regardless of his own safety but that was before...
Before he had found his life no longer his own.
There was no one here to see him, to judge him, and he found a smooth-barked beech tree to lean back against, sliding down to sit on the soft moss beneath. He tilted his head up, looking towards the sky, bits of blue still visible between the greening Flowerbirth branches, and wished fiercely that he had the answers to what came next.
