The blight wracked the Wildwood, but not the Hollowed Grounds. Jigano was increasingly certain of this as his search within the barrierlands had revealed no sign of blackened leaves on foliage or infected creatures to indicate the change - the death - that overcame those who had fallen prey to it elsewhere. He had promised Arduinna to check the books for it, but even with Melinoe's help they had found nothing... and Safrin had indicated that they would find nothing, this disease new and frightening to all of them.
Not least the infected goddess. As if they'd needed further proof that this was no natural thing that afflicted the world they had been released into.
Jigano walked slowly, leaning on his walking stick to help still the trembling of his hands as he traveled through the Wildwood, his mind carefully focused on subjects other than where he wanted to go. The place was tricky, but he was increasingly confident in traversing it, and he did so now with grave determination to find more samples to study.
Instead he heard the sound of sobbing, and he followed it on feet that moved more swiftly than the walking stick might indicate to find a man, tall and wingless, collapsed to the ground. "Sir?" he asked uncertainly, padding closer but hesitating to reach out just yet to a stranger - or a trap, the more cynical part of his mind pointed out. "Are you hurt? What happened?"
Not least the infected goddess. As if they'd needed further proof that this was no natural thing that afflicted the world they had been released into.
Jigano walked slowly, leaning on his walking stick to help still the trembling of his hands as he traveled through the Wildwood, his mind carefully focused on subjects other than where he wanted to go. The place was tricky, but he was increasingly confident in traversing it, and he did so now with grave determination to find more samples to study.
Instead he heard the sound of sobbing, and he followed it on feet that moved more swiftly than the walking stick might indicate to find a man, tall and wingless, collapsed to the ground. "Sir?" he asked uncertainly, padding closer but hesitating to reach out just yet to a stranger - or a trap, the more cynical part of his mind pointed out. "Are you hurt? What happened?"
