They say blood makes you related but
loyalty makes you family
When the other man mentioned the black tower, Loren stiffened. ”The Spire?” The place of monsters and madness, where the blight had supposedly originated and too many had died: the Launceleyn really hoped he’d misheard or the other man was mistaken, because nothing that came from the Spire was pleasant. At least, not yet. Still, Astra trusted the stranger and mostly the other man just seemed cold at the moment, not at all a threat. So the summoner would remain watchful, but give the stranger the benefit of the doubt.
That didn’t stop Loren from healing the other man, though he hadn’t been sure it was working until he saw the stranger stop shivering and relax. Stepping away, the Launceleyn smiled, mostly to himself. Banishing the cold without the use of fire magic was a neat trick. When the stranger gestured at the chair, the summoner shook his head. ”Not at all. That’s what it’s there for.” When the other man expressed his gratitude, Loren just waved a hand. ”You were almost inside, and I’m sure you would’ve been fine without me or the gods intervening, or luck, whatever you might believe. But you’re welcome.” It was literally the least the summoner could do.
The stranger confessed to being, well, simply a stranger to this land, and Loren couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. The unfamiliar man was just the latest arrival after all, not the latest horror spawned from The Spire. ”Alright. I know this is overwhelming, but just bear with me, and I’ll do my best to explain.” The Launceleyn was not the person best suited to this particular task, but at least he’d had a lot of experience lately. ”First, my name is Loren. It’s nice to meet you, Aonghas.” Though the summoner wasn’t sure he got the other man’s name exactly right, it was close enough.
”For some reason, through some method I can’t quite explain, you’ve stumbled into this world from your last. I know this is tough, and I’m sorry to be the one to tell you, but there’s no going back.” At least, not as far as they knew. Loren watched Aonghas carefully: this was always the hardest part to accept, and the librarian was prepared for any number of reactions. ”This land is called Caido, and the kingdom you’re in is called the Hollowed Grounds. I’m an outsider here too, though I’ve been here for a little over a year now.” Granted, he had spent most of that time out of his mind, but it was probably best not to mention that to the stranger. ”I know this is overwhelming. But I can help you out until you get settled here.” This wouldn’t be the first fellow Outlander the Launceleyn had coached through the transition. At this rate, the summoner was collecting his fair share of strays.
That didn’t stop Loren from healing the other man, though he hadn’t been sure it was working until he saw the stranger stop shivering and relax. Stepping away, the Launceleyn smiled, mostly to himself. Banishing the cold without the use of fire magic was a neat trick. When the stranger gestured at the chair, the summoner shook his head. ”Not at all. That’s what it’s there for.” When the other man expressed his gratitude, Loren just waved a hand. ”You were almost inside, and I’m sure you would’ve been fine without me or the gods intervening, or luck, whatever you might believe. But you’re welcome.” It was literally the least the summoner could do.
The stranger confessed to being, well, simply a stranger to this land, and Loren couldn’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. The unfamiliar man was just the latest arrival after all, not the latest horror spawned from The Spire. ”Alright. I know this is overwhelming, but just bear with me, and I’ll do my best to explain.” The Launceleyn was not the person best suited to this particular task, but at least he’d had a lot of experience lately. ”First, my name is Loren. It’s nice to meet you, Aonghas.” Though the summoner wasn’t sure he got the other man’s name exactly right, it was close enough.
”For some reason, through some method I can’t quite explain, you’ve stumbled into this world from your last. I know this is tough, and I’m sorry to be the one to tell you, but there’s no going back.” At least, not as far as they knew. Loren watched Aonghas carefully: this was always the hardest part to accept, and the librarian was prepared for any number of reactions. ”This land is called Caido, and the kingdom you’re in is called the Hollowed Grounds. I’m an outsider here too, though I’ve been here for a little over a year now.” Granted, he had spent most of that time out of his mind, but it was probably best not to mention that to the stranger. ”I know this is overwhelming. But I can help you out until you get settled here.” This wouldn’t be the first fellow Outlander the Launceleyn had coached through the transition. At this rate, the summoner was collecting his fair share of strays.
LOREN
