Though Torchline never truly slept, this night was quieter than most. There were too many wounds to bind and lost souls to mourn; too much damage to buildings and flesh to fall back on the more usual moonlit pasttimes of drinking, revelry, theft, and smuggling. Harper's voice was a quiet clarion on the night breeze, and the mermanta turned to watch the human man approaching with solemn, weary eyes that yet held their core of quiet strength.
He inclined his head as the councilman came close and then swam to the edge of the cracked canal to join him. The human's concern was touching and he gave the question due consideration before nodding again, gravely. "I will heal," he rumbled. His back and shoulder had been wrapped in dark bandages, visible more for how they obscured his golden tattoos than how they faded into the darkness of his skin.
Inside, too, there were wounds, but he had given his all to protecting mer and humans alike, and he held himself with a quiet dignity and acceptance of those who had been beyond his power to save. He would light lanterns for them when the time came, but the present was for the living and he looked Harper over with the same concern the human had given him. "I have been tending to the City. The damage there is less, but we were not unscathed." An easier admission than it once might have been to an airbreather. What point, secrets, when the world had been shaken, broken, and set back awry?
"And your injuries, Kingslayer?"
He inclined his head as the councilman came close and then swam to the edge of the cracked canal to join him. The human's concern was touching and he gave the question due consideration before nodding again, gravely. "I will heal," he rumbled. His back and shoulder had been wrapped in dark bandages, visible more for how they obscured his golden tattoos than how they faded into the darkness of his skin.
Inside, too, there were wounds, but he had given his all to protecting mer and humans alike, and he held himself with a quiet dignity and acceptance of those who had been beyond his power to save. He would light lanterns for them when the time came, but the present was for the living and he looked Harper over with the same concern the human had given him. "I have been tending to the City. The damage there is less, but we were not unscathed." An easier admission than it once might have been to an airbreather. What point, secrets, when the world had been shaken, broken, and set back awry?
"And your injuries, Kingslayer?"
