for so it is written

Ronin still felt occasionally awkward in the Atheneum. He remembered walking into it, on those first days they'd arrived in the Hollowed Grounds, and finding Loren there. It was the last time he had seen the librarian, in truth, and while that hurt, worry and bitterness would never truly leave him, it was an old ache these days. So much more had happened since. He'd found a dragon, lost his love, welcomed his daughter into the world, died and come back again... A small smile played over his face as he stepped into the domed building.

It was much changed since the last time he had visited. Warm, dry and with the scent of books in the air, it reminded him more now of Northaven's library. On his shoulder, Sugar trilled just to see how it would sound, sending a soft echo around the place. "Hey," Ronin said to her in a hushed tone. "You're supposed to be quiet in a library." Scritching beneath her scaled chin and grinning at the chittering sounds of delight she made at the fuss, he walked further into the establishment.

Whilst he knew about the Loreseeker's Guild, he didn't quite know where it was inside the Atheneum. So here he was instead.

It was time for a break, and refreshing his tea cup. Writing the log of their findings in the Wildwood was an absorbing task, but one that needed doing, and putting his thoughts down on paper occasionally helped Jigano sift fresh insight from his experiences. It was simple but important work, and he hoped that he and Amalia could compare their journals soon... but first, tea. It was almost a crime to be inside on such a lovely day and only his focus on his guild and his duty kept him in the Guildhall basement, while Isuma played with a small felted ball, chasing it across the stone floor like the small hunter she was growing into.

He watched her indulgently while the kettle came to a boil, and he had just pulled it off the hob when the gryphlet suddenly sat bolt upright, head cocked to the side in a position he had learned meant listening. Usually that meant a friend was upstairs and on their way down into the Hall, and Jigano chuckled as he poured the hot water into the pot to steep.

That was as far as he got before Isuma let out a loud Reep! of delight and bounded for the stairs, ball forgotten. Her thoughts were full of excitement for a friend she hadn't seen in forever, one as small as she was, and she had no desire to calm down or come back to him as Jigano tried to catch hold of their bond and slow her down. Abandoning his tea, he made for the stairs in her wake, following her trail at a more sedate pace with a bemused notion of who to expect. Remi had told him what had happened, more or less, but what did one say to a reincarnated warrior whose actions had nearly brought war to the Hollowed Grounds - and paved the path to their freedom, all at once?

Isuma found Ronin and Sugar first, turning excited circles from a little distance away as she chirruped energetic greetings to her draconic friend. She was larger than she had been at their last meeting, her baby down replaced with her first molt of juvenile feathers and her wings looking more finished for it, though she wasn't flying yet. That didn't stop her from fluttering them in joy as she tried to coax Sugar down to play with her, while a tall, white-haired man emerged from the shelves behind her, smiling bemusedly first at her, and then in greeting at Sugar's human.

"Welcome," he offered politely by way of hello. "Ronin, I presume?"

Ronin's hearing was never going to be as keen as his dragon's, and he was still quietly wandering the shelves when Sugar perked up on his shoulder, having heard the tell-tale Reep! from the bowels of the Atheneum. He turned just as Isuma came into view, bounding in circles and fluttering a greeting to his companion. Recognition sparked in blue eyes, then, Ronin turning his head to try and nose Sugar off his shoulder. "Go on," he assured her. "Go play."

Not needing to be told twice, the dragonling let out a trill of greeting, uncoiling her silvery tail from around Ronin so she could take off and glide down to meet with Isuma properly. Investigating her feathery wings, Sugar chirruped her approval.

Ronin had been enjoying the interactions between them enough that the sight of the tall man emerging from the shelves was enough to startle him somewhat, the guildmaster offering a polite smile of greeting. Whilst he was used to being 'known', so to speak, from his time as captain in Northaven, this still threw him off. He chuckled and nodded to the other man.

"Thank you," he murmured. "That's right, yeah. I... the white fox, I presume?" He had never heard his name, he realised, from their time playing in the snow.

Isuma was ecstatic to have her friend back, and she nosed Sugar's wings as the dragon investigated her feathers, giving an impressed reep at how well her scaly friend had flown down from Ronin's shoulder. Her long, fluffy tail lashed playfully as she crouched then, inviting her friend to pounce and play and tousle with her, far more interested in someone her age and size than the new human - resurrections meaning little to young gryphlets, in the grand scheme of things.

They meant much more to curious lorekeepers, however, who approached Ronin with cautious courtesy. He tilted his head in wry acknowledgment of the guess, giving a slight nod. "On occasion, though it's not something that is widely known. I prefer to go by Jigano. And this is Isuma," he added fondly, glancing down to the frolicking companions.

Glancing up again at the man he arched a pale brow, inquiring, "May I ask what brings you here today? If it's a book you want, I may be able to help you locate it... or if you'd rather browse alone, I can let the little ones play down in the Guildhall where their noise won't bother anyone up here," he added, with a quiet chuckle for the antics of their little friends.

Sugar let out an appreciative shriek, not having had nearly enough play in her short life. It was difficult, when one's life had begun with a narrow escape from an icy doom, and then one's human went and died. Isuma, then, was a more than pleasant distraction, and the dragonling left the two men to talk while she pounced and tussled with the gryphlet.

Ronin laughed gently as he watched them, rolling his shoulder lightly where Sugar had been perched but a few moments before. "Ah, is it not? Consider your secret safe with me, then," he murmured, nodding politely to Jigano. "A pleasure to meet the both of you, with names this time. You already know me, evidently, but that little monster is Sugar." He nodded to his dragon.

"Information, mostly," he confessed. "I've been... well. Out of the picture, since before the barrier fell. I was wondering if someone would know of what has happened so far out there. What things have been found, what people have encountered and the like." He had no intention, just yet, of wandering out there himself. But it would be good to know what he was up against.

"I don't know if it's so much a secret anymore," Jigano confessed ruefully, rubbing the back of his neck. "Not as much as it used to be. But... still. I appreciate the courtesy." It was easier with those who had met him first as a fox, he was finding, but still difficult to talk about as a man. He nodded to Sugar, who seemed as focused on Isuma as the gryphlet was on her, and he found some of the tension easing at their easy camaraderie.

He listened to Ronin's goal with a tilt of his head, nodding in understanding and lips quirking back into a smile at the desire for information. "Ah, so, less information that can be found in a book and more from a conversation," he deduced. "I was just writing down the findings from our first trip into the woods. It's a curious place... and you missed a great deal leading up to the fall of the barrier, as well," he added, smile fading a bit. "As a member of the Loreseeker's Guild I'm quite happy to answer your questions, though. Shall we find someplace to sit? Up here or down in the Hall, either are fine. And you can ask me whatever you'd like."

It appeared that Ronin was a little too late to help with keeping Jigano's shapeshifting a secret - but in truth, were it not for Isuma, he'd never have deduced it unless told. As he finished explaining, the smile on the other man's face was enough for him to tell that he had come to the right place, and he nodded eagerly at the chance to talk and to learn, to fill in the gaps of the time he had missed. There was a dawning understanding, too, in Ronin's eyes, as Jigano spoke of downstairs.

"Ah, so that's where the guild is," he said with a smirk. "I was afraid I'd come to the wrong place. Either is fine, but perhaps downstairs is easier, given that's where your notes are? Any help you can give would be appreciated. And I'm sure Sugar is happy to see her friend again."

"The door was hidden behind a fallen shelf for who knows how many years," Jigano agreed, turning to lead the way with a grin for his companion. "It took a bit of cleaning up and airing out, but it makes for an excellent base of operations now. And there is tea, courtesy of Sam, and snacks from Devas Bakery, thanks to Amalia," he added, proud of his guildmates and their regular contributions to making their Hall a welcoming place for visitors and clients.

A mental tug to let Isuma know where they were going - not that it did much to pause the happy tumbling of two young things given the chance to play with someone their own size - and Jigano nodded agreement for the both of them. "Isuma is, too. I only recently found out that she was living at your Guildhall still. I'd been meaning to bring Isuma by to try and cheer Sugar up... but, well. I wasn't quite sure how to do it without things being... ah. Awkward," he admitted, glancing to Ronin ruefully as they reached the metal-sheathed door with its now-clean-and-shining design.

"Remi mentioned that Safrin brought you back, but wasn't clear on the specifics," he said, leading the way down the broad, shallow spiral of stone steps, giving in at last to his own curiosity. "I don't suppose you have any light you could shed on what happened?"

"Ah, I know the feeling. My guildhall was in a similar state of disarray. And guarded by stone golems, too." Ronin shook his head, smiling at the memory and glancing over his shoulder for a second to watch as Sugar and Isuma tumbled about. He left them to their frolicking, following after Jigano into the warm darkness, into the scent of tea and paper and sweet pastries. Instantly his mouth started to water. "You certainly have succeeded in making it welcoming." He chuckled, rubbing at the back of his head as his stomach gave a tell-tale rumble.

Still, there was much to talk about on both sides, apparently, and Ronin smiled gently to the other man before letting out a soft sigh. "It was a trade," he said simply. "A good friend of mine traded with the god of death for my life. When the Voice brought her here, to this world, she was... immortal, I suppose you could say. She gave it up, so that I could walk this world again. So Safrin plucked me down from the sky where I was quite comfortably existing as a star. Now I am... I don't know quite what. Not quite a man, not quite a god, according to Safrin."

"Nasty creatures," Jigano agreed with a faint grimace. "I ran into one with Edy. We were lucky it was already old and damaged, or I don't know if we would have been able to handle it with just the two of us." Three, technically. Bobi had been along but hadn't really contributed to the fight. But Ronin left no chance to dwell on the memory as his compliment brought a definite tilt of pride to Jigano's chin, and the Provost smiled slyly as he headed for the basket of pastries to slip a pair out onto napkins. He offered one to his guest while he went to check the teapot. It hadn't oversteeped, thankfully, and he poured two mugs before he took a seat, now that they each had a snack and a drink.

"Someone willing to give up immortality?" Jigano asked, impressed. "A good friend, indeed. But 'not quite a god' is a curious way of putting it..." He tilted his head to the side, sipping at the hot liquid that had a faint scent of apples and honey. "Do you have any new abilities or powers that you didn't have before, by chance?" A joyful squall of feathers and scales made its way down the stairs, and Jigano smothered a smile as Isuma proudly showed Sugar her blue felted ball - and then batted it across the stone floor for them to chase.

"I was lucky - there were three of us, and once we had goaded it into the light, the sun did the rest." Still, Ronin couldn't help but sound a little regretful about it - he'd not had a chance to really understand the thing before they had unintentionally toasted it to death. Still, he cleared his thoughts and sank down into a seat opposite Jigano, accepting both tea and pastry gratefully.

He hummed his agreement around a sip of his drink, instantly seeming to relax into his chair. Ronin was learning not to underestimate the simpler things in life, particularly now that he had a second chance at it. "Mm, it was... I never expected anyone to do that sort of thing for me." Bashful, he smiled into his cup before setting it down, momentarily distracted by Sugar and Isuma's arrival.

The dragonling chirped her approval of the toy, skittering across the stone after it much less elegantly than her friend - she was made for flight more than the ground, it was true. Still, there was fun to be had and Sugar would not miss out on it.

"Huh? New... I don't know, really. I haven't noticed anything, but then having never had magic or anything like that, I wouldn't really know where to begin," Ronin confessed with a smirk.

"Ahhh, wise," Jigano nodded at the story's conclusion.  At the time, and he and Edy hadn't known about the golems' weakness to sunlight. After gaining Safrin's library and the bestiaries it held he had learned more, but luckily it hadn't come up again since then. He nodded understanding at Ronin's bemusement, thinking a little wistfully that he was in much the same boat... though unlike the captain, he had no lifelong friends or family to make such a trade. There were people who cared for him, people he cared for, but even so they had only known each other for half a year. No one could be expected to make that sort of sacrifice for someone they'd known for so short a time.

The companions made for an easy change of subject, thankfully, and Jigano chuckled at their game. Isuma was becoming more coordinated as she grew into her limbs, but just as Bobi had played with her, she was careful not to get too far ahead of Sugar, taking care with the older dragonlet so that they could both enjoy their game.

"An excellent point," the bard admitted with a grin for his guest. "Well, if you do run across something interesting by accident, I'd love to hear about it. You're something of a unique case, though I'll see if Amalia or Caiside can't take some time to look through the library and see if there are any accounts of similar occurrences happening before. " He reached to nibble his own pastry, nodding silent contentment at Amalia's usual excellent skill at baking them.

"Now, you had some questions for me, I believe? Anything specific you'd like to know at the moment, or more of a general overview of what's beyond the barrier?"

Ronin smiled as he watched dragonet and gryphlet with their game, something almost sad in the guildmaster's eyes that he banished as quickly as it had appeared. Sugar had been quite low when he'd first come back, and Ronin still felt her misery weighing on him as if it was his own. To see her partake in innocent fun, to act her age, so to speak... it lifted his spirits more than he could say.

Still, as Jigano spoke about potentially finding more about him, Ronin glanced back to the other man and nodded enthusiastically. "That was my second request, in truth," he said, though he was still primarily interested in the world that had ticked on in his absence. "I wondered if there were any books with cases like my own. And if I find I can suddenly fly or turn into a phoenix or something, I'll be sure to let you know."

But the other man was right, and he did have questions, Ronin sipping contently at his tea and following suit in taking a bite out of his pastry (only a baron's upbringing stopped him from scarfing the whole thing down, it was so good). He nodded to Jigano. "I am aware that the barrier fell a short time ago. Anything you can tell me in general about what's beyond there would be very helpful," he said.

Jigano made a motion with his hand and smield, indicating the request was already accepted - as was the reciprocal payment of information if and when Ronin learned more about his new state between man and god. They could always ask Safrin, the lorekeeper thought... but where was the fun in having all of life's answers handed to them on a silver platter? If they couldn't find their information with the resources on hand, then they could turn to the gods. Until then, the fun was in the chase, and the prey was as much knowledge as they could find!

"We know a little," he began after setting the remaining half of his pastry down, ticking the points off on his fingers. "From a bird's-eye view we saw immediately that we cannot pass to the south. Great walls of rock have been upthrust from the earth, preventing anyone from walking that way, and a sandstorm blows above them, blocking any Attuned with wings from passing over them. It's possible the storm will subside in time..." he shrugged wryly, showing what he thought about that. "But the gods didn't want people leaving the Hollowed Grounds in the first place, hence the barrier. With that gone, my guess is that they have found other ways to hem us in, since we've run into similar storms to the west. East is ocean... it might be a way out, if we can sail around the coast, though the Naturals don't have boats or trained sailors. Some of the Outlanders might have the skills needed for it, though," he mused thoughtfully. "We haven't tried much in that direction yet, though I suppose I'd keep an eye out for sea monsters guarding the waters and hemming us in that way. Which leaves the north, and the enchanted forest that doesn't seem to like intruders," he finished, grinning wryly at Ronin and pausing to let his fellow guildmaster ask any questions about what he'd already said.