"The same can be said for others," the bard shrugged with a faded grin, the prickle of loss and envy still sinking needle claws into his heart at the question of why not me. "I've a friend who lost as much or more than I when he came through his own portal. At least both were not taken from us!" In truth the loss of his lineage, however much he had hidden it on his world, would have hurt far more. It wasn't just what he did, it was part of who he was. A secretive part, but an integral one. He didn't even want to think about how it would feel to have that stripped from him...
"I'll just apologize in advance," the bard warned with a grin that was perhaps just a bit anxious. "It will probably take more than one strike from me to sever it. The thicker the branch, the longer it will take!" But Ronin was already in motion, fearless and confident as he taunted the Wicker Woman into reaching out for his bait and pulling taut against her strength as she obliged with a decent-sized limb. Steeling himself to make the most of the moment, Jigano swung the small axe, Isuma peeping alarm as she leaped from his shoulders and the raven likewise abandoning its perch as he brought the tool up and then down again. It struck living wood with an echoing Thock!, biting through bark and into the inner grain - and the branch uncoiled from Ronin's cudgel and whipped around to try and wrap around the bard's axe instead.
Jigano danced back with a curse, jerking the axe free. A mental command sent the raven to swoop down, cawing, and tap at the branch with its claws to lure it back to Ronin's stick as the white-haired man scowled at the carnivorous plant. "You must have risen through the ranks quickly?" Part question, part statement, given the captain's natural charisma and easiness with command.
"I'll just apologize in advance," the bard warned with a grin that was perhaps just a bit anxious. "It will probably take more than one strike from me to sever it. The thicker the branch, the longer it will take!" But Ronin was already in motion, fearless and confident as he taunted the Wicker Woman into reaching out for his bait and pulling taut against her strength as she obliged with a decent-sized limb. Steeling himself to make the most of the moment, Jigano swung the small axe, Isuma peeping alarm as she leaped from his shoulders and the raven likewise abandoning its perch as he brought the tool up and then down again. It struck living wood with an echoing Thock!, biting through bark and into the inner grain - and the branch uncoiled from Ronin's cudgel and whipped around to try and wrap around the bard's axe instead.
Jigano danced back with a curse, jerking the axe free. A mental command sent the raven to swoop down, cawing, and tap at the branch with its claws to lure it back to Ronin's stick as the white-haired man scowled at the carnivorous plant. "You must have risen through the ranks quickly?" Part question, part statement, given the captain's natural charisma and easiness with command.
