[SE] Sun on the Water

Caiside's suggestion for 'catching the sun' had been different than Jigano's previous ideas - significantly so. The lorekeeper had pursued work, productivity, something to show for his captured sunlight, whether that was in gathered flinthopper legs or sunflower seed bread. The stag had a much better idea, insofar as it involved significantly less work - and quite a bit more relaxation.

The pair had made their way into the Wildwood, more deftly now that they were getting the hang of  not thinking about where they wanted to go, instead distracting each other with idle conversation about smithcraft, Caiside's apprenticeship, the wonders of the Fae village, upcoming activities in the Guild... anything but the clear, cool water and abundant sunshine they craved.

The banks of the Stonesong were both farther and nearer than expected, and they had picked there way along the shore, or close to it, as they looked for a good place to set up. In the end, Jigano had called a blue jay to lead them to a deep, still-looking pool, deceptively peaceful but for the scatter of wood and bones along its banks. The wood seemed to be from boats that had gone over the falls, and the bones were largely hidden by moss or verdant ferns, giving the sunken pool a sense of serenity. Light spilled down from overhead, bright on the water as it reflected the sun's glory back up at the sky, and Jigano grinned at his companion as they set about finding a boat that seemed in remarkably good shape, as if the fisherman had simply abandoned it and it had drifted to lodge against a fallen log.

It was a little worrying... but if the owner came back they could always apologize and return it. And so, looking forward to a quiet afternoon on the water, Jigano and Caiside salvaged some oars and pushed the little flat-bottomed rowboat out onto the water. The bard trailed an idle finger along the side as they floated, squinting at the sparkles the sun struck and thinking ruefully of how desperately he would miss it during Long Night.

"If you could be an animal other than a stag, or rather, in addition to one," he mused thoughtfully, remembering a snippet of a conversation he'd had with Remi, "what would it be?"

Caiside had honestly been a little surprised Jigano had taken him up on his suggestion for catching the sun. He wasnglad for it though, a quiet day, with no worries, no work, would be good for the both of them. And it had felt like so long since the last time Caiside had gotten to bask in the sun. The woods had been an offhand suggestion, despite his manner of arrival, he recalled the cool blue water of the drop, knew it would be perfect for the day they had planned, he just couldn’t remember quite how to get there, nor he could he try to remember, thanks to the trick of the forest leading them astray. Finally, easy conversation and aimless wandering, Jigano simply asked a resident of the trees, a bird, for help, and they were led to a cool, clear pool. Caiside couldn’t tell if it was familiar or not, he was just glad for their luck, a trend that continued when they found an intact boat. Not a single worry popped into Caisides mind as they pushed the boat onto the water, their paddles carrying them into a perfect beam of sunlight, the current gently pulling it this way and that, making the whole experience far more relaxing than it already was. Caiside stretched out one of his layers between him and the boat, lying with his chest bared to the sun, one of his arms coming up to shield his eyes from the sun. He cough lay like this all day, as unmoving as a basking lizard, and not feel like he had wasted a moment. The conversation was just as welcome as silence, Jigano’s questions bringing a smile to Caiside’s face. Something about it seemed so... innocent, like this was part of a game he would play when he was younger. ”In addition to my stag?” He confirmed, more to buy time while he thought than anything else. ”There is an animal in my home called a musnu. It’s... about the size of a fox, but more like a weasel in shape.” Caiside tried to describe the creature with animals he’d seen in Caido, just to make sure he’d be understood. ”It grows little horns, and wings like a birds, and lives high the trees. They are notorious tricksters.” Caiside grinned wide, lifting his arm to look over at Jigano. ”I’d like to be one of them.” It was a fun question, and one he immediately turned back on his friend. ”What about you? What, other than a raven, would you like to turn into?” Caiside I have never been allowed to be Holy, I have never been forgiven for Wanting;

Jigano wasn’t quite as eager to strip as his friend, despite the relative privacy of the quiet patch of river. It wasn’t that he had anything to be ashamed of, but he didn’t have anything to be particularly proud of, either, even though the sun would feel good on his golden skin… Maybe soon, then. For the moment, however, his short-sleeved linen shirt stayed on, and he chuckled as Caiside made himself comfortable, appreciating the aesthetic lines of his companion’s body in the light.

The bard cupped his hands and reached idly into the water, capturing the sun’s reflection as he lifted the shimmering liquid up and then let it spill through his fingers, humming contentedly before he asked his idle question. The answer was one that had him grinning brightly, a merry chuckle escaping as he tried to envision the little tricksters. ”They sound kind of adorable,” he teased, relaxing into the warmth of the sun on his shoulders. ”Though I can see a mischief-maker suiting you!” He scooped more water up, lifting it into the boat to settle into his basket with the crescent moons shining whitely on its edges. Deimos’s magic had made a tight weave, tight enough to hold the water and the bard hummed in approval as he considered his own answer.

Honesty, he knew, was the way to go, but it still wasn’t easy. Perhaps he could work his way up to it? ”Ah… actually, do you remember that strange night on the shore of the Stonesong, and that elemental spirit woman who called us there? She… did something to me. And now I can turn into a horse.” It felt utterly bizarre to be saying it aloud, hearkening back to memories of his first misadventure inside a sentient book, and the bard ducked his head in unaccustomed embarrassment as he wrinkled his nose at his reflection in the deceptively calm surface of the river. ”I don’t know if it’s what I could have chosen but… well. I… don’t really regret it.” Rory’s hands on his fur, tangled in his mane, his weight settling on a back broader and stronger than anything Jigano had ever known. Big enough to help for once in his life, to be useful beyond his mind and magic. No, he didn’t regret it. It was still strange, though, and likely would take as much getting used to as his raven form had.

Caiside lifted his arm so he could smile at his friend, his eyes still squinted again’t the glare of the sun. ”They were one of my favourite creatures. I found slightly different species everywhere I travelled.” Sighing dramatically, he let his arm fall back over his eyes, though it wasn’t clear whether he was trying to return to relaxing or add to his dramatic flair. ”I wish I could show you my old books. You would love them.” Jigano’s admittance was so surprising that Caiside had to shift again, sitting up and staring at the silver haired man with a look of confusion on his face. He managed to compose himself rather quickly, though his brows still stayed pinched from more than the brightness of the sun. ”I honestly thought that night was some bizarre dream.” The fact that it wasn’t was shocking, but was what more shocking was the revelation that Jigano could now change into a horse. Golden eyes flicked up and down the bards body, the idea not necessarily hard to imagine, but not definitely strange. ”That is... I mean...” A helpless laugh left Caiside, his mouth moving faster than his mind. ”...it must be night to finally have the kind of feet on you.” Once his giggles subsided, Caiside reached out, putting a supportive hand on Jigano’s shoulder. ”I am uh... I am sorry.” He said, in a tone that implied that he wasn’t actually that sorry. ”It must be a hard thing to adjust to. I don’t know what I’d do if I suddenly woke up with that power.” Caiside I have never been allowed to be Holy, I have never been forgiven for Wanting;

"How well you know me!" Jigano laughed. Old books were indeed a passion of his, and he chuckled as he reached back into the boat to collect his basket and dump the water out again. "Ah well... I suppose we just have to make new ones," he decided with a sigh that wasn't entirely melancholy. There was anticipation in creating something new, something that might be similar to what they had once had, but also entirely its own work, given the unique flora and fauna of Caido. "Have you met Ronin yet? Since you're interested in the beasts of Caido I had thought we might team up with the Monster Hunter's Guild sometimes, to study the unusual creatures that they bring down. Mmm. And I need to introduce you to Killian, too, our newest Guildmember," he added thoughtfully. Really, he needed to call the whole Guild together and soon, so everyone could meet. Perhaps he could spice things up a little...

But that was a thought for another time, as he distracted them both with talk of animal shifts, and how they were come by. He winced a little at Caiside's shock, glad he had started with the most recent shift, but gave his friend a sheepish smile. "'Four legs are better than two!'" he quipped. And paws are better than hooves, he added silently to himself, grinning at Caiside's understandable bias. When the hand landed on his shoulder he didn't even flinch away as he might have even a season ago, slowly learning to accept that not all touches were a prelude to pain, either through violence or guilt-edged memory. "It was easier the second time, I suppose," he admitted wryly. "When I first grew feathers it was... I suppose I was too distracted, then, to let myself do anything other than what I had to do. And it's not actually the first time I've been a horse," he let slip with a faint, amused grimace. "Though it's not my fondest memory. There's a certain divine comedy in finding myself able to do it at will now, I suppose!" He tilted his face up to the sun, letting the rays strike him gently as his lips curved up again. "If I could choose, though... I suppose... a form that would let me protect what's important to me. A gryphon, perhaps? Or a dragon..." A silver dragon, the most courageous and honorable of all the metallic good dragons of his world, with their breath of ice and scales that could turn aside the spells of their foes. Yes... that would be incredible, if it wasn't so laughably out of his reach.

The melancholy in Jigano’s sigh resounded deeply with Caiside, but so too did the excitement at the prospect of making new things. Between making this new book, and copying down what he could of his olds ones, and his forge and other daily things, he would be incredibly busy, and he couldn’t be happier. He might have been the one to insist Jigano take a break, but he understood how easy it was to just keep being busy. Especially for people like him and Jigano, if your mind was always occupied, well... it was always occupied. No time for reflecting on the past. ”I don’t believe I’ve met Ronin.  I didn’t even realize there was a monster hunting guild.” It sounded a little brutish in his opinion, but if they could help, then he could keep his opinions to himself. ”Oh, I’ve met Killian before!” He exclaimed, glad the boy had followed his advice and joined. ”We ran into each other in the woods, and he said he was considering it, and I may have pushed him a little.” He smiled sheepishly. ”Perhaps there should be a meeting though? I don’t believe I’ve met many other members, and I’d like to.” Caiside unknowingly echoed Jigano’s thoughts, an absent smile on his face as he did. Jigano’s choice of words confused him, his brows furrowing as he tried to work it out on his own. ”Is... the raven not your first shape?” A small part of him was offended at not being trusted with such knowledge, but a larger, more mature part of him insisted the other man had to have his reason. After all, there was much he hadn’t shared either. Caiside sheugged, though it was clear he would still like to know what he was missing out on, and moved on.“How did you turn into a horse bed ore?” Caiside asked, his brows furrowed in a more amused confusion now. The expression on Jigano’s face guaranteed a story, and they had nothing else to do at the moment. It seemed as good a time as any. Caiside whistled lowly at Jigano’s choices for shifts, immediately feeling outdone. ”I think a dragon would suit you. Better than a griffin at least.” He laughed, and shifted so he could look now in a more upright position, his chest angled towards the sun. ”There was a rumour in my home that the advisor for the high king in the south was a dragon. One of my regrets is never finding out if it was true.” He did wonder absently if there were any difference between what he pictured, and what Jigano pictured. It would only make sense if there was. Caiside I have never been allowed to be Holy, I have never been forgiven for Wanting;

"I think they used to be a "Bounty Hunter's Guild" but changed their name," he offered, trying to remember the specifics when he'd only heard about them in passing himself. "But when a creature threatens the Settlement or farmers in the Outskirts, I believe they step in to try and stop it. Ronin is friendly, though, and a good man. I think you two will get along." They were both charismatic and easy-going, at least in Jigano's experience with the two men. It seemed likely that they could work together without friction, but he was distracted by hearing that Caiside already knew Killian, and his eyes lit up. "That's wonderful! I'm glad you did!" He chuckled ruefully as Caiside urged a meeting, much as Sam had, and the guildleader waved an idle hand in acquiescence. "Consider it done! After the Midnight Party I'll see if I can get everyone's schedules to line up."

Ahh, he knew Caiside was perceptive enough to pick up on those little cues, and he smiled wryly, tilting his head in silent acknowledgment that it was not. The horse story was embarrassing and a good way to avoid the subject, however, and he chuckled ruefully. Relaxed enough to finally give himself over to the day, he stripped off his shirt to reveal golden skin and a tracery of silvery scars over his left shoulder. Rather than meet the other man's eyes he leaned over the edge of the boat to slip his basket into the water, lifting it beneath the sun's reflection so that the water looked like liquid light pouring over the edges as he raised it up again. "Mmm. Remember the warnings I gave you of sentient books? The first time I came into the Settlement on two legs I found my way to the Atheneum... and promptly made the acquaintance of one," he admitted, attempting to maintain a veneer of dignity. "My companion was given the role of the plucky young hunter who wins the enchanted princess's hand and I..." He didn't squirm, but he glowered at the water in the basket as he brought it to his lips to wet his throat before continuing. "I was thrown into the body of a talking horse," he muttered, settling fully back into the boat to trail idle fingers through his captured sun and wincing a little at the indignity of it.

"Dragons are wise," he agreed instead, glad of the change of subject. "On my world, too. If they live long enough," he added with a wry smile. "It's good to know that, though. A silver dragon... even if Isuma might prefer me to be a proper gryphon parent for her!" he added with a chuckle.

Jigano’s explanation was met with a smile and a shrug. ”It might be different since I’m going out of my way to find these dangerous beasts. But I suppose asking for help wouldn’t hurt.” Caiside grinned ruefully. ”It’s not as if I’ll be able to use any of my old tricks.” Jigano might notice a quiet resignation in Caisides voice, though it was quickly pushed aside in favour of a bright smile. ”We’ll be able to work something out. I’m certain of it.” He said brightly confident in his guildmastwrs ability to wrangle a group of people. The fact that Jigano left his first question unanswered in favour of answering his second wasn’t lost on Caiside, but if anything, it put his mind more at rest. Something that was glossed over so much was nothing malicious, just personal, and Caiside want going to put his friend in an uncomfortable position to satisfy his own curiosity. And besides, Jigano’s recount was interesting enough that he couldn’t be upset. ”I’ll be honest, I can’t say I did element that warning.” He laughed sheepishly, taking the opportunity to look over Jigano’s skin while his back was turned. Golden eyes lingered on silver scars, Caiside privately grateful that his own skin carried no mark from his past life, no blemish to draw the eye. ”I can’t imagine that was... your most dignified moment.” Caiside offered, fighting to keep the smile from his voice. He had already laughed at Jigano this nice for this, it really would be rude to do it a second time. As the subject changed, Caiside reclined back into the boat, letting the heat of the sun once again be down on him. ”Do dragons not usually make it to grow old on your world?” He asked, somewhat absentmindedly. ”They often do in mine. The oldest is actually worshiped as a god in the southern kingdom!” Unlike the laugh earlier, it was impossible to not hear the eye roll in Caisides words this time. ”I only ever met a black dragon, and he was... interesting. What are the silver ones like?” Caiside I have never been allowed to be Holy, I have never been forgiven for Wanting;

"Isn't that the way of it?" Jigano agreed with a faint grimace at being unable to use their old tricks. He was mostly resigned to it by now (he told himself, firmly), but a wistful sigh still escaped until mention of the guild meeting brought his smile back. "Oh, we will indeed! In fact, I'm already getting an idea or two..." he hummed happily, and his grin took on a hint of wicked mischief as he stole a glance at his friend.

He snorted softly, amused, when Caiside admitted he hadn't heeded one of the first warnings Jigano had given him. Then again, he'd just arrived in a new world and had a lot on his mind, so the bard could hardly blame him. And besides, in hindsight it was rather funny... if one could set aside his bruised pride! "I suppose it could have been worse," he murmured, eyes twinkling with humor again as he glanced back at his friend. The scars on his skin had come after he'd come to Caido, his body also unblemished when he arrived... until he had been savaged by a wolf in his foxform while hunting with Rory and Vai. "The next sentient book I led a group into turned one of my companions who is normally a tall, lean, human man into a busty, axe-wielding dwarven lady!" And himself into a heftily-endowed elven sorceress, though he skimmed over that particular detail. The books really did seem to have it out for his dignity, now that Caiside mentioned it...

Jigano settled himself down on his stomach to let the sun play over his back, sighing at the warm comfort of the day and the cool breeze off the water around them. "It takes a long, long time for a dragon to grow old on Golarion," he chuckled. "And though they're formidable even when they're young, they tend to grow into their intelligence along with their size. The young ones have a tendency of picking fights they can't always win, before they gain the ability to reason and speak." He nodded in understanding of why a dragon might be worshiped as a god, but his smile was crooked. "I can see how they could appear as such to shorter-lived races, though. Still, a black dragon... on my world, such would usually be unequivocally champions of evil gods. Silver dragons are tall and slender, with feathered tails. They're champions of good, renowned for the courage and known for being the most honorable of the breed." He chuckled at his own hubris, waving a lazy hand as if to indicate the idea was less possible than a dream. "Their scales are said to be able to turn aside spells, and their breath is ice rather than fire. Do the colors of dragons mean anything on your world, too?"

It was a shame he hadn’t come across any of these books yet, they seemed like a fun time, if one was willing to put up with some indignity. ”I can’t imagine what his reaction must have been!” He could hardly get his words out through the fit of Laughter that came just from imagining such a scene. With his eyes shielded against the sun, Caiside could only feel Jigano shift, but a change of position sounded good to him. His skin was warmed, almost uncomfortably hot actually, and the cool bottom of the boat felt like heaven against his skin. ”Dragons on my world grow the opposite, they become great hulking creatures in a matter of months, then their bodies slow down and their minds catch up. It’s said they never stop growing, that the oldest, Aretiano, is as large as a mountain and can no longer move.” Of course, all he had to go on for this information was stories, folklore at best. Jigano’s description sounded strange to Caiside, all of it so unlike what he was familiar with. ”The one I met was a pompous little creature, but I don’t believe I could call him evil. At least not unequivocally.” Honestly, Caiside felt he would have to do a lot of introspection to call anything unequivocally evil, and that was not effort that he was willing to put in. ”The colours are only relevant for ‘true’ dragons, but they’re just one of a handful of species.” He laughed a little, trying to stall for time as he struggled to coax more knowledge from his mind. ”It never seemed fair to me that they were called that. It’s all because of a legend that says they’re directly descended from the First.” Caiside I have never been allowed to be Holy, I have never been forgiven for Wanting;

"Oh, he took it in stride," Jigano chuckled. "Kalt was a remarkably good sport about it! Though, the book we went after had been behind a string of disappearances. It had been 'eating' people and then trapping them within its pages, not letting them finish the story and return, so we weren't given much chance for humor." From gorgon to clockwork golems to an ancient dracolich, they had found themselves hurled from one dangerous encounter to the next, with little chance to catch their breath in between!

He enjoyed exchanging stories of their homeworlds with Caiside. There was a sense of nostalgia that was growing easier with every passing season - and every new anchor made on Caido, filling the void he had lived with for too long on Golarion, both of his own choosing and not. "Gods most fortunate, they must eat entire herds," he murmured in awe, trying to calculate how much meat that sort of growth spurt would take.

"The First what?" Jigano asked curiously, looking over his shoulder at the friend beside him - and snorting a bit in amused concern. "Careful there, friend. You're going to turn red as a cambion demon with that light skin!"

”Why would it do something like that?” The first questions that popped into Ciaidded head revolves around the books possible diet, how intelligent it could be, though he knew better than most something like a magic book was more likely to be powered by spite and magic than it was by anything physical. ”Perhaps I’ll try to find a less vicious one.” He laughed, not sure himself if his words were a joke. Another laugh left Caiside, Jigano’s quiet words hilarious if only because of how seriously they’d been uttered. ”They do. It’s lucky that they’re both slow to breed, and revered in their normal environment. Nothing keeps a belly fuller than tributes.” It was obvious from the tone of his voice that he spoke from delightful experience. Jigano’s next question made Caiside hum, tilting his head side to side as he thought of how best to answer. ”It depends where you hear the story. Some say the First refers to the first, and oldest dragon, and some say it refers to the first creature born solely of magic.” Personally, he believed the former, if only because it was the first version he’d heard. The warning made Caiside sit up and look down at himself frantically, rocking the boat with his quick movement. ”What do you mean turn red?” He asked with a healthy amount of concern, trying to decide if the redness on his chest was from lying on his front or something else. Caiside I have never been allowed to be Holy, I have never been forgiven for Wanting;

Jigano shrugged, his smile rueful as he relaxed in the sunshine. "They're not really smart, from what I've discovered. More like... well. Puppies? Eager but not very bright? They want to be read. And though I don't think you can die in one, the only way to leave is to finish the story. If something stops you from reaching the end, you can become trapped. In this one, there was a gorgon whose gaze turned people to stone, and since they were simply cursed, not actually dead, they couldn't leave the book until someone else reached the end and reset the tome's magic, freeing everyone inside." He had undertaken that task with Isla, Kalt, Sam, and Remi by his side. Simpler days... "The one where I was turned into a horse involved an evil king and a cauldron of boiling water that the young hero was meant to be executed in," he pointed out wryly. "Which isn't to say there isn't a nice romance or gardening sentient book somewhere... we just haven't found one yet!" Though Sam was interested in learning to make them, so perhaps that, too, would change.

"Hmm?" Jigano teased, sliding a grin to his friend. "And what sort of tributes appealed to you, great stag?" Though he'd be worried about a stag - even one who embodied wildfires - being seen as a convenient snack for one of these swift-growing baby dragons!

"Are they not one in the same?" he asked curiously. "Could the first creature born of magic not also have been a dragon?" He grunted as the boat rocked suddenly, grabbing for the side to steady himself as Caiside sat up so suddenly, but the frantic question earned a chuckle and he sat up more slowly, careful not to upset them further on the placid surface of the Drop. "Didn't people on your world get sunburns?" he asked curiously. "The paler the skin, the worse the burn, usually."

”How strange..” Caiside murmured, thinking over all Jigano had said. It wasn’t a true life then, but... ”I wonder what the point of such an enchantment could have been. Perhaps... to get more people immersed in stories?” Caiside laughed, the idea sounding just ridiculous enough to be some kind of truth. ”I hope you’ll let me know if you find a nice one!” Jigano’s question brought another laugh to Caiside lips, this one bright. Caiside was happy both because of the memory and the interest his friend showed in his past. ”I was fond of artistic things, especially as I grew older. Songs, and stories, and crafts.” He smiled wistfully, thinking back on the things he had been brought. Missing this was different than missing his lips of status. It wasn’t sadness over the power he’d lost, but about the people he’d lost. ”They are not the same.” Caiside said with surety, refusing to even consider the idea. ”The first creature came before anything else, before the Mother learned that life needed form, and shape. It is... awe inspiring to behold, but it is not a dragon.” ”Vejkha!” The mention of sunburn had Caiside swearing, and scrambling to cover himself with the robe he’d laid out earlier, a deep frown on his face. ”People do get burned, but I was never one of them.” Of course, he had lost every other divine power he’d had, why would this be any different? ”I did not think my imperviousness to the sun came from my divinity.” He pouted, glad the other man was being calmer than he had. Caiside I have never been allowed to be Holy, I have never been forgiven for Wanting;