"This is not a place that inspires comfort," Jigano agreed, trying to keep his tone light, but there was an underlying hint of grimness to it. Too many had died here, too many had been hurt, in body and spirit, for it to be comfortable place. They made their way down the spiraling stairs at their own pace, neither rushed nor headlong but instead cautiously and taking their time. For once there was no emergency, no hurrying feet or race to rescue trapped gods or ancient spirits. They could run their fingers over the walls, painstakingly seeking seams or locks or things that would indicate doors.
But nothing was to be found along the stairwell. Not until they reached the rubble did it become interesting, and then the puzzle was one of logic rather than discovery. Again he gave his friend the choice, and Sam's words caught him by surprise, a pale brow arching. "He's fallen out with you as well?" the bard asked, curiosity and sympathy in his expression, though he felt mostly resignation deep within. "I... honestly, I don't know all of what we might find in there," he admitted slowly. "The last time I was in there, a Tulmhainar died, and Safrin fell within and faded until we thought she might have died, too. There were poisonous plants that I had been trying to get together an expedition to clear out, but... they went without me, while I was sick." Shunned and mistrusted, there were few enough now who would follow him, and it made his remaining friendships all the dearer. He shook his head, finding a lopsided smile for his bookmaker friend.
"There might be something interesting in there still. We had little enough chance to properly explore it last time, with the poison limiting our vision and our time, and the Tulmhainar taking up our attention. But getting through here..." He frowned at the rubble, expression slipping towards a scowl as he rested a hand lightly against a large chunk of stone. "I'm afraid if we start shifting things too quickly, we'll just make the collapse worse. If we had a way to shore up as we went, then maybe..." He remembered the lessons of the tunnel dug from Amalia's basement, but again his thoughts circled back to magic as a solution. Remi's earth magic, or his creation magic. Or Deimos's. Neither likely to offer their help even if he begged, or even speak to him, and Jigano sighed. "There's a chance we could get hurt," he warned soberly. "A very good chance. I might be willing to take it for myself, but I don't want to risk you, not when we could end up trapped in fallen rubble. If you don't want to risk it, we can try going up instead, and only come back here if there's nowhere left to go."
But nothing was to be found along the stairwell. Not until they reached the rubble did it become interesting, and then the puzzle was one of logic rather than discovery. Again he gave his friend the choice, and Sam's words caught him by surprise, a pale brow arching. "He's fallen out with you as well?" the bard asked, curiosity and sympathy in his expression, though he felt mostly resignation deep within. "I... honestly, I don't know all of what we might find in there," he admitted slowly. "The last time I was in there, a Tulmhainar died, and Safrin fell within and faded until we thought she might have died, too. There were poisonous plants that I had been trying to get together an expedition to clear out, but... they went without me, while I was sick." Shunned and mistrusted, there were few enough now who would follow him, and it made his remaining friendships all the dearer. He shook his head, finding a lopsided smile for his bookmaker friend.
"There might be something interesting in there still. We had little enough chance to properly explore it last time, with the poison limiting our vision and our time, and the Tulmhainar taking up our attention. But getting through here..." He frowned at the rubble, expression slipping towards a scowl as he rested a hand lightly against a large chunk of stone. "I'm afraid if we start shifting things too quickly, we'll just make the collapse worse. If we had a way to shore up as we went, then maybe..." He remembered the lessons of the tunnel dug from Amalia's basement, but again his thoughts circled back to magic as a solution. Remi's earth magic, or his creation magic. Or Deimos's. Neither likely to offer their help even if he begged, or even speak to him, and Jigano sighed. "There's a chance we could get hurt," he warned soberly. "A very good chance. I might be willing to take it for myself, but I don't want to risk you, not when we could end up trapped in fallen rubble. If you don't want to risk it, we can try going up instead, and only come back here if there's nowhere left to go."
