She faced him, and the bandana over her eyes was as much a blessing to those around her as to herself. He had seen terrible wounds before, but faced with those gaping, empty eyes he might have flinched from the reminder that he had not been there for her, either. The bandana was a reminder without being a recrimination. "If she doesn't I'll storm her shrines myself until she relents and fixes what she broke," he promised, an edge of steel beneath his bantering tone. Given half an excuse he would absolutely risk the goddess's displeasure to convince her to return Rexanna to wholeness.
Ru'in's name was a reminder that Rexanna, too, had some connection to Helovia even if it wasn't as clear-cut as Kiada's and Deimos's tethers. He exhaled a soft sigh, tilting his head to look up at her, even though she couldn't meet his eyes. "Yes," he confirmed softly. "A worker in stone and bronze, she said. He came out of the darkness to her, a grey shadow with one clear eye, and one mad one."
He drew in a sharp breath at the mention of the connection to Hotaru, another measure of weight added to his soul at their failure to free the blond woman's son. "I didn't know..." He shook his head, fingers flexing lightly against Rexanna's arm as he swallowed and adjusted to this new shift in lives and ties and connections within the Outlander population. "Ludo sent Kiada to kill what was left of Ru'in's body, to free his soul from the monsters so we could bring it back and free it to Mort's keeping. She cut his head off..." Abrupt. Cruel, even. But what choice had she had? "But there was a particular bastard that was holding his soul hostage. It flew and cast this tarry muck on me when I tried to reach it in the sky. We couldn't reach it, and its minions were wearing us down. Kiada especially. The bargain..."
He didn't look away. There was no point; she couldn't see him anyways. Instead Jigano sighed wearily. "It wants Ascended upgrades. Kiada thinks it might be trying to make another Spire Demon, and she's probably right. Nor can we trade mere baubles for a man's soul. I think, though, that if we can get some together we can use them to maybe lure it close enough for us to attack it on our terms. Sam said something about Remi making a net that caught a monster when you were out...?" He left the question open, hoping Rexanna could maybe describe it in more detail - and would know what happened to it.
Ru'in's name was a reminder that Rexanna, too, had some connection to Helovia even if it wasn't as clear-cut as Kiada's and Deimos's tethers. He exhaled a soft sigh, tilting his head to look up at her, even though she couldn't meet his eyes. "Yes," he confirmed softly. "A worker in stone and bronze, she said. He came out of the darkness to her, a grey shadow with one clear eye, and one mad one."
He drew in a sharp breath at the mention of the connection to Hotaru, another measure of weight added to his soul at their failure to free the blond woman's son. "I didn't know..." He shook his head, fingers flexing lightly against Rexanna's arm as he swallowed and adjusted to this new shift in lives and ties and connections within the Outlander population. "Ludo sent Kiada to kill what was left of Ru'in's body, to free his soul from the monsters so we could bring it back and free it to Mort's keeping. She cut his head off..." Abrupt. Cruel, even. But what choice had she had? "But there was a particular bastard that was holding his soul hostage. It flew and cast this tarry muck on me when I tried to reach it in the sky. We couldn't reach it, and its minions were wearing us down. Kiada especially. The bargain..."
He didn't look away. There was no point; she couldn't see him anyways. Instead Jigano sighed wearily. "It wants Ascended upgrades. Kiada thinks it might be trying to make another Spire Demon, and she's probably right. Nor can we trade mere baubles for a man's soul. I think, though, that if we can get some together we can use them to maybe lure it close enough for us to attack it on our terms. Sam said something about Remi making a net that caught a monster when you were out...?" He left the question open, hoping Rexanna could maybe describe it in more detail - and would know what happened to it.
