Caiside and Cera had burned. There was a certain relief in that, after seeing what had happened to Ru'in's body, the way it had been twisted and used by the monsters. Their pyre had been as glorious as it was horrifying, a truly memorable send-off even if it was also incredibly tragic. Jigano had waited for Amalia and Deimos and then a bit longer still.
Almost foolishly long, really, taking chances he had no business taking, putting himself in danger in ways that would make Rory shake him if the hunter knew. Part of the bard knew he hadn't been entirely stable since the blight, even when he had thought himself recovered. No... even before that. Rory had done much to ground him when they were together, giving him strength just from his presence, but when they were apart Jigano was far too receptive to the hissing denigration of his demons and the growing list of his failures they loved to enumerate.
This week of darkness magnified those voices tenfold, and Rory was a long, long ways away, unreachable in the night.
Rubbing Caiside's guild pin in his fingers, Jigano had followed at the tail end of the group, raising his lantern high as he sang for the souls of the lost while they walked, voice soft to continue to calm the luxere until they came in sight of the Temple. The lantern might not protect him entirely, but it was more than most had, and he stayed towards the outer edge of the luxere herd, letting others shelter in their midst until the doors opened and people began to filter in, pushing and shoving in ones and twos. He waited, still singing until no one else was left and only then did he let his song die away and follow, last of the refugees.
He gave Sunjata a weary nod, and another toWessex . "I don't know how they got in. Roana's body is a good bet, but I kept an eye on the corpses as often as I could. Maybe they just slipped in the door at some point. Or several points. They started the fire, though. Probably wanted to chase us outside into the dark. Luckily Lily kept the luxere from bolting and we were able to make it here..." He grimaced, meeting the Queen's gaze reluctantly. "Assuming they didn't try and slip in among the shadows at our feet as we came in just now."
Almost foolishly long, really, taking chances he had no business taking, putting himself in danger in ways that would make Rory shake him if the hunter knew. Part of the bard knew he hadn't been entirely stable since the blight, even when he had thought himself recovered. No... even before that. Rory had done much to ground him when they were together, giving him strength just from his presence, but when they were apart Jigano was far too receptive to the hissing denigration of his demons and the growing list of his failures they loved to enumerate.
This week of darkness magnified those voices tenfold, and Rory was a long, long ways away, unreachable in the night.
Rubbing Caiside's guild pin in his fingers, Jigano had followed at the tail end of the group, raising his lantern high as he sang for the souls of the lost while they walked, voice soft to continue to calm the luxere until they came in sight of the Temple. The lantern might not protect him entirely, but it was more than most had, and he stayed towards the outer edge of the luxere herd, letting others shelter in their midst until the doors opened and people began to filter in, pushing and shoving in ones and twos. He waited, still singing until no one else was left and only then did he let his song die away and follow, last of the refugees.
He gave Sunjata a weary nod, and another to
