there's light at the edge of the darkness
Again, that was not at all what Loren had been expecting. Oia’i’o, at least, didn’t seem to harbor any ill will towards the new goddess. That didn’t mean everyone felt the same. However, the summoner felt only a few beings’ opinions mattered in this case. ”What do the old gods think of The Voice?” Their followers stridently opposed the new gods, but that didn’t mean the old gods themselves cared much one way or another. And mortal minds were prone to misinterpreting the divine. Plus, in both the Launceleyn’s encounters with Frey, the god of sex, love, and all things good hadn’t said anything about The Voice.
However, thinking too hard about the designs of the deities was always a fraught topic. It was much better to talk about the daughter of Rae’s abilities. Her natural camouflage made sense to Loren. The other talent she described, however, very much did not. ”What do you mean, you can make people experience things?” For the first time in this conversation—or at least in a while—he grew wary and his voice grew sharp, eyes searching Oia’i’o’s. It sounded a bit too close to what his family had put him through for comfort. Astra, sensing his distress, did her best to disentangle herself from the demi-god. Then the luxere would try to come settle next to the summoner.
”This is certainly not a standard interaction for me. And no, I doubt they have counted.” Indeed, while the Launceleyn had always been welcoming of newcomers (which Oia’i’o kind of was, if not to Caido, then to the Hollowed Grounds) and strangers, he was less open with those of his old world. He’d failed them, and despite his best efforts to mend those bridges, he’d burned them instead. Now, he was making new friends, but he didn’t see a way to ever recover the ones he’d lost through his own stupidity. He would still probably try, but he had no idea how.
It was much simpler to talk about abstract magics than his personal life. The tautology caused him to frown, though. ”What is an example of god-level magic?” She’d already gone over some abilities that were available to all deities and ones that were unique to each, but that didn’t give him a clear sense of where the differentiation between mortal (especially with demi-gods now in the mix) and immortal lay. His frown deepened at Oia’i’o’s comment about The Voice. ”You mean putting the barrier back up?” Unfortunately, he couldn’t help his hackles from rising at the suggestion. No one in the Hollowed Grounds, not even the most vocal and stringent opponents of the new gods, would countenance that. ”Is that the only way?” Surely not.
However, thinking too hard about the designs of the deities was always a fraught topic. It was much better to talk about the daughter of Rae’s abilities. Her natural camouflage made sense to Loren. The other talent she described, however, very much did not. ”What do you mean, you can make people experience things?” For the first time in this conversation—or at least in a while—he grew wary and his voice grew sharp, eyes searching Oia’i’o’s. It sounded a bit too close to what his family had put him through for comfort. Astra, sensing his distress, did her best to disentangle herself from the demi-god. Then the luxere would try to come settle next to the summoner.
”This is certainly not a standard interaction for me. And no, I doubt they have counted.” Indeed, while the Launceleyn had always been welcoming of newcomers (which Oia’i’o kind of was, if not to Caido, then to the Hollowed Grounds) and strangers, he was less open with those of his old world. He’d failed them, and despite his best efforts to mend those bridges, he’d burned them instead. Now, he was making new friends, but he didn’t see a way to ever recover the ones he’d lost through his own stupidity. He would still probably try, but he had no idea how.
It was much simpler to talk about abstract magics than his personal life. The tautology caused him to frown, though. ”What is an example of god-level magic?” She’d already gone over some abilities that were available to all deities and ones that were unique to each, but that didn’t give him a clear sense of where the differentiation between mortal (especially with demi-gods now in the mix) and immortal lay. His frown deepened at Oia’i’o’s comment about The Voice. ”You mean putting the barrier back up?” Unfortunately, he couldn’t help his hackles from rising at the suggestion. No one in the Hollowed Grounds, not even the most vocal and stringent opponents of the new gods, would countenance that. ”Is that the only way?” Surely not.
loren
