Trying My Best (OPEN)

Slowly, things were falling into place, as least as far as getting things together for his hand was concerned. He had gotten the bones from the Kappa's cave with remarkably no injuries to himself or his companions, Evie had helped him with the snake. So the only thing left was electrified metal. He had no real idea how it would work, but he knew his barrier was electric. The only problem was that inorganic matter was not affected by his barrier...he needed to be creative. Laying a rod of metal (about a foot long, thin) he had gotten from the market on the cobbles of an old abandoned street, he walked down to the other end. Before he ruled out the metal on the basis of it being inorganic, he had to try. Determinedly, slowly at first then speeding up, legs pumping, he ran down the road, activating his barrier just as he got to the metal, grinding his heels against the ground to try and come to a stop and look back. Nothing. With a sigh, Sam stood there looking and feeling absolutely defeated, hands on his hips. Samuel He took a step but then felt tired He said, I'll rest a little while But when he tried to walk again He wasn't a child

On his way back from leaving some offerings at the lantern monument near the Bone Bridge, Jigano's head came up as he smelled the faint tang of ozone in the air. He heard feet slapping on cobbles and his curiosity was piqued enough that the bard padded silently to a cross street and then over towards the sound. He hadn't known what to expect, but Sam running around with his barrier up while there was nothing chasing him was definitely not on the list. He paused for a moment, heartstrings tugged by the defeated look on his friend's face, and after another moment he cleared his throat gently and stepped out onto the road, offering Sam a slightly confused smile.

"Is everything alright?" he asked, looking around for whatever threat had sparked the need to activate defenses against it - though at least he wasn't invisible. "Sam, I haven't seen you in the guildhall since LongNight, practically. What's been going on?"

The clearing of Jigano's throat drew Sam's eyes up from the metal on the ground and immediately his shoulders raised in embarrassment and shock, Sam looking anywhere but his friend as he deactivated his barrier and took awkward steps to get towards him. There was the smallest bit of fear too. That he knew was irrational, but ever since he'd learnt about the Portal 'Guardians', he couldn't help wondering if Jigano would become his enemy. "Yes, um, everything's fine. I was just..trying to see if something would work." He said vaguely, glancing back to the metal on the ground. "Oh, well. I've been binding books, and I don't have all the supplies I need in the Guildhall. I am going to bring the volume on legends tomorrow and I have been repairing the Guild book." This was true. There were many tools involved in correctly binding books and he had them all set out at home, did not see much point in bringing them to the Guildhall when he had to make books for his store too. Though if he was honest, this had been a fortunate coincidence, as he had also been avoiding the hall. "I don't know if much is um, 'going on'. What about you?" He asked, curious to see if Jigano would bring up his new role under the Old Gods. Samuel He took a step but then felt tired He said, I'll rest a little while But when he tried to walk again He wasn't a child

Sam looked awkward as usual, but Jigano's smile turned lopsided as the bookmaker made his way over. "I'm glad to hear it. I was worried for a moment when I saw your shield up. It looks like you didn't have much luck though...?" he asked, fishing for more information gently. Given Sam's slouched shoulders and unhappy expression when he arrived it wasn't a huge jump of logic to reach. He followed the blue-green-eyed glance to the metal chunk on the ground and his brows furrowed slightly in confusion, wondering just what his colleague was up to.

"I'm glad to hear that the work has been going well," he said, relieved to hear that Sam had been keeping up with his part in the guild. After their last few conversations the bard had been worried that the bookmaker might soon leave the Loreseekers, if only to avoid him, but their talk during LongNight had ended on a hopeful note, and he decided to cling to that. "The legends book will be particularly useful, though you'll be needing to add more pages as we learn more about Halo." His voice was wry but there was a faint shadow of eagerness in his eyes, a ghost of his old excitement now banked by the difficulties in the Spire.

The question was only to be expected, but still it drew a bark of laughter from the bard, and there was pain mixed in with the humor. "Ah, I have been... busy does not even begin to cover it," he shook his head ruefully, heading over towards where Sam had been standing before near the metal and seating himself on a fallen wall. The spring air was warm enough that he was comfortable in his layered tunics as he settled down. "Spires and gods and mud and magic and portals and dragons and a new addition to the guild... since LongNight ended I've managed to stick my nose into all sorts of places it didn't belong." He smiled crookedly at his friend, and there was exhaustion and weariness in his eyes, but also the light of hope still flickering as he bore up under the weight of it all and refused to break. "What would you like to hear about first? If you'd like help on your current project we can talk as we work on it, or I can spin tales to entertain you while you do."

Sam only realised as Jigano said he had been worried that what he had doing could have been concerning, instead of just embarrassing. "Oh. No. I'm trying to...electrify that metal, there." He pointed towards the metal laying on the street, still sadly without any kind of electrical current. "It's the last thing I need to do for my fingers." Though it seemed his approach was not working; he wondered if there was anyone with magic relevant to it. "I'll probably make a new volume. I'm...planning to go to Halo soon, so I'll do some research then." Sam said, careful not to mention why it was he was going to Halo. "Though I imagine it will take me longer, as I have no familiarity at all with the place nor its traditions...still. I'll share any notes I make with the guild." While he was going to Halo to search for The Voice's portals, he was sure he'd have the time to make some notes on the local stories as well. He joined Jigano sat on the wall, not knowing what else to attempt with the metal for now. In the list of things given, portals was the one that stood out, but he didn't dare to ask. "I think I need to work out how to do it before you can help, but thank you. ...You said theres a new addition to the guild?" Samuel He took a step but then felt tired He said, I'll rest a little while But when he tried to walk again He wasn't a child

"Electrify it? Like with lightning?" Jigano asked quizzically. "There are enough electrical storms that come through in the spring that you can probably tie it up to the tallest place you can find and let it get hit. The top of the Spire would probably be perfect." They'd probably get one later that day if his sense of the weather was anything to go by. They'd already worked to get bones from beneath the bridge, so even though he didn't like what the Voice did to Sam he didn't hate her enough to try and stop his friend from healing his terrible maiming, especially when Sam needed those fingers to bind books and make paper for his shop.

Jigano nodded thoughtfully at Sam's plans, proud at how far Sam had come since the day he had yelled and cried about the bard's desire to leave the inside of the barrier and travel to see the world beyond. Back then the bookmaker hadn't been interested in leaving at all, and now he was planning to journey to a land of snow and ice and dangerous beasts? His courage had grown along with his confidence, and Jigano smiled a little at the promise. He made room as Sam sat beside him, the smile turning to a wry grin. "Ah yes, I think neither you nor Amalia will be terribly fond of her, I'm afraid. She's a lot like Edy; abrupt, vulgar, and brash. It's probably why I liked her so quickly," he admitted with a touch of sadness for the absent Queen. "I miss her... but Ingrid is from Halo, and I'm hoping we can share knowledge of our two lands between us. It seemed too good an opportunity to pass up, when we so desperately need to know what's going on over there." He paused, then quirked a grin. "Plus, she really doesn't like Zariah, which is a point in her favor in my book."

"That's...probably true. I just thought this might be quicker, but...my barrier only works for organic matter, I think. Living things." Sam sighed, resigning himself to a trip up the Spire sometime soon, to wait until a lighting bolt happened to hit the metal. Because Jigano was right -- it probably was the best way to do it. Listening to Jigano describe their newest member, Sam was a little surprised she wanted to join their quiet, academic guild. "I liked Edy." He said with a sad smile though, thinking of the night where she had found him naked and taken no time at all to rip him down and build him back up again with astute observations. "I'm surprised someone from Halo has come down here already...and joined a guild. She must be eager to get away from home." It did not fill him with faith about where it was he was planning to go, but he had no choice. Of course, thinking of that only led him back to his mission again, and the portals, and...it was going to play on his mind too much until he asked. "Jigano..." He began looking down and scuffing the edge of his shoe against a cobble. "You...became a portal guardian, right? Are you going to do that?" Samuel He took a step but then felt tired He said, I'll rest a little while But when he tried to walk again He wasn't a child

"Oh?" Jigano asked curiously, intrigued by the barrier's specificity. "Why not for metal ones?" That didn't make sense, really. Electricity should prefer metal to organic matter, based on the physics of it, he mused. But then again, when magic was involved, physics came in a distant second. "But I might be able to do something to help... or at least, speed things along, if the storm comes through soon." He stood from his place and trotted over to the metal rod, hefting it consideringly before looking for a mostly-empty space nearby.

He reached into the ground as they started to talk, distracted as he extended the sense of his earth magic into the soil and fished around for what flecks of ore he could find. When he'd found a good spot he plucked a few bright notes from the shimmering brown strings of magic in his soul, gripping the earth with his will and heaving it upwards. A slender pillar of it shot up to the height of his chest and he planted the metal rod firmly into its center before gathering himself once more to begin thrusting the pillar higher still while holding it firmly together so it wouldn't crumble too soon.

He was touched that Sam had gotten along with Edy, even if he was also surprised by it. An unlikely friendship... but he was warmed to know that Sam mourned her, too. "From what she says, Halo is cold and dangerous," he admitted. "Fierce beasts, deadly temperatures, and so very easy to get lost in the snow. A limited diet as well, since not much grows there. Even our cool Flowerbirth days are like mid-Longheat for her. Probably only the Hollowed Grounds' thin soil and lack of our own extra foodstuffs are keeping people away for now." They were no paradise, alas, but sometimes a change was as good as a vacation, and for people used to endless white the riot of growth in Flowerbirth could be a powerful draw of curiosity.

As he was focusing on raising the pillar of earth higher he nearly let it collapse under its own weight at Sam's next words. He had told no one of his charge except those who shared it with him, and a frown furrowed his brow at how swiftly the Ascended had learned of it. But Remi had wanted to tell others... and the alchemist was not the sort to hide anything from anyone, much less a dear friend like Sam.

"It's a charge given to me by the gods," he said slowly, slanting a glance back at his friend but spending most of his focus on keeping the pillar stable while he built it up and raised the metal rod in it towards the sky. "If the Voice gave you a task like that, would you refuse her?"

"I don't know." Sam shook his head, shrugging. "The Voice gave me the barrier and told me what it did, but I didn't think to ask why. It's been very useful as it is so far." Just not for this particular task. Jigano began to construct his earth pillar and Sam watched, head tilted, confused as to what he was doing and if it was to help him, or just for fun. When he finally worked it out he stood up, awkwardly holding his hands up by the pillar as if it would help. "Is...there anything I can do?" He finally asked, though given Jigano's powerful magic, he doubted it. "Yes, I've heard it's not very pleasant." He agreed on Halo, sighing as he remembered he was supposed to be heading there soon. Sam had been up against many harsh things in the last year, but he'd never been in an environment like Halo. He worried it'd be the thing he couldn't make it out of. Especially as it seemed he'd have Jigano working against his mission there. "...The thing is..." Sam said anxiously, hugging himself. "The Voice did give me a task like that. To go to Halo and activate the area for her portals. And...I'm going to do it. Like you said." Samuel He took a step but then felt tired He said, I'll rest a little while But when he tried to walk again He wasn't a child

Hearing that Sam didn't question why the Voice had done something still hurt Jigano a little - as much as a Loreseeker as it did as a friend. But he was becoming used to it now, and he didn't chide the bookmaker, merely slanted a questioning look his way before turning his attention to his earthen pillar. It needed to be thick enough at the top to hold together but not so wide that the weight of it collapsed the base. Jigano focused on easing the pillar upwards, widening it as more emerged from the ground and growing it to ten feet, high, then to fifteen as they spoke, building it slowly and carefully as he raised the metal rod towards the heavens. "Not at the moment," he assured his friend with a crooked smile, surprised at how easily Sam seemed to take in his new magic without even blinking. Everyone else who knew him had reacted with shock and curiosity - or sympathy, as Evie and Amalia had. Only those who'd only recently arrived and didn't know his past were so blase about it.

"'Not very pleasant' seems like an understatement... especially with the Launceleyns already controlling it and Zariah in some position of power there. As if Halo needed anything less to recommend it," he added with a grumble of dislike (also an understatement) for the former Queen who had tried to hunt him down and threatened his guild and his friends in the process.

He glanced back at Sam as the confession came pouring out, the pillar stabilizing as he stopped pouring energy into it to grapple with what his friend was admitting. "Is it the same task she gave you when you went into the Greatwood and spread the blight for her?" he asked gently, confirming what he already knew with an ice-cold certainty in his gut.

Jigano didn't need his help so for the moment Sam stayed a couple of steps back, ready to come in if he was needed. He supposed he should have been more surprised at the new magic, but he had become used now to seeing his friends perform miracles with a wave of their fingers. Still he smiled, watching the earth pillar grow. "That's very impressive." He nodded at Jigano's assessment of Halo. The place really did sound pretty awful. Though it seemed from Jigano's response that the bard might try to stop him from going there...Sam sighed, so not wanting to get back into this argument, which seemed like a constant between them nowadays. "Yes. It is." He said, meeting the man's eyes. "But it won't happen again, and I trust her when she says that. I know you'll argue with me about that. But I do, and I'm going to do it. ...Are you going to try and stop me?" His voice was more sad than combative. He wanted to know if he'd have to fight his old friend to succeed for his Goddess. Samuel He took a step but then felt tired He said, I'll rest a little while But when he tried to walk again He wasn't a child

"Thanks. I admit, it's coming in useful at times," Jigano replied with a crooked smile. The power hadn't been sought, nor was it a gift. It was a curse if anything, though possibly just an accident of an angry goddess. Why his magic had blossomed with such vigor when others seemed to take so much longer was a mystery to him, and not one he could exactly ask Safrin about. But he didn't have the hangups about it that so many naturals did, and he saw no harm in using it now that it had awoken in him. Anything he could do to make things better for his friends and his adopted home, he would.

He wished he could see Sam's recently developed backbone when it applied to anything other than doing the Voice's bidding, Jigano thought with a painful twist in his chest. "Not the blight again, perhaps. She's already weakened the Greatwood, Safrin, and killed one of the old gods' most powerful devotees with it," he acknowledged bitterly. "But can you promise she won't do something else? Something different but potentially just as harmful? You said the blight was an 'accident' after all... what's to stop another 'accident' from happening?" Something else that would attack non-Ascended, weakening the Attuned and Abandoned who might stand against her and threatening or bribing Accepted to choosing Ascension if they wanted to survive...

He sighed, turning away from the bookmaker and pushing his focus back into growing the rough pillar skywards another ten feet. "I don't know, Sam," he said softly. "But it will depend on the Voice and the other Ascended. Our task is to ensure the portals are not used for ill this time... as they were in the past. Should large numbers of Ascended start popping up, threatening to become another army for the Voice, or should she unleash another plague upon a new region... well. We will have our duty, just as you have chosen yours," he finished, voice gentle in spite of the iron underlying the unhappiness of his words.

Sam had often wished he had magic, revelled in it when he had the chance to use some from drinking. Watching Jigano he felt the pang in his chest once again, the desire to be able to make something from nothing so easily, to feel as powerful as Remi and Jigano had to on a daily basis. But that power could become something menacing very quickly, if it was turned against him. It sounded like Jigano did intend to fulfil his duties unlike Remi, which meant they were essentially enemies. Worse than that, Sam knew (and was sure Jigano did too) very well who was the strongest between them. It would hardly be a fight - would Jigano kill him, if it came to it? Was he ready to die for The Voice? He did not respond to Jigano's first lot of questions. They had had this fight before and he'd given all the answers he could. That the Old Gods were more than willing to hurt him, that it was for the greater good, that The Voice was different if you just knew her. None of them seemed to get him anywhere, so there was no point going around in circles. Especially not when it hurt him so to be arguing with someone he had once considered his best friend. Though he did laugh when the word 'army' came in, the sound bitter and cold. "There are hardly enough of us to sit around a dinner table. We have no plans to make an army Jigano, don't worry." Is this what the general population had begun to think? That the Ascended were amassing an attack, were becoming a swarm upon the land? It was a line of thought that plunged his heart into his stomach. "Don't you think the portals are an amazing thing? After all, I heard you went to the Spire to open up the one to Halo. You wouldn't been able to do that if it weren't for The Voice." Samuel He took a step but then felt tired He said, I'll rest a little while But when he tried to walk again He wasn't a child

Sam said nothing, and Jigano sighed inwardly, though he couldn’t blame his friend for not wanting to fight. He had hoped that today would be a pleasant chance to catch up… but instead the bookmaker had picked the one topic he knew they didn’t agree on, and that could only end in frustration for them both.

”You don’t have such plans, Sam,” he spoke quietly still, pushing the pillar with its metal rod higher still, finding the very limit of his power as it towered thirty feet into the air. The base was thicker around than an ancient oak, narrowing as it rose in a tall, skinny cone until the metal poked up high into the sky, taller than anything in the nearby ruins and inviting the fury of the storm. As they had been speaking dark clouds had begun to gather on the horizon, moving swiftly as the spring storms so often did, and a cool, damp breeze was beginning to tease at their hair and clothes.

”But the Voice has done it before. And last I heard, she did not always consult you or tell you everything she was doing in advance.” He stepped away from his earthen tower, shaking the dirt from his hands as he looked back to Sam with a sigh. ”And I went because one of Rae’s creatures was guarding the portal and I wanted to make sure it was not harmed, the way the Fae and the Mathair were.” He smiled bitterly as he looked away, fingers flexing with the memory of talons. ”But Wessex and the Voice made sure my efforts to that end were in vain. Your precious Voice bound me and threatened to kill me if I interfered with her wretched portals again. I owe her dearly for that… and when the portals are unlocked with blood and violence and death, ‘amazing’ is not the word I would use for them. ‘Damned’ seems more fitting. Or ‘cursed,’ perhaps.”