Court of the Fallen was created in October of 2018 by Odd, Honey, and Crooked.
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Loren felt Jigano’s apology, and pulsed acceptance back through the link. Taking a deep breath, the summoner forced himself to relax. It took more than one breath, but he calmed down quickly enough.
At the bard's suggestion, the Launceleyn shook his head. "Probably not worth the time. Was mostly speculating anyway." He smiled a bit sheepishly.
When the white-haired man suggested that they turn back, Loren shook his head again. "No, we can keep going." He found himself weirdly excited at the prospect of further exploration. "Let's find you another patch of herbs to tend to, and then we can see if we can't find the center of the Labyrinth."
"Oh, I do the same thing," Jigano assured his friend with a wry grin. "Should a miracle occur and we ever have enough time on our hands to be bored we can always keep it tucked away as an afternoon outing idea." As if that would ever happen! Not with the way Caido seemed to careen from catastrophe to festival to emergency to LongNight and back again, never giving them time to catch their collective breaths for more than a few days before they were off again.
Part of the problem was that they were meddlesome busybodies, of course. But even if Safrin was right and he was a nobody, neither hero nor villain, it didn't mean that he wouldn't try, even as a 'normal' citizen of Caido. Even when he was weak and needed to stap back a bit, he hoped that he would always find his way again, back to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with his friends in the fray.
He grinned as Loren suggested they continue, winking in shared excitement. "Might as well make the trip worth our while since we've come all this way!" he declared, heading off in the direction of the lowest concentration of distant squirrels. It was another right, curling around in a tighter spiral now, and he gestured to the gentle curve of the hedge walls, no longer able to run straight. "The herb is said to grow near the center, so we shouldn't be far now. Finding another patch should only bring us closer still." Of course, they walked in shadow now from the arching boughs that were beginning to knit the maze together from above, but that was hardly an issue for their Attuned eyes. "Have you had a chance to explore Halo further since our last visit?"
The rodents looked on without even a soft chatter of teeth now, much less a word, and they kept their distance behind the pair as far as the last curve in the maze, the hedge walls offering protection against the magics used against them earlier. Others followed within the walls of the maze itself, little more than shadows within the dark green leaves. It was hard to guess how many had gathered with how they hid, but they were there.
Loren smiled, though it was a bit sad about the edges. "It would be nice to know what boredom felt like." There was a weird longing in the summoner's voice. However, he shook his head. "But yes. If I ever discover what free time is, I'll let you know." His smile grew more genuine before finally fading. "Agreed. Let's get on with it then." He nodded at Jigano to let him know he should take the lead.
Noticing that the squirrels had begun gathering again, the Launceleyn summoned wolves and sent up another howl, hoping to deter at least some of the rodents from their path. Then he followed the bard deeper into the Labyrinth. As the hedges gently curved, the Launceleyn eyed them warily.
However, he glanced at the white-haired man when he man asked his question about Halo. "Not as much as I would've liked. I'm planning to return soon though." It wasn't long before Loren looked back at the hedges that now surrounded them, shoulders tensing.
"Probably like crushing anxiety as we wait for the other boot to fall," Jigano opined wryly, but he chuckled as they continued to joke. "But should you ever find that elusive creature I'll have you write up an entry in the Guild Chronicle for it, so others know what to look for in another hundred years, should it ever happen again."
The bard continued on, walking confidently in spite of the shadows. He glanced back at the summoned wolves, and though the squirrels that had been following at the edge of sight ducked back into hiding a the howl, the ones within the protection of the hedges only flinched this time, beady eyes fixed on the big predators with unnerving intensity. For the most part Jigano ignored them - for now. "They won't become a problem until we try to leave," he reassured his friend with a wry smile. "Well... at least, they haven't before. I have a hypothesis about the symbiosis of the living hedge, the squirrels, and the boggarts... but it won't be an easy one to prove." Indeed, it would take years of study and the sacrifice of more animals than Jigano was willing to countenance just to satisfy a little morbid curiosity.
Again his sharp eyes caught the brown protusions in the grass ahead and he paused to use his magic one last time to enrich the rare herb. "Me too," he agreed, a conflicted tilt to the amusement in his voice. "As much as I hate that damned portal, I won't deny that it's useful. I just wish the price to open them wasn't so high, and that we could guarantee that the Voice wasn't using her Ascended for some mischief all over again."
Letting out a huff of laughter at Jigano’s joke, Loren nodded. ”I’m sure it can’t be as bad as constantly worrying about dying. Or any of the other monsters we encounter on a regular basis. But yes, if I discover it, I’ll be sure to do a full write-up for the bestiary.”
As the visible squirrels departed, the summoner dismissed his wolves. Then he glanced at the bard. ”What’s the theory?” The Launceleyn’s tone was curious, though his expression was wary and his eyes watchful.
Smiling faintly, Loren gave the white-haired man a sympathetic look. ”I don’t think there are any guarantees about any of this. But I’m aware that is very much your burden to bear.” The summoner’s voice was soft. ”At least you don’t have to bear it alone.”
Jigano nodded, still grinning, at Loren's promise to add this fabled 'Boredom' to the Bestiary if ever they should encounter it. The question about his theory earned a pleased pulse of surprise through the Attuned bond; usually people cough Deimos couldn't wait for him to grow silent. To be asked to go into more detail was as gratifying as it was unusual, and raised his estimation of Loren a little higher. "I think the Squirrels lure prey into the maze - predators or people who will follow them, at least - and the Labyrinth shifts to prevent their easy escape. The boggarts do most of the killing, though the squirrels have shown themselves capable of it, too, and then the remains of their meals serve to fertilize the Labyrinth's hedges, which in turn feed the Squirrels." He arched a brow at his companion, curious if Loren would have criticism or additions to the hypothesis.
He appreciated the sympathy, but at the mention of 'burdens to bear' and 'not bearing it alone' his brow rose again, though in surprise. "What do you mean?" He hadn't mentioned his new responsibilities as a Portal Guardian to anyone but the other Portal Guardians... and Sam, who had learned of it from Remi. Unless Remi had gone around telling everyone about their new... whatever it was. Directive? Duty? Either way he was curious to learn what Loren knew, and where he had learned it from.
Raising his eyebrow, Loren tilted his head. His brow furrowed as he considered Jigano’s theory. ”Might make sense, but you think the Naturals would’ve noticed that after some three hundred plus years, wouldn’t you? Might be worth asking one of them. Also, from what I remember of farming, dead bodies don’t necessarily make the best natural fertilizer, at least not without a bit of intervention.” Still, the Launceleyn smiled at the bard. ”It’s a good theory. If it's true, I wonder how and why it developed. Maybe something to do with scarce resources under the barrier?”
Glancing at the white-haired man, the summoner smiled faintly. "A little birdie told me that the old gods tasked you and a few others with preventing the Ascended from opening more portals." His tone was sympathetic.
"Not if the Naturals mostly avoid the Labyrinth," Jigano responded with a wry grin, rising to continue their journey. Given how the curve of the walls was tightening it likely wouldn't be much farther. "If only a few foolish or daring souls attempt to brave it once in awhile, and the get killed by the boggarts before they can come back and report what they found, it might not get studied exhaustively. There was nothing written about the boggarts before Amalia found Safrin's Book, for instance, and no one had heard of them until Remi and I encountered one last year." He shrugged in agreement of Loren's points though, nodding acceptance of the lack of usefulness of dead bodies. "Perhaps the true fertilizer is what happens after the prey is, ah, 'processed' by the boggarts and squirrels in the natural way?" he suggested.
He reached out to trail his fingers along the side of a hedge that was narrowing the path and forcing he and Loren to walk closer together. His earth magic pushed the thorns away as he did so, so he could run his fingers through the silky new leaves. "Mmm. I've been trying not to talk about it," he admitted with a sigh. "Though I suppose it's not exactly a secret anymore. But yes, that is... not exactly how I remember the vision, but close enough. It's not that we need to prevent use or awakening of the portals so much as prevent them from being used for ill. Which technically could include non-Ascended using them for war or invasion," he admitted. "But... I think it was clear that the gods would prefer if no more were opened. And my suspicion - without proof - is that the Voice and her fellow young gods likely used the portals to move their troops swiftly across the continent during the first godwar three hundred years ago."
Loren frowned, brow furrowed. Fingers tapping a beat on his thigh, he shot Jigano a considering look. "If people rarely enter into the Labyrinth, it seems like the speech is a weird adaption to have, then. After all, it's only useful once someone is actually inside. Which doesn't seem worth it if that's a rare occurrence to begin with. Why not produce sweet smelling flowers that lure people and animals in or something of that ilk?" Words mostly speculation still, the summoner shrugged.
Smiling faintly, he let out a huff of laughter. Straying closer to the white-haired man due to the constraints of the Labyrinth, the Launceleyn eyed the hedges warily. "Definitely not a secret anymore. I don't think anything stays a secret for long once more than one person knows about it in these parts."
Loren tilted his head and gave Jigano a considering look. "And how are you planning to do that?" The Launceleyn's words were soft. He did, however, nod at the white-haired man's supposition about the new gods. "Seems likely. Although given how difficult it seems to be to open new ones, and how sparsely I can't imagine that was its first or primary purposes. Wouldn't be a reliable way to transport troops."
"Loren," Jigano said dryly, "just a few days ago we were fighting with flowers with teeth. We've spent most of this season trying to shove semi-sentient muck out of people's houses. In Longheat there are grasshoppers that go around setting fires that will kill them, too, if they get caught in them. Not everything makes sense when there are active deities that enjoy saying "but what if I just did this...?" to things." He grinned ruefully at his friend. "For all we know, Rae or Frey made them as a way to cheer themselves up after a hard decade and the Squirrels ended up migrating to the Labyrinth later on their own." Or any other implausible tale they cared to dream up. Still, perhaps Frey would know... if anyone wanted to waste such a question on a conversation with a deity.
"I am curious about which little bird, now," Jigano said with a resigned sigh. Still, the cat was out of the bag, and even though he'd been trying to keep a low profile about it, he had agreed to let Remi warn the Ascended about them. He'd just, for some reason, hadn't expected the alchemist to use their names so freely.
The question was a good one, but one Jigano could only answer with a shrug. "Honestly? No idea. The gods sort of just.. handed the problem over to us without much guidance," he admitted with a faint grimace. Though, interestingly, all he had to do now was let his eyes drift shut a moment and focus on one of his fellow Guardians to get a vague sense of where they were in relation to him. If one of them got into trouble or went missing, that would be a damned useful trick. He opened his eyes again quickly before he walked into the hedge, giving a nod of agreement to Loren's point. "No, I don't think it was their original purpose. The original purpose probably was well-intentioned enough. But the portals were spread across Caido, so when they were all up and running travel was likely a lot more convenient. And once they existed and after the war began, it would have been all too easy to turn them to that purpose." And that was the problem now, wasn't it? However innocently the Ascended might have begun, even if one gave them the entirety of the benefit of the doubt, war had been a result of their ambitions. And the Voice's actions since had done little to assuage fears that she didn't intend to continue where she had left off three hundred years ago, after a few centuries of simmering in resentment.
But an opening soon appeared in the wall to their right. They could see the path deadending straight ahead, so turning made the most sense, but as they came up to it the hedges rustled and moved shifting together to close off the path. A similar sound from behind them revealed a new opening - this time to their left. Jigano looked to Loren with a raised brow that silently asked the question: Well? What next?
Loren grinned sheepishly as Jigano gently reminded the Launceleyn that not everything in the nature of Caido was natural. "Alright, you make a good point. Would've been Frey though. From what I understand from the demi-gods, the heralds were left entirely to their own devices under the barrier, enough so that the gods dispatched their children to record the changes." His tone was appropriately chagrined.
Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair. "It was Remi. Don't blame him though, I kinda dragged it out of him." He gave the bard an apologetic look.
Glancing over at the white-haired man, the summoner eventually returned his gaze to the hedges. He did grimace at Jigano's comment about the gods. "Sounds about right. So...what are you going to do? You personally." Loren's words were soft.
For a long while after the bard finished, the Launceleyn was silent. When he finally did speak, he was still quiet. "Any tool can be used for good or ill. That doesn't make the tool good or ill, just the person wielding it." He shrugged, then stared as the hedges actively began shifting around them. When he saw they were trying to block off the path to the right, his brow furrowed.
And a bear appeared to try and tear the way back open, ignoring the thorny branches. If successful, the Launceleyn would follow his bear to the right.
"True," Jigano agreed about the barrier separating the gods and demigods. "Though, since we don't have any local records from before the barrier was raised, I don't actually know if the Labyrinth and the Squirrels predate it or not," he mused thoughtfully. "They might have both been here before the Barrier and the Ascended." Or, they might have both arisen after. There was still so much they didn't know...
Which was precisely why the Loreseekers existed to try and find the answers to such things, among others.
At the mention of Remi Jigano only gave a wry shake of his head, crooked smile returning. "Ah. Well, too late now. And I know he didn't mean any harm by it." Once, he knew, he might have been far more frustrated with the alchemist, but time and shared traumas had mellowed him towards the optimistic young man. It simply wasn't Remi's way to think in convoluted plans and wheels within wheels... and the bard could now acknowledge that that was something to be protected, not 'grown past.' It might have been wise not to reveal the names of all the Guardians in case they were called to step in, and there was something to be said for being underestimated, either in numbers or abilities, but not everything needed to be cloaks and daggers.
Hopefully, at least.
Loren repeated his question, but Jigano didn't have a new answer for him in the past few seconds. "I don't know," he repeated, a bubble of frustration putting an edge on his voice. "I might not trust the Voice, but I have friends among the Ascended, and I've learned enough of the old gods to know that they aren't bound by human morality. I have no easy answer to this." He sighed and looked over at his friend. "What would you do?" he asked, just as quietly, eyes searching Loren's face for a hint.
"And the portals are wielded by the Voice," he finished softly, but then the hedges were moving and one of Loren's bears (why was it always bears?) appeared to leap into action. As Jigano had been trying to warn his companion, however, this was no normal hedge maze. As the bear tried to tear into it the hedge fought back, vines and tendrils whipping out to wrap around its paws. It would find little resistance to being drawn in towards the former opening, but the vegetation writhed and twisted back into place behind it, around it - and through it, sharpened thorns and branches alike snaking through fur and stabbing through skin as it was incorporated into the wall of the maze, swallowed up and pinned in place to decompose at the Labyrinth's leisure or least, until it was un-summoned.
Loren tilted his head. ”I’m not sure, but I think Oia’i’o and Kai might have records from before the barrier was erected. It would be difficult for them to do their survey of what’s changed without them.” Smiling at Jigano, the summoner shrugged. ”I can ask them when I see them next.”
Falling silent as well in the face of the bard’s question, the Launceleyn bit his lip. ”The gods honestly don’t mind if more portals are activated?” His eyes searched the white-haired man’s features. ”If that’s the case, it kind of feels like an inevitability that more portals will one day be opened, whether we like it or not. Now that The Voice is out in the world, I'm not sure anything short of another barrier will stop her completely.” Taking a deep breath, Loren glanced aside. ”So loathe as I am to admit it, I might work with the Ascended. Because at least that way we might be able to guide the way they’re opened and used.” Still, his voice was far from certain, as was his mind.
As the Labyrinth literally tore his bear apart, his nostrils flared. Immediately he dismissed it and tapped into another of his magic. A stream of ice pelted at the thorny branches that had just tried to consume his summoned creature.
"Could you?" Jigano asked, perking up with visible enthusiasm. "Every mention of them makes me more certain we need to try and recruit them to the Guild," he added with a wry grin.
If only the conversation could have stayed so light. Unfortunately, it took a turn for the somber with the mention of the portal guardians, and at Loren's searching look Jigano sighed and glanced away. "...Perhaps I'm letting my own desires color what I wanted to hear," he admitted softly. "They... do not want any more portals activated, I think. Though... I didn't get the sense that we would be punished if any were, or that we would fail in our duty if it happened. Only if those portals were turned to a darker purpose. Certainly the bloodshed that's accompanied the last two portal openings is something we need to try and prevent." He gave Loren a pained smile. "Though you saw how well I did at that, in the Spire. Wessex was determined to kill the guardian and only used my attempt to communicate and negotiate with it as a distraction to serve her own agenda." He shook his head at Loren's own decision, respecting it but disagreeing with it for himself. "In this, I don't think I could work with the Ascended. Not after what's happened before. Not least because I don't see of any way to control the use of the portals once they're open. The Voice made it very clear that she wouldn't allow that." On threat of his life, in point of fact.
And then Loren and the Labyrinth got into a fight.
"We could just... go... the other way..." the bard tried to suggest, but Loren looked like he had his dander up. The ice struck the branches, tearing through leaves and smaller limbs and Jigano sighed as he pulled at the earth, using earthen pillars from below to smash through the hedge's attempt to swiftly regrow over the damage. Between both of them a narrow opening emerged and was held--
Which was when the Squirrels attacked en masse, a pelting of uncannily well-aimed thorn spears and javelins striking at the humans as the tiny grey terrors leapt silently from within the Hedge walls to try and bite and claw at the bastards who were harming their home. Jigano spun from his attempts to hold back the walls of the damaged hedge and instead focused his power on swift-growing the thorns within the walls to pin and stab the squirrels still within, trapping and wounding many so that they couldn't back up those already attacking in the open. "Or we could come back another day!" he called to Loren, wincing as sharp teeth sank into his ankle on one side, and thigh on the other.
