"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.
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.
