Others appeared around him, mostly strangers— Until a familiar young pup landed with a grace that the bard admired, even as the familiar surge of exasperation welled up. Of course Remi had gotten pulled into this… whatever it was. Though because Remi was involved, the bard had to wonder if there were gods involved in this little magical mystery dream as well. He raised a brow at the young man, tilting his head as if to welcome the familiar face over, but the boy just smiled and turned away, immediately offering his coat to someone Jigano didn’t recognize.
But he hoped the boy did, at least. It wasn't as though Jigano had wanted him to stop helping friends, after all.
Just when he thought that all who had been drawn – fallen? abducted? – to this icy cage were gathered a final attendee caught his eye. His eyes brightened, a sense of both worry and relief on his expression as he took a step towards her, across the cavern and all those who stood between them—
The lovely blond head of his friend turned towards the pup and she stepped to his side, oblivious to the lorekeeper’s presence.
His mouth, open to call greeting, closed as his arm fell. The cold – already bitingly worse than the air above had been – seemed to sink a little deeper into his chest as he turned away, determined to make neither a fool nor a pest of himself as he instead distracted himself by taking stock of all those milling around him. Once more he drew in a breath to speak, to try and coax order from the chaos—
Once more he was silenced, this time by a voice of glorious purity and precision. Tilting his head back to savor the resonance, it took him a moment to realize it came not from one of his fellows, but beneath his feet. A silver brow rose in surprise, joined by a second a moment later as he took in her form and attire, lovely and pure – a winter morning personified. Her touch earned a sharp intake of air, a gasp that drew ice down his throat even as her hands left the memory of warmth on his arm.
Childlike, sweet and innocent she seemed at first, and he watched her spin away in breathless appreciation at her inhuman grace. But… a game? His stomach clenched, the bottom dropping out of it as his eyes widened. ”Oh, sh—“ he started to whisper, but the sudden vibrations of the cavern as it shuddered and shook around them swallowed his curse.
He dropped swiftly to one knee, pressing his hand against the ice to stabilize himself while the echoes of her question ricocheted through his heart and mind like flensing knives. A score of moments flickered through his thoughts, images of pain, of horrors, of being too late again and again. Family lost. Friends lost. Friends—
Betrayed.
”I couldn’t save them,” he whispered, squeezing his eyes shut as three faces paraded past his inner vision. None of them human. All of them precious. All of them—
Dead.
”I tried but… it wasn’t enough. I wasn’t enough. And they… were already too far gone.”
But he hoped the boy did, at least. It wasn't as though Jigano had wanted him to stop helping friends, after all.
Just when he thought that all who had been drawn – fallen? abducted? – to this icy cage were gathered a final attendee caught his eye. His eyes brightened, a sense of both worry and relief on his expression as he took a step towards her, across the cavern and all those who stood between them—
The lovely blond head of his friend turned towards the pup and she stepped to his side, oblivious to the lorekeeper’s presence.
His mouth, open to call greeting, closed as his arm fell. The cold – already bitingly worse than the air above had been – seemed to sink a little deeper into his chest as he turned away, determined to make neither a fool nor a pest of himself as he instead distracted himself by taking stock of all those milling around him. Once more he drew in a breath to speak, to try and coax order from the chaos—
Once more he was silenced, this time by a voice of glorious purity and precision. Tilting his head back to savor the resonance, it took him a moment to realize it came not from one of his fellows, but beneath his feet. A silver brow rose in surprise, joined by a second a moment later as he took in her form and attire, lovely and pure – a winter morning personified. Her touch earned a sharp intake of air, a gasp that drew ice down his throat even as her hands left the memory of warmth on his arm.
Childlike, sweet and innocent she seemed at first, and he watched her spin away in breathless appreciation at her inhuman grace. But… a game? His stomach clenched, the bottom dropping out of it as his eyes widened. ”Oh, sh—“ he started to whisper, but the sudden vibrations of the cavern as it shuddered and shook around them swallowed his curse.
He dropped swiftly to one knee, pressing his hand against the ice to stabilize himself while the echoes of her question ricocheted through his heart and mind like flensing knives. A score of moments flickered through his thoughts, images of pain, of horrors, of being too late again and again. Family lost. Friends lost. Friends—
Betrayed.
”I couldn’t save them,” he whispered, squeezing his eyes shut as three faces paraded past his inner vision. None of them human. All of them precious. All of them—
Dead.
”I tried but… it wasn’t enough. I wasn’t enough. And they… were already too far gone.”
