Portals. The concept is unfamiliar, and to Seiji's troubled mind, nearly unfathomable. He hugs the cloak tightly about himself as he walks, small shivers still occasionally trembling through his narrow limbs. He can't help but think, wearily, desperately, that any moment perhaps he will turn over into wakefulness. That something unforeseen will occur and render his life once more coherent. But no such revelation comes.
It's just the three of them, walking through a darkening wood. Jigano's pleasant voice explaining calmly everything he can. Seiji's gaze roams, flicking back to the white-haired man occasionally. Settling there, for the moment,as Jigano addresses him. Perhaps he comes from the same place Nairi does... He glances at her, his features expressionless. He can think of no polite way to tell them he dearly hopes not. To think, if all he had to return to was a world of ruin and war.... No. With a small sigh, he attempts a weary smile. "Maybe," he humors them, his voice quiet. It feels like too dismal a thing to leave hanging, though, so after a step or two, he adds, "At least I'm not alone now," and gives Nairi a fuller grin. He is glad for her company, if only because she keeps asking the questions he doesn't think to come up with.
He listens somewhat more attentively to Jigano's explanation of the barrier keeping them penned in. A magical force? Seiji's brows lift just slightly at Jigano's passing mention of the local gods, but he asks no further for the moment. He is instead distracted by Nairi's comment. The decisveness of her tone. "In?" he questions. "Why?"
Seiji seemed uncertain, and Nairi’s description of her world didn’t seem to jog his memory. Jigano gave a little shake of his head, smiling reassuringly at the young man. ”No matter. For the moment, where you came from matters less than getting you both someplace warm.” He didn’t like the way Seiji still shivered, but at least he had found the strength and courage to grin, and the bard relaxed a little at the good sign. ”And I won’t leave you alone until we’ve found someplace safe for both of you to spend the night.” The Rathskeller was his first thought, the bar’s warm fire enough to take the chill from their bones. Isla would be nearby in the Infirmary upstairs, as well, if they showed signs of frostbite by the time they all arrived. They could spend the night in the Temple, safe and warm, and begin exploring the settlement properly and getting sorted out the next day.
He raised an amused brow at Nairi’s quick conclusion, when she hadn’t yet seen the barrier. Still, he gave a nod of acknowledgment. It was one of the more likely possibilities, certainly. He tilted his head at her with a little smile, though, waiting for her to answer Seiji’s question before he answered hers. ”Most of the area inside the barrier itself has been explored, yes, since it’s so limited. People have been over most of it over the years, searching for food, or trying to find ways out. These woods stretch for a ways, up to the edge of the barrier itself. There are fields, with apple orchards and harvests of hay and wheat and grains. Near the spire at the center of it all is a glade… a natural sanctuary, of sorts, and an oasis of fresh water. The Settlement is also near the center. Whatever it was once called, the name has been lost to local memory. Since it’s the only town in our little cage, I suppose calling it anything else has fallen out of use. Though there are ruined areas that still hide surprises, and I believe they recently found an underground area that had been hitherto unknown…” He raised a brow at the fire-bright girl, lips quirking a little at her eagerness. ”So eager to go looking for trouble when you’ve only just arrived?” he teased gently.
The thought of the quiet man who had been speaking so little, offering her a smile made her return an even wider smile to him. It was bolstered by the comment he then made about him being no longer alone, which she nodded in acknowledgement. "You are not alone, yes." The thought of the man opening up, even thought it was just a little, made her happy. It didn't even matter that the two of the them had just met several minutes ago. Seiji then inquired about her remark about the barrier keeping them in. Scratching her head, Nairi answered. "I'm not really sure about why, but my guess is that there could be something dangerous out there, and we aren't ready for what comes next?" She let out a giggle. "It's just a guess."
Jigano then began explaining about the areas inside their bubble, from the settlement to the sanctuary to the ruins. It seems to her that they had a rather sizeable area after all, and not as small as she might have originally anticipated. However, this was simply all in her imagination again, and she had not actually seen the settlement, let alone the rest of what was under their bubble. He also called it a cage, which she thought was rather fitting. Jigano then seemed to think she was going to cause trouble, which wasn't unlike how people used to perceive her in her old world as well. "Why do people always think I'm going to look for trouble when I say the word explore?" She placed a palm on her face, thinking that a new world would meant that she would escape those impressions. "I simply want to see whats out there. But I guess, I can start by seeing what's in our little cage."
Warm sounds like a good idea. With everything he has just learned, Seiji's head feels too full to think of much else. He clutches Jigano's cloak around him for several more steps, smiling when Nairi addresses him. She is kind, he thinks. She has a quickness about her, bright as newborn flame, which he cannot quite match. But a good person to find himself alone in the forest with. "You must be cold, too," he tells her, his voice still quiet. Tugging the cloak from his shoulders, he holds it out to her. "I feel a little better now." It isn't quite true, but he feels he ought to give her the chance. He has no desire to be the sort of man who hoards the scant resources they have between them to himself.
Seiji has nothing to add as Jigano and Nairi bicker, but he finds himself smiling, nonetheless. When he feels better, he thinks, maybe he can go exploring with Nairi. He, too, would like to see what this new prison holds. But only after he's rested some and come to grips with the situation. A part of him still half expects he might wake up in the morning to find it all a bizarre dream. "Where are we going?" he asks Jigano. "Is it far?" The weight of evening pressing over them all makes him eager to be out of the trees.
Nairi's answer was as good as any other he'd heard, and the bard nodded encouragingly. "A guess is as good a place to start as any, when we know so little about it," he agreed with a smile. The smile softened as Seiji offered the young woman the cloak, the bard humming softly in pleasure at the kindness and generosity in the gesture. He was glad to see that both of the new outlanders seemed to be good people, as far as their brief interaction could tell. Nairi was, perhaps, more outwardly brave but Seiji's slim frame hid a resilient strength as well.
The bard laughed softly at Nairi's exasperation, but he turned on nimble feet to offer her a bow of apology, walking backwards for a few steps before turning forward again. "I'm sorry, Nairi. I was only teasing. Though... this world has creatures you might not be familiar with. They've certainly surprised me on more than one occasion!" And he had the scars on his shoulder to prove it. "But in truth I would be interested in exploring a bit as well. I am not normally someone who enjoys staying in one place very long." He gave a wry little shrug. "I certainly spent my first few weeks seeing as much of this place as I could with my own eyes, and it sounds like you'll want to do the same. But when you head into the Underground, I would be glad to accompany you."
He tilted his head at Seiji with a raised brow, a silent question - and invitation - if the young man would also be interested in such an adventure some day. For now, though, his expression sobered and the bard glanced to the horizon and the rising moon. "We're going to the Settlement, first. Once there I'll lead you to the Temple. There's a bar in its basement called the Rathskeller. I work there as an entertainer some nights, and I can get you both food, drinks, and a spot in front of the fire to thaw you out. If you're hurt, the Infirmary is there as well, and my friend Isla works the nightshift and can help patch you up." His smile turned lopsided as he included both Nairi and Seiji in his gaze, voice gentling. "It's still a little ways away, though we should reach the edge of the woods in another few minutes. I know this must all be new and perhaps overwhelming... Is there anything I can do to make things easier for you, while we're walking?"
Nairi smiled and nodded at Seiji as he offered her Jigano's cloak, and she hastily draped the cloak around herself to warm herself up. Ahh, that felt so much better. "Thank you. You're most kind." She said to Seiji. It was nice of him to offer the cloak to her despite her offering to him the first time. Although he was still quiet and a man of few words, she could feel him starting to speak more now. Jigano nodded in acknowledgement to her guess, and she too returned a nod. They both agreed that the guess was a reasonable one. He then laughed as he apologised for his teasing and her frustration, and the backwards bow while still walking and quite a nimble thing to do, and most of her anger dissipated into the icy air.
He then explained that this word had certain monsters to be aware of. Monsters! That sounded like something more exciting yet dangerous. "It's impossible for me to simply stay put in one place without exploring. It'll drive me crazy!" Her mind was full of thoughts about the sort of monsters he could possibly be referring to, and what this Underground possibly was. Jigano went on to speak about the different places in the Settlement, but she was only half listening with her mind preoccupied with other stuff. Jigano finally stopped talking which gave her a chance to speak. "If you don't mind, can you tell me more about these monsters, and what this Underground is? We have an Underground in the world I come from, but I doubt it is the same thing."
Seiji doesn't miss the glance Jigano throws back at him. He hesitates to respond immediately, his thoughts overtaken by the cold and by his current level of discomfort. Does he want to explore this place? See whatever creatures lurk in the shadows? He suspects he will, if only in hopes of finding a way back home, so he manages a faint smile in Jigano's direction, hoping his momentary hesitation is not too impolite. "If there is room for me, too," Seiji says. "I would like to see more of this place."
He almost envies Nairi the energy in her voice, her manner. She keeps talking as they walk along, and Seiji is content to listen, for the most part. Her questions are good ones, questions he would also like the answers to, though he feels too muddled to think of them himself. The cold begins to come through his clothes again, and he wonders just how far away this settlement could be. Rousing only to answer Jigano's question, he merely shakes his head. "You're very kind already."
”Of course there’s room,” Jigano assured Seiji with a smile. ”And for all that we’re limited, there is still plenty to see. Who knows? Maybe something we find will even spark your memory!” Without knowing where the young man had come from it was impossible to say, but that was all the more reason to encourage him to explore and see if anything Caido had to offer could help.
Nairi’s eager questions were once more rapidfire, and the bard grinned, turning around to walk normally again, just enough ahead to lead the way. The trees were already beginning to thin, and ahead the land brightened considerably as the moon reflected off the snow of the fields. He gave Seiji a quick smile and a gracious nod of gratitude for his compliment before answering the young woman now wearing his cloak. ”The underground… I can’t tell you much about, I’m afraid. It’s a dangerous area, I’ve heard, beneath the unreclaimed ruins and not entirely stable. A shrine to a new goddess was recently discovered there, but I don’t believe it’s been explored as extensively as most other places on Caido.” He tipped Nairi a wink towards her desire to explore.
”And the monsters are… well, I suppose it depends on your definition,” he temporized thoughtfully. ”Many of the normal animals that live near the barrier are strange. Extra eyes or limbs, and sometimes very aggressive. The predators in general, here, are… almost stunted. Hungry all the time. And seem all the more vicious for it.” He tilted Nairi a warning glance, before checking on Seiji as well – as much to make sure the slim young man wasn’t shivering too badly again. ”Even walking in the woods you should be careful, especially at night. But then there are others… a great maze called the Labyrinth. There are squirrels there that seem to speak, simple phrases like ‘follow me’ and they’ll lead you towards the center of the maze… but they’ll attack you if you try to leave, with weapons made from thorns. The maze itself changes as you walk it, shifting to keep you trapped, so if you don’t move fast enough you won’t be able to find your way back.”
His expression sobered, the bizarre creepy cuteness of the squirrels giving way to worse. ”There are other creatures in that maze. I call them boggarts after a fairy tale from my own world. They are shapeshifters that can peek into your mind and find your fears. Dead loved ones, fearsome beasts… whatever sends you running in panic so they can hunt you down with fangs and talons.” He shook his head grimly. ”But at least they can be fought and killed. The spire in the center of the barrier is guarded by a creature that neither eats nor sleeps… nor does it die. Local legends say it’s as old as the spire itself, and it tears apart anyone who tries to approach the monolith. And then there’s the land shark…” he shuddered, and not for theatrical effect. ”It came up from beneath the earth, beneath the snow… I only saw its jaws, but those jaws opened wide and devoured a large wolf whole. One bite. And then it descended again.” This time he lapsed into silence as they left the woods behind and began heading for the twinkling lights of the town a little ways across the snow.
02-14-2019, 03:12 AM
(This post was last modified: 02-14-2019, 03:14 AM by Seiji.)
Faced with Jigano's unwavering optimism, Seiji can but smile. He feels less hopeful, but perhaps only because of the cold and the frailty of his condition. His growing headache is a constant distraction. The cold, too, seeps right through his clothes now he has rid himself of the cloak. He concentrates to keep from shivering, slowly tensing and relaxing the muscles in his limbs. Allowing only steady breaths to fill his chest.
He listens to the talk of the underground, of the strange horrors waiting for him farther in, but he makes no comment. It all sounds terrible. Does he really wish to explore this place…? But of course, if he wants to leave, he must.
“Such a dangerous place,” Seiji breathes at last. “I don’t think I have ever fought before.” Will he need to learn? But the idea makes the pit of his stomach twist with disgust. Harming monsters, maybe… But he thinks of battle with a nauseous shiver. "Are there many soldiers here?"
{skipping Nairi with permission =)}
Jigano didn't like how cold Seiji looked. Like himself, the young man was too lean for this weather, needing extra clothing to stay warm that they just didn't have at the moment. "Can you walk a little faster?" he murmured to both of his companions, judging the distance to the settlement with a practiced eye. He rubbed at his own arms inside his wide sleeves, trying to keep his prickled skin from going numb as the chill of night settled over the land. The moonlight was welcome to show their path, but it was a cold light. The sooner they found a fire and proper walls the better!
He moved a little further into the lead, breaking the trail through the snow for those that followed him. His time on Caido had built up his endurance, at least, and they'd be among the more-traveled paths soon. Then they could speed up, and be to the Rathskeller shortly after.
"Dangerous," Jigano agreed with a smile for Seiji, "but it can be beautiful, too." The admission and the question earned a moment of silence as he sifted through his knowledge of the town and its denizens, frowning thoughtfully. "Soldiers? ...An interesting word. There are some outlanders with military backgrounds, I believe. Some of those from Northaven were in an army. And there is a guild of monster hunters. But... if you want to travel alone outside the settlement, it might be a good idea to learn a little self defense," he added gently. "You never know when you might be caught by four-legged predators... or two-legged ones. There are bandits here, too, desperate enough to prey on those they think are weaker than themselves." He frowned at that, a glower of distaste as he turned forward again, but his expression relaxed as they met with a well-worn trail through the snow that led to the edges of some ruined buildings.
"Not far, now!" he encouraged, coaxing his companions and trying to raise their morale for the last little leg of their journey.
Could he walk a little faster? Seiji obliged by increasing his pace slightly, though his mind and body both shivered on the edge of breaking. He tried not to think about bandits, or monsters, or the darkness falling like an end act curtain across the face of the world.
Soon enough, buildings rose ahead of them. His feet trod down a well-worn path, clearly marked and much easier to traverse. Seiji blinked up at the buildings, a small prickle of curiosity drawing his gaze from one to the next. Surely their destination was very near? But he wondered, too, about what kind of people lived behind the closed windows, the crumbling walls. The city — city? Settlement, maybe. The settlement looked old. Old in a way Seiji could not quite describe, but he felt age clinging to the stones like a palpable thing.
He looked forward to Jigano again, hoping at any moment to hear we've arrived! or something similar. Seiji had run out of things to say, and energy to say them with. Were he not in the company of others, he might have sat down just for a moment — to rest.
Seiji fell silent, and Nairi looked to be using all her energy just to stay warm and keep up. Jigano hesitated, pondering saying more... but what more was there to say? His companions had already asked a great deal, and he'd answered as best he could. Now they probably needed time to think about it all, and come to terms with this world they found themselves in. They both seemed fairly resilient, but the temptation to think that it was all a dream was powerful, he had to admit. It was only natural that it would take time to let it all sink in, no matter how well they were holding up so far.
At last the Settlement began to appear around them, growing from broken ruins to patched up buildings, to larger and sturdier shops and dwellings as they neared the center of it. The Temple rose like a beacon ahead of them, and Jigano pointed to it encouragingly. "There," he said, as eager as they were to reach warmth again. "The Temple, and in it the Infirmary, and beneath it the Rathskeller tavern. Come on - let's head down and find that fire and a warm meal for you." With a smile he led them down the cellar stairs and into the light and laughter of a bustling bar, warmth wafting out and melting the frost from their lashes.
They had survived their first hour on Caido, and found safety for the night. What the next would bring would be up to them, but they were off to a good start!
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