"There's nothing to apologize for," Jigano reassured his friend with a fond smile. He moved on without thinking twice about the mistake, aside from a brief mental reminder to himself to word things more clearly in the future.
He gave a little shake of his head at Samuel's wide eyes, a soft chuckle in his throat. "Oh, don't worry. I was just along to take notes, and I didn't get that close to it. The man... I didn't know his name." Jigano frowned a little at the memory, glancing away. "I later heard that it might be 'Archibald' or something like that, but I'm still uncertain. The expedition's leader asked him to touch the barrier since, ah..." Jigano gave his friend a sad, lopsided little smile. "Well. He said something about Ascended not feeling pain or having the same organs to be damaged. The man did what the mage asked of him, and paid a price for it." He tilted his head, smile turning a bit rueful. "It's not something I want you to have to experience, my friend."
"Punishment or protections, isn't it always?" the bard murmured ruefully, glancing at the barrier as they paralleled it. "I'm not sure these gods are into 'fairness' and punishment in quite that way. But who knows? Maybe they--hey!" A small bird burst from the snow almost at their feet, heavy wings whirring as it flew up and away from them, and from the barrier as well. Jigano squinted after it eagerly, noting the patchiness of its feathers and what looked like a second pair of stunted, useless wings emerging on top of the more normal set and interfering slightly with its flight. As soon as he fixed the details in his mind's eye he pulled out his journal and a marking stick and began writing in swift, steady script. "Sam, did you see that?" he asked, curiosity mixed with solemn sobriety at the poor creature's handicap.
He gave a little shake of his head at Samuel's wide eyes, a soft chuckle in his throat. "Oh, don't worry. I was just along to take notes, and I didn't get that close to it. The man... I didn't know his name." Jigano frowned a little at the memory, glancing away. "I later heard that it might be 'Archibald' or something like that, but I'm still uncertain. The expedition's leader asked him to touch the barrier since, ah..." Jigano gave his friend a sad, lopsided little smile. "Well. He said something about Ascended not feeling pain or having the same organs to be damaged. The man did what the mage asked of him, and paid a price for it." He tilted his head, smile turning a bit rueful. "It's not something I want you to have to experience, my friend."
"Punishment or protections, isn't it always?" the bard murmured ruefully, glancing at the barrier as they paralleled it. "I'm not sure these gods are into 'fairness' and punishment in quite that way. But who knows? Maybe they--hey!" A small bird burst from the snow almost at their feet, heavy wings whirring as it flew up and away from them, and from the barrier as well. Jigano squinted after it eagerly, noting the patchiness of its feathers and what looked like a second pair of stunted, useless wings emerging on top of the more normal set and interfering slightly with its flight. As soon as he fixed the details in his mind's eye he pulled out his journal and a marking stick and began writing in swift, steady script. "Sam, did you see that?" he asked, curiosity mixed with solemn sobriety at the poor creature's handicap.
