It wasn't that Maea's sudden appearance was unexpected, but her wounded and gasping state had tightened the bard's skin over his elegant bones, jaw clenching in concern. There were others in the Spire, down below, others who needed help, even if his student, at least, had escaped.
He wasn't a hero. Not anymore.
But he wasn't the shell he had become after three years of wandering, either. He had friends at his side, people he loved too much to let down, and there was light again, in his heart. Light that came from the hand in his, and the woman who held an antlered staff beside him. It came, too, from the fiery mage across the way, and the timid bookseller who had raced into the Spire earlier, as well as a former queen, an ex-demigod, and a man with no memories. He might not be a hero anymore, but he had not fallen so far that he could let even idiots die.
And, now that things had been irrevocably set in motion, what if there would not be another chance to bring down the barrier?
Jigano paused long enough to cut and tear a strip of linen from his undertunic, binding it around his mouth and nose to protect against the poison gas Maea had warned them of before he swept up his Sparkbird-feather lantern and followed Amalia and Rory down the stairs and into the dark.
His long legs soon caught up with them, and they continued their rush downwards until a stinging in his eyes slowed his steps to caution, even as they stepped into a room that was beautiful - and terrifying, the body of a great turtle bleeding into the water and the eerie plants. Jigano frowned as Rory summoned a bear and then paused, and even as Amalia sped onwards and Lucas's cheeky voice carried from the room ahead he laid a comforting hand on the hunter's arm. "Go back," he begged. "Please. Find a healer, if you can. We're going to need one, before this is over." Because of course it was Roana down here, stubborn and confident and unlikely to listen to reason. Why should she start now? But the time for recriminations was past. He doubted Roana was going to be swayed by Amalia's pleas - Lucas even less so, but Jigano had to try to save them anyways, stepping through the doorway past Amalia and raising his lantern high, beginning to sway the bright light it emitted in a slow, hypnotic pattern that he hoped might give the serpent pause and buy the others time to escape.
But he stayed on his toes, ready to dodge just in case all his light and motion did was draw an attack.
Jigano ties a linen mask over his nose and mouth before descending. He begs Rory to leave and steps into the snake room with his lantern, attempting to distract the serpent with its slowly swaying light.
He wasn't a hero. Not anymore.
But he wasn't the shell he had become after three years of wandering, either. He had friends at his side, people he loved too much to let down, and there was light again, in his heart. Light that came from the hand in his, and the woman who held an antlered staff beside him. It came, too, from the fiery mage across the way, and the timid bookseller who had raced into the Spire earlier, as well as a former queen, an ex-demigod, and a man with no memories. He might not be a hero anymore, but he had not fallen so far that he could let even idiots die.
And, now that things had been irrevocably set in motion, what if there would not be another chance to bring down the barrier?
Jigano paused long enough to cut and tear a strip of linen from his undertunic, binding it around his mouth and nose to protect against the poison gas Maea had warned them of before he swept up his Sparkbird-feather lantern and followed Amalia and Rory down the stairs and into the dark.
His long legs soon caught up with them, and they continued their rush downwards until a stinging in his eyes slowed his steps to caution, even as they stepped into a room that was beautiful - and terrifying, the body of a great turtle bleeding into the water and the eerie plants. Jigano frowned as Rory summoned a bear and then paused, and even as Amalia sped onwards and Lucas's cheeky voice carried from the room ahead he laid a comforting hand on the hunter's arm. "Go back," he begged. "Please. Find a healer, if you can. We're going to need one, before this is over." Because of course it was Roana down here, stubborn and confident and unlikely to listen to reason. Why should she start now? But the time for recriminations was past. He doubted Roana was going to be swayed by Amalia's pleas - Lucas even less so, but Jigano had to try to save them anyways, stepping through the doorway past Amalia and raising his lantern high, beginning to sway the bright light it emitted in a slow, hypnotic pattern that he hoped might give the serpent pause and buy the others time to escape.
But he stayed on his toes, ready to dodge just in case all his light and motion did was draw an attack.
Jigano ties a linen mask over his nose and mouth before descending. He begs Rory to leave and steps into the snake room with his lantern, attempting to distract the serpent with its slowly swaying light.
