you're missing what im tryna say, there's nothing getting in my way

Killian’s smile met his eyes again when Jigano said that he had been out in the forest. For a moment he noticed the incredible blue of the man’s eyes, just a glimmer of azure in the sunlight. A passing trance, nothing more, Killian pulled his gaze away from the lore seekers eyes when the cartography lesson continued. He was shown most of the areas in the Hollowed Grounds, and basically how to get to them. In retrospect, this could’ve been a bad idea, showing the pusher of boundaries exactly where those boundaries were.

He was very curious about the ruins, specifically this place called the labyrinth. His honey brown eyes widened at the mention of speaking squirrels and amusement tugged at his cheeks. ”Speaking squirrels?” he said incredulously, quirking a dark brow at the man. A certain darkness crept into Jigano’s voice as he continued on about the labyrinth, talking about how the monsters inside could construct your worst fears before your eyes. ”Have you been there?” he asked, wondering if this too was from experience.

He didn't quite catch Killian's moment of distraction with him - or at least, he didn't pause to comment on it. He was a bard, catching eyes and hearts was part of what he was supposed to do - when he cared enough to try. Even when he wasn't exerting his charm deliberately some of it tended to linger in unconscious ways of holding himself, and of course in his naturally striking appearance, his birthright as an Oracle, even though no such thing existed in this new world.

"That's what we call them," he agreed, raising an amused brow at the detail that Killian latched onto. "They don't say much. 'Come' and 'thisaway' and 'yes!' and such. They don't really understand speech, not that I found, but they're very good at mimicking words that will get people to follow them into the labyrinth, deeper and deeper... and then when you realize you've made a mistake and try to turn around, that's when you discover that the walls have moved behind you, and that the little rodents are carnivorous and capable of using simple tools - the big thorns in the hedgewalls, mostly - as weapons to attack you. Mostly annoying, except when you realize you're bleeding from a thousand small cuts and can't actually get away from them." He shrugged, deceptively lightly. "Near as I can tell it's a bit of a symbiotic relationship with the boggarts. The squirrels lure people in, the boggarts kill them, and then everyone gets a meal."

He raised a brow again at the innocent question, lips quirking as he seemed to sense what the younger man was getting at. "I have, and back again, though I couldn't have done it without a winged ally guiding me from above after the walls shifted our original path. He kept me out of dead ends and on a path that eventually led back to the gates. There are useful herbs near the center of the maze, for healing minor hurts, but it's not the sort of place to go without a partner you can trust your back to," he cautioned.

Killian listened with that amused smile still on his face as Jigano described the speaking squirrels. The scene played out in his mind; a hoard of small fuzzy creatures pointing and skittering around, and their tiny buck tooth mouths shouting. However the story darkened rather quickly. His eyes widened and his face shifted to an expression that read, "Huh," whether or not he'd said it. Oh yikes, they were carnivorous too, and liked to lead people to their deaths. As awful of a demise as that sounded, Killian had to stifle a snicker as he imagined a squirrel stabbing him with a squirrel knife.

Jigano answered his next question in a way that was almost a warning. Shoot, he was on to him. Killian hadn't made it official that he wanted to go to the labyrinth, but his mind had already been racing with the thought of at least seeing it. He was an adventurer after all, he was always craving something new. He just nodded at the last bit, "I'll keep that in mind before I do anything," he half commented and half gave as assurance that he'd gotten the message.

"So, your lorekeeper's guild, how much of all this have you guys actually explored and documented?" he asked, gesturing and referring to not only the map, but also the Atheneum. There was a lot of information stored in these books, and whether or not he wanted to read them didn't stop him from respecting the trade.

Oh, the speaking squirrels sounded cute at first - Jigano had almost fallen into that trap, too. He was relieved to see that Killian seemed to be taking him seriously though, especially since he wasn't exaggerating. Still, the young man was, well, young and adventurous and possibly thought of himself as immortal - the bard had once entertained similar illusions at that age - and the labyrinth had the allure of mystery and danger to it. Jigano offered his warning delicately, and his grin widened a little at the too-innocent promise.

"If you do decide to check it out, please don't hesitate to ask for company," he offered on an impulse, knowing he'd regret seeing the newcomer run into trouble because Jigano had been a little too free with his information. "I wouldn't mind going back to gather more of the efas herbs, and I'm a fair hand with a sword when I need to be. Between the two of us we should make it in and out again in one piece." Scratched and bloody pieces, more like, once the squirrels were done harassing them on the way out, but nothing a few days healing and some of Vai's poultices wouldn't fix up.

The question about the Atheneum had another wry smile quirking his lips as he glanced around the grand old building fondly. "There's a fair bit of documentation already from the Naturals who care for the place," he explained. "Two such are in the guild - Amalia and Sam, good people both. I only arrived here, oh, perhaps half a year ago, now? We discovered a Hall beneath the Atheneum where our guild is based out of, but most of our attention has been to documenting books that deal with the problems that needed immediate solving." He shrugged ruefully. "There are still areas that haven't been completely unearthed, though, or were hidden by falling masonry when the building was damaged, or had shelves collapse in front of them and block them off - that's how I discovered the Guild's door," he explained cheerfully.

He took a considering look at the young man standing with him, taking in to account what he had said earlier, and how he had reacted, and the lorekeeper quickly reached a decision. There was nothing absolutely pressing that he needed to do just now... and Killian seemed like the type to enjoy doing things. "Would you like to do a bit of exploring while we talk?" he asked slyly, a rare twinkle of mischief in his clear blue eyes.

Killian grinned at Jigano's offer to accompany him to the labyrinth. He used to do all his exploring alone, considering it was all done without permission. It might be nice to have someone to go with, to have his back when things got tight. "Sounds great," he said warmly.

Once again Killian was nodding along to the lore seekers response, taking it in as he glanced around at everything. He was definitely interested in the part about secret hallways and hidden doors, and how there was so much more to explore. Killian was about to ask if he could look around some, when Jigano took the words out of his mouth. The lore seeker had guessed him just right, Kiki loved doing things, he preferred learning through experience.

"Uhh yes," he joked, as if the question's answer was quite obvious. He stood straighter as he prepared to follow Jigano, energy seemed to exude from his fingertips. "Where are we going?" he asked, to see if they were headed anywhere particular.

Young - but friendly. Bright and curious. Killian seemed an impetuous but hopefully not foolish young man, and Jigano hoped that no harm would come to him in the sometimes-dangerous nooks and crannies of the Hollowed Grounds. Having company while he harvested more efas herb might slow him down a bit, but it would also be pleasant to have someone to talk to on the trip.

Carefully closing the book and returning it to its place on the shelf, the bard grinned at his companion and began to lead the way. "See the gaping hole in the side of the building? That area is the most unstable, and the least well explored. There are other areas... but that's not a bad one to start with, since neither of us has a lantern at the moment." And the spring sunlight poured in through the break, warm and bright between surprise rain showers, throwing some parts of the building's interior into brightness, while others were doused in darker shadows from the contrast. "I've been meaning to find an excuse to do more exploring in here anyways," he confided in his new friend. "But there's always so many other things that need my attention... thank you for giving me the chance to indulge my curiosity!" He offered a grin and a wink. "But what about you? I've been doing all the talking, and as much as I enjoy the sound of my own voice... I'd like to learn a little more about you as well, Killian. If you don't mind sharing?"

Killian followed as Jigano began walking, tilting his head back to squint up at the hole in the Atheneum that filled the relic with bright spring light. That's where they were headed, Killian smiled a little, excited to do a little adventuring. A question popped into his mind as he looked at the hole, "Don't the books get wet when it rains?" he asked, imagining a storm blowing over and wreaking havoc on the Atheneum.

The lore seeker's thanks seemed misplaced, it was really Kiki that should be thanking him. "Oh no problem! Thank you for... well everything you've said today! And this," he replied warmly, rolling his shoulders to straighten out his shirt as they walked.

And then, as most people did, he was asked about himself. He was surprised he'd gotten this far without having to share, he was glad for it too. He was very talkative, but he was also so new to all this, and so new to not having all that he used to. Talking about it didn't make it better. However he considered Jigano a new friend, and good enough as anyone to share with.

"Yeah sure, I uh," he started, then paused to think. What could he say without going into too much detail about his heirship and the goddess and so forth? "Well like I said I'm from Regne du Jour, it's a relatively small nation, or uh country? It was definitely home, and I miss it a lot, but a month or so before I showed up here we got ourselves into some dumb war over the gods, and I was expected to fight. Guess I'm glad I got sent here, before I had to," he said, and this much was true. He missed his home and his family, but if this was going to happen, he was glad it happened at such a dark time.

"The ones that are in that area, yes," Jigano said, regret and sadness plain in his voice. "The ones not protected by magical means, at least. The remaining ones are mostly destroyed... but luckily the winds don't tend to blow the rain in too often. The rest of the Atheneum is better protected, thankfully." After three hundred years the books closest to the hole had indeed become largely bricks of melted paper and mildewed leather. "Though I keep meaning to try and organize a repair crew, even if it's just a simple wooden patch over the hole," he added wistfully. "Maybe now that the snows are gone..." The amount of labor required to repair the stonework was outside of the Settlement's power, he knew, but even a simple wooden enclosure would improve matters. Though that, too, would take an incredible amount of manpower to put into place.

Jigano glanced back wryly at the easy way Killian waved off his gratitude, but he nodded acknowledgment of the younger man's good manners. "It's a pleasure, as well as something of a self-appointed duty," he chuckled back. "It isn't easy, arriving with nothing but what you were carrying... if I can help others adjust a little more comfortably, it seems only good karma."

They reached an area where shelves had been knocked together, and the fallen stone rubble lay on the ground. It was small here, but as they continued walking while Killian talked the chunks of rock and broken shelving became larger and hard to navigate around. Jigano waited patiently while Killian sorted his thoughts and decided how much to say, and he listened intently, nodding along at the description of the young man's past. He winced at hearing of a way between gods, pausing to give his new friend another wry smile. "Your timing is either impeccable or unfortunate," he admitted, climbing nimbly over a large chunk of wall and slipping into a shadowed half-tunnel of masonry beyond. His voice dropped to a whisper as he eyed the way forward, trying to judge how stable it was. "There are gods here, too, and all is not peaceful. The Old Gods had imprisoned a mortal who had ascended to godhood - or something like it - here inside that magical barrier I mentioned. We freed her, for good or ill, and she brought the barrier down, but we were warned that the Old Gods would be angry about it... and the new one has given warnings as well, threatening people not to meddle in her affairs." He shrugged lightly, beginning to lead the way at a more cautious pace, though the rubble seemed unlikely to budge. "Careful who you pray to, here, if you decide to pray to anyone, if you want to avoid getting caught up in it all." He slid a glance back at Killian, curious but trying not to pry too hard. "Is that anything like the situation your country was in?"

Jigano confirmed Killian's question, and the boy frowned slightly. "Well that sucks," he said, shaking his head in a quick tick, his hair falling messily to a new spot on his forehead. He could tell this was a troubling issue for Jigano, so when the lore seeker mentioned that he was going to try and assemble some people to find a way to cover the hole, he gestured out and said, "Well hey whenever you do let me know, I'd be glad to help."

The duo continued on, at some point Killian had started to get ahead of Jigano, his eagerness perhaps. And the debris grew larger and more common, which provided an obstacle that Killian was more than happy to try navigating. He finished his short explanation of how he'd come to be here, then glanced back at Jigano when the man replied.

They had come to a short wall, so Killian paused, listening as he waited for Jigano to take the lead again. The robed man made quick work of going over the wall, and entering a darker tunnel space beyond. Killian brightened, they really were exploring now weren't they? He pushed himself up, swinging his legs over and landing on the other side as Jigano talked some about the gods of this world.

"I will," he assured again, though whether or not that was true was up in the air for debate. He was actually pretty interested in Caido's gods, and how similar they may be to his own. He hoped he might get to speak to them some day, as it seemed they did enjoy to meddle in the affairs of those here. Not because he was particularly religious, but more because he felt that they might have answers that no mortal could give him.

He was inquired further about his own country's godly affairs, and he felt more comfortable talking about this than he did his own life. "Not exactly no, the gods aren't as likely to talk to normal people where I'm from. They mostly deal with themselves and occasionally tell us to do things for them," he explained, leaving out that he was one of the 'lucky' few who had gotten to speak to the gods.

"Thank you," the loreseeker flashed Killian a smile, bright as moonlight and full of gratitude for the young man's quick offer of help. It was good to know that his courtesy was more than skin-deep, and the bard made a note to himself to keep an eye on the newcomer in the future. There was a brightness to him, a sense of potential and promise that was worth helping along.

The tunnel wasn't very long, but it was dusty and filled with cobwebs in the pale sunlight that filtered in from the several inches of open space between the walls of fallen rocks and 'roof' of mostly-intact masonry that had collapsed on top of it. The tunnel ended... or did it? Jigano crouched down to examine a shadowy alcove tucked into the deadend, and his hand disappeared into the shadows. His eyebrows rose as he reached in further, carefully, groping around and then down as his arm disappeared up to the shoulder before he withdrew it. "I don't suppose you have anything on you that could make a light?" he asked, glancing back at Killian with an arched brow.  "We're slim enough to wiggle into that space, though I wouldn't want to do so without being able to see what we're getting into. It feels like there's a hole in the floor though, and it goes down further than I can reach... another basement room?" he mused aloud, sitting back on his heels. He shook his head, focusing on his companion's words.

"They were more like that on my world, too," he shared. "Very much present but... distant. They grant their followers - their priests, at least - certain powers and magic, but not really in a personal sort of way." He shrugged, smiling wryly up at the young man. "I think the Old Ones here are more like that. Vi, Mort, and Rae. Less likely to intervene personally, but their... heralds, for lack of a better term, Safrin, Ludo, and Frey, are much closer to us mere mortals, and more likely to answer prayers, I think."

At first it appeared as though the tunnel came to an end, just a disappointing and dark cul-de-sac. Though Jigano inspected a small alcove further, sticking his hand in, and then his whole arms. Killian's eyes widened as he watched the lore seeker's arm disappear into the alcove, and who knew how much further it could potentially reach. Yeah, Killian definitely wanted to find out.

He shook his head when asked about a light, and moved forwards to squat next to Jigano to look for himself. Yep, it was definitely too dark to see, but when he stuck his hand in the hole he found a lot more open space beyond, in every direction that he waved. He pulled back out, and pursed his lips with thought. As a cheetah he could see much better in the dark, but not that well.

"Should we go back and get a lantern?" he asked, not ready for their expedition to end just yet. Especially not when promised something exciting, like a mysterious hole in the wall that could lead who knows where.

He'd become slightly distracted from their talk of gods, his one track mind barreling after the mystery hole and only slightly catching the gist of what Jigano said. Oops. He did get the bit about Safrin, Ludo and Frey, three names he'd heard less of but had heard. "So they are kind of like demi gods? or just lesser gods?" he asked.

Jigano scooted back to give Killian space to squeeze by and test the hole for himself. Grinning, he watched the young man's curiosity and determination, and laughed at the suggestion. "Let's!" he agreed. "No reason to stop now that we've found something interesting! And hopefully not just a big, shallow hole in the ground," he added with a wry chuckle. "But there's cooler air coming up from below. Might be a storeroom down there... or access to something else."

He stood and straightened his tunic, leading the way back with a much faster step now that they knew the way and had a goal. "This works out. I can show you where the Guildhall is if you ever want to stop by with questions." He grinned back at his new friend. "Or just a cup of tea. I can grab a length of rope, too, since we don't know how far down that hole goes. And lesser gods, rather than demigods. They were created by the Old Gods, and can be, ah, a bit touchy about their divinity, especially in comparison to the Voice and her allies," he explained as he hurried across the width of the Atheneum, leading Killian to a metal-sheathed door bearing a similar design to what was on the loreseeker's pin. "How many gods does your world have?"

Killian smiled at the, lets, glad to see his companion was equally as interested as he. So he stood up straight, patting any debris from his knees, and followed Jigano back down the path they'd come, but with more purpose in his step. He'd started out looking lazily at books, and now he was off in some dark tunnel. The Atheneum was proving to be an adventure in itself.

Killian chuckled at the mention of tea, Phoebe had made him tea on his first day, extra sugar. It'd been nice and calming then, but he didn't foresee himself becoming a regular tea drinker, or even capable of sitting long enough to finish a cup. The offer was still appreciated, "Cool, thanks," he replied.

Killian nodded as Jigano further explained the lesser gods, and their quarrels with the voice. He mentioned her allies, which of course sparked another question, "Who are her allies?" from what he'd heard so far, the voice wasn't the most popular goddess in town, being locked up and all.

"Oh jeez," he said, running a hand through his hair as he remarked on Jigano's question. "There's one for every territory, so a lot. Each god has their own nation who they protect and reign over, hence all the drama. Regne du Jour was under Soleil, the sun goddess, and the nation we were going to war with was her twin brother's reign, Lune," he said.

The question earned another wry grin as Jigano led the way down into the Guildhall, collecting a lantern and a coil of rope from his office. "Her allies are a bit of an enigma at the moment," he admitted. "We know that she's not the only one, but how many others there are is still uncertain. She can turn normal humans - Accepted, they're called here - into a sort of... hmm. Vampire is one word, but it's not really right. 'Ascended' is the term they use. Though so far she's only turned willing people, at their request." He had initially tried to keep an open mind and not take sides, but Maea's report on the Voice's threats after she had been freed had seemed to lend credence to Safrin's warnings after all. It was an uneasy topic to discuss as the bard led the way back to their tunnel, hopping over the wall and into the dimly lit 'tunnel' of rubble as they talked.

"A sun goddess? She sounds powerful," Jigano mused, considering that, with his coloring, he probably had more in common with 'Lune' though whether their beliefs and interests matched was something of a moot point since they would never meet. "Did they fight often, these gods of suns and moons?" It seemed such deities were either in love or at war, with very little in between!