Awakening is not... easy. It hurts, feeling like bones, skin, muscle--every bit and piece of her body--stitches itself back together from nothingness. It hurts more than the spear when it pierced her belly, twisting, felling her in battle. Not nearly as painful as listening to her friends being slaughtered, or lying in a puddle of blood, staring blankly up at the sky, wondering if her love managed to survive. All these memories and sensations return, but she's alone. So she leaves for shelter. It's not fleeing. Not really.
Only... she returns within a day's time. And when she returns, it's to find herself a strange green-gold device and a new companion. A cute little bear-like creature who insistently snuggles against her breast. Not long after, her courier growls out a warning: You are not safe here from the bite of night. Make haste child, and take with you a burning light. Fair enough a warning she thinks.
"Time to go home, Irriella." The red panda snorts in agreement.
***
Home, of course, is a debatable thing. Having been raised in Krimnos would mean it is home, no? But that's not the city which sings to her, and it's much further away from her position. ...From where she'd died. Atrómitos, for however distant a place it is to her, still rings as the home she deserves.
The city, however, is far different from her memories. Decimated, that's how it looks. But what could have caused this sort of destruction of a once proud city?
Something to mull upon later; murmurs of the Long Night reach her before the threat of Anasta's Shadow will as she steps onto the land. Home.
***
The Immortal Duke is a rather strange establishment. No, that's not true. What's strange are those who reside within the city. The City of the Free Peoples, they call it. Free. Is she free?
She's wondering that very question when Irriella squirms her way out of Dany's hold and slips to the floor. For such a small creature, she can move quickly. "Irriella!"
Around a table. Ducking beneath a chair. Her hurried footsteps echo as she gives chase to a striped poof of fur, only to find the panda cozying herself up to a man's booted foot. She doesn't spare him a glance, merely sweeps the troublesome critter up in her arms--much to Irriella's distress, as she's yowling in displeasure--and muttering a quick, "My apologies, ser, she's unused to another's company," before spinning around and rushing her way back to the innkeep.
FOR JON;
Only... she returns within a day's time. And when she returns, it's to find herself a strange green-gold device and a new companion. A cute little bear-like creature who insistently snuggles against her breast. Not long after, her courier growls out a warning: You are not safe here from the bite of night. Make haste child, and take with you a burning light. Fair enough a warning she thinks.
"Time to go home, Irriella." The red panda snorts in agreement.
***
Home, of course, is a debatable thing. Having been raised in Krimnos would mean it is home, no? But that's not the city which sings to her, and it's much further away from her position. ...From where she'd died. Atrómitos, for however distant a place it is to her, still rings as the home she deserves.
The city, however, is far different from her memories. Decimated, that's how it looks. But what could have caused this sort of destruction of a once proud city?
Something to mull upon later; murmurs of the Long Night reach her before the threat of Anasta's Shadow will as she steps onto the land. Home.
***
The Immortal Duke is a rather strange establishment. No, that's not true. What's strange are those who reside within the city. The City of the Free Peoples, they call it. Free. Is she free?
She's wondering that very question when Irriella squirms her way out of Dany's hold and slips to the floor. For such a small creature, she can move quickly. "Irriella!"
Around a table. Ducking beneath a chair. Her hurried footsteps echo as she gives chase to a striped poof of fur, only to find the panda cozying herself up to a man's booted foot. She doesn't spare him a glance, merely sweeps the troublesome critter up in her arms--much to Irriella's distress, as she's yowling in displeasure--and muttering a quick, "My apologies, ser, she's unused to another's company," before spinning around and rushing her way back to the innkeep.