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Alessio didn’t look up until he felt Leana hand. He blinked, glancing up at her thoughtful, kind eyes. How was he supposed to protect her, or anyone here!? Everything was going to come crashing down all at once, he was sure. But he still felt warm when she squeezed his arm, and he froze in place trying so hard not to flinch or anything that would make her let go.

“How do you know that?” She asked, pushing to her feet with a wince. Instinctively, Alessio jumped to his feet, hovering anxiously before he bit his lip and forced himself to relax.

How he knew?

He could tell her everything, but she and Nithel were good people. They didn’t have any guile, and they would react. If he said too much it was over. As long as they didn’t threaten Nathair…

There was so much, so many reasons. He clenched his bloody hand, just so the pain would ground him to the present. Don’t think about it, don’t think. He had to stay calm.

“You’re not the first person to ever try and reach him.” He muttered.

 

“As much as I hated to say it…” Search said, “if Burn says we should go to the glowy pool of evil magic that absolutely will kill us, we should go…”

Seriously…?

Nathair glanced at Burn who was bobbing his head vigorously.

“Because there is always something worse he’s leading us from.” She finished.

“I am amazed no one has heard it coming this way.” Burn said, “Can’t you feel it shaking the ground?”

Nathair didn’t feel anything unusual. None of them seemed to. Just the Blind Guy, so chalk that up to one more “interesting” thing about Burn.

“I suppose we’d best gather everyone and be on our way to our inevitable deaths then.” Nathair said cheerfully. Then he noticed a now very haggard stranger muttering softly before he climbed to his feet.

“Is there a priest among us?” He asked. Normally, Nathair would think no obviously there’s not at a quick glance around the group but well…Today was not his normal mundane day you could say.

“I don’t believe so but one could easily fall out of the sky at any minute.” He said. “I don’t think we’ve been properly introduced. Who are you?”

 

Alessio wasn’t sure if he should go on. Every survival instinct in him was screaming to just keep his mouth shut. He bit his lip and caught himself fingering the scars on his wrist. A motion he’d taught him as a signal for help.

“He…sees kindness as consent,” Alessio attempted again in an even softer voice. “or weakness at best-We should find out who’s here and what assets we have so we can come up with a plan.”

Abruptly he switched topics, and everything about his demeanor, catching Nathair’s eyes on him. He probably hadn’t heard but he knew. It was just a second, and his attention was on Ohel the next time he looked up.

Play it careful.

‘Always appear both focused and relaxed.’ It would scare people enough they’d find a more convenient victim with more obvious weaknesses. It was what a prince was expected to do to maintain order, to keep the people calm, to walk that fine line in politics.

“Does anyone have a viable strategy?” He asked going over to the ground coalescing around the eerie pool. But he kept note of where Leana and Nithel were all the time, he swore he wouldn’t let them get hurt.

‘Act indifferent and no one will know what they can take from you.’

 

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