Exactly that. Rishfee for one would have felt far more secure paranoid, than torn to little bits and joining what else was down there by the Jnun. He resisted the urge to sigh and collected the little girl into his arms, positioning her just so, making it difficult to for her to see what lurked below. Normally, he would have said something comforting. Something to apologize for not treating her as anything but an adult and normally some means of bribe to make it up to her later. But he was not himself.
Not being himself didn't mean that he treated her as a sack of potatoes, no, nothing like that. He still treated her with the same measure of care and respect in action, just not so with words. And, he was first to step unto the lilies which were the only way across the marsh. He tilted his head back to address the others. "As you can see, the fog is thick. Do not fall behind. If you fall in, you will be left behind. It will be impossible to get you out before the Jnun get you."
...He had to stop himself from looking in the water. As with everything in this horrible place, he wasn't exaggerating at the dangers. But what lay underneath the water, staring up at them was of no danger. They were bodies. Preserved, motionless, and a multitude of them. Some wounded. Some not. Some peaceful. Some contorted beyond all shadow of agony. Some were Imperial soldiers from 200 years ago, entwined with all of the other bodies... and some were the Ephramadian citizens which had attempted to run from the soldiers and genocide. Some were old, some were children. Some were women, clutching bundles of rags that must have once been their children to their chests. But they were all, beyond all shadow of any doubt dead.
They had all fell into the water, and the water had claimed them all. Looking at them was nothing short of upsetting. The waste of life was as sickening as the stench that rose from the pool.
Finally, Rishfee came to the other side and lightly stepped upon the bank. The staging point was within seeing distance now - just a straight walk on..
no subject
Not being himself didn't mean that he treated her as a sack of potatoes, no, nothing like that. He still treated her with the same measure of care and respect in action, just not so with words. And, he was first to step unto the lilies which were the only way across the marsh. He tilted his head back to address the others. "As you can see, the fog is thick. Do not fall behind. If you fall in, you will be left behind. It will be impossible to get you out before the Jnun get you."
...He had to stop himself from looking in the water. As with everything in this horrible place, he wasn't exaggerating at the dangers. But what lay underneath the water, staring up at them was of no danger. They were bodies. Preserved, motionless, and a multitude of them. Some wounded. Some not. Some peaceful. Some contorted beyond all shadow of agony. Some were Imperial soldiers from 200 years ago, entwined with all of the other bodies... and some were the Ephramadian citizens which had attempted to run from the soldiers and genocide. Some were old, some were children. Some were women, clutching bundles of rags that must have once been their children to their chests. But they were all, beyond all shadow of any doubt dead.
They had all fell into the water, and the water had claimed them all. Looking at them was nothing short of upsetting. The waste of life was as sickening as the stench that rose from the pool.
Finally, Rishfee came to the other side and lightly stepped upon the bank. The staging point was within seeing distance now - just a straight walk on..