[Although Liem has seen his fair share of horrors in his life, he has never encountered a creature like the lumbering construct of root and rock and bone before them. Its multitude of voices batter at his mind, pushing at defences erected by physiology and years of studied practice, and he shudders as a hint of familiarity brushes his awareness along with the mind-bruising despair of souls held in torment. Without any doubt, he knows they must have found the resting place of the shard Yima asked him here for.
The creature hasn’t yet attacked them, but he doesn’t want to find out what might happen if they let it get any closer. As earth and root begins to heave under their feet, Liem tenses to move, cursing the barrier of the intervening trees screening the monster from a clear shot. When Hayame thrusts her hand toward him, he doesn’t stop to think about her pride or the slavery she was born into, the reluctance that had made her hesitate to allow even a hunted mother and child on her back. He takes one more look at the horror shambling closer and he clenches his arrow between his knuckles, reaching out with his freed hand to grip hers and leap up to her back. (He has a balanced but nervous seat; he grips with his knees like he’s expecting to be thrown off.)
But when Hayame wheels and surges away through the trees, he can’t help but look back.]
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The creature hasn’t yet attacked them, but he doesn’t want to find out what might happen if they let it get any closer. As earth and root begins to heave under their feet, Liem tenses to move, cursing the barrier of the intervening trees screening the monster from a clear shot. When Hayame thrusts her hand toward him, he doesn’t stop to think about her pride or the slavery she was born into, the reluctance that had made her hesitate to allow even a hunted mother and child on her back. He takes one more look at the horror shambling closer and he clenches his arrow between his knuckles, reaching out with his freed hand to grip hers and leap up to her back. (He has a balanced but nervous seat; he grips with his knees like he’s expecting to be thrown off.)
But when Hayame wheels and surges away through the trees, he can’t help but look back.]