(Untitled)

[rowan_gods]

Above the ground, in the center of the city of Jhelbor, in a room that John has long since vacated, a twisted piece of shimmering metal and glass seems to shrink down down down until it's nothing more than a pinprick, and then the air around it explodes, and the ripples of that much magic being unmade travel out in all directions.

It's too much. Too

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[melodyofwater]

Journeys to strange places where he wasn't always sure where he was going was nothing new- the part about not having any control over how he got there still kind of sucked.

It took him a moment to get up- it was actually pretty comfortable on the ground, after that trip- rubbing the back of his head and looking for around for anything remotely familiar. Which he did not find.

"Craaaap," he muttered, more to himself than anything as he stumbled to his feet, leaning again tree while he regained feelings in his legs. This was bad.

[ebony_musician]

Touya didn't like being watched by the strange onlookers very much, is tail was puffed up and his ears laid back as he eyed the onlookers warily. So, after a moment of indecision he scooted over to Jack. Once there he nudged him in the side to get his attention. He knew Jack the best so, even though that wasn't very well at all, he was the obvious choice to approach right now. He really wished he had Cris or Aihlen there right now though, because he'd have felt a lot better with either one.

[fixdpointintime]

Jack glanced down at Touya, at the determined look on that little face, and put one large hand in the middle of the boy's back, pressing him to his side. Non-verbal confirmation that he'd watch over him. Things got so complicated when you involved children. Not that it was the little guy's fault. "Don't worry. We'll straighten this all out."

[ebony_musician]

Touya relaxed notably with Jack's reassurance, though not all the way. At least somebody planned to do something. His tail still bristled as he continued to watch the people, but now his gaze was much less wary and more curious. He inhaled through his nose and blinked once in surprise. The scent of Cedric's blood stung his nose a little, but that wasn't the cause of his surprise.

"They're all humans," he said very quietly, looking up at Jack to see if he'd heard. That might be important to someone, and to him it was definitely interesting and a little unusual. A lot like when he first came to Rowan and they were in human territory. Back then he had never seen so many humans in one place. this was a little different though.

[fixdpointintime]

"All of them? Are you sure?" He wasn't sure why, but that struck him as odd. Jhelbor was supposed to be demon territory, wasn't it? In the past, which this seemed to be, anyway. Even in the human cities they had passed through with the Royal caravan, there had been a smattering of the other elder races mixed in with the population.

Jack dropped down on one knee to put himself at Touya's eye level and spoke quietly to the boy. "How far out can you tell? Just this first circle, or the one beyond it, too?"

He glanced up at Ianto and his eyes narrowed ever so slightly in concentration. 'Go as far out as you can. Check as many as you can. All human?'

[rowantree_npcs]

There were two men who seemed to be the focal point of the group. Beren was already watching them when the only child in the group hid behind one of them for comfort, for security, and that was definitive proof as far as he was concerned. Then one of them mentioned the need for a discussion, and he knew that this was neither the time nor the place for that

[rowantree_npcs]

Tyne was pretty sure she'd never heard Beren speak like that. Ever. But then, she'd also never felt this pull, like she was being drawn, moving as part of a collective. Who was to say what the Gate had done to all of them in its closing?

"Beren is right," she said, drawing nearer to the closest of the strangers. "This is a time of great celebration. There are better things to be doing than standing in a field while night falls." Oh Gods, now she was doing it.

[notawolfman]

Oki stopped his pacing to face the woman who'd just spoken. "A celebration?" he asked. "Of what?"

[rowantree_npcs]

"The sealing of the Gate." Which, all right, might not have actually taken, and that was a terrifying thought. "The end of the aggression against our people." That was better. Assuming, at least, that no one in their party was planning on attacking them.

[notawolfman]

"That is a reason to celebrate." Though the comment about the Gate made little sense to him. "Will our arrival complicate things anymore than they already have?" he asked, adjusting so the sword strapped to his back sat more comfortably. "It seems that keeping things as simple as possible would be best for all of us."

[minthemagician]

Min, who had been stepping away from Bret and Grace and toward the strangers, eyed them both narrowly.

"What village would that be?"

[rowantree_npcs]

"Borheth." Though that would mean little to them if they were not of Rowan. The woman was not who Beren had been expecting to step forward and begin speaking, but at least it was a reaction. He was beginning to wonder if they would have to just carry them all off.

[minthemagician]

"Borheth?" No, that couldn't be... But Min turned and looked up at the tree, remembering what Beren had just said. As the Gate finds its new form.

She turned back.

"Beren, is it...?" She swallowed, struggling to maintain her composure against the headache and the revelation. "My name is Irmingard of Landing. I -- and, all these people, actually -- we've come here from. Rather far in the future."

Yeah. Those weren't words she'd ever expected to utter.

[rowantree_npcs]

Now they were getting somewhere. Beren shot Nestra an encouraging look. "We are aware that the passage of time sometimes behaves differently in the World beyond the Gate. You have traveled here before, then? Has there been a complication on the other side?"