Some part of Gabriel was aware of the way Skul's thoughts had just ground to a halt, but what he was feeling--what Finbar was Seeing--was far too important to focus on anything else. Gabe wasn't sure which part of what was happening was giving Skul pause, and the Archangel would apologise for whatever it was.
But later. After this had been resolved.
"No," Gabe blurted with horror. He shifted, seating himself properly on the ground, and drew Finbar into his arms to kiss the psychic's forehead, infusing Finbar with reassurance and calm. "No, I won't ask that of you, little brother. I can use you as a conduit. It will not be easy, but it will be as safe for you as I can make it." He waited for Finbar's permission, and when it came the Archangel exhaled slowly and with relief, resting his forehead on the sorcerer's.
"Thank you," Gabe whispered, letting gratitude and confidence and strength seep into Finbar to prepare the psychic for the strain to come.
The consent was enough to open Finbar to the Archangel. Gabriel let all the psychic was flow past him without catching; he focussed on Finbar's Sight instead, on where the cacophony of the ocean between realities touched his mind and opened a breach. The rosary resonated against the Archangel's chest, but now Gabe could hear echoes in that noise--the echoes of other rosaries.
Rafe and Merlin wouldn't have the details to separate those tunes more than they already had. Yet, these were his brother, his nephew, the ones from his world--Gabe could sense it in the feedback.
Carefully Gabe wrapped Finbar in his mental presence, soothing and protective, and took on the burden of that sound. It rang through him; he directed it inward, where Finbar wouldn't be able to feel it. Outwardly, his face creased with pain, his head pounding. Nonetheless, Archangel murmured the tune of the rosary, let it strengthen, and then threw it back through the breach Finbar's mind had touched, a hint of a new tune carried on the rosary's simple melody.
'Raphael! Merlin!'
~~~
How much longer could they possibly endure? Rafe wondered. The Archangel was limping more often than not, now, his step catch on every second one. Merlin's voice was beginning to crack again; Raphael had already healed it twice since they'd found the rosary's tune.
It wasn't enough. There were still several potential routes to follow, stretching off away from each other; Rafe couldn't stop, because to stop would be like a tree trying to stand firm against a flood. But he paced between where the melodies intersected as they tried to determine which one to follow.
And then, quite suddenly--
'Raphael! Merlin!'
--Gabriel's Voice vibrated one of the threads. The sound, quiet as it was in comparison to everything else, was nevertheless so unexpected and so clear that Raphael jerked with surprise. For a moment the cacophony crashed against his wings and Merlin's voice wavered; then the Archangel yanked their protective shield back around them both again.
It can't be--
'Gabriel!' Merlin cried.
'This way,' Gabe whispered, and the melody vibrated again. This time Merlin heard it, matched it, kept it alive. Suddenly with a solid path beneath his feet, Raphael followed that sound, casting his relieved thanks to his Lord into the ocean of this abyss.
~~~
Gabriel withdrew himself from Finbar's consciousness, slowly and gently like a fluttering moth, but kept himself close to protect the psychic from the noise and the potential of falling into the breach. Just in case, until this vision ended. The Archangel lifted his face and opened his eyes, the expression in them still deep and weighted and more solid than anything else in the room.
no subject
But later. After this had been resolved.
"No," Gabe blurted with horror. He shifted, seating himself properly on the ground, and drew Finbar into his arms to kiss the psychic's forehead, infusing Finbar with reassurance and calm. "No, I won't ask that of you, little brother. I can use you as a conduit. It will not be easy, but it will be as safe for you as I can make it." He waited for Finbar's permission, and when it came the Archangel exhaled slowly and with relief, resting his forehead on the sorcerer's.
"Thank you," Gabe whispered, letting gratitude and confidence and strength seep into Finbar to prepare the psychic for the strain to come.
The consent was enough to open Finbar to the Archangel. Gabriel let all the psychic was flow past him without catching; he focussed on Finbar's Sight instead, on where the cacophony of the ocean between realities touched his mind and opened a breach. The rosary resonated against the Archangel's chest, but now Gabe could hear echoes in that noise--the echoes of other rosaries.
Rafe and Merlin wouldn't have the details to separate those tunes more than they already had. Yet, these were his brother, his nephew, the ones from his world--Gabe could sense it in the feedback.
Carefully Gabe wrapped Finbar in his mental presence, soothing and protective, and took on the burden of that sound. It rang through him; he directed it inward, where Finbar wouldn't be able to feel it. Outwardly, his face creased with pain, his head pounding. Nonetheless, Archangel murmured the tune of the rosary, let it strengthen, and then threw it back through the breach Finbar's mind had touched, a hint of a new tune carried on the rosary's simple melody.
'Raphael! Merlin!'
~~~
How much longer could they possibly endure? Rafe wondered. The Archangel was limping more often than not, now, his step catch on every second one. Merlin's voice was beginning to crack again; Raphael had already healed it twice since they'd found the rosary's tune.
It wasn't enough. There were still several potential routes to follow, stretching off away from each other; Rafe couldn't stop, because to stop would be like a tree trying to stand firm against a flood. But he paced between where the melodies intersected as they tried to determine which one to follow.
And then, quite suddenly--
'Raphael! Merlin!'
--Gabriel's Voice vibrated one of the threads. The sound, quiet as it was in comparison to everything else, was nevertheless so unexpected and so clear that Raphael jerked with surprise. For a moment the cacophony crashed against his wings and Merlin's voice wavered; then the Archangel yanked their protective shield back around them both again.
It can't be--
'Gabriel!' Merlin cried.
'This way,' Gabe whispered, and the melody vibrated again. This time Merlin heard it, matched it, kept it alive. Suddenly with a solid path beneath his feet, Raphael followed that sound, casting his relieved thanks to his Lord into the ocean of this abyss.
~~~
Gabriel withdrew himself from Finbar's consciousness, slowly and gently like a fluttering moth, but kept himself close to protect the psychic from the noise and the potential of falling into the breach. Just in case, until this vision ended. The Archangel lifted his face and opened his eyes, the expression in them still deep and weighted and more solid than anything else in the room.
"They're coming," he said simply.