𝖒ᴀᴄᴇᴅᴏɴ&#x27;ꜱ𝖗ᴇᴠᴇʀᴇᴅ

if something were to happen here

⤷ nos mutamur in illis: day two ( district nine, the chase )

The boy's hand settles on blade , and a brow raises —— is it meant to bestow fear ? That method of warfare so honed by Macedon's once-inheritor ? Wry grows the curl on his lips , and dangerous is the glint of a garnet eye , and Michalis wonders if this fellow taunts with a blade against an opponent who steps both with axe and lance ( but this day , now , hefts that great beam of steel on lordly shoulder ). Yes , fear —— he pierced that knight with it , that cleric's timid brother , whatever his name had been.

( Those were callous days , and at times , that warmongering invites thrill ; it is those days , Michalis must remind : warmongering did not collect him off from death's gleeless door. )

" Agreed , " Arms fold , and he turns elsewhere from the boy , splitting their paths. " It's commonplace to shout above this disturbance. You'll, heh —— " A warlord's voice is ever-resounding , no ? " You won't have trouble hearing me. "

So they split , and one wanders this way while the other goes that way , and in the blur of fog , Michalis has gone one way but turned 'round , and then there arrives a stout and short wall —— great skill carries him over , and the fog is no less thick. ( He does not think , perhaps , the boy would hear a shout from here , not to decipher it as friend from foe , as it were. )

So he tarries on , and bootfalls are muffled in the early morning , and in enough paces it feels that his path has coiled around itself.

Was not having trouble hearing this man a good thing? Joachim supposes it might be. He nods, making a mental note of that to ensure he himself will be able to rise to meet that too. As they make their route split, Joachim takes note of the great speed with which the man runs off at.

No wonder he seemed so confident! Joachim couldn't dream to catch up with something like that.

“The people at Garreg Mach really are on another level...” he muses quietly to himself, a small hint of frustration and acceptance burning and cooling at the same time within himself. But it only meant he needed to push himself further.

He heads north as promised and naturally runs into a dead-end. He sighs and almost turns right back around but then something catches his eye in the shadows of the alley: a clump of brown hair tied off with a ribbon. It's been braided.

Joachim picks it up, stomach dropping at the sight of it, the way it's woven hitting a bit too close to home.

(Could this be that... scream?)

This conclusion pushes him even faster. Is this hope? Is this dread? He knows not what sets the rhythm of his pace, only that it pushes his legs until his lungs begin to burn. From that burn, he sparks a literal fire to life to dance upon his palm, holding it up to light his way as his eyes remain peeled and his teeth gnash in their anxiety.

#TOANMI2026 #𖤓 || JOACHIM. licehn.#If Something Were to Happen Here ( NMI. Aug 2026. )#//✧❂✧𝖆 𝖋𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖎𝖛𝖆𝖑 𝖔𝖋 𝖘𝖒𝖔𝖌𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖉𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖒𝖘 — NOS MUTAMUR IN ILLIS ( Aug. 2026 )#//Oop can’t trim it on mobile

He finds , in creeping time , that indeed he is where he has been once before , and so endeavors down a different path , and the morning is quiet and soundless ( — — it is not pleasant , and the bustle of occupation , of denizens , cannot be expected this early hour , but it is much preferred ).

Then bristles soft flame as paths cross , and in that whispering silhouette is the fellow Joachim with whom this had all started , and Michalis announces a curt call of , “ Heh. Don’t wander south ! It’ll bring you right around again ! “

And then he treks along , quick and encroaching upon the coming turn — — just as the tangerine of dawn wisps upon the edge of the world , warning of failure — — and finds that in enough paces , another wall meets him.

“ Damn it. “

If the skies were his residence this early morning , wingbeats clearing the fog , this would be no great hassle . . . but as it were , beastly Alecandros was not with him along this journey.

“ How foolish of me , “ He laughs , and this is quiet , amicable. “ I know better than to go to unknown lands without you , yet here I am. “

if something were to happen here

⤷ nos mutamur in illis: day two ( district nine, the chase )

To Michalis's question, Joachim nods. It doesn't seem as if this man needed an actual full response from him though; he seems to have made up his own mind about him and what he shall do. Meeting someone else in suspicious circumstances still has Joachim a bit on edge, but...

He supposes he would like to trust in the hand that would help him up rather than push him further down. In a place like this, with this much fog to cover everything up, nobody would see him do it. Nobody would see him turn a blind eye or even have a hateful heart.

The things one does when nobody is there to see them do it feel all the more significant for it.

“I'm Joachim,” he replies back. “With this much fog, it might be best to split and cover more ground. But I'll run if I hear you.”

He rests a hand on the pommel of his sword, still yet not drawn, meaning it to convey: Look, I use swords, so I can use fire magic. He doesn't quite realize this might get lost in translation however to one foreign to his own home continent's shores.

“Let's hurry. I'll keep going straight from here.”

#TOANMI2026 #𖤓 || JOACHIM. licehn.#If Something Were to Happen Here ( NMI. Aug 2026. )#//✧❂✧𝖆 𝖋𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖎𝖛𝖆𝖑 𝖔𝖋 𝖘𝖒𝖔𝖌𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖉𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖒𝖘 — NOS MUTAMUR IN ILLIS ( Aug. 2026 )

The boy's hand settles on blade , and a brow raises —— is it meant to bestow fear ? That method of warfare so honed by Macedon's once-inheritor ? Wry grows the curl on his lips , and dangerous is the glint of a garnet eye , and Michalis wonders if this fellow taunts with a blade against an opponent who steps both with axe and lance ( but this day , now , hefts that great beam of steel on lordly shoulder ). Yes , fear —— he pierced that knight with it , that cleric's timid brother , whatever his name had been.

( Those were callous days , and at times , that warmongering invites thrill ; it is those days , Michalis must remind : warmongering did not collect him off from death's gleeless door. )

" Agreed , " Arms fold , and he turns elsewhere from the boy , splitting their paths. " It's commonplace to shout above this disturbance. You'll, heh —— " A warlord's voice is ever-resounding , no ? " You won't have trouble hearing me. "

So they split , and one wanders this way while the other goes that way , and in the blur of fog , Michalis has gone one way but turned 'round , and then there arrives a stout and short wall —— great skill carries him over , and the fog is no less thick. ( He does not think , perhaps , the boy would hear a shout from here , not to decipher it as friend from foe , as it were. )

So he tarries on , and bootfalls are muffled in the early morning , and in enough paces it feels that his path has coiled around itself.

if something were to happen here

⤷ nos mutamur in illis: day two ( district nine, the chase )

Though Joachim takes the hand offered to him, the look with which the stranger looks down upon him with sends a chill down Joachim's spine. Not that he was expecting someone friendly, not with any reason to be, but caution within him rises at the curt, almost testing response he gets.

“I'm, uh, worried they need help.” He curses himself for wasting time, but he too tests the waters, looking the stranger in the eye. Though his manner of speech is laced with uncertainty, the wolf boy's eyes burn with resolve, forming a complete picture with the stern frown that forms on his face. “I... I plan to hunt after it. If you'd like to help, I'm sure they could use it.”

Would the other man even want to? If he's this far away from the sound... Still, Joachim with a cursory glance checks the man for a scent or glimpse of blood or anything to suggest he might have come from somewhere else.

No matter what though, what he learned from this exchange is that he did not imagine the scream; this gives only more reason to press onward.

But before he shoulders past, no matter his apprehensions, he still makes sure to give his dues: “And... thanks for helping me up. I appreciate it.”

#TOANMI2026 #𖤓 || JOACHIM. licehn.#What if Something Were to Happen Here ( NMI. Aug 2026. )#//✧❂✧𝖆 𝖋𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖎𝖛𝖆𝖑 𝖔𝖋 𝖘𝖒𝖔𝖌𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖉𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖒𝖘 — NOS MUTAMUR IN ILLIS ( Aug. 2026 )

It carried the tune of terror , yes , this was heard by both —— and perhaps those ears of this fellow had heard more. It would lessen the load of burden , ease the pathfinding , so Michalis relents ( it was not , after all , anyone other than those ignoble drake-spawn and wretched , floundering Archanea that did nothing for his people ).

It almost escapes , that retort , that ' everyone seems in need of aid here ' in this drab place , but the fog is thick , the hour is early , and truly does the waiting criminal sprawl in these conditions ; it is enough , as a man obligated , to relinquish former task and pursue the cry that shook into night.

" I see , " He mutters , and turns wheresoever the fog is thinnest , depths of garnet straining not more than three steps ahead. " So you're the sort that goes worrying for others ? "

( A time ago , he had not been —— still does not , much , fancy the endeavor to care —— but Maria's kindness demands something kinder of him. )

Heh. A fellow of the bleeding heart ilk.

" It matters not —— take your steps easy ; it's a trifle to see the buildings with this much damnable fog. I'll go along for now —— you may call me Michalis. "

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐟 𝐖𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝟏𝐬 — 𝐇𝐚 𝐇𝐚 — 𝐔𝐧𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 ?

Nos Mutamur In Illis. Week 2. —— L’Arachel & Travant

thracianblood

Observing her from a distance proves L'Arachel's statement true. The child is thin, and it does not appear that it's something naturally passed down. It does not surprise him either, that this town's famine has spread this far.

"Are you implying she's being possessed? Children can be quite unpredictable, you know," he smirks. "One day they hate stepping foot outside the house, and by tomorrow they treat the outdoors like it's the best thing in the world."

Leisurely, he steps towards another set of tables, decorated uniformly as expected of a festival. Starving or not, it does not give the girl the excuse to disrupt the townsfolk's hard work. Her movements are, as he expects, unpredictable — she isn't stealing food for the sake of feeding herself, nor does she have a particular agenda by wrecking havoc. Wenny's simply doing all this for the sake of it.

"That sounds like a fine strategy. And you there," he doesn't know what to call that other man just yet, "you are closest to her. I'm certain you can reach her quickest... As long as she doesn't start zipping off again, that is."

far-from-common

L’Arachel rolls her eyes; this man seems to sing better than he thinks. His prickliness had somewhat reminded her yesterday of Soren, but she feels she ought to rescind that comparison and offer her friend an apology.

Still, she can grumble about this later, once they’ve managed to catch the child. For now, making sure that they can catch the child would be best.

She herself is nowhere near the child; that does not mean she cannot try to contribute, however.

“He is going to catch you! And once he does, the fun will be all over! You do not want that, right?” L’Arachel yells towards Wenny, whilst pointing at the bard of the group. It does get Wenny to move a bit closer to the other man, though judging by the manic giggling she may not have understood L’Arachel’s words at all.

She cannot help but wince as yet another table is carelessly knocked over and broken. Still, whatever gets them closer to capturing the kid, right…?

#TOANMI2026 #What If We All Rolled 1s — Ha Ha — Unless ? ( NMI. Aug 2026. )#𖤓 || L’ARACHEL. far-from-common.#𖤓 || TRAVANT. thracianblood.#//✧❂✧𝖆 𝖋𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖎𝖛𝖆𝖑 𝖔𝖋 𝖘𝖒𝖔𝖌𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖉𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖒𝖘 — NOS MUTAMUR IN ILLIS ( Aug. 2026 )

What the fellow maned in olive declares invites curiosity , and Michalis , in the long haul about the tables , the decorum , gives long consideration that the man perhaps has one of his own , a child. ( In these years , and not at all for the tirade , but reasons entirely elsewise , such is not a desire of his. )

Then a table goes , splintered and ruined , and Michalis looks upon the small , small girl with a frown ( — — what strength did she have for such feats ? )

And when she has sprung again , quick stride finds him , and he quickens farthest into her clamor and snatches her frail form over his shoulder , feeble and not at all a work of strenuous effort.

“ What trouble , “ He mutters , and she is small and full of fight , and he is reminded of a steadfast little Minerva , and the elder brother in him reminds , “ There is a time and place for these things , child. Your flowers , you have no desire to ruin them , no ? “

He waits for no answer , and lofts the small girl to her mother , who rushes and reclaims her child , offering breakfast and recompense. But he has seen the dreary state of this land , and thinks against it.

“ A gracious offer , but I must be on my way , “ He declines. “ She is small , but . . . full of spirit. “ ( How did you ask a mother why her child was so frail , so feeble , yet those orange blooms were well ? ) “ You said this has never occurred before — why now , do you suppose ? “

And indeed she is regaled a sickly girl , though taken to the local doctor , and nothing succeeds. Then did her mother turn , it seems , to a local hoax ( but is it a hoax , if it is clear it has succeeded ? )

" I see , " Is all that leaves him , and he glimpses the little girl who , if certainly not spry before , is lively this day. " These doctors , where does one find them ? " Perhaps it is something ( and then , as most magicians of the local sort , perhaps it is nothing at all ). " I see. "

if something were to happen here

⤷ nos mutamur in illis: day two ( district nine, the chase )

The flowers in the garden on the way here had intoxicated Joachim but for whatever dizziness he had felt from it, the undeniable speed with which its scent had given him could not be denied. He'd said he'd meet Veyle and Ishtar in the Town Hall, setting out first thing in the morning, and it was under the cover of night that he pushes himself onward, heart beating at an accelerated pace. Whether it was from the high of the blossoms he'd passed by or the fear that something might happen to the people here if he didn't push himself, didn't do all he could to move and prevent the scene in his dreams from unfolding, Joachim wasn't sure.

He just knew that he's running faster than he ever has before. Steps that take him through surprisingly lively bushes under the cover of moonlight to a labyrinth of buildings. By the time he realizes how late (or early it is, depending on how you wish to think on it) it is, he's already arrived to cobblestone and buildings in the dark.

“Ah... Veyle and Ishtar wouldn't be out yet... Right.”

He begins to cringe at himself for propelling himself as he did, but that does not stop the hammering in his chest— a hammering that only gets worse as a scream splits the morning air. His fur stands on end, and he looks around.

Where did it come from?

Whoever it was, a scream likely meant someone in need or someone who's witnessed something bad. Joachim chases the direction of the sound, following instinct, but he turns the corner and collides with a red-haired man in the process.

“S-sorry,” he quickly apologizes, taking a step back as he stumbles. He tilts his chin upward to look at the man he ran into properly. “I heard a scream... you heard it too, right? Somewhere deeper in this district.”

NEXT: @reverenceofmacedon !!

#TOANMI2026 #𖤓 || JOACHIM. licehn.#What if Something Were to Happen Here ( NMI. Aug 2026. )#//✧❂✧𝖆 𝖋𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖎𝖛𝖆𝖑 𝖔𝖋 𝖘𝖒𝖔𝖌𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖉𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖒𝖘 — NOS MUTAMUR IN ILLIS ( Aug. 2026 )#//michalis gonna have to work for that flint

The long haul from those borders along the river's edge , caught in the company of that amber priestess and her regaling of that divine Earth Mother —— that brood alongside Naga , divine and turned-away , doing nothing for his Macedon —— into the mischievous company of that girl ( with a boisterous clamor from whence none can rejuvenate , over-tired and befuddled by her words ) , it was plenty to ponder. And in his pondering , there followed wandering —— the often-accompanying maneuver to thought , and Michalis wandered the early morning.

( Perhaps , hushed and tucked away as the thought was , he did not fancy a second dream of the nature that day on the seas . . . )

" Hmph. What a miserable place , " He murmurs into early morning , creeping dusk , to no one at all , and settles broad hands on limber sides. " Marth , do not let my Macedon— ! "

A terrible noise , bloodcurdling and frigid , and then collision springs , and the once-king hurls on heel to snag the shoulder of this drab assailant , who so early this morning seeks to tempt his —

Ah. No , not at all —— a frantic fellow , who Michalis snatches at the shoulder , but not to jostle , to shove , to ridicule. Rather , he assists him proper to his feet , and in the frail light of this waning night , the animalian bit is seen , and his lip sneers , thinking of those creatures that endeavored to fashion his folk like cattle.

" Hm , " It is a long , pondering drawl —— considering engagement with this stranger at all , so scornful of the shifting sort as Macedon's eldest is. " Yes. What of it ? "

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐟 𝐖𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝟏𝐬 — 𝐇𝐚 𝐇𝐚 — 𝐔𝐧𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 ?

Nos Mutamur In Illis. Week 2. —— L’Arachel & Travant

It is heard first from exasperated denizens —— a small girl , rambunctious , gleeful in her tirade and witless to calamity ; such was the nature of the youthful , hurried only in their fun , fretful not of the judging elders.

A smile , curling and wry , appears on scarred lips , and it has become a game : stop the girl ( —— it reminds much of a long-passed boyhood , chasing little Macedonian terrors , cheerful and roving over cliffside grasses ).

( But , no matter , how bothersome. )

He leaves aside axe ( has learned better , in those dawns after war , that children should not see it . . . no matter how well prepared danger requires the youth ) and , among the settled and festive-made place , wanders up and along , and finds that others have joined.

“ Hmph. What a tyrant you are. “

@thracianblood , @far-from-common

thracianblood

Who does that woman think Travant is — a babysitter?

It's not like he's incapable of catching a child, no; he raised two children so he's more than familiar with handling a small, rambunctious human. Still, he came here to investigate the happenings of this island, not to run around competing with a child whose energy rivals his own.

At least the good that comes out of it is that he isn't doing it alone. And it looks like both of them are people of Garreg Mach, including one familiar face...

"A tyrant, indeed. Her mother should teach her a thing or two about respect," he mumbles in response to the red haired man's comment, placing a hand by the edge of one of the tables and watching the girl go about her 'rampage'. He supposes he can use this opportunity to introduce himself to him once this is over. The more people he meets, the more chances he has to gain more information.

And then there's the girl behind him. L'Arachel, the princess of... Whatever good thing she wants to apply to herself, he supposes. It doesn't take long for him to decide his next move as he walks past the row of tables, eyes never leaving the girl in the distance. "I'll guard the other side in case she gets any ideas. I'll leave you two to it."

far-from-common

It feels as if the man L’Arachel had encountered yesterday had created a copy of himself; similar in demeanour and words. Or mayhaps instead of a copy, they are merely good friends in the service of a common employer? After all, their colours remind her a slight bit of Sir Forde and his friend Sir Kyle.

She shakes her head as she moves slowly forward; that is irrelevant right now. What is relevant is helping the poor woman catch her child. And as tempted as she is to run around and show off just how marvelous she truly is, one does not catch a rampaging beast by blindly charging at it; rather, they ought to analyze it instead, figure out how it works, and then go on the offensive.

Thankfully, the girl, after having overturned a table with enough force to break one of its legs, seems to have… well, slowed down is not the apt descriptor, rather she is jogging in place.

Still, that is good enough for L’Arachel to get a proper look at her, and the results have her slightly concerned.

“I would advise the two of you to look closer upon this child you call a tyrant. Her mother has said she does not like running, and in tandem with how thin she looks, her energy is… concerning.” She purses her lips into a frown. She had hoped that at least the children from around this area would be eating better, but…

This is all the more reason to catch Wenny as fast as possible; she may not be able to afford all this energy spent running in a frenzy!

“I do not think she will tire anytime soon; our chances of catching her are best if we conserve our energy, then rush at her with a burst of speed whenever we see an opening. I shall try to move below the tables in case she tries to run through any more of them.”

#TOANMI2026 #What If We All Rolled 1s — Ha Ha — Unless ? ( NMI. Aug 2026. )#𖤓 || L’ARACHEL. far-from-common.#𖤓 || TRAVANT. thracianblood.#//✧❂✧𝖆 𝖋𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖎𝖛𝖆𝖑 𝖔𝖋 𝖘𝖒𝖔𝖌𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖉𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖒𝖘 — NOS MUTAMUR IN ILLIS ( Aug. 2026 )#//figured i could give him a little narrative gap before we catch her so that everyone else can have another turn

Frail ( —— yet not at all meek , so destructive as she was , so rampaging ) and slender , young and small and not at all of well constitution ; it brings much concern , and warns that the grave that is this land ushers , also , its progeny on toward that dreary fate.

Fingers curl , for once-King Macedon has believed never before in fate ( not that day of paternal bloodshed , nor that day of sibling healing ; it has —— will forever be —— the work of oneself , never blind gods ).

If Maria can mend and snatch back the evacuating soul from its escape of the body , giving life where there ought to have ( most certainly should have been ) death , what can her brother do ?

( It is seldom a thought that wanders across the war songs of his mind , but this day , it is pondered. Heh. )

" Yes , this seems not at all the preferred pastime of someone so feeble , " It is not a kind agreement.

The tables , heh. How many would remain , so rambunctious as the girl was ( and yes , for what reason , as the young woman had cautioned ; was it the same that sickened this land ? ) It is thought to ponder , having walked a dragon-cursed land , kin of his own subjected to darker magicks , wicked magicks. It bids him pause , and Michalis's lip snarls.

Those flowers —— the last bit of a sickly girl's good health , bright and strong and lively in their radiance ; how , then , were they so well ? ( It reminds , in this short time , of Maria and the flowers she is tickled to adorn at times , and in this girl , there is a sliver of his kinder youth. )

" But . . . " Hmph. " I'll not snap her. "

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐟 𝐖𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝟏𝐬 — 𝐇𝐚 𝐇𝐚 — 𝐔𝐧𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 ?

Nos Mutamur In Illis. Week 2. —— L’Arachel & Travant

#TOANMI2026 #What If We All Rolled 1s — Ha Ha — Unless ? ( NMI. Aug 2026. )#𖤓 || L’ARACHEL. far-from-common.#𖤓 || TRAVANT. thracianblood.#//✧❂✧𝖆 𝖋𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖎𝖛𝖆𝖑 𝖔𝖋 𝖘𝖒𝖔𝖌𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖉𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖒𝖘 — NOS MUTAMUR IN ILLIS ( Aug. 2026 )

It is heard first from exasperated denizens —— a small girl , rambunctious , gleeful in her tirade and witless to calamity ; such was the nature of the youthful , hurried only in their fun , fretful not of the judging elders.

A smile , curling and wry , appears on scarred lips , and it has become a game : stop the girl ( —— it reminds much of a long-passed boyhood , chasing little Macedonian terrors , cheerful and roving over cliffside grasses ).

( But , no matter , how bothersome. )

He leaves aside axe ( has learned better , in those dawns after war , that children should not see it . . . no matter how well prepared danger requires the youth ) and , among the settled and festive-made place , wanders up and along , and finds that others have joined.

“ Hmph. What a tyrant you are. “

@thracianblood , @far-from-common

⊱ ❂ 『 𝖄𝐨𝐮 & 𝐈 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐤𝐲 』

District 8 —— Michalis & Shigure mini-thread. Nos Mutamur In Illis.

Yes , perhaps it was not at all a thing to fret , to ponder — — to more than glance ; that would not irk him , so poor with the youth as he was , so staunch and outspoken a fellow. He could clean his hands of obligation and march elsewhere , settle at that place of festivity and meagerly await the event.

But Michalis was no trusting man , and perhaps there was good reason for the youth to uproar ( — — that was always the first whisper of injustice , no ? It had been witnessed many a time in that hellish war : on the face of soldiers sent off at his hand , on the face of steadfast Minerva , on the face of littlest Maria ).

“ I do not disagree , “ He muses , looking out upon blue ocean , wooden port. “ Be assured : I meant nothing of ruining their celebratory fun —“ — not that there’s so much to be had , but such goes unsaid , said already by the bard.

Perhaps , if she had joined , great dejection might have found young Maria , expecting great lights and wonderful merriment , but finding only drab and gloom and the onset of a thing Michalis could not name.

“ Only to learn what stokes their clamor — — great enough to make it across the island , as it were. Heh , “ The smile that adorns his face his simple , fraternal , if not the amused one of an elder brother. “ My younger sister is a fair model : the younger ones don’t cause sudden uproar without reason. “

It is Minerva he thinks of , then.

"So you do think it is serious trouble," Shigure confirms. An unhurried pause, before he adds, curiously, "I can't help but wonder what the smith could have said to convince you to come all this way!"

In the bard's humble opinion, it is a shame to sully the mood with talk of conflict. But Michalis doesn't seem bothered by the notion at all; instead, there is something of approval, of pride in the smile that he bears when he speaks of his sister, of how she had caused some sudden righteous uproar. Shigure can't say he approves, but it's difficult to argue that such actions hold great power.

…On second thought, it would be foolish now to try and convince the man of peace, wouldn't it.

"Would you stand with them if you found their cause to be just?" he asks instead. "I'm not sure, myself, if it is within my rights as a visitor to meddle in local affairs. If there is indeed discontentment brewing among the people," he averts his eyes, "the efforts of tourists acting on partial information might do more harm than good."

Shigure doesn't really know, could never be confident enough to make a judgement either way. "But as you endeavor to find out," and he nods pleasantly once more, "don't let me keep you."

#TOANMI2026 #You & I Know the Sky ( NMI. Aug 2026. )#//✧❂✧ ( Threads. )#𖤓 || SHIGURE. pastbelow.#//✧❂✧𝖆 𝖋𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖎𝖛𝖆𝖑 𝖔𝖋 𝖘𝖒𝖔𝖌𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖉𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖒𝖘 — NOS MUTAMUR IN ILLIS ( Aug. 2026 )#//yippee!! Michalis is so: what was that guy's deal?#//maybe in the next thread we can be besties shigure

Perhaps a witless tourist could bring ruin , in this there is great truth , —— but could they not bring , also , good ? ( It is not the most innate of thoughts to him , squandered under a relentless boot and years spent gnashing teeth at any and all , but perhaps that day along Wyvern's Dale had mended . . . something. )

" If it were just , perhaps I would , " He says this simply and without regret , for that lorded ancestor of his had revolted injustice and tamed the unruly wyvern —— made steed of beast and Dracoknight of the enslaved ; it is such a thing that perseveres in inspiring Iote's grandchild.

" Heh , or perhaps I'm simply a nosy visitor like yourself , going to snoop " He digresses , and turns from out upon the port towards the east , awaiting further trek. " It matters not. " Besides , there's still that sweet , that candy , in his coat pocket —— if Maria were here , he'd have given it to her , her and her sweet tooth. Perhaps one of the youth might fancy it instead.

Now he takes the first step east , and mutters about that wyvern remaining overseas —— still , it was good exertion , a long haul.

" Perhaps when the festival arrives , " He concludes. " They'll know of a bard to hire. It'll be quite the trip for you , Shigure. "

—— END.

⊱ ❂ 『 𝖄𝐨𝐮 & 𝐈 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐤𝐲 』

District 8 —— Michalis & Shigure mini-thread. Nos Mutamur In Illis.

A bard. How amusing —— a wayward fellow , a wanderer : not without home , but never settled. Yes , that sort would wander the journey over long seas for the lone reason that it was offered and within exertable grasp. Heh ( —— it was much the same for those seeking the sky , adrift on high currents , basking in that blue beyond ).

" Yes , this place isn't fit for celebration at all. "

No , not with so dour , so gasping for life as the vegetation was ( like pestilence as a plague , sweeping over crop and grain , leaving insect and infestation , but no harvest , no yield ).

" Heh. It makes one wonder , no ? " ( He certainly has , in the short while , the few days , trodding through this decaying land —— it was not so much an island as it was a grave , the earliest morgue. Necrosis came like the vilest wound upon the land , and what were staff and student —— and wayward bard —— alike to do for so odd an affliction ? Clean the wound and suture it ? Did these hands look steadied to heal ? )

" Covet ? Ha , you overestimate my efforts here , " He declares , but not at all pointed. " No , I was given word by a local smith : there are unruly festivity partakers —— children. And as children do , they endeavor to stir trouble. That is all. "

Sir Michalis seems to be in better spirits than might be expected, with not half so severe an expression as he wore on first approach. Perhaps he found the... foliage, rather to his liking? How strange, if that is the case.

Nevertheless, what is a bard meant to do with good humor, except to nurture it with warmth and return it with care?

Shigure laughs softly, eyes crinkling at the corners. "And what kind of trouble would necessitate your intervention!" He can imagine it easily, the scene that plays out — that gaunt, tall, dark-cloaked figure, a ruthlessly stern reprimand booming from him, frightened kids scattering every which way. "If it is merely childish mischief," he presses without heat, "then why not let them play? Heaven knows the festival could use a little joy. A modicum of genuine whimsy."

And if the trouble is not so lighthearted, not so harmless... he should grant an opportunity for Michalis to suggest so.

His smile softens at the corners. "Still, children do not deserve to grow up in a town like this. The more I learn about Baile, the more I wish we could spirit them all away to some better place instead."

#TOANMI2026 #You & I Know the Sky ( NMI. Aug 2026. )#//✧❂✧ ( Threads. )#𖤓 || SHIGURE. pastbelow.#//✧❂✧𝖆 𝖋𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖎𝖛𝖆𝖑 𝖔𝖋 𝖘𝖒𝖔𝖌𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖉𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖒𝖘 — NOS MUTAMUR IN ILLIS ( Aug. 2026 )#Shigure: pls dont bully children #Michalis: has a lot to say abt that

Yes , perhaps it was not at all a thing to fret , to ponder — — to more than glance ; that would not irk him , so poor with the youth as he was , so staunch and outspoken a fellow. He could clean his hands of obligation and march elsewhere , settle at that place of festivity and meagerly await the event.

But Michalis was no trusting man , and perhaps there was good reason for the youth to uproar ( — — that was always the first whisper of injustice , no ? It had been witnessed many a time in that hellish war : on the face of soldiers sent off at his hand , on the face of steadfast Minerva , on the face of littlest Maria ).

“ I do not disagree , “ He muses , looking out upon blue ocean , wooden port. “ Be assured : I meant nothing of ruining their celebratory fun —“ — not that there’s so much to be had , but such goes unsaid , said already by the bard.

Perhaps , if she had joined , great dejection might have found young Maria , expecting great lights and wonderful merriment , but finding only drab and gloom and the onset of a thing Michalis could not name.

“ Only to learn what stokes their clamor — — great enough to make it across the island , as it were. Heh , “ The smile that adorns his face his simple , fraternal , if not the amused one of an elder brother. “ My younger sister is a fair model : the younger ones don’t cause sudden uproar without reason. “

It is Minerva he thinks of , then.

In Forge's Fire Reborn

Nos Mutamur In Illis: District 3

with reverenceofmacedon

He treats the idea with a dismissiveness born from familiarity, but to Celica it is fascinating. "An entire nation of dragons..." She muses. "How strange. For one continent to hold so many, and the other to know only two. Perhaps our land was that of Terrors to begin with."

Still, the response to her question was unexpected. The affirmative was a long shot, but it seemed like he was familiar.

His laugh, one perhaps surprised, was certainly not the same derisive laugh that he had aimed towards their previous subjects of conversation. Celica's face brightens. "Oh! So you know them?"

She bows. "If you are in Macedon, may I trouble you to give Palla, Catria, and Est my regards? Tell them Celica sent you. Oh, and also, to pass on my thanks to Princess Minerva for the service of her knights. From one monarch to another."

The blacksmith calls out, sweat pouring from her forehead, but she presents the reforged blade with the genuine smile of an artisan proud of their craft. Celica inspects the blade. Visually, it appeared much the same as before, but the edge held a keen sharpness, a mirrorlike sheen difficult to put to words.

The blacksmith gives a toothy grin. "This here edge'll cut through most enchantments. Did something similar to your friend's weapon, too. Real unique weapons you got here, both of you. It was a treat to work on 'em."

#TOANMI2026 #In Forge's Fire Reborn ( NMI. Aug 2026. )#//✧❂✧ ( Threads. )#𖤓 || CELICA. rigainrokkr.#//✧❂✧𝖆 𝖋𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖎𝖛𝖆𝖑 𝖔𝖋 𝖘𝖒𝖔𝖌𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖉𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖒𝖘 — NOS MUTAMUR IN ILLIS ( Aug. 2026 )#//can be a closer unless you want to snag more onto it #//meant to segue into discussing future routes but can also close #//guy who never mentioned he ruled somewhere “oh yeah tell the queen's (my sister's) knights hi for me”

' If you are in Macedon . . . '

It is a resounding lament , caught on the severed strings of a lyre playing no longer its fashioned tune — — a grievous error that , to mend , must be exchanged altogether for that which is new , that which fixes itself proper and undamaged.

That is the sovereign of Macedon now , that place he seldom goes , that seat he seldom takes ( — — it is no longer , no matter the love poured out , the ambition spent stoking the kingdom's flame of survival , his place , his seat ). It was cleaved out from his hands , thieved in the years earlier , taken by long-awaited invasion and hollowed out until that hallowed son of Altea — !

He turns elsewhere , looking not upon the finishing of that armored beam , nor upon that refining of that gilded dagger ( — — there is much grief there , ' if you are in Macedon ' ; Macedon does not want him back ) .

" Yes . . . I will. "

Ah — — that heft of the beam is twinkling , shimmering for but a moment , and he knows that augment ; it condemns the mages , warns them tread not , and the smile that curls his lips is wry. He has never been much for mages.

" A curious talent , " He muses. " It is fortunate all the smiths of the world cannot do this , lest we war without end. "

He turns upon the Lady of Zofia , garnet acknowledging amber. " I ask instead : if you cross with the Macedonian Whitewings ever again , Michalis sends his regards — — to them , and to Minerva. I endeavor to move on to District Ten. " Then , sardonic , " May your dragon gods bless you beyond the blessings ever given by mine. "

—— END !

⊱ ❂ 『 𝖄𝐨𝐮 & 𝐈 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐤𝐲 』

District 8 —— Michalis & Shigure mini-thread. Nos Mutamur In Illis.

For a moment it occurs to Shigure that he could lie. There is little that ties him to the town of Garreg Mach, even less that he could not simply take with him wherever he pleased. And why not to Baile? Couldn't he become one of its residents as of today?

At least, that might have made for a convincing yarn had the island turned out to be more fortunate. Shigure takes one look at the man's stern expression and reconsiders trifling with him.

"Neither, to tell the truth," and it is. "I am a bard from the monastery town. The festival was advertised to have much use for my talents... but no one seems to be in the mood for celebration." The musings are offered without bitterness, as he bends down to straighten a wilted flower. "I am happy enough, however, to be tasked with tending to the greenery."

A task that would be made easier with a pond, and actually worthwhile for plants holding on to life.

Shigure straightens once more. "Why to the mansions, though? Is there something you covet there, Sir Michalis?" The title slips out without fanfare. "Or someone you are looking for?"

#TOANMI2026 #You & I Know the Sky ( NMI. Aug 2026. )#//✧❂✧ ( Threads. )#𖤓 || SHIGURE. pastbelow.#//✧❂✧𝖆 𝖋𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖎𝖛𝖆𝖑 𝖔𝖋 𝖘𝖒𝖔𝖌𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖉𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖒𝖘 — NOS MUTAMUR IN ILLIS ( Aug. 2026 )

A bard. How amusing —— a wayward fellow , a wanderer : not without home , but never settled. Yes , that sort would wander the journey over long seas for the lone reason that it was offered and within exertable grasp. Heh ( —— it was much the same for those seeking the sky , adrift on high currents , basking in that blue beyond ).

" Yes , this place isn't fit for celebration at all. "

No , not with so dour , so gasping for life as the vegetation was ( like pestilence as a plague , sweeping over crop and grain , leaving insect and infestation , but no harvest , no yield ).

" Heh. It makes one wonder , no ? " ( He certainly has , in the short while , the few days , trodding through this decaying land —— it was not so much an island as it was a grave , the earliest morgue. Necrosis came like the vilest wound upon the land , and what were staff and student —— and wayward bard —— alike to do for so odd an affliction ? Clean the wound and suture it ? Did these hands look steadied to heal ? )

" Covet ? Ha , you overestimate my efforts here , " He declares , but not at all pointed. " No , I was given word by a local smith : there are unruly festivity partakers —— children. And as children do , they endeavor to stir trouble. That is all. "

In Forge's Fire Reborn

Nos Mutamur In Illis: District 3

with reverenceofmacedon

Celica tilts her head. There seemed to be more to his distaste for dragonkind than simply a difference in beliefs, but she refrains from asking. His manner does not seem to invite her prying.

Still, she cannot deny she is curious, and she lands on another question, one adjacent but still burning for an answer.

"About the dragons of Archanea... Where did they come from? In Valentia, we only had the two, but... from the sounds of it, there are many more overseas."

Celica looks around the smithy's. As expected of Oleander, the walls were lined with farming implements, of plows and sickles, hoes and shovels. Tools of the common man, unlike the steel currently glowing under the smith's hammer.

It takes her a moment to respond to his last remark.

"An understandable sentiment. Rarely do our troubles spill over across the ocean. Although there does seem to be more travel between the two now."

A thought occurs to her. "Say, in Archanea, have you ever met a man by the name of Kliff? Or a trio of sister pegasus knights?"

#TOANMI2026 #In Forge's Fire Reborn ( NMI. Aug 2026. )#//✧❂✧ ( Threads. )#𖤓 || CELICA. rigainrokkr.#//✧❂✧𝖆 𝖋𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖎𝖛𝖆𝖑 𝖔𝖋 𝖘𝖒𝖔𝖌𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖉𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖒𝖘 — NOS MUTAMUR IN ILLIS ( Aug. 2026 )#//maybe in the next two or three replies we can work for a closer since we only have 3 days left?

" Ha ! " It is barking laughter , and he turns away , sparing the blacksmith this embittered sound. " The divine ones ? Or the earth ones that resided north of my people — — the most relentless of all oppressors ? Heh , there are plenty enough even now after the war , and I would declare that nation a dwindled thing. "

Dolhr. Wretched , hellspawning Dolhr — — that northern nation composed of scales and false faces , true forms stowed in gems , the slithering deceit wakeful in the night ( and the day , those creatures knowing no patience , no tact ).

And that flame simmering within is white-hot , put there by bestial folk and garnered for the years of and after the first war , taken into the second as a flame no less violent , no less uproaring ( but certainly wounded ).

— — Ah ? A trio of sister pegasus knights ?

Now the laughter that leaves rumbles , and it is an easier thing , " Heh , Macedon's very own — — brought up . . . hmph. By Princess Minerva. "

( There was endeavor to call her by proper title , to call her Queen , but so assuredly had that fallen like shoreside Macedon's sands through her fingers , and so that did not come from his lips. )

⊱ ❂ 『 𝖕𝐬𝐬𝐬𝐭. 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨. 』

NOS MUTAMUR IN ILLIS —— District 9 : Michalis & Tina , paralogue

stealstaff

"Oh don't worry, I'll hit you up!" Well, unless something else more important or interesting pulls her in that direction instead. But, right now at least, she has every intention of following through.

"Scare them, huh? I kinda think you'd be better at that than me. You're a little like...you know. Not to be mean or whatever."

She's still super curious and will absolutely be investigating this one some more. Especially when he hypes up how wealthy the area is. When there are people who are struggling to get by with food, it's definitely morally correct to happen to end up with some items you didn't start out with that maybe seem super similar to some stuff you saw some bougie people have. That's something she definitely figured out all on her own and absolutely had nothing to do with any stupid thief gang leaders.

This guy here is kinda naive though, isn't he? "You do know the best places to commit crimes are where there's bougie people worth committing crimes against, right?"

#TOANMI2026 #pssst. you. yeah you. have this info. ( NMI. Aug 2026. )#//✧❂✧ ( Threads. )#𖤓 || TINA. stealstaff.#//✧❂✧𝖆 𝖋𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖎𝖛𝖆𝖑 𝖔𝖋 𝖘𝖒𝖔𝖌𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖉𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖒𝖘 — NOS MUTAMUR IN ILLIS ( Aug. 2026 )

Garnet flickers over emerald , and that young girl is spry and full of visceral youth that Michalis cannot imagine upon himself —— it brings tumbling laughter out from once-King Macedon , and those folded arms settled instead on belted sides.

" Is that so ? " He challenges , and it finds more the cadence of a chastising brother than the lording of a king —— so similar to the reprimand put against a young Minerva , baiting into tougher words ( the happenings of siblings , truly : a provoked swing of the instigated arm , the antagonist's arms shielding. Oftentimes , there was laughter ). " Heh , mayhaps I'll finish the leg of the journey and do so myself —— scare them. But for now , I must simply wait. "

" Is that what you think ? "

Perhaps so —— there was abounding wealth to steal from the wealthy , to nick from their knick-knacks and pawn to the greedy , envious buyer , certainly.

" And when they can also afford security because they expect rugrats such as yourself ? Go on then , heeding no advice —— but I should surmise it won't bode too well. "

⊱ ❂ 『 𝖄𝐨𝐮 & 𝐈 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐤𝐲 』

District 8 —— Michalis & Shigure mini-thread. Nos Mutamur In Illis.

There is lauding blue overhead , and that dream upon an island pyre , scorching all and leaving ash , has long receded behind closed eyes —— it is the overhead cerulean that brings respite , just as the clerics bring kindness , the wingbeats bring . . .

Ah , he is without those wingbeats this trip , his ears silent and the roaring winds overhead a distant thing —— a missed thing , left where high walls and stone guard that beloved beast ( his beloved beast , and lips curl. )

" Heh , all this walking might be easier , " He mutters , and arms loft to fold , that black mantle falling to curtain a king's frame. A once-king's frame. " If I were permitted to bring you along , Alecandros. Hmph. "

Fingers curl into bicep , and garnet look overhead —— a moment before the long haul , eyes perusing the only blue that brings comfort ( that Altean hue brings ire. )

And that hue of a soft pond , coddled by the portside , kept to a soft aside of grasses dry and dying , reminds much of Macedon's seaside edges. In this , too , there is familiarity. But . . .

Hm . . . also a stranger.

" Heh , " He begins , turning away , laughter coarse and low. " Privacy's a fickle thing, it seems. I'm just passing through. "

@pastbelow

"In villages as small as this one, one person's business is everyone's business," Shigure replies. "Shouldn't that be true for its visitors, too?"

The raised eyebrow suggests a certain humor in the question. "But I am sorry for eavesdropping," he adds, and the smile on his face says he isn't quite serious about that, either.

The stranger is imposing, both in stature and in dress. Everything about the man, from the dark swaths of fabric to the fall of blood-red hair, stands in stark, alarming contrast to the grey and yellow of decay. Indeed, if this scene were to be captured on canvas, the subject would draw attention so sharply as to likely render the background completely unnecessary.

Alas, Shigure is absent his paints today, and the chalk in his pocket is completely insufficient for any honest attempt at art.

"My name is Shigure," he offers as a courtesy. "Where are you heading, fellow traveler?"

#TOANMI2026 #You & I Know the Sky ( NMI. Aug 2026. )#//✧❂✧ ( Threads. )#𖤓 || SHIGURE. pastbelow.#//✧❂✧𝖆 𝖋𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖎𝖛𝖆𝖑 𝖔𝖋 𝖘𝖒𝖔𝖌𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖉𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖒𝖘 — NOS MUTAMUR IN ILLIS ( Aug. 2026 )

Ah , a nosy one , prowling into the business of others with young charm and a fair air —— it is humoring more than it is infuriating , and Michalis's lip curls with amusement. And the apology , there is futile weight to it ( none at all , in truth —— like a humble jester's obligated lament ). This , too , lifts that curl on dark-scarred lips.

" You should be warned : it does no good to go sniffing for trouble , " Michalis warns , though leisure slackens it , and it is not much of a warning at all —— a simple retort , a fleeting scoff. " Heh , not that it's ever stopped anyone. "

A fair young fellow , crowned in palest azure , bestowed with pleasantry —— student or staff , Macedon's eldest inheritor knows not , but he seems a kinder fellow than most , and this does not earn undue ire.

" Then you may call me Michalis , " He declares , and those folded arms tighten. " And my travels . . . heh. The wealthy residences —— the tenth of these dreary districts. "

But there is not at all wealth in these lands —— no fertile lands to harvest , not a bountiful meadow for so long as the eyes wanders ; it is a miracle at all this island survives its lonesome.

" And you ? " He asks , and it is gruff. " Do you reside here , or did you come from the academy ? "

In Forge's Fire Reborn

Nos Mutamur In Illis: District 3

with reverenceofmacedon

An Earth Dragon—!

Celica thinks back, trying to recall the term. A face springs to mind, that of the eldest sister of a trio she had met on her travels. She tries to remember what she had been told of them.

"Mila — or The Earth Mother, as we called her — wasn't one of the Earth Dragons. Rather, she was one of the Divine Dragons, along with her brother, Duma."

Celica nods to the smith, showing her thanks before turning back to Michalis.

"She was kind, indeed. For centuries, she provided her blessings to my homeland of Zofia. Her power granted us bounty and health in equal measure."

Celica smiles wistfully. "But her kindness, too, was cruel, in a way."

Stepping forward, she slips the dagger from her side onto the table besides the blacksmith. "If it's not too much to ask, I'd like you to forge this, as well."

Stepping back, she reflects on the disparity between their weapons. His beam, a solid chunk of steel. Her blade, looking almost comically small in comparison.

Ah , not entirely of the sort residential to Dolhr , but no less of those scaled folk. ( —— Surely , lest all those studies of his boyhood , over-learning their oppressor , were for naught ). His lip pulls between teeth , and distaste settles in the depth of his gut.

“ I see , “ He says , and witnesses the heating of their armaments , the molding , the refining —— it is a craft unique to the island , and something has altered about his weapon , but it is something he cannot name.

Ah , as equally cruel ? It raises his brow , and strong arms fold —— an unexpected confessions from a pious priestess.

“ Cruel ? “ It is only because his kindness is oft reserved for the younger inheritors of Macedon that it sounds like a scoff , but is not meant to be so harsh —— a mere acknowledgment. “ How so ? Any kindness from the dragon kins is a kindness my Macedon was not afforded , however deceitful that kindness may have been. “

Eyes flicker to hammering , to the clinking and clanking —— yes , not at all afforded his Macedon.

"The dragons of your homeland..." she says. "They had gone mad, had they not?"

Her gaze settles upon her dagger in the smith's hands, glowing with the forge's heat, the metal the tender orange of the setting sun.

"Something similar happened in Valentia. With the Earth Mother, and with her brother. They... changed."

She stares into the fire, eyes unfocused.

"Her kindness was genuine. We prospered under her guidance, enjoyed many years of easy luxury."

"There came a day when she disappeared from her seat, and bereft of her blessings we starved and suffered. But the response was to blame her, to ask why we had been forsaken. I myself went on a journey to find the Mother, believing that bringing her back would solve all our ills."

Her gaze solidifies again, looking

"It was love, yes, but it made us unable to stand on our own. At the end, she herself admitted that her love had blinded her to our strength."

#TOANMI2026 #In Forge's Fire Reborn ( NMI. Aug 2026. )#//✧❂✧ ( Threads. )#𖤓 || CELICA. rigainrokkr.#//✧❂✧𝖆 𝖋𝖊𝖘𝖙𝖎𝖛𝖆𝖑 𝖔𝖋 𝖘𝖒𝖔𝖌𝖌𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖉𝖗𝖊𝖆𝖒𝖘 — NOS MUTAMUR IN ILLIS ( Aug. 2026 )#//I was listening to Heritors of Arcadia and omg #//also I had to pull up the Grann/Archanea/Valentia map to get my facts straight writing this #//also!! Maybe we can ask the blacksmith what the Oleander religion looks like? Get some more interaction with the blacksmith

Mad . . . If sanity had ever gone from them — — not that he pondered them so sane to begin — — Michalis would never call it that ( he would always call it the only thing it ever had been : an uprising of the overzealous , of the wicked. )

He scoffs , turns away , and folded arms tighten. “ No , they knew what they were doing — — coveted all lands and all knees bent to them , even. Damnable wretches. If you refer to their earliest history —— that dispute between the divine dragons and the earth dragons —— then yes. “

And this Earth Mother , present until she was not — — departed on a whim , sought for by the young woman standing in this simple forge , regaling her tale. It was , he could hear , a somber tale — — the ilk not fashioned into accolades of heroism , of grandeur , into epics : the quiet sort , mourned and reflected upon.

Ah , Valentia — — a fleeting once-over in his lordly education , disregarded almost entirely except for a lonesome mention , traded rather for the histories and lore of Archanea.

“ Valentia , you say ? I have heard of it — — a western place. Though its disputes are no concern of mine , so long as they stay in the west. “

⊱ ❂ 『 𝖄𝐨𝐮 & 𝐈 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐤𝐲 』

District 8 —— Michalis & Shigure mini-thread. Nos Mutamur In Illis.