bear out there
Ironically, this month’s mishaps spurred a greater interest in the other countries and continents beyond Fódlan, with more and more students eagerly learning what they can about them. The Cooking Club, with their hands on an Ylissean cookbook, is putting out calls for some brave idiot to go and hunt a bear for a Ylissean-style roast. [Grants Axe +1]
To some extent, Maria imagined her brother found some delight in hijinks that had begun to plague Fódlan after the end of the Rusalka expedition. While his recent inquiries about flowers and their meanings at a most inconspicuous time gave her hope for many things, seeing that it was not Macedon’s name being besmirched, perhaps he took a bit of satisfaction in it. (She loves him more than she understands him most days, though the thought still spurred her to laugh into her hand.)
But there were people aplenty who adored their Hero-King, and who would track down these impostors for his sake, or for the sake of any of the other beloved leaders whose reputations were being dragged through the mud. Maria, for her part, was... tired. These grand missions were always taxing mind, body, and soul-- Fódlan, it seemed, was a nexus for otherworldly events-- but this time was the worst. The fragment weighed heavy in her pocket, but for now, she busied herself with other things. Anything, really, so long as it stayed the memory of fire and stone during the daytime.
“Brother...” There was a comfort in leaning against his side, small hands grasping at his cloak for the brief moment they stand at the gate; surely, he would scold her if she did so later - a lesson in caution and all that. Still... here and now, nothing could be more soothing than her big brother’s warmth. “I’m so happy you said you’d go with me, hee hee.” Laughter, but like unto the sun behind the clouds. “I’ve wanted to see you use your axe again for so long... you were always so cool.”
@reverenceofmacedon