The days in the City of Chaos march on from the impact and appearance of the Sundered Axe once more,

Indifferent to the woes of those who live within it, news fading away on its thrashing winds,

With its attention solely on those capable of making a great impact.

~   ~   ~

 

He sighs, as he passes through an alleyway, and enters the main street of Yew once more.

Taking a walk to assuage his fears through the streets while listening to the bustling life all around him,

Confident in his Camouflage technique, having taken care to improve it since his encounter with the Twin Cyclones a few months back.

 

Letting a slight smile touch his face, while continuing his walk, thinking back on what training he gave himself to make it better,

Checking several routes across the districts, observing where and what stones were used throughout his district, and compensating for the issues regarding saturation,

Shading was handled with a touch of Glamour to finally elevate the entire technique.

 

"Progress." Stating to himself, as he walks to the local cafe,

Entering it, and carefully closing the door behind himself to avoid making too much noise in the cafe,

Stepping into the line, he looks at the pristine walls, the cashier and employees working to fulfill orders,

While waiting he lets his mind drift, recalling one of the incidents he got himself wrapped in while on a stroll like today,

 

Remembering a person plagued with some strange energy that made them almost acidic to the touch while they in turn mixed with the shadows of an alleyway,

Said anomalous person was assaulting one of his niece's friends, in said alleyway, secluded from the main street.

He normally avoided altercations, (If he interfered in every fight in the City of Chaos, he would never get to his destinations.) But he couldn't stand by and let his niece's friend be maimed.

 

Though he lacked any true offensive tools, he rushed forward, ready to act as a distraction to allow the kid to escape the assailant,

The assailant perhaps expecting not a single person to care for their actions was completely blind-sighted and frozen for a moment,

Though unprompted, the kid seemingly understood the intention behind his appearance and ran away while the assailant was busy regaining their bearings.

 

He was in a dangerous position now that the assailant's attention was on him,

But perhaps through a stroke of luck, he immediately discovered an Achilles heel of the assailant while avoiding stabs,

Their power over shadow weakened when exposed to any bright light, as they primarily avoided the spots he placed glow paint on the floor,

With that in mind, he covered more of the alleyway in its painted glow, causing the assailant to seemly withdraw, having lost a major advantage and no interest in a disadvantageous situation.

 

A smile plastered on his face, with his focus returned to the outside world,

He stepped forward as his turn came up and put in his order for a milkshake and some donuts,

he walked to the side and waited. Once out, he took it quietly and took a seat to enjoy his meal.

His thoughts returned to something notable that finally blossomed recently.

 

His manifest had managed to develop further, now allowing him to modify the scents of his paints freely,

Though not the most flashy of changes, it will give his ability to evade trackers another layer of obfuscation,

It will likely be some time and several months of continuous practice for him to use this new layer of his power effectively but he's up for the work.

He eats his food while letting his mind wander further afield, listening absentmindedly to the chatter of other patrons in the cafe.

 

He feels joy about his new avenue of growth before it fades when he recalls someone else who was training arguably harder than he was,

Recalling his little niece Charity, and her work to gain a greater grasp of Arcane magic,

Though she can't see it, He feels like anyone else with less grit than her or less persistence would have switched magic schools by now,

She could have chosen a school that provided more immediate benefit, but she stayed at it, building her foundation ever firm.

Even during the moments when she fell into despair at her progress, those times of grief quickly passed, and she returned to her work soon after.

 

She doesn't feel it, but he can't help but find her presence fills his heart with pride,

For his niece had come so far,

Practicing something she chose over what was given to her,

It is a beautiful thing to bear witness to.

 

Something as her current guardian, he wanted to protect.

He finished his Donuts and his milkshake, tossing away the remains in the trash,

Getting up from his seat, careful to be quiet and inconspicuous as he heads for the cafe door,

 

He stares upward as he walks out of the cafe, up at the night sky,

At the starless night tapestry, holding the embrace of the lone crescent moon,

Just sort of basking in the night glow while walking, before coming to an epiphany about his concerns, a turn of phrase he recalls from a friend.

Whatever action he takes, he should accept he can't have the perfect answer, he just has to try his best and hope for the best.

That's all he can do, to be a good uncle, and to be, a better person than yesterday.

 

Thoughts of 'Flag of Conquerer's'