Young Writers Society

"I shouldn't think so. They don't appear to be overly involved in day to day life."

"True." Ky was quiet for a moment, still scratching away into the bones. "...Will you and Tomhas take the families to the same area to be together? Where will you go?"

"Ky," Gaius sighed, "this is all something we need to discuss further--the whole Realm. I can guarantee nothing until then."

“Sorry.” She blushed a little and looked down, still working on the runes. That seemed like a reasonable question to her. But he clearly seemed exasperated with her. So perhaps she should just cut her losses and let him direct the conversation. Which, given the fact it was Gaius, probably meant they were in for awkward silence. Goody.

He glanced toward the back of the library, running a hand through his hair with a heavy sigh. "It's a fair question, but not a priority at the moment. Mostly we need to figure out how to manage an orderly mass exodus. There are hundreds of thousands of people living in this Realm, in varying states of wealth and physical ableness."

“Yessi—“ she narrowly cut herself off in time. She didn’t, really. He was sure to know what she’d been about to say. She forced herself to take a deep breath. But it was so hard to break that habit. Her self-preservation instincts kicked in when she sensed she was irritating people. But the exact behavior Aleth wanted, seemed to offend Gaius. "It… we… I just want to be sure I know how to find everyone. I don't want to lose anyone."

"Rest assured you'll be able to find your parents and siblings," Gaius said. "I'd guess the nobles and our families will end up staying in the capital city of whichever Realm we go to, with our own rooms and suites and whatnot."

She nodded. That seemed like it would be a fresh wave of anxiety all over again. She’d barely gotten accustomed to living amongst the nobles up here, and now she was going to have to represent them to the nobles of other countries. She forced herself to take a deep breath. No point in panicking yet. Realistically speaking, she was probably going to have to stay up here anyway. “And you’ll know where you’re going before you leave?”

"That's usually the plan. We aren't wanderers anymore; it'd be best that we have a destination. I expect I'll take my people East."

“Okay.” Ky nodded, forcing herself to take another deep breath. “… and Tomhas will probably go with you too, right? Or will you have to split up?”

"That depends on where he decides to go. I could see him going East, certainly--the Loquiturs have family there, though that could end up driving him away. Or he might go to Orthos."

(Remind me where that is? Ky would remember but I sure don’t lol)

Ky nodded, accidentally scratching the bone a bit harder than she meant from anxiety. She didn’t want them to split up.

(It's a newer continent that I made when I realized three was too few. It's east of the Eastern Realm but connected to it. Kind of a temperate forest, England kind of place.)

"You'll go where he goes, assuming Haelar doesn't have other plans."

(Ahh that explains why it wasn’t on the pinned map in discord haha thanks!)

Ky’s hand slipped and the knife sliced her hand open, though not too badly, in the spot between her thumb and finger. She blinked but actively refused to respond, used to muting pain. And also hoping he didn’t notice. She quietly reached in her pocket for a handkerchief. “I can’t imagine he would be okay with me leaving. Haelar, that is. I think I’ll have to stay… I just want to be sure I can find you all after it’s over.”

Gaius's eyes immediately flicked to her hand the moment it slipped. He made no move to assist, however; she seemed to have something to stop the bleeding and she didn't seem overly panicked. "It's worth checking with him."