Elves lined themselves on the perimeter of the isnd, each separated by every ten or so feet. Even for the Elves, this was overly cautious. The ocean winds would reveal even more guards, who stationed themselves on the various hills and rocks dotted across the isnd, with some of them holding their bows out, as if expecting something to happen on a moment’s notice.

  Mahal himself wasn’t terribly concerned about it, he had his own worries to be anxious over.

  The nd itself was its own challenge, as the sway of the seas didn’t nicely transfer to walking on stable ground. Then again, the idea that the Dhrami, his people, had any nd to their name, seemed like a myth. The only thing reliably the same was the winds that carried from South, making what would’ve been a cold, mid-year night, into a bearable occasion.

  “Mahal, it’s good to see you!”

  Then there was a slew of aunt, uncles, and distant retives that had traveled from their respective fleets to make it to the Mah’awi. And unlike most ‘outings’, where he stayed unnoticed, today would ensure that achieving that goal would be almost impossible.

  “Uh… yes, Danu, it’s very nice to… see you too”

  It shouldn’t be mistaken, Mahal didn’t dislike conversation.

  “Mahal, still as short as a wailing bush, but praise Buwan, I’m gd to be present!”

  “I thank you, Danu… Liato…”

  “By Buwan’s light, do you not recognize me, Mahal?”

  “I… I apologize. Danu, I’ve just been-”

  “And are you still in smithing garb?” Mahal’s Danu started to pull out a brush, before trying to apply some, “You didn’t even properly cover up your scars, Mahal! You’d think someone on their Mah’awi would be more responsible?”

  Mahal tried to reply back, but was quickly silenced as others joined in on the conversation, sharing in a ugh as they talked about the Mah’awi, before sailing into different sorts of conversations.

  Mahal receded into the background, and started to float to other groups, seeing if he could find anyone he might recognize, so that he could stay away from those groups if nothing else.

  “Son- excuse me, gentlemen. Mahal, over here!”

  Mahal nearly froze in pce, before continuing to slowly walk in the opposite direction of the voice.

  “Mahal Ato Auroret, I plead with you, let this game rest for once”

  Mahal slowly turned his body, before itching himself towards his father. The closer he got, the more he could make out the couple of people that were with him, including a man who easily towered over the rest of them, whose eyes were narrow, and whose ears were longer than most, and somewhat pointed.

  There was also the Datu of his fleet, a woman who Mahal had remembered as someone who spoke more with gres & stares rather than actual words.

  As the Datu and two men walked over, Mahal stayed in his spot, with occasional gnces from those who spotted him.

  “Mahal, do I recall you having met Da Hote before today?”

  Mahal shook his head as he stared at the tall Dhrami. Closer up, the man wore a style more simir to the Dhrami on the mainnd, with a simple white vest and shirt, but both having thin silver outlines that seemed to cover over any stitch markers. Even the old man’s hair was prim and proper, even to how unwrinkled his gloves were. However, upon closer inspection, he also saw in the bits of exposed skin, burns that suggested they stretched quite a bit, and old wounds that had camoufge with some newer ones.

  The old man took a second to study Mahal, as Mahal tried to do the same. But even as Mahal tried, it seemed like Da Hote had gathered his thoughts already as he stretched out his hand as he did a slight bow,

  “As Marcio said, my name is Da Hote”

  “Mahal Ato Auroret-”

  As Mahal was about to leave it at that, he caught his father raising a singur eye,

  “Mahal Ato Auroret, sir”

  “Well, Mahal, it is nice to finally meet the person behind the name”

  “Excuse me?”

  “I was one of the fellows caught in that fire by your exploding automaton st year. Though I assume that wasn’t its purpose, yes?”

  In an instant, a few others who were attached to other conversations perked up as they listened in. The Datu, who previously seemed surrounded in other thoughts, started to focus on Mahal, but he couldn’t tell if it was because the Datu seemed genuinely interested, or if she was worried Mahal would make something else explode within the vicinity.

  Da Hote’s voice became higher-pitched as he brought out a mini-notepad, “You used va for the entire system, right?”

  “Not for the entire thing, just in the internal chambers. That creates a pressurized system,” Mahal paused as he tilted his head. “Well, er… it’s not as if it matters now”

  “Nonsense, I’m upset I didn’t think of something like that myself!. It’s exactly the kind of thinking that’ll propel us forward, isn’t that right, Datu Malika?”

  Da Hote swiveled his eyes towards Datu, who did her best to portray confidence, “Mahal is well-suited for smithing, I won’t disagree. But such… reckless pursuits, now more than ever, isn’t w”

  Turning to Mahal, the Datu slightly knelt as she spoke, “Mahal, forgo these indulgent whims. Your people call you to forge us weapons, to protect us. This is your duty. Marcio knows this best, right, Marcio?”

  Marcio replied with silence as both stared at the other. Da Hote tried his best to step in, and said, “Marcio, let his opinions simmer by themselves, don’t give fuel to them”

  “It would be one thing,” Marcio began to say as he kept his gaze on the Datu, “-if he forced it only on himself. But to pce it as fact in pce of my son and I’s voice, it’s not recommended, Datu”

  “It’s not opinion, none of us are above our duty to our people”

  “You’re pivoting”

  “Ridiculous. Anything besides our duty threatens the very tradition-”

  “You bring up tradition-” Da Hote said as he pced a hand on the Datu, “Is it not in our blood to embark on the new? Those not ensved by the Elves, did they not escape by sailing into the unknown?”

  The Datu slowly moved Da Hote’s hand away as he said, “Look at us. An entire people, forced to live on scraps of wood, with one damn isnd to our name. Much of our suffering was birthed from those… ill-advised years,” Datu Malika paused as he looked at the rest of the crowd. As if judging the crowds herself and coming down with a verdict, continuing, “We were feared once. Elves fled at the sight of us, now we’re the dirt beneath their soles”

  Those who were actively listening instinctively looked to the outer edges of the nearest sect of elven soldiers, before gently going back to the circles they were in before, with Marcio and Da Hote staring at the Datu.

  “I’d expect more from a Datu,” Da Hote said as began to stand at his proper height, twice that of Mahal’s. “ What, you preferred when our people were sves to a different power?”

  Mahal felt as any warmth he once had transformed into the feeling of wet cloth on one’s skin.

  “Of course not!” Maliko’s ugh sewed pins and needles as he continued, “Above any other god, only one cared enough about us to try and end our oppression permanently. Do you think anyone else, a god or otherwise, would ever stick their necks out for us?”

  “Buwan sacrificed her being so we may have the power to stand up for ourselves!” Da Hote rolled up his sleeves, revealing more of his older scars, as well as the symbol of Buwan dispyed right on his wrist. “You hooligan! You're just willing to throw away her sacrifice like an Elf throwing Dhrami babies into a vat of oil?”

  The air no longer gave off an icy feeling, but rather an inferno of stiffness. Marcio, Da Hote,and Malika stared at each other, with every second carrying its own message.

  “I only jest with you gentlemen,” the Datu said as Mahal watched him craft a stitched-up smile. “lighten up you old frogs”.

  Da Hote automatically stepped in front of Marcio as he said, “Of course, Datu Malika! With those acting skills, I’m sure you could’ve been an star actor in one of those mainnd pys,”

  The Datu nearly got another word in, however, Da Hote pinned a smile to his face, and started to talk about how he had seen pys on the mainnd, before going on a full on rant about how badly one py he had seen recently could’ve used the Datu..

  Marcio quickly walked the other direction as he directed Mahal to follow.

  “Praise Buwan for that man’s patience and existence. We must make haste, my mind can ill-afford another moment of Datu Maliko”