No Stranger to the Flame

"No Stranger to the Flame" is a [SEASON NUMBER] thread started on [IRL DATE] and finished on [IRL DATE].
==Summary==
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==Full Text==
"...spread through the city. We can't afford to be cut off from communication..."
The Commander's words echoed in Dario's head as the stag and goat trailed the squads assigned to them. Unlike previous engagements, Dario's main objective was to protect Milae, who carried one of the beacons crucial to their forces. Bounding in tow, the group had made decent progress into the city before the forward set of soldiers halted themselves suddenly.
It didn't take any time at all for the pair to spot the obstacle; a quickly-expanding mound of molten substance was combusting anything in it's path. The odd scent flooded the stag's senses, and the heat was radiating well beyond what Dario was willing to deal with. The pair took a few steps back.
"Okay, so probably not that way." The deer tapped his fingers together, keeping an incantation on mental deck just in case. "Do you think this is happening elsewhere in the city?"
"We cannot be certain." Milae appeared to jot onto some parchment as he spoke. "What would you like to do?"
Dario turned to look to look once more at the creeping liquid. "I mean, I didn't do all of that training with Akkey for nothing."
The stag stepped closer, keeping a relatively safe distance before bracing his palms together. A deep breath; a stoic gaze. He gently whispered the incantation as his hands moved rhythmically in time. He pictured Akkey as he did so; her mentorship was invaluable to him since his return, and it was the confidence he needed. His motions and demeanor mimicked the Nix in nearly perfect form.
"Af þessu, verndari okkar … við biðjum um velmegun..."
Before he could register it, a torrent of water quickly shot from his palms. He turned his face and braced for whatever effect the bonding of water and this substance held. Within seconds, he could hear cracking- starting at light chips, and quickly growing into piercing snaps before a rush of shards were sent out in the pair's direction as the rapidly cooled substance shattered.
Dario's reaction time was impeccable; motioning for a forcefield, the cantrip generated an acceptable-at-best shield around him, but did not span far enough to catch the goat within it. The stag's eyes locked on Milae as glass rushed through whatever fur was exposed, leaving already visible scratches. The deer couldn't immediately make out if any more severe damage had been done, and once he was sure that the current threat had passed, he dropped the shield and rushed to Milae's side.
Apr 1
"Guðir að ofan!" The goat half-breed backpedaled behind a storefront and started shaking glass fragments out of his fur, hissing as they continued to slice. Thankfully his hooves were numb to the sharp edges, and he stomped in place, shook like a dog, and most of the shards were free. The pop resulting in the onslaught of piercing projectiles still rang in his ears. "Let me hunker down before you try that again." Even as he crouched, he was still tapping in place anxiously; he could feel the other beacon-holders moving positions, and he wanted to start heading northward, towards the soldier housing, in order to cover the Rebellion properly with the network. But Dario being able to create water was equally as important to the nixes around them. He cradled the harness hanging from his chest like one would an infant.
Apr 1
Dario winced as pieces of glass clattered to the ground, escaping from Milae's fur like hail in a storm. It was a relief to see that the damage was mostly cosmetic, but he couldn't shake the twinge of guilt that crept up.
"Fair, fair." The stag felt the radiating discomfort coming from his partner. Taking care to be gentle, he placed his hands upon the various wounds while whispering his healing incantation. Within moments, most of the larger gashes were visibly in repair. "I don't think that did a ton of good anyway, so I'll hold off on any more rush decisions."
Rubbing his wrists, he surveyed the area and took note of the soldiers in their company. They seemed to have a more innate sense of what they were meant to be doing, and he envied it. Beyond them, he took in the light emanating from the remaining substance not destroyed by his incantation.
"I'm not sure it's safe to stay here. It may be best for us to try and move somewhere more secluded, but I'll leave it up to you."
Apr 1
"No, it's not." The squads assigned by Lila hovered nearby, watching the pair like a hawk, and Milae got back to his feet with his glaive, wolven enamel shining dully in the light cast by the Construct's sudden interest in the area. "It seems things are about to get too chaotic for us here. Let's go towards the wall on the east side of the second gate; I have a feeling they will be too preoccupied with the main road to notice us."
It was an uncanny feeling, being back inside High Central's walls after what felt like millennia. He had visited many versions of the city in many other timelines, but those had felt...detached. Unreal. This was the first evil, the original blight on the Loom, shadowy buildings leering with smoke billowing up into the maroon sky. He hadn't lived here long, but he still had a decent memory of what streets to take, what general direction everything lay in. Over the second wall, he could see the three steeples of the towers of the Triumvirate, though the bridges and walkways between them had deteriorated in a somewhat poetic manner. The mage's tower--Darien's--on the leftmost side of the inner city, the warmonger Chief Commander Andurian's tower on the right, and in the center of them, imposing and beautiful still, the home of the politician, Grand Illuminar Kezia. It was ironic that Darien should be the only one to survive out of the three, and now he was here to bring about its downfall. Andurian had died during Odin's invasion of High Central before Ragnarok, and Milae could still see the scorch marks from the explosion in the middle tower, the fateful final blow that Duri and the half-breed rebels had struck against Kezia, the essential assassination that the half-breed alpaca had sacrificed herself for. He reached up to bury his hoof in Virion's feathers, hoping to find comfort from the reminder of the very events that had set him on the path of the seidkonur.
Apr 1
The same age.
He was the same age as he was the last time he had been here. While there was a hint of familiarity to be found, much of his memory regarding High Central was locked away out of self-preservation. His eyesight allowed for expert vision in the dark of night, and though he tried to maintain focus on the soldiers leading their way, the smallest details and intricacies of this city began to push into his mind.
...This is my fault! This is all my fault, please!...
Dario pressed fingers against his shaking head, attempting to ward off unwelcome recollections.
...He chose to stand as a traitor, and he shall die here as one...
His fingers bounced off of one another at rapid pace. The tightness in his chest was more than just nerves of the day's events.
...STOP! Please, just let him go! He doesn’t deserve to die!...
The burn in his hands; the splinter of bone. He'd been so lost in thought that his vision met the open space with fright. He abruptly stalled in place, a deer in the metaphorical headlights of a place he prayed he would never return to. The stonework below his hooves wasn't stained with red this time, but he could still see the afterimage of it.
He was unable to move. It was as real as it was all those years ago, when he nearly lost his best friend.
Apr 1
Milae knew, of course he knew. He had this square memorized; he'd hid here, he'd cried here, he'd spoken to crowds here, he'd killed here, all in attempts to delay the inevitable. Their entourage stumbled to a halt as Dario locked up and froze. Milae spinning on his heel to grip his partially-gloved hands.
"Come on, ástin mín, you're doing so well already. Don't look up." The goat held Dario's cheek to ensure that he stayed staring at their hooves. "Trust me, let me guide you."
Apr 1
It wasn't until hooves met his hands that Dario managed to shake himself back into the present moment. Still looking to the ground, the stag blinked rapidly and caught his breath.
"Y-yeah. I'm good." He slowly looked to Milae's face; the caprinae gazed upon him with a look he could recall easily.
I... I came to take you back.
Dario had not given any thought to the events of Rio's timeline in some time, but the same battered and gruff goat stood before him. The intrinsic safety never left, and though the stag couldn't bring himself to say it in the moment, he wanted to give the same to Milae.
"Thank you, unnusti minn." Dario maintained his focus on his partner, feeling the unsettling atmosphere dissipate enough to continue. "I'll follow your lead."
Apr 1
Milae kissed his brow between his eyes softly. Then he swiftly turned to the two squads accompanying them and the authority he switched on was impressive. "Onward."
They threaded their way through alleys, being unobtrusive when possible, but inevitably coming across foot patrols that the rebels dispatched with ease, thanks to their new arsenal of wolven teeth. Their helmets, fashioned from bone of the same source, seemed to glow in the streets' torchlight and the full blood moon. They kept Milae and Dario in their center, mimicking herds of deer and bison keeping their young away from circling predators. Even needing to fight while they ran, their pace was unparalleled, which made it all the more surprising when the leaders skidded to a stop, flourishing long weapons to keep the squads from advancing any further. Bristling and annoyed, Milae shoved forward, ducking under arms and through spears and shields, to see what the hold-up was.
He gaped at the sight. Bisecting the side road before them was a crevice at least fifteen feet wide and endlessly deep, the evidence of some massive quake, surely. The scar in the earth held the distant sound of roaring water, and it didn't stop at the white flagstones; it drilled straight through the sidewalk and split an entire building in half. It was old enough that the off-kilter halves of the building seemed to have crumbled and settled in a fixed spot, but new enough that a building had been built before its existence at all.
Milae looked at Dario, bewildered. "I've never seen these in the city..."
Apr 2
Dario watched the goat disappear swiftly between the flanking squad, managing to push his way through as well while they were distracted by the caprinae's antics. Milae's arm was stretched out to stop him from advancing further, and it was not difficult to see why. A few steps further would have spelled disaster for Dario.
"...I haven't either." The deer half-breed knelt down, slowly peering into the crevice. Despite his decent vision at night, he couldn't make out a single thing in the deep expanse. Even with the current situation, this was out of place.
"Don't suppose anyone feels like taking a leap?"
"Absolutely not," Milae growled. The tension was clear in his frame as he gripped Dario's shoulder, pulling him back several inches away from the edge of the chasm. While he mused over the obstacle, deciding whether or not to ask a nix for assistance, he pulled out his pencil and jotted down details of their surroundings, briefly describing the cracked ground, and then the barrier he had attempted to help with.
As soon as he penned the word glass, he suddenly pulled his arm away from his face as the journal began to fan through pages rapidly by itself, with no high wind to be found. Milae grabbed Dario's hand in alarm, eyes fixed on the phenomena until the pages settled on a few lines written in extremely neat Common.
User 000131591819: glass??
User 000131591819: milae what is it doing now?
Milae struggled to process, looking up at the gap again, which was being measured by the squads with ropes and weights and discussed over with Dario. He looked over his shoulder, but there were too many buildings in the way to see what the status of the glass was. The Construct was slowly approaching it from the gate, and a column of thin steam marked where the Rebels must have been cooling it off.
Virion cawed softly on his shoulder, nibbling the collar of his gambeson, and Milae looked back down at the journal strapped to his forearm. Another line had been written while he looked away.
User 000131591819: milae???
The pencil hovered over the paper briefly and then below the question, he scribbled: who is this?
There was a pause, and then each string of the same number on the page shifted to a name, followed by more writing, at an impossible speed.
MOIRAI: long story, you don't have time. your description matches a demon from another timeline, one that covered the whole world in glass. please tell the warden to be cautious. she doesn't appear in vitrified timelines. this demon can kill her.
MOIRAI: i'm going to work on finding its name for you. stay safe.
MOIRAI: and please don't tell juro. i don't want to get in trouble. i'm just trying to help.
Milae was shaken from his reading by the arise of chaos from the scene they had just left--glass shattering, people screaming, and the Warden herself roaring, beginning to charge down the street, confronting a glistening stories-tall being that started to materialize in front of the gate. His heart began to race.
Apr 2
The deer had only caught a glimpse of what Milae was doing while discussing options with the squads gathered at the crevice; when his hand was suddenly squeezed, Dario turned to see Milae's eyes wide. He could hear the carnage unfolding only a few blocks away. His blood chilled, knowing Vox had been back there last he could recall.
"I don't think going back is going to help much, but I don't know what to do from here."
Dario took steps away from the crevice, pondering his options. He wouldn't leave Milae; certainly not while he held the beacon. Returning to the point where they attacked the glass was too high of a risk, but staying put felt wasteful.
"Hey." The stag turned back, looking down at his partner. "Give me a minute." He began climbing the thick frame of a door on the building closest to them, hoping a higher vantage point would prove useful. His antlers caught on the roof jutting out, but he managed to pull himself up.
Apr 2
Thank you, Moirai--make haste. His handwriting was poor with adrenaline but the mysterious messenger replied with a tiny drawing of a thumbs-up.
Milae nervously watched Dario climb, and then he reached up to stroke Virion's feathers again. "Help him to the top. Dario, take this." He stole a grappling rope from a nearby soldier and tossed it to Virion, who warped into a small space of limbo, caught it so that it vanished in a ripple of space, and then flitted up to Dario, flying straight at him to encompass him and teleport him to the roof of the building, a steadier place that he had initially found himself, with the rope in his hands.
"If you throw that across to that chimney, it looks stable enough to swing over," Milae called out. "We can anchor more hooks once more soldiers have made it across. I think we should all get away from the demons as soon as possible to maintain the network and stay out of danger." Virion settled back on the nape of his neck and crooned. "Let's make sure to catch anyone if they fall, vinur minn."
Apr 2
Dario nodded, taking his time to slowly pendulum the rope before tossing it across to the chimney in question. His hands shook with the sight of Nala engaging with a being beyond his comprehension, but that could not be his focus right now.
"Keep your eyes up!" Dario yelled down, commanding the attention of the squads below. "Milae is right, we have to preserve communications. Please take care of each other, and let me know what you need."
The squads accompanying the stag and goat made quick time of moving across the residential ley lines, stopping occasionally to allow for those struggling to keep up. They avoided the taller structures, as being in direct line of sight to those upon the guard towers would be more of a risk than it was worth.
Dario held onto Milae as their weight made purchase on the final building, preparing to descend back to the ground below to head east by foot. The deer kept track of the messages being relayed by beacon, hoping that pushing out further would give them the best chance of keeping everyone connected. His eyes caught Nala once again, but his eyes were immediately overwhelmed by light brighter than his comprehension.
The Construct's sudden burst and impact shook the building beneath their hooves violently, knocking Dario and Milae precariously off balance. The stag managed to push his partner towards the upward slope of the roof before he fell backwards, unable to even think of what incantation would help break his fall before his back impacted with the solid earth below.
Crunch!
He felt it in his head first. The sudden pressure; ears ringing as he fought like Hel to pull air back into his lungs. The wind was easily knocked out of him, and Dario groaned as he rolled over to his side to brace upon an arm. Nothing broken... I think. 
He glanced upward, careful to not strain his neck too quickly. The deer could see a blurry silhouette of Milae looking directly towards the Construct - a look of deepening concern.
Apr 13
The dust and ash on the ground puffed outwards by Dario's feet as Virion dropped in a twist and flourish, and then warped into a ripple as it scooped Dario up off of the ground, placing the deer back on the roof lying prone in front of Milae, who knelt down by his side, fussing over him in a panic. The tiny crane appeared on his shoulder again, nibbling his furry ear to try and calm him.
"Dario! I should send you back to the healers--!" The wideness to his eyes indicated that nobody, including Milae, thought that might be the best idea, but the ex-seidkonur was afraid that Dario was more vulnerable now by taking such a fall.
"Sir, we can help keep an eye on him..." one of the squad leaders said hesitantly.
Apr 14
Milae was the only one close enough that Dario could hear clearly; against the stern wishes of the goat, the stag maneuvered himself to sit up. His head continued to feel as though it was going to explode, but he could move.
"No- Milae, thank you, I'm... I'm good." Dario ran a hand behind his head, feeling a small damp patch where his head had made contact with the ground. "It's probably nothing. I can handle-"
His body reacted on it's own as he lurched forward, voiding the contents of his stomach without a moment to stop himself. The deer could feel a hoof making circular motions on his back, but if nothing else, the purge of whatever he'd eaten that day drastically improved how he felt.
"...I can handle it." He spit over the edge of the roof, eyes peering back upward at the still-unfolding calamity ahead. If there were a time he needed to be functional, it was now. "Not the first time I've taken a hit to the back, and certainly not the worst one."
Dario closed his eyes gently, pulling a breath in through his nose. Slowly moving his arms behind his back with a small wince, he managed to messily shape his hands into the proper incantation. Milae picked up on the movement, tenderly lifting the clothing covering the stag's back. The familiar glow emanated softly against his spine, and with frustrated whispers slipping from his lips, Dario was able to at least numb some of the searing pain.
"That'll have to work." He looked up to the squad leader who spoke before. "Get everyone to ground level- we continue to push east. We can't let the network go down."
Dario managed to push himself to his feet, silently observing the mix of frustrated and concerned glances from the caprinae. It was a much less eventful trip down the second time around; once everyone was accounted for, Dario double-checked the beacon on Milae to ensure it was secured, and the teams made way towards the furthest tower to their right.
Apr 16
Before they had reached the foot of the guard tower stairs, Milae noticed a section of stone steps about halfway up that had crumbled and left a gap a little too large to comfortably step over. He slid the makeshift journal gauntlet off his arm and handed it to Dario--"Keep speaking with that bookkeeper, they are helping us stop the Construct"--and then in another warp of space, he and Virion were at the break in the stairs, arranging a way to climb straight up the wall to the next switchback. The first squad began ascending to catch up with him while the second squad surrounded Dario and waited their turn.
In the journal, Milae's entry point to the Library, the currently bookmarked page showed his and Moirai's previous conversation, and there was a new update:
MOIRAI: S A _ E _ A
MOIRAI: im sorry im going as fast as i can
The Rebellion's mental network shivered, and spidery words began to filter through, slowly coming into focus with every minute.
"You know, despite the utter destruction you have caused to my city thus far, I'd still be willing to entertain this scene of yours, just to see how far the bounds of your compassion stretch. Perhaps you will never cast out your disloyal Magistrate, and you'll let him destroy you from the inside out."
Milae's ears shot upright upon hearing this. His best guesses--a feminine voice, High Central accent, and coming from...around them? Maybe a bit lower? He waved at Dario on the ground and then pointed at his own scarred forearm, where the journal had previously been tied, and made a writing motion with his free hoof.
Apr 16
Dario's vision had almost fully returned, enough to understand the motions from the goat. His left hand trembled as it gripped the pencil. The stag was not a strong writer in most scenarios; certainly not in the midst of war. He swallowed, taking a deep breath and steadying himself before adding his own words to the ledger.
hi this is dario
The deer grimaced at the words scrawled onto page. The looming text from Moirai was unsettling. "Gods above, get it together. Get it together." His writing became more frantic as he abandoned the insecurities in his words.
there is a voice? on the network? we keep heer hearing it. talking about Dario Darien I think?? they are calling him a trator traiter whatever that word is should we be worried? sorry I am bad at this
Apr 16
More text appeared even faster than Dario had written.
MOIRAI: ok. ok. im gonna assume milae is still ok since
MOIRAI: sorry. its fine! hi dario :) 
MOIRAI: i can't say i know what voice this is if you don't recognize it. the rebellions in the adjacent timelines are only just now starting their assault. i'm going to search for entries about possible darien betrayals when i can and let you know what i find.
There was another small drawing of a thumbs-up at the end of Moirai's message. Milae waved again, a signal to keep climbing the stairs.
Apr 16
The sudden text appearing startled Dario, but the words were comforting; almost familiar. He attempted to keep focus on ascending the stairs, but stumbled a bit each time he looked down to the page. Once he had a moment to rest, he began scratching into it again.
O K ! } : ) thank you so much, givng back to Milae now
The stag paused for a moment, eyeing the symbol that looked like a hand. "Is... is this customary?" Unsure of what to do, but not wanting to be rude, Dario returned a quick drawing to Moirai before handing the gauntlet back to Milae.
Apr 17
Milae kissed Dario's cheek in thanks, strapping it tightly to his arm. "Come, let's get on top of the wall and keep an eye on the battlefield."
The squads spread out on the ramparts, sandwiching the deer and goat half-breeds between them, weapons at the ready for any approaching danger. Milae suddenly wrapped an arm around the beacon as Lila ordered a shutdown of communications through the network, and he looked nervously out at the Construct, wondering if somehow that fight had anything to do with the order.
The voice that Lila had just warned against began to itch at the base of Dario's skull, much closer and quieter, giving him the impression that he was likely the only one who could hear these words.
"Hvernig er að vera kominn aftur, Hjort?"
It was spine-tingling--he absolutely had heard that voice, many years ago, while he was still a child, and it was difficult to forget the gravity and charisma of a powerful politician even after so long. At the same time, he understood that she had asked him how it felt to be back, because the archaic pronunciation and choice of word perfectly reflected the way Milae and Yun spoke in the same language.
"I wonder what's happening," Milae mumbled nervously, pencil twiddling in his hoof.
Apr 17
The deer halfbreed thought it he was losing it after his recent fall. The hair on the back of his arms wouldn't settle; granted, he had not been back in this place for many years, but there was no forgetting that voice.
"K-Kez..."
It was autonomous - Dario spun to face Milae, quickly gripping his arm and pulling it to him as he kneeled down onto one knee. Snatching the pencil out of the goat's hoof, the stag began frantically scribbling onto the page.
HI DARIO AGAIN
His hand wouldn't steady, causing his already subpar penmanship to further deteriorate, but he couldn't be deterred from this. Pausing for a moment, he inhaled sharply before jotting a second message.
PLEASE LOOK UP KEZIA
It felt like the wind was completely knocked out of Milae. He stared down at Dario's upside-down writing, barely legible. The name taunted him like a successful predator, stalking just out of reach with a bloodstained grin. The last memories he had of Duri crashed into his mind explosively.
The alpaca made to wrench her wrist out of Milae's shaking grip, but he held on tighter, freshly-carved marks stinging on his arms. "I'm begging you, please, I've never been more serious--"
"Neither have I!" she snarled, stepping into him instead of away, which frightened him into letting go.
"You're going to die!"
"If you think that's going to scare me off of putting that bitch in the ground where she belongs, you've got another thing coming. Get out of my way."
The young goat half-breed was sobbing. "Please, just leave with me, it doesn't have to be this way--" He'd done this so many times, he was so tired and yet so terrified.
"Stop being selfish. Leave me ALONE." 
Her shove sent Milae to the ground, and the last he saw of her was the turn of her hoof as she pushed her way out of the alley and into the thick crowd, pulling a hood over her ears, headed straight for the middle tower of High Central.
Reality came back with the force of a punch, and Milae looked up in shock at Dario, unable to speak. There was no possible way that everything surrounding his fateful decisions, all the sacrifices he'd made as a result of that single day, had all been for naught.
MOIRAI replied to entry: uh--dario?? this isn't to me...this is to the entire library...!!
MOIRAI replied to entry: also that's three things to look up at once!! what do i focus on??
dario-the-deer
Dario nearly missed it - his vision had been so tightly locked to the text below him that he just barely caught Milae's expression. Whatever this conversation he was having with Moirai was, it was apparent that the goat had an investment in it. Unfortunately, the stag didn't have time to try and unpack that. Instead, he gave the arm he was holding steady to write a gentle rub with his thumb before responding.
Oh no
Sorry I am not used to this
Focus on Kezia please thank you so much
"Okay, I hope that was the right thing to do." Dario stayed low, looking up to the goat. "Are you... alright?"
foresight-botgd
"I--I'll be fine--" Dario's presence was steadying, and Milae took a deep breath through pained lungs. "Are you absolutely certain it's her?"
dario-the-deer
"I mean... I'm pretty sure?" Dario stood upright, running his fingers through his hair with a puzzled look. "There are not many voices I could remember like hers."
Her voice brought more than just a fleeting moment of panic; it was memories in a city that never wanted him. Ridicule, ostracism... abuse beyond anything he'd like to remember.
"Yeah. I'm confident. It's her."
foresight-botgd
"Nornir hjálpa okkur." Milae meant to start saying more but he was interrupted by a mental hail from Liam. The squads were slowly moving southward on the wall to stay away from the Construct's possible path of damage, and he shuffled along with them, watching a flurry of conversations he couldn't focus on appear underneath Dario's first entry into the Library. He mutely handed off the journal to his love again, mind spinning with the revelation that seidr was in use under the city.
Do you see Grand Illuminar Kezia down there with you? Anywhere? he asked urgently.
Liam trailed off, and there was no response. Milae only waited for a minute before turning to the rebels waiting with them.
"I need someone to get a message to Lila no matter the cost--if it isn't received in a timely matter, I will ignore her orders to use the network. This is too important. Tell her I believe Kezia of High Central is still alive and conducting the defense of the city from a cavern underneath it. We must kill her to achieve victory."
One of the dragon riders was hailed down to the wall, picking up one of the squad members, and they quickly disappeared into the flocks of other dragons and griffons, still fighting in the skies above. Milae was stiffly trying to control his action-borne shaking of his hands.
"Liam contacted me. There is a huge opening underneath High Central--part of the forward team must have ended up there. She's down there. Kezia is down there, she has to be...she is using seidr. She is channeling the Norns. I don't know how..."
dario-the-deer
Dario's ears flicked at the word; after equipping the journal to himself, the stag pulled Milae's hooves into his hands.
"Seidr... but I thought Yun... how?" The pair sat in a momentary silence as Dario rubbed the fur on Milae's wrists with his thumbs. "Sorry, you said you don't know how. Let me, uh..."
He pulled the goat's hooves to his lips for a kiss before taking up the pencil once more. Any information they could give Moirai was good information.
Sorry there's more
Kezia is using 
Milae steadied Dario's hand, sensing the temporary panic. He slowly spelled out the word aloud for the stag to transcribe.
Seidr. She's using seidr we think
I hope this helps thank you again
foresight-botgd
MOIRAI replied to entry: seidr???????????//////
Juro Jin (U-131504051814) replied to entry: oh you have GOT to be kidding me. ofc this happens right after I leave
MOIRAI replied to entry: ...jin??
Juro Jin (U-131504051814) replied to entry: no sorry, this is Yun. I can't just sit and watch any more. are you a bookkeeper? 
MOIRAI replied to entry: wow, i. oh my gosh it's you. um. no, but i have my own bookkeeper. i guess i don't really know what i am. i'm just trying to help.
MOIRAI replied to entry: please don't be mad ._.
Juro Jin (U-131504051814) replied to entry: hey it's OK, you're doing great--stick to the glass demon stuff and I'll work out the rest with GT K?
Juro Jin (U-131504051814) replied to entry: hopefully Gen Z skills also apply to an ancient multiverse library
MOIRAI replied to entry: i don't know what that means but yes sir!!
Milae still felt light-headed. Beside him, Virion gave a strained squawk, losing shape for several moments before reforming. The goat looked out towards the Construct again, at the pilot's pod half-covered in glass, and his hoof switched from gripping the beacon to his armor, from armor to weapon, and back to the beacon. He wasn't sure what to do. He was very tempted to teleport in, grab Juro and escape out of the city, but he knew doing so would doom the Warden to certain death without amplification. He also wanted to get up close and personal with the monster that thought she could take such power for herself, but how much could he really do without any power of his own? It would be foolish, and irresponsible to deliver Kezia a second beacon on a platter.
The pages of the journal fluttered again.
Juro Jin (U-131504051814): hey Dario, it's Yun--don't worry about replying too fast OK? only when you're safe and have a moment. can you or Milae explain what you mean by using seidr? does it look like mine?
dario-the-deer
The stag's heart must have skipped a beat when the name appeared before him. He fumbled the pencil in the air for a moment before shakily gripping it once more. The bag that Yun had left him during their last meeting sat square in front of him now; a reminder.
"Yun..."
Dario tapped the end of the pencil against his chin, recalling to the best of his ability what seidr actually looked like. It had been some time since the young seidkonur had left, but he recalled the words of the elder Arnason child... something locked up with a bunch of golden chains.
He wrote quickly, less worried about the structure of his writing, and more the substance.
Yun!! Hello buddy } : )
Liam mentioned golden chains and something locked, does that mean anything to you
All I have right now sorry if you need more I can ask
foresight-botgd
Juro Jin (U-131504051814): …OK I’m sure Milae has already said ‘impossible’ like five times but I’m with him this time. that’s not possible 
Juro Jin (U-131504051814): like unless Kezia became Verðandi’s seidkonur or something??? 
“She wouldn’t do that.” Milae spooked Dario by his shoulder, having joined him in reading Yun’s replies. “He’s right, the chains must be Verðandi’s, but she is the most charitable and even-tempered of the Norns. She would not pact with a dictator.” The rebels around them were trying valiantly to keep up with the discussion and failing spectacularly. A few stray communications ran through the network and Milae was distracted by them, listening hard to see if any of them might be Kezia.
Juro Jin (U-131504051814): also what’s locked? can you tell?
Dario stared at the inquiry for a few seconds, knowing that Liam's information wasn't enough to build any solid theories. Almost instinctually, he found himself reaching out, despite marching orders contrary to it.
Vox, really quick question. Can you tell what is bound in the chains?
It was only a moment before the stag could hear the scout's voice.
Shit, uh... obelisk, but not? Like, really tall tomb. I don't know, Dario, I'm a little busy at the moment.
Dario sighed, knowing it was entirely likely that he wouldn't get as much information as he had hoped. Even still, he had to try.
I know, I'll keep it brief, I promise. Does it seem... like something powerful is inside of it?
A slightly longer pause kept the deer in suspense; the man's reply nearly made him jump.
Yeah... yeah. For sure. They've got some weird ritual shit going on. I have to go keep my son from dying. Hope that helped, bud.
Dario didn't have any words - this was beyond what he knew. He didn't even realize he had removed the gauntlet, slowly passing it towards Milae.
"I think you need to talk to Yun."
foresight-botgd
“Of course. Tell me if anything happens to the Construct.” He accepted the journal, fully sitting down on the wall to focus on talking to his other half.
Yun Milae (U-00000001): Kveðjur, seinni helmingur. 
Juro Jin (U-131504051814): oh hæ!! is uh everything ok??
Yun Milae (U-00000001): I doubt it. Yun, Kezia has some kind of tomb locked with Verðandi’s seidr underneath High Central as part of a ritual. Something is in there.
Juro Jin (U-131504051814): tomb? like a casket?
Yun Milae (U-00000001): Yes, it could be…
Juro Jin (U-131504051814): do you think there’s a person in it? 
Yun Milae (U-00000001): It sounds too tall for any one person.
Juro Jin (U-131504051814): is Verdandi okay??
Milae frowned in confusion. What did that have to do with the tomb? He knew Verdandi had been running messages for the Rebellion, but he wasn’t very personally involved in the situation. He knew she had sent at least one message to Lila that he knew of, possibly more, especially to Liam.
Yun Milae (U-00000001): As far as I know? But I haven’t seen her in
Yun Milae (U-00000001): Since we moved to the Jaw?
The next messages were delivered at the exact same time.
Yun Milae (U-00000001): Oh no.
Juro Jin (U-131504051814): uh oh.
Dario could feel the downturn in energy from his caprinae partner - shifting his eyes down to the journal, the last messages from Milae and Yun drove daggers through the stag’s heart.
“Verdandi… oh.” His hand moved over his mouth, unable to think of anything else to say. Though significant time had passed, it felt like just yesterday that the pair had seen her. “Oh.”
Pacing along the side of a partially collapsed wall, the half-breed slowed to lean against it, pushing the bone helm further down his face. How the fuck do we fight a Norn?… Do we even fight?
“How… why? I feel like Liam would have… known, you know? If that’s really what we’re up against, I- I don’t know what to do.”
What is there to be done?
The intrusion caught him off guard this time, prompting a small jolt. Dario maintained whatever composure he had left before engaging.
We can’t leave her.
Why not?
She’s… important. To us, to the Rebellion. She’s a person.
There was a tense pause, allowing Dario enough time to realize that time was not still as it was before.
Where does that bestow culpability onto you? Do you not keep your obligations to the Commander? Do you not wish to protect the seidkonur?
Dario felt a building rage in his chest. Former seidkonur… and of course I do, but how do I stand by and let things happen? How the fuck can anyone?
Your tone, unga dádýr. You would do well to mind it. The omnipresent voice was noticeably irate. Must I remind you of the last time you intervened for another?
Images of that courtyard; of Vox. The scene played out in what felt like hundreds of simultaneous visions to the deer half-breed.
Stop! Stop. I understand.
You may not believe it, but you have more autonomy than you think. I would advise you to consider it wisely.
In an instant, the air felt lighter - the tension Dario had built in his shoulders released, causing him to slide slowly down the wall. His hands cradled his head as he sighed deeply.
“I don’t know what we can do.”
Yun was flooding the journal with messages, though Milae was too far into his head to respond, and the young seidkonur’s words were getting increasingly more incoherent.
Juro Jin (U-131504051814): fuckit im going to reach out to the norns bc something must be wrong but my seidr is fine dont worry ill tell you if i hear anything. try anything–demons vs valkyrie if nala is strong enough w amp she can break the chains mb idk please stay safe
“I can’t,” he said out loud, in response. “Dario, the Rebellion’s downfall may lie below us. We need to hide the beacon and help.”
Dario winced as a sharp ringing pierced his ears, flicking his ears and shaking his head to try and minimize it.
Stop it.
Would you willingly allow the seidkonur to put himself into harms way?
You can’t bring up autonomy and expect me to not give him his own.
So you would let him go alone, then.
Dario had nothing. The stag felt his chest grow tighter with each second that passed without a response to the caprinae. His fingers danced off each other in a manic pattern as Dario cleared his throat.
“I… I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Milae. Lila entrusted you with the beacon, and we can only guess what is down there based on the information we’ve been given.”
The ringing lessened substantially, allowing for a brief moment of reprieve. The incorporeal chuckle returned, seemingly enthused by the half-breed’s indecision; enough for Dario to make up his mind.
“But if you go, I will follow. If you believe we can help, I’ll do whatever you need me to.”
“I just don’t know who else can go in our stead, especially since we have Virion.” At the sound of its name, the tiny crane chirped and then coughed a cloud of sparks the color of Nala’s essence, looking alarmed as it did so. “For now.” Milae cupped his hoof around it, concerned. “We may be the only ones who know the true nature of what we face.”
“Look,” one of the squad leaders piped up, clearly uncomfortable. “If you had to, I…I would understand. But I just don’t know if we can protect the beacon by ourselves.”
“Also I’m pretty sure Commander Lila is gonna kill us,” another rebel piped up.
“The Commander herself already rendered the network unreliable, what point is there to the beacons any more?” Milae said, frustration mounting.
The squad members looked between each other, murmuring nervously. “She’s just scary, that’s all,” another offered, with a slight, manic laugh.
“Not to me.”
The stag managed a smile; he knew this was a bad idea, but this confidence from Milae was more of a rare sight recently.
“Okay. The beacon stays, we go.” Dario shimmied the helm to a more comfortable position on his head. “I’ll follow-”
Does it bear repeating?
Dario’s words trailed at the interjection. He could almost feel his vision blur as he tried to shoo the voice away.
He cannot go alone.
Why is that?
I owe it to him.
Your understandings of debt are painfully skewed, barnið mitt. I will not stop you, but know that I harbor no apprehension in reminding you to whom you answer.
Time hadn’t stopped. A quick scan showed Rebel soldiers eyeing the deer half-breed curiously.
“Sorry, got lost in my head for a second.” Dario grabbed Milae’s forearm, grinning down to his partner. “Let’s not waste time then.”
The pause was not lost on Milae in the slightest, and nor was the incredibly searching look that he gave Dario for nearly half a minute, square pupils flickering over the cervidae’s features. “Yes, let’s not.” He continued staring while he unhooked the harness from his chest, the only readable expression on his long face being calculation.
“Um, where are we gonna put that?” the first squad leader demanded, as Milae handed the second leader the beacon.
“It does not matter. Leave it in rubble, bury it, place it indoors. At this point I think you are more useful on the ground. Virion, to the east military ward.”
Dario and Milae were suddenly swept up in a momentary blur, and appeared in the shadow of an alley amongst the barracks of High Central, rubble and glass strewn about like children’s playthings. The Construct was still visible from a different angle, inactive save for the light gathering around the pod in its chest. Virion coalesced and ruffled its feathers uncertainly, wingtips beginning to smolder gently. Milae tugged on Dario’s arm, pulling his attention from the sight.
“We are at the mercy of the seidkonurs searching for answers. We need Juro, we need the Warden, and thus we need to know how to defeat the glass demon inside of her.” His gaze bored into Dario’s, the fever of war clearly visible. “And I need more answers before we head underground. Those are both in Moirai’s and Yun’s hands now. So you have time to be honest–is Kezia speaking to you?”
He wanted to pull away. The stag felt many layers of fear in this one moment - of Kezia, of the formless entity occupying his head… but his fear of burdening Milae with this grew stronger by the second.
“I- for a second, yes, I did.” Dario felt his face flush as he tried to explain. “I believe she spoke directly to me. Nothing that helps us here, unfortunately.”
Her words returned to him as if they were new - Hvernig er að vera kominn aftur, Hjort? - and he could only shut his eyes.
I hold no place in her vision, if that is your concern.
The cervidae pushed back, but it was futile. There was no way to block it out. Dario leaned against the alley wall, hoping the helm would seclude his face enough from Milae.
Please leave me alone…
Tell him. You’ve bore the weight of this long enough. What is it that induces these feelings? Creatures of complexity.
“Why did you bring me back?”
You know the answer, unga dádýr. 
“What is happening, Dario?”
Speak from your heart, hugleysingi.
“Dario-”
Ripping himself from Milae, the stag violently ripped the helm from his head and launched it down the alley, emitting a visceral cry as he did so. The screams were guttural; existential. Dario fell to his knees, panting heavily as he watched tears drop to the dirt below.
“I know what I’ve done!” His voice cracked, broken and exhausted. “Is this enough? Will it ever be enough? Can I say that I’ve suffered enough to satisfy whatever cruel fucking terms you’ve imposed?”
His hands burned - a warning.
“Ég á ekki skilið að vera á lífi! Ég skil það, en ég mun halda áfram að lifa fyrir hann, burtséð frá því hvað það þýðir fyrir mig.”
Silence. Unburdened, beautiful silence. He couldn’t bring himself to turn and look at Milae.
The glaive was already in Milae’s hooves before he felt guilt, but he had absolutely no inkling of what Dario was going to do next. Something was happening that Milae had zero knowledge of–and that always frightened him. The welt underneath his eye tingled. He stood frozen in the building’s shadow, watching Dario closely.
“Ástin mín…”
He waited.
Milae’s soft words echoed in his head - the only words in his head. The world felt deceptively silent, as if the turmoil of war wasn’t occurring in this very moment. His vision was heavily distorted from tears, and he managed to push himself back to fall sitting against the wall.
He waited, and nothing could be heard.
“I… we need to talk, Milae. I haven’t been honest with you. At least, not fully honest.” Dario’s cadence was slow, with his voice still cracking every other word. “I don’t think I’ve had a grasp on what’s been going on with me for… a while, but it’s become more clear lately.”
The stag didn’t dare to move. His only goal now was to speak. It wasn’t just his weight to bear anymore.
“You had tried to break my curse, over so many lifetimes… and I owe it to you to be transparent. Yes, Kezia did speak to me… but she isn’t the only one.” He could feel his heartbeat racing, threatening to explode from his chest. “There’s… someone. Something in my head, Milae. Reminding me of the debt that I owe for what I tried to do when saving Vox all those years ago. They claim to be the reason I am alive, and they have a plan for me.”
Dario adjusted himself to sit more upright against the wall, feeling the tension lessen the more he confided this information in the goat.
“I don’t know what that plan is. It fights me at every turn, making me question myself. Question my fucking sanity. When you wanted to leave the beacon and head down, I… I had to go against it. They don’t want me to go down there with you.”
He managed to pivot his gaze to Milae, who still held the glaive in a defensive stance.
“I don’t know why, Milae. It doesn’t feel like I’m in control anymore. I don’t feel like my own person, and that scares the shit out of me.”
Milae's racing heart calmed the more Dario spoke, and the point of the glaive lowered as he became less wary of an attack.
"A something?" His head was spinning with the effort of reversing his thinking into this new problem. Even more so was the uncanny resemblance between Dario's state of mind and his own, in the baths right before making the choice to sever himself from Urdr. But it sounded like Dario didn't get the privilege of having that choice. "What is it? Why...why didn't you tell me about it before this point? Before I gave up seidr? I could've..."
dario-the-deer
Dario had calmed for the most part, with only his hands continuing to tremble as he considered Milae's words. His heart hurt hearing the concern, but more so knowing he had carried this alone for all this time.
"You... had a lot going on." The stag played with his fingers, unsure how to phrase his response. "I held a lot of guilt after you broke ties with Urðr. I felt... responsible, you know? If we're being honest, I saw what was happening with you and I couldn't handle the thought of burdening you with whatever... this is."
He swallowed, knowing the subject was still a touchy one.
"Losing your seidr was still so fresh, and I didn't know enough about what was happening. I still don't, really... but you have to know that I wanted to tell you. I-"
It started to push. Dario could feel it permeating into his psyche.
Mind yourself.
"I- still don't understand it myself. And why would I tell you during all of this?" Dario managed an exasperated laugh, clearly still not entirely composed. "I was fine until... the courtyard. Being back there, this voice just... took over."
Not yet. Calm yourself, unga dádýr.
The stag slowly got to his feet, careful to not yet approach Milae. He wasn't sure if the reception to this would be warm.
"I promise you, in time, I'll explain everything... but they need us right now."
foresight-botgd
“All right–it’s all right.” Milae offered a strained, but genuine smile, reaching out a hoof while planting the glaive at his side. “I can’t say it’s not something I would have done, because I already have. Many times. It’s only fair.”
The journal fluttered again, and both of them looked at it in alarm.
MOIRAI: S A P E _ A
MOIRAI: if you’re still there you should get ready–i’m cracking the last letter and i don’t know how much longer the warden can hold out!
Milae looked up at Dario, and then at the Construct, which was glowing even brighter, with clouds of multiple colors, fading and splashing into each other. “Uh–sorry, Moirai said–he’s–I have no idea how to safely get this demon’s name to her. It’s almost complete.”
The sound of porcelain heels running on stone began to grow audible, and looking out of the alley, both Milae and Dario saw a strange sight–Nala’s original ten-foot demon body, hair glowing with the colors of deep night, gaze fixed skyward on the inanimate Construct’s chest. Milae turned back to Dario in shock, but making a split-second choice.
“You–you stay here. I’ll get this to the Warden and then I’ll be back.”
"Absolutely not." Dario approached slowly, straightening his posture to convey more confidence than he felt. "If I'm already fighting whatever... this is, I still want my autonomy. I'm going with you."
You will not.
Dario had managed to keep it at bay long enough; the disembodied voice violently rumbled in his head.
I have to. I will not leave him. You will have to kill me.
Hjort, I will not repeat myself.
...and neither will I.
"I'll keep cover - I'm not sure if any of Central's soldiers are still lingering around here. Let's stay as low-"
Dario's words stopped as quickly as he fell back to his knees, his arms hitting the ground in front of him. An anguished cry was the only sound able to escape his mouth, as his skull began to burn beyond anything he had felt in his lifetime. Any senses he would have normally had were heavily dulled - to the point of losing recognition of his surroundings.
Milae could only watch in horror as his partner stopped moving, hunched on his arms with antlers grinding to a halt against the ground below. A few seconds passed before Dario was able to speak again, his face still pointed towards the earth.
"To whom do you answer, geit? Where does your loyalty lie in the height of war?"
foresight-botgd
The ex-seidkonur froze, ears flicking as he processed the strange words said to him. He very slowly began to pace backwards so that he was visible to the Warden as she approached.
"I should ask you the same, ókunnugur. To make vague, impossible demands of a being that struggles to meet them...smells of either valkyrja or púki to me. I have no allegiance to either, but neither do I make foe of either." Warden. Please.
Seidkonur? What's the matter?
We need help. Now. He felt her course deviate to head more directly towards the pair.
I have little time. My other half struggles in the Glassmaker's grip.
Then I believe we can help each other.
dario-the-deer
"Wise. Your companion would do well to emulate that." Dario slowly pushed himself upright, still remaining knelt against the ground, but turning to face Milae. "Fate may have included you in his story, but the final pages have already been inked, vinur. I cannot allow him to concern himself with your plight."
The inhabited form of Dario was standing once more, careful to remain in a neutral stance before the goat.
"You should know best of all, seidkonur... or, former seidkonur, my apologies. Some matters cannot be helped. Would you deprive he who you love most of such a gift?"
foresight-botgd
“That all depends.” Milae slowly lowered the glaive down to the street, letting it rest, and then stood again, and as he did so, he crossed his wrists behind him and used a single digit of his hoof to pry the Library open behind his back and unsteadily began to write.
Yun Milae (U-00000001): UKN BEING POSSESS DARIO SK/MAGIK LANG. DANGER
“I assume you mean this…gift of power, whatever you make reference to. Again, I ask, if Dario has not yet given you what you seek, what benefit is there to this constant battle of wills?”
What is happening? Her voice sounded oddly calm, far less resonant and heated than it usually was. Something grave must have happened in the Construct to splinter her in such a way.
Something is possessing him and I need you to drive it out.
That could be dangerous, based on its nature.
I have no strength to do it myself. I trust you.
The stag’s eyes were pointed directly at the gauntlet.
“I would strongly advise keeping your attention on the matters at hand, litla geit.”
Dario, or whatever form he was taking at this point, stepped forward. His pace was eerily slower than Milae was used to.
“Young Hjort will serve his purpose. All things in due time, seidkonur. You have lived enough years to know this better than most, hmm?” The deer’s head tilted to the right, eyes slightly obscured by shadow. “My duty to him is to keep him alive, despite the handful of… setbacks you’ve bestowed upon him. He would be nothing but a common fawn if not for me.”
Milae took a large breath, shaky in both inhale and exhale.
"You seem to have control for now. Then just let him stay put. I will even ask a friend to guard him. I will return, and you let him go. We will continue keeping both of you safe." In contrast, the scarlet moonlight caught Milae's eye. "We can swear on it."
dario-the-deer
Dario's head slowly returned to an upright position, eyes locked on Milae's.
"Do you question my ability to defend this life? Oh, sætt barn." The stag's form stopped approaching. "I need not inhabit this vessel to ensure it's safety. At least, not for now."
The deer's eyes cleared, with a sudden gasp piercing the air as Dario pulled air into his lungs for what felt like the first time in years. His legs trembled before giving out beneath him, crumbling to the ground as he panted.
Let this serve as a reminder. You have autonomy. I have given you a choice. Do not disappoint me.
foresight-botgd
"Dario--" Milae stepped forward, over the glaive, but the Warden was faster.
Dario felt a heavy mental weight hit the front of his head and radiate backwards through his skull, and just as he reacted to the insubstantial blow, it pulled away, bringing immediate relief. Nala came around the corner with a hand on the wall, in a form that was far more familiar than the monstrous Construct teetering in the distance. Her cobalt eyes fixed on Dario.
There's nothing in him, she said accusingly, and Milae gave her a dirty look.
"I wasn't lying to you for fun. It retreated. I need you to protect Dario and keep whatever it is at bay."
I absolutely have no time for that. If the Construct explodes--
"But I have what you need to defeat the demon. I can give it to Juro, and he--"
I am going to remove the Bookkeeper from the pilot's seat so that--
"No! No, don't do that. It's a death sentence." Milae slapped the journal on his arm. "I will have the demon's name in the next few minutes. You will be able to defeat them with it, yes?"
I do not have time to wait for a possible name. Nala was irritated, but once again, her anger had completely abated, leaving cold reason.
Milae tossed his hooves up. "We can't both go and leave Dario here. And I can't stay, because I am going to have the name, and you have no access to this book." Besides, if you were already in Dario's head, and the entity tries to come back, it may have more difficulty controlling him if there's already something in its place.
The Warden mentally grimaced in thought, looking over Dario, and then glancing back at the Construct with her featureless face.
dario-the-deer
The spontaneous mental occupation from Nala was startling - once she pulled away, Dario slowly caught the remnants of their conversation as he continued to catch his breath on the ground.
Nalaagura.
The presence was softer than before, but it's tone was more a mix of revering and cautious.
Please don't try to do anything. Dario could feel himself struggling to communicate, still coming down from the effects of the entities inhabitation. She'll kill me, probably.
The seidkonur is correct. You will not leave here, regardless of who stays.
Dario did not fight. He didn't have the constitution in that moment to push back; more so, the stag knew the consequences if he did.
"Milae, you can go. I will be fine here." His voice was hoarse; he managed to get himself into a sitting position resting against a wall. "Only a few minutes, it'll be alright."
He couldn't look to Nala, a wave of shame washing over him. The lingering effects of losing his free will, even briefly, cast a dark cloud.
"No need for both of you to be here. Please, go. I'll be here when you return, Milae."
foresight-botgd
The Warden stepped back as Milae brushed past her, leaving his weapon behind and straightening the jerkin under his armor. The demon moved her gaze to Dario, and the deer felt her attention flood him like a cloud of smoke. He could sense her heavy stress over how long the rest of her would survive inside the Construct. He could also, strangely enough, see her picturing Milae moving at full speed through High Central, and to her, it was not enough.
Milae gave an extremely undignified yelp as Nala quickly strode forward and scooped him into her arms. I will take you to the Bookkeeper, she said, as though scolding an unruly child, and Milae immediately simmered, though he still wasn’t happy. He scrambled in her arms, even as she was starting to run back down the street, and threw out a hoof. From it, Virion extended its wings, trailing psychedelic colors, and landed on Dario’s shoulders, nipping at his shirt collar. Its eyes were reluctantly trained on Milae, and it felt ready to shift back into a portal at any moment should the goat half-breed put himself in too much danger.
“Don’t move!” The whites of Milae’s eyes were visible. “Stay safe–I’ll be back, I swear!”
The Warden’s huge legs bent and she kicked off the ground hard enough to catch the eaves of a rooftop, and then she crossed over the ridge and disappeared from sight towards the Construct, which had begun to twitch and jerk, overheating at its heart.