Something Something Learn Fast or Die

Absinth sat before the children. Her form poised yet rigid, emeralds both captivating and severe as she let silence reign as perhaps they wondered why she had summoned them. Each of them had made progress, and it was not limited to merely them. Many of her children were learning hard and fast, and she had taken notice of the pride they all carried—yet she knew that pride alone wouldn’t shield them from what the world demanded. Her ears twitched as her ravens settled nearby, their scouting to find any more of her brood nearby fruitless. She tsked, but began.

“Do you know what self-preservation is?” she began, her tone unwavering. “It is not cowardice, if you understand when it is needed and when you should use it.” She paused, letting her words hang in the air, her gaze fierce.

Absinth leaned forward slightly, her form taut with muscle, her piercing gaze moving from one listener to the next, ensuring they felt her intensity. “You will not win every battle. You will not escape pain or suffering. You might one day be stripped of everything you are, broken and battered. But if you’re smart enough you can overcome it. Better yet, prevent it. Your loyalty must first be to yourself. It is not a weakness to value your survival and your way of life—it is your strength. Most wars are waged over the very same ideal.” Her lips curled into a sharp smile, the kind that was both warning and invitation.

"Absinth Artemisia Inferos"