record_id: 30cf8b3e-f83d-818c-9a58-d538adafece2
created_time: 2026-02-19T00:37:00.000Z
title: 02-18 Creative Session: Fictional Narrative Dictation and Family Discipline
source_url: /

[TRANSCRIPTION]
Speaker 1 00:00:00
Raxia uses is under the rule of a small council, seven in number, mostly old, mostly men. All enormously wealthy and possessing lineages stretching back to an earlier age of petty kings warring over each hilltop. They are not unkind to those beneath them. The city is clean, prosperous in the way small cities can be. These councillors might even have been decent human beings. I could not say having never met any. But tithes were unfairly assigned, making the wealthy wealthier on the labour of those who never had an extra coin to spare, or those who had earned the displeasure of censure of the council. The lives of the citizens were also at the mercy of their rulers, forced, conscriptions and foolish skirmishes with neighbours. Had cost many lives in the year just before I came to Braxia, and rumours of fresh feuds had been swirling since the winter. And this student, a clever boy with a bright future, Asked me why Braxia should be ruled by a few instead of by the many. Another pause, this one longer. Another sigh, heavier. It never occurred to me not to answer. It seems exile had taught me nothing ;. It failed to remove my philosophy from me or me from it. In, a matter of days, I was holed up in an abandoned temple outside the city walls. Speaking to a cadre of enthusiastic young men and women who believed there was a different future to be won, not with swords and violence, but with words.
Speaker 1 00:00:58
Senboyar's mouth twitched, though whether it betrayed a fond smile of remembrance or a shudder of grief, Eshka could not say. And I believed. I believed as I had not since the day I left Braxia. Senboyar looked at Eshka. "It's there with now," you know my crime," Eshka de Kalundor, " now, you know why I have not called the Seven Cities home for half my life." What happened?" Eshka asked after a moment. "What happened in Braxia?" We were betrayed." Senboyar's voice had gone stiff, just as before, Just as it will always be, when small minds cannot grasp the gift of freedom and rule by and for the people." The council sent soldiers in the dark, barred the temple's entrances, set it ablaze. Those, who did not die by fire, were killed by the smoke that filled their lungs. He looked away. And you? How did you survive? A harsh, hoarse bark of laughter burst from Spanavoya. Because I was late, he said. Because I was in the safety of the trees and saw it all a bottle of wine in my hands, a scroll containing Aestor's writings on the overthrow of unjust power in my pocket. Aestor Bescan knew the name ; had read some of his work, a philosopher from ancient Tolfir thirty years. She said.
Speaker 1 00:01:55
I have read a little about what happened in Tornaxi's thirty years ago. A very little, Pasko reiterated as Sangoria began to interrupt. As you can imagine, it is not a topic eagerly spoken of, but I had to do some digging. Of course, the Logikon has extensive records of the history of the Seven Cities, but not once in my formal education did the subject arise. Sangoria snorted. It was hardly worthy of mention in the histories. A hiccup, that is all. I know that now. We thought we were ushering in a new era, one in which the wealth of the world would be used to help all, One in which names and rank and long dead ancestors were not the foremost reasons for long life and prosperity, and most of all one in which the voices of the people mattered And not scouted out by Archons and Tribunes and Principates. We thought we carried the memory and light of Ria's rebellion against the yoke of the Seven, a light for Parnaxi's and our sisters and brothers across Palara. But we were mistaken. We mattered not at all. Bleska waited until Kassius Senvorius' words had been swallowed by the grass, and the stars, and the shroud of his own past. And then she waited some more. I think Master Crow, she said at last, That perhaps one ought not to judge the final weight of one's life until one is leaving it. Fine words spoken with all the certainty of youth and position. Senvorius looked Bleska squarely in the eye: I am old, I am fat. 
Speaker 1 00:02:52
I have spent the past six years in this grass, and now it has nearly killed me. I think I am allowed to judge myself. Besides, he snorted, I might yet decide to die. Esca shrugged. Suit yourself, But I think if you wanted to die, you would have before making me drag you across the grass for four days. Another snort, then silence. Then, I, don't suppose you are going to tell me why the W ind- D awn Matriarch has lost all her hair and is sitting in the dark like an abandoned child? I thought you were deciding to die. A scowl slid across Sandorri's face, but there was a light in his eyes. I think I am allowed a few questions to take with me into death. One needs something to think about after all.Well in that case, back on track for the Firth And can only offer a little insight into the second. Estra patted his hands. Then I think you ought to eat something before we delve into those answers. She pointed at the small fire. We have a rabbit. Admittedly, The skewered rabbit was charred in a lopsided fashion and rapidly approaching the point of being inedible. At Estra's gesture, Chetto jumped to attention and removed it from the flame. He eyed it with pride and held it in Senvorier's direction. To his credit, the man didn't wince outwardly; he smiled at Chetto instead—a thin sort of smile. "I think some water," perhaps? Estra offered the flask again: "You need to eat, Kazimir." You've been without for four days," Senvorier made a face."
Speaker 1 00:03:50
Badesha could see the tremble in his hand as he lowered the skin. All right, but nothing that was warm and wriggling just moments ago. Esca nodded and rummaged through their basket for a folded piece of flatbread. Cracked and stale, it wasn't much to look at, But Esca had found it still filled the belly well enough, if one could wash it down with plenty of water. Senvorion nibbled at it, then understood Esca's pointed stare and managed a proper bite. Only then did she turn her attention back to Nadeja, who had shown no interest in the rabbit or the bread or Senvorion's story come to that. At Senvorion's refusal of the rabbit, Jeddo had shrugged and carved into the meat with his smaller knife, tearing out a few shreds, which he placed with care in a pocket of another piece of flatbread. In his palm. This he extended to Esca, a neat little sachet of rabbit, hot and steaming, and unexpectedly dry and tasteless. Senvoya watched Esca chew and gave her a knowing look. "At least it's hot," Esca said. Chedot devoured his with gusto, Then stood and retreated from the light to offer the last of the small carcass to Medeja. She accepted but then sat quietly, her face still turned away from Esca, the skewer resting untouched in her lap. Esca watched, waited for her to eat, to speak, to do anything other than examine the inner workings of her own mind. "She will speak when she is ready," Kazimir Senvoya said. His own voice was quiet but. 
Speaker 1 00:04:49
Certain. He had leaned back against the saddle, his face tilted to the stars, his eyes closed, though Esku suspected he watched her through his lashes. You weren't there. You didn't see them turn on her. Then yet she is here. She followed you. She lives. But what does she want? Esku asked. Her gaze drifted to the staff, the white-boned staff against the darkness. Esku shivered despite herself, remembering the wind and the chaos it unleashed.I dare say she is attempting to answer that very question.I ought to know.I've answered it once or twice. I suppose I don't know what it is to lose my place in the world.No," Sen Volya said.Esku suspected there might have been a sharpness to it Had he not been ravaged by illness and poison, and four days without food. You do not, she thought he had finished. His lips parted slightly. His stomach rose and fell in a deep inhale and exhale. Nor do I think your mind is quiet enough to contemplate that question as I have, as she does now. Once when she was younger, Esga would have protested this, would have insisted she was quite capable of quiet contemplation. Would have said she knew what she wanted: "I know what I want." Senboyah harrumphed into his chin and the edge of the blanket tucked there, then succumbed to a wet cough that had him folding in on himself, his face contorted with discomfort, his fingers clutching the blanket.
Speaker 1 00:05:47
Esker leaned close, Unable to offer more than a touch that might be soothing and a murmured meaningless word. When Senvorius settled, his breath coming rapidly, his face shining with a fresh sheen of sweat, he did not let go of Esker's hand. She expected him to sleep or to drift into something akin to that state. But there was no lapse in his grip, no steadying of his breath, no smoothing of the crease in between his eyes. Not after Chedo had curled up next to the fire and fallen into dreams. Not after the fire burned down to nothing. And so Esker perhaps to convince herself he was not about to die. Perhaps so he would know he did not die alone. She could not say began to speak : " I want more than I should want." The grass whispered in response. By that I mean, That I was born and bred to do the work I do for the sake of knowledge, for improving that knowledge, for adding to that knowledge, for playing my part as a small piece of something greater. And I play that part gladly. My name is there in the Logicon, one among many alongside the great minds of our time and times before us. And I have seen the world from the smallest village in Ballara to the oldest ruins of Mahathra. Recovered artifacts of untold value, discovered things long lost to memory. And I serve my city. It should be enough. Esca hesitated. It should be more than enough. She looked up, but it was not the stars that held her gaze. It was the darkness lingering between.
Speaker 1 00:06:46
And yet, Erska waited until her heartbeat, sent racing ahead by those two simple words, slowed. And yet it is not enough to simply be good at what I do. It is not enough to have my papers published for all to read. It is not enough to simply be one among many. She swallowed over what came next. Say it, Senbora's voice was gentle. I want to be the best. I want my name to live on unrivaled. I want my contributions to rise above those I call peers. Erska took a breath. I want to leave a mark on the world, a mark that cannot be rubbed out and you fear this why? Fear, It was not a word Estra liked when it came to matters of the mind. Fear was for the physical realm. Fear belonged in moments of peril, when hired killers stalked through a grove of trees, when knives spin out of the dark. Because I do not wish to be that which I hate. Careful with such a wish, Estra, Senboyah said. Or, you will put so much of yourself into, not being something that there will be nothing left for you to be. He closed his eyes once more. Estra turned those words over and over in her mind, Manon Barker's face taking form in the pauses and shaping at the vowels. Her uncle was there too, fainter, something she dared not acknowledge. And then at last a bronze disc. 
Speaker 1 00:07:45
Took shape in the shadow of those faces, a god forged, its markings whispering to her. Larger than the one she had held in her hand, so tangible she could feel the weight of the metal in her mind, could feel the cold promise of history. I crossed the sea in search of something, Esku said, her gaze fixed on a single blade of grass resting against her boot. She tried to wet her lips, but her tongue was rooted to the floor of her mouth. An artifact steeped in bloody history, Kin to six others, but already lost to the silent dominion of time when the six were last known to us. A thing of mystery and unknown origin. A thing of power. A veritable link to an age we call myth, to a time when gods walked the earth. The location is uncertain Conveyed to me in riddles, Stitched together from the workings of a mind, I know as well as my own. But I have a place to start. To discover this thing would be a deed unrivalled by generations of those who have dug in the dirt. Esca stared at a slender piece of brass, twisted now between thumb and forefinger, unable to recall when exactly she had torn it from the soil. But it is not merely a thing to be studied. There are those who would use it, wield it, though I know not for what purpose or how. A powerful man is seeking its six brethren. To have it or the others fall into his hands could bring untold strife to Valara. I must not let that happen.Sembryo was silent, his chest rising and falling in steady if not exactly strong breaths. 
Speaker 1 00:08:45
She thought him asleep, and extricated her hand from his. Then lay back in the grass, As though sleep might be summoned to an unruly mind with such a simple act. Perhaps it would be better to leave this thing in the ground. Quietly said, and followed with nothing else, not a sigh or another word, so that Esku could very nearly imagine it had not been said at all. Except it had been said. And Esku could not breathe for the weight of it. It and the understanding that such a thing audaciously simple, marvellous in its logic had never occurred to her. Interlude Seven: Introduction from Beneath Marbled Skies: A Short History of Ria's Rebellion Primary actors and their philosophies, the instigating events, and the preservation of the seven cities, with an afterword by Salonicus. A popular work by amateur historian Lady Adelaide de Lumiere. Annotated by an unknown hand. "Zenicus, Celestial Knight of Valara, stands upon a precipice, one of the mind and of the body. A storm swelling above him, ; purple clouds veiling the sun ; wind roaring down from mountains below his city : dark of stone, shadowed of heart, murmuring with discontent. He is the best of his kind : fury personified in battle ; gentle - hearted in peace ; generous to those who have little."
Speaker 1 00:09:42
Stern to those who stray from the path of justice. Beloved of the people, and of a woman. They call him the valiant. She calls him husband. Spare me this drivel! Such a man does not exist, or if he does, show him to me and let me then poke holes in your construct. Vinicius was in disgrace, cast out of good favor for killing an innocent man. Any historian worth a pig in a muddle knows that. The time is spring, a time of renewal, of hope, of life's persistence after the cold embrace of winter. It was autumn! Lady Adelaide has outdone her penchant for poetic license already! Vinicius has a choice to make: to heed the calls of his disenchanted populace Spurred to the brink of rebellion by voices ravenous for power, voices that did not hesitate to utter lies. Lies! Theodoromas Serra only sought to advance the will of the people. Let us stand firm with the alliances of Valara, With the unity crafted by our ancestors that endured even the atrocities of the tyrants. There are some who say, "Who? Who are your sources, my lady? " Vinicas Tzoray remained unmoved by the arguments of certain philosophers and academics and popular figures that he understood the need to keep Valara whole. Whole? Yes! But with holes too, my lady! Holes driven through society to keep the poor and downtrodden at bay! Is that what Valara means to you? That he as a celestial knight. 
Speaker 1 00:10:40
Would never have wavered from that sacred duty. But then, she died. What? Is there no deity among the stars who can stop the flow of this woman's ink? Yes, his cherished wife, Macred, who danced with grace and spoke with charm. She prized the virtues of the mind above the virtues of polite society. This is what Vimicus fell in love with was murdered most foully. By all means, Let us make this a tale of a man's need for vengeance after the tragic death of a woman, Lady Adelaide. Never mind the fact that Macred was the heart behind the rebellion and that we might have won had. She not died of fever -, a common fever I repeat! It was love, That drove Venecus to rise up against the seven. Love, that overpowered his oaths and his duty, those stalwart bastions of his life. Love for a woman slaughtered in cold blood. Adelaide, I notice you do not name a culprit. What's this? A sudden shyness? Unwilling to slander a family name for the sake of your fictitious murder? I am surprised at your caution. It was love that sent him over the edge of that precipice. I just may swoon! Surely he knew he would lose. One does not test the might of Valara and expect to come away unscathed! Careful! Your sycophancy is showing! Such then is the power of love: breaker of cities, of kingdoms, of order.
Speaker 1 00:11:38
Of the very essence of the world. A step too far, my lady. I fail to follow your logic to that final conclusion. Come then, on this journey into the heart of a rebellion. I think not. Chapter twenty seven: You for all your prowess and power are going to fail. Sloppy, Ramses took a moment to stare down at the Lachensan camp, his eyes narrowed with disdain. See? Imaginary way for hand in as haphazard a manner as their tents were arrayed below, no order, no defensive perimeter. I could kill half of them before they knew they were under attack. Tasha was inclined to agree, but he was not about to admit that to the captain of the grey eagles. Those narrowed eyes slid over to scan Sasha. Nothing left to say, Arch-Commander? An eyebrow cocked. Pity. Your talk of wolf packs and retribution was amusing. Didn't you say Valaran spoke too many words and too few of consequence? Sasha asked. I would have thought you might be glad if I prattled less. True, true, but it seems I've grown fond of my little prize. This was perhaps a more honest answer than Tukamun meant to give. He had taken to having Sasha follow his every move as they crossed into the Nijan territory, like a master with his favourite hound. Sasha didn't mind, not if it meant a chance at learning something, Anything that might help him unpick the knot at the heart of this Lichenzan matter What. Is your plan for the city?
Speaker 1 00:12:37
Tukamun waved his hand again. "We take it," Sasha persisted. "Vienne's natural defenses are well known, and her wall is not to be taken lightly. Will, you hurl your men against the stones until they are unrecognizable from the arrows piercing them? " Tukamun's carefree wave turned into a heavy grip on the hilt of his sword. A scowl darkened his features. "My men are not arrow fodder." "And they are?" Sasha asked, pointing at the Nechensan tents. "I do not think the Princepae will wish to see his forces so depleted." "We will draw them out from behind their walls," Ramses Tukamun's deep voice rolled over Sasha, tinged with impatience. "How?" The mercenary stepped close, his face looming, his chest bumping Sasha's That is no business of yours. Sasha did not so much as blink. Sit yourself. A moment ago you were starved for my conversation. Do you forget, Arch-Commander, that I could skewer you where you stand? I do not forget, Captain. I merely wonder if this will be the last time the Grey Eagles draw their swords, If this will be the moment, history remembers as the folly that led them to die in their dust beneath the Wall of Vianesi. The scowl deepened, if such a thing was possible. Sasha, without taking his gaze from the other man's eyes, considered how quickly the captain could pull his sword free. Sasha would step into the blade, of course, because the natural thing would be to step away. And then he'd turn Razi's Tukamun's sword on its owner, but Tukamun did not draw the weapon.
Speaker 1 00:13:36
Though his fingers twitched. I know how to take a city, Tukamun snarled. He turned on his heel and snapped his fingers at the lieutenant called Arkonamo. Bring him, don't bother being gentle. And then Rameses Tukamun, the grey eagle banner streaming behind him, began the descent into the Lachenzan camp. He did know how to take a city, Sasha knew that was no lie across the straits of Erid Ferah, The grey eagles had taken Dioranos for that city's rival Archigolos three years before without a lengthy siege. But there was something in the captain's answers or lack of them and his sudden irritability unseen since the day he had taken Sasha captive. That burrowed its way into the knot in Sasha's mind. Burrowed and offered nothing in return. Lakanamo yanked Sasha's arm behind his back, twisting enough to endanger his wrist and produce a wince, then prodded him into Tukamon's wake. Sasha breathed through the pain, his resolve to be a model prisoner weakening with every step. While logic dictated that a cool head and careful words were necessary, A few days amongst the Gray Eagles had allowed Sasha to come to a particular conclusion :. That is, there was not a man or woman among them who could defeat him. True, he would need to win himself a sharp object, But he'd already identified no fewer than twenty Gray Eagles, who could be easily deprived of theirs. Such certainty prickled at his pride which in turn needled at his mind.
Speaker 1 00:14:33
Insisting on such a course of action as to require humility in defeat. They had passed no fewer than three Lytchensan tents when Sasha's uniform began to earn more attention than Tucumal. And his splendid grey banner, a thing of beauty, nearly translucent in the light, pale grey, the eagle embroidered there soaring with each ripple of the wind. A shame really, Considering that Sasha would rather have observed what came next with as much anonymity as he could muster. But, there was some satisfaction in seeing how this irked Ramesey's Tucumal, when the mercenary captain realized the furtive glances and furious whispers from the Lytchensan soldiers were not directed his way. Word traveled quickly as word tends to do in such camps. And by the time Tukamun arrived outside the largest tent, The commander waiting for him, there was too busy peering around the captive Sasha to greet him promptly and properly. This is most unexpected, Tukamun. Sasha fancied the commander's clipped tones stabbed into Tukamun's chest like the talons of a tiny eagle. We weren't anticipating prisoners. The arch-commander is my guest. His presence here means nothing more than the fortune, with which his family will buy his life. To his credit, Tukamun had wrestled his face into something resembling pleasant, but there was no mistaking the hostility in his voice. A good start then to the partnership and ally, Tukamun could have left Sasha with his eagles unremarked upon.
Speaker 1 00:15:30
But Tucuman had wanted the Lichentan commander to see him, to know the Eagles had captured Arconia's highest-ranking military officer, had fought the Protector of the Seven Cities and won. As for that Lichentan commander, Sasha knew her or knew of her. "You are committing treason against the Seven Cities," Commander Theros said Sasha. "Have you no shame? No honor?" If the stories were to be believed, Sasha already knew the answer to the second question. Commander Istarra Theros glared at Sasha as harshly as a sun does water, but with none of heat, a sun leaves behind. "My honor belongs to Lichenta." The scar tracing her cheekbone gleamed silver in bright light. "And Lichenta belongs to Valara." Commander Thero stepped close, drawing herself up to face Sasha. They were nearly of a height, he saw, And there was more coldness in her grey eyes than in the sea in winter. "Not anymore." It was not a particularly clever response, but Quarassajakso Sashabili had chosen his blunt instrument well. After all, Commander Thero had a reputation for taking no prisoners, preferring instead to make a violent example of those she defeated. She would make a ruin of Vianese citizens given the chance. "Slaughtering defenseless civilians is beneath you, Commander Thero," as it is beneath all those sworn to Bellora." "I slaughter as I am bidden," Arch-Commander," she said, a tight smile pulling her scar toward her temple. Ramses took on an angle between them. 
Speaker 1 00:16:28
A nod reminding Akonano to tighten his grip on Sasha. Trying not to grimace, Sasha stepped back from Theros, lest the lieutenant become inclined to break something. "Commander," Tukamun said, His impatience nearly as thick in his throat as it had been with Sasha moments before. "We have much to discuss. Perhaps, you would like me to tell you, which of my lieutenants, your men will take orders from in our attack upon the city." Theros bristled, as Sasha and no doubt Tukamun would have expected, and turned her attention to the mercenary. "The command will be mine," Tukamun said. "And your Eagles will answer to me." If your prince had trusted you to get the job done, I wouldn't be here," Tukamun said. Outside of Velara. We all know, Lydchens and soldiers aren't worth the spit used to polish my armor. Tukamun tossed a knot in Sasha's direction. The only forces in the seven cities to be reckoned with belong to Ria and Arkulya. A knife flashed from its sheath to Tukamun's neck like a snake darting in for the kill. Reflexively, Arkhanamo dropped Sasha's arm and began to step forward, But a twist of Tukamun's wrist revealed the mercenary captain was just as quick as the Lydchens commander. His small blade rested under Theros' lowest rib, ready to rend a hole in her abdomen. Behind Sasha, the onlookers had gone quiet, their collective breath held. Do you wish to die today, Captain? Theros murmured. 
Speaker 1 00:17:26
Her cold voice, Seemingly seeping along the length of her arm to coil around the steel poised to slit Tukamun's throat. "I'll make it quick." Tukamun smiled. "And I'll make it slow. You'll die screaming as your bowels seep out and poison your organs. A bad death, Commander." They held their ground. Then, As if three heartbeats was the mutually agreed upon amount of time for such things, Both withdrew their blades slowly and with no small amount of reluctance on Thero's part. "We're three days from the city," Thero growled. " I don't want to see a hair on your head or smell your Ereborean stink until we're in sight of the gates." Tukamun gave a mocking bow. "As you wish, Commander." But don't be surprised if my eagles have taken the city by the time you and your sorry excuse for soldiers show your faces. It was, Sashan knew, No small thing that the encounter had not resulted in bloodshed or blows at the least. He said as much to Tukamun as they retraced their steps over the small rise, separating the eagles from the Lichenzans. My congratulations, Captain. What an excellent friendship you've established. Don't try your luck, Domnus," The mercenary muttered, "I might yet find a home for my knife in your belly." Fierce words uttered without a shard of belligerence in his voice. But, it was a moment of hesitation before Tukamun spoke, hardly a moment at all so slight as to be of dubious existence that had Sasha's mind racing.
Speaker 1 00:18:24
And set on edge every instinct he possessed. True to his word, Ramses Tutkhamun kept his grey eagles and Sasha out of sight of the Lichenzan force, though he was careful to keep the Lichenzans in his own sight, Sending out scouts to slink through the land between the two columns, winding their way south to Vienisi. At times, they were close enough to spot the cloud of dust stirred up by the Lichenzans, who insisted on parading on the dirt road. While, it was likely that Vienisi had some foreknowledge in a form of muddled rumors and hasty reports from farmers or merchants that a column of troops was approaching, rendering stealthy approach somewhat moot, Sasha preferred Tutkhamun's tactic of using the trees and terrain to mask the eagle's numbers. After the confrontation with Commander Theros, Tukamon had kept his distance from Sasha, Condemning him to a silent march at the hands of Akonamo and another Eagle, who appeared each evening at dusk and watched Sasha's every yawn and blink with deceptively sleepy eyes until the bitter hours of the morning when Akonamo would reappear tightly wrapped in his cloak and resume his vigilance. The silence had afforded Sasha copious amounts of time with himself, A typically pleasant prospect destroyed by the endless cycle of thoughts spinning through his every waking moment, and more than a few of the sleeping ones : Lichenda's treachery, Vionesi's ability to defend itself, Tukamon's troubling behavior, The Archduke's dismissal of Cyrus. And then there was the strange brand on the dead woman.
Speaker 1 00:19:22
Master Diomedes whispers in the dark about Eleskuan kings and queens, ceaseless, just as the tides. Though these were borne as easily by the sun as the moon, leaving Sasha little peace with each step he took into Vianesian territory. Did you hear me? A boot to Sasha's shoulder sent him sliding from his seat on a fallen log. He brushed dirt from his sleeve, somewhat pointless endeavour given the state of his uniform, And looked up at Akunama, who looked less than pleased to have sullied his boot with Sasha's coat. The sounds of quiet conversation and the smell of meat cooking burning over an open fire suddenly came to Sasha. Get up! The lieutenant said, his accent putting excessive emphasis on the consonants at the end of each word. He wants to see you. Apinamo led Sasha across the Eagle's camp. No tents here, no extraneous equipment, Just a pair of cookfires and men stretching out on whatever mossy patches of ground looked most appealing. And. Yet, there was order to the casual arrangement and the perimeter established in the growing dark as there should be. The lieutenant stopped short of the group of four Eagles clustered around Tukamom, indicating they would wait. Apinamo maintained his stiffness, his posture impeccable, his gaze steadfastly fixed just above Sasha's head. That is until the moment of waiting turned into something rather longer : a fidget here, a shifting weight there, And then at last, the man gave in and scratched at his long, slender nose.
Speaker 1 00:20:20
Sasha wondered how long he'd been trying to suppress the itch. He never quite recovered his stoicism. His shoulders sagged a little, his fingers drummed on the hilt of his sword, His gaze drifted to a game involving black and white stones and the small crowd gathering around the two players, then snapped back to Sasha with unsustainable enthusiasm. Twice more this played out until Akonamo succumbed at last, Thanks in no small part to the sudden shouts from the player commanding the black pieces. While Sasha could not understand the words, A dark look and a threatening finger waggling in the face of the other player was more than enough. The exchange continued for a moment, then laughter rolled throughout the group. A jug of wine was produced and Akonamo abandoned his post for Good. Sasha sighed, and leaned back against the trunk of the small maple tree, near which he had been deposited, waiting for someone to notice and spit in his direction. He slid down to the ground and closed his eyes, casting his mind ahead to what the morning would bring: Vionissean bloodshed, an attack against the very fabric of the Seven Cities. And he would be there to witness it, ; witness and be able to act against it. They would attempt to take the western wall, Sasha decided. Vionisse sat atop a high plateau surrounded on three sides by cliffs, dropping sharply to the valley floor below. Only, the northern approach offered an easy ascent :, a gradual rise first built up by the ancients who had decided to settle atop the rock formation.
Speaker 1 00:21:20
And maintained ever since. But the way was narrow, and defending it required only a handful of competent archers, and a plentiful supply of arrows. Of the cliffs, it was the western one that could be considered less forbidding, marked by a series of natural stairs formed when the world was young. Stairs built for giants perhaps, But far more manageable than the southern and eastern cliffs, which tended toward sheer and insurmountable. Of course, If Sasha were tasked with taking the city, he would have ignored the option to assault the walls in favor of a different tactic, entirely one designed to limit loss of life. But Ramses took command wasn't about to ask for his advice, nor would Sasha reveal Ienese's weaknesses to a foreign combatant. The western wall then. What remained to be seen was how staunchly the Vienizians would defend it, whether the sight of Lechzen uniforms would spark their courage or smother it, And how many Lechzen soldiers would fall to their deaths or be pierced by arrows before Commander Pharaohs would lose her nerve. Sasha suspected the answer to the last question was that such a number did not exist. Some of my men think I should kill you. Sasha opened his eyes to see Ramses II standing over him, his silhouette blocking the last rays of sunlight streaming through the trees. They would rather see you dead and buried than see the fortune your life is worth. Sasha looked up at the other man. 
Speaker 1 00:22:18
And tried to summon the words an unwilling prisoner might choose next. Name your price, Captain. My family has extensive sources of funds to draw on. Sasha rose up from the ground and held out his hands, palms up. What threat could I possibly pose to the work you will do tomorrow? Tucaman did not answer, choosing instead to nod in the direction of a boy hovering nearby. That ransom, it's time. Marco Lo there has paper and ink. You will write to whichever member of your family, directs the purse strings and give instruction for thirty thousand Valoran gold pieces to be made ready.Thirty thousand.Sasha weighed the number, trying to decide if it measured up to the blood flowing in his veins, the strength in his limbs, The memories in his mind. A strange thing, to put a price on the very air one's lungs pulled into one's body. It was not an insignificant amount, But Sasha had no intention of delivering a single one of those thirty thousand golden griffins to Tukamal.
Speaker 2 00:23:03
Hey, oh hey, how you doing? Could you turn off the.
Speaker 3 00:23:17
Is it uh empty now?
Speaker 4 00:23:20
Yeah, I think it looks empty.
Speaker 3 00:23:26
Should be off now.
Speaker 4 00:23:28
Okay, all right, thank you.
Speaker 1 00:23:29
No problem. Thank you. Where shall I have your prize sent? Not so hasty, Dutch Commander. You will write a second letter with that information when I deem the time right. Tucuman snapped his fingers and Margolo rushed forward brandishing pen and paper, his lip curling in a sneer, Displaying the obvious sort of disdain so easily conjured by youth. The boy stood with his feet planted wide apart, His hand on the leather case slung across his torso and resting on his hip, As though it were the hilt of the blade, he no doubt longed to carry. Sasha wrote quickly, using the maple tree's trunk as a crude writing surface. Then, his gaze fixed on Ramses Tukamun's face, blew slowly on the ink to help it dry. Do you remember what I told you? Sasha asked, giving the parchment a final flourish. About wolves and packs? He didn't give Tukamun a chance to answer. Nothing that happens tomorrow or the day after or the day after that or any day between now and the day you draw, your last breath will change the promise I made you captain. I will destroy you. 
Speaker 1 00:24:16
And your eagles, not for what you have done to me or for the ransom you demand, but for Bellara, for this bargain you have struck with that traitor in Lecce. Only the day of this reckoning remains to be decided. The older man's cheek twitched and Margalo snatched the paper away. Sasha smiled as the boy rolled up the ransom note and stuffed it into the case alongside a handful of scrolls and two small pots of ink. Rameses took him on called for Arcanano, who removed himself from the game now played with serious faces and a solemn silence as the final few pieces were at stake with some reluctance no doubt in part due to wine, but before the lieutenant had led Sasha more than a few steps, the captain spoke again: You may choose whether you wish to watch tomorrow Tukamun said, his gaze not quite meeting Sasha's in the deepening twilight. "If you do not wish to, you will remain here under guard." The mercenary turned abruptly and walked away. Rameses Tukamun had uttered more than a few strange things in the short time that Sasha had known him. This undoubtedly outdid them all, All the more so given the threatening promise Sasha had made only a moment before. Rameses Tukamun, captain of the Grey Eagles, Ought to have answered with threats of his own ;, ought to have shown his prisoner, his wrath and fury. But Rameses Tukamun had offered a small mercy. The frown that formed on Sasha's face remained there until sleep took him and sent him down a racing river of shadows.
Speaker 1 00:25:14
And half-formed dreams. It was the chill that woke him, in the deep purple before dawn. Sasha fought back a shiver as he opened his eyes to a night claimed by thick fog. Pushing himself upright, his hands coming away wet from the dew-slicked grass, he folded himself against his fallen log and tucked his hands under his arms, his clothes a damp ruin incapable of holding in heat of his body. It was only a moment before his chin came up from his chest too long when one is meant to be alert at all times, but such was the state of Sasha's mind that he had not at first realized there was movement in camp voiceless movement, but the rustling was unmistakable The. Eagles were readying to move Sasha stood. Calculating the lack of light, made more difficult by the fog, and the depth of his sleep, To confirm his initial sense that even the first hint of grey was still some time away. His movement attracted the attention of his nightly shadow, Who had strayed farther from Sasha than he had at any point the previous two nights. He held a spare shirt and an eating knife in one hand, the straps of his bedroll in the other. The mercenary muttered something in a language Sasha did not speak and gestured indecipherably with his shirt and knife. Sasha held out his hands to convey he meant no mischief, which earned him a scowl. But the man resumed stuffing his belongings, haphazardly into his sack, so haphazardly it bulged in all the wrong places and required an excessive amount of effort to close.
Speaker 1 00:26:13
Leaving Sasha to observe and ponder, the Grey Eagles were meant to meet the Lecenzans shortly after dawn. This much Sasha had learned with little trouble in the two days since departing from Commander Feros and her company. Sasha did not think Ramses took him on for all his qualities as a captain, Particularly inclining to wake his Eagles hours early simply to avoid being second to arrive. Even the satisfaction of arriving at a designated meeting place before Feros, smugly so as to make the Lecenzan feel late, was inadequate for such effort. The day ahead was likely to be long and arduous ;. An experienced captain would want his troops as fresh and rested as possible. Your people are all going to die! Sasha spun to face Markolo. The boy with the letter case, the boy longing to be a blade wielder, a true grey eagle. The case was still attached to his hip, the thick leather straps slung across his torso. But the boy had found a sword, or perhaps had been given one, though Sasha thought not, given the way Markalo was creeping on the edge of camp, content to remain fogbound and away from watching eyes. He spoke the words in halting Valoran, his teeth biting at the syllables. So young and yet so vicious Sasha murmured. I've known more than a few boys like you. They didn't end well, He nodded towards the blade And I, suppose you think you know how to use that? I, suppose you think you're ready for the screams of the dying and feel of another man's blood spraying across your face?
Speaker 1 00:27:13
But how many lessons have you had, Margolo? You write your captain's letters. You trot after the company, tolerated for your uses, but not accepted as one of them. How many times has Tukamon showed you a proper grip or made you practice your footwork? Sasha shook his head. I'd wager not enough. Margolo scowled at the words he could not fully understand, offended by Sasha's mild tone alone. I kill you when we return! Sasha sighed. Take your place in line! I killed Theros for her insults! Ah well, for that privilege I'm afraid you'll have to wait until I've had a turn! But not for her insults. For her treasons! A shout from within the fog drew their attention and Akunaro and Tukamon himself approached each leading horses prepared for battle. Markolo turned to scamper deeper into the fold. Ramses tookmon had eyes only for Sasha, and those eyes were red, set in a face aged by lack of sleep. The silver in his beard seemed more pronounced, more at odds with his dark hair. Your decision, Arch Commander. Watch or remain here? Sasha waited, not looking away from Tookmon's haggard face. Akunamu shifted his feet, glancing from one man to the other. I will watch," Sasha said. " H ow else will I later bear witness before all of Arconia and the rest of the Seven to Vincenzo's treachery?" "I will watch," he repeated. Everything." Tookmon's jaw unclenched slowly, reluctantly. But then the mercenary accepted this with a nod.
Speaker 1 00:28:12
Very well. You will remain at the rear, under guard by three of my men. He turned and swung up into his saddle. You ought to tell your boy, Sasha called out, that he should refrain from threatening your allies. Tukamun's horse shifted as the captain gathered the reins and looked over his shoulder. Though Sasha said, I suppose he will have learned from you that you were quick to do the same. Rameses Tukamun stared, though whether lost in thought or Sasha's words, Sasha could not say. For a moment all was stillness ; the two men unmoving eye to eye, as though the distance between them had vanished to nothing. And then Atenamo murmured, something Sasha could not hear and the thread between them snapped. Tukamun wheeled his horse The stallion prancing eagerly, lieutenants shouted orders, riders mounted, those on foot fell into formation. And the eagles moved as one. A wave of leather and steel and quick hooves. A pebble dropped into still water. The ripples of disturbance, radiating outward through fog and soil, and the last vestige of the night. The night that would see the breaking of the bonds of friendship forged between seven cities six hundred years before. Sasha watched them go, riding west through the trees, aware of the three men left behind with their cold attention, Their resentment at being given such an inglorious task thick upon them west when Vianesi lay, yet south, just there through the trees, rising up above a green plain, like some behemoth of old.
Speaker 1 00:29:11
West, where the lechensians fled west. Then suddenly a great many things made a great deal of sense to Sasha, As though the knot in his mind had just snagged against the sight of Ramses Tugeman riding west, Like a thread caught on a nail or a sword, caught in sinew and bone and broken steel. Something unravelled, pulling, loosening. "You were never going to Vienice," Sasha murmured. Ramses Tugeman's face looming through the fog to appear before him once more. Every hooded look, every pause and hesitation, every word of the past days fraught with new meaning. "Sloppy," Ramses Tugeman had said. "And it cost the lechensians their lives."
Speaker 2 00:29:40
The grey eagles ripped through the camp like wildfire, attacking from all sides at once. A rush of grey in the fog. Even had commander.
Speaker 5 00:30:15
We're starting a war with the girls. Starting what? We're starting a war with the girls.
Speaker 6 00:30:23
War with the girls? Yeah. Oh yeah?
Speaker 5 00:30:25
Because, they're not supposed to be playing stuff on the playground, and the teachers won't do anything, so we took it into our hands.
Speaker 3 00:30:36
Remember what happened last time you guys warred on the girls? No.
Speaker 5 00:30:40
I know, but the principal told them not to, and the vice- principal told them. And they said we froze stuff with them when we never did. They said we froze stuff. And and I haven't got in trouble because I didn't know this, that I wouldn't lie like that. Gotcha. So,
Speaker 2 00:31:05
Nope? Sure. Wait, oh he. What?
Speaker 5 00:31:13
I'm sore.
Speaker 5 00:31:16
I told you.
Speaker 6 00:31:18
I knew I'd be sore. I'm not as sore as I thought I'd be, but I am.
Speaker 5 00:31:20
Wait, this one's tight.
Speaker 2 00:31:23
Do a knot. Yeah, okay, use this knife.
Speaker 8 00:32:37
Electric Nail clippers have become this convenient.
Speaker 7 00:32:39
Simply place your nails inside for smooth trimming. No more nail clippings flying everywhere. All clippings are collected in the rear storage compartment. Just open it and empty it out for a clean, hassle-free experience. Crucially, the alloy blade cuts nails without cutting skin. With upgraded safety technology, it automatically stops when skin approaches the blade, making it extremely safe. Perfect for seniors and children. 
Speaker 9 00:33:10
It's March the eighteenth, nineteen forty four. Finnish soldiers ski at high speed through the trees, deep in the snowy forest behind Soviet lines. Aimo Alan Koivuniemi from the fourth company of the fourth detached battalion of Finnish special forces lays the tracks in the snow for his comrades following behind. Not too far behind is a much larger Soviet force giving chase. He's trying to go faster. But the Finns have been on a three-day mission and it's taking its toll. His body's beginning to fail him in the most crucial of times. Feeling tiredness washing over him, he hears "Aimo, don't sleep" from one of his comrades behind him. He's giving it his all, but it's simply not enough. The Soviet soldiers are creeping closer and closer by the second. Desperate, he pulls out a bottle of pervitin as. 
Speaker 9 00:34:09
Supposed wonder drug supplied by the germans meant to increase combat capacity when exhausted but very dangerous and addictive. If abused, we know it today as methamphetamine. He knows the risks, but has no time to think about it. He thinks if there's any moment it should be used. It's now dumping the contents of the bottle into his mittens, while on the move, the pills come out in a clump out of time. The entire bunch. Eymo feels energized as the pills take effect. He feels himself speeding and getting faster. Now he's dashing through the trees with blazing speed and fearless commitment. Soon enough, they leave the Red Army soldiers behind in the snow. The company stops to weigh their options, but Eymo is not well. He's acting erratically, looking in every direction, stumbling and seemingly hallucinating.
Speaker 9 00:35:06
His comrades are completely puzzled. Still in danger, they cannot sit in place for very long. Platoon commander Heiki Norri orders his men to scatter and regroup elsewhere. The men obey, melting into the trees. Heiki looks worriedly at Aimo. He takes the ammunition pouches from him as Aimo continues to hallucinate, fearing he might shoot one of their own. Then Aimo runs away from him into the wilderness with the Russians still on their tail. Take, He has to choose between protecting Iimo or regrouping with the rest of the platoon. With no real choice, he picks the latter and reluctantly leaves Iimo behind. Time passes and he starts to come around. Opening his eyes, he finds himself in the middle of nowhere, laying on the snow. He has no food, ammo or any idea where he is.
Speaker 9 00:36:03
Standing up, Aimo is still delirious but just starts skiing. He wanders aimlessly through the forest when suddenly, something moves in the trees. Soviet soldiers burst out of the foliage, weapons in hand. Aimo turns to flee but only stumbles and falls into the snowy ground. He's hell-bent on not being captured. But there are no Soviet soldiers. Just the wildlife of the forest.
Speaker 9 00:36:32
These apparitions happen over and over. Several times he would see people, hear Russians shouting, and then find himself alone moments later. Through it all, he pushes on, skiing to wherever destiny may lead him. Emerging from the trees, he sees a base with smoke rising above it. He runs towards it, overjoyed to finally find civilization until it too vanishes into thin air. Where he could swear he saw a Finnish camp, now was nothing but snow. Heartbroken, he continues on his journey. He can't stop skiing and he carries on. Over the crest of a hill, he spots figures gathered around a campfire. Germans! He's saved! Brimming with happiness, he skis down the hill towards the camp. But as he approaches, he gets a better look. Those aren't Germans; those are Soviet soldiers.
Speaker 9 00:37:29
He's going too fast to stop now, so he speeds up instead. The Soviets see the approaching skier, thinking he's a messenger of some sort. They carry on resting in their camp. Aimo races into the camp and flies right through. The astonished Soviets see him go past, and then suddenly they realize Aimo is wearing Finnish gear. Jumping up, they rush for their weapons and give chase. Aimo finds himself once again on the run. Racing through the forest with no aim or direction, fleeing from any Soviet troops that might be on his tail. He keeps it up for a full half an hour, skiing nonstop even as the wind and snow pick up. Eino pushes through the ever-worsening weather, even as it grows into a proper snowstorm, barely able to see two meters ahead of him. His pace slows to a crawl, but fueled by meth, he carries on.
Speaker 9 00:38:26
Making his way uphill while blind as a bat, this carries on for two more grueling hours. The snowstorm slowly subsides, revealing his surroundings. Looking around, he realizes the hill he was standing on; he recognizes it. It's a hundred kilometers away from where he last saw his comrades, but it was.
Speaker 3 00:38:46
We made a bet: who gets abs first? Me at the gym or my forty- five- year- old dad with military calisthenics?
Speaker 5 00:39:03
And As you can see, he beat me. Told you, son. The gym is for fake muscles. Sometimes something.
Speaker 9 00:39:11
You gonna have any more? Night was falling upon the woods, but now with renewed determination, he took out his compass and headed out again, this time with a purpose. He keeps on and on moving through the woods, the whole night until his energy runs dry. With the sun rising, he finds somewhere to sleep. By the time he awakes, the sun is beginning to set. He had slept through the whole day. Thirsty and hungry, he gathers pine buds and starts a fire, brewing the buds into a makeshift gruel. It's two whole days since he last ate a sandwich for breakfast, so he finds the sour mush oddly delicious. He feels tired even as he eats, and things start to get dark as he falls asleep in the snow. When he comes to his senses back at his base. 
Speaker 9 00:39:59
His friends greet him happily and lead him to a huge feast going on. He eats from everything, delighting in the selections, much to the glee of his comrades. Then he wakes up. It's nighttime. The woods are quiet, the fireplace is all but extinguished, And his bowl is on the floor with a bit of mush still in it. He is heartbroken. But shaking it off, he summons his sisu, a Finnish concept of toughness and perseverance, and gets back on his skis and gets moving. Between the woods, he stumbles upon a good friend. They greet each other and have a nice chat as they make their way through the fir grove. They sit to take a short break before heading off again.
Speaker 9 00:41:04
As He walks, he suddenly realises he can't hear his friend anymore. Lucidity hits him and he turns around. His friend has vanished, and so has his weapon and his backpack. He checks himself taking stock of whatever he still has. His compass is still with him as well as the empty tube of Pervitin. He doesn't remember taking all thirty pills. He can't think about it for very long. He gets moving again. Hours later, he sees a light, a window with a light inside. Hope! He runs towards it, pushing branches aside. He rushes towards salvation. But the images of houses slowly vanish, leaving him staring at a tree with a bright star shining through its branches. He breaks down. He's angry, heartbroken and shouts into the air and cries, cursing his luck. 
Speaker 9 00:41:55
And the drug. Then he is suddenly shoved to the ground. A wolf bites into his arm, trying to get at his throat. Panicking, He pulls out his knife and desperately stabs the wolf as he fights for his life. Then once more, he wakes up. Opening his eyes, there's no wolf and no knife. He's punching a tree with something in his fist. His compass is now broken, Imo stands there dejected, but he can't just sit down to die. He must push on. He gathers himself and once again continues his journey, determined to find friendly forces. The very next day, he stumbles into an abandoned cabin, but at least it's real. The door is open as is the tradition in that part of the world. Tired and still delirious, he makes a campfire in the middle of the cabin, lights it and heads to sleep. He feels hot; it's warm in here.
Speaker 9 00:42:54
He must be too close to the fire. He moves away a bit, then falls right back to sleep. Sometime later, he feels hot again. He moves again, eyes still closed. Then it happens again and again. He hears the crack of crumbling logs, and he finally opens his eyes to check what's happening. Jumping up and out and barely escaping the inferno, I'mo can do nothing but watch as his shelter burns to a crisp in the dead of night.
Speaker 9 00:43:25
The next day, he gets moving again and finds an old road covered in snow heading to the west. He follows it until he finds an abandoned German camp. He's excited and once again heads for the entrance. This time shouting greetings in German, nobody answers much to his disappointment and he decides to head inside. Leaving his skis, He walks into the compound when suddenly an explosion sends him flying through the air. He's just stepped on a landmine, his foot, Is badly injured. Using a ski stick as a crutch, he hobbles towards the dugout. Trying open the door, another bomb explodes. He once again flies through the air and lands thirty feet away. He comes to his senses, the dugout is destroyed, pieces of wood are scattered all around him. He rips his shirt with a nail found on the snow and uses the cloth to wrap.
Speaker 9 00:44:24
His mangled foot. Gathering splinters of wood from the explosion, he lights a fire. Then, he lies in the snow, watching his surroundings. The reality of his condition hits him, and he weeps. There's nothing to do now but wait for rescue or death. Cesar. 
Speaker 7 00:44:44
Millan: How to Add Years to Your Dog's Life. Sardines. Bone broth.
Speaker 9 00:44:50
RawHours of laying in the snow later, he decides to make, Aimo stretches to grab as much of the wood scattered around him as possible for the campfire. And on it, he boils some snow to get some water. As it melts, he uses a plank he saved to clear the snow around him. Once the snow was clear, he uses a. He spends several days lying on snow, surviving off the water he boiled. A Siberian jay lands next to him, examining him. Aimo raises his ski stick and hits the bird.
Speaker 9 00:45:25
Killing it, he plucks the feathers and eats it raw. Days later, he hears a bang and Finnish voices. He perks up and shouts for help. One of the soldiers spots him. Our patrol commander is wounded, and you're in the middle of a minefield, the soldier informs him. We'll bring our commander back first, and then we'll tell HQ about you. Imo can't believe what he hears; they can't just leave him there. The soldiers carry their commander and leave. Their voices and steps getting quieter and quieter. They just left him there. Aimo thinks he's been left to die. Sometime later he hears something else, a plane. He sticks his hat on his ski pole and waves it around. The plane flies over and disappears. Aimo is once again left in the snow. He doesn't know it, but the pilot has seen him. 
Speaker 9 00:46:22
Later, he hears more voices. The Finns are defusing the landmines to get to him. Overcome with emotion, Koivunen knows his bad trip is over and he'll live. He was found a staggering four hundred kilometers or two hundred and fifty miles away from where he left his comrades. On the first of April, fourteen days after he took the pills, Aimo Koivunen was admitted to hospital weighing only forty three kilograms.
Speaker 9 00:46:52
Doctor Winter said, Hello Braden, this is Whittier Smile Specialist at Dental Practice. We wanted to remind you of your appointment today at five p m. See you then. Reply stop to unsubscribe. He still had an incredible heart rate of two hundred beats per minute. His injuries were serious, and he was in a hospital bed until late nineteen forty four. Eventually, he would leave the army due to his injuries, having lost some toes on his left foot.
Speaker 9 00:47:24
Despite the hardships he endured, he lived a long life and died peacefully on August twelfth, nineteen eighty nine, at the age of seventy one. If you haven't yet, please subscribe to the channel and please watch more videos of ours.
Speaker 1 00:47:50
Have, you ever seen a magical product that can instantly restore rusty iron items to like new condition? This is precisely what the ultra strong steel.
Speaker 9 00:48:01
It's January the twentieth, nineteen forty three. Over the fields of occupied Belgium, The roar of two Hawker Typhoon fighter bombers disturbs the morning peace as they race to their objective. On board the lead Typhoon is R A F pilot and, Belgian aristocrat, Baron Jean Michel de Salis Monchamp, followed closely by his wingman, Sergeant Andre Blanco. Their mission is meant to be simple : approach undetected and deliver their four one - thousand - pound bombs on an important railway junction, denying its utility to the German war effort. But Jean Michel also has other plans. The morning frost still covers the ground.
Speaker 9 00:48:48
When Jean-Michel spots their target emerging from between the hedgerows of the countryside, The fighter - bombers line up their run and with expert precision, let go of their payload as they speed overhead. Four explosions echo across the land and a plume of dirt and wood rises into the sky. The rails are left mangled on the ground. A pair of pilots congratulate each other on a job well done. Nice one, mon ami. Drinks are on the last one to base. And Jean-Michel tells Blanco to turn for home without him. The mood on the radio turns from celebratory to confusion. Blanco is asking why he wasn't coming back as well. Jean-Michel simply repeats himself: "There's something else he must do. " Blanco reluctantly separates from the formation and returns on his own with his partner heading.
Speaker 9 00:49:47
Heading for the channel, Jean Michel turns his aircraft in the opposite direction, heading deeper into enemy territory. His destination is Brussels. He's not cleared to do this, but the Belgian Baron doesn't care. He's not doing this for Britain or for the Allies. Today he seeks revenge, revenge for himself, his family and his Belgian countrymen. The plan was hatched Several months earlier, the day burned in his mind. He was already an R A F pilot in Britain, having long fled Belgium when it was invaded by the Germans. A rumor comes from home, circulating from person to person. Someone only identified as Baron de Solies. Longchamp has been captured by the Gestapo and tortured to death for conspiring against the Germans. Jean Michel's mind immediately thought of his father.
Speaker 9 00:50:50
A retired military officer and deeply patriotic, His father had used his wealth and estates to support the resistance from the moment Belgium fell. He remained in the country throughout, doing what he could to fight back against the invaders. In fury, Jean Michel came up with an idea, and in calm he distilled it into a plan. He proposed his plan several times to the commanding officers, but every time he was turned down.
Speaker 9 00:51:58
He has his eyes focused on the road ahead, following the path he's studied over and over again. Jean-Michel flies through Avenue Louise at a hundred and sixty kilometers per hour, mere meters away from buildings, taking every turn with complete commitment. Up ahead, his target stands defiantly above the surrounding construction: a tall white apartment building. It stands out like a sore thumb, surrounded on every side by more traditional homes. Within are the offices of Nazi Germany's feared secret police, the Gestapo. He flies right in front, making the construction shake at the seams. Jean-Michel flies over Bois de la Cambre Park, Turning his aircraft around while Gestapo workers gather at the windows, wondering what just happened. Up in the air, Jean-Michel rounds a corner into Avenue Emile de Motglan and the Gestapo headquarters appears.
Speaker 9 00:52:57
Straight ahead. Without a second thought, he pulls the trigger. In a blur, a barrage of twenty millimeter shells strikes the building's white facade, piercing it and tearing through the offices within. The quadruple twenty millimeter Hispano autocannons dumping forty six rounds of high explosives into the building, each and every second. He keeps firing for as long as he possibly can. Holding the trigger down as the building fast fills his windshield, he pulls up at the last possible moment, barely clearing the roof as he goes. Behind him, he leaves the construction in ruins. Smoke and dust are pouring out of the blown-out windows. Satisfied, J ean - M ich el opens up his canopy and throws out a fistful of little Belgian flags over the city. Curious civilians are brought out by the commotion to witness.
Speaker 9 00:53:52
The trail of flags fluttering down onto their streets. He keeps throwing flags as he heads for his next target, the Royal Palace of Larkin. But for this one, he has a different payload in store. From his bag, he fetches a much bigger Belgian flag. J ean - M ich el lets it go into the airstream as he flies over the beautifully ornate palace. The tricolour spreads in the air and lands right on the palace roof for all the citizens to see. Then he turns for home, knowing the German interceptors are on the way. Civilians gather on the streets. They watch in awe as the brave pilot makes his escape, leaving a patriotic trail in his wake. Jean Michel successfully made it back to base untouched.
Speaker 3 00:54:40
If you are sleeping in a position like this, you are wrecking your body and your breathing. Obstructive sleep apnea happens when your upper airway repeat. 
Speaker 9 00:54:50
Four high-ranking officers of the Gestapo. While subsequent rumors across Brussels put his tally as high as thirty Gestapo workers. The attack completely halted HQ operations for six weeks while the building was repaired. Upon landing back in England, Jean Michel's heroic actions would earn him a demotion and a berating from his superiors for having gone rogue. However, this would Unfortunately, not last long. The story of the patriotic Belgian baron that brought revenge upon the Gestapo caught on, and his feats would gain the fame that they deserved. Oh well, good job man. Really good job. He would receive the Distinguished Flying Cross for his actions a couple of months after the event. Next thing he's on it, the guy's on a rope. Jean Michel de Cely Longchamp. 
Speaker 9 00:55:48
Would be tragically killed in action just eight months after the raid on August 16t h, 1943. After the war, it was discovered that Jean-Michel's father was alive. It remains unknown who the rumored person arrested by the Gestapo really was. The liberated Belgian government would posthumously award him with the country's highest order, the Order of Leopold. It was received by his father.
Speaker 9 00:56:17
The building still stands today, and just outside, A golden - colored bust of the great pilot was built in remembrance of the day. The Belgian Baron took matters into his own hands. Support the channel and join us in War Thunder for free on PC, Xbox Series X|S and PS5. Follow the link in the description to get. During World War Two, in desperate. 
Speaker 9 00:56:50
We stopped at the bat. No, we finished bats, then we got this one. Better alternatives. This is the anti-tank dog. The Soviets called it Sabaka Istrebitel Tankov, ironically abbreviated to SIT. Used by the Soviet army during the Second World War, it was a desperate attempt to stop German tanks at all costs. The first battalion of special service dogs was formed in nineteen forty one and consisted of two hundred and twelve trained animals. In this part of the film, We'll break down the nineteen forty three standardized battle tested explosive device, known as the anti tank mobile mine. The mine was designed as a canvas dog pack with two side bags containing T N T, and a central wooden board with a trigger device.
Speaker 9 00:57:47
The total explosive load was twenty seven point three pounds, equivalent to approximately two German heavy Tellemine thirty five anti tank mines. The trigger device was housed in a metal box riveted to a board positioned on the dog's back. The box had a hinged lid and featured two compartments. A naught point nine pound primary charge was placed in one of the compartments. Two explosive filled cords with detonating caps connected the trigger device to the side bags.
Speaker 9 00:58:18
The second compartment was used to mount the detonation system and hold an M U V pencil type detonator. The handler would carry the detonator until such time as the dog was to be deployed. The target sensor of the bomb was a spring loaded wooden lever, approximately seven point nine inches tall. It was connected to a rotating curved metal tooth with a safety pin that prevented accidental detonation. Once loaded, the whole pack weighed approximately Fourteen point six pounds. Did you know this about Tesla solar roof? This company is looking for homeowners to trial these brand new panels. Get this, at no cost. I know it. Different dog breeds were trained and used in combat, but German shepherds were the preferred choice to carry the device. They were large enough to carry the mine pack and responded well to training. To ensure dogs attacked moving tanks, their handlers relied on a basic food reflex.
Speaker 9 00:59:17
During training. Dogs were fed exclusively under stationary tanks, then under tanks with running engines, and finally under tanks that were moving and firing. The goal was to condition the dog to associate the space under a tank with food. In frontline conditions managing regular training with actual tanks was difficult, and the dogs quickly lost their skills resulting in numerous failures.
Speaker 9 00:59:45
During defensive operations, The Soviets employed special foxholes dug along routes, where enemy tanks were expected to advance. Each foxhole was about six feet, seven inches deep and placed in a staggered checkerboard pattern. The distance between foxholes was typically two hundred and fifty feet to three hundred and twenty eight feet. The foxholes were designed to hide both the dog and its handler while allowing quick release. Inside the position there was a raised, The handler stood on this step to watch for approaching tanks. To the handler's left was a recessed area for the dog, where it waited out of sight. From this resting area, a short earthen ramp led towards the enemy tank route. The ramp was about five feet long and angled at roughly twenty five degrees, allowing the dog to accelerate quickly while still remaining hidden until the last moment. Once enemy tanks were spotted, the handler armed the explosive device carried by the dog.
Speaker 9 01:00:44
This meant inserting the detonator and preparing the trigger mechanism. When a tank moved within the engagement distance, the handler pulled out the safety pin, turning the dog into a live explosive. The dog then sprinted towards the tank at speeds up to nine miles an hour and dived under the front of the vehicle. When the dog passed beneath a tank, its trigger mechanism pressed against its underside. This pressure released the firing pin inside the detonator. The detonator ignited an MD2 igniter, which in turn set off the TNT charge. The explosion struck the tank's relatively thin bottom armor, often rupturing it, killing or injuring the crew, starting fires inside the vehicle and sometimes detonating onboard ammunition. It did not work perfectly.
Speaker 9 01:01:40
Using this crude system during a real life battle frequently resulted in disaster. Some dogs panicked under artillery fire, attempting to jump back into the Soviet trenches with armed explosives. Also, as dogs were trained exclusively on Soviet tanks, No Soviet tanks could be used on the same battlefield as the anti tank dogs in case of accidental detonation. Using dogs as anti tank weapons was. 
Speaker 5 01:02:21
Dad, I'm so proud of myself.
Speaker 4 01:02:53
I want to. 
Speaker 4 01:03:18
Do My capture the flag. What about mine, Dad? I got. Uh, boys night. No, not canceled or no practice. Um, no practice. Sweet. I can do that church.
Speaker 6 01:03:35
I do think you guys should do fitness something tonight. Like running? You know that's another kind of fitness? And now you don't want to, it's kind of like you don't want to go to soccer practice. 
Speaker 2 01:03:58
Tia. Oh,
Speaker 4 01:04:02
Dad, I got a I did my test last week. And I got a ninety two. Thanks. I've been doing really well in my math class. Oh,
Speaker 3 01:04:10
Speaking of math, Your teacher has not, can you ask her if. 
Speaker 6 01:04:14
She got aumum a request for uh letter of recommendation for you? She's not turned it in yet. Uh, Spectral had turned it into that. Huh?
Speaker 4 01:04:38
Yeah, he told me about that. He said that he hasn't got the link for the other thing yet. Okay.
Speaker 3 01:05:32
I Don't know how to do that. I mean, The whole point is for you guys to be able to run in a game without having to stop. So. 
Speaker 3 01:05:50
If you guys don't want to do it, don't do it. Okay? So, I'm I'm kind of done with this. So, I told you what you should do. Both of you guys have pushed back on me. I don't care. But do not talk to me when you struggle in soccer.
Speaker 3 01:06:20
You know, you want strategy, I'll give you strategy. But none of your strategy matters one lick. And this is not the first time you guys have upset me with this. So, you guys don't really care about what I think about this in your actions, right? Not one bit of strategy actually matters if you don't take care of your fitness. There's not one soccer player that actually it goes it You know, not one professional soccer player. Messes with their fence. So,
Speaker 6 01:06:54
Do whatever the heck you want. I am done fighting this. Like, thank you, Eric. But I mean it; don't come to me if you are on the bench.; don't talk to me about it. I've told you that this is the number one way to make this work.
Speaker 2 01:08:03
I know. I know Buffalo, Daddy.
Speaker 6 01:08:08
Did you keep being" I love Buffalo"? Yes. Are you sure? Yes. All you told me is that you're going to war with uh the girls. Yeah,'cause teachers want to get them and they don't want me with them.
Speaker 5 01:08:25
What's Your" I love Buffalo"? Um, my hi.
Speaker 6 01:08:34
So far today. Probably the fact that I can't go home. My low. It's probably this conversation or the conversation that just happened. You rang them? I rang them.
Speaker 3 01:09:07
The pool is almost full with water today, cause there's so much rain. Well, not like almost full full, but all of the.
Speaker 6 01:09:18
No, cause we're building it. So the whole. but the whole floor. almost the whole floor was full.
Speaker 5 01:09:38
Chicken nuggets.
Speaker 6 01:09:43
Bad. Why? No.
Speaker 2 01:09:57
Okay, you owe him fifteen dollars.
Speaker 6 01:10:02
In fact, you owe me fifteen dollars.
Speaker 3 01:10:19
No, it's still Ben's turn. He's. 
Speaker 6 01:10:25
Got about ten seconds to start talking before I.
Speaker 6 01:10:40
It's Not how this game is played.
Speaker 3 01:11:21
Yeah, what? It's not random. I can't go see the thing. There's a right there,
Speaker 5 01:11:31
A big statue.
Speaker 6 01:11:34
No, do you guys want to go over there? Okay, that's another fifteen.
Speaker 6 01:12:02
You Roll your window back up.
Speaker 4 01:12:25
I just say something that happened today. It doesn't even have to be interesting.
Speaker 5 01:12:38
You Guys want to put a vlog in the movie? That wouldn't be random. What? Ben, it's just something.
Speaker 4 01:12:58
I dropped my backpack as I was walking out of the car. It was raining. I ate seventy sticks for lunch.
Speaker 5 01:13:06
It didn't rain. We ran and we got time. Okay, it's probably tennis and PE.
Speaker 2 01:13:13
Okay, now it's gonna rain, I bet it's.
Speaker 5 01:13:37
You do you. Is he owe me another fifteen minutes? So it's one hour. No,'cause it was thirty- five minutes before and now plus fifteen is what? Two six two six. One hour and five minutes. No. Oh, okay, fifty minutes. What's this?
Speaker 2 01:14:02
It's the lights. What's that?
Speaker 5 01:14:14
It's not working.
Speaker 5 01:14:27
What? This is not a button. I know, I pushed these and they're not working.
Speaker 6 01:14:33
Oh, I guess the car's off.
Speaker 5 01:14:35
You mean. Should we go ask what mom's reaction was when she locked the car? Oh.
Speaker 3 01:14:43
I don't think she's pretty easy on that stuff. I wasn't mad at anybody. I just don't like it.
Speaker 6 01:15:58
I've Been holding a fart in all day because every time I try to fart, I go," Ooh. Not a good idea."
Speaker 2 01:22:43
Water runningSighs*. 
Speaker 6 01:24:44
Yeah, we're gonna go in a couple minutes. We should talk to Ben. We should talk to Ben? Yeah, I already gave him a try. Sorry. Hold on. Oh, I just yelled at him too. Yeah, I heard you. Ben! Yes? You mind uh going in the office for me?
Speaker 10 01:25:35
It feels intentional sometimes the decisions that you make and like you have to. Right? Or no? Yeah. Like you are choosing to make the decisions that you're making, right? Like everything you do is a choice, right? You're not like it's like you can't it's not this isn't like a I can't help myself, right? You have no. You don't realize what you're doing.
Speaker 10 01:26:05
I'm like seriously asking. Hey Manny.
Speaker 3 01:26:19
Matthew. Um, you know how to make that coffee maker work? Make the coffee.
Speaker 6 01:26:27
Mhm. Hello? Yeah, I mean. Look it.
Speaker 5 01:26:32
I know, then I get some stuff.
Speaker 6 01:26:33
Replace that guy? Right? Yeah. Can you pull the whole thing out?
Speaker 5 01:26:37
I get some water.
Speaker 6 01:26:43
You don't even need to get water.
Speaker 5 01:26:44
I need grind beans. Okay,
Speaker 6 01:26:46
Just grind the beans, put it in the filters. The filters are like right here. Yeah. Okay, and then just put it in there and hit instant brew. Okay, then I pick up this one? Uh,
Speaker 3 01:26:55
You can use that one. That? Yeah. I gotta talk to me here. Give me a minute. 
Speaker 10 01:27:02
But all along we missed it, like we didn't understand you well enough to know. Like, I will be very, very sad. And that's not on you, That's on me for missing it, which is why I'm genuinely asking what I'm missing here to help overcome some of these challenges. And all I can think of is about like your denial You know? Like and you just don't want to take ownership over it or like, Yeah, like or you have no control. Although and you don't even know that you're doing it. Alright, pause. Dad loves you. I'll talk to you later. Um.
Speaker 2 01:27:54
So do you know why you got time?
Speaker 6 01:28:01
You really no't know why you haven't thought about it at all. You think so, give me a guess. Do you think I just like picking on you?
Speaker 10 01:28:17
You do think I like picking on you, don't you? This is why I asked you if you understand or not and what we're missing.
Speaker 6 01:28:28
Can me ask you something?
Speaker 6 01:28:31
Do you really think I like picking on you? If you if you say yes, this is a true question. I want you to be honest with me. I won't get mad.
Speaker 10 01:28:50
No, I don't. Do you think Dad likes picking on me? Okay,
Speaker 6 01:28:59
Let me phrase it differently. Do you think I treat you unfairly, in comparison to your brothers?
Speaker 10 01:29:18
A Little bit. Okay. What about me? Same. Sometimes. Okay.
Speaker 6 01:29:31
Does that sound like who I am and the values that I hold?
Speaker 6 01:29:47
Like, Am I the type of guy to treat one of his kids less than his other kids?
Speaker 6 01:30:07
No. Okay, in fact, I am pretty big on fair, aren't I? Mhm. Okay. So I think it's important when we do this with God too. Like why would God let this happen? Not that I am God obviously, but it's important that you go well what do I know about God? What do I know about Dad? And this action seems to be against the person that, right? The reason for this action seems to be against the values that he holds. And when we do that, we have the ability to second-guess and go, "Well, maybe I'm not understanding." Does that make sense?
Speaker 6 01:30:60
Or sometimes. Maybe Dad really did step in it, right? Maybe he's not like that, but hey, he had a bad day. That happens too. Now that's not the case here. At least I don't think it is. Do you think? That nobody would know.
Speaker 6 01:31:30
Why I got after you today. What do you mean? If I called up Eric right now and said," Hey, what happened at that time?" Do you think he'd be able to say? Maybe.
Speaker 6 01:31:48
I don't want to include your brother. If you don't want me to include my brother, your brother, but I am half tempted to include your brother because if he comes in and says. I don't know. Then, well, that helps your case. But if he comes in and says the reasons why I did it, that I think that also helps your case but on a different way. But it helps me. Right? Because if he comes in and says, well, yeah, This happened and Dad did this. And then this happened and Dad did this right because of this, right, then what that'll say is two things :. One dad did have a good reason.
Speaker 6 01:32:30
And two, since Eric's able to say," This is why Dad did it," meaning I understand Dad. It also means Dad's not picking on Ben. But I'll give you the choice.
Speaker 2 01:32:56
You could. 
Speaker 3 01:33:04
Here, You get a second.
Speaker 6 01:33:20
You're Really just being brought in here as a witness to what you saw. Okay? There's no right answer, there's no wrong answer. Do you know why Ben got in. 
Speaker 4 01:33:37
Trouble?'Cause he hadn't done anything wrong, but he was refusing to answer because he was mad at you. So.
Speaker 6 01:33:58
You want to. I'm not going to ask any clarifying questions. Just just to be fair until you tell me to, okay? But if you want to ask clarifying questions, you can. Deal? Is that fair? Okay. Um.
Speaker 4 01:34:22
And what. One of the edges like.
Speaker 4 01:34:28
Like it was a hard, it was a hard question to ask. And Ben wasn't answering it. Kind of because he was mad at you. You're the neutral party.
Speaker 6 01:34:45
Can you ask any questions that you don't have cleared up? That Eric maybe? You don't have to ask any questions.
Speaker 10 01:34:56
Any neutral questions?
Speaker 6 01:34:58
U h meaning you're not on my side. You don't know what happened. I haven't told you anything.
Speaker 10 01:35:04
So so was Ben being fair to Matthew, not really why. 
Speaker 4 01:35:15
Cause he wouldn't answer Matthew's question, cause he was mad at Jeff, even though Matthew hadn't done anything wrong. What was the question? Yeah, hello Buffalo like what is hello Buffalo? You tell your higher the day, then you lower the day, and you buffalo the day, which is like something random.
Speaker 10 01:35:30
And now he asked Ben that. Yeah. Okay, and Ben just didn't want to respond to it. Did he respond to anybody? He said he didn't have a high. Mm- hmm. Okay. And that's because Ben didn't respond to Matthew, you think that that's why Ben got time? Okay Can I excuse her?
Speaker 6 01:35:53
One more second. 
Speaker 6 01:36:01
Anything you disagree with so far. Because there there was. There was one more thing right. And his. His thing is slightly different, right? You want to clarify something? That.
Speaker 5 01:36:33
Matthew asked me and then I didn't. I just said," I don't." I just had that chicken nugget, and then that's it. And then and. 
Speaker 10 01:36:50
Then I didn't say anything. Were you trying to be funny when you said chicken nugget, or were you just being argumentative? Kind of. But I didn't want to answer it. Matthew's question or dad's? Matthew's. Oh. And then.
Speaker 5 01:37:08
And then. And dad gave me time. Hmm, can we release him? One more second.
Speaker 2 01:37:19
Mm- hmm.
Speaker 5 01:37:31
I said, I don't know about how it then. That's it. That's not how the game works. Mhm. So I had to say something else. Mhm. So he said anything or stuff, alright, so he said stuff and then we got to buffalo. Mhm Then I said, Um. It's just something. Random. So, I said I have seven periods, and Dad said that's not something random in it. I don't remember what I said, but it's a. Do you remember what he said? I said you don't want to.
Speaker 5 01:38:29
Say something random.
Speaker 6 01:38:36
I'm gonna ask Eric. Cause again, We're we're the whole point of bringing him in here is well. 
Speaker 10 01:38:45
How you see it versus your dad sees it.
Speaker 6 01:38:46
Eric, why so when he saidum it doesn't have to be random.
Speaker 6 01:38:59
I said what.
Speaker 10 01:39:01
You remember. If you don't have an answer or you don't remember, just say that.
Speaker 4 01:39:07
I don't remember what you said after that, but.
Speaker 6 01:39:11
So I gave him I said that'll be fifteen more minutes. Oh. So no do you know why I gave him fifteen minutes?
Speaker 4 01:39:21
Because he was arguing with you?
Speaker 6 01:39:25
Okay anything else you want to ask Eric?
Speaker 10 01:39:33
Thanks. Can you please focus also on putting the clothes away in the front room? Yeah. Thank you. And you can ask Matthew to do the same. Okay. But if he continues to push back, just send him over to me and I'll deal with him. Okay. Thank you.
Speaker 6 01:39:54
Okay. So, how are you feeling right now?
Speaker 6 01:40:12
So why did I give you time with Maddie?
Speaker 6 01:40:20
No, For the Maddie thing.
Speaker 6 01:40:27
So He asked you. You said chicken nugget. He asked you again. You said chicken nugget.
Speaker 6 01:40:49
Actually, I said Ben. And then he asked you again, and you said chicken nugget, right?
Speaker 10 01:40:57
He just didn't. 
Speaker 6 01:41:02
Ask her.
Speaker 10 01:41:03
So Matty was asking him about like high love buffalo.
Speaker 6 01:41:06
So he just wanted to know about your day, and you refused to talk to him.
Speaker 10 01:41:20
You're important enough to be cared about and for somebody to ask you how your day was and you just didn't want to tell him. Matthew loves you enough to ask you a question about your day, and you just wanted to screw with him. Are you getting my point? Did you see that at the time?
Speaker 10 01:41:49
Like, does it occur to you the relationship that's going on there when you made that decision? This is like kind of falling in line to my like, can you help yourself question. I'm not trying to be sarcastic. Like I genuinely want to know if you can help yourself, or if you can, or if like you have a hard time with understanding relationships. And, that's okay, because your dad and I are here to help you and come alongside of you. God made everybody different and special and unique, but like.
Speaker 10 01:42:19
But. It seems to be that some of the stuff we have with you then, and the arguments, And like the things where you will not relent or won't stop even when you're asked to or you won't give up on something, It seemed to have a lot to do with, like not necessarily putting in the work for the relationship. And taking ownership over that. Does that make sense? Did you see it at the time as Maddie caring about you?
Speaker 5 01:42:51
No, but is it wrong. 
Speaker 10 01:42:55
To resist? Well, it's certainly a quick way to be lonely. Like, why would you resist?
Speaker 6 01:43:11
Well, but let's talk about how you resisted. He asked you.
Speaker 6 01:43:24
And you didn't say, "Hey, I am just not in the mood right now," right? You gave no consideration for him, and in fact, you disrespected him by saying "chicken nugget." So here he is waiting for your response out of concern. Even I mean. Who cares at some level? Let's just say that he didn't love you as much as mom says that he does, right? Let's just take that away, just in case she's wrong. In, what world is it okay to respond with " chicken nugget? " when somebody is asking you how your day is?
Speaker 6 01:44:26
You don't know, or you don't want to answer. It's not okay, right? And so then you did it a second time. And you know he's not going to put up with this long. We all know because now he's offended.
Speaker 6 01:44:57
But you said chicken nugget a second time. And then I go ban. And your response to that is. Nothing. Then you shut down. So now, you've disrespected him twice and me once.
Speaker 6 01:45:32
So. For that disrespect, I gave you fifteen minutes to him, and fifteen minutes to me. And then I forced you to do it. Because I told you to do it. And as you are doing it.
Speaker 6 01:46:06
Even in your own definition here, you say the buffalo's supposed to be random.
Speaker 6 01:46:18
So, When I tell you that's not good enough. And I've told you. Probably ten times in the last we'll call it week. And I know, I won't put a number to it, but I know your mom has also told you not to do this stuff. Not to just automatically argue with us. Not to automatically shut us down. I communicated with you that your answer was not acceptable. Is that fair?
Speaker 6 01:47:04
Is there any part that you didn't understand about that? And what was your response to me?
Speaker 10 01:47:21
Yes, it is, Dad. Right. 
Speaker 6 01:47:27
Now you said it doesn't have to be random, but essentially you're saying I know better, Dad.
Speaker 6 01:47:39
To which, if I say it's not good enough, it's not good enough. I make the rules, remember? Right now, if you had said "dad," no disrespect to you, but I think my answer was okay. Four seventeen.
Speaker 6 01:48:08
It'll take me like 35 minutes. But my answer is so I think my answer is okay. Can you help explain to me why or do I really have to give something else? What are you telling me right there? What's the difference between that and what you gave him?
Speaker 6 01:48:40
And why is that an acceptable response versus the other one?
Speaker 5 01:48:46
Because you're asking me to sit up, Johnny.
Speaker 6 01:48:49
And what type of people do you ask in that situation? Basically, what are you really communicating to me?
Speaker 10 01:49:10
What are you giving your dad when you ask instead of tell? What is your dad receiving from you when you ask instead of tell?
Speaker 10 01:49:30
Do, You know the answer, and you just don't want to say it. Or do you not know? It's respect.
Speaker 6 01:49:39
So what you're essentially saying when you when you respond like that is, Dad, I recognize that you're Dad. So either you know something, I don't or you're just not going to allow this. And and either one, you have a right. Versus we're equals.
Speaker 6 01:50:08
And I'm gonna tell you how it how it is. And if I'm right, then I'm right. Okay? And that's something that I've warned you, I would not accept. And I've asked you, which.I don't have to ask you for stuff Ben. But I've asked you to work on not doing that.
Speaker 6 01:50:38
Can I just finish this thought that way, and you can say whatever, but I got to. So, I am not against you.
Speaker 10 01:50:51
You aren't. You really aren't like the fact that we're back here and that you feel so beaten up. Right? Like it kills us like I would do anything to not have this conversation if we weren't responsible for your character and how you were growing up and feeling in charge with that responsibility. I would rather just pretend nothing of this nature happened, but then you would grow up to be a monster. We have to. It's our job as a parent.
Speaker 6 01:51:22
So I'm gonna I'm gonna remind you that we made a pact before we started this, that if Eric could come in here and say, why you got in trouble.
Speaker 6 01:51:37
Seventy five percent. But it wasn't because I was picking on you. Can we at least agree with that? Mm-hmm, no. All right. Look, we can disagree with a lot of stuff. Hey, we can disagree on a lot of stuff, everything we've talked about today. I'm okay with disagreeing on and we can have that conversation. 
Speaker 6 01:52:09
I'm taking time out right now. I have to speak in the point of five seconds. Literally fly. Okay, not literally fly, but you know what I mean. I'm going to speak it. I am putting that on you, Putting this stress on you for one reason : It's extremely important to me that you know that the union knows.
Speaker 6 01:52:49
Man, we all have different relationships. I connect with each one of you differently. You are just as important to me as they are, And I can't tell you how many times I go to be with you in my head. Naturally, is that there are just like these things. That's when my heart says to go hang out with tonight. And I'm and I decide to do it differently because I've. 
Speaker 2 01:53:31
Been trying to be fair to everybody. What does that tell you?
Speaker 6 01:53:42
You don't have to believe it, but what am I trying to communicate to you?
Speaker 2 01:53:52
Often When I'm not thinking, I land on your ex before the others. Honestly, more often than not. You. 
Speaker 6 01:54:09
Are extremely important to me. Extremely important to me. And I need you to know that. And so if I'm going to decide. 
Speaker 6 01:54:24
By taking you on.
Speaker 2 01:54:28
I don't see anything. You think I want to fight you?
Speaker 6 01:54:37
Mm- mm. I don't, And I definitely don't want you looking at me the way you've been looking at me for the last thirty minutes. I'm not saying, I'm not saying you're out of line. You've been better the last five or so minutes. That's not my fault. What I'm saying is, is that you're kind of. You're mad. And I understand that. I'm not saying anything about that. I'm not saying you're being disrespectful. I'm just saying, I enjoy seeing your eyes when you see me. You don't have that right now because you've got tension in your eyes. And you're mad or sad right now? Yes? Why don't you tell me why you're mad?
Speaker 5 01:55:19
Because. Think everyone should tell me?
Speaker 6 01:55:25
You realize that you decided you were going to power through it. So, you sit down and look on the phone.
Speaker 6 01:55:53
What would happen if I started letting you guys walk all over me? What would happen when I challenged one of you and let you win? What would the other kids do? They'd try to beat me. They'd try to challenge me, wouldn't they? 'Cause if Ben got away with it, then so can I, right?
Speaker 6 01:56:24
It's not good for you.
Speaker 2 01:56:26
It's not good for them. Okay? Here. 
Speaker 6 01:56:34
You go. If you want to talk about this later, we'll talk about it later. But it was important to me that you know. I knew how he felt. I know you.
Speaker 2 01:57:31
Oh.

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