This is the very first piece that begins the public journey of the world of my comic series, drawn and completed, outside my head. It is a PreChronicle showing various characters from the world. Below are little stories from each part of the piece, if cut in a grid of 9, beginning from the bottom right to bottom left, then middle right to left, then top right to left.

TNS PreChronicles I

Summer was here and on this hot Sunday most people were hitting the pools and lake of the State. No different at The Palace. Sumira felt the warm sunshine on her face as she floated in the outer pool, twirling little flower lightmages into existence at the tip of her finger. She felt grateful for the calm on her day off. “If everyday is like today I’m set. I know what I want when I retire.” she said as she drifted off into a small nap.

TNS PreChronicles II

“I don’t know how you can be relaxed when there’s been so many updates on what’s happening in the news, Sumira”, Chinta couldn’t take her eyes off her NewsLM, “I may be in this pool physically, but mentally I’m already at my desk tomorrow.” She hung on to the floater for some stability. It didn’t matter how cool the water was, she wanted to get out and get back to work. But she was learning to compromise and listen to her friends… And…. relax. “Why is relaxing so difficult?”

TNS PreChronicles III

“It’s literally not, Chinta”, smiled Matri, “Maybe you should learn from Kriti. Look at her, she doesn’t even get lightmages, but all she does is laugh!” Chinta unmaged her NewsLM and looked at Kriti. “She is happy because she’s a baby and a natural airhead.” . . . "Natural Airhead?" . . . Oop. “Natural airhead? Natural AIR head?! Are you saying I’m an airhead so my kid’s an airhead?” Chinta panicked, “No no! See, she’s just… a baby Matri, how can she want to work if she doesn’t even have the ability to understand what it is!" Before Matri could say anything, Sumitra slurred sleepily, “Chinta, chinta kum kar yaar... you know rest is important... and you agreed... on taking some today .... Right, Matri...? Quiet... calm?” Matri looked ready to pounce, but she took a breath. A long, deep breath. And then, hearing her daughter laugh, she smiled and looked up, “Yeah! Chinta, you know the queen told you to chill out, personally!" she raised Kriti higher, "Learn from the airhead! " Kriti gurgled and reached out to another flower lightmage. As her fingers passed through, she started laughing again. Chinta stayed quiet and watched as Matri and Kriti entered a tiny water splashing war through the flowers lightmages, grinning from ear to ear, laughing with each other. She smiled. They were adorable.

TNS PreChronicles IV

On the other side of the outer pool, Dhairya, Vikshita, Kyakai sat discussing the sudden increase in security. “Why are they coming here now? What is being discussed?” Kyakai asked raising a brow. Dhairya’s voice came muffled through his tube, “I don’t want to be called in on our day off. Is she calling them in?” “I don’t know... but today’s too beautiful to work.” Vikshita looked at the verandah of the outer palace. “Oh guys, I think I know what’s happening.”

TNS PreChronicles V

She did not. Vikshita may think it was what was happening in front of her, but Akshay, Adam and, Abhi were the only ones at the pool being given any idea, or a head start to the latest. And they weren’t happy about it. “You can’t call us out on duty right now. If there’s an insurgency, why aren’t the stationed taking care of it?” Akshay began whisper-shouting. “They are, Sir, but you have to understand, it seems to be more serious than that.” “At the EAST front? At the EAST front! CapSa is there. You cannot seriously be telling us HE is struggling. Today!” “Sir, all I know is there are orders. And it’s not just you, it’s nationwide.” Abhi, quiet this whole time, asked softly, “These orders are nationwide?” She looked him directly in the eyes, grateful someone finally was beginning to understand. “Nationwide, at your level.” “At OUR level, cMON -”, Akshay began again, but was immediately silenced by a scorchmage from Abhi who was already moving towards the edge of the pool. Adam followed. Akshay sighed. “State comes first, I guess.”

TNS PreChronicles VI

“Did you hear what they were talking about just now?” he whispered, splashing her softly. She smiled at him sweetly, but said in a low voice, “It could be fairly serious. If they came after Akshay, Adam, and Abhi; it could be us, next." “Stop evesmaging.” Her eyes widened. “How dare you!" she sneered, "You stop first!” Rudra laughed, “I wasn’t, Puja! I just understood what was happening… because of her shoes.” Her head whipped around. She barely caught sight of the Sipa’s shoes as she turned the corner with the three. Red stripes. “No way.” She turned back to Rudra, her eyes wide. He smiled at her, “Yeah. You just have to be more observant Puja, everything else in your training is almost perfect. And you don’t need to mage all the time.” She sighed. “But it’s so convenient.” He laughed again. “It also tires you out. Conserve that energy for training." He paused, then grinned, "Or, I guess, battle, soon!” Her eyes widened, “You think?” “Red stripes.” he whispered, his eyes sparkling. “How can you be excited about this?” Rudra didn't miss a beat, “You need something. It can’t be just peace, all the time. The world goes through a cycle. And we’re lucky… to be at the cusp of this one.”

TNS PreChronicles VII

At the verandah, the Rajah was panicking, “My love, please, just use the inner pools today!” It was embarrassing, but he kept on running, flailing his arms. It was pure entertainment for the Black Sipas gliding silently behind them. He thought about his father, also running behind his mother for some other silly reason years ago, and how he laughed at him, promising himself nothing like that would ever happen to him. He sighed. 'We become our parents', he thought. Out loud, "The inner pools are even cooler, my Jaan!"

TNS PreChronicles VIII

“No. I want the outer pool with the GS squad. I want to check up on Chinta. And Sumira is too cool to miss on her day off! I want to have fun! Not just swim by myself,” The Rani spoke haughtily, “And I’m tired of you shouting around me! GO back and follow your rules! Today I’m doing what I want.” “Jaan, please, just not today.” She whirled around, her sheer overs flipping around her, “Then. WHEN.” “Uhh… Uhh…” The Rajah struggled. The insurgency was serious…he didn't know when the emergency would end… but his beloved wife was pregnant…he didn’t want to stress her so close to the date. What could he say?

TNS PreChronicles IX

As the royals fought, the preparations continued among the rest of the red stripes, planning which GS’s to inform next, who to assign to which of the temperaments. It was closing in, The Great War, and this hot summer was going to turn chilly for them all pretty soon.

End.