#caedmon

This mite is Caedmon, a solitary soldier living in the ruins of what was once one of the most powerful super colonies of the Moon Cluster. He wasn't a leader, not even a soldier (as a role and as a caste), just a humble little worker who spent his days letting his artistry run wild. He'd read the oldest of mite literature, he'd write the thoughts that ache inside, he'd paint visions, skulpt futures, and play songs that combine them both. He was an artist, which is another way to say he was a complete loser. Even in a colony full of artists, he was the odd one out, teased and bullied for his creations. Somehow, amongst losers, he was the most loser of them all, far too eccentric for their tastes, but even then, he wouldn't give up on his craft. The bullying would be the smallest of his troubles when his colony and another went to war. Conflicts between colonies are common, wars especially, but a war between super colonies is a devastating event, practically two entire moons going after each other while endangering any colonies settled on neighboring moons. This war would force all of Caedmon's colony into the front lines, workers forcibly turned into soldiers and butchers as their numbers dwindled, in the end, his colony fell. Survivors would flee to neighboring moons, but Caedmon would stay.

Despite the devastation, Caedmon has never been happier to have the ruins all to himself. Though many structures were crumbled or half buried underground, it was no issue for him, he rebuilt the structures around his little home (which is even deeper underground) and kept whatever remained of his moon tidy. He'd preserve the literature he can find and continue his craft as if nothing had changed...

But then, a new colony would find themselves settling in the ruins, very small in numbers and visibly inexperienced, likely having left their own colonies with the goal to start their own. A village would be built where the most intact ruins stood, and seeing them move things around would bother Caedmon enough to suddenly and rudely intrude. He'd scold them, threaten them to not ruin the ruins, he's instruct them on the purpose of the structures they begun to occupy, what a colony should and shouldn't prioritize, and so on. Caedmon didn't care if his barking chased them off, but he'd be caught by surprise when it had the opposite effect. His commands and threatening stature would make the village see him as a potential leader. They would begin to seek him out for advice on how to build up their young colony, and in his insults and spitting, caedmon would begrudgingly guide them. Though he doesn't show it, he his happy to see the husk of his colony filled with new life, as if his colony never fell... with new occupants, he, of course, takes the opportunity to show off his art as well as condescendingly explaining certain mite literature and philosophies to the new village. Despite having a new crowd, they also think his art is dogshit.

As the only soldier and honorary leader (despite not ever agreeing to that role), he protects the village from raiders when the time comes.

Listen! I will speak of the sweetest dream, what came to me in the middle of the night, when speech-bearers slept in their rest.  It seemed that I saw a most wondrous tree raised on high, wound round with light, the brightest of beams.

-The Dream of the Rood (tr. Roy M. Liuzza)