The grumpy prince's escort mission

[the_last_heron]

Reyson was tapping his foot impatiently as he waited for Naesala. The raven was entirely insufferable, and he wondered sometimes why he was still willing to call him his friend. If it wasn't one thing it was another, but he had a weakness for his little sister Leanne, and she did ask him to try to get along. So here he was waiting for Naesala to show up as his solitary escort to the Begnion Empress' treaty talks, and wouldn't you know it? Naesala was late.

"Naesala... your excuse had better be good." Reyson's voice was almost a growl before an all too familiar voice spoke up, almost startling him off his feet.

"Really old friend? I'm not more than a minute or two late, and I assure you I did have very good reason!" Naesala was still in the form of a very large raven, and perched on his back was... a woman? Was she an emissary of the Empress? She didn't look like part of the Begnion nobility, or for that matter Begnion at all, but that was more a point in her favor than not with Reyson. It was after all the people of Begnion that slaughtered his people and most of his family, and while Leanne had forgiven them, and he had also forgiven their Empress who begged for forgiveness on behalf of her people... some scars still ran rather deep.

"Naesala, who is this beorc? And why did you bring her here?" Reyson for all his 'charm' had turned his back on Naesala, still a little upset with his friend for being later and for bringing someone without telling him about it.

"Ah! I'm glad you've asked Reyson! Reyson, Lina, Lina Reyson. Reyson, I know I told you I would be escorting you to the treaty talks, that wasn't entirely true. You see there's been a few troubles with the Begnion slavers getting desperate now that the treaty of yours is about to be signed. If you and I were to fly to Begnion together we'd be painting giant targets on our backs for every wyvern rider from here to the capitol. We could go by ship, but we both know how you get sea-sick. We could take an entire platoon of troops, to escort you but the last thing we want is a political incident with armies clashing right before the big treaty talks! So I've come up with a perfect solution for you. Lina Inverse here is the world's greatest sorceress who doesn't even need a tome to use her magic so she can travel beside you incognito. You will be free to travel side by side wherever you please by relying on her fantastic magical prowess, while I attend to the matter of the Begnion senator trials." Reyson opened and closed his mouth several times during Naesala's explanation, wanting to protest on several accounts, but finding very little he could protest! It made sense but he'd never met this Lina before, and he had no way of knowing if he could even trust her outside of Naesala's word which didn't count for very much!

"Naesala... if this meeting weren't so important I would strangle you for just dumping me with her without any forewarning... but what you say does make some sense. Please forgive my rudeness Miss Inverse, I assure you that all of it is meant for Naesala here rather than you." Naesala rubbed the back of his head sheepishly, but Lina could probably catch a hint of a smirk on the crow king's face.

Comments

[dragon_slave]

It wasn't often that Lina got the chance to hitch a ride, much less through the sky, and certainly never on the back of a shapeshifting bird person. It was thrilling, and perhaps it was a little undignified, but she enjoyed herself very much. And all that before she actually even got to meet his prince friend. Could he really be just like he was described? She certainly hoped so.

It wasn't hard to see him as they came in for their landing, and even just on first glance, she could tell that Naesala hadn't been lying. Though about his less-than-amicable nature, she'd have to see.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, your lordship!" She said after Naesala had introduced her, voice brimming with enthusiasm, doing her best to make a bow to show her respect. Nothing could ruin this faster than poor manners, she was sure of it, and she did want to stay on his good side, after all.

She looked only a little bashful when he talked up her skills as a sorceress, but it was a nice boost to her ego as she puffed up her chest and stood tall. Well, as tall as she could, being as short as she was, anyway.

"Hey now, your highness! I don't think he'd dump you with just anyone!" She hoped. Truthfully, she didn't know Naesala all that well yet, but the curl of his lip told her just about everything she needed to know. "You're family, right? You don't think he's got your best interests at heart? Especially in what sounds like a pretty tense situation?" She put on a cheerful smile, pleased that he's not actively being rude to her at least. Maybe she'd been worried for nothing?

[the_last_heron]

"Please, just Reyson will suffice. I do not care very much for titles, and I'm not very sure if I'd go so far as to call Naesala family. My sister may have taken an interest in him, but we are friends at best, rivals as a norm, and enemies at worst. Perhaps Naesala failed to mention to you the time he had sold me off to Duke Oliver?" Reyson gave Naesala a pointed glare, and Naesala raised his hands up defensively.

"One time! I was going to go rescue you once I could find a way to make it look like it wasn't me!"

Reyson just rolled his eyes and shook his head in disbelief before continuing his conversation with Lina. "Regardless, I hope that Naesala has at least paid you rather than simply making empty promises? The last thing I need is a mercenary escort who is tempted to dump me for a different pay check at the first sign of trouble."

"Now, Now Reyson, If you don't believe me, you're welcome to use your powers to look into her heart and you'll see for yourself she's honorable about keeping you safe from harm. Assuming it's okay with you of course Lina... You see the heron royals have incredible empathic abilities, so they are almost as good as living lie detectors. It's one of the reasons why Reyson knows he can trust me." Reyson was quick to interrupt Naesala at that point with another pointed glare.

"Really? Because I don't seem to recall saying I trusted you Naesala. Leanne may trust you, but I can sense that you're up to something with all this... I just can't figure out what. But... I suppose it's true that if you were willing Lina, I could look into you heart to gauge you intentions, but out of principle I usually don't do such a thing to relative strangers. It's a bit rude to look at people's feelings too closely, because there are some things people would rather keep to themselves without meddling birds revealing them." In this case said meddling bird was Naesala suggesting that Reyson look into this woman's heart to gauge his intentions for himself. He was rather hesitant to even suggest looking into her heart because sometimes certain maiden's hearts could reveal... embarrassing things they might be feeling towards him that he'd rather not know about.

"If it's all the same to you, I think I shall simply trust Naesala on this for the time being. He's a slippery one, but his intentions do seem to be for the sake of my welfare some way or another." Little did he know that Naesala looking out for his welfare also meant looking out for his romantic prospects.

[dragon_slave]

"No... He hadn't mentioned that," Lina raised an eyebrow at Naesala, but turned back to Reyson with a smile. "And don't worry, I'm being compensated fairly. Don't worry about me. I might be a little short, but I'm perfectly capable of handling myself, that includes my finances." Well, sometimes.

The idea that he could look into her heart actually made her cheeks flare pink. While it was true that she wasn't about to sell him off to the first person to throw a coin purse her way, it's no secret that he's quite handsome and refined, pretty much everything on the 'potential romantic partner' checklist, and it would be a little early to give that away. She did want him to like her, after all.

"It's fine. I appreciate it. A girl's got to keep her secrets, you know? But you've got my word that I'll do my very best to protect you. I'd stake my reputation on it. But... I guess if you don't know me, that doesn't mean a whole lot, does it?" She gave a bit of a nervous laugh and shrugged a shoulder. "You can trust me. I'm not really the kidnapping type. I'd prefer the rewards from saving someone who's been kidnapped instead."

[king_kilvas]

Naesala did have the decency to look a bit ashamed about the whole 'selling Reyson' incident, but he really didn't have much choice in that matter and Reyson knew it. Naesala had been a bit worried that Reyson might not take well to a human, but his plan to have Lina escort him first before making any romantic propositions was actually working a lot better than he'd expected! Reyson actually seemed to genuinely smile at Lina commenting about being short.

"You may not know this Lina but Reyson was always sort of the short one in his family. That's one of the reasons why Leanne was his favorite, because she was the only one smaller than-"

"Do you mind!" Reyson smacked Naesala with a brush of his wing, much the way someone might elbow someone who was telling an embarrassing story. Reyson was still taller than Lina, but it was true that he was more comfortable around women who were petite. He had enough of a hard time being seen as manly in any way since he was a heron prince, and that was only made worse when he was then raised by the rough and tumble Hawk laguz for something close to 20 years. Oh Lina could definitely wipe the floor with him, but it was still comforting not to have an escort who wasn't a herculean warrior with muscles thicker than he was for appearances sake.

Naesala rubbed his chin thoughtfully looking from Reyson to Lina, and then pulled out a small pouch that he handed to Reyson. "These are for you Reyson in case you need them. Lina? Look after Reyson for me, I know that's your job, but try to make sure he doesn't drag you into any trouble? I mentioned before, he can be a bit reckless."

"I'm right here you know. Usually you should have the decency to say such things behind my back? Or at least in hushed whispers? I'm honestly not sure if this is you trying to prove your honesty or you just trying to ruffle my feathers!" Reyson huffed again, this time stuffing the pouch somewhere under his wings, and then stomping off down the road away from Naesala.

"Well since he decided to stomp off, I'll tell you a few other juicy tidbits. The treaty signing is in one week's time, and it should only take you three days to reach the capitol if everything goes smoothly. You should be able to reach there without too many interruptions, but one can never be certain with Reyson and these woods. Whatever you do, don't start any big fires in these woods because the forest is very sacred to Reyson's people. Try to keep any fire attacks you need to use small, precise, or away from any flammable trees. Don't hunt any of the wild animals except for fish from the streams, and if you're short on food be certain to ask Reyson. He knows these forests better than anyone, and he also has some magic that's specifically attuned to this forest. That should be everything... take this as a small down payment, and if you need anything whisper my name into it. Its magic will only work for about a week, but it's still a valuable gem stone to sell when your job is done." Naesala pressed a fist sized sapphire into Lina's hands, as well as a pouch for concealing it just in case.

"Oh and I'm serious about Reyson dragging you into trouble, that's why I gave you the extra time. My spies have spotted humans doing some illegal activities in these woods... although simply cutting down trees for wood is illegal in this wood due to the current treaty negotiations. Serenes forest was burned to the ground 20 years ago by the Begnion Empire, and that was when Reyson lost his family, his home, and his kingdom. It wasn't until three years ago that Reyson was reunited with his sister and the two of them performed a miracle to bring life back to these woods, and it wasn't until days ago that the bird tribes agreed that they would reunite to support the Heron tribe. Might sound like a tedious bit of history, but it's important to Reyson, this mission, and what might be going on in these woods as we speak. Most of Begnion feels horrible about the massacre that happened and share's the Empress' sincere apologies and seeks to make reparations, but some of the old guard haven't been weeded out yet. Good luck Lina... oh and try not to corrupt him too much~? At least not before the wedding day."

[dragon_slave]

It was difficult not to at least snicker at the little quarrel between the two, though she hid it behind a hand. She knew full well what it was like to be teased for her size, as well as... other features. She had no designs in threatening his masculinity for fun's sake at all, and in fact, she found Reyson quite manly in his own graceful way, though she had been tricked before.

"Don't worry, Naesala!" She cheered with a playful salute. "With Sorceress Lina Inverse on the job, not a hair or feather will be harmed! But, as far as trouble is concerned, not sure I can make a whole lot of promises. It's not really a road trip unless there's a little bit of trouble and mischief, is it?"

She almost starts after Reyson right away when he turns to leave, but stops to listen to his instruction. "No fire attacks, got it." She's got enough of an arsenal to not need to rely on them, though calming her fireball reflex might be a little difficult if they get into a tight spot. There seemed to be a lot of rules, but nothing she couldn't handle... she hoped. But at least Reyson wouldn't be completely helpless or anything if he was capable of finding them food or navigating.

Lina's eyes lit up as the hefty stone fit into her palm, and she wasn't even shy about hiding her excitement. "If there's more where this came from, I won't let you down!" And with a wide grin, she stuffed it into the pouch and then that into her bag, getting ready to turn once more, stopping to heed his warning.

"I don't know why you talked him up as some stuffy jerk. He seems nice. Besides, I doubt there's any trouble he can get me in that I haven't dealt with before. What's the worst that could happen? A few bandits, maybe some illegal loggers? I can take care of it no problem. He'll be safe, don't worry." Though the comment about her corrupting him got her a little red in the face. "H-Hey! Don't get any ideas! What kinda girl do you think I am, anyway? My intentions are as pure as a mountain stream!" And with a huff of her own, it was her turn to stomp away from Naesala in the direction of her charge.

[the_last_heron]

Naesala was almost doubled over in laughter as Lina departed in a huff. For all Lina knew, Reyson's supposed 'bad attitude' was merely a result of dealing with the King of Crows. Though for all his faults, Naesala was certainly paying Lina quite well for her services because he was almost certain... Reyson would be reckless when he saw what was transpiring in his home.

Reyson way waiting for Lina a little ways down the road, being wise enough not to just take off without her. He arched an eyebrow as he noticed Naesala laughing and Lina stomped off in a huff almost the same way he did. "Dare I ask what that was about?"

[dragon_slave]

Her face was still rather red by the time she caught up with him. The nerve of him to insinuate such a thing! Of course, it didn't really help that his joke replayed in her mind the moment she got within sight of him. "Nothing! It's fine!" because like hell was she going to actually answer that question with the truth.

She actually stomped just a bit ahead of him before stopping, realizing she really had no idea where she was going. Sheepishly, she turned back to him with a smile. "Uh... sorry. Guess I'm getting ahead of myself, aren't I? Naesala told me you'd be navigating? I don't really know this forest very well or.. at all. He said you've got some kind of attunement with it?" It's important to take stock in resources before needing them becomes necessary. "What's that mean, exactly?"

[the_last_heron]

Reyson at least didn't laugh at Lina's blushing over whatever Naesala might have said to her, but he did grin a little. She was cute for sure... especially when she started down the road only to sheepishly return a moment later.

"We heron Laguz are very in touch with nature, allow me to demonstrate." He reached out to a nearby tree and began to sing. There was a small stir in the wind as Reyson sang, and in the branches above his head the tree began to have its flowers burst into bloom. Reyson himself also glowed for a moment or two before his song finally finished.

"There's a river a mile to the east of here with blueberry bushes, and about fifty paces north there's a deer grazing. To the southeast there's a copse of oak trees from before my father's time, and directly south of here there's a squirrel eating walnuts." He was smiling as he spoke of the wood and its inhabitants. "The trees whisper the secrets of the forest for those who can listen. The forest used to sing with the music of my people in an endless song, and sometimes the forest still sings of those days."

He shook his head, feeling a little bittersweet as he remembered. If he focused too long and hard on it, he'd likely just upset himself and this beorc woman certainly didn't need to see him like that. "If we want to get to the Begnion capital, it's several miles southeast, but following the river is one of the easiest routes to take."

[dragon_slave]

And what a demonstration it was. It was a lovely song he sings, and more lovely were the effects it had on the trees and the flowers on it that she didn't even know were there. And not to mention how he glowed. If she didn't know any better, the wings, his song, and his glowing, she might have thought she'd actually accepted a job escorting a real angel.

"You can tell all of that just by being in the trees?" She couldn't help herself but to smile when he talked about the forest with such fondness. She didn't quite get it herself, but there was something to be said about being out in nature now and then that was refreshing for the spirit. Maybe if she was really lucky, he'd teach her how to listen to the forest herself.

"Oh! R-Right! Sorry. I didn't mean to distract you!" She gave a nervous laugh and rubbed the back of her neck. "But if that's the best route to go, then I'll take your word for it." She nodded and started heading East where he said the river ran. "And since we're taking stock of skills... any chance you know how to make camp? I'm fine to do it myself but sometimes it's nice to have help. I can teach you if you want."

[the_last_heron]

Reyson paused to consider her question and how exactly he could word it since the language they were currently using wasn't his first language. "It's... not quite simply being in the trees. It's more like... Remember how Naesala said that I could potentially look into your heart to sense your motives? It's a little similar to that, except that the trees of Serenes don't feel the need to hide their hearts from others. When I sing, I open my heart to the trees, and they in turn sing to me... I'm not sure if I can entirely explain it. Not every heron Laguz was capable of it either, but..."

No one had really ever asked him to explain it outside of Naesala, and Naesala knew how to speak in the ancient tongue so it was easier to communicate difficult concepts. Unfortunately for Lina the magic of the Heron Laguz was entirely based upon their species, and could only be learned and taught to other heron Laguz. This power, along with their resemblance to angels was one of the many things that made the heron royalty such 'commodities' in the slave trade. It was a bit of a question of the chicken and the egg in the lands of Tellius to say which came first, the Heron Laguz, or the mythos of angels.

He decided to leave the thought about explaining how exactly he communed with the forest at that. It was unlikely that he'd ever be able to fully explain it, even to Naesala, so why let it trouble them? "We might also be able to collect some of the fruit while we go. I hope you won't be needing too many campfires, but I understand that most Beorc prefer hot meals. There should be enough branches and twigs that have fallen through natural means that we can build one without harming any of the trees, but I insist that you allow me to choose the location we set up camp. The trees get a bit nervous about fires, especially after the great fire twenty years ago, so I'd like to choose places where I can ensure the fires can't spread."

He solemnly nodded when she asked about his skills at setting up camp. "As a prince I often don't, simply because there were so many people who would insist on jumping to my aid, but when I helped in the war effort I also helped in setting up camp now and then. I can of course help with the physical labor, but my songs can also help in a variety of ways as well. I can replenish your strength and energy, as well as heal you if you injure yourself with my powers."

Whenever he had tried to help in the past they told him he was being rather inefficient using his hands or talons to lift and move things around camp when he could use his song and make a dozen men as effective as a hundred. When it was just him and Lina, he suspected that he could do his share of the chores rather than letting others do everything for him. It wasn't that he didn't understand the practicality of it, he just felt a bit left out. Of course there were a few things Reyson wasn't telling Lina that might come back to bite them later. One of those things being how fragile heron Laguz were, and he was considered one of the sturdier in the heron clan.

[dragon_slave]

It was a lovely thought that he could just open his heart to nature like that. "Must be kinda like a whole other sense. I don't really get it, but I also don't get a lot of stuff that comes naturally to some people. It's nice, though! Guess I'm pretty lucky to have you on my side here, huh?"

Aside from how lovely and whimsical the ability was, strategically, it could be beneficial, too. She wondered briefly if his ability to sense the creatures of the forest only extended to the creatures who lived in it rather than to visitors like her. Bandits or other ne'er-do-wells could be easily taken care of or guarded against if that were the case.

"Oh yeah, Naesala told me all about the fire situation. Shouldn't be too much of a problem, especially if we stay near the stream. I'm a pro at camping. But between hot food and actually staying warm at night, fires can be nice. I'll leave the location spotting up to you, your majesty! Leave the rest to me!" She certainly looked confident enough in her skills at it that he probably didn't need to worry himself all that much.

[the_last_heron]

"I'm not sure if I'd call it lucky, since you were specifically hired to guard me, but we can agree to disagree on that front." He was rather unaware of the arrangements Naesala had made with Lina to secure her services, and while he might have preferred an escort he knew she did at least seem to be competent and friendly. For once he can say that Naesala actually had good taste when it came to hiring someone, he just hoped that he wasn't simply boasting about her power.

"It's good that he told you about that, since that should mean I don't have to warn you that hunting the animals of this forest is also forbidden." Serenes was meant to be a place of peace and safety for any and all who entered, and even the animals of the forest recognized this. All the animals that lived here sustained themselves on the bounty provided by the plants, and not even the insects preyed upon one another while in this forest. The one exception to this were the fish that swam in the rivers, who were ignorant of the forest above them and traversed the river from other avenues and even out to the sea.

He walked at a fairly easy pace through the forest, leading Lina easily towards the river he'd spoken of earlier. As he walked he decided he might as well get to know his traveling companion since there was little else to do. "Since we are likely to be traveling together for a while, would you mind telling me a little about yourself? Perhaps the lands you come from? You don't exactly look like a Daein, Crimean, or Begnion, which suggests that you are not from Tellius at all."

[dragon_slave]

"Well, I was trying not to sell you short. Give you a little confidence-boost, you know? You're a prince, right? You've gotta have at least some skills. I know I'm a hired guard, but there's more to being capable than just being able to swing a sword."

The reminder about the animals was probably a good thing. While she probably wouldn't have had time to hunt and roast something like a deer, something like a rabbit or something would have been no problem at all. But fish? She could fish, and fish a lot. "Yeah, yeah. I got it. Animals are off limits, fish only. I get the message."

As they walked, Lina kept a pretty even pace with Reyson, keeping an eye out through the trees and an ear for any suspicious sounds. As nice as their little stroll had been, she did still have a job to do if she wanted to get paid... or more.

"Huh? Me?" The question actually caught her off-guard, not actually having been expected to be asked about it. "Oh, no. I'm not from anywhere around here and mostly just do a lot of traveling and treasure-seeking, which more or less takes me all over. No offense, but this is the first I've heard of all your conflicts over here... Guess word doesn't always travel all that far." She gave a short shrug before picking up a stick to move away some of the lower-hanging foliage in her path. "Like Naesala said, I'm a sorceress. Got a bit of a reputation before... Heh.. maybe it's a good thing that word doesn't travel..."

[the_last_heron]

"That's kind of you, but you hardly need to butter me up with false praise. I know quite well my strengths and weaknesses no matter how much I may wish they were otherwise." There was a hint of bitterness in that statement that was hard to miss. He knew that she wasn't giving him false praises, but he'd always wished that he had the strength of the Hawk tribe so that he could reclaim his homeland and get vengeance for the genocide, and the burning of his home. So many years he'd let hatred consume him, that even now it was difficult to entirely forgive.

"Dare I ask why your reputation is less than reputable?" He knew there had to be a catch when it came to someone working for Naesala. "Tellius is fairly isolated for a number of reasons, the greatest of them being the flood that wiped out most of civilization nearly eight hundred years ago. Between the currents that surround the continent, and the nearly impassible desert to the north, we assumed for centuries that we were alone. It wasn't until recently that we were no longer so isolated by these factors."

"If you like I could teach you some of the basics of Tellius' history if you would tell me some of the history of your land. Much of it is surprisingly relevant to the conflicts that exist even to this day, and the scars that still mar our land with war and strife." He hoped he hadn't angered her too much with his bitterness over his own weakness, he'd been trying to rein in his temper and prejudice when it came to humans. They were nearly at the river now and the running water could likely be heard if they listened carefully enough.

[dragon_slave]

"My reputation?" Hoo boy, where to start? Or rather... what to say that wouldn't make him immediately regret his decision to have her come along with him? "Well, some people seem to think I have a bad attitude, but I really don't know where that comes from. I've earned a few unsavory nicknames to be sure like, 'bandit killer' and... something about scaring dragons..." she mumbles a little bit, not particularly proud of that one. "But... I guess some of it comes from... my ability to turn problems.. into craters." And towns. "No one ever hears about the good things you do, and it's just not fair! But... it's not like I'm here because I was cheap or met Naesala in an unsavory inn or anything. I dunno how he heard about me, but I'm not about to complain. And besides, didn't I say I'm a treasure hunter? I go wherever gold glitters!"


Learning history has never been all that bad of a thing and has more than once given her great context and clues to her adventures. Lost cities and artifacts, hidden and forbidden spells, enemy weaknesses. Despite her appearance and outward attitude, Lina could be quite studious when it came to something she was interested in. "Sure! If we're going into a tense political situation, it might be good to know who not to mouth off to, you know?"

[the_last_heron]

"I hardly think bandit killer or intimidator of dragons are titles that should earn you a bad reputation but... I'll admit the problems into craters is a little unsettling." The last thing Serenes needed was a world shattering explosion that left it a smoldering crater. If he had underestimated her power or Naesala's boastings of it earlier, he was now having the reverse concern. It was a bit more obvious now why the two had clicked so easily if she was so interested in monetary gains, but he also had to wonder how Naesala heard of her? Perhaps Naesala ran with a group of bandits that had been spooked by her reputation? He wouldn't put it past the crow King.

"Long ago, this land was created by a goddess by the name of Ashunera. She was a being of immense power and beauty, who was rumored to have come from a different world entirely. When she came to this world it was comprised only of water, so she made the land. The forests, mountains, trees, rivers, and the animals that dwelled within it, but she was still quite lonely. To her amazement, the animals of the land that she had created started to respond to her loneliness by transforming into beings like herself. These were our primordial ancestors, the Zunanma." There were some ancient ruins of the Zunanma in the lands of Tellius, and scholars had speculated about their origins for centuries until Reyson and a small band of other heroes and kings actually met an aspect of the goddess who shared this tale.

"The Zunanma called Ashunera the goddess of dawn, and worshipped her as their creator and lived beside her for many years. Yet the Zunanma continued to evolve, some of them retaining the qualities of their animal ancestry, while others became more like the goddess herself. Unfortunately as they evolved further in these separate directions the Zunanma started to argue amongst themselves about who were the superior beings. The goddess Ashunera thought to appease them by giving them their own names, so she named those that resembled herself more closely the Beorc, and those that retained their ability to shift into the form of animals the Laguz. Sadly this only furthered the splintering between the two factions, and soon a great war broke out that spread across all the lands she had created. In her grief and anger at what her own creations had wrought, Ashunera created a terrible flood that wiped out all the lands except for Tellius." Reyson was gathering some blueberries from along the river as they walked and talked, just in case they needed the extra food supplies. It had been some time since he'd talked quite this much, but walking was so much more boring than flying that he was grateful for the distraction.

"Ashunera was so appalled by what she had done, the deaths of so many of her beloved children, that it split her into two aspects of herself. One aspect was her emotional side that had impulsively flooded the Earth, and the other aspect was her calm and rational side that was emotionally detached. The goddesses that came from this were Yune, chaos incarnate and Ashera, order incarnate. Ashera lead four great heroes to battle the goddess of chaos so that she could not harm her children any further. Soan the white Lion, Dheginsea the black dragon, Lehran the immortal Heron, and Altina the founder of the Begnion empire. Yune was like a child, innocent and impulsive, while Ashera a strict adult, rational but strict. After Ashera won the battle she was going to destroy Yune, but the four heroes who fought beside her begged her to reconsider. Destroying Yune would harm Ashera irreparably, and there would be no hope for Ashunera to ever return. The four heroes pledged that the Laguz and Beorc could learn to get along just as they had overcome their differences to stop Yune. It was agreed that Yune would instead be sealed inside the medallion of the hero Lehran, the ultimate ancestor of the heron tribe. If in one thousand years the Beorc and Laguz could prove that they no longer will wage wars, then Ashera and Yune would join as one again and live amongst her children just as she did in the days of old. Yune could be released from Lehran's medallion if a war terrible enough were to plunge the continent into chaos, and if Ashera was awakened in this manner she would be terribly angry. If before that time came, a new arrangement needed to be made, Lehran could sing the galdrar of release to free Yune, and this in turn would awaken Ashera so that they could discuss a new arrangement."

This tale was considered almost ancient history to the majority of the people who dwelled in Tellius, and only what remained of the dragon tribe of Laguz were old enough to actually remember those days with clarity... and of course Lehran himself. Despite Naesala's concerns, Serenes was as peaceful today as it had been since Reyson and his sister had restored it three years ago, so it seemed Lina wouldn't need to unleash any of her powers today. "That is the the basis for the history of Tellius, and unfortunately I think you can guess that we Laguz and the Beorc were unable to keep our promise. Are you with me so far?"

[dragon_slave]

There were a lot of new terms and words, and even timelines thrown around that took her a moment to latch onto, especially dividing her attention as she was, but the way he explained everything was fairly simple and well laid-out, like it was all a story he'd heard and rehearsed several times before. The story of their world's creation, the foolhardy goddess and her mistakes, her repentance, the way she split herself... it all fell in line with many other creation stories she'd heard, or at least a lot of the same beats. She wondered idly if maybe there was some sort of common undercurrent to them all that linked them together across all cultures. But that was a deep dive into books that she didn't really have time or the thought capacity to dedicate to at this moment. But it was an exciting tale that illustrated some fascinating scenes in her mind.

"A thousand years is a long time to trust people not to fight each other, especially considering man-- er... Beorc tendencies for it. We do love conquest, I guess. Or at least some of us do. Trust me, it's not an overarching blood-feeling we all have." Good job, Lina. Really mash your foot in it.

The rest of it sounded terribly complicated and horribly dependent on too many things going right, certainly for the way that Lina knew most people and kingdoms to be. But he mentioned something about a new agreement, and that struck her with great interest. "Who would need to be involved in that new arrangement?" She wondered aloud, not necessarily toward him. The story really was feeding her more obsessive tendencies, and the last of what he said barely even registered until he addressed her directly.

"Huh? Oh! Yeah! No, I completely understand the conflict and why things are... well, the way they are. I'm sorry that things are still kinda up in the air but... Where we're going. Do you think this is going to help in that 'new agreement' you mentioned? It sounded kinda vague. No chance you all know the way it needs to be done, do you? Who needs to be involved or what kind of terms?"

[the_last_heron]

There was an almost wry smile at Lina's assessment of the mentality of man. "Beorc, or humans as they came to call themselves, are not the only ones who enjoy conquest. While the heron Laguz are almost entirely pacifists, most of the surviving Laguz tribes came from more predatory species such as the dragons, tigers, Hawks, lions and wolves. They hunt, they fight, and strength is the way they settle most disputes. I'm getting a bit away from my point, which is to say that we Laguz are equally to blame in many respects for the wars that came after."

He popped a few of the blueberries he'd collected in his mouth, before stashing them away in a pouch between his back and wings. "You may be surprised to learn that the ancient creation story and the founding of the Begnion empire is completely relevant to the peace talks I need to attend, as well as the fate of our poor goddesses. I just wanted to be sure I wasn't moving too fast or too slowly for you to follow."

While the first part of his tale was mostly common knowledge in the lands of Tellius... what followed was not, and it needed to be know by more people. "After Yune was sealed away, the four heroes focused on rebuilding their world, the dragon king founding the nation of Goldoa, and Lehran and Altina married one another to form the enpire of Begnion. That is why Begnion and the Serenes forest are such close neighbors, because Lehran was of the heron tribe and Altina as his wife wished to create a home for both beorc and laguz. Altina was the jewel of the Beorc and Laguz alike, so when she became pregnant with Lehran's child the whole world awaited the occasion with great joy. What followed was a tragedy, for Altina did not survive child birth, and what shocked the entire Laguz race was that Lehran was stripped of his powers. The loss of both his wife and his identity as a Laguz was too much grief for Lehran to bear, and he fell into a coma. The dragon king of Goldoa was the only leadership the people had to turn to, and his first thought was to protect his friend Lehran. He told the people that this was clearly the work of the goddess, and the fate of all Laguz who would have children with Beorc. Lehran and Altina were both dead, but it was their duty to continue to avoid conflict for the sake of the world they sought to create."

Reyson was not at all pleased by the lie the dragon king had perpetuated, for while it may have protected Lehran... it lead to far more grief than he could have possibly imagined. "It was more or less the rumors of what had transpired nonetheless, but the dragon king was so focused on trying to uphold the pledge he'd made to Ashera, he blundered terribly. While Lehran and Altina's daughter became the beloved apostle and leader of Begnion, all other children born of mixed Laguz and Beorc unions were reviled, outcast, and treated as blights upon the land. Even now I bear instinctive, unwarranted, ancectral prejudice against those known as the branded. For these children each have a mark on them that relates to their Laguz heritage. It might not pass on to the branded's children, often skipping many generations... but those who bear the brand?"

He stopped himself, because that was yet another story he didn't want to get into right now. "The divide between Beorc and Laguz grew, and the beorc decided to rename themselves humans, to further separate themselves from we Laguz. The humans were closer in form to the goddess herself, and thought themselves superior, while the Laguz were physically stronger and closer to the forms the goddess had blessed them with in the first place and they in turn thought themselves superior. What the Laguz failed to recognize was the superior intellect of the beorc and they used this to trap many of the ancestral Laguz before they had a chance to fight back. This was also when the slave trade began, and almost the entirety of the Laguz living in the Begnion empire became enslaved. Several tried to flee to Goldoa, but the dragon king sealed the borders proclaiming his country neutral, and that no matter what came to pass, Goldoa would not go to war. Hundreds of years passed, and many Laguz fought back to earn their freedom, some even turning to enslave their former masters. Those that couldn't were treated worse than cattle, and called things like sub-human and monsters. Thus the laguz came to use the word human as a backhanded insult to their slave masters. Conflict between the races ran rampant, and many nations rose from these various conflicts. It was because of these terrible conflicts that Lehran's medallion managed to finally awaken him from his despair induced coma. It surged with the chaos of war spreading across the land, and Lehran being from the heron tribe was one of the few beings of kindness and order that could calm Yune inside the medallion."

Reyson could almost hardly believe some of the details of this history himself, but then the last several hundred years had very mixed interpretations. It was hard to say how much of certain parts were true, and he was glossing over many parts. The two beings who's perspectives he had living testimony from had remained out of the majority of it after all. "Lehran as you can imagine had many things to say to his friend the dragon king, things like 'How could you let this happen? Your own people are being enslaved and yet you sit here doing nothing!' and Dheginsea's reply was something akin to... 'You know as well as I do what would happen. We cannot afford to break our covenant so close to reaching our goal. No matter what comes to pass Goldoa shall not go to war.' Lehran refused to accept that, but none of them had taken into account the possibility that Lehran would lose his powers of Galdrar. He could not peaceably free Yune, to awaken Ashera and ask for her council, or to work out some way to free his people by force, so he went to Begnion to see the situation with his own eyes. He was no longer entirely Laguz and not a beorc either, yet immortal as he was, he was wiser than anyone alive. Nearly twenty-five years ago, he went to try to find his decendant, hoping that he still had some measure of family alive, and it was in this very forest he met with the Apostle. She did not know who he was at first, but she was quick to realize who he was because unbeknownst to the world, Lehran's power had not been lost entirely, it had passed on to his descendants. Much like myself, the apostle could read people's hearts, and had a number of other remarkable powers that had always been assumed to be the blessing of the goddess. She realized that she too was one of the branded, and Lehran realized this was yet another form of evolution for the goddesses creations, and everything they had assumed they knew about the branded was wrong. The apostle promised Lehran that she would outlaw the enslavement of the Laguz, and that together they could end this ridiculous conflict between their people. Lehran was worried that some might not take these sudden revelations so well and begged her to be careful... she was not careful enough."

This was where he and the rest of his people came into the story. "The apostle was indeed able to pass the emancipation act to abolish all slavery in the Begnion empire, but she was betrayed by the Begnion senate. She had revealed to them first the truth about her powers and many of them were appalled and advised her that the public would need time to accept this truth after the proclamation of freedom for the Laguz. She was assassinated shortly afterwards, and a rumor began to circulate that the assassin was a Laguz seeking revenge for the slavery they'd been forced to endure. The humans in their grief, rage, idiocy, and bigotry, latched on to this rumor and turned into a bloodthirsty mob, that attacked their closest Laguz neighbor, the herons of Serenes. It was a genocide, and my people did not even fight back. The only reason my father and I were spared was because we were visiting the Hawk Kingdom at the time. My baby sister Leanne was sealed away with protective magics by the rest of my family deep within the Serenes forest, the last surviving female of the heron tribe. All of the heron tribe that had been recently freed from slavery were there that night, so many had been joyously returning to their families, thinking that at last their days of despair had come to an end."

He had to sit down... retelling the tragedy of that night was too much for him to bear while trying to walk towards Begnion. He flapped his white wings and sat himself down on a large white boulder beside the river. "Apparently Lehran was there that night as well. He found out what happened to the Apostle, second hand from some farmers right before the mob broke out, and tried to reason with these stupid humans, who were so blinded by their bigotry and grief that they thought it was perfectly reasonable to assume that she'd be assassinated by a laguz after freeing them, by the heron tribe of all things. It was of course the Begnion senators who spread this rumor, and they held influence over these mindless masses of filth. Lehran's wings were discovered beneath his robes, and he was chased into the forest by the mob when they realized he was 'one of them.' It was during this time that Lehran was filled with more hatred and grief than he'd ever felt in his life, and his medallion burned him. It was not merely the fires of Serenes around him, but blue flames were blazing from the medallion itself. Yune was responding to his emotions from inside the medallion, and she rejected him, because he wanted vengeance even more terribly than I> did. That is when Lehran decided he needed to release Yune from his medallion and awaken the goddess through the only method that was left, through a war terrible enough to free her. He concocted a plan to free the goddess of chaos from his medallion, the very medallion which came to be known as... the fire emblem."

[dragon_slave]

Even for Lina it was a lot of information to take in, and she wondered if maybe there were a book somewhere she could pore over and really dive into the history of his people and the land she was in. It was hard not to feel bad for him considering the tragedy of everything, and she even felt her heart clench hearing about the betrayals, and the genocide the people of this realm had inflicted upon him. But there was a part that did catch her attention over all else, and it was the mention of the union between Laguz and Beorc. Her heart sank a little. Of course it was too good to be true, and of course Naesara hadn't said a word that that might have been a possibility.

It seemed as if Lina was getting ahead of herself. What else was new?

But considering the immense and dense history of their people, she really shouldn't have been surprised that he was so guarded and that their travel was so secretive. If she were the last of her people, she'd want to be careful, too. But what could she say? Or do? She was sure that platitudes wouldn't help him, and even more sure that he'd probably gotten sick of them anyway. She was so lost in thought about this that the rush of flapping wings startled her, but was relieved to see him settle on a boulder. She moved to join him, finding a half-fallen tree to rest on and listen.

"Did it work, though?" she asked, still completely invested and curious. "Was she actually really sealed in it or was it just a myth or fairy tale? I can't imagine that the destruction would be worth it... No matter how badly you wanted revenge. War never solves anything in the end... it just leaves everyone hurt and gearing up for the next war. "

[the_last_heron]

It was true that if he and Lina ever had children together, he would lose his powers and a large part of his identity as a Laguz. Naesala was the type who would decidedly not mention that particular catch either, but Reyson was blissfully unaware of that part of their designs for him. Not that he felt it mattered much, since the heron clan would likely continue through his sister rather than through him.

"I would have preferred if it was merely a fairy tale, but I can assure you she was quite real. Unbeknownst to the world, the Apostle had two daughters. She was not entirely naive, and had sent her daughters in separate locations before her assassination. One who was kept in a safe house under the protection of her royal guard, and one who was secretly kept in another location. The one who was kept safe in the Begnion capital became the current Apostle of Begnion at only nine years old, while her sister who did inherit Lehran's power went missing and was presumed dead. It turns out she didn't die, and eventually it was she who sang the galdrar of release to free Yune the goddess of chaos from the fire emblem."

He looked up at the sky seeing the tinge of orange as the sun was beginning to set. It reminded him quite a bit of Yune, and the little orange bird form she liked to take. "When it happened we were in a second large scale war, this time with the senate and the Apostle splitting Begnion into two warring factions, and nearly every other country in Tellius taking sides. Yune was about to be freed from the medallion through the chaos of war but she spoke in the mind of Lehran's decendant to come to the medallion and sing the song before it was too late. If she had not, all of Tellius would have perished to Ashera's wrath. As it was, Lehran was waiting at the tower of the goddess where Ashera slept in Begnion, and informed her that beorc and laguzkind had failed to uphold their covenant, and that Yune had been awakened through war. Ashera turned everyone except for those that Yune could protect, to stone. The agreement was that if Yune awakened from the galdrar, she and Ashera would meet with the world leaders to discuss a new agreement, but while Yune spent years in the medallion in close contact with others, Ashera had isolated herself and become even colder. She was quick to listen to Lehran's words, and acted accordingly which lead Yune to rally those who had not been turned to stone in an ironic twist of fate, to fight Ashera herself."

Considering that for nearly a thousand years people had been told Yune was an evil God sealed away, and worshipped Ashera? It was certainly one that the people of Tellius were still having a hard time coming to grips with. "I was among the many warriors who fought Ashera, as well as Naesala and my two siblings Leanne and Rafiel. Our powers are considered quite potent for support, and Naesala while being a little bit of a scoundrel, is one of the most dangerous fighters I know in his raven form. In the final battle against Ashera, she freed the Begnion senators, and those most loyal to them to try to stop us from reaching her. They were formidable, but outmatched, and Ashera rather expected as much, and was only using them to buy time, as she had no intentions to let them live one way or another, not after all the sins they'd committed on our world. With them out of the picture the majority of the reasons behind our wars disappeared, and it was only a matter of dealing with a living goddess with the assistance of her other half."

But hey, if Lehran and the three legendary heroes of old could do it, so could a small army of heroes, right? Of course... "Those weren't all we faced, because the dragon king of Goldoa was loyal to Ashera to the end, and his people did keep their oath no matter how much it had cost them. We faced him, and of course Lehran himself on different levels of the tower. Dheginsea, the dragon king, asked his son who had joined our cause to look after his people and to forgive his father for being afraid to stand up to Ashera before he died. Many of the dragon tribe had fought us in the tower, but a few who still had the strength to fight joined our cause because of their dying King's wish. Lehran who was the mastermind behind both of these most recent wars had sealed the doors to the goddess chamber and defended it with his life. He'd become the prime minister of the Imperial Senate under Apostle Sanaki, and had been her most loyal and trusted supporter. Suffice to say, she felt exceptionally betrayed to find out that 'Sephiran' was the one who had been behind the most recent wars and turmoil, and now opposed us in our final battle."

He really should write a book, but he wasn't sure if he'd want to bother with all that writing. He was also scanning their surroundings and came to the conclusion this would probably be a good spot to camp. "In the end it was only through a miracle of Sanaki's sister Micaiah that Sephiran was able to be spared. He wanted to die, he'd seen too much, become so disillusioned with beorc and Laguz he thought it was better for Ashera to end it all... but Yune gave him something he'd lost... hope. He joined us to confront Ashera, and ask her to reconsider her plans to turn all the people to stone, but she was too far gone to be reasoned with. She no longer cared about whether her creations could live together in harmony, she was angry that we defied her. It took an enormous amount of effort to defeat her, even with Yune and Lehran on our side. When the final blow was struck, she disintegrated into light and dispersed into the air. Yune explained that in time the pieces of Ashera would one day rejoin to her and she would be whole again, but until that day she would let Laguz and Beorc decide their own fate without her interference. Before she disappeared, Yune used her powers to restore all those who'd been turned to stone. It's a tale that might be difficult to believe for someone from a different world, but no one could deny the truth of everyone being turned to stone by Ashera's hand. Now with the imperial senate being cleansed, and so much of the hawk and crow tribe being wiped out during the war, part of the talks with the Apostle involve both tribes moving into Serenes as a united bird Laguz kingdom once more."

The story had finally come full circle to the part where the peace talks and treaties with Begnion came in. "The former prime minister Sephiran who we've discovered is in reality Lehran, is also being given an invitation to live with us in Serenes. He's stepping down as prime minister, even though many have begged him to stay, because he feels he must atone for his own crimes in all of this. He's overseeing some of the transition in power, but he's tired of politics for certain. I think time in Serenes might be just the thing to help soothe his ancient and weary heart. As for us? It's getting a bit late so we should probably set up camp here. We bird Laguz are practically blind in the dark, so it would be much more difficult for me to navigate you."

[dragon_slave]

With Reyson's story done, Lina smiled and sat up straight. "It must be a little intimidating to be actually living history like that," she said casually, "fighting gods and kings of legend and stopping what could've easily been the end of everyone in the conflict... I mean, who's to say that anyone who didn't die would have ever gotten turned back if the one responsible was already mad enough as it was?"

Lina hopped up and stretched, looking rather cheerful, despite the very heavy story. "But you made it out and with any luck, we're gonna get you to those talks and really set everything right. How do you feel about him retiring and living among the common folk? I mean, after everything, it must be a little difficult to swallow, right?"

He was right about setting up camp, though. Her feet had gotten tired and she was starting to get hungry. It would be smart to get a little fishing done before it got too dark, after all. She did have a passing thought as she moved about the area to try and pick up some sticks and stones to make a fire.

"You said you're good at support magic, right?" She cleared a small area on the ground with her foot, making certain there was no stray debris while she began building the pit. "What's that mean, exactly? No chance you know something that might keep us a little safer out here? I get a bit cranky when I get woken up in the middle of the night. I'm sure you understand, right?"

[the_last_heron]

"For some perhaps. As one of the last princes of the heron clan it's only natural that I'd get dragged into some sort of history making apocalyptic exchange. Thinking about what's at stake will only cause you anxiety, and I prefer to remain calm and collected." Reyson was absolutely lying through his teeth here. He had been so anxious during some of those battles, he had to take time to throw up. His arrogance is mostly for show because he wants to look cool, he's way more hot headed than most heron Laguz.

"I am hopeful for Lehran. He and I have quite a bit in common when it comes to wanting justice for the genocide of my people. I feel like he in many ways is how I might have turned out if not for the friends and family that keep me more grounded." That and Reyson wasn't nearly as powerful as the ancient hero, but Lehran had, had much more time and experience to learn those powers... plus the necessity after losing his natural heron laguz powers. Reyson wasn't sure how many years it would take him to re-learn if he lost his powers, not that he was in any danger of that. Reyson also wasn't mentioning that at one point in time, he too had considered using forbidden magic to wipe out much of humanity, and it was only Tibarn the hawk king, talking him down that stopped him.

"One moment if you will." Reyson concentrated and then shifted into the form of a pure white heron. He began to sing again, but this time his voice was more musical, almost as if he was able to create a harmony of different octaves with just his own voice. Several woodland creatures seemed to be drawn to the song, some bunnies, a deer, several smaller birds, and one bird in particular he was looking for, an owl. He brushed his large white wings out to stroke many of the woodland creatures which seemed to content them, and have them hop, or fly, or bound off on their merry way. The owl stayed, and Reyson made a series of hoots, and chirps that the owl seemed to understand before flying off. Reyson turned back to Lina in his heron form and spoke surprisingly articulately for a large bird.

"He says he'll screech if he spots any Beorc or Laguz coming this way. He'll wake and warn us if there's any trouble. I speak bird you see." This wasn't so much magic on his part, as using his home terrain to his advantage. He'd have to bribe an owl to do such a thing normally, and owls aren't always the brightest birds, no matter what people say about their wisdom. Thankfully the animals recognized him as lord of these woods, and knew that its bounty was his gift to them.

[dragon_slave]

"Well, if anyone's gonna do it, it might as well be someone who's got a lot of experience with it. Don't worry about it too much. Just try to do what's best for everyone and things will work out all right. Hah... but I mean, you don't need me telling you that. I'm not exactly any kind of ambassador or politician or anything, so you really don't need my advice."

If Reyson was hot-headed, Lina certainly hadn't seen it yet. Either that or compared to her own, it was much less noticeable. But the idea that he's got friends and family to count on to keep him level gives her a bit more confidence about his situation than if he had been going at it entirely alone.

Despite all of his talking about the various bird clans and her having even hitched a ride with Naesala earlier, she had nearly forgotten that he was indeed being literal when he spoke about them, and nearly jumped out of her skin when he transformed. He was just so large that it took her by surprise. She didn't have much time to worry, of course, because he started singing and calling out again, and the animals that gathered around made her feel like it was some kind of fairy tale. Even the weaker parts of her emotional fortitude couldn't help but want to swoon at the kind of romantic setting.

No, Lina! Focus!

It is a little surprising to hear him using his normal speech in this form, but the assurance is nice to have. She laughs. "Yeah, I kinda gathered. Well, that's good. I'll still try to keep watch the best I can."

It took little time at all for her to finish building the fire pit, even picking up some other debris and starting a small fire before setting her bedroll for the night. "You don't mind roughing it, do you? I can't imagine it'd be comfortable for you to sleep in a tree or anything like that."

Sorry it took me so long to get back to this ^^;

[the_last_heron]

It was quite possible that Reyson's hot headedness was mild compared to Lina's own hot-headed nature, and the people of Tellius just hadn't dealt with that many hot-headed folks. Or perhaps Naesala had exaggerated as he often tends to do, although one could argue Reyson is hot-headed towards Naesala. Can anyone really blame him though?

There was a small part of Reyson that noticed the way Lina had looked at him, and even on his bird-like face she could probably see a hint of a smile. It wasn't often that he saw Beorc who appreciated his talents like this, but perhaps he'd been a bit too racist to really notice in the past. He was starting to think this journey with Lina might not be quite so bad as he thought, since she certainly was better than many guardians Naesala could have hired. He just wish he knew that damn crow's angle in all this.

"On the contrary, we of the heron tribe built our homes in the trees. We didn't quite have anything as primitive as nests anymore, but there was still some ancestral resemblance." It had been nearly twenty-three years since Reyson had last seen the homes of the heron tribe, but he still remembered it well. Almost like a great wooden hive of Laguz, certainly not very defensible like the other Laguz castles carved out of rock, but they were not a species designed for war.

"If you do not mind being alone down there, I'll be quite comfortable up here in the treetops in my heron form." He could of course sleep out of his heron form too, but when it came to roughing it in the treetops, birds were much more adapt at that sort of thing. He paused as if considering something... and then looked away feeling slightly embarrassed, but continued with his suggestion anyways.

"Would you... like me to sing you to sleep?"

ditto

[dragon_slave]

It seemed that every time he spoke, Lina was learning something new and completely fascinating. The knowledge-hungry side of her wanted to know just about everything about his people and this realm she'd ventured into, and who better to teach her than someone who had seen the best and worst parts of it and come out the other end on both accounts?

"I see. I just didn't want to insult you or anything... Forgive me, but my etiquette on dealing with royal shapeshifting birds is... uh... a little lacking. But I'm a fast learner, so let me know if I mess something up, won't you?"

She settled into her bedroll easily, her cheeks turning a little pink at his offer. "If you want to. Geez, I feel like you're taking better care of me than I am of you right now." It hadn't been since she was a little girl that someone actually sang her to sleep in a manner that wasn't some kind of spell attack, so the thought was rather nice. She shifted and let her eyes close when she got comfortable, letting out a sigh. It had been a pretty big day, and she was looking forward to getting some rest.

[the_last_heron]

Her comment about etiquette got a rare chuckle out of him, because in many respects her demeanor reminded him of his friend Ike. Ike had been the leader of the mercenary band that had saved his sister, and he eventually became a lord and general, even laying the finishing blow on Ashera herself, but before any of that, he and Ike had become friends... arguably his first Beorc friend. Like Lina, he was a bit rough around the edges, had quite the healthy appetite, and was even more lacking in etiquette when dealing with royalty of any kind than Lina was. He wondered if Ike had been born a woman would he have been a bit more like Lina? Now that was truly a ridiculous thought.

"Not to worry, I'm sure that I've dealt with worse when it come to a lack of etiquette, and since it's just the two of us I don't mind you treating me like you would anyone else. Just be certain that if anyone else is around that you try to be on your best behavior, I wouldn't want anyone to think you were unprofessional with me." When he was raised with the hawk tribe, they treated him like family and their brusque mannerisms rubbed off on him so that he was a bit more fiery than your typical member of the heron tribe. Perhaps someday Lina would meet his brother Rafiel and then she could see for herself just how mild mannered most herons are.

It had been some time since he'd been able to chat with someone who wasn't aware of some of the history of his people, or the current events that shook the entire face of Tellius, so Reyson had found he'd rather enjoyed simply chatting with Lina. He could have made another Ike comparison, but he'd rather not think on such things at the moment. Instead he began to sing the galdr of rebirth, the very same song that had restored the forest of Serenes those years ago. The song still had a measure of magical power to it, but it was also a soothing tune for him. Something he personally enjoyed.

His singing continued for nearly an hour, before Reyson himself grew tired, and lulled himself into sleep, his song slowly quieting as he finished and curled up in the treetops.

---

It was closer to morning than it was to evening at this point, but still so dark it was hard to see your hand in front of your face when the clouds were covering the moon. Reyson himself had been sleeping quite soundly until he heard the warning hoot of the owl who volunteered to be his watch. His eyes snapped open, and he flapped his wings so that he landed on the forest floor near to where he thought Lina might have been sleeping. He couldn't see a thing like this, heron laguz eyes being rather poor when it came to night vision, so he was mostly guessing from what he remembered when there was still enough light for him to see.

"Lina! Are you here?" He kept his voice hushed because he didn't want to speak too loudly in case whoever the owl had seen was close enough to hear them if he yelled. No one should be in Serenes, but that hoot clearly indicated there were Beorc in his forest, as well as Laguz! What was going on?!

[dragon_slave]

Lina had gotten a fairly good night's sleep after Reyson's soothing lullaby. She had a lot to think about, but most of it would have to be sorted in the waking hours when she was less exhausted from their trek.

And so she slept until a distant whispering stirred her from her sleep.

"Nnh... just a few more minutes..." she mumbled as she rolled over. But already her mind was waking up. She had a job to do, after all! Of course, the flutter of massive wings and the large shadow of the Heron royalty shielding her from the moonlight was something of note as well. With a sharp breath in, her eyes shot open and she sat up. The fire had long since burned out and wasn't even smoldering any longer, but if there was someone nearby, Lina would take care of them.

In a hushed voice she spoke, "I'm here, Reyson. Did you hear something?" The panic in his voice wasn't a great sign, but she was more than willing to defend him in any means necessary. "Can you tell me?" She knew his eyesight was poor in the dark like this, but casting a light spell here now would be a beacon for any ne'er do-wells who might want to harm them. Staying quiet and still was probably the best action for the time being if she wanted to keep them safe.

[the_last_heron]

His hearing was slightly better than most Beorc, and that is what tipped him off to the sound of the men approaching. From what little he could make out, they weren't aware of the pair and their campsite. "Let's get closer, but hide in the bushes. I cannot quite make out what they're saying, but I can hear two people talking, and coming closer. There shouldn't be anyone in these woods, but if they have Laguz with them I need to know why."

Reyson of course had forgotten to tell Lina that those who were approaching had Laguz AND beorc in their ranks, but she could likely infer it easily enough. Rather than wait for her to object to his plan, Reyson was already feeling his way along the forest floor until he could find the path he was looking for through the bushes. He might not be able to see, but he knew this part of the forest so well he hardly needed to. There was a very faint light approaching with the sound of the two men conversing, much too faint to be a normal torch light.

"This forest gives me the creeps Dagger, it's like it knows what we're doing here and wants us gone." A hooded and robed man carrying a staff that was giving off the light, was talking to a hulk of a man, with scars, an eyepatch, and a few missing teeth.

"Shut up you craven coward! It's just a damn forest like any other, do you want to stick around for the Duke to throw us under the bus? I've got contacts in Daein that can use these sub-humans in his mine. In case you forgot, the Apostle don't take kindly to our line of work, and it'll probably be the gallows for us if we're found out."

"You want to sell hawks for mining? They're half blind in the dark, and probably won't last longer than a month! What about selling them to the pirates like Dallas suggested? We'd probably get a better price for them."

Dagger snorted at the shorter man's suggestion, spitting in the opposite direction. "You want to risk dealing with pirates? They'd be just as likely to kidnap you to sell, as they are this motley lot. Besides, they're mostly looking for women, and in case you haven't noticed the only women we've got, have wings growing out of their backs. Sub-humans aren't particularly popular as brothel girls since they're known for being so much more physically strong, and have a habit of turning into monsters if they don't like what you're doing to them. That's why the heron girls were so popular back in the day, they never put up much of a struggle."

Reyson was having a very hard time controlling himself as the men spoke. Not only were they slavery, but they may have enslaved his own kin, or close friends from the Hawk tribe who had gone missing. He was already planning to wreak terrible vengeance upon these men, when the robed figure spoke and made Reyson's jaw drop in shock.

"Who says we have to tell them they're sub-humans? If we cut off their wings it's hard to tell the difference, and I know a way to cover up the scars when they inspect them. We could easily triple our profits, and still sell off the men in that mine your friend owns." Dagger himself seemed a little taken aback by the man's suggestion, but also seemed to be debating it.

"You're a twisted man Elkar, but that might just work. If we're gonna do it though, we better do it sooner than later. Let's tell Bruno about your scheme and see what he thinks." As the two turned around to head back to where they came from, Reyson was trembling with rage.

"Lina? How PAINFULLY are you capable of killing these men?" He was speaking through clenched teeth, wishing he could rip them apart with his bare hands. They needed those idiots to lead them to their leader, and their prisoners, but after that? Reyson would not stop until every slaver in his woods had suffered a thousand times worse than any human had ever suffered before!

[dragon_slave]

In the quiet of the night, Lina didn't have to strain too hard to hear in the dark, and the light in the distance was a good enough of a signal to tell her she'd made the right call by keeping her own spell under wraps. She gave a silent nod at the instruction to move ahead and crept close to the ground, trying her best to keep silent and out of the way.

However, the revelation that Reyson's own people would be traveling with people like this was somewhat alarming and it was impossible to keep her mouth shut. With a harsh whisper, she shot, "You didn't tell me your guys were gonna be involved!!" Aside from being woken up so late and with such bad news following immediately after, how could she be anything other than upset?

Lina had a fair amount of other frustrated remarks to make, but now was not the time. She bit her tongue and listened to the people as they approached, doing her best to peer through the leaves to see them. To her eye they looked like the usual types of rogues and bandits you'd find on any forestway, with exactly the sort of names one would expect from this kind of troupe. The fact that they apparently had a magic user with them was a little concerning, as if they got into a fight, there may not have be much she could do to protect the forest.

But the more she listened, the more upset she got. Who could do such a thing to people? And to sell them into a hard life they're not really suited for? And to use such horrible language for the women and to mutilate them.... was it any surprise that even Lina was getting incensed?

She hadn't realized that she was threatening to cut through her own palm with her fingernails with rage until Reyson chirped up. It let her take a breath and actually try to think things through.

"With all due respect, your highness, I'm not sure it would be a good idea to go after them right now." She would absolutely love to follow them and lob a fireball directly into their camp, but considering the delicate situation they were in... maybe it wouldn't be a great idea. "We can follow them and see if we can't learn anything else... but if you want me to attack them, it might hurt your negotiations, don't you think?" She looked over to him, a concerned look on her face. "You're supposed to be a dignitary right now, right? How would it look right now if you turned your bodyguard into an assassin?"

[the_last_heron]

Reyson almost choked when he heard Lina tell him it might not be a good idea to go after them. How could anyone in their right mind not want to kill those... no... ne he could tell that she was also enraged by their words through his powers, but it seemed like she was putting her duty to him first? He couldn't be certain, because the powers of the heron Laguz required one to remain calm, and he was boiling with so much rage it was hard for him to do so.

"With all due respect, stuff it!" He was half tempted to fly off without her, but he knew that was probably the most dangerous and stupidest thing he could do. It's true he wasn't completely helpless, but he wasn't exactly a fighter, and he was probably more valuable to the slaver scum than the rest of their 'cargo' combined. Where was Tibarn when he needed him?!

"They're breaking countless Begnion and Serenes laws and treaties by bringing laguz slaves into these woods! You heard what they're planning to do didn't you?! If we don't do something they're going to..." He couldn't even bring himself to say it, it was too horrible to even imagine what kind of fate were going to befall these people.

"I don't care if it starts another war, I will not tolerate that sort of... savagry in my home!" Serenes was more than just his kingdom, or a forest, or even just his home, it was supposed to be a symbol of peace and balance. A place where everyone could be safe and welcome, and it was why his people did not even fight back those years ago when the massacre occurred. Reyson was not as gentle as most of the heron tribe had been, and he would not let any tragedies befall his fellow Laguz this night!

"We're following them, and if you don't fight them when the time comes, I will!" He wasn't sure how much he could do, but he did have a certain affinity for magic himself, and while some of it was a bit of a double edged sword, he was not afraid to use it if he had to. He simply hoped Lina wouldn't try to stop him from seeing this through, because the last thing he wanted was yet another obstacle in what was likely a daunting task of rescuing countless Laguz from an untold number of slavers.

[dragon_slave]

"Of course I heard! How could I not!" Lina, while widely known for being hot-headed and unreasonable, was also known in many circles for being a genius and tactician. She wasn't sure if any of that had made it this far, but she wasn't about to betray her character for another person's revenge in such a delicate situation.

"Yeah, and because they're breaking laws and treaties is exactly why we can't just go in and kill them all! Look, you're a king, right? Surely you must have some sense of justice, right? I know you're mad, but would you take a second and actually think?!" It was hard not to raise her voice too high. After all, the people hadn't wandered far yet and the echo could cause a problem.

When he instructed her to follow him, she sighed heavily and nodded. She wasn't about to let this idiot king get himself killed while she was in charge of looking out for him. "We can follow them, but please reconsider actually murdering anyone. I haven't been in front of a tribunal yet somehow and I'm not looking to any time soon! I was hired to protect you, not carry out extrajudicial executions, all right?" She frowned, leaning in close to let him see how serious she was.

"Please. Not only is this a delicate situation, but we're probably outnumbered and... I don't know if I could keep you, the captured, and the forest safe if you want me to go in with intent to kill. I'd rather not... but maybe if the odds are good, maybe a capture is an easier ask."

[the_last_heron]

"I'm not the king, my father yet lives." Granted he is bedridden and there isn't much of a kindom of Laguz he rules over so much as their family and their forest home, but he's mostly deflecting because she's probably right. He doesn't like it, and he'd rather just have the slavers killed outright, but if she was more readily able to capture them then he supposed that was also acceptable. He had not met many mages who were capable of holding back enough to do such a thing, but then Naesala probably had hired someone that was quite different than what he'd expect anyways.

"Alright... if you can focus the bandits I should be able to use my powers to protect the Laguz and the forest. Protection is much easier for me than offense with my powers... so in a way I guess we're well suited to actually accomplishing this task." It really depended on just how powerful Lina was, and how much he could stretch his own powers. It would get especially tricky if the enemy spell casters were using fire magic, because they might get desperate.

"I can't see very well in the dark so you'll have to lead me. I can feel the forest to a degree, but pinpointing anything with accuracy will be difficult." She did seem to have more of a mind for strategy than he did, because it took all his powers of restraint and intellect just to keep himself from confronting the two slavers right then and there. Naesala was a brilliant schemer, but Reyson had a bad habit of charging brashly into trouble. He hoped that if she knew his assets and weaknesses, she'd be able to more readily make use of him in the upcoming battle.

[dragon_slave]

"King, prince, whatever. It doesn't matter. You're a royal in charge of dignitary duties and helping keep the peace! You can't just bust in to every encampment as you see fit and murder everyone there. But capturing them and bringing them to the negotiations and getting them to confess before fellow dignitaries and other officials will definitely help swing things in your favor. After all, if you can provide actual proof to people who wouldn't otherwise think about you that you're being not just oppressed, but actively culled... Don't you think that would mean more than just people freed?"

So. It seemed like things were moving forward. She excused herself for a moment to go back and find her equipment. Sure, she was powerful, but was a force of nature with her talismans. When she finished setting her headband, pulling on her gloves, and setting her cape, Lina returned and extended a hand out to Reyson, confident that they'd be able to come back and clean up camp sooner rather than later. "Stick with me, your majesty. I think we'll be all right."

Finally, a chance to show that she was worth the hefty sum she was being paid to escort him. Beyond just being a genius and adorable, she was always happy to be at least a little bit of a braggart. After all, if you were one of the most powerful magic users in your realm, what good was it if you couldn't show it off now and then?

[the_last_heron]

"Evidence!? Evidence!? Why do you think those men are on the run in the first place!? We have an insurmountable pile of evidence, to the kind of illegal and treasonous dealings they've been involved in! Serenes is the only direct land route from here to Daein, and the ocean routes are too patrolled for them to slip by. They think they can use the treaty so they don't have to worry about Begnion's law enforcement being able to pursue them. We are the only ones that can stop them!" Reyson had glossed over many details when he was explaining the history of Tellius, but possibly one of the more important ones was Naesala's part in all this.

"There's not much time so let me try to make this brief. Naesala was working as a double agent of sorts, doing many wicked deeds for the Begnion senate, but compiling an absolute mountain of evidence to present to the Begnion courts. He and his people were under a curse that prevented him from acting sooner with the evidence he was compiling, but he had plans to slowly use that evidence as leverage against the senate. When we battled Ashera, we were able to destroy the curse, and so Naesala has been able to present his years of compiled evidence. Now I do agree that it may still be more beneficial to take these men in if possible, but I won't shed any tears if that's not an option." Much of Naesala's evidence was slightly moot since half the senate died in the last war, but it probably did contain details about these men. One thing Naesala's evidence might not help them prove was how these slavers managed to take members of the hawk tribe captive. That part was nagging at Reyson, and he owed it to Tibarn to try to find out.

He was starting to cool down a little more, but he still felt a little confrontational, so he nodded in approval when Lina went to fetch her gear. Reyson had never met a mage who didn't use some sort of tome to cast their magic, so he wasn't surprised she had needed to go back for her gear. What he hadn't expected was that Lina still didn't seem to have a tome? Perhaps her magic worked differently than those of Tellius? This could be more interesting than he thought.

"Lead the way then. Will you be able to track them? I might be able to get something from the forest, but I'm quite blind right now. I could only give relatively vague directions."

[dragon_slave]

"Well, your majesty, if you kill everyone involved, none of that evidence means anything, you know. Trust me, I've chased enough bounty heads in my time to know that no trial means no reward. That includes justice." Yeah, she would be happy to just launch a fire ball or five into their camp without cause, but there might be money tied to those guys, and Lina was easily an opportunist.

"Look, I understand that you're upset. It's awful what we just heard but... we're the only ones who did. And if we kill them, then none of that matters. What we heard and saw, none of it matters because there's no evidence. We can stop them... but we can't be reckless about it, okay?"

She felt a little silly when he began to break down all of the ways that he had already gathered evidence and accusations against people like this but... she still didn't feel right about just barging in and assassinating people. She never really thought herself a grand hero or anything, but... she never stylized herself as a wicked sorceress, either. No matter how wicked and terrible the people were... it wasn't really her place to exact justice unless she was actively being threatened. ...Thanks, Amelia.

"The path isn't all that obscure. I think I should be able to find them without much trouble." She finished adjusting her cloak and carefully moved foliage out of the way for both her and Reyson to pass through, "But... if they have a campfire or anything, it might be easy to see from above. Would it be too taxing for you to check? I don't know how much it takes out of you to shift but... I can if you would prefer not to. It's dark enough to where above the trees you might not be as easy to see."

[the_last_heron]

"I fear I've done you a great disservice by assuming you were just a typical mercenary Miss Inverse. You have a much more refined and noble set of ideals than I would expect from someone working for Naesala. Perhaps my heart has become too hardened by the tragedies I have experienced, or maybe I am simply too hot headed for my own good. I would have gladly covered my hands in their blood if you had not held me back, so I would like to thank you for that." He took Lina's hands in his own, sensing where she was more with his powers as a heron Laguz than his eyes. In that instant he used his powers so that she could sense the emotions in his own heart. Respect, gratitude, a subdued anger born of a terrible sadness and grief, and a telltale hint of affection and fondness for her. Perhaps Naesala's plan was already working on the prince of Serenes?

"My eyes aren't quite as keen at finding faint traces of light in the dark, so I'll need you to try to spot their campfire if they have one. The pair we saw before weren't carrying a torch, so they might be trying to be extra cautious." Reyson's hands traced along Lina so that one hand was on her shoulder, and the other went a little closer to her hip, but trying to remain respectful so that his hand wasn't resting anywhere too sensitive.

"Alright, let's go." Remember when Naesala had told Lina that Reyson could sweep her off her feet and into the air? It seems he was opting for exactly that, scooping the petite sorceress up in his arms, and flapping his great magical wings to lift both of them into the air. He had simply been looking at the most logical and logistical way to do this, and he wanted to save his bird form for when they went into battle. If she was embarrassed by him scooping her up without much warning he might apologize, but it had been her idea in the first place as far as he could tell.

"Can you see anything?" He squinted in the darkness but he really was quite blind to anything not right in front of his face right now. What Lina might be able to spot was a patch of forest off to the left of them that seemed to give off a faint glow. The rest of the forest was relatively devoid of light.

[dragon_slave]

"R-Refined??" Once more, Lina was grateful for the dark, for it hid the crimson that raised to her cheeks. She was still uncertain of how she felt about the compliment, but she was still in Reyson's hands for the time being, and it... wasn't an entirely unpleasant experience. Still, the things he was saying... made her refocus. After all, she was here on a job, and the clumsy acrobatics of her client couldn't possibly be counted as part of the job... right?

"I'm on it." With Lina's human eyes, it wasn't hard to trace the torchlight through the forest. However, Reyson's handling of her at this height.. she couldn't help the heat that ran to her cheeks when her imagination ran wild. Still, when they breeched the treetops, it was much easier to stay on task with Lina on a mission.

"I see... I see a campsite up ahead. They haven't done much to mask it so far..." She squinted to see if she could find any further details of the glow up ahead, but to no avail. "The people we just saw will probably be headed that way. But... there's no way to tell from here if they have any prisoners... otherwise I'd say to just go in and attack."

Lina cast a look upward. "Can you get me a little closer?"