This was Gallia.

These vast expanses of forest, these clean, streaming rivers, the air so free of the stench of venomous iron...

And he was free. Free to revel in in any way that he pleased. Here nobody cast him odd glances...nobody hurtled insults or stones...and nobody could control him.

With this liberty, though, came a strange feeling. Without orders to follow, he was really unsure of what he wanted from this life. Surely, freedom...but beyond that, he had not the capacity to decide.

He heard the whistles of insects and night birds out the giant open window of his room. Laying on the bed suspended on a wide tree branch, he peered outside, letting the breeze smooth over his face.

Gallian homes and buildings were so much different from those he had suffered in in Begnion. Here, homes were built right alongside nature rather than destroying nature to make them. The shelter he was dwelling in currently was made of craggy, ivy-coated stone walls surrounding a great tree with sprawling branches. Lightweight canopies were flung over the top, but they were adjustable, and usually only spread in the event of rain. Tonight, he could lay out on his bed and number the stars which shimmered gaily above him in a black night sky.

This was the way laguz were supposed to live. It was like paradise.

As he grew drowsy, lulled by the songs of the dancing willow branches outside, he recalled the events that brought him here.

Serving under Ike in the Crimean Liberation army, he had become acquainted with a number of fellow laguz. They had come from worlds apart. And yet, fighting together, they had learned much. Once victory had been attained, he had been planning on returning to Begnion. It was, after all, the only home he had known. He would have too, if not for an invitation from a rather forceful friend.

He smiled slightly. Lethe. She was unlike any laguz he had ever met before. She was so fiery, so independent, and so often ill-mannered. She was the complete opposite of the laguz population that inhabited Begnion. He could never see her bowing under anyone.

But if she had known his life, who knows? Mighty Lethe could have turned out to be a whipped kitten.

He frowned at this thought, and drifted off to sleep under a celestial blanket.

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When Muarim awoke, the sun was already high in the sky. To be fair, the sun did rise quickly here. However, it wasn't the first thing that caught his attention. A face with round lavender eyes and a smug expression was staring down at him. A petite girl with ginger hair was reclined on a bough above his head, tail twitching. Her ear were relaxed, picking up sounds in different directions. He let out a gasp.

"Lethe!"

She had a condescending half-grin on her face. "Well, it's about time you woke up."

He sat up quickly. "Why are you here?" He was still in the process of waking up.

"I told you that I was going to give you a tour of the palace grounds at midmorn sharp. When you didn't meet me, I decided to meet you instead. And unlike you, I am punctual." She casually observed her claws.

"I apologize. I had no idea I would sleep so late."

Lethe laughed in her usual self-assertive way. "You're apologizing? My friend, you are free. You can kick me out of here if you want to."

Muarim adjusted his white bandanna, as it had shifted over the night.

"I'm apologizing because it is rude to be late when plans are made."

"Whatever you say." She gracefully leaped down onto the ground. "We can spend the day talking here, or you can see the glory of Gallia. Whichever you choose." She minced out, tail behind her.

Muarim sighed and followed her out into the sun.

"So, are the quarters I gave you adequate? They're pretty small." She walked at such a brisk pace that Muarim had to adjust his accordingly.

"They're very nice, and plenty large. Larger than anywhere I've been allowed to live, really."

"Well, if you need an expansion, just say so. Space isn't really a premium here," Lethe commented, gesturing at the endless woods that surrounded the path in every direction. "I was going to get you a place closer to the city, but I think out in the open is better for you, personally."

"It's definitely different than anywhere I've been."

Lethe raised her eyebrow. "You don't like it?"

Muarim shook his head. "No, you misinterpret me. It's...wonderful. I've never felt so free or connected to my surroundings before. That's probably why I slept so long."

"I'm pleased to hear that. As much as I've come to accept the beorc, I'm still not at all fond of their habitats. They're cold, dead and full of metal. But I suppose that's how they live. Their little beorc bodies probably wouldn't be happy sleeping in trees, either."

"It's not so bad if you're used to it. Beorc living, I mean."

Lethe sniffed. "You've only been here a day. You have yet to know the full treasures of Gallia. Compared to it, beorc prizes are rubbish."

"I didn't say that I liked it. I was accustomed to it."

"And that is a sad thing," she said in a smooth, somber voice.

They were both quiet for a while, until Lethe let out a cry to let him know that had arrived to the capital. However, she didn't need to tell him anything. The towering castle that rested in the midst of beds of greenery loomed high above the horizon.

"You will now see what a true city is like."