Among the Clouds
The base of the Greil Mercenaries was in an uproar. Words were flying to and fro, excitement and worry spreading like wildfire among the group.
After three days, Oscar still hadn't returned from his scouting trip. Everyone was just about ready to accept the fact that he was gone, but his brothers, as well as Ike, were holding steadfast against the idea. Unfortunately, if the group stayed any longer, let alone send out a search party, the entire might of Daein would be able to plunder them.
Given the circumstances, Ike knew that the company would eventually have to move forward in order to avoid losing distance. But he couldn't just leave Oscar behind! Ike could sense that the others didn't want to either, but the final decision was clear. Besides, even as general and leader, who was he to choose the life of one over so many others? A foggy evening found him still discussing this with Soren in his room when cries of fear and anger reached their ears, Kieran's the most prominent.
With little time to wonder, the general hastily raced outside and weaved his way through the recruits, not quite ready for what he was about to see.
Through the curling mist, a horse was trotting at an urgent pace with a figure sitting in an awkward position on its back. As the animal neared, the figure could clearly be identified as Oscar, who looked ready to topple off his horse at any moment. Before Ike knew it, Kieran had impatiently shoved past him and was running up to his fellow knight.
It had been a forceful and rather rude push, but Ike purposely ignored it. Kieran might have acted like he didn't care, but he couldn't hide from the people that were now his family. Ike sped after him.
As the two and the horse drew closer together, Kieran abruptly halted, transfixed in horror. Ike could do nothing more than stand there with his mouth agape. The horse broke into a frantic gallop to cover the last few yards, sensing its master's life ebbing away in little rivulets of scarlet liquid.
It stopped before them with a toss of its head, neighing worriedly, and Oscar began to slip sideways out of the saddle. Without a word, Kieran stepped forward and caught him awkwardly. Ike noticed this and took a second look, his rage building as he realized that someone had cruelly lashed Oscar to the saddle with his horse's reins and extra rope. But it was in a good way, he supposed. Oscar couldn't have ridden in his state, anyway.
Kieran had taken off the helmet, a thin line of blood trailing down the side of Oscar's face. The knight's armor was dented in several places, and one arm hung limply in his lap. Also, the severity of a deep slash to his side was easily calculated by the amount of blood that had collected on the hide of his horse. Kieran tightened his hold unconsciously, and he quietly lifted his comrade, bearing him through the still crowd while Ike led the faithful beast.
Rolf was bravely trying to contain his sobs, and Shinon could only put a comforting hand on his shoulder while looking away. Boyd, on the other hand, was nowhere to be seen, Ike noted sadly.
Ulki was unheeded by anyone as he silently blended with the shadows of the rapidly approaching night. He had to find out whom or what had done this to that good beorc friend of Janaff's. He would not to be able to count on the other hawk for now, he knew; Janaff had followed Ike, his body language clearly painting fear.
The younger hawk promptly set off, and he had little difficulty finding Oscar's tracks. He might have covered them well to a beorc perspective, but any laguz could have found it blind.
At last, he found the site where Oscar had seemingly been attacked, and as Ulki began to inspect the place, he stumbled across the carnage of a dead hawk laguz. Retreating several steps in pure shock, Ulki heard the click triggering a trap moments too late. In his futile attempt to escape, the net hidden in the forest floor ensnared the hawk in a flash.
"What!" Janaff's tone was incredulous, but Rhys nodded once more, confirming the fact as he watched the hawk pace back and forth. "It was just last night. Oscar was able to get 'Tibarn' out." The details were missing, but for Oscar to have chosen to say 'Tibarn' must have meant that King Phoenicis was in some sort of trouble at the very least; Janaff turned to leave.
"Janaff, wait. Oscar has a critical fever, you know that?" Reyson appeared in the doorway. "And not to worry you, but Ulki has been missing since last night as well."
"Oscar has..." the hawk paused a moment to register, "...a crit-″ Janaff pivoted and pinned Rhys to the wall by his shoulders, roaring into his face. "And you were planning on telling me when! If I had known, I could have at least gone out and gathered some herbs or – or something! You-″ The hawk irritably smacked the offending hand away from his arm before realizing it hadn't been Rhys.
"You would do better to let him go and clear your conscience while you can," Reyson said softly. Janaff froze, and he slowly released his hold on the priest, who slid to the floor clutching his chest to calm his wildly beating heart.
Rhys spoke shakily, "I'll... I do think I'll go pray for Oscar." Without breaking his gaze from Janaff, the heron answered quietly, "Yes, you go do just that."
The priest scuttled out of the room, and the two friends were left standing in utter silence. Reyson observed as time ticked by, wondering if the hawk would speak, until he took note of his trembling, clenched fist. "Janaff, I'm sure Tibarn is fine." The heron swallowed thickly as the other's dark expression failed to alter.
Janaff replied, smiling humorlessly. "It doesn't matter. My priority is to look after my lord, and I was not appointed to shirk my duty."
The other said pointedly, "But he also isn't king for nothing, you know. Besides, Ulki is probably looking for him as we speak." Janaff whirled to face him. "But then he would have been back long before!" Reyson had nothing in response.
Janaff growled in annoyance. "Great. Oscar comes back nearly dead, Tibarn could be just as hurt, and on top of that, Ulki goes missing too! And if he's looking for Tibarn, then he could run into the exact same trouble! Just wait until I find out who did this to them...oh, blast..."
As the hawk stopped, Reyson could easily tell that he was having inner turmoil about his options. It was to look after your best beorc friend and trust the others' ability to be safe, to go investigate about your lord's well-being because of duty and responsibility, or to go searching for your best laguz friend and hope the other two made it through alive. He wouldn't be too happy either, if he had to make a choice like this.
"Actually, I can neither stay for Oscar nor look for Ulki when you look at the picture. The king comes first, but I guess... I could look for both of them and herbs too, right?" Reyson reached out to clasp Janaff's hand as the hawk spoke in defeat, offering his support. "I'll go with you!"
No sooner had the hopeful words left his mouth when Janaff retorted sharply. "No."
He fumbled for a feasible reason as the heron gave him a scathing glare, and he finally managed to shoot down any other possible arguments. "I wasn't appointed to share my duties with an inexperienced laguz like yourself either, you know. And you stand out with your ethereal aura anyway!" Reyson inwardly rolled his eyes; he knew what the hawk really wanted him to do.
As Janaff left in a distracted manner, Reyson peered listlessly after him. Yes, he would do the job that Janaff could not and inform the other if Oscar parted, but... Chances were that he would be doing so. The fever had been infection-induced, and there was no telling how long Oscar's wounds had been exposed. Reyson had not the heart to tell his friend.
Superior eyesight may have helped Janaff perceive the trail, but it was of little use as the tracks faded away. He started to change his course, chancing upon a slight disturbance of the leaves. It was the only thing to indicate a scuffle, and he approached cautiously, aware that something had been clever enough to have caught at least two people off guard. Funny, though. There were distinct signs of previous laguz presence, but none indicated Tibarn himself.
The young hawk could barely conceal a shriek of terror as he discovered the unrecognizable corpse of a hawk laguz at his feet, and he stepped back in immense disgust, feeling a little faint.
Out of the corner of his sight, he could discern a crudely fixed hunter's trap, as if someone had hastily set it back up after already catching something. His suspicion instantly aroused, Janaff did a double take when a second, nearly invisible illusion sprung from its hiding place, lucky only to lose a few feathers as his reflex saved him. He hissed under his breath in sheer frustration. How could have he possibly missed seeing that? A successful first escape certainly wouldn't guarantee his life.
Suddenly hearing voices, Janaff stiffened. While his hearing might not have been as enhanced as Ulki's, as a laguz, he could still hear something along the lines of, "It was probably another one of those sub-humans. Damn beasts never learn, do they? The boss will be pleased with a third catch". Raucous laughter followed soon after, and the hawk had had enough.
A new, icy voice spoke from behind, startling him. "Don't move. Both of your friends are well, so please don't be afraid." Janaff swerved to catch a fleeting glimpse of a handsome boy who strangely gave off an impression not unlike Soren's, before something hard connected with his head, sending stars flying across his vision.
Janaff didn't understand as he reeled into unconsciousness. That boy...couldn't have been older than Ike... And yet, he had managed to sneak up that close and still be unnoticed, even by the hawk himself. It just wasn't...beorc to have that kind of ability...
The act of just a touch brought Janaff back into reality. He opened his eyes to see Ulki's brows furrowed in worry, for a moment forgetting what had happened as he grinned and reached out. The older hawk stopped, however, as he made out a small, nasty bruise on his friend's lower arm. He was perturbed; when had Ulki's sleeve been torn? Never, he realized. And Ulki's wrists, as well as his own, were shackled together by chains. Where were – it hit him: they were imprisoned.
Seizing Ulki's hand as he quickly sat up, he seethed in silent fury as he found not just one, but five bruises. Not only that, but Ulki had a somewhat injured posture, quite different from his usual regal stance, indicating previous torture already. Before the younger hawk could say anything, Janaff had launched himself at the bars of their cell, snapping at the guards.
"Deceitful humans, Ulki's not 'well'!" He was gripping the iron bars so hard that his knuckles had turned a sickly white. "And Tibarn isn't here either! You lied!"
"Janaff," Ulki said curtly, "stand down." The other hawk threw the laughing guards a look that, if looks could simply eradicate, would have them dead many times over as he obeyed. The five marks on Ulki's arm weren't just coincidence; some idiot human had wanted to prove his or her dominance. By Janaff's standards, no one who dared to lay hands on his dear friends would live, laguz or beorc.
Multiple pairs of heavy footsteps could suddenly be felt, sending forceful vibrations throughout the building, which in turn set loose pebbles tittering across the floor. Dim shadows began to form, advancing menacingly in the pitiful amount of light. Janaff and Ulki were immediately alert, waiting with bated breath.
Elite guards, dressed in finer clothing and adorned with more durable weaponry, came charging into the corridor no better than a stampede of wild animals. The door to the hawks' cell was unlocked at once, and Ulki was the first to be taken away, uncomplaining. Janaff put up a valiant struggle, but he caught the odd glint in his friend's eye and allowed himself to be dragged off in a different direction with a questioning look.
Ulki grimaced as he was shoved into a smaller room, his handcuffs re-chained to the wall and his expression dripping with venom. A short, bald, corpulent man with a ridiculous moustache waddled into view, holding something that Ulki knew he wasn't going to like. He didn't know what it was, but the item hinted strongly at torture.
"Here's the deal, sub-human. You talk, or we make you talk. It's that simple." The man deliberately spoke slowly, as if Ulki couldn't understand him. He fingered his toy so lovingly that the hawk could tell he was dying to use it, given the right initiative. Even if Ulki did decide to talk, one wrong word would be all the man needed.
He scoffed, feeling that being hit by a human with a bunch of sticks tied together with some tough rope would be more amusing than watching his lord purposely fly into a tree. Nonetheless, he would have to be purloining information carefully. He would be the one to make the human spill, but little was Ulki prepared for the sore spot the man would soon hit.
The human's size truly made him look like a clown as he trounced up to Ulki, gleefully dangling his toy in front of the hawk's face. But Ulki remained stoic, which sparked his curiosity. "What's the matter? Aren't you the least bit...afraid?" It didn't make a difference. He smiled rakishly, stepping up to the challenge and spewing taunts, jeers to gall the bird into saying something.
However, try as he might, Ulki showed no signs of reaction, that was, until the man struck home. Up until now, all of his poorly cracked jokes and sorry excuses for badmouthing hadn't stirred the hawk in the slightest bit.
But then came, "You know, if all of your real fellow birds were as smart as you, they'd willingly fly into our traps, like that other sub-human did!" Ulki tensed. Other...? "Oh, and let's not forget that human who was stupid enough to come investigating."
He grabbed the hawk's chin forcefully and yanked it towards himself, whispering devilishly, though he didn't to. Ulki ignored the putrid breath that was rank of alcohol as he struggled to hear any affirmative he could possibly reference to later. "We had to resort to venin just to shut him up, the moron. And then," he thrust his arm forward dramatically in jerky motions, as if imitating a horse, "the knight went gallivanting happily ever after."
Ulki was about to lash back in anger for the mockery, but he wisely kept his emotions in check as his captor got into the moment. There was no use in spurring him on if he was willing to speak that freely.
"Despite that blasted piece of scum, the boss was pleased to find a large hawk – plenty of feathers to substitute for a falcon's! No one would know! That hawk...was like a king... Our business of poaching falcons has nearly come to an end with their extinction here, regretfully. But in the middle of nowhere, a hawk suddenly shows up to take the place of the falcon instead. And not just any hawk – a sub-human! After that, more and more of them keep appearing! How lucky are we?"
The little man stroked his moustache thoughtfully. "And it's not as if our buyers can tell the difference between a bird's feathers, anyway. I think we'll risk hunting sub-humans, just for the sport of it."
If the hawk thought the man had forgotten about him, he was wrong. The pudgy being turned around abruptly a few seconds after he had finished. "Enough of that, isn't it? It's your turn to share. The boss wants to know where the birdie sub-humans live; it's the only fact he requests."
He held up his toy, giving Ulki a knowing, sadistic smile. "But I know you sub-humans like to be stubborn brutes, so I guess I'll just have to glean it from you..."
As he advanced, Ulki was able to get a closer look at the item held in his hands and see something for the first time. It wasn't comprised of sticks, but rather eleven cylindrical wooden blocks assembled together with two ropes that wove through the ends and knotted on the two sides. With a clicking of the man's tongue, three guards came in to restrain Ulki from bolting away as he was unchained.
The bird was held fast while his hands were forced forward. It suddenly dawned on him that the device wasn't for hitting with; he winced as his fingers were bent and twisted so that they were put in between the wooden blocks.
The guards stood back, two on both sides of him and the third safeguarding the entrance to the room. Each of the two on either side was holding a short length of rope, and on command from the small, portly man, they pulled.
Ulki could have sworn he had bitten his own tongue off to keep from crying out the first time. The blocks endlessly gnawed at the bones in his fingers, squeezing and compressing them within their grasp. But despite the severe damage being done, the hawk stayed loyal, unwilling to reveal anything, which only infuriated the men more. They wanted to hear him scream, but he would never succumb to selfish beorc. Ulki grunted sharply as a final jerk made both of his hands go completely numb.
His captor may have been vertically challenged, but it didn't hide the fact that he could still look utterly grotesque as veins began to twitch within his head, standing out just as much as his narrow moustache that had now drooped below his lips. The human's face was livid as he stalked up to the hawk. His hand shot out, catching one of Ulki's, and for such a little human, he packed an enormous punch as he literally crushed the hawk's bones.
Nothing then could have stopped Ulki from letting out an ear-splitting screech of pain as his fingers were dislocated. But he satisfied the men only once.
The human that the other men had called 'boss' struck the hawk hard across the face as soon as the bird was led into the room. Janaff was momentarily stunned before endeavoring to regain his equilibrium. He fanned his wings out, allowing the air to cushion the impact of his would-be fall. Quickly recovering, the hawk sprang back up and threw the man a particularly vicious look.
It did little but to earn Janaff another punishing treatment of the same kind and in the same place to boot. He was sent crashing to the ground, and he gave a feral snarl, aware that his already reddened and throbbing cheek would most likely bruise badly.
He gasped in surprise as someone attempted to pull him up upright by his bun, which by now was ultimately coming loose. The hawk's long, flowing hair was finally released when he tried to have an unsuccessful go at his captors. His manacles heavily altered his momentum and caused him to stagger once more.
Having inadvertently backed himself into a corner, Janaff swiftly turned in time to see the boss take out a slender, lengthy knife. The man smirked as he tossed it to one of his cohorts, who had Janaff looking on in grudging admiration when he caught the blade perfectly. "Pin his wing to the wall." The hawk was instantly paralyzed as unwanted memories started to attack him.
Trying and failing to shut them out, he suddenly found that he couldn't breathe. Image after image of blood and snow flashed before his eyes, and they wouldn't stop; Janaff was beginning to suffocate. Just when he couldn't stand it any longer, the timely entrance of a servant freed him from his nightmare. He exhaled weakly and was brought to his knees.
The young maid who had just entered wore an extremely frightened look on her face; she had good reason too. "The great hawk king is gone! He escaped somehow!"
The boss's face turned sour as he strode over, being deceptively calm. Taking the knife back from the other man, he suddenly turned upon the maid, grabbing her by the collar and shoving her against the wall. She gave a pitiful squeak as the gleaming object was pressed upon her neck, but she offered small resistance.
Janaff shook his head to bring himself back to Tellius, and he was about to lunge to save the girl until he recalled her words. The hawk stood helplessly, debating about whether or not to help her, but either of the decisions would have been void as the man gutted the girl's throat mercilessly. "Wench was worthless, anyway."
She must have been an innocent youngling, probably sold into slavery at an early age, Janaff acknowledged with a shudder, but he compelled himself to stay as invisible as possible in order to find out more about the loss of the great hawk king.
But the leader, it seemed, wasn't really too furious about losing a valuable possession. In fact, Janaff could have sworn that the human's face was tinted with a hellish sort of hue. Foreboding crept into the room as the boss began muttering to himself under his breath. The hawk tried not to wince openly as the man wrenched his knife free of the late maid's throat, brandishing it with madness flooding his pupils.
"So the king has escaped, eh? If we track him, he can lead us straight to heaven, boys!" With a hyena's shriek of laughter joined by the others, the boss continued, leaving Janaff hanging like his feathers had been plucked. The words weren't making any sense! Tibarn had obviously been captured by these men, yet he managed to escape. And the men were laughing about it? What did the human mean by 'heaven'?
Thoughts began to lock together in his mind. With neither Ulki nor himself around, Tibarn would have had at least two escorts accompanying him just in case. He couldn't have been on an important errand either, or otherwise he wouldn't have taken hawks of the noble class. Sure, their hawk nobles could fight, but they simply weren't specifically trained to fight in ultimate melee, thus the mutilated body that Janaff found. The hawk was positive the body had been dressed as royalty.
His lord couldn't possibly have taken this entire group on either, and so he must have been caught as well. But from the sound of it, Tibarn had just recently fled with minor injuries. An ironic smile nearly overtook Janaff's face, and he fought to quickly put it away; as long as King Phoenicis was alive, that was all he needed to know.
The hawk was taken back to the cell after being too stubborn to cooperate, and he sat, mulling over the new and overwhelming information he had acquired. As he tried to figure it out, the arrival of Ulki temporarily interrupted his train of thought.
He gladly welcomed the intervention, and the guards, seeing this, purposely shoved Ulki hard enough so that the two birds would collide. Janaff yelped as Ulki's weight and the force of the push overbalanced him, leading his shoulder blade to connect painfully with the uneven wall. With loud sneers, the humans took their leave, letting the two be alone once again.
They began to exchange information excitedly but quietly. They also decided upon the use of the bird language so that if anyone happened to overhear, nothing could be understood. As they chirped back and forth, the pieces rapidly fell into place. Within minutes, everything had been confirmed and analyzed.
Now that the facts were solid, Janaff was going about thinking of a way for them to escape when he remembered that Ulki had been hurt before. He made to grab Ulki's hand, but the other snatched it back, fear momentarily fleeing across his face. Janaff frowned in confusion. A hunch in mind, he caught Ulki's other hand with astonishing speed. The younger hawk froze at Janaff's shrewdness, and he bowed his head in humiliation, knowing what was to come.
"Don't, Janaff. It was completely my fault, and I should not have let the humans treat me as they once did all those years ago." There was fierce rebelliousness in Janaff's eyes as Ulki spoke, however.
"But they...! They...your hands...and Oscar...!" The older hawk could only gesture, unable to voice his hatred.
Indeed, Ulki's hands were a sorry sight. The one that Janaff had grabbed was swollen and a flushed pink, the flesh pinched and raw, while the other had all five of its fingers dislocated. Janaff was trembling now, incoherent mutterings issuing forth that not even the other hawk could make out. Ulki finally voiced his last concern, which sobered the older hawk at once. If the fingers weren't relocated soon, he could lose the entire use of the hand.
Eventually, Ulki decided to ask Janaff to reset his fingers, but the hawk blatantly refused. The younger hawk could sense that Janaff was frightened at the idea and not willing to even try. Permanent damage could be caused if the act was done incorrectly, but Ulki felt that Janaff could do it, and he trusted him, after all.
The wild panic in Janaff's eyes should have warned him, but it went unnoticed. With some urging, the older hawk was persuaded to reset one. The sickening 'pop' echoed loudly throughout the chamber, and as Ulki's vision spun crazily, he could feel Janaff's hands shaking violently. Ulki didn't need to think twice after that.
Some amount of time later, the click of a key in the lock awakened the slumbering birds, and a form invited itself into the cell with the prowl of a cat. As the two shifted defensively, the shadow introduced itself as it loped over to them.
"I'm here," the figure held up his hands to indicate peace, "to help you laguz get out of here." That voice! Janaff tried to place where the familiarity came from while the unidentified person came out from under the shadows' curtain, revealing himself to be... It was him – that boy! The hawk's eyes enlarged as he recalled a rather different beorc. The one standing in front of him looked neither as cold nor threatening as before. He extended his hand in greeting. "My name is Llaniel."
Llaniel had a sharp profile, and it wasn't just because of a trick of light, either. His sleek black hair was tied back in a waist-long ponytail, his bangs cascading gracefully down his face. Llaniel's orbs were a stark turquoise, and he was dressed in a woodsman's attire with a green bandanna around his forehead to complete him. Even the hawks had to admit that he was attractive for a beorc, but Llaniel's lithe body hinted at danger otherwise. Coiled, tight muscles didn't lie.
Despite the good vibe his aura was offering, the two hawks were still wary and even more surprised when he told them he would reset Ulki's dislocated joints for him. But Ulki was sent into unconsciousness as soon as a second finger was twisted back into place, unable to bear the pain. Janaff had been lucky with the first one.
Working quickly, Llaniel profusely apologized to Janaff as Ulki's body jerked reflexively each time he set a finger right. Sincerity shone so brightly that the hawk could only condone him, realizing that Llaniel had probably helped Tibarn escape too. But who was he really? Janaff wondered.
"What is your true identity?" Janaff demanded. Llaniel gazed up at him and sighed in defeat, knowing that the other would harp on him until he gave.
Unsure of how to begin, Llaniel said the first thing that came to mind. "I am...I want to help you – because I am a half-laguz, one of the branded." The hawk gaped at this new revelation; that was why he had resembled Soren so much! Not quite a beorc, but not quite a laguz. Nevertheless, he nodded for Llaniel to continue.
"What this group is doing is wrong!" Llaniel whispered fiercely. "I know for a fact that there have always been better things out there for us, that we didn't have to depend on illegal business to survive. And not only is poaching a bad thing, but now we turn to hunting laguz as a last resort? That's bullshit!" Janaff was touched. "The capture of the hawk king was just too much, and I'm going to run away before my dad forces me to become the leader! I'll set everything right myself, including that poor excuse for a liege sitting on Daein's throne! Ch', invading Crimea, my word..."
Janaff had caught Llaniel's accidental slip, though, but he kindly decided not to mention it. It was rather awkward, knowing that the boy was the son of the sick man who was responsible for this problem. Llaniel was going to run away, but he had nowhere to go, the hawk was certain. "Why don't you join our company?"
It seemed that Llaniel was piqued as Janaff explained about the Crimean mercenary group, but alas, he did not deem himself as worthy as Soren. "You say you've already got one of the branded within your company? Well, that's great, but I'm pretty sure Ike doesn't need another half-breed lounging about."
But Janaff didn't want to give up, especially not when this boy could certainly teach their bitter mage a thing or two. "No matter what happens, I'll protect you." The half-laguz only smiled halfheartedly at the statement, as if there were some great sorrow burdening him down other than his lineage.
The two of them jumped as Ulki started to come around, attempting to flex his relocated fingers. Sitting up, the younger hawk was unable to hide his wince, sore and stiff muscles finally taking their toll. Janaff gave his friend a concerned look, but Ulki impatiently waved it away as he and Llaniel shared an intense stare. Tension was nearly at its zenith between the two before Ulki broke the silence.
"You are not beorc, nor are you laguz, yes?" the hawk accused bluntly. Llaniel's eyes narrowed dangerously. "And what if I'm not?"
"It simply means you don't belong here." Llaniel was taken aback for maybe the first time in his life, while the older hawk grinned in agreement. But both strongly objected to Ulki's following command. "Go on and escape, you two. I have no energy left, and I will only hinder our movements, which means you must leave me behind. Find Ike and get help! Do not hesitate!" They could hardly disobey, but Janaff's expression was unreadable as Llaniel led him away.
Nearing the entrance, the older hawk balked stubbornly, his head lowered and his hair obscuring his face. It was as far as he was going to go, no matter what anyone said. Llaniel tried to coax him into moving again, but Janaff snapped upright with an incandescent glitter in his eyes. "I'm going back."
The half-laguz was flabbergasted before quickly regaining his composure. "But I'm the one that knows the camp better! I'm the one that's returning!" Janaff could only repeat himself, however. The two began to bicker ridiculously, but it was too late; their costly mistake had been made, and time no longer stood still for them.
Ignorance of surroundings gave way to the two suddenly being surrounded by what looked like the entire camp, and Llaniel nudged the hawk. "You need to leave now! Fly, Janaff, soar! You deserve to be free."
The boy, as well as his heart, was softened by Janaff's quiet reply. "So do you." Llaniel had no time to respond as the crowd parted to let his father through.
"I knew it all along!" the man guffawed vociferously. "Llaniel, you son of a bitch, you're the one who's been letting all of our birdies go free!" His son disregarded his statement coldly, staring him eye to eye as he growled back.
"They are not pets, Father." The boss chortled with amusement, and malice lined his retort. "So says you! So says you! What's the worth of a half-breed's word to a human, anyway? Punish him to your content, boys!"
Janaff exploded in complete rancor at the brutal words as he fought against his captors in vain, his pupils alight with fire. "You would dare hurt your own son! What kind of bastard human are you!" He was halted from going any further as Llaniel hushed him with his eyes, forcing him to bite back any more comments.
Llaniel's father answered furiously, "Shut up, sub-human! You would never know what it's like to have a vile half-breed for a child! Your lives are unfairly extended beyond those of a normal human, and you don't even start to show signs of aging until well into your centuries! No, sub-humans would never know...to watch your own child stay young as you get older." With that, he admonished his final statement. "Kill him."
The young hawk let out a strident shriek, but then Llaniel had already accepted his fate. The two were led outside the camp, where other men had four horses waiting. Janaff pondered darkly upon where Llaniel was going to be taken. Ropes were quickly being tied around the boy's wrists and ankles, reattached to the horses' saddles. So the half-laguz was going to be forced to run to their destination, was he? But Llaniel had other ideas; his entire body was quivering in sheer terror, a cold sweat breaking out.
Four men went up, Janaff assumed, to get on the horses, ready to go. But strangely, no other men were eager to see them off... In fact, it was as if they were waiting for something else to happen, right here and now. The horses were standing facing different directions, and as the men neared, Llaniel's sorrowful eyes met Janaff's for the last time. The hawk flashed him a grin, but it faded as he realized there was something wrong with the picture.
The humans didn't actually look like they were ready to travel anywhere. And why were the horses positioned in the four directions of a compass? Janaff's acute sight caught yet another disturbing detail. Why were the ropes so even? If Llaniel happened to fall with the horses riding side by side, the length of the outside ropes would have to be considerably longer.
One of the men held up a hand, doing a silent countdown with his fingers, but the hawk was still frantically trying to assemble logic. Janaff figured it out only a split second too late. At zero, all four men simultaneously slapped the horses' backsides, sending them into a high-speed gallop...in their respective directions.
He tried not to witness it by closing his eyes, but he didn't do that in time, either. For that solitary, captured moment, Janaff's special gift of vision was cursed down to the depths of the nine hells as the scene became horrifyingly clear. But even still, as his eyes finally closed, almost every other sense was exploited. The sound of tearing flesh hurt his ears like no other, and the reek of beorc blood assaulted his nose.
In one movement, the hawk's breathing had turned vapid, and he did the only thing he could do in his state of mind. He screamed, and he screamed. It wasn't fair. He had just met Llaniel! Why did he have to lose him so soon?
"Silence him!" A human stepped forward to oblige, a sharp, knotted whip in his hands. He struck Janaff over and over, heavily lacerating his back and torso, but to no avail. Janaff didn't care, even as the whip cut his robe to bloody ribbons. He kept screaming, for Llaniel; the courageous boy hadn't even made a sound when he left.
No matter what happens, I'll protect you. Janaff smiled guiltily as his sudden, rash vow came back to mind. It was such a great job he did, too...
His voice was painfully hoarse by this time, but it didn't matter. The wounds being inflicted would scar and severely damage his body, but it didn't matter. He would die soon without proper treatment, but it didn't matter. Ulki and Reyson would have scolded him if he got out alive, but it... It...didn't matter? Oscar would have been very depressed if he left, but it mattered? Janaff desperately scrabbled for the light of trust as he gave in to darkness.
Ulki called his friend's name worriedly, as he had been doing for the past ten minutes. There was no doubt about what might have happened to the older hawk, who was now residing in the cell across from his, and Ulki feared the worst.
Janaff's body was frighteningly still, a copious amount of blood seeping out from between the cell bars. The hawk's eyes were clenched shut and his face stained ashen as he lay there. His robe had been practically torn to shreds, and nearly everything was dyed a rich crimson. Tresses of once beautiful, shimmering hair were now plastered to his face, sticky and blood-streaked.
The younger hawk was rewarded for his persistence when Janaff lifted his eyelashes, but he was in for a shock. The older hawk's pupils were dulled and unresponsive, and Ulki empathized, knowing that whatever Janaff saw had to have been in vivid, sharp detail. He extended his arm out past the bars, but it was useless. His long limbs couldn't reach across the space that separated them, and he could only watch in despair. The door was even unlocked, confident as the humans were.
But hope was yet to come. With a start, Ulki straightened and cocked his head. He had heard something quite peculiar, and he strained to listen for it again. Sure enough, the sound repeated itself in a rhythmic fashion; it was the sound of many wings beating together, and a familiar one was most certainly Reyson's!
Ulki had never been more grateful in his entire life, but, he reminded himself, this was no valid excuse. Reyson would definitely be receiving a lecture afterwards.
Chaos was beginning to form outside, and the hawk wasn't surprised to see men, including their boss, come rushing down to his cell. But he would be damned before he let them use him as a hostage. Unfortunately, Ulki was unable to transform into a laguz, and the humans retaliated by breaking all of his recently relocated fingers. Thoroughly annoyed, Ulki took in as much air as he could and gave the fiercest trill he could muster, ringing even his own ears but hoping that Reyson would catch it.
The men winced, some clapping their hands over their ears, but Llaniel's father managed to subdue the hawk, nonetheless. As Ulki was pushed outside, the boss having a firm grip on him, he had to blink quite a few times before he could believe what he was seeing. Reyson was hovering in front of them, daggers in his eyes and murder in his expression, but...Naesala? Dear Ashera, what in the world was he doing here!
The heron was obviously counting on Naesala to take care of things outside, because he eagerly dived for the entrance to find Janaff, and anyone who tried to stop him was blocked by one of Naesala's ravens. Ulki shot Reyson a warning look, but the heron didn't glance his way, completely missing it.
As Reyson disappeared from sight, Ulki was propelled forward with the force of what felt like a brick wall, which in reality was a raven soldier. The hold on him loosened, and King Kilvas immediately zipped straight for the human, knocking the hawk out of the way. He slipped his arms under the man's shoulders, and in an instant, he had vanished and effectively dropped him over a cliff. Within seconds, Naesala returned in full laguz glory, ready to kill.
Disarray was quickly created, ravens pecking and clawing while humans tried to take them down with crossbows and similar weaponry. A raven shoved Ulki back into a pile of dense foliage, but the hawk was determined to help, even with the lack of energy. He extracted himself from the leaves, only to meet a crazed human ready to impale him.
Ulki had no time to react, but before the man could make a move, Naesala unexpectedly interfered, saving the hawk from an untimely demise. Ulki was about to thank him, but the raven cut him off. "I'm not doing this for you! It's for Reyson."
Meanwhile, Reyson's heart had leapt into his throat when he found his hawk friend drowning in a puddle of blood. Terror-stricken, the heron rushed in, cradling Janaff's body to his and quietly mouthing his name. His pristine raiment began to stain a dark red, wetness blossoming across his chest and hands, but it was too trivial to matter as the hawk shuddered slightly in his arms.
Deep emerald orbs were opened halfway, sending shivers down Reyson's spine as he noted their glazed, haunted look. Janaff seemed to just barely acknowledge his presence by widening his eyes in recognition, still unfocused. He looked as if he was going to say something, but nothing save a pained whimper escaped his mouth.
The hawk's eyelids started to close, scaring Reyson badly as he desperately tried to keep him conscious. "Stay awake, you have to! Open your eyes, please!" The heron was on the verge of tears when there was no response. "Don't let go!"
After an endless passage of time, the tiny, incomplete whisper that Janaff finally gave shattered the heron's soul into a million pieces. "No, leave... I just want to..."
Reyson knew what was inevitably going to follow, but his ears were spared as Janaff turned his neck, coughing crimson liquid into the heron's shoulder. His head lolled limply against Reyson's chest, and the tears came for real this time. His jocose friend would never act like this! But he would keep trying. Mark his words, the hawk would have to take Reyson down with him if he was going to die.
But it seemed that the more he pleaded for his friend to stay, the more Janaff wanted to go. The hawk was his close brother; surely he wouldn't leave his kin behind! Janaff was always the one who wanted to have fun, to get dirty, to be free. The last thought struck the heron hard.
Was that what Janaff wanted? To finally be free to soar wherever he wished – to heaven? The tears wouldn't be stopping for a while. Maybe if he just let him go...
No! Reyson mentally slapped himself. Who was he kidding! The hawk was one of his two best friends – heck, he had even hugged him when the heron first came under Tibarn's custody! And they had been strangers then! Ever since he arrived, the crazy bird would always drag him into ridiculous situations, ones that he would cherish for life, good or bad. Reyson smiled fondly. Janaff never did like to follow proper court etiquette. If he left, no more memories could ever be made.
With unimaginable luck and timing, an idea suddenly presented itself to Reyson, and he smirked at its brilliance.
"Far be it from my mind to abandon you in your last moments, but if you die now, I will personally see to it that you go...down in the history of Phoenicis. Everyone will know about that beorc girl you've been courting, that you broke the laguz taboo, you shameful bird." He was willing to do anything, and threats were included. "Oh yes, and I'll shave off your lovely hair and make it into a toy for Ranulf to play with!" Reyson couldn't keep the glee out of his voice.
The fuse had been lit. Janaff's eyes fluttered at once, death intent clear in their pools. "Wouldn't dare...stupid cat..." But a ghost of a sparkle had returned, and when the hawk shut them once more, Reyson rejoiced silently. His friend was in a safe sleep now, and there was no imminent danger.
A shadow loomed across the walls, and Reyson turned to see Naesala waiting patiently for him. Their eyes did all the talking for them. What had transpired here would forever remain a secret.
Tibarn had arrived at the scene a little too late to be able to do much. Most of the fun was already over, and a complete massacre of human bodies lay strewn about the site. Instead, he settled for conversing with Ulki, and it was quickly discovered that the king had been on his way to visit Ike and company. However, one of his two companions had gotten killed by a coy trap, and he had not seen what became of the other as he was caught.
Oscar, King Phoenicis confirmed, was recovering slowly but was sure to make it. The dose of venin had been particularly strong, and everyone was baffled as to how the knight managed to survive. Ulki personally thought of Llaniel, but he made no mention, feeling it was a bit too private.
The king pushed all matters aside as he caught sight of Ulki's painfully twisted joints, and he was just about to harp on him when his other hawk appeared at last.
Lying in Naesala's arms, the older hawk looked so vulnerable that Tibarn knew trauma had scored a hit, and he wanted to cry. No one should ever have been able to break Janaff's spirit so easily. But then again, anyone could tell that deep down inside, Janaff was still a little hatchling. He hadn't learned how to control his emotions, and he wore his heart on his sleeve too often, too simply exploited.
Following along after King Kilvas was the heron prince, who had an unusually smug expression on his face. Ulki raised an eyebrow but questioned nothing as his lord quietly accepted Janaff with open gratitude. Naesala just replied, "I told you, it's for Reyson...just for Reyson." And with a last lingering gaze on Janaff, he and his army of ravens took to the evening skies.
Later that night, it was established that the young hawk refused to speak. With a reassuring squeeze to Janaff's shoulder, Tibarn left to go back home, trusting Ulki and Reyson to take care of him. And as early morning rolled around, Janaff finally broke down in the darkness while alone by the river, or so he thought.
His two friends had been keeping tabs from a distance, and the hawk's mourning for Llaniel tore at their hearts, making them wish they were truly somewhere else. How was it possible to pour that much emotion into one name?
Janaff still hadn't said a word since last week, and Ulki was now very disturbed. He had the notion that the heron knew more than he was letting on, but Reyson dared not tell anything. They sat eating their dinner among the relatively low din of conversation. At the very least, Oscar was back on his feet, and Kieran was in denial about ever showing any signs of care for him.
"You squinty coward, I can't believe I was fooled by your act!" As Kieran started to raise his voice, everyone around him except Oscar quickly moved away. "Do you honestly expect me to think that you hadn't poisoned yourself just for the drama!"
"Um...actually... No." The green knight's brows were knit together in confusion, and the rest of the verbal spar was lost as everyone tried to break it up.
The sudden hubbub allowed only Reyson and Janaff to hear anything Ulki said. "Do you think Janaff will speak again?" He glared at the heron, looking for facts, while the older hawk simply became more withdrawn than ever.
Reyson took note of this as he answered. "I hope he will, eventually. Although..." he stole a quick glance at Janaff, who was bringing a cup to his lips, and the words flew out of his mouth before he knew what he was doing. "It's as likely as him getting raped by Naesala. So that means...never."
Janaff choked.
Ulki was rendered speechless. "Reyson!"
The heron blinked. Did he really just say that? Oh, well. He might as well get it over with, and he winked as he continued. "That includes that beorc girl too." Now the younger hawk was appalled, having been uninvolved in the private joke. "But Janaff has no love interest! And why would it be a beorc, for Ashera's sake?"
"Exactly. It means never." Reyson flinched and began to regret what he said as Janaff gave him a steely gaze that spelled a promise for revenge. But did it matter as long as he could hear his friend's musical voice again? He didn't think so. Thus, he assumed a snobbish air. "What? I'm the Prince. I can say whatever I want." It was lucky for Reyson the fuse was long.