Chapter One

Miracle and Tragedy

I am Cherya Tomahr, a heron living in a Daein noble's home. You are very lucky, for you have come to hear a story about what happened to the great Heron Tribe from an actual Heron's point of view, and not those of huma- sorry, beorc. I will now send you twenty years into the past; back before Begnion burned the forest, back when Prince Reyson and I were both of the same age. And when a miracle happened, the birth of a new Heron noble, Princess Leanne. And before… the burning.

I had heard Prince Reyson call my name from across the clearing, as I turned, trying to reach a smile. I was lucky to be the same age as him, for most Heron's were too young, or too old to be considered the same age. We were both friends, but I always tried to hide a blush whenever I saw him, and his long, golden blonde hair. A quality of us herons, but in my case, I was born with white hair, with that beautiful golden shine in steaks from the top of my hair, all the way down to the bottom.

I expected Prince Reyson to be the normal, happy heron he usually is, but this time, he smile was even more expanded, his eyes even more bright with happiness. He was panting, as if he decided to run all the way instead of flying through the trees. Which, with what I though, was kind of stupid, why not use wings when they're given to you, not that I had any say in it.

"Reyson… what is wrong? You look like you're about to faint!" I exclaimed, as Reyson extended his beautiful, white wings outward as if stretching them, before he shook his head, cleared his throat, and replied to my question.

"This is the best news you probably will ever hear this entire year! Mother… she's had my baby sister! She's finally born!"

I literally almost flew backwards and hit my head on one of the trees behind me. Now I knew why Mother was so excited this morning, and how she was more anxious to push me out the door to get outside. How unfair… I was going to have to bug her about that. But, ignoring that though as if it was a fly, I smiled and leapt up and yelled in glee, making some other heron's turn around to see me, some in their laguz form.

"You have to be joking me, Reyson! Really? Oh, I must see this for myself! Can you take me to see her, please?" I said, almost giving Reyson the puppy-dog eyes, even though it might not work with scarlet eyes that I was born with, instead of the soft blue the rest of the heron's seemed to have. Kind of odd how I was born with different hair and eyes then my mother, or the rest of the herons.

Reyson smiled, and then grabbed my hand. "That's what I came here for, now come on!" He said leaping off the ground and flying up over the trees quickly, his white wings more powerful then mine. I extended my own wings and flew along side him. He released my hand.

No! Grasp my hand again… Wait… what was I thinking? He's THE Prince Reyson. And I'm just a normal heron. So why do I yearn for his soft touch form his pale skin? I shook my head, beating my white wings downward, brushing Prince Reyson's own, larger white wings on his own down stroke. I must be going nuts, thinking I was even worthy of Prince Reyson! The heat must be getting to me... yes… that was it.

"Cherya? Hey! You awake in there?" Reyson asked, looking at me. I didn't even notice I was staring at the ground with an unblinking gaze. I blinked several times, and then I laughed uneasily.

"I'm fine! Wow… got a little spaced out there!" I replied and smiled, but then was scolding myself inside my own mind. DAMN! I really must seem like a freak now! This shouldn't be accepted around the Prince… Mom's going to figure this out somehow… What trouble I'll be in then!

I shook me head, as Reyson raised an eyebrow and then flew off in front of me. I noticed he was slowly descending. I moved ever so slowly behind him, beating my wings as softly as I could, just in case I would fly up again. Which, I have no clue how would happen but…

"Cherya! Come on down!" I soon folded in my wings and rocketed downwards, and then landed softly, one foot first, and then both feet, and stood straight up, folding my wings in. Reyson stood before me, near the altar, where he soon walked towards it, and spoke in the ancient language. He then flew on top, joining his family.

I followed so closely behind, weaving through the herons that had come to join Reyson and his family in presenting little Leanne. I spotted Mother, who waved me closer to her. I walked to her, immediately noticing her sunshine colored hair and her endless cyan eyes. She pulled me close, smiling. I poked her in the side, and glared into her eyes.

"Hey…. Why didn't you tell me earlier? That was so unfair it wasn't even funny!" I pouted, as Mother ruffled my hair. I flicked it out of my eyes, as I heard Reyson's father call the herons to attention. We all looked up, my white hair standing out so much from the large mass of blonde's in the crowd. Even my red eyes were like there was a sigh above me, pointing at my head saying 'CHERYA IS STANDING HERE'.

Reyson stood with his older sister, as Reyson's mother and father, Queen and King Serenes, walked forward. The four were all dressed in the finest white clothes, as Queen Serenes held a small bundle of white in her arms. Little Princess Leanne was asleep in her arms, little chicken like wings falling from her back.

The herons broke out in cheer for the new Princess. I whooped in joy, as Mother leaned down to my ear. She whispered the answer to the question that I asked earlier. "The red eyed heron should know the arrival from the prince himself." She teased, winking her eye at me. I raised an eyebrow at her, confused. Why does a red-eyed heron need to know things last? It seemed to be the tradition here in Serenes Forest, I always found out the important stuff last!

Mother and I were walked back to out home slowly, after the celebration of little Princess Leanne. We were chatting happily, but then, an off-white heron swooped down, its beak open in a cry of what sounded like despair. I stopped and looked at the heron, it was my… half-brother. He was born in a beorc home to a beorc mother, and shared the same father as me. Father had died years ago from bandits who tried raiding the forest. He suffered a long axe wound in his chest, and there was no way of him surviving.

Mother had no compassion for the half-breed, she continued walking away. I stopped for my brother, who changed back. His messy brown-blonde hair fell in his sea green eyes, his wings were tainted and small, and not a pure white. I kneeled down by his side when he collapsed from exhaustion.

"Tinro? Come on! Wake up!" I slapped him across the face a few times to get him to start talking, as Tinro grabbed my wrist. He also had beorc strength. He pulled my wrist down, as I glared at him.

"I am awake you dumb pigeon." He cursed, standing up. I almost slapped him back; calling me a pigeon was absurd!

"Talk to a mirror half-breed." Although I did stop for him, doesn't mean I like my brother. He wasn't even a full heron, and I was wasting my time. I crossed my arms, spreading my wings out in a display of how I was pure while he was not. "Alright, what was with all the commotion? You looked as if someone had died or something." I said, as Tinro looked up. He was trying to hide the horrified look in his sea green eyes, but he was not availing.

"The Apostle had been killed." He said, as I literally left my heart skip a beat. I slapped him, fury rising in my eyes.

"How dare you tell such lies, ignorant mutt!" I said, but the tears welling in my eyes told me even with a show of defiance to what he just told me, I knew it was true. The sad look in his eyes could only come from the herons, and herons knew when something was wrong, and it was going to affect them.

"This is no lie Cherya. The Begnion Emperor has just been killed."