I do want to mention that the focus is less on travel here. I wanted to start with Serenes not only because of its close proximity to Begnion, but also because the birds are my favorite of the laguz. I also did not expect this chapter to get as long as it did!
Priam awoke the next morning with his mind on his normal routine. It was not until he was dressed and had grabbed his sword did he remember that he would be traveling with Seraphina and Lehran for the foreseeable future. He did not even pack a bag the night before. Silently scolding himself, he hurried to shove what he would need in his old but reliable traveling bag.
He wanted to eat, and to check on Seraphina, but he knew he needed to make it known to the early birds that he would not be able to train with them for some time. He hurried outside to make a brief goodbye and to assure anyone who needed it that he would return, but he had business with the empress and her advisor. They would just need to be patient and await their return.
As he expected, there were several people up bright and early, ready to start their day. Three young men from the nearby market were chatting among themselves as a young cat laguz stretched in the morning sun. The son and daughter of a wealthy merchant stood together, both blinking bleary-eyed and looking tired but ready to go. The scrawny girl, who Priam had learned was named Juliet, was always one of the first there, and that morning was no different. Just as he had expected, her progress had been swift. She was the first one to greet him. "Good morning, Priam. What are we working on today? Form? Technique?"
He could not help but chuckle. "I am sorry, but we're not working on anything today. I have business with the empress."
He knew the reactions would be disappointment, but he hated to see them just the same. The cat's ears folded on her head and she scowled. The siblings frowned and asked why. Despite the small number of people, Priam could make out little of their words as they all spoke at once. He held up a hand to silence them.
"Empress Seraphina has reached out to the other rulers and has asked if I could meet them. She feels, and I agree, that while I answered questions that they had about Ike, I still should know more about how the people here feel about him and learn more about Tellius itself. My own bloodline began here, after all. She also wants to give me a look at Tellius beyond just Begnion. I do hate to ask, but please pass this along to everyone else if you see them. I swear that once we return, however long that might take, I will go right back to training."
The mood shifted quickly. Disappointment became excitement. The cat girl grabbed his hands and eagerly said, "You should come to Gallia! My mom would be happy to host! You could stay as long as you like! We've got plenty of room!"
"Go to Crimea first!"
"No, what you're going to want to do is begin with Daein and then Crimea."
"I agree, my father and I will be traveling to Daein soon. You could join us on our ship!"
The sound of light laughter broke through the excitement. "Her Majesty has decided a travel route," Lehran called, "though it does allow for some adjustment if anything should come up unexpectedly." He smiled warmly and added, "Perhaps we will cross paths in our travels. If we should not, then you will see Priam again when we return."
Lehran's word was clearly final, as Priam felt himself released from the grip of the laguz girl. They all took a moment to exchange good-byes and promised to spread the word. Lehran escorted the young mercenary back to the cathedral. Once they were away from the yard, Priam muttered, "Thank you for the save."
"Hmm, I thought something like this might happen, so I decided to look for you once I saw you had not joined us for breakfast." Priam began to apologize but Lehran shook his head and said, "I understand that you wanted to let them know you were leaving yourself. I do not see you as the sort of person who would not show up when you have been steadily training them for weeks."
They joined Seraphina in a small dining room. The table was laid out with a breakfast big enough for ten people though it was only the three of them. Seraphina sat at one end of the table, her plate still half full. She was reading something and taking small, dainty bites of out a strip of bacon at the same time. Priam was glad to see her eating, though he thought she should be eating more. He greeted her as he sat and began to load his own plate up.
"Good morning, Priam," she replied. "Did you sleep well?"
"Yeah. What about you?"
She gave a halfhearted shrug as she folded the paper and sat it down by her plate. "Lehran, is everything all ready?"
"Let Priam eat," he insisted. "You should finish your plate, as well, Your Majesty."
"I'm finished," she said quietly. Lehran did not answer directly, but he did point to her plate. It looked to Priam that she had only eaten the bacon. Nearly everything else was untouched. She sighed and began to tear her bread into smaller bites before popping them into her mouth. Priam pushed his plate towards her, offering her the bacon he had not touched. She took it and thanked him.
They ate in silence, with Priam putting down more food than the other two put together. When they were finished, he asked her what she had been reading.
"A letter from the bird king. It was a response that arrived this morning to one I sent recently. He has been very busy, which is why he has not come himself despite being so close. I did send someone ahead with word we were coming." She smiled and added, "I think he will be most pleased that we are going to him first."
Lehran nodded in agreement. "Yes, I have little doubt that the other rulers will hear for years how we visited him first." He excused himself as the table was being cleared.
Seraphina stood and stretched. It was then that Priam realized that she had traded her dresses and slippers for a loose tunic, pants, and knee high boots. Her hair was still pulled back and braided. She wore no jewelry, which was not unusual for her. The belt and a small pouch that rested on her hip were new, however. When Lehran returned, he had his hands full. There were packs of food, coin, and their own necessities.
"It's just going to be the three of us?" Priam asked as he watched, slightly amused, as Lehran and Seraphina decided who carried what.
"Yes, I told you so."
"Yeah, but I thought you would be traveling with guard or attendants."
Seraphina shook her head. "I have you and Lehran. We will be fine." She shifted her weight and cleared her throat. "As I told you, we are going to Serenes Forest first. Along the way, Lehran and I were thinking it might be best to teach you a bit about the history of the forest and bird laguz. That is, of course, if you do not mind having lessons while traveling."
"It's no trouble to me."
She smiled briefly and said, "Good. Are you all set?" Priam nodded. "Then let us leave."
She led the way, flanked by Priam and Lehran. Word of their departure had spend far and fast, it seemed, as once they left the cathedral, they were mobbed by citizens. Their words could not be understood as everyone spoke at once. It sounded to Priam like they wanted a glimpse of himself or Seraphina. Hands reached for his as he looked to Seraphina for guidance.
She impressed him with the ease and grace that she used to navigate the surging crowd. A kind word here, a gentle hand on someone else's there. She appeared to devote her focus only to the person in front of her, which was incredible considering the size and energy of the gathered mass of citizens. He decided to take a cue from her and started to address the crowd while working his way between people. His greetings felt cold and unsure to himself, but the people before him ate it up.
As he neared the end of the sea of beorc and laguz, he felt someone take his hand. It was a woman with long black hair and dark eyes. She fluttered her long lashes at him and said, loudly so she could be heard, "Rumor has it the empress is taking you across Tellius! I think I could serve as a better guide. Why don't you and I slip away? It is so easy to get lost in the crush..."
"I - sorry, that isn't for me to decide."
She tightened her grip on his hand and stepped closer. Priam managed to break free of her grip as two children raced between them, giggling and laughing. Both of them clutched something in their hands. Priam did not take the time to wonder what it was as he took the chance to slip away from the eager woman. Lehran waited for him a few yards away. It looked like the citizens of Begnion had ignored him.
"Where's the empress?" Priam asked.
Lehran pointed to the crowd. Priam caught a brief glimpse of Seraphina as she bent down to speak to a child. She laughed at something he said then handed him a coin. So that was what the other children had held. The child turned to a woman standing next to him and pulled at her sleeve while holding up his gift from the empress. Seraphina left them and continued to make her way to Priam and Lehran, offering the occasional hand pat or sweet word. Once free of her citizens, she turned to address the crowd.
"It is an honor and a dream come true to have the descendant of the Radiant Hero return to Tellius. While his words and stories he has brought with him speak well of what happened to Ike, Priam himself knows little of his own homeland. While we could host the rulers of Tellius and their people for events, it will not allow the time for proper visits and attention to each nation. Lehran and I have thought long and hard before we concluded that it would be best to take him on a trip through Tellius to share our own culture and history. We will return as soon as we can. In my absence, I want you all to make Begnion proud."
A roar went up from the mass of citizens. It was not a sound new to Priam, though he often heard it as a rally towards victory. Seraphina bowed her head briefly before she joined them. As they departed, they could hear the shouts and cries of farewells and wishes for a safe voyage. Priam turned to look back and briefly raised his hand in acknowledgement.
"You handled the crowd well, as always."
"Thank you, Lehran." Seraphina turned to Priam and asked, "That was not too daunting for you, was it? I should have known that would have happened. I cannot really get out on the streets of Sienne without being swarmed."
Priam assured her it was no trouble at all. The mob was new, but he was starting to feel like being a person of interest was a part of his normal, everyday life now. In fact, even as they walked, he could see the occasional person stop and stare or wave at them. The number of people they saw started to dwindle as they passed through the city. "You mentioned something about lessons?"
"Yes, though I am not sure how far back I will need to go. Hmm..." Seraphina stared ahead as they walked, her mind racing over every little fact she felt needed to be shared. "Has Lehran told you that the beorc and laguz did not get along before? That we are far from how our ancestors behaved towards each other?"
Priam nodded. "Most beorc felt like the laguz were sub-human, beneath them, not fit to live in the same place. However, there was the hypocrisy of wanting to keep them as slaves and playthings."
"That's right," Seraphina said slowly. She hopped over a hole in her path. "The white herons were actually prized as slaves, due to their beauty and delicate nature. They were also easy to catch, in part because of the location of Serenes Forest and their passive nature. Though slavery eventually became outlawed, if one had enough money or power, one could get others to turn a blind eye towards their actions." She sidestepped another hole and asked Lehran to make a note of this location and send someone to repair the road.
"The herons did have their protectors, but at the time, the bird tribes were separated. The herons had the forest, while the hawks lived on the island of Phoenicis and the ravens on the island of Kilvas. Due to the distance, it was difficult to protect the herons at all times. While some beorc wanted the herons left alone, or even defended them if they could, the herons' numbers started to decline." She sighed loudly and glanced at Lehran before she added, "Then, due to a massacre brought on by my people, the population dropped down to four. There were two princes from the royal family, a young princess, and their ailing father."
Priam was skilled at hiding his reactions. He covered his surprise well, but he still asked, "Why would the Begnion people annihilate a group of laguz who could not fight back?"
"It is... a long story," she said softly. Her eyes were downcast and she started to stumble over her words. "But the short of it is the Begnion Senate, which no longer exists and has not for centuries, assassinated a very beloved apostle due to her wanting to reveal her status as a Branded. Her people loved her so much that she felt if she revealed her status, it could serve as a bridge between beorc and laguz relations. Instead, it led to the senators ordering her death and blaming it on the peaceful herons. The citizens of Begnion were so incensed that they did not stop until the forest was destroyed, and only then did they realize that as peaceful as the herons were, they could not have killed the apostle."
"So instead of bridging the gap, her death served to widen it."
"Yes."
Sensing her guilt over something that happened long before her birth, Priam sought to change the subject. "What brought the birds together?"
Lehran took over. "Tensions between beorc and laguz eventually rose so high that it resulted in war. Many hawks and much of the raven tribe had joined the laguz army, but more were left behind. There was a raid on Phoenicis, which lowered the hawk numbers dramatically. The ravens of Kilvas had been dwindling in numbers for years, and as Seraphina said, the white herons only numbered four. It only made sense that, at the end of all the fighting, the birds put aside their quarrels and unite. As Serenes Forest had been restored, and was a part of the mainland, it made sense to make the forest their new home. It was a fresh start, if you will." He laughed lightly and added, "Not everyone was open to the move, but the birds did settle in quite nicely. Ah, it does my heart good to see the number of herons in the world now when I once feared their extinction."
Having heard that, Priam would have agreed that living together in one location would have made sense. He grew more and more curious to see the bird laguz in their own territory for himself. There was one thing that troubled him, though. "You keep mentioning white herons," he said slowly, "but what about you?"
Seraphina beat Lehran to answering. She gave his wing a playful tug and said, "Lehran is our one and only black heron." He gave his wing a twitch and pulled it from her grasp. If he was disgruntled over her grabbing his wing, he did not show it.
"Yes," he admitted, "there are no other black herons, but I do not mind. I feel a closeness to each member of the bird laguz family, whether heron, hawk, or raven. And I have my little empress, of course," he said and to Priam's surprise, he reached out and returned the favor by grabbing her braid and giving it a light tug just as she had his wing. She bent her head to hide her smile.
Their conversation drifted into lighter, everyday subjects. At one point, Seraphina asked him about his work as a mercenary, so over their midday meal, he told them of a few jobs he had taken on. Seraphina watched him talk with rapt attention. Priam quickly realized she just enjoyed hearing people talk. Maybe their own stories took her out of her life as empress, giving her a chance to hear about a life she would not get to experience herself.
As their traveling took them further away, the number of people they saw lessened even more. A thought occurred to Priam as the day slipped by. Where were they going to rest? He could, and had, slept on the ground before, and even though Lehran exuded a gentle nature, he did not seem to think the heron would care about sleeping outside. But had the empress slept anywhere other than a plush bed? He doubted it. If he expressed his concern, he had the feeling she would sleep outside just to insist that she could do it.
The answer to his unasked question came as the sun began to set. They reached a crossroads, and nestled beside it was an inn. "I was hoping we could make it further than this," Seraphina said, sounding a little dejected.
"We'll rest tonight and get an early start tomorrow," Lehran promised her. While he made arrangements for their rooms, Priam and Seraphina looked into the dining room. It was quiet and nearly empty. One table was occupied by two older men leaning over a game board. The other occupants of the room were a young woman with light colored wings and a small child that slept in her arms. The child was swaddled, so Priam could not see if there were little wings.
Lehran was quick to rejoin them and even quicker to say, "I was able to get two rooms for us tonight; one for us and one for you, Priam. This sort of arrangement might not always be available."
"I told you I have no issue with sleeping on the ground, Lehran," Seraphina said. Lehran only smiled in response. She turned to Priam who pretended not to notice. He would not bail her out of any argument she had with Lehran, especially if he was on the heron's side. Seraphina scowled at him and turned back to Lehran. "You cannot coddle me forever."
"I am aware," he said. To Priam, he sounded rather wistful.
The three of them decided to eat before retiring to their rooms. They did not speak again until they were comfortably eating on fresh bread, lamb, and roasted vegetables. "Priam, may I ask you something?"
"Sure," he replied, assuming Seraphina would ask again about his travels.
"Do you hope to get anything out of this?"
The question surprised Priam so much that he nearly choked. He coughed and turned to face her. "What do you mean?"
Seraphina put her elbow on the table and cupped her chin in her hand as she studied him. "Well, you agreed to this so readily. I was just curious if you wanted to find something specific, or if it was adventure you were craving, or perhaps there is something else?"
Priam took another bite of food and chewed slowly as he thought about her question. He swallowed then said, "I thought you brought up some good points. I know nothing about Tellius, even though this is where my family came from. Since I've been here, I've only known Sienne. And you having reached out and asked the leaders of each country for permission to meet, how could I say no?" She bit her lip and looked upset, so he hurried to continue. "I probably would have come anyway, as I did eventually want to see everything around here. I don't feel as if you pushed me into leaving Sienne, so don't take it that way. Most importantly, though, I want to know more about the person I came from. Where I last was, no one had known of him. Here, you all still speak well of him. What made everyone think that way? I want to know, and with your help, I can get those answers." He laughed and said, "I can't image some of these people would really appreciate me barging into their castles or keeps and demanding answers and claiming I'm descended from the Radiant Hero."
Lehran smiled and shook his head, "No, I should not say that would get you many answers."
"But he's clearly - "
"Not everyone would be so quick to believe that Priam is of Ike's blood, even though he brought us Ragnell. I can only think of one other person who would be so quick to realize he is telling the truth."
"But - Oh..." Seraphina's expression softened and she looked close to crying again. Lehran reached out to comfort her, but Priam was closer. He reached over and awkwardly but gently rubbed her shoulder. To his surprise, she briefly leaned against his arm. "Have you sent him the letter I gave you?" she asked quietly.
"I did." Lehran smiled sadly and said, "I, too, hope he reaches out to us, but please do not get your hopes up."
Seraphina nodded then sighed and sat back up. "I think I shall go to bed. It is as you say, Lehran: the sooner I go to sleep, the sooner morning will come." She excused herself.
Lehran was quick to stand, too. Before he followed Seraphina, he said a quick word of thanks to Priam. "I never expected you would have to comfort her during this journey, but thank you for allowing her to rely on you if she needs it. Your room is right by ours should you need anything." He handed Priam the key to his room and hurried off to find the empress.
Priam sat at the table for a little while longer, lost in thought, before he finally got up and went to his room. He stretched out in the bed, which was lumpy and uncomfortable and yet familiar and welcoming at the same time. He folded his hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling wondering about the exchange Seraphina and Lehran had during dinner. Was there someone else who would have known Ike on Tellius? It sounded possible, but it was clearly a touchy subject for Seraphina.
He finally nodded off into a deep, dreamless sleep.
To his surprise, Priam was the last to awaken the next morning. When he dressed and joined them for breakfast, Lehran was waiting for him. He was also keeping an eye on the closest window. Priam glanced outside and spotted Seraphina stretching in the sun. "You would not know it by looking at her now, but she was restless last night."
Priam sat down and glanced at the table. "I'm not the best at – " he gestured towards the window, "this sort of thing. Death is a part of the mercenary lifestyle. You do lose people you're close to, but often there is little time for comfort or grieving."
"Just help me with her. That is all I ask."
Since Seraphina was outside, Priam took the chance to ask, "What letter was she talking about yesterday?"
"She has written to the dragon king and his family. She offered her condolences and apologized for being unable to be there though she would want nothing more. She explained that we are continuing our trip and laid out her traveling plans. If the royal family should want to allow us the chance to visit, she asked that they send a letter, but if she does not hear from them, we will not disturb them." He smiled briefly and added, "She put it less bluntly than that, of course." Lehran then excused himself to join his empress and asked that Priam take his time and come to them when he was ready.
As Priam ate, he would take the occasional glance towards the window to keep an eye on Seraphina and Lehran. They did not move from his view, nor did they even look his way. They were patient and waiting for him with no indication that they wanted to rush. Even so, he did not want to leave them waiting for too long. Once he finished, he returned to his room for his belongings and joined them outside.
Seraphina was quick to greet him and asked how he slept. "Like a rock," he responded. "And yourself?"
She made a noise that was not exactly an answer. Priam heard the rustle of wings and knew without looking that Lehran was not pleased by her response. As they started their day's journey, Priam decided to attempt to change the mood. He launched into a tale from his early mercenary days, one that took most of the morning to tell.
They did not stop to eat their lunch, opting instead to eat while walking. Seraphina, between bites, would ask questions she had about his story, her eyes alight with curiosity and excitement. Lehran was attentive, too, though Priam could tell his stories were not as interesting to the heron as they were to the empress.
They hardly saw any other travelers that day, and as night started to fall, Priam soon realized that they would be making camp. His mercenary instincts kicked in, and they soon had a cleared space for sleeping and a nicely burning fire. As Lehran cooked for them, Priam made small talk with Seraphina.
"Are you going to be alright?"
"I'll be fine," she tried to assure him, but her hands had found her braid and were stroking it. "Nothing will happen. Well, other than perhaps getting a bit dirty."
Priam chuckled and told her dirt wouldn't hurt anyone.
After they ate, she stretched out near Priam. He kept an eye on her and was surprised that she was soon fast asleep. Had it been due to not sleeping the night before, or had she been sincere in saying that she would have no trouble sleeping outside?
Priam looked away from the sleeping empress and asked, "Do you want me to take first watch?"
"You do not need to keep watch, Priam. We will be fine." Lehran punctuated his sentence with a yawn. "Just worry about getting some sleep."
Even though Lehran was trying to assure Priam that nothing was going to go wrong, Priam could not shake the training that had been embedded in his brain from such a young age. He stayed awake long after his two traveling companions had gone to sleep.
They soon fell into a rhythm during their trip to Serenes Forest. It took a little while for Priam to shake the urge to stay awake during the night to keep an eye out on their little camp, but as Lehran had said, they did not run into any trouble. The people they met along the way were all polite, courteous, curious, and helpful. One day, they were joined by an inquisitive brother and sister duo who wanted to know who they were and what brought them away from Sienne. Another day found them grateful to a young woman who shared her home with them to keep them out of a storm.
Other than the female bird and her child in the inn, they did not see any laguz until they drew much closer to the forest. They did not see the female bird perched near the forest, but they did hear her call to them. "There you are!" She hopped down from the trees and soundlessly glided down until she landed before them. "Elyan was growing worried that you were not going to show." With a giggle, she knelt briefly before Seraphina and said, "Goddess, you little beorc grow so quickly!"
Seraphina scowled briefly and looked away. "I haven't seen you in some time, Lucetta. You don't leave the forest much."
Lucetta laughed cheerfully and admitted as much. "If ordered to, I will, but I much prefer the forest," she explained. "It's not like we laze around, either. There's plenty of work that needs to be done."
"Yes, well, I did not mean to imply that," Seraphina said quickly. She cleared her throat to hide her discomfort and introduced Priam to Lucetta.
"Oh, so you're the man descended from the Radiant Hero! It's wonderful to meet you!" She held out her hand and Priam took it. Her grip was firm, and she gave his hand a brief squeeze before releasing him. "Ooh, I get to tell Elyan about you being here!" She laughed again and gestured for them to follow her.
Seraphina leaned close to Priam and whispered, "Elyan is the bird king and is descended from Tibarn. The birds do not choose their ruler based on name, however. They pick the largest and strongest bird."
Lucetta, who had heard her, smiled and said, "And that tends to be a descendant of Tibarn's anyway! Elyan's family has ruled for centuries simply due to their size."
"And that hasn't been an issue?"
Lucetta shrugged and said, "Some of the ravens contest it every now and then, but most of us don't mind either way."
Once they were under the shade of the forest canopy, the temperature felt much cooler. The dense tree tops gave the forest a somewhat green, almost ethereal light. The lush grass underfoot hardly made a sound as they walked deeper into the trees. Flowers and mushrooms dotted the ground in small clusters.
Priam also noted how quiet everything was. He did not hear a single bird or animal, just their muffled footsteps. He could understand why Lucetta liked the forest better than being around a busy city. He also thought it gave her a tactical advantage, as her dark green coloring blended in very well with her surroundings.
The deeper they traveled into the forest, the lighting grew better. The gaps in the trees were wider, allowing for more sunlight to come through the treetops. Insects such as dragonflies, beetles, and butterflies of various sizes were more noticeable. They clung to trees or flittered around the flowers that had also become more plentiful. They passed a small stream filled with fish that darted through the water. A frog croaked once and hopped in the stream as they passed.
Nearing the heart of the forest also brought the sounds of civilization. They could hear the sound of children laughing and playing nearby. Buildings were soon visible, which surprised Priam. They were mostly small dwellings with only a few rooms, but he did not expect to see what looked like a small village within the forest.
There was a rustle to their right; a small bird laguz burst from the bush, giggling wildly. Lucetta, not even breaking stride, bent and scooped up the small child as he ran past. "I've told you not to get too far from everyone," she scolded.
"You're no fun, Lucetta!" the boy cried. He looked over her shoulder at the three newcomers, stuck his tongue out at Priam, wriggled from Lucetta's grasp, and ran off the way he had come.
"At least he listened," Lucetta muttered to herself.
"They can be quite the handful at that age," Lehran murmured. To Priam, he sounded wistful.
Aside from the boy, Priam spotted a fallen log with three female birds sitting on it, talking and giggling to themselves. They stopped as the four of them approached, only to start giggling again once they had passed the log. A bird with long, pale hair and white wings sat before a darkly colored bird as the darker bird braided her hair. Her eyes were shut and she was humming faintly to herself, enjoying the attention.
The largest wolf Priam had ever seen lay napping in a group of wildflowers. Going off the colors of tiny wings visible through fur, there were at least four baby birds using the wolf as a bed.
While Lucetta did not introduce them to anyone they passed, as she was determined to be the one to introduce Priam to the king, she did wave and speak to anyone who spoke to her. She did, however, point out the wolf. In a hushed voice, she said, "That's Kasani. He loves the nestlings and does not care if they ride him, pull his ears and tail, or even sleep on him." Kasani's ear twitched, but he continued to sleep. "I can't blame them," she added, "his fur is so soft."
His pale grey fur did look like a soft cloud, but Priam was not going to touch a sleeping wolf that massive. He would take Lucetta at her word.
There was no question who the king was when the four of them spotted a small gathering of birds. He stood head and shoulders above the rest. His wingspan was massive and the dark color of his wings was only accented by the shades of red he wore. Despite his intimidating size, he bent as the woman next to him, a visibly pregnant white heron, started to speak. He briefly touched her belly with his huge hand and said something Priam and his group could not hear.
Lucetta broke away from them and bounded over to the bird king. She gestured towards them, hopping eagerly as she did. Elyan laughed at her excitement and excused himself.
As he walked towards them, Priam found himself sizing the king up as an opponent. Despite his sheer bulk, the bird king moved with great ease, giving the impression that he was agile despite his muscular build. Not to mention he would have an edge with his wings and the ability to shift into a hawk. Priam felt that Elyan would be more of a direct fighter, relying less on his laguz abilities and more on his physical strength. At least in a fight with a beorc.
His hand had slid to the hilt of the sword he wore, the one gifted by Seraphina. She saw his movement as the king approached and quickly jumped in between the two of them. "No, no, no, no!" she said quickly. "We are not here for you to fight!"
Elyan, his face impassive as he stared at Seraphina who looked like a small child by comparison, broke into a grin and started to laugh. "Would be a good one," he told Priam as he looked at him over Seraphina's head.
"It would," Priam agreed as he removed his hand from his sword.
Eylan called Lucetta over and asked her to take them inside the largest of the dwellings. She obliged with a huge grin, showing how pleased she was to have been so helpful. She left them alone with drinks and a bowl of berries from the forest, along with the promise to bring them something more filling when they were done speaking with the king.
It was not until she left that Priam spoke. "Is it terrible that I didn't expect…" he trailed off with a gesture towards the comfortable home of the bird king.
"No," Lehran assured him, "you have never been here before, so it is normal to not expect the laguz to live more akin to their beorc brethren. The herons much prefer to be one with nature. You can often find them resting in trees or meadows. The hawks and ravens had become accustomed to living in the caves of their island homes." He let out a noise that sounded a bit like a short laugh mixed with a scoff. "There were several vocal members, many from the hawk tribe, who were not pleased to leave – "
"You might want to take a moment to think of how you want to finish that sentence, Lehran."
Lehran turned to face Eylan, who had to duck his head to get through the doorway. "I meant no offense, Your Majesty," he said quietly, "I was only answering Priam's question."
Priam looked curiously towards Lehran, but his attention was soon on the hawk, who took a seat across from him. Now that Priam was not considering him an opponent, though a part of him did want to see how a fight with Eylan would play out, he was surprised to see that despite the dark wings and black hair, Eylan's eyes were a light purple. The bright color did not seem to fit the massive hawk. He saw Seraphina out of the corner of his eye. She started to inch forward. Should he say something? Would that help to break the silence as the two of them again studied each other?
Eylan spoke first. "What brings you here?"
"Her," Priam responded with a nod towards Seraphina.
Eylan let out a hearty laugh, one that lit up his entire face. Still smiling, he shook his head and said, "Not to Serenes, but to Tellius as a whole. The Radiant Hero's side of his family has been away from Tellius for generations. What brought you back?"
Priam caught himself fighting the urge to smile. He could all but feel Seraphina relax, as well. He considered just for a moment how strange his story might have sounded, but he launched into it anyway. He did not tell them his entire life story, but he did tell Eylan how he had noticed Ragnell's age, hearing, most likely in his own head, someone urging him to return the sword home, and how he had taken that suggestion to heart.
Eylan listened without any interruption until that point. He turned to Seraphina and asked, "And you knew?"
"Yes."
He nodded, satisfied. "I don't doubt a word she says. I never have and never will. I suggest you always take her at her word, as well."
Seraphina blushed furiously, a blush that only deepened when Priam looked her way. "I will," he assured them. He had never been given any reason to doubt her, and he could not think of any reason as to why he would start.
Eylan leaned back in his seat and said, "I suppose it's my turn, then. Hmm, let's see…" There was a rustle of feathers as he considered where to begin. "I don't know what these two might have told you, but let's start with some simple facts. The bird laguz did not always present a united front." Priam nodded, having had that explained to him earlier. "There would be exceptions and the occasional reason to work together, such as protecting the herons, but mostly, we hawks and ravens had our own islands, and we stuck to them. There was no reason to like or get along with the beorc, who treated us as sub-humans. Everyone thought any chance of peace was completely destroyed when the herons were massacred."
Eylan leaned further back in his chair, pushing it back on two legs as he propped his legs up on the table. He stared at the ceiling instead of Priam as he chose his words carefully.
"I've tried to imagine how that was so many times over the years, and I've never been able to do that. See, I grew up with the beorc. I knew them from their trips to the forest and from visiting Begnion as a much smaller nestling. I met with her family growing up," he gestured towards Seraphina, "her great-grandmother, her grandmother, and her mother. It's difficult to imagine yourself growing up on an isolated island, preparing attacks on Begnion ships as they sailed into your territory when you grew up playing with small, purple haired beorc who would later grow up to run their own country."
"You're going to tell me Ike changed all that?" Priam asked incredulously. Could one person really change that much? "I grew up hearing how incredible he was as a person, but – "
"Hmm, don't doubt your own ancestor. My own ancestor, Tibarn, hated beorc. He loathed the beorc for everything they did to Serenes. He was always the first to land on the Begnion ships. He never provoked them or goaded them into his territory, and he never arranged any attacks on the mainland, but he was fast to protect his people. Ike was able to change his mind. He changed a lot of minds."
Eylan put his feet back on the floor and righted his chair. He put his elbows on the table, leaned forward, and stared hard at Priam. "I would love to hear everything you were told growing up, because I can only assume it was a fraction of what Ike did around here. And I know the little empress has promised everyone their own chance to talk to you. I can be in Sienne in a day if I travel by myself, so I can hear your story anytime. But there's a reason he's still revered by Tellius. If it wasn't for him, I might not even be here. My family would have whittled down to nothing on an island off the coast of Begnion. Same with the ravens."
"Please, Your Majesty," Seraphina began quietly. Eylan shushed her.
"I'm not threatening him," he assured her. To Priam, he added, "Don't take it that way. My size might be intimidating, but ask anyone out there. They'll tell you I'm a big softy despite my harsh looks." He smiled again, the same warm smile from before. "They're right, by the way."
"Yes, I cannot tell you how many times I've come for a visit, only to find King Eylan sitting on the ground and playing with the nestlings," Lehran confirmed.
"Then I must apologize. Your tone sounded aggressive to me."
"There's nothing to apologize for," Eylan said dismissively. "Now, then. I assume you'll learn more from the other countries as you go along, but as for me, I mostly know the forest and Begnion. I grew up hearing not only about Ike, as most everyone on Tellius has, but I grew up hearing about Tibarn and many of the other birds. I also grew up learning about the Begnion nobility and even this old thing," Eylan said with a jerk of his thumb in Lehran's direction. Lehran's feathers bristled, but he said nothing. "He could probably tell you about Goldoa like he could Begnion, and Seraphina might be able to fill in some of the blanks around Daein."
"You don't have to tell us anything you do not want to," Seraphina said quickly. "Whatever you feel comfortable sharing is fine with us. If it is alright with you, we can always ask your people if they have anything else they would like to discuss with us."
"I plan to have you stay for a few days," Eylan said with a nod, "so you're free to speak to whomever you want. I have a place for you to stay as it is."
"Thank you very much, King Eylan."
"I'll always have a place for you here. The same goes for you, Priam, should you wish to return."
Priam was surprised. "I – thank you." Should he say something else? No words were coming to him.
Eylan was amused by Priam's speechlessness. "I think you'll find that offer will probably be extended to you nearly everywhere you go."
Seraphina smiled at Priam and nodded her head. She did feel a little guilty, though. Maybe she should have warned him that he would receive such hospitality.
"I am quite busy today, so I cannot sit and speak until the sun goes down about everything I heard growing up, but let me tell you what I often asked to hear about when I was quite young." Eylan shifted in his seat and rustled his wings. "You probably won't be too impressed by it, but I always found it to be such an amusing tale. Has Lehran taught you about Ashera's Judgment?"
"No," Lehran answered for him. To Priam, the old heron looked a little uncomfortable and even a little ashamed. "I have not yet brought that up."
"Ah. Well then, I'll save most of the history lessons for you." Eylan turned his gaze back to Priam and said, "The short of it is, our goddess grew enraged by the beorc and laguz constantly at each other's throats, and the war Ike, Tibarn, and many others found themselves involved in may have been the final nail in the coffin. She released her judgment, which turned many into stone. Only a small handful of the population was left unturned. They split into three factions and each fought their way through three different routes to the Tower of Guidance, where the goddess resided. The idea, I believe, was that as long as at least one group reached the tower, there was a fighting chance.
When the other armies arrived, there was no sign of the Hawk Army, which was led by Tibarn. I do not know if my own mother exaggerated this, but she always told it as someone assumed loudly that Tibarn should have been the first one there." Eylan leaned forward again, his bright purple eyes sparkling with amusement. "And he was! He and his party had already breached the wall around the tower before the others even arrived, including Ike and his party. Huh…" He leaned back and looked pointedly at Priam and then to Seraphina. "Would you look at that…"
"Your Majesty?"
"I bet Tibarn would be thrilled to see this," Eylan said slowly. "Ike, as well. I can't imagine, after Ike left Tellius, that anyone would ever expect to see the descendants of the three army leaders' to be in the same room again." He pointed to himself. "Tibarn led the Hawk Army, naturally." He pointed to Priam next. "Ike led the Greil Army, named for both his father and his father's mercenary group, the Greil Mercenaries." Then he pointed to Seraphina. "Micaiah, who you'll probably get more information about in Daein, led the Silver Army. Seraphina is from her family."
Seraphina looked away and shook her head. "N – no, if you truly want all of the descendants of the three army leaders, you would need King Tavin."
Eylan waved his hand dismissively. "Micaiah is a distant aunt of yours. It still counts to me."
Seraphina wanted to argue with the bird king, but he stood up and excused himself. "I know I spent very little time with you, but there is much that needs to be done. Some of the homes require maintenance, some arrangements must be made, and I want to check on Lia."
"How is she?" Lehran asked, a hint of concern in his voice.
"She's fine," Eylan assured him, "just tired of being pregnant."
Lehran sighed with relief. Between his reaction and what the king said, Priam was sure Lia was the pregnant heron. "What do you think?"
Eylan, who had just ducked under the doorway, stuck his head inside to answer. "She thinks it'll be a heron." He then grinned and said, "I think it'll be a hawk. It's already a very feisty baby, and it has not even been born yet."
"Herons can be fiery, too," Lehran pointed out, remembering a young heron prince who once broke every bone in his hand after punching someone who greatly deserved it.
"Yeah, I know," the king said with a smile. "I'll check on you tonight," he promised. "Right now, I'll send Lucetta to get you settled."
Lucetta was quick to arrive, causing Priam to wonder if she was lurking nearby. She led them to a smaller home nearby, one with only three rooms. Three beds had been placed into the largest room, and though that left little space to navigate the area, it still felt more cozy than cluttered. Priam claimed the bed closest to the window, leaving Seraphina in the middle and Lehran on the far wall.
They left their belongings inside the room and left to explore the forest for the rest of the day, where Priam met several of the birds. Some appeared timid at first, but they were excited to open up to him. Later that night, Eylan had arranged for a small feast of berries, nuts, and fruits from the forests, along with fish and lamb that had been provided by Begnion. As they ate, Seraphina explained that she and her people helped provide the birds with meat, as the hawks and ravens were omnivorous while the herons survived off the berries, nuts, and fruit. One of the reasons the birds were hesitant to join in Serenes Forest was due to the herons not wanting the hawks and ravens to eat the animals of the forest, so her own ancestor helped to arrange for meat to be delivered to the hawks and ravens regularly.
That night, after the birds had all gone to bed, Priam lay awake, his hands behind his head and staring at the ceiling. He could hear Seraphina's deep, even breathing beside him, along with the occasional rustle of Lehran's wings. "Lehran, you awake?"
"Mm-hmm." The heron lay face down against his pillow, but he lifted his head after he heard Priam's voice. "Is anything wrong?"
"Nah, I was just thinking about something from earlier. Why did the king threaten you when you discussed how some of the birds were against moving here?"
Lehran lowered his head to his pillow to muffle his laughter. "Ah, it is an easy question to answer. You see, Tibarn's mate was one of the most vocal about leaving her home. Phoenicis was all she knew. He may have taken my words as an insult to his family, which I would never intentionally do."
"Ah."
"Do not dwell on it," Lehran said softly. "Eylan is right in saying that he is quite gentle for someone so large and intimidating. Try to rest. You'll need all your strength if the nestlings decide they want to play with you tomorrow. They may be tiny, but the little birds have a great amount of energy."
Priam laid still for a while, and soon heard faint snoring from Lehran. The forest was far more interesting than he thought it would be. And there was so much to learn! Though his thoughts wandered, he found the quiet of the forest comforting, and soon he, too, was asleep.