At long last, they could see the exit in front of them. Skrimir broke into a run and hurried outside. He took a deep breath while spreading his arms wide.
"We finally made it! We're back home!"
He wasn't the only one glad to be out in the sunlight again. The journey through the lava caves had been gruelling, not only for Maian, who was still unconscious.
"Er, Skrimir, has the heat down there gotten to that shaggy head of yours?", Tibarn asked darkly. "Is this Gallia?"
They had emerged onto a vast plain that was covered with smooth grass. There were no trees in sight.
"Ah."
"Oh no", Ranulf moaned. "We took the wrong exit! We're in Goldoa. This is bad!"
It didn't take long for a patrol of Goldoans to spot them.
"You there! What are you doing here?!"
Tibarn sighed. "Looks like we'll have to pay that stubborn old lizard a visit."
Deghinsea, king of Goldoa, watched as his "visitors" shuffled into the throne room. He wasn't particularly pleased to see them. He recognised Tibarn and Reyson; the lion had to be King Caineghis' nephew. Deghinsea also remembered the cat who was with him.
There were also a couple of beorc present. A young man with blue hair and eyes, a girl with brown hair and blue eyes, a woman with long red hair and green eyes, and a boy with dark green hair who stayed behind the others.
Last to enter were two women carrying a makeshift stretcher, on which an unconscious girl was lying. One of the women was a dragon.
"Would you please explain the reason for this commotion", Deghinsea demanded.
"Of course", Tibarn replied.
The black dragon listened patiently as Tibarn introduced everyone present and then proceeded to tell him what had happened.
"I understand your predicament. However, willingly or not, you are interfering with our policy of neutrality. I must ask you to return the way you came."
"You can't be serious!", Skrimir exclaimed. "My men are exhausted, most of them wounded – if we go back, we will either die in the caves, or get killed by Begnion!"
"It is regrettable, yes. But for the sake of protecting the future, sacrifices must be made."
"Then you might as well kill us right here, it would save us the walk", the blue-haired beorc, Ike, said hotly.
"You are angry, of course. But I must protect the future of all of Tellius and for that, this cannot be helped. I do not expect your short-lived kind to understand that."
"I understand very well that it is a poor king who cares so little for his fellow creatures!"
Deghinsea blinked. "You certainly speak your thoughts freely."
"He's always like that", the green-haired sage said. "Last time, he yelled at the Apostle, so shouting at the powerful Black Dragon King really isn't much difference."
Deghinsea noticed that the dragon woman had bent over the unconscious one and was checking her pulse.
"Mist, could you have a look at her? It bothers me she still hasn't woken. It usually doesn't take that long."
"Sure!" The beorc girl seized her staff and crouched down next to the stretcher. "Does she faint often?"
"Not that often. And I guess it was the heat down there that got to her."
Deghinsea heard the sound of running footsteps and moments later, two dragons came hurrying into the room.
"Your Majesty, please, hear our plea!"
"Ena! What are you doing here?"
"Please, those people are friends! They helped me during the war..."
"Prince Reyson stands among those people", Nasir added quietly. "It was he who saved your son's soul at Melior Castle."
"Wait a minute!", Ike said. "Ena – so Rajaion was - "
"So, my cousin's granddaughter was engaged to the First Prince of Goldoa", Nala said.
"Nala!" Nasir's face brightened.
"Hello, cousin. You're Ena, I take it? It's good to meet you."
"I feel the same way. Grandfather told me about you. Is she – the one you work for? Senator Maian?" Ena nodded toward the girl on the stretcher.
"That's right. We joined the Laguz Alliance."
The senator let out a low moan and turned her head, her eyes opening. Nala crouched down next to her.
"Hey, you're awake at last! How are you feeling?"
"A bit tired, but I will be all right. Where are we?"
"Goldoa."
"Ah." She closed her eyes again. "I must have misheard. I thought you said 'Goldoa'."
"That's what I said."
"Oh, dear. I suppose King Deghinsea is not too pleased about that."
"No, he's not. Actually, he's standing over there, listening to every word we speak."
"I see."
Maian slowly sat up. Nala extended a hand and pulled her to her feet. The senator tried to brush ashes and soot off her dress, but quickly gave up on that. For a few moments, she just stood there, as if she was listening to something only she could hear, then, she turned to face Deghinsea.
"Your Majesty, please allow me to introduce myself. I am Senator Maian, Second Duchess of Idras. I would like to talk to you in private, if that is possible. It is a matter of great urgency."
Deghinsea appraised her. Her gaze was unwavering, and she seemed determined to accomplish whatever it was she wanted to do.
"Very well. This way."
"You want to deal with him alone?", Tibarn asked in disbelief. "Good luck with that."
Maian flashed him a brilliant smile. "No need to worry, I know exactly what I am doing."
As they left the throne room, Deghinsea was surprised to see that Nala followed the senator like a shadow. Deghinsea led them down a corridor and into one of the rooms. Nala shut the door behind them, and Maian walked into the middle of the room. She folded her hands and started speaking. It took Deghinsea a moment to realise she was using the Ancient Tongue. Something seemed to brush over him, and Maian lowered her hands.
"Was that a spell just now?"
"Yes. I thought it would be better if no-one could listen – most of what I am going to tell you is secret knowledge."
Deghinsea shot a sidewards glance at Nala.
"She is absolutely trustworthy. She has kept my secret for over five years, after all."
Deghinsea stared at her.
"I know you know what I am, so I need not pretend."
"Are you – heron-blooded?"
"Yes. But that is not what I wanted to talk about. I read the minds of my companions earlier, so I know what happened while I was unconscious. I know your reasons for refusing us permission to cross Goldoa, but really, it would be in your best interest to make an exception."
"How so?"
"Well, as General Skrimir already told you, going back through the caves would be suicide. I, for one, will never set a foot in there again."
"It is not as if you have a choice. I will simply order my men to drive you out."
"No, you shall not!"
Without warning, her eyes changed colour. They were now of a piercing green.
"Calm down", Nala muttered soothingly. "You don't want to blow up the whole room, right?"
Maian took a deep breath, but the green remained.
"Hear me out. I know you want to protect all of Tellius by staying neutral, but what good is that if there is no future for your race?"
"Whatever do you mean?"
Maian started pacing the room. "The reason the senate is waging this war is simply to 'purge the world of those filthy sub-humans', as they would say. Serenes 23 years ago was just the beginning. The next step in their plan was their attack on Phoenecis, which – luckily – was a failed attempt. Now, they intend to wipe out Gallia. Since Daein and Kilvas are already under their control, and they could force Crimea into helping them, things are looking seriously bad. And once Gallia and Phoenecis have been wiped out, they will turn on you. I seriously doubt that even you dragons would last long against the combined force of four nations." She strolled over to the window. "Such a beautiful land. It would be a shame to see it devastated by war."
Deghinsea's mind raced. "Begnion is controlling Kilvas and Daein? How is that possible?"
"That, I cannot tell you. You see, I am not supposed to know anything about this at all. If the senate found out, they would assume someone told me. And that would be terrible for the people of both nations in question."
"And you expect me to believe you."
"Why should I lie to you? However, I believe you should know another thing – I am a close friend of Lehran's."
"You know my friend Lehran?", Deghinsea asked, astonished.
"Yes. He is my mentor and teacher – I owe almost everything I know to him."
"How is he?"
"Well, for the last three and twenty years, he has been the prime minister of Begnion, using the name of Sephiran. Together with my father – and later with my help – he has been fighting for laguz rights. He is very popular with the people of Begnion, and I can assure you of one thing – if anything were to happen to me because of you, Lehran would be very angry. And he was already quite angry with you when he left Goldoa, from what I have heard."
"If Lehran told you his story, then you must know why I cannot help you."
"I know that you are staying neutral in order to prevent the awakening of the twin goddesses Ashera and Yune. But if you do what you intend to do, you will only cause the disaster you wish to avert."
"I do not understand."
"Then I will explain it. The senators are no fools, even if it may seem that way sometimes. They know that fighting the Goldoans will be difficult, which is why they will deal with Gallia and the remains of Phoenecis first. And after that, the remaining nations will turn on you. And when that happens, you will have the very war on your hands you wish so desperately to avoid. The medallion is in the possession of the heron-siblings right now, but even they might not be able to restrain Yune, should chaos envelop the continent."
"I see what you mean. But what do you want me to?"
"Allow us to cross into Gallia. We need to prepare to face the Central Army again, and stop them. If we fail, all will be lost. But you need to remain neutral at all costs! I have no intention of facing the Goddesses early."
"Tell me, why are you so determined to help the Alliance? I have heard that most of your kind despise both the laguz and the beorc."
"But I do not. I feel – a very strong love for all the beings of Tellius. I want to help them to understand one another – that is why I took laguz into my guard. I wanted to prove that my dream to come true is possible – a world where all can live and prosper as equals. Laguz, beorc, and people like me. That is what I am fighting for."
"I see. Very well, I will grant your request. But this is the only exception I am ever going to make."
Maian inclined her head. "Thank you."
They returned to the throne room, and Deghinsea asked Ena and Nasir to accompany the Alliance to the border of Gallia. This news was greeted with loud cheers.
"You did it!", Reyson exclaimed. "You are the greatest, senator! We never thought you'd actually persuade him!"
"Looks like Reyson took a shine to her", Nasir muttered.
"Not just him", Ena replied. "She seems rather popular with all the leaders of the alliance."
"How did you do that?", Skrimir asked Maian.
Soren rolled his eyes. "Do you honestly expect her to tell you? She wouldn't have left the room if it was something for all of us to hear. Do you ever think before saying something?"
"What about you, little Soren? Didn't your parents teach you any manners?", Skrimir growled.
A deafening silence followed those words as Soren glared at Skrimir out of eyes filled with hatred. The next moment, he turned on his heel and stormed out of the throne room.
"How could you!", Senator Maian shouted at Skrimir, her eyes turning green again. "I thought you were a good person!"
Skrimir backed away from her, clearly frightened. Maian turned and rushed out after Soren, her long white cloak billowing behind her.
I see. They are the same.
Ike attempted to follow them, but Nala stopped him.
"Let her deal with that."
"Did I – say something wrong?", Skrimir asked, scratching his head in confusion.
"Soren never knew his parents. And he had a pretty hard life before he joined our mercenaries...", Ike explained.
"Why?", Skrimir asked.
"That's for Soren to answer. Ask him yourself, if you want to know."
"I wouldn't recommend that", Tibarn interjected. "And we really should be going now."
Deghinsea watched them leave. Something about that Soren really bothered him. And it wasn't just the fact that he was one of the Parentless.
A/N:
It always struck me as kind of strange that Deghinsea didn't see the danger of Begnion wiping out the Laguz Alliance and then starting a campaign against Goldoa. Removing nations from the map doesn't make it any less of a continent-spanning war, after all. And nobody else ever brings this up, either.