Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem or anything associated with it.
A/N: 2+3 is 6...Go read.
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Three years later…
After the Mad King's War, peace eventually fell upon Tellius for a great time. Relations between Beorc and Laguz had been advancing greatly, mostly due to heavy diplomatic relations between Crimea's Queen Elincia, and the Gallian Beast King Caineghis. With this strong duo driving the charge forward, much had gotten better in a short period of time. Some people were slower to change than others, though that's always to be expected with change.
Crimea had been nicely rebuilt, and had begun to flourish under the reign of its queen. Begnion took Daein under its rule, managing the lands and the people after their King died. Not wishing to be a queen of needless power grabs, Elincia left the Daein people up to Begnion, since the rebuilding country didn't have the resources to claim another one as their own.
As for Gallia…
"Got to run faster than that!" a voice yelled in the middle of a crowd in Zarzi, the capital of Gallia.
"Grrr...Come back here, you wretched wolf!" another screamed, chasing after him. The angry voice belonged to a great lion Laguz, one who looked like the picture definition of strength. He had great red hair like a lion's mane...except for the fact that part of it was orange at the moment. "Face me like a warrior!" he yelled.
"Whatever you want, Skrimir!" a wolf with a blue tail agreed, stopping and promptly turning around with a smile on his face. Dressed in blue pants and a green shirt, the wolf wasn't quite as full of muscles as the lion chasing him, but was still strong in his own right. On his left arm was an orange handkerchief that he wore to remember his girlfriend, who he had rarely seen since moving away to Gallia. "I don't think it'd be the best thing to fight in the middle of the street, though. Kids are walking around here."
The lion had to quickly calm himself down, as he had tried to become accustomed to the wolf's antics since he had come to Gallia permanently three years ago. Skrimir had been told by Caineghis, the current king, to expect to learn many things from the wolf prince. Never having seen a wolf before Khimari in his life, he expected many things.
What he didn't expect was a crazy prankster hell-bent on making his life miserable. The blue wolf had quickly revealed to the people around him about his penchant for pranks, though amazingly, no one could actually find evidence to prove that he committed them.
Similarly, this was the case for why Skrimir was chasing Khimari around. While walking through the palace, the lion had noticed something off for a split second, before an orange liquid spilled on his hair, making almost half of it a bright orange. Naturally angry, he sought the wolf out. He found Khimari talking with Ranulf, his father and Skrimir's right hand, around the village while running some errands for the king. Khimari, of course, pulled no punches when joking about Skrimir, leading to the chase that spanned the streets of Zarzi.
As for the wolf, these last three years had been...interesting. During his time in Gallia, he had learned a lot about diplomacy under King Caineghis, being a key diplomat for relations in Crimea and Begnion. Being the adopted brother of "Ike the Great," his word carried much influence.
He certainly didn't act like his title would imply, however. He would usually forego any and all formalities when speaking, usually a big red flag for a diplomat to do. Khimari, obviously, was no regular diplomat. In addition to his diplomatic position, he was Skrimir's glorified babysitter. Not in the literal sense, but with how long Khimari sometimes had to look after the extremely brash hothead, it certainly felt that way.
He made Ike look like Soren in terms of actually thinking something through. It was ridiculous.
Speaking of Ike, he renounced his lordship about two months after Khimari left for Gallia, which was consistent with what he told the wolf. He hadn't seen his adoptive brother for about a year now, same as all the other Greil Mercenaries. While he would be allowed to visit the compound every now and then whenever he had to deliver something to Melior, it would be rare to get the opportunity to stay for an elongated period of time, since he often delivered more than one message at a time.
He still stayed in contact with the Mercenaries, having last seen a letter from Titania and Mist about a month ago. They were out doing odd jobs, like the usual. Somehow, they had hardly stopped to take a break after the war, running around like chickens with their heads cut off. The wolf just shook his head at the thought.
"Hmph. Forget it," Skrimir said, before turning and heading to a battle ground to vent his anger. Amazingly, Khimari had maintained an excellent record when it came to fights. The red lion in line for the throne had not once been able to defeat the blue wolf, though the fights often came extremely close. The wolf just had a cunning edge about him that made up for the difference in pure strength between the two, which while not little, wasn't really a determining factor in things.
The wolf had even beat Giffa a few times, no easy feat. As for the Gallian King himself, the best the wolf could work himself up to would be a draw. While he may be able to win, it was important that these fights stay controlled so no one loses their mind.
"Well, that was anticlimactic," the wolf muttered to himself. Shrugging his shoulders in indifference, he started to walk back to the palace while thinking about more serious subjects.
Specifically, that pertaining to his mother.
Although Caineghis said that he wasn't bound by his work and could leave to search at any time, Khimari just couldn't start for some reason. It never felt like the right time, which was strange considering what the heck could be the right time to search for your missing mother and tribe?
In the last three years, however, he had developed a great confidence that Hatari was straight through Daein's Desert of Death. The problem, with the situation currently going on over there and Daein's problems regarding their own rebuilding, there would be no way for Khimari to properly prepare for a journey. Not to mention that he doubted that anti-Laguz sentiments had died down in the wayward country. He hadn't been to Daein in almost two years, but the last time he was there, he had heard many...disparaging comments about the 'stupid commander Ike and those sub-humans.'
He sighed as he entered the palace. He certainly couldn't say he blamed the Daein citizenry for hating Crimea and Ike, by proxy. Anyone would be bitter about being the losers in a war that drained most of their resources and left many people in less than satisfactory conditions. Khimari had seen the aftermath of the war in Daein. Many were struggling to pick up where they left off after Ashnard put the entire continent through a world of hell. He could only hope that the Daeins get back on their feet again, though...with a more positive mindset, this time.
"And without a crazy-ass king," he added out loud, catching the attention of a passing tiger.
"Is there something amiss, Lord Khimari?"
"Kyza, call me 'Lord' one more time and I'm throwing you from the top of the palace," Khimari threatened in extreme irritation, before doing a complete turn in personality. "I'm just thinking about things. How's your day been going?"
"Oh, erm...It's been going smoothly. Another day being a willing and faithful worker to House Gallia," he reported.
"That's good. Have a great day!" the wolf said as he walked up the stairs. He had to talk to King Caineghis today about how things had been going so far, as well as to tell him something that he had decided about a week ago. He had already talked with his dad about it, and was ready to take the next step.
"Is he?"
"King Caineghis is expecting you," Lethe said, before opening the door. At the moment, she was on door duty, which the wolf found completely hilarious. Even in peace, Lethe had never lost her sharp tongue, though she was noticeably more open-minded than before the Mad King's War.
"Thanks, kitty," he said, sticking his tongue out. His reward was a smack to the shoulder. Laughing it off, he quickly found himself in front of both Caineghis and his shadow, Giffca. "King, Giffca," he greeted, bowing to the two.
"Now, Khimari, you have no need to do such actions," the red lion said. "You have been here long enough."
"True, but I'm at work, technically," the wolf mentioned. "Time to give my last report for a while."
"Ah, so you decided...Before we cover that, the report details, please," the king said, not wanting to rush the incoming topic of Khimari's departure.
"Relations are doing just as fine concerning Crimea. Queen Elincia is happy to announce that the first wave of Gallian exchange students in Melior are becoming very happy in their new environment, among other things. She didn't have much this time around, but all positive things, from what I've witnessed," he relayed, smiling when thinking about his second homeland.
"And Begnion?"
"The senators suck," he bluntly said, putting a smile on the faces of both lions present in the room. "Them aside...Sanaki has been pleasant, you could say. I ran into Tora and Tormod while I was there, and they told me that their side of the job was running smoothly. By their estimation, underground Laguz deals in Begnion are just about gone. Now, in terms of equality, there's a ways to go...but a start is a start."
"Splendid news. The goddess' fortune has continued to smile upon us for the time being…" Caineghis stood silently for a few moments to allow for a more seamless transition into the last topic of discussion. "So, your search?"
"...I'm leaving at nightfall," Khimari said. "I told dad about a week ago. He'll see me off when the time comes."
"I know that you are more than capable of handling yourself, but are you going to be fine going that far into Daein territory? I'd imagine that anti-Laguz sentiments run deep, and you would be recognizable by some."
"Don't worry, King. I'll be going with a friend. We both have someone we're looking for around that way, so we'll be traveling in a group."
"That news gladdens my heart. If I may, who will be going with you?"
"Hm...that's a handy little secret," the wolf said. Not that he didn't trust Caineghis, but that would lead to WAAAY too many questions than he needed at the moment.
"Hmph, once a wolf, always a wolf," the king responded, shaking his head. "Anyways, I will let you go to finish any preparations you may need. The time is near," he continued, seeing the sun begin to set under the vast ocean of trees.
"Thank you, King Caineghis. I'll always be grateful."
"It is of no trouble, young prince." After giving another small bow, Khimari let himself out, running into Reyson and Leanne on the way down. After the war, the two herons also gained a residency in Gallia, although they often visited Phoenicis to see Tibarn. In fact, they had just gone there about a week and a half ago and just returned.
"Hey, you two! How was the trip?" Khimari asked. Since Leanne was around much more often, the two would often practice language with each other. Now, Khimari was just as proficient with his native tongue as he was when in Hatari. Conversely, Leanne had been doing better with the modern tongue every day. She still didn't have the confidence to speak it, but was greatly aware of sentence structure and every other aspect of it. It would only be a matter of time, the wolf supposed.
"It was great, Prince Khimari," the white-winged princess answered.
"What are you doing?" Reyson put in.
"Oh, I'm leaving to go find my mother tonight," he said casually, drawing shocked looks from the two of them.
"What!? When did-" Reyson couldn't even finish his sentence.
"About a week ago. A friend and I are planning to head out tonight after I pick them up. Dad should be here-"
"...Right about now," a voice interrupted. The three of them turned around to see Ranulf himself, in the flesh. He was carrying a little pouch and a cloak, which he threw to Khimari. "There's about 8,000 gold in there," he informed, talking about the pouch.
"Goodness gracious! Where did you get all that?" the wolf asked.
"Your room," the blue cat shot back. "King Caineghis decided to add about 3,000 gold to your stash, though." Khimari simply shook his head at the beast king's kindness. It truly knew no bounds. "...You be safe, okay?" he said, much quieter.
"I will…" the wolf promised. "Here," he said, putting the pouch on him and reaching for his neck. Not knowing what to expect, Ranulf had a confused expression on his face when Khimari took his Laguz Gem, normally customary of only Laguz royalty or those in line to the throne to wear. His confusion turned to shock when the wolf held it out to him. "Wear it."
"What? Khimari, I can't do tha-"
"Yes, you can. And you will," he said, leaving no room for discussion. "Now, a part of me AND Mom will always be with you. See it like that."
"...Alright, I'll wear it," the cat agreed, taking the gem from his son's hands and putting it around his neck.
"See? It fits you great," the wolf joked. "Maybe you'll be king of Gallia someday."
"Haha, very funny," Ranulf returned dryly, rolling his eyes. "Here, at least let us walk you out." Nodding, Khimari let his father lead the way as the four of them went outside of the palace and to the outskirts of Zarzi. "Okay...see you soon. Don't get in any trouble, got it?"
"Me? Trouble? You already know how that's gonna end up."
"You're right...Don't get in anything you can't...you know what, just make sure I see you alive again," Ranulf corrected, knowing that Khimari was never one to stay in a calm lifestyle.
"Gotcha!"
"Bye, Khimari!" Reyson said. Leanne waved as well as Khimari started to walk inside the forest. He quickly noted how fast the sun was setting as the hustle of Zarzi started to die down. Going southeast, the moon had long risen when he found himself at the hidden entrance of the wolf tribe. After the war, he had often made many personal expeditions to the old home of his people and had basically remembered the entire place like the back of his hand. He sighed once again, recounting the first time he stumbled upon the place when he left Reyson alone in the Serenes Forest for a night.
Out of respect for his fallen brothers, he had taken it upon himself to take out as many bodies of wolves as possible from the frozen caves and give them proper burials. He couldn't get all of them, since the ice was too deep in some places, but a good amount of the wolves had already been buried.
Going into the tunnel, he jumped through a small layer of snow to land in another path, the one he first discovered all that time ago. Walking along it, he kept going and went to the left fork. After a little while of traveling, the snow eventually disappeared from the cave and a warm, dry air had begun to hit the wolf as he neared the exit. When he finally reached it, he saw that midnight was coming any minute now. 'Where is he?' the wolf thought impatiently. Although there wasn't any danger at the moment, he'd rather start moving sooner than later.
As if his question was heard, a voice answered it. "I'm here. Sorry if I was being too careless with timing." Coming into the cave was a green-haired boy with reddish-orange eyes and brown skin.
"Took you long enough, Kurthnaga. Or should I just call you Kurth now?"
"Kurth would be most appropriate when we're going around other people."
"Sure, sure. Welp, let's come on. We should be able to make it close to Crimea by noontime." With that, Khimari led the way through the wolf caverns. "So, you used to come here often, at least?" he said, starting a conversation.
"I haven't, actually," Kurthnaga answered. "This will truly be my first time outside of Goldoan territory."
"In that case...don't be too excited about what we're going to see. It will definitely be a culture shock, but we still have to get to Daein as soon as possible...And you're SURE your father won't find out about this?"
"I would like to say yes. Since weeks are a rather miniscule amount of time for us dragons, my absence would be taken as another trip around the countryside. I take them often, so that would be his most logical conclusion."
"Oh, yeah...I forgot you're like ten times my age," Khimari said, rolling his eyes. Although the two LOOKED about the same age, the black dragon had him FAR outdone in the age department. "Anyways, just to remind you, we're going to be going through the mountains to Crimea, then we'll pretty much stay in the countryside until we cross into Daein. Afterwards...well, you know best where to find Almendra."
"Erm...Almedha," the dragon corrected. Not sure what to think of getting his sister's name wrong, Khimari simply scratched the back of his head sheepishly. The two fell into silence after that, save for the occasional question Kurthnaga had about something that he saw. Before they knew it, they had exited the northern caves and were nearing the Begnion-Crimea border. "You want to take a break here?" the wolf asked, knowing that the prince was likely not used to travel like this.
"Yes, please." With Kurthnaga's confirmation, the two stopped in a small clearing in the middle of the forest.
"I'll go hunt some food. Be right back." Transforming, the wolf left his traveling companion alone to get some wild game. Thankfully, considering it was late spring, heading into early summer, many animals were out and about enjoying the great heat. After a short while, he found what must have been one of the biggest rabbits ever. Dropping close to the ground, he sneaked through the green grass, his mouth watering more and more as he neared his prey.
When he was close enough, he made his move. Becoming aware of his attacker, the rabbit tried to start running away. It wasn't enough for him to get away, however. Throwing it into the air with a quick swipe, Khimari killed it with a precise bite to the throat.
Just as it were, a squirrel ran right past him. Not passing this golden opportunity up, the wolf jumped into action, killing it with a quick claw swipe. Transforming into his Beorc form, he picked up his rabbit before heading back to where Kurthnaga was.
He wasn't entirely too surprised to see the Goldoan sniffing some flowers, most likely some he had never seen before now. "Hey, I have some food. You want the rabbit or the squirrel?" he asked, holding them out for the dragon to make the choice.
"I'll take...the squirrel. It has less blood on it…"
"C'mon, I thought we already fixed the blood thingy," Khimari fake-pouted. In all honesty, Kurthnaga had really progressed a long way in conquering his hemophobia. Although he still preferred not to see it, he could look at open wounds without any sort of flinching or feeling of wanting to throw up.
Simply giving the wolf a small smile, Kurthnaga started to eat the squirrel as Khimari dug into the rabbit. After they ate, the two had a small nap in the clearing.
When they woke up from slumber, it was well past noon, though there would still be some hours of sunlight remaining. "Do you want to spend the night in an inn?" Khimari asked after they continued to walk. "We'll be in Crimea by sundown.
"Is that safe? I mean…"
"I don't see why it wouldn't be. No one can tell you're a Laguz and my tail is wrapped so it doesn't slip out of the cloak. We should be fi-"
"Stop right there!" a voice said. Turning around, Khimari's mood instantly went sour as he saw the people who stopped them.
Bandits. There were four of them, three with axes and one with a sword. "Give us everything ya got and we might let you go."
"How about you leave us alone and you stay alive?" the wolf countered, moving in front of Kurthnaga to protect him. In response, the four laughed, dismissing it as tough talk.
"Oh, so you're a strong guy, huh? You won't be after this!" the lead bandit proclaimed, charging the two with his axe raised.
Before they could reach the two Laguz, Khimari transformed into his wolf form, throwing everyone off-guard. Before the bandits could even react to what they had just seen, he killed the lead bandit with a slice to the throat. Quick as lightning, he sank his claws into the abdomen of one before giving a vicious bite to the neck of another. At this point, the last bandit realized he was outmatched and had begun to run away, dropping his sword and its sheathe.
"Was that...necessary?" Kurthnaga asked, looking at the three dead bodies around them.
"Either that or get robbed," Khimari replied, picking up the sword and its sheathe before putting it around his body. "At least this way, now I don't have to transform to defend us."
"You can use a sword?" the dragon asked, completely taken aback. "I thought...Laguz were not capable of using such things…"
"Yup!" the wolf chipperly replied back. "Anyways...let's get going before they get some backup or something." Resuming their journey, the two made a point to walk faster as to avoid running into anyone else suspicious looking. Before long, they had found an inn a little ways outside of Delbray, where they once had to rush to save Goeffrey and other Crimean soldiers surrounded by Daein opposition.
"One room for the night, please," Khimari asked kindly.
"Five hundred gold," the man said. Opening his pouch, he gave the owner the proper amount. "First door on your left." Following his directions, Khimari and Kurthnaga both turned into the room.
"Welp...how's your vacation going?"
"I'd hardly call this a vacation…" Kurth said quietly, though a small smile graced his face. "Though...it is rather...interesting to be so far from Goldoa," he continued as he sat on a bed. "Is this how it felt being away from Hatari for the first time?"
"Hmm…" the wolf hummed as he recollected his memory from around that time. "It was...similar as far as finding out new things were. Thankfully, finding some friends helped ease the shock a lot."
"Just like you with me, it seems," he remarked. "Thank you for making this journey with me. I know you didn't have to."
"Hey, that's what friends do," the wolf waved off.
"It's still strange, though...I'm in direct contradiction to Father's policy of non-communication."
"Oh, please, you've been talking to me for years. Don't let that little rule get you bothered now."
"Mmm...I suppose you have a point," Kurthnaga admitted, though certainly put off by how Khimari communicated with him. The dragon was still getting accustomed to informal conversation, even after three years of knowing the wolf.
"Welp...Time for bed, I guess," the blue wolf said after yawning. Transforming, he found himself making some circles on the bed before laying down, making sure that he was under the cover. Without the luxury of transforming, Kurthnaga simply opted to lay down in the bed and let sleep overtake him.
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The next morning…
After eating breakfast at the inn, Khimari and Kurthnaga had continued their long journey to Daein. Having already passed Delbray, they weren't very long from the Riven Bridge, a landmark that connected Daein and Crimea. "And what was that food called again?" the dragon asked his travel companion.
"That was a pancake. Beorc make a mixture that they then heat up on the stove to cook it. When it's finished, then you can add other things onto it, like syrup or berries or something," Khimari explained.
"It was...very good. I'd love to have another one sometime in the future."
"Well, it's usually something that's only eaten for breakfast in the morning, so you'll have to wait a bit, unfortunately." Kurthnaga looked the slightest bit crestfallen over that information, making Khimari get a small smirk on his face. "Don't worry, if we ever see Oscar, I'll tell him to make plenty for ya!"
"Oscar?" the dragon prince echoed, not familiar with the name.
"He's one of the people who was on the ship the day we met. He cooks food for the rest of the group."
"Oh…" The two fell into a comfortable silence once again until they reached the bridge. Since the war, it had been completely fixed, Khimari noted. The holes that existed from Daein pitfall traps had been completely sealed and protective sandbags had been taken down. Even then, the bridge still looked menacing. "That...It's so large…"
"Don't worry, it shouldn't be a long walk. Just make sure to stay by the middle so you don't have to look down," Khimari reassured. Nodding, Kurthnaga took the wolf's advice. After about twenty minutes by Khimari's estimation, the two made it over to Daein soil. "Now...we're in Daein."
"What's...Daein like? You've been here before, right? Is it as grassy as Crimea was?"
"That's...hard to say," Khimari. "Daein's probably on hard times right now. From what I remember my last time here, many citizens were struggling to make ends meet."
"That's...horrid," Kurthnaga said.
"Yup...I'd imagine that Daein in peace would be full of green and beautiful…" Even if he had a part in Daein's downfall, Khimari couldn't help but feel bad for what happened. No one deserved to be treated like dirt for simply living.
Shaking those depressing thoughts from his mind, Khimari took out a map for the two of them to see. "Alright, now we should go northeast from here. It'd probably be best to avoid the capital so we don't run into too many people. Afterwards, the desert should be right to the north!" Nodding in agreement, Khimari put the map up before the two continued.
Unfortunately, their journey only lasted about another hour or so before another interruption occurred. "Stop right there!"
Turning around, Khimari groaned in irritation when he saw three Begnion soldiers approaching them. "Good afternoon! How may we help you?" he asked, trying to be as polite as possible.
"What are you doing here? You look suspicious…"
"We're just traveling through…" Khimari tried to play off. "See, my mother and his sister are in Nevassa. We're going to see them."
"Just traveling...Why the sword?" the soldier, apparently the squad leader, questioned.
"Bandits were a problem from where we came from," the wolf quickly answered. At that moment, four more soldiers came up.
"I hope you don't mind if we take you in for questioning," the soldier said, making Khimari get even more irritated.
"Questioning about what?" the wolf echoed, irritation clearly showing in his voice.
"You're under arrest. We're going to have to send you to prison to see the general. Then he'll decide if you're truly random travelers or those renegade freedom fighters we've been searching for."
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A/N: I bet y'all didn't expect that to come so fast! I said I'd have more time on my hands :P. Welp, I hope y'all enjoyed the intro to the Radiant Dawn arc. See y'all soon!
Blizzard, out!