Disclaimer: I do not own Fire Emblem or anything associated with it.
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Five days later…
As warm rays of sunlight hit his face, Khimari yawned loudly as his body instinctively began to stretch. Blinking his eyes, the wolf continued stretching as his mind began to wander like usual. He sat still while he eventually drifted to think about what Deghinsea asked him a few days ago.
Before he could get lost in his own mental spaces, the door opened to reveal Ranulf standing with a small smirk on his face. "There you are. The King would like to see all of us. Tibarn is here." Nodding, Khimari quickly jumped up and followed his father. The day after they returned, Tormod and his group went back to the desert and Rafiel wanted to tell the truth about the assault of Serenes. Today would be the day that he talked, since Reyson specifically asked for Tibarn to be in attendance of the story, which made sense considering how close the two were.
Praying a silent prayer, Khimari took a deep breath as he entered the Gallian throne room where the Serenes Herons, Tibarn, Caineghis, Giffca and his mother all waited. "Ah, we are now all present," the lion announced as they all gathered closer to each other. "Prince Rafiel of Serenes, you may begin your tale."
"Thank you, King Gallia," the soft-spoken heron started. "I had felt it necessary to relay the news of the events and the plot of the Serenes Massacre as I knew them."
"Brother, is this...Are you sure you want to do this?" Reyson eased. "Mad King Ashnard has been brought to justice. You mustn't put yourself through the pain of that night just to appease us."
"It is...of no concern, my little brother," Rafiel returned. "However...the Daein King was not the mastermind of the massacre." At his word, a silence had gripped the entire room as clear shock registered to everyone present who hadn't already learned the truth. "The people which are directly responsible for that night was the senate of the nation of Begnion."
"...What?" Reyson breathed out as everyone could see his anger rising with every passing second. "Are you sure, my dear brother?"
"I am, Reyson," Rafiel confirmed with a somber look. "I had escaped from a senator and soon thereafter encountered Nailah in the desert. Of this, there is no question, I am afraid." A deathly silence flooded the room, with a rising fury from Tibarn and Reyson being felt with every passing moment.
"The Begnion Senate has a lot to answer for," Tibarn finally commented, with pure rage and murder in his eyes.
"Should I make a trip?" Khimari suggested, speaking up.
"...No, Prince Khimari," King Caineghis said. "While this is...disturbing news, we must plan carefully. Perhaps a united front would be most appropriate concerning this matter."
"Sending a Laguz delegation to Begnion?" Nailah jumped in from her spot between Rafiel and Khimari. At the Lion King's nod, she simply stayed silent.
"Rafiel, do you need to rest?" Leanne asked him.
"...It'd be for the best. Please let Leanne take you back," Nailah advised the eldest heron, who nodded submissively before leaving.
"Queen Nailah, I assume you knew of this information?" Tibarn asked, his eyes narrowed. "Even you wolves have to have some reaction to this.
"Yes, Rafiel told me after we brought him to Hatari. That notwithstanding, we had known of their involvement since we were also driven away," the wolf queen reminded.
"Khimari...Did you know of this as well?" Reyson asked as he still shook in anger.
"I've known since before we even met," the wolf prince revealed, to the apparent shock of the royal heron and Hawk King.
"Khimari, you didn't think this information was important enough to impart to Reyson?" Tibarn asked, the full force of his gaze now on the wolf prince.
"Perhaps if you listened to our plea all those years ago instead of rejecting our words without a second thought, King Phoenicis, you may have known earlier," Nailah scathingly replied, coming to the defense of her son in a way only a mother could.
"What is that supposed to mean, oh Queen of Wolves?"
"You haven't suffered so many scars that your brain is now damaged, yes?" she coldly insulted, only increasing Tibarn's ire.
"You've been estranged from your home continent for a while, Queen-"
"Okay, that's enough!" Khimari interrupted, coming between the two. At that point in time, the tension between Nailah and Tibarn had begun to affect everyone else. Ranulf uncomfortably stood on the sideline, while King Caineghis and Giffca sat in silence and Reyson eyed the exchange with shock at the sudden animosity between the two. "I would happily remind you two that this is King Caineghis' throne room."
"...Thank you, young Khimari," the Lion King thanked as the white wolf and green hawk simply huffed. "Let us not lose sight of the most pressing concern out of anger. We must take a firm stance while confronting Begnion's Senators about its past grievances...I believe we, along with King Kilvas, should reconvene here in the coming days and prepare a message as a unified Laguz alliance that will be delivered by a delegation headed by young Prince Khimari, who has the most experience dealing with Begnion's Apostle and her senators."
"...Agreed. I will inform Naesala and bring him back for our next meeting," Tibarn said before leaving the room with Reyson following closely behind him.
"...Sorry about that, King Caineghis," the blue wolf sighed after a few moments.
"...Do not fret, young Khimari," the lion king replied. "Your mother has perfect justification for her action. While we rightly defend House Serenes and the injustices suffered to them, we willingly ignored the plight of you and your mother's tribe based on simple grudges from the past. That, perhaps, is a decision of which I hold the greatest regret."
"If I may, can we go for a walk outside?" Khimari asked.
"The meeting has ended. You need not ask, young prince," King Caineghis permitted. Nodding with a small smile, Khimari and his mother left the room.
"...Are you alright, Mom?" the blue wolf asked when he was sure they were out of earshot.
"Yes, my little cub. I suppose I should apologize to King Gallia for my outburst," she sighed. "That scar-ridden featherhead hasn't changed even a bit. He's every bit as strong headed as back then."
"Yup, but I can handle myself with Tibarn," Khimari eased. "I'm sure it'll be impossible, but you don't have to protect me, Mama."
"Oh, my little Khimari." Reaching up, she kissed her cub on the forehead.
"How are you two doing?" a voice asked. Looking over, the two wolves saw Ranulf walking up to them with a worried look on his face. "Is everything alright, Nailah? Not just me, but His Majesty is heavily concerned as well."
"Yes, Ranulf, I'll be fine. King Phoenicis and I...apparently, we're not making much headway anytime soon."
"That's a shocker," the blue cat sarcastically muttered. "Anyways, I have to go back, but I'll be free around sunset, hopefully."
"I look forward to it," the wolf queen said as she leaned in to her mate before he left to return to his post. "Khimari, can you take me to Rafiel? I need to check on him." Nodding in affirmation, the blue wolf took his mother through the palace until they arrived at the quarters of Leanne, Reyson and Rafiel. After heavy internal conflict, Khimari decided this time to actually knock to make their presence known to the herons. "May we come in?" he asked in the ancient language.
"Prince Khimari?" Leanne's voice answered. "You may enter." Opening the door, he and Nailah walked in to see the two white-winged Laguz simply sitting across from each other. While Khimari chose to remain standing, his mother went straight to Rafiel's side, sitting next to the calm bird.
"Are you well, Rafiel? Would you want some water?" the woman asked gently.
"I am fine, My Queen," the heron lightly refused. "I simply need some rest. Where has my brother Reyson gone?"
"He left with Tibarn to inform Naesala of your testimony," Khimari answered. "They're planning to send a combined message to the Begnion Senate demanding a full and clear explanation."
"Ah….I only hope...that conflict does not escalate," the elder heron sighed. "I did not intend for any conflict to be made. I simply needed for my family to know the truth behind that night."
"Hopefully, it won't get to that point," the blue wolf responded. "For now, we'll just see what happens." Seemingly satisfied with the answer, Rafiel simply nodded as he began humming to soothe his nerves. Leaving the herons in peace, Khimari quietly closed the door behind him before he heard a call of his name.
"Khimari!" Ranulf repeated as he walked down the hall. "There you are. Where's Nailah?"
"She's in there with Rafiel. Did something happen?"
"Well, King Caineghis would like to talk to both of you. Alone," he stressed. "It's about that ridiculously long meeting we had with the elders the night you returned."
"Oh, goodness. Can't be good," the younger blue Laguz sighed, before lightly opening the door with his foot. "Sorry to interrupt, but the king needs you, Mom," he said, before flashing a small smile to a flustered Leanne.
"Alright. Right after this, I'll return, okay Rafiel?" the wolf queen said. After Rafiel gave his confirmation, the family left the herons and started their walk to the throne room once again. "Ranulf, do you know what this meeting will be about?"
Starting his response with a sigh, the cat slowed down to make more time to properly answer his mate's question. "Unfortunately, I do. The most I can say concerning the topic in question is that His Majesty had a very...different outlook on the situation than the elders."
"That can't be good," Khimari muttered under his breath, knowing that the advisory team of the Gallian king weren't exactly...the easiest people to work with.
"Khimari, aren't you usually the optimistic one?" Ranulf joked, trying to lighten the atmosphere.
"Not when it comes to old people who are considered 'advisement,'" his son shot back lightly, with a twinge of bitterness in his tone. "Force of habit. Can't say I have a good track record with those types of people."
"Ditto," his mom agreed with a roll of her eyes as she recalled all the crappy and baseless complaints both she and Khimari suffered from Hatari's council. Laughing nervously, Ranulf silently prayed to the Goddess that the King's advisors would have less harsh words than those the King had relayed directly to him after he returned to the meeting. Since they asked him to leave while his mate and cub were being discussed, Ranulf never heard exactly what was said, but judging by the red lion's expression and what he was told, it was not good.
Unfortunately, the two wolves he had come to know as family were not a pair you wanted to piss off, especially at the same time. The thought of dealing with Khimari AND Nailah going on a warpath made the cat want to tuck his tail in between his legs, honestly. Shaking his head, Ranulf steadied his breathing as he rationalized the worst outcomes to the incoming discussion. While Nailah had no real ties to Gallia (besides him), Khimari wouldn't be overly disrespectful to King Caineghis, and especially not to the point of wanting to fight him.
On the other hand...Nailah would almost certainly have no check on Khimari if the young wolf decided to pull a prank, which could be disastrous knowing how vengeful his son was. 'Goddess, help me,' he mind eventually concluded as they reached the palace door where Skrimir now stood, rather grumpily taking the place of Lethe who left with Mordecai to Crimea the day they arrived.
"Hey, Skrimir! Recovering nicely?" Khimari lightly goaded, referencing yet another fight the two had about two days ago following a routine challenge on the lion's part. Interestingly enough, being in Daein had brought back some of Khimari's wartime reflexes, as well as his ruthless side...which resulted in a broken leg and a knocked out tooth for Skrimir.
"Do not patronize me!" he countered, before moving aside as to allow for everyone else to enter. Needless to say, the lion's pride had definitely taken a hit as it seemed that he needed far more training to keep up with the wolf prince.
Enjoying the small banter, Khimari entered the throne room with his parents wearing a smile on his face, though he questioned how long it would last at the grave expressions of King Caineghis and Giffca. "Ah, thank you, Ranulf. You may go."
"With all due respect, King Caineghis," Nailah started just as the blue cat began to bow. "I would like Ranulf to be present to our meeting."
"Of course, Queen Nailah. That will be no problem," the lion permitted. "The reason I specifically called you and Khimari here today would be, unfortunately, a trivial matter of my advisors'...mistrust in you two. In Khimari's absence from his diplomatic duties, I had no choice but to divulge the information of his search to them, which led to a rather unsatisfactory exchange of words. The sentiment expressed by the council only increased with your arrival, as well as that of the other two wolves who departed yet the day after."
"Are they really that scared of us?" Nailah asked with a blank expression. "My kingdom lies on the other side of the desert now. Isolation is commonplace for us, as it unfortunately had been for centuries in part due to the mouse hunt against us wolves. Why would they present such mistrust?"
"The answer which you seek is one steeped in a deep misunderstanding of wolves," the king sighed. "During the formation of Gallia many generations past, conflict arose between your tribe and the rest of the beast tribes."
"Yes, the one that made us into a bedtime story to scare little kids," Nailah recounted.
"Through the years, the subject of the wolf tribe is one that has evaded the ear of the common Gallian citizen. After the conflict, a concerted effort successfully erased any presence or existence of the wolves on this side of the continent, effectively exiling an entire tribe," Caineghis continued. "Unfortunately, questions began to arise going back to young Khimari's first arrival to Gallia. Many among my advisors had wished him cast back from whatever location he came."
"Pardon, Your Majesty," Ranulf nervously jumped in. "Why would they hold such high suspicion of Khimari? When he arrived, he was...well, even more of a child!"
"A wolf child in possession of a Laguz Gem believed stolen from Gallia a long time ago," the lion clarified. "Even for a youth like Khimari, the threat of an insurrection by his hand was one repeatedly brought to my attention. His undying...habit for pranks certainly gave him no defense," he critically continued, giving a pointed look at the prankster. "With the return of Wolf Queen Nailah, those concerns have amplified."
"So those old goats are scared that TWO wolves are going to take over the country by force like they lied about us doing nearly three hundred years ago?" Khimari bluntly asked. "And my Laguz Gem didn't even come from Gallia, it was always in possession of the wolves since before the Great Flood."
"How did you come into knowledge of this information?" the lion softly asked, curiosity coming off him in bounds. "It is a direct contradiction of the tales of old."
"We have slightly more reliable sources," Khimari simply said. "Sorry for the hundredth time for my ambiguity."
"Hm...Do not fret. While you have been here, you have aided Gallia greatly in your service. Queen Nailah, I once again extend an apology on behalf of Gallia for the unfortunate circumstances of your exile."
"Accepted," she simply spoke. "Thank you for your outreach, King Gallia. You've grown greatly from that hothead you were a long time ago."
"Time always brings about change, in even the most stubborn individuals," the lion joked. "You are free to stay as long as you need."
"Thank you."
"That went better than I thought it would," Khimari casually said aloud. "Your council is pretty tame compared to Hatari."
"Is that so?" King Caineghis queried with a raised eyebrow.
"You don't know the half of it," Nailah breathed out, feeling tiredness set in from the simple thought of those old fossils. "Whatever the case, we will be going now."
"Of course. Peace, Queen Nailah."
"Same to you," she returned before walking out along with Khimari.
"Jeez, I didn't know that everyone hated us that much," the blue wolf complained when the two entered his room to process the event that just occurred. "Either we didn't exist, we somehow killed an apostle and tried to usurp a Gallian King's authority."
"Hmm…Did King Goldoa tell you the history of the Laguz Gem of the wolf tribe? You never learned that in class, I know," Nailah whispered quietly. At Khimari's nod, the white wolf quietly breathed through her nose. "You need to be more careful of what you say," she advised. "Although you already know, we can't leave any hints of our past with Goldoa. It would be...problematic."
"That's an understatement," Khimari scoffed. "Especially with those crazy featherheads. Birds and dragons do not mix...Speaking of which, where did all that tension between you and Tibarn come from? You seemed a lot more at ease with King Caineghis," the queen's son noted.
"...I hate to leave Rafiel unattended for so long, but I suppose telling you wouldn't hurt."
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Twenty-five years ago…
In a seemingly desolate land, a single figure stood. As he waited for the meeting to commence, the sound of incoming footsteps alerted him to the approaching Laguz in the distance. When they arrived in front of him, two wolves, one white and the other a clean silver, transformed into a brown-skinned woman with many tattoos and an older, though clearly fit man with a necklace that had a claw design, as well as a great scar across his left eye. "King Goldoa, thank you in advance for helping organize this meeting," the female started, making a small body signal of gratitude.
"It is nothing, Queen Nailah," the black dragon replied, before turning to the silver wolf. "Yohe...You join her."
"She's still a cub, you old lizard," Yohe said with a small grin on his face. "I have to make sure she doesn't get all her fur cut off too early."
"Grandfather…." she warned, subconsciously switching to the ancient tongue in her irritation. Before Nailah could continue, a caw, followed by another stampeding sound, reached her ears. She took a deep breath as she realized the moment of truth had come.
Following many flashes of light, King Tibarn of Phoenicis, King Naesala of Kilvas, and King Caineghis of Gallia now stood before her. "...Thank you for being here, everyone," she began as she took the center of attention. "As I'm sure you've received by now, I am Nailah, the queen of the wolf tribe. In our history, we have been a very secluded people, having minimal contact with the rest of the world. I...no longer have a desire for my tribe to have to suffer the consequences of loneliness, which is why I asked this meeting to be arranged. I formally extend a request to all of you to begin regular relations between your respective nations and my own."
A silence followed her words as the Laguz Kings looked at the queen with varying expressions on their faces. "Well, shit, say somethin'!" Yohe said out of impatience, making Nailah use every inch of her willpower not to slap her forehead...or her grandfather as a matter of fact.
"...Phoenicis rejects your offer," Tibarn started, seemingly bored with the entire conversation. "You wolves are too cunning for your own good, always scurrying about and thinking you can rule from the underground. Your nation was not in solitude by choice, but because of your history as murderers, was it not?"
"King Phoenicis, I assure you whatever opinion you have of us is misguided," Nailah tried to correct.
"I beg to differ," the green hawk rejected. "Every country standing in representation here, Goldoa notwithstanding, has had an incident with your tribe that has resulted in grave casualties. Not to mention, as we fight against the human slavery, you have stayed on the sidelines as our brothers and sisters suffer."
"That's not true and you know it!" the white wolf howled in anger. "We have all worked towards rescuing Laguz slaves from the Beorc masters."
"Ah, so you are simply slow to work, is it?" King Naesala of Kilvas, began to speak. "At any rate, I'd rather not have to deal with your pesky kind, so Kilvas also rejects your offer."
"...Well, King Gallia? What will it be?" Queen Nailah, through with the bird kings, asked the red lion.
"As beast Laguz, we share much in common, despite our differences. We have been close cousins for a long time...However, the actions of the past cannot be easily forgotten. Due to the actions of your tribe, Gallia nearly found itself a kingdom in shambles. She cannot again endure another risk as large as your people would present if reintegrated with our population. Gallia rejects your offer."
"..." The wolf queen looked at the kings before her in pure spite and anger, utterly crushed at the rapid decisions taken by all of them to refuse relations with her kingdom out of old cub stories from before all of them were born.
"Is that all we convened for?" Tibarn asked, before scoffing. "If that is all, I take my leave of all of you."
"Likewise, my kingdom requires much management," Naesala added, before leaving to the skies with Tibarn and their respective escorts. As the bird Laguz left, King Caineghis turned, not exchanging a word with Nailah, Yohe or Deghinsea before transforming and leaving to return to Gallia's forests.
"...Welp, that was some rude shit," Yohe muttered after the Laguz Kings departed. "Thanks again, Deghinsea."
"...It was nothing. Queen Nailah, are you-"
"Yeah, I'll be fine…" At the current moment, she was extremely irritated and frustrated. "I suppose it'd be best if I return to my kingdom."
"...You may stay a night in Goldoa, if you wish," the King offered. "It has been a turbulent time for you as you've just become ruler."
"King Goldoa...Thank you for the offer, but I-"
"We'll take it," Yohe interrupted, making her granddaughter's head whip around. "What? My dang feet hurt. I wasn't leaving today, and you need a break, little missy. So we're staying with the scalebags tonight." Feeling the rapidly compounding headache coming to her, the white wolf took a deep breath to calm herself down.
"Come," King Deghinsea simply said as the three left for Castle Goldoa to retire for the day.
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"...Okay, that seriously pissed me off," Khimari said as his body shook in obvious anger. Almost every ounce of respect he once held for the hawk king vanished after his mother's explanation for their bad relations.
"That was the first time we met, sadly enough," she continued. "The only other time we would talk would be after the Serenes Massacre and when we requested aid for our tribe, which was also rejected, as you already know."
"...It's fine," the blue wolf said to himself as he stood up. "Want to go back to Rafiel? I'll take you."
"Okay."
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A few days later…
"Departing soon?"
"Yeah, I need to get back before daybreak. We're probably due straight for Begnion today."
"Okay...Be safe," Kurthnaga said to his friend as the two stayed at the caverns of the wolf tribe for the whole night. "I pray for good fortune on your journey."
"Thanks...Tell Ena and Nasir I said hello," Khimari returned. "How long is she going to be pregnant, again? I swear I'm gonna have gray hair before that baby gets born."
"Well, she's due soon, if I recall. She's been in gestation for about forty years already."
"Forty fu...I quit," the wolf decided, throwing his hands in defeat. "See ya." After exchanging farewells, the two princes went their separate ways, Kurthnaga returning to Goldoa and Khimari headed back to Castle Gallia, where the message would probably be ready for delivery, since Naesala arrived at the castle last night. Not looking forward to whatever would happen in the near future, Khimari mentally sighed as he ran back to Zarzi, arriving as the first rays of sunshine hit the sky.
"Ah, there you are!" Ranulf said as he came to the royal palace. The blue cat had been stretching lightly outside as he arrived. "Nailah wondered what happened when you never came home last night."
"Oh, just a little night walk," he nonchalantly returned.
"Hopefully, you got enough sleep. I'll take you to the messenger envoy. They're waiting-"
"We are right here, Gallian warrior," a voice said. Turning back, the blue beast Laguz saw two birds, one raven and one hawk, standing before them, as well as a cat Laguz.
"Here they are, Lord Ranulf," the yellow cat bowed.
"Thank you for that. It certainly just got easier. I'll just let you get acquainted while I await the Kings' call for you." With that, the blue cat left the four of them alone outside the royal palace to look at each other.
"Who are you people?" Khimari bluntly asked.
"..." None of the three said a single word, making the wolf roll his eyes in clear irritation.
"Okay, what are your names?" he tried again, only to not receive a response from any of the people he was soon to leave with.
"...Alzo," the cat Laguz finally responded after what seemed like forever.
"There's a start. You two?"
"...I am Iltan," the hawk replied.
"...Hmph," the raven refused, avoiding any contact with all three.
"Go figure the raven would be the rough nut to crack," Khimari murmured. "Ah well, not my problem. As you already know, we'll be headed to Begnion soon enough and we won't take stops until we get there, which will probably be around sunrise tomorrow. As for-"
"Who put you in charge of this operation?" the raven blurted, eyeing the blue wolf suspiciously.
"By all means, if you want to lead us to Begnion's Senate, go ahead. I'm listening," the wolf said calmly, though his rising tail fur gave the impression of being anything but calm at the moment.
Thankfully, Ranulf came back to the four of them quickly enough before anything else could pop off. "Alright, they're ready for you all." Without another word, the blue Gallian led the messengers up the royal palace to the throne room, where every Laguz royal (minus Deghinsea, obviously) sat in anticipation with a serious look on their face.
"Attention, messengers of the Laguz Alliance," King Caineghis began with a powerful voice. "Today, we send you on a mission of the utmost importance. You all are to go to the heart of Begnion, it's capital, and demand answers in an audience with the Apostle and Senate over the truth of the wretched Serenes Massacre."
"...Go with courage. You four carry the pride of all Laguz on your back," Tibarn mentioned. It took everyone for Khimari not to snort as Ranulf gave him the written document from the newly-dubbed Laguz Alliance that they'd be delivering to the Begnion Senate and Apostle.
"Is your mission clear?" Naesala simply said, exchanging looks between Khimari and the raven Laguz multiple times between the small speech, to the wolf's curiosity.
"Crystal," Khimari replied, before doing a small bow to King Caineghis. After receiving permission to leave, the wolf, followed by the rest of the messenger group, left the Gallian Royal Palace and went on their way to Begnion.
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Later that day…
Okay, something is seriously wrong with these people. "How in the world did I get stuck with all the hardasses of the Laguz?" Khimari wondered aloud as the four found themselves going around a small mountain valley to enter Begnion territory. Granted, they could have been in Begnion already, but the wolf didn't feel comfortable letting random people know about the caves of his tribe.
Some things were just too special.
"Hey! This mission is for the Laguz Alliance! Personal relationships are not required for this," the hawk replied, as if he were a robot.
"...Yeah. Whatever," Khimari waved off dismissively, only earning more ire from the brown bird Laguz.
"Do not tempt me, forgotten wolf," he warned.
"We're not doing this," Khimari bluntly explained. "Short tempers aren't good, so we're not going to have this discussion. Just shove your ruffled feathers back up your tailbone so we can deliver this message without a hitch."
"...Prince Khimari," Alzo started. "Exactly how will we approach the Begnion Senate?"
"We walk up to the Cathedral where they do business," Khimari answered, happy to get to a simpler topic. "Our objective is to deliver a message. No matter how they react, our job is to give the word that King Cainghis and the others relayed to us. Got it?"
"Sir!" the yellow cat complied, though the raven, who still remained nameless, had other ideas in his head.
"Why can't we fight further for our case?"
"We're a group," Khimari shut down. "As a Gallian diplomat, I would do that, especially given my familiarity with the people we have to deal with. However, this is uncharted territory and a different set of circumstances. We should handle this with...care."
"...Hmmm…" Without any further comments, the four quickly traversed through the rough terrain, eventually reaching Serenes Forest.
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Early next morning…
"We're here," Khimari told the other three as they stopped in front of the Mainal Cathedral. The sun had barely risen, though guards still paraded the area where Begnion's most important figures walked. Coming forward, Khimari found himself stopped by two guards at the front of the cathedral.
"Halt! What is your purpose here?" a falcoknight from the Holy Guard asked.
"Hey, we're bringing a message from the Laguz Alliance," Khimari explained with a smile. "Can you please tell Sigrun to do your routine search so that we may give this message to the Apostle and the Senate? It's extremely important and can't be delayed longer than it already has been."
"...I will notify the aforementioned persons." One knight stayed to watch the four Laguz out of an abundance of caution, though it seemed that it didn't seem necessary as Khimari found a patch of grass and laid down on it.
"We can have a small rest now," he told the rest of the messenger group. "They're gonna take a long while." Not sure exactly what to do, the three Laguz cautiously let themselves relax for a short while as they witnessed a squad of Begnion Pegasi knights begin a search throughout the entire grounds. As the four sat, the day marched on, with the sun directly overhead by the time the Laguz were again approached.
"Prince Khimari. A pleasure to see you again," a woman with blue-green hair greeted.
"Same to you, Sigrun. I trust the Apostle and Senate are ready?" A small pause cut ahead of the Holy Guard commander's response, something that lodged a dark pit of unease in the belly of the wolf.
"Unfortunately...Apostle Sanaki has become ill. In her stead, Lord Sephiran of Persis and Vice-Minister Lekain of Gaddos will officiate your meeting," she informed as she motioned for the four Laguz to follow.
"...Prince Khimari," Alzo asked. "What does this mean?" he continued quietly, as not to draw attention to himself.
"...Things just got a lot more complicated," Khimari huffed. "Just play it safe and no outbursts," he said in a tone that invited no disagreement. Recognizing the seriousness of the wolf's body expression, the other Laguz simply nodded as they reached the throne room. Entering, the envoy quickly saw that the Senate had already taken their seats and were ready to hear their message.
"Ah, wolf prince Khimari!" Lekain started in all his fake glory. "What a marvelous occasion. To what do we owe this visit?"
"Good day to you and all of Begnion's Senate," the wolf quickly said before getting down to business. "We have a message from the Begnion Alliance demanding a swift and clear explanation behind the extermination of the heron tribe." Walking forward slowly, he gave the scroll containing the message to Sephiran, purposely avoiding eye contact with Lekain.
"My, and what explanation would we owe for that...tragedy?" an orange-haired...man-lady, Valtome, if Khimari remembered, asked.
"As Lord Sephiran is currently reading, we recently have found another Serenes survivor, one who was for a time property of one of you Senators. His direct testimony squarely puts the blame for the entire orchestration on a sect of this very body."
"Preposterous!" another, Numida, responded. "We will not hear another word of this insidious accusation."
"...Prince Khimari," Sephiran called as he lowered the scroll. "Prince Rafiel of the Heron tribe...How is he?"
"Doing well, taking refuge in House Gallia," the wolf casually revealed. "Why do you ask?"
"...No reason. As for this...charge levied by the Laguz Alliance, I promise you that in the Apostle's stead, I will work with my colleagues to fully investigate every claim explored in this message."
"Lord Sephiran, you cannot surely jest of a matter serious as this!" Lekain said, his eyes widening. "This accusatory behavior is yet another plot against the Begnion people!"
"Would you mind explaining that?" Khimari cut in, his voice cold as steel. "There is no plot. We only want answers as written by the Kings of Gallia, Phoenicis and Kilvas."
"Oh, Prince of Wolves, need I remind that the incitement of violence against the Herons was but a misfire for your people's attempted insurrection that resulted in our previous Apostle's assassination?" Valtome questioned, grinning as Khimari held an emotionless face.
"...I am simply a messenger, delivering a message," Khimari said, his steady voice hiding the pure anger raging inside of him from that statement. "You have received it. How will you respond?"
"If we may temporarily suspend this meeting for deliberation, we will return to you in a short period of time," Lekain said, looking pointedly at Khimari before turning to Sephiran for approval.
"...Very well," the soft-spoken man allowed. "We will shortly suspend this session for deliberation. Lady Sigrun, if you may, take them to a place they may comfortably wait."
"Yes, my Lord," the woman agreed at once, before leaving the side of the Senate and leading the Laguz out of the room as the people inside continued talking amongst themselves. "Here, you remember this place, don't you, Prince Khimari?" the woman said as she stopped in front of the room where he and Ike stayed during their stop at the cathedral three years ago when they tried to contract Begnion's help against Daein in the Mad King's War.
"Of course. Thank you, Sigrun," he said sincerely before opening the door and leading the Laguz in. Closing it behind him, Khimari waited until he heard the Holy Knight Commander walk a safe distance away before he joined the other three Laguz. "...This is a mess."
"What will our next move be?" the raven asked.
"Well, the Senate will probably call us back to tell us they deny everything, so we go back home."
"That cannot be it! Surely there is something else we can do!" the hawk outburst. "We cannot give up on our fallen heron brethren so easily."
"We don't have a choice," Khimari shut down. "We head back to Gallia and let the Alliance leaders hit the drawing board."
"They would want us to press as hard as possible!" Itlan refuted. "We must persist!"
"You bumbling idiot," Khimari insulted, before silencing the hawk's comeback with a glare. "Have you forgotten who we are and what we are dealing with? You and the other birdbrain are from pirate nations that have done nothing but pester the Begnion empire, with hardly any success, I might add. Alzo has no part in their mess and those crazy people will use the smallest action to say we tried to bring harm to them."
"That's only more reason to bring them to justice!"
"How many more tribes have to be chased out before you realize that you need to take a loss and go home?" Khimari hissed. "Provoking them more, especially with Sanaki out of commission, will only bring harm to the Laguz Alliance."
Before the argument could continue, the wolf heard footsteps approaching the door. Looking back at the others, he left to answer it. He certainly was surprised to see Sephiran in his face, expecting Sigrun to be the one to collect them for the latter part of the meeting. "Ah, just who I needed to see. May I speak with you...privately? If possible."
"O-Of course," he said, quickly going to the other side of the door and closing it behind him.
"Follow me." Not knowing what would happen, Khimari followed cautiously behind the man, who simply kept walking until they reached the Apostle's garden. The place was as quiet as ever, with not a single soul to be heard or seen for quite a distance. It felt...unnatural in this day and time to the wolf. "I have come to warn you."
"Oh, so they're gonna deny everything?" Khimari said aloud. "Figured as much."
"No, it's much more serious than that," the man claimed, grabbing the wolf's attention completely. "It is of the utmost importance that you reach Gallia before the night falls."
"Why?"
"I simply mean to tell you what I know. Beware of the evils from your past...Now, it is time we finished our meeting," he went on as if he didn't just give Khimari a doomsday prediction.
"Hey! You can't just say something like that and then pretend it-"
"We must return to the throne chamber at once," Sephiran interrupted, forcibly taking Khimari's hand from his robe. "Gather the rest of your companions. I will escort you back personally." Still peeved, the wolf complied, calling the three back so they could quickly walk back to the room where the Senate awaited them. Upon arrival, Sephiran quickly took his place among the Apostle's advisors. "Now, we may resume our session."
"Yes, we have reached a conclusion," Lekain discussed. "Though baseless in accusation, we decided that a compromise may be in order." Wondering what was being plotted, Khimari instantly perked, as well as the rest of the Laguz in anticipation for what the Beorc had to say. "We have agreed that the full restoration of the rights of the remaining herons to Serenes Forest will be granted and all land thereof will be given from them," he said, shocking everyone and putting Khimari even further on edge.
"What's the catch?" Khimari said, instantly.
"In exchange for our generous offer, we observe that you stand trial in place of your tribe for the assassination of Apostle Misaha, the 36th Empress of the theocracy of Begnion."
"..." A deathly silence stood over every current occupant of the room. All eyes were on Khimari, who showed no outward emotion at the declaration. "...This proposition will be discussed with our leaders. Will that be all?"
"That is the last matter of our meeting," Sephiran said. "I now declare this session adjourned. If General Sephiran and General Tanith would kindly show our guests outside, you may be on your way to Gallia." Just as said, the two leaders of the Holy Guard came and guided the Laguz convoy outside the Mainal Cathedral.
"Goodbye, Prince Khimari. May the Goddess provide you a safe journey home."
"We'll meet again, soon. I'm sure of it." Without another word, the four of them left the presence of the Begnion soldiers, quickly leaving the city on their way to return to Gallia.
"...Things have certainly taken an interesting turn," the raven said when they were far away from Beorc ears. "What will you tell them?"
"The truth," Khimari simply said, his face still blank as he tried to process the events of their visit to the Mainal Cathedral.
XXXXX
That night…
"Can you all continue?" Khimari asked, seeing as the rest began to lag behind him. Clearly, they weren't used to this kind of relentless travel in such a short distance.
"Do not underestimate us...We will be fine."
"...We'll stop here tonight," the wolf decided, going against what Alzo just suggested. "You all look like you're about to sleep on your feet. It's better for you to conserve your energy. We'll continue after midnight if you're able." The sun had just set a while ago, and while the moon had just begun its waxing phases, Khimari could easily tell the night progressions from the growing crescent shape it had once again started to take. Taking his leave of the three, he transformed before going out to fetch them some prey. Easily finding a few shrews and a mouse, he brought them back to the resting group. "Eat up," he said before taking a place by a tree to relax for a while.
For a small time, the Laguz ate their food and took the break to rest their bodies. In that time, Khimari had been stuck on what Sephiran had told him earlier in the day.
"It is of the utmost importance that you reach Gallia before the night falls." The man's words repeated constantly in Khimari's mind, as well as the other warning he gave. What evil of the past did he have? There was nothing involving Begni-
The sound of steady marching brought the wolf out of his thoughts. Looking to the east, he heard the sound of metal gradually getting louder as it neared them. By this time, the rest of the Laguz had also taken notice of what was coming their way.
"Is something amiss?" Alzo asked. Unfortunately, his question would soon be answered as a small mass of torches revealed a group of well-armed Begnion soldiers who didn't look the least bit friendly.
"There they are! Kill all the sub-humans!"
XXXXX
A/N: Okay, do NOT crucify me for this chapter! It only made sense for Nailah to hold some level of bitterness towards Tibarn, and the conflict between the two is much more explainable given the nature of the wolves' departure from Tellius...And yes, the backstory scene was indeed rude. But I digress...I am going to try and bust out the next chapter ASAP because I KNOW that this kind of cliffhanger isn't one you wait six months to update on...Granted, school starts again in one week so we'll see what happens.
With that said...See y'all later!
Blizzard, out!