CHAPTER 18

Meanwhile, with the prince of Serenes Forest, the elegant Prince Reyson, he was greeting an elderly raven laguz named Nealuchi, who asked him about his father, the Heron King Lorazieh. Reyson answered, saying that he was the same ever since the Begnion people burned the home of the heron laguz to ashes and burnt branches. Nealuchi was not surprised at all. Reyson wondered why.

"It's because he has lost everything. His family, his friends, and his countrymen." said Nealuchi. "Yet, it's a miracle how you are still with us."

"Yes… I suppose it is truly a miracle how I am still breathing, wings flapping with white feathers out as ever." Reyson said.

"Now, anything I can do for you?" asked Nealuchi.

"Thank you, Nealuchi. I appreciate your sentiment." said Reyson. Then, two male raven laguz soldiers and a female raven laguz named Norné came to see Naesala.

"Prince Reyson, the king is ready to come and see you." Norné said.

"Very well." Reyson said.

"Sorry to have kept you waiting, Reyson." said King Naesala.

"Should I stay too?" asked Nealuchi.

"Talk about ancient history later, leave us at once." Naesala said.

"Hmph." said Nealuchi.

"Now, Reyson, what pitches you here?" asked Naesala.

"Your strong attitude during that Goldoa meeting piqued my interest a little." Reyson said. "Now, what is it you're after? Why did you even provoke Tibarn in the first place?!"

"...You came all this way for that? Seriously?" asked Naesala.

"Yes, I did." Reyson said. "I don't put up with shit like that."

"Foul beak, eh?" Naesala thought.

"Keep your thoughts to yourself." said Reyson. "And don't mock me, crow king! Tibarn is the guardian of my father, the king of the Herons."

"And therefore, what now?" asked Naesala.

"What now? WHAT NOW?! Seriously, Naesala, if it were not for him, House Serenes would suffer for life!" Reyson shouted. "I would never brook any insults to King Tibarn, King of Phoenicis Hawks."

"I see, I see…" said Naesala. "So rather than allying with me, your trusted old companion, you yourself would side with your new protector? Hmm? Is that how it will be played?" he later questioned Reyson. "Because that is a shift in the attitude. I trust this: When you and your sister were young, it was I, not Tibarn, who watched over you. That true? Or not true?" Reyson then had a minute of silence, He then said something about bearing change laying in the roost of the Raven King. Naesala then asked if he had anything else to say.

"Here's the thing." Reyson said. "You, my old friend, continue to engage with MY enemy: the humans. Maybe if you yourself changed ways, maybe we can rebuild the relationship we once had." Naesala then said he could not change his ways because the beorc are essential to the fulfillment of his ambitions. Reyson was disgusted, saying that Naesala has in fact changed. He then had nothing else to say to the Raven King.

"You know what, I doubt that you could ever understand what it means to guard the raven kingdom of Kilvas, Prince Reyson. That is, to protect an entire country." Naesala said. Norné later showed up.

"Your Majesty, King Naesala, Duke Tanas of Begnion has arrived." Norné said.

"...Bring the Duke in." said Naesala.

"Yes, Your Royal Majesty." Norné said. She later went to get Duke Tanas, who was Oliver.

"What may I do for you, Duke Tanas?" asked Naesala to Oliver.

"Oh, King Kilvas! I have just seen a winged specimen here." Oliver said. "Say, was THAT one of the white-winged heron nobles?" he later asked.

"Yes, it was." Naesala said.

"But they are supposed to be extinct! Gone! Bye-bye herons!" Oliver said.

"Wait, Duke Tanas…" Naesala said.

"Ah, the heron laguz. With golden hair like falling gold dust… White wings like the wings of a swan… now THAT is the crystallization of something I call beauty." Oliver said.

"Can we please…discuss this business at hand, Duke Tanas?" asked Naesala. "Privately…"

"Sure." said Oliver.

Back with Ike and the Greil Mercenaries, he was given another job by Sanaki, the apostle. She answered no questions about the cargo that Ike seized on his previous mission. Titania even wondered what was going on. However, Ike started to get disgusted because of the act of beorc nobles after Mist and Titania were discussing them. Then, the group was off to the great location of the Grann Desert. Little did Kamaria know that she would finally reunite with her brother at long last. When the group finally reached Grann Desert, they were met by two unknown people: a young beorc child and a green-furred tiger laguz. Both were furious with the group in the desert, saying that they were nothing but people of the senator's dogs casting them off as thieves who were going to murder them. However, the child then said something about laguz slaves being freed one day, and that they would pay for their unforgiving crimes. Ike wondered what the child was talking about.

"You know what? No more useless words out of you people!" said the child. "Brothers, take them away!"

"Oh, no!" said Kito who was inside his temple with his laguz friends. "That young child with the orange cloak and the laguz are fighting!"

"Any signs of your sister?" asked the raven laguz Davela.

"No…?" said Kito in confusion. Suddenly, he saw a pegasus with pink and mint armor on. Thinking it was Kamaria's pegasus, he went to check. And to his perfect guess, he was finally reunited with his sister at long, long last.

"Kito! You're safe!" Kamaria exclaimed.

"Kamaria!" yelled Kito. "Thank the goddess I found you, and you're okay too!"

"Who are those people?" asked Kamaria. "They better not be siding with these people."

"We're not." said Davela the raven laguz and the hawk laguz Talyana."

"Who are you guys anyways?" asked Kamaria. "You with Kito?"

"No time to explain. But we do need your help." said Davela. After giving a snap, she later transformed into her raven state with her bright golden collar still buckled around her neck with a dragon's tooth serving as its tag.

"I'm glad you're okay, Kito." Ike said.

"It's all thanks to the Laguz Confederation Legion and their members taking extra good care of me while I was away from Daein." said Kito. "After all, Ashnard is just a stupid, pathetic wyvern-riding bastard who set war upon Crimea."

"How'd you know 'bout that damn Mad King Ashnard?" Nephenee asked.

"I knew about it all along." Kito answered. "My older sister probably just found out."

"...Right." said Ike. "Well, now we know you're safe. Now let's go. You use a lance, right?"

"Lances, knives, and staves." said Kito.

"We could use some extra staff users around here for Mist's assistance." said Ike. "Welcome to the Greil Mercenaries, then, Kito."

"Woohoo!" said Kito. "Oh, wait, what am I doing? I need to help the Greil Mercenaries fight off these laguz!" Kito then went to help fight off the laguz and the child responsible for letting the laguz attack at their will towards Ike.

Meanwhile, a green-haired, purple-robed lion-branded Swordmaster named Stefan was stranded near the building where the transformed green tiger laguz was. As Lethe and Mordecai were able to sense this, they went up to Stefan.

"Mmmmmrrrrr…" said Mordecai.

"Grrrrr…" growled Lethe.

"I'm sorry, is there something I can do for you, fellow beast laguz?" asked Stefan.

"Oh, I'm sorry, who're you?" asked Lethe.

"My name is Stefan. I am a lion-branded who lives in these deserts with other Branded. You know, the people who have beorc and laguz parents." Stefan said.

"I know what the branded are." said Lethe.

"Lethe, come on!" Mordecai said. "Mordecai wants to get back to fighting off those laguz bandits!"

"You speak in third person?" asked Stefan.

"Sorry, Mordecai cannot speak perfect Tellius Language." said Lethe. "Come. Join us. We need extra help."

"Well, I am skilled with my Vague Katti. Alright. I'm in! Count on, everyone!"

"Stefan!" said Rojo. "What are you doing away from home?"

"Those two laguz are in an army! They need help!" said Stefan. "I'm going to help them."

"Right." Rojo said.

"Aren't you… uh… going to transform?" asked Stefan.

"Can't." said Rojo. "Me being a Goldoan Red Dragon is the reason why. I, along with the other Goldoan dragons, don't want anyone else to know we are of Goldoan heritage. That's why I use knives." Rojo explained.

"I see." said Stefan.

Back with Ike, he never liked the fact that he was fighting off laguz in the hot Grann Desert. But they were bandits. Once he was able to reach the tiger laguz leader, who's name was Muarim, he took his Demi Band, a band that was made for the laguz, and gave it to Kito for him to give it to one of his laguz friends. Muarim and the orange-cloaked child, whose name was Tormod, tried to reason with everyone, saying that they were not thieves.

"You are the leader of this band?" asked Ike to Muarim.

"Yes." said Muarim. "I am. Take me… or execute me on the spot. I don't care. But for the love of the goddess… please… let my companions go."

"I'll let them go." Ike said. Tormod wouldn't allow it.

"Who're you?" asked Ike.

"If you want to kill him, you have to kill me first." said Tormod. "By the way, my name's Tormod. Muarim took me in when I was an infant."

"Yes, I did." said Muarim. "He has nothing to do with us… sub-humans…"

"You just… called yourself the 's' word." Ike said.

"I know…" Muarim said. "But Tormod just wants to be here… with me."

"But who's the leader of the laguz emancipation army? I AM! " Tormad remarked.

"You didn't have to yell, Tormod." Muarim recalled.

"You are a biiiiiiiiig jerk, Muarim!" said Tormod.

"Tormod…" said Muarim.

"I don't care who the leader is." said Ike. "You, a laguz who calls himself a sub-human, are trying to protect a little beorc child who claims to lead a laguz emancipation army?" he later asked. Everyone was confused.

"Actually, I was looking for everyone in the Laguz Confederation Legion." said Cecily Fliesher.

"Miss Fliesher!" said Kito. "I found my sister! At long last!"

"I'm glad to see you and your sister back together." Hannah said.

"So… what are we to do now?" asked Ross.

"Yeah!" Samantha said. "I want to learn more about laguz! And the Laguz Confederation Legion! Come! Let me learn new thing about laguz changelings!" Samantha exclaimed excitedly.

"I know you are excited, Samantha, but we have nowhere to go!" said Kamaria.

"I know of something." Ike said. "Excuse me. You with the reddish-pinkish hair." he said as he looked at Cecily.

"Me?" asked Cecily.

"Yeah." said Ike. "May we go to…wherever you reside?"

"I reside in that area over there, called the Pramagala Village." Cecily said. "We can go." she later said. "I'll even introduce you to my other commanders and the laguz I control. I'll even introduce you to some of the other people who live there."

"Splendid." Ike said. And so, Ike went off to the Pramagala Village, home to branded people, people whose one parent was a beorc, and the other was a laguz. However, there were mostly laguz in this village. However, it was the beorc in the village's upper west side who were strict in this village. Ike was just about to see why the beorc were so cold, harsh, and strict towards the laguz in the village. There, he was also going to get answers from Tormod and Muarim about laguz slavery and laguz slave trading in general to the beorc.