The Meeting Caineghis: Thank all of you for coming,my fellow laguz kings. It's been decades since all of us were gathered in one place. I would extend my gratitude to King Deghinsea of Goldoa, who arranged this meeting place at short notice. Deghinsea: It was nothing, King Caineghis. Caineghis: Fellow kings and countrymen, attend to my words! As you no doubt have heard, Daein has invaded Crimea and overrun her. Of course, Crimea is a beorc nation...However, since the time of her founding, she has made every effort to engage the laguz with honor and dignity. Never has this been more true than during the thirty-year reign of good King Ramon. During this era, Gallia and Crimea initiated many ambitious cultural projects in an attempt to bring our divided people closer.Yet one man has always reviled our work...The Daein king, Ashnard. Why he took this recent course, however...I know not. Ashnard's actions are monstrous. His army has put much of Crimea to the sword. Her people live in terror. Her king lies dead. And now, the Daein forces continue their ruinous march and cross the border into laguz territory... Into Gallia. Tibarn: That trespass, O king of lions, is because your country chooses to harbor King Crimea's orphan. Is it not? Caineghis: Yes, that is the justification they would present. Tibarn: But the princess of Crimea is no longer in Gallia, is she? Caineghis: Your spies are as efficient as ever, King Tibarn of Phoenicis. As you say, the princess has already departed for Begnion. Tibarn: I know this only because she came to the aid of a ship carrying Begnion's apostle. Caineghis: Ah! So Princess Elincia is safe and in contact with the Begnion Empire? That news gladdens my heavy heart. Tibarn: I do not believe that Daein yet has this information. If word got out that the princess of Crimea has been granted sanctuary in Begnion, Daein might halt its invasion of Gallia. Naesala: Your information is dated, hawk king! Have your legendary eyes and ears abandoned you after all these years? Tibarn: You have something you wish to say? Caineghis: Would you be so kind as to explain yourself, King Kilvas? Naesala: Princess Elincia barely escaped Crimea with her life and then fled to Gallia. And yet a certain king of beasts there, one on whom she had pinned all hope, chose not to support her. Caineghis: ... Naesala: With nowhere else to turn, the princess and her retinue spent two long months at sea, arriving in Begnion mere days ago.Daein knows of these events as well,and the king has dispatched a team of hunters to make a corpse of the girl. And that, dear kings, is the latest news...At least, to the best of my poor knowledge. Caineghis: Daein knows the princess is in Begnion?! King Kilvas, how did you come to possess this information? Naesala: Why, there's no trick to it. I just perk up my ears and...point them in the right direction. Tibarn: You expect us to believe that a stray wind carried it to your ears? This is an odd tale, Naesala. Naesala: Hmm? Do you think so? Well, there is one trick to information gathering that I know. Shall I share it with you? Tibarn: If it involves dealing with human scum, I'll pass. Forgoing my laguz pride is not something I'm willing to do. Naesala: Ha! Is that not always the way of Phoenicis, to cling to those last tattered remnants of pride? Instead of proclaiming that you will attack none but Begnion ships, just admit that you don't have the power to do more! Tibarn: What did you say? Dheginsea: Both of you will desist at once! King Naesala of Kilvas, your actions of late can indeed be judged as too extreme. Naesala: Black Dragon King of Goldoa, what do you pretend to know of my actions? Please, enlighten me. Dheginsea: I would remind you of the beorc ship you attacked in Phoenicisian waters...and left stranded in Goldoan territory. Naesala: Oh...that. Tibarn: Naesala, you lying crow! You've been sneaking about in my territory again, have you? Dheginsea: I heard from my own son, Kurthnaga, that a beorc resembling Princess Crimea was on board that ship. Kurthnaga: It is true. Caineghis: What? King Kilvas, you... Naesala: Don't act surprised! I have no intention of ruling some tiny island nation forever. I will make Kilvas a name to remember! To that end, no amount of gold is enough. Laguz or beorc, I care not. If the pay is right, there's nothing I won't do. Dheginsea: I care not about the reach of your ambition, but you should choose your methods with more care. What good will it do you to expand your domain only to find enemies at your every border? Naesala: I will take your words to heart for the time being. Dheginsea: And you, too, King Phoenicis. What good will your piracy do you if it earns the wrath of Begnion? Continue at this pace, and there's no telling when the hostilities will end. Tibarn: Until the people of Begnion apologize for the slaughter of our brother herons, I will do no such thing. Dheginsea: Prince Reyson of Serenes? Are you of the same mind? Reyson: Those humans burned Serenes Forest and killed my people. No amount of human blood can slake my thirst for vengeance. For my siblings, for my countrymen, I demand justice. I cannot even return mybedridden father to our forest home! I am no soldier. I know nothing of war, so King Phoenicis acts in my stead. I am most grateful to him, and I would not see him stop until Begnion has paid. Dheginsea: Blood leads only to blood, and violence begets violence. Nothing more. Revenge is simply another name for murder. Reyson: ... Dheginsea: And you, king of lions? What will you do about your home of Gallia? Now that you know Daein's feint toward Gallia is merely another move in his game of war, how will you act? Caineghis: They've made no formal declaration of war. Until they do, we watch and wait. Tibarn: If it's the first step towards eradicating all human scum, Phoenicis will help you destroy Daein. Caineghis: No. Unless this becomes a true war among all nations, I want you to stay your hand. As long as Gallia is protected by the sea of trees, we can stave off Daein's attacks. Naesala: Ah, the luxury of a large nation! You would waste a chance to expand your territory just to maintain the status quo? Sad. Deghinsea: I agree with King Gallia. If we were to form a laguz alliance against Daein, we would drive Begnion to Daein's side and lose a valuable ally. The flames of war cannot be fanned haphazardly. Above all, we must think of Lehran's Medallion. Its location is unknown...But it still exists. We know this. And as long as it does, we cannot allow any war that could stand to engulf all our nations! Do you understand, laguz kings? I beg of you, do not forget it.
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Chapter 14: Training
Date: 2015-09-09 03:53 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-09-09 04:01 pm (UTC)Caineghis: Thank all of you for coming,my fellow laguz kings. It's been decades since all of us were gathered in one place. I would extend my gratitude to King Deghinsea of Goldoa, who arranged this meeting place at short notice.
Deghinsea: It was nothing, King Caineghis.
Caineghis: Fellow kings and countrymen, attend to my words! As you no doubt have heard, Daein has invaded Crimea and overrun her. Of course, Crimea is a beorc nation...However, since the time of her founding, she has made every effort to engage the laguz with honor and dignity. Never has this been more true than during the thirty-year reign of good King Ramon. During this era, Gallia and Crimea initiated many ambitious cultural projects in an attempt to bring our divided people closer.Yet one man has always reviled our work...The Daein king, Ashnard. Why he took this recent course, however...I know not. Ashnard's actions are monstrous. His army has put much of Crimea to the sword. Her people live in terror. Her king lies dead. And now, the Daein forces continue their ruinous march and cross the border into laguz territory... Into Gallia.
Tibarn: That trespass, O king of lions, is because your country chooses to harbor King Crimea's orphan. Is it not?
Caineghis: Yes, that is the justification they would present.
Tibarn: But the princess of Crimea is no longer in Gallia, is she?
Caineghis: Your spies are as efficient as ever, King Tibarn of Phoenicis. As you say, the princess has already departed for Begnion.
Tibarn: I know this only because she came to the aid of a ship carrying Begnion's apostle.
Caineghis: Ah! So Princess Elincia is safe and in contact with the Begnion Empire? That news gladdens my heavy heart.
Tibarn: I do not believe that Daein yet has this information. If word got out that the princess of Crimea has been granted sanctuary in Begnion, Daein might halt its invasion of Gallia.
Naesala: Your information is dated, hawk king! Have your legendary eyes and ears abandoned you after all these years?
Tibarn: You have something you wish to say?
Caineghis: Would you be so kind as to explain yourself, King Kilvas?
Naesala: Princess Elincia barely escaped Crimea with her life and then fled to Gallia. And yet a certain king of beasts there, one on whom she had pinned all hope, chose not to support her.
Caineghis: ...
Naesala: With nowhere else to turn, the princess and her retinue spent two long months at sea, arriving in Begnion mere days ago.Daein knows of these events as well,and the king has dispatched a team of hunters to make a corpse of the girl. And that, dear kings, is the latest news...At least, to the best of my poor knowledge.
Caineghis: Daein knows the princess is in Begnion?! King Kilvas, how did you come to possess this information?
Naesala: Why, there's no trick to it. I just perk up my ears and...point them in the right direction.
Tibarn: You expect us to believe that a stray wind carried it to your ears? This is an odd tale, Naesala.
Naesala: Hmm? Do you think so? Well, there is one trick to information gathering that I know. Shall I share it with you?
Tibarn: If it involves dealing with human scum, I'll pass. Forgoing my laguz pride is not something I'm willing to do.
Naesala: Ha! Is that not always the way of Phoenicis, to cling to those last tattered remnants of pride? Instead of proclaiming that you will attack none but Begnion ships, just admit that you don't have the power to do more!
Tibarn: What did you say?
Dheginsea: Both of you will desist at once! King Naesala of Kilvas, your actions of late can indeed be judged as too extreme.
Naesala: Black Dragon King of Goldoa, what do you pretend to know of my actions? Please, enlighten me.
Dheginsea: I would remind you of the beorc ship you attacked in Phoenicisian waters...and left stranded in Goldoan territory.
Naesala: Oh...that.
Tibarn: Naesala, you lying crow! You've been sneaking about in my territory again, have you?
Dheginsea: I heard from my own son, Kurthnaga, that a beorc resembling Princess Crimea was on board that ship.
Kurthnaga: It is true.
Caineghis: What? King Kilvas, you...
Naesala: Don't act surprised! I have no intention of ruling some tiny island nation forever. I will make Kilvas a name to remember! To that end, no amount of gold is enough. Laguz or beorc, I care not. If the pay is right, there's nothing I won't do.
Dheginsea: I care not about the reach of your ambition, but you should choose your methods with more care. What good will it do you to expand your domain only to find enemies at your every border?
Naesala: I will take your words to heart for the time being.
Dheginsea: And you, too, King Phoenicis. What good will your piracy do you if it earns the wrath of Begnion? Continue at this pace, and there's no telling when the hostilities will end.
Tibarn: Until the people of Begnion apologize for the slaughter of our brother herons, I will do no such thing.
Dheginsea: Prince Reyson of Serenes? Are you of the same mind?
Reyson: Those humans burned Serenes Forest and killed my people. No amount of human blood can slake my thirst for vengeance. For my siblings, for my countrymen, I demand justice. I cannot even return mybedridden father to our forest home! I am no soldier. I know nothing of war, so King Phoenicis acts in my stead. I am most grateful to him, and I would not see him stop until Begnion has paid.
Dheginsea: Blood leads only to blood, and violence begets violence. Nothing more. Revenge is simply another name for murder.
Reyson: ...
Dheginsea: And you, king of lions? What will you do about your home of Gallia? Now that you know Daein's feint toward Gallia is merely another move in his game of war, how will you act?
Caineghis: They've made no formal declaration of war. Until they do, we watch and wait.
Tibarn: If it's the first step towards eradicating all human scum, Phoenicis will help you destroy Daein.
Caineghis: No. Unless this becomes a true war among all nations, I want you to stay your hand. As long as Gallia is protected by the sea of trees, we can stave off Daein's attacks.
Naesala: Ah, the luxury of a large nation! You would waste a chance to expand your territory just to maintain the status quo? Sad.
Deghinsea: I agree with King Gallia. If we were to form a laguz alliance against Daein, we would drive Begnion to Daein's side and lose a valuable ally. The flames of war cannot be fanned haphazardly. Above all, we must think of Lehran's Medallion. Its location is unknown...But it still exists. We know this. And as long as it does, we cannot allow any war that could stand to engulf all our nations! Do you understand, laguz kings? I beg of you, do not forget it.