"So this is Rausten's capital," Ferrus mused as he entered the city. After his flight from his father's home in Renais with naught but a few tomes and a vulnerary, he had realized that he hadn't really thought his journey through. Granted it wasn't like he had the luxury of extensive planning, he had escaped as soon as the opportunity had presented itself after all.
All Ferrus had to go on about his mother's identity was that she was a Laguz, and that she had fled his father's castle shortly after his birth. He had assumed she would have escaped to Laguz territory, somewhere that the Beorc wouldn't be able to easily follow. And now his journey had taken him to the Laguz capital. Ferrus hadn't expected the journey to be easy, but neither had he thought it was going to be as difficult as it was. His form limited how far he could travel, how long he could stay awake, and how high he could climb among other things. This child's body certainly has its disadvantages, he thought sardonically.
Ferrus had enough foresight to wear a pale violet cloak over his clothes. His usual outfit still bore the insignia of house Aden, his father's house, and Ferrus felt that he would rather not be torn to pieces immediately after entering the city. And though he had his magic to aid him, Ferrus was loath to use his last remaining combat tome, a treatise on Flux magic, he had not escaped with any money to replenish his supply, and Dark Magic tomes weren't really a common commodity sold to small children, even older men who only had the appearance of a small child.
Still now that he was here, Ferrus was unsure of how to proceed. He really had no clues, save the Brand on his stomach, and even he wasn't too sure how that might help him. In the first level of the city, Ferrus saw others like himself, half-Laguz, half-Beorc, all second-class citizen. But at least Branded here were allowed to live their lives without being reviled for their birth. Looked down upon, yes, Ferrus could recognize that look of superiority anywhere. He had seen it all his life. His father had never missed an opportunity to instill into Ferrus that he would always be inferior to a pureblood Beorc, no matter how hard he tried to prove himself. And Ferrus could see very similar gazes on the faces of the Laguz who regarded the Branded. But other than that, Ferrus didn't see see any of the cruelties that some Beorc inflicted on Branded or Laguz.
He met with a Branded couple who seemed to be the leaders of the city's Branded community. Introducing himself as a Branded child, Ferrus asked about what he would need to do to secure a place to live within the city and he was told that he would have to speak with the Envoy of Naga.
This person might have information about my mother too, Ferrus thought. And so he bowed and thanked the couple and headed for the temple at the top of the city. He weathered many a judging gaze as he climbed the mountain, his child form tiring quickly as it always did. He had to stop more than once on the way up, and one time he looked to see a man flying upwards as well. Must be nice to have wings, Ferrus thought as he panted, why does this temple have to be so damn high? Eventually, he made it to the temple grounds, and was amazed by the natural splendor of it all, the way the temple and the mountainside were seemingly one and the same. "This was worth the climb," he breathed quietly.
He saw a few Laguz heading inside and followed them, thinking that perhaps there was a line of well-wishers and supplicants to the Envoy, and that he would merely be waiting for a while and then get to talk to the Envoy. Or were Branded even allowed to talk to the Envoy? Ferrus wasn't sure, back in Renais he wasn't able to get the time of day from someone, let alone ask for an audience with their ruler.
What awaited him inside threw him for a loop. The group of Laguz that he had followed in were simply waiting inside the temple, a somewhat unearthly figure, the Envoy, seemingly waiting as if expecting everyone to arrive. A cloaked and masked figure stood in the shadows of the temple expressing his desire to stop waiting. Waiting? For what? Next to the Envoy a young blonde boy, not a Laguz from his appearance so either a Branded or pure Beorc, stood calmly. A graceful Heron Laguz stood next to a Taguel who was glaring daggers at the non-Laguz standing next to the Envoy. Her killing intent was palpable, just as palpable as that of a Wolf Laguz who had begun to advance on the boy, weapons drawn. Apparently, that whole thing he had read about Laguz forsaking weapons and fighting with tooth and claw and talon wasn't true, maybe times had changed. A cat Laguz twiddling with a bit of yarn, and an armored Laguz with wings also passively watched the scene unfold. There was another Taguel who had seemingly proffered a Killing Edge to the Envoy.
He quickly considered the worst possible scenario, for he usually ended up in the worst possible scenario. This was a ritual in which a Beorc or Branded was sacrificed to their god(s) in exchange for bestowing supernatural powers onto an object. While unlikely, that was the worst possible thing Ferrus could think of at the moment. It was probably something like the boy broke one of the the laws here and was being punished. I'll have to make sure I follow the rules carefully, I would like to continue living after all. He pulled his hood up over his head, the longer he was not recognized as a non-Laguz/Taguel the more likely he was to survive. Then he remembered, he did pass someone on his way inside. Another Taguel, maybe, Ferrus had't been paying too much attention to his surroundings on his approach to the temple. He had let his guard down a bit too much. Everyone else in the temple was focused on the boy near the Envoy, and not on Ferrus. But if the Taguel he passed said something upon entering, Ferrus broke into a nervous sweat while he waited for the axe, or axes rather, to drop.
