Altan wondered if any of the Laguz around the camp could sense his presence as a fellow member of their race. A feature that the Beorc could possibly observe that would make them come to the conclusion that he was Laguz was his height; not many Beorc were two meters tall.
Though, that was where the line was drawn. Altan no longer possessed his bear ears, the ones that Leena had found a habit in playing with. No trace of his Laguz blood was openly obvious, but it did not bother him too much. He was still as strong and capable in his human state. He extended his hand out towards the great fire and stared at the back of his palm, closing and opening his fist as veins rippled beneath his knuckles.
Altan drew a long yawn, the corner of his eye focused on Jix as he looked into the flame. "This large expedition is pointless," he laid back against the grass, the cool earth matching the breeze. "Nobody cares about the tribes. I'll bet the soldiers are just flirting with the flock of hens."
"And what about you, Altan?" Jix turned from the female, standing beside him.
Altan rolled onto his stomach, rising to his feet with his back to his overseer. "Maybe some other time."
Jix Moros
After seeing that Altan did not wish to talk about it, Jix returned to Aelia and apologized for cutting off their conversation abruptly. "Jax is a quiet one," he said. "But he got sharp as a prod when he argued with my folks. He's a good kid, though; always gentle when it came to handlin' things around home."
"It's late, sweetie. You should-"
"As if she didn't notice, already?" Altan interjected from behind.
The commotion around the camp had grown more silent, with light chatter now joined by the sounds of people settling into the tents or sleeping. Jix cleared his throat, wearing his helmet. "You should find yourself a place, I'll handle your horse."
"I got it," Pogs suddenly emerged from the outer confines of the camp, taking the reins and beginning to guide the mount away from the fire. "The cap'n wants you to speak with him, Jix; methinks you should get there in a swift."
Shaking his head and letting out a small laugh, Jix began to wipe away any potential blemishes on his green armor. "You have yourself a good night, Aelia." He turned from the woman, walking off into the camp.
"Jix Moros is the name," he replied, introducing himself and motioning his head as if he were tipping a hat. "Just your everyday soldier, sweetie. I'm from around these parts, just a lil' more south from here."
The thoughts of home rushed into Jix's mind, drawing a small frown. "Yeah, home's down there, in that territory..."
If the rumors of terror being used to subjugate the population who disagreed with the secession in the south were true, Jix prayed that his family was safe from it. "Anyway," his smile gleamed once more. "My family tends the ranch I was born on. I've got a younger brother, he should be comin' up on fifteen now."
A simple word to summarize the trip from Altan's perspective. As much as he wanted time to pass in order to get closer to his son, he was unsure if the entire operation would be a breeze like he had been frequently told.
Sure, it would have been believable if only a small portion of the country had rebelled, but all of the southern districts? They made up nearly a third of Cliace, and if they were that inclined to separate forcefully, only an idiot would say that some form of armed conflict was impossible from happening. Once more, the thought of Beorc being strange creatures resurfaced; how they could be so adamant about their ideals confused him. They were the only race that actively deceived and killed one another for their beliefs; murderers, thieves, criminals, almost all of them were Beorc. Though, he could not pin all of the sins on the other race; he himself could not recall how many people he had killed for the sake of attaining fame during his mercenary years. It was as if all life was parasitic in nature.
Though, unlike everyone else, Altan acknowledged this flaw, and accepted it. There was nothing else to live for in the world except for his son, and he would do anything to make sure that he would get him back, even if it meant having to rip the Emperor into pieces with his own bare hands.
Altan's venture eventually led him back to the large campfire at the center of the encampment. Having seen the rest of the camp, he was actually astonished by the brevity in the soldiers' work. "Wow, pretty impressive," he complimented as he took a seat by the fire, looking around as he sensed his kin. One was close, though there were Laguz scattered all over the camp. It didn't matter much to him if he found another one, anyway; he was technically no longer Laguz, and he wasn't there to make friends.
It was unexpected, but Pogs burst out in laughter.
"I ain't so sure we need your little weapons," Pogs hefted the blade over his shoulder. "After all, she and I," he pointed to Diamanda. "Are soldiers of the Cliacian Army, the most well-equipped army in the country!"
Obviously, it was a baseless statement, but Pogs liked to boast, anyway. "Now, if you ain't got any business with us, I would take your horse back up north. The south's a dangerous place right now, they're taking roamers like you hostage."
Hi, disappeared for a few days, needed a break but I'm back. Gonna post in the IC later today, but before that, just gonna throw the NPC character sheet of Deacon in here. Since he's an NPC, it'll be very brief.
OC: Ignis Stupeo Scientia, Final Fantasy XV
Height: 5'11
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Gray
Complexion: Fair
Body Composition: Lean
Name: Deacon Excellen, 36th Emperor of Cliace
Age: Thirty-nine years old.
Race: Beorc
Gender: Male
Affinity: Anima
Class: Emperor [Swordmaster]
Personality:
Dislikes violence greatly, advocate for peaceful negotiation
Highly intelligent, able to easily read people's traits
Charismatic and influential speaker
Supports equality of Laguz and Beorc
Selfless, often represents the will of the people
Is criticized for being too open-minded and considerate for others
Biography:
Descendant of Ffænir, the first ruler of Cliace
Youngest person to ever rule Cliace
Only son of the previous emperor, Sinclair
Was against his father's ideologies of Beorc superiority
Often left the palace to mingle among the common folk
His father drained the country's funds to bolster the military
Forced his father to abdicate the throne at the age of sixteen, exiling him from the country
Froze military funding and took from the royal family's reserve to revitalize the country's economy
His rule has been dubbed as the country's golden age
Focused efforts mainly on eliminating poverty, resulting in the lack of focus on other matters
With Laguz rights low on his list of priorities, the southern districts rebelled as a result, unaware of the amount of work he has actually done
Is now fearing a large-scale civil war, torn between the completion of fixing the economy and focusing on Laguz rights