XVII

As the Breeze Thins

Men Za-Hel’s wings were brilliant banners, tapestries of grace that inspired the dirt it shadowed. All the better, then, that he should be soaring at the top of the world. Whisking between massive behemoths of soil, suspended in elevation by invaluable magic thousands of feet above the Land District, the sun shone and reflected off of his milky white feathers. That brilliant glare ensured that the Head General’s silhouette matched the garish purity of his soul.

Drifting playfully at his back, flew two beautiful creatures. Each about twice his size, they twirled and bobbed and growled as they followed the Aarakocra. These were Dragons; young adult twins whose durable green scales evoked images of burning acid as much as they did the verdant hues of nature. Despite that, when Men Za-Hel took them as his pets, he named them after the softer inspiration of their sheen: Flora and Fauna. They’d been kept in Tam Häaven, the island where most Dragons are bred and raised in captivity, for longer than Men had been alive. But after years of visiting, training, and showing no interest in any animals that weren’t these particular siblings, it became clear to all involved that these gentle steeds were both meant to be Men’s.

The responsibilities of the crown he claimed three years ago took heavy tolls on the young General’s schedule. To focus on leadership, Men had to give up his hobbies: his birdwatching, his climbing, his hours spent carelessly catching and releasing wild animals at Freefield- but he refused to give this up. Gliding from island to island, feeling the wind in his feathers and the waterfalls on his head with no real aim or direction; basking in the beauty of the Sky District was a sacred rite for the Aarakocran people, and Men Za-Hel refused to give his humanity to the crown.

He landed after an hour on the cliffs of A’rôkell, the island he called home. Flora and Fauna landed with hearty thuds just beside him, still learning how to tell when their master was about to make landing on short notice. Flora trotted into Men’s personal space, butting him with her chin, asking for affirmation that she behaved well during their flight. Fauna, who landed a little too close to the cliff and had to scramble his lower half onto land, leapt around a few times and growled. He could still feel the rush of the wind beneath his wings.

Men scratched Flora on the chin and neck. He patted her nose to back her up, and walked toward the island’s center. A’rôkell was, like almost all of Heavenfell's islands, mostly a flat and bright green field, broken up by a litany of tents and the occasional river. Might oak trees sprouted in small clusters, withstanding the frigid air and relentless sunlight, which only stopped shining when the island passed straight through a cloud. Being the district's largest island, it was swarming with Aarakocra; the great eagles flew and spun and sparred all through the air, not a single one daring to waste a second in paradise.

This island held a few distinguishing landmarks, but none compared to its centerpiece. A good few minutes away was the General’s Stronghold, the mighty longhouse where issues and discussions concerning the nobility were conducted. It was also where Men and his family slept.

It was always a loud and busy place, that hadn’t changed since he was born. But it was so much easier to call that place home when it was his father, Rey, that the Nobles were barking after. As a boy, they would aggravate, ignore, or even push the boy around while Rey was too busy for them. Now that he was the center of these unbearable zealots’ attention, it felt like every second spent inside that place that didn't heighten his blood pressure was a sacred gift of God.

Men briefly considered getting a second home away from A’rôkell, as many Generals before him had in the past, but it was an impractical fantasy at best. For one, the General’s attention always being in demand was exactly why they lived in their office. But also, the Sky District scoffed at concepts of luxury and feckless spending. It was controversial enough that the General’s family got to live in a longhouse in the first place, a vacation home would be pitifully out of touch.

The longhouse's guests could be heard from a few feet out from its open doorway. If the Nobles couldn’t argue with Men, they had absolutely no problem filling time arguing with each other. Honestly, there weren’t even that many Nobles in the district- did these people spend any time on the islands they’re in charge of?

Men didn’t even get to step inside before he was noticed by Rin Sha-Hid; one of the five reigning Nobles of the Sunset Isles, where young blood is trained in the way of the soldier. He held out his arms and loudly greeted the General, catching the attention of the other two Nobles in the room.

“General Za-Hel!” He saluted, approaching Men and blocking his way inside. “Welcome home- we’ve been waiting on you! I hope your nap was refreshing.”

“It was fine, Sha-Hid,” Men peeked into the room over Rin's shoulder. “Meditation’s good for the spirit- can I help you?”

The longhouse's lobby was a large square room, massive frescoes painted the walls and ceiling depicting the Goddess Dyonia bathing her holy light on a group of Aarakocran soldiers. Dyonia was a luminous and vaguely feminine figure, little past her silhouette and outstretched arms could be seen beneath the stark light of her halo and radiant aura. The Aarakocra, a group of three twirling and twisting through the air, posed along the walls, each brandishing a weapon unique to them. One lashed below him with a chain whip, another brandished a might shield that reflected Dyonia's light, and the third guided his hands along the neck of a red Dragon.

Both side walls were decorated with the preserved skeletons of imposing beasts. On the left, a manticore: a terrifying mangle of nature with the head of a human, the body of a lion, and the tail of a lizard. On the right, a spectator: a circular floating head with a wide gaping jaw, and four stalks protruding from its back with divots for eyes. Both of these served as proud reminders of Heavenfell's might; a trophy of Aarakocra's triumph over Solevi's most abhorrent beasts.

Sitting against the back wall was the General's throne, an uncomfortable stone chair draped with ancient tapestries along the back, seat, and arms. Those tapestries depicted the founding of the Sky District; massive chunks of rock being painstakingly lifted by glorious eagles, all while fending off a horde of merciless dragons. The beauty of the throne art was that it gave no glory to one soldier. While you could identify the First General by his earrings if you looked hard enough, he was but one set of wings in the crowd- a drop in the unstoppable stream flowing upwards into heaven.

Finally, perhaps demanding more attention than the throne, a massive chandelier glimmered from the ceiling and illuminated the wood panel floor. Every hanging shard of glass was hand crafted, each piece given the time and attention one would give to a sovereign crown. The light within bounced from shard to shard, and seemed to glow even brighter with each reflection; on its own, the light in the ceiling would be dim, no more functional than a line of torches. But here, cherished in the glass maze, it was a second sun.

Alikath would have gotten lost in the chandelier, like he had so many times before, had Rin Sha-Hid not spoken to get his attention.

“We’re all eager to learn the outcome of this month’s land negotiation, Men. You hardly ever make us wait this long- and you picked a terrible month to drag your feet, if I may be so bold.”

“Funny that you ask to be bold after calling me slow, Sha-Hid.” Men Za-Hel took one step to the left, to walk around the noble. But Rin Sha-Hid stretched out his wings, cutting Men off completely from the longhouse.

Men grumbled, and finally looked Rin in the eyes, which made the noble smile. Rin put down his wings and stepped aside, holding his arm out to gesture Men’s path forward.

“Did you see my father come in before me, Rin?” Asked Men, finally stepping in.

“Rey is resting his legs- let’s not disturb him, he’s already seen what you’re about to report.”

“Actually, I’d like to speak to him first. We agreed to talk after digesting the new-”

“General!” saluted Lye Mai-Ra of Tam Häaven. “What becomes of the peak? Is it done!?”

“Mai-Ra,” Men greeted. “If I remember, it’s my job to open these conversations, not my subordinates’.”

“That hasn't been your job since you took office, Men!” Rin patted Men on the shoulder, and hung off his side. “Out with it, then- we’re all here for the same thing.”

“No, the three of you are here for the same thing,” Men shoved Rin's arm off. “I am here to speak to my father-”

“I heard rumors that you took from the Northeast, Men.” Norr Bré-Käal, also of the Sunset Isles, interjected. “Tell me we aren’t to believe you wasted our resources on Chesknot, General.”

“And here I thought one of you had learned to tether your tongue,” Men snapped at Norr. “Alright fine- I’ll make this quick so the three of you can get back to work. The negotiation went in an unexpected direction. Yes, my interests were steered further north, but not to Chesknot. I’ve acquired us the borders to a full village: Arbante.”

“Arbante?” Rin squinted. “How the hell did you end up with Arbante?”

“A full village is a… rare gift, General,” Lye praised, mindlessly scratching Fauna between the eyes. “But what do we seek to gain from there in particular?”

“Well, Arbante’s value speaks for itself,” Men started wandering around the room. “It’s a farming community, with a commendable agricultural history. And it’s decently sized, despite a low population density. The Arbantians shouldn’t put up much of a fight over assimilation, and our people will have an easier time keeping themselves fed.”

“We don’t have trouble keeping ourselves fed, Za-Hel.” Rin crossed his arms behind his back and followed Men with his head. “What happened- again- with Vagrant Peak!? Was anything claimed from the desert?”

“No,” Men shook his head. “I left the desert alone in exchange for Arbante.”

The three Nobles all groaned at once.

“Are you hellbent on letting our Militia bleed manpower, General!?” Norr whined. “Why the hell did you leave it alone?”

“Arbante’s value was too obvious to be passed up- we wouldn’t have gotten another chance to take the territory all at once! Full assimilation keeps communities together, and that minimizes bloodshed- you all know this!”

“Men, whatever we gain from Arbante will be lost in a decade through your enabling of our defectors!” Rin hissed. “Keep our people fed- sure- but the Land District is going to starve the ones we let fall to the sand! Without a loyal, unified army, we cannot be an empire; we cannot bring salvation when we ourselves are falling apart!”

“You exaggerate the mass of these defectors, Sha-Hid, our army has not lost our limbs to Vagrant Peak. And our defectors are replaced when you instill that loyalty into our youth- as is your responsibility.”

“Oh- because we have such abundant youth to supply with!” Lye laughed, running her hands back through her headfeathers. “Excuse me for missing the headline- have you discovered the cure for avian fertility, General? If so, please, share your secrets! my husband might finally earn a night’s rest.”

“We are training our young blood well, General,” Norr assured him. “But every bleeding vein is one we cannot afford. And we have been insistent on how big of a problem the Peak has become for us; how impactful its presence- or lack thereof- will be on the future of the land and sky!”

“I know that!” Men's head twitched. “God- click- you will accept no reason, will you!? The Ambassadors don’t yet understand that particular significance, they've recently undergone a total overhaul. I admit: I treaded lightly for their sake, and let them learn before signing the peak away.”

“You WHIT!” Rin shrilled. “That’s exactly why we told you to push for it today! This was the one time EVER that no one but Alikath Navarre would stand in the way of our future! You gave that away on purpose!?”

Rin’s feathers flared up, as he sized Men Za-Hel up. All too used to this behavior, Men Za-Hel held his wings out to overshadow Rin’s.

“You would have us trick the defenseless into our hands, Sha-Hid? That is hardly the act of a savior.”

“And this is hardly the behavior of a leader,” Sha-Hid growled. “How many times are we to let you sabotage our home? The Sky District is not your plaything- your actions have consequences.”

“As do your words, pheasant.” Za-Hel glared at Sha-Hid, tilting his chin up just enough to be looking down on him. “You have my report. Go home.”

“This is disgraceful, Za-Hel.”

Men Za-Hel waved off all three Nobles.

“All of you- get out! Tell your troops of Arbante- it joins us, come Archaena.”

The Nobles glared at Men, a stirring dissatisfaction in their eyes, and a hunger in their beaks. But they knew that nothing was to be done- Men Za-Hel of the Sky District was not a leader whose spine could be broken, try as often as they would. If Arbante was the extent of his ambition this month, then Arbante is where Heavenfell’s reach would stop. One by one, they turned around, and left the longhouse. But Rin halted by the exit, his back turned to Men. Alikath caught a glimpse of the stray brown feathers atop his head as the sun bounced off of them.

"You seem tired of late, General. How do you feel?"

"Leave, Sha-Hid."

"Send Nael my love."

Men watched Rin take flight, and sighed. He left the lobby, and walked down the left hall, where his father’s quarters were. He stepped inside, to find his father resting on his perch. Sal Sha-Hel, one of his wives, was also there, staring out a window.

“Hello Sal. Father.”

“Hi there, Men.” Sal smiled. “Rin throwing his usual tantrum, sounds like.”

“I give him reason to tantrum,” Men embraced his wife, nuzzling foreheads with her.

“You give him more than he deserves. Don’t let him slow you down, Men,” She said. “He’s always been that way. He’ll pick fights until his wings are clipped.”

“Harsh,” Men chuckled. “I’d expect more love coming from you than that.”

“I expected more love him him for ten years. He’s a baby, Men. Just fire him and move on.”

Men Za-Hel shrugged and stepped back, not wanting to get into the muddy waters of what would happen should he fire that particular bird.

Sal patted Men on the chest, and stepped past him. “I’ll leave you two be. Actually, I think I owe Rin a visit, myself.”

“Be safe!”

“No~”

Men watched his wife slip out the door, and rolled his eyes.

“Norr’s voice is as scratchy from a distance as it is up close,” Rey joked as his son approached. “I couldn’t make out a damn thing you were saying out there, but I felt that ugly throat through the walls, I swear.”

“They’re getting cliquier, I’ve noticed,” Men crossed his arms. “Did the Nobles group together during the latter part of your reign?”

“Sure, when they felt the need to defend each other from a threat. Or-” he cocked his head. “To surround their prey.”

“They think me prey, then?”

“They think you an obstacle,” Rey plucked a black feather beneath his eye. “It’s natural. You are an obstacle, that’s your job. A little resentment shows you’re doing it right. God knows you understand how they feel.”

Men grinned, and crossed his arms. “I don’t think your doing it right led to my resenting you.”

“Then I’ll be damned for raising my son a fool,” Rey grinned back. “But, you were right in the end- proven so by God.”

“Proven by the Coliseum.”

“Proven, then.”

Rey hopped off of his perch, and looked Men up and down. The boy paused, his own eyes wandering about the room. He drifted past the glass stand with old, rusty weapons inside it, and the dozens of tiny scratches that growing hatchlings had left trying to climb up to the window.

“What did you make of the Ambassadors, father?”

“I hadn’t focused hard enough to make of them, boy. It’s your job to make of them- let me retire.”

“I haven’t been put in a position like this before. I-... I find myself almost as unprepared as Alikath, I imagine. They are naive. Disorganized. Therein lies opportunity... but I don’t know of what sort.”

“You seemed to understand opportunity fully well, when you turned it away for Arbante,” said Rey. “What other sort are you hoping for?”

“...I suppose I consider what I did a favor.” Men answered, speaking to the wall, rather than Rey. “An act of friendship they would appreciate, once they understood its implications.”

“That stands in line with your vision,” Rey nodded. “Assimilation through diplomacy: you furthered your ends while providing for your neighbors, should they appreciate it.”

“I fear it comes at risk of my reputation up here,” Men sighed. “My 'vision' doesn’t grow any more popular. It won’t, so long as our soldiers keep defecting.”

“Men, your reputation precedes you,” Rey chuckled. “You’ve garnered a reputation of being more stubborn and consistent than I was. Your Nobles fear you- that’s why they’re cliquing. The only one who doesn’t is Sha-Hid, but I think you damaged his brain somewhere between dates to Blüdtak.”

“...There is opportunity in The Ambassadors’ chaos. If I continue to give- continue to risk- it could bear fruit… but how long a game do I play?”

Rey frowned. “I don’t know, Men. You are my leader, not I yours. Stop seeking me for guidance down your path; it diverged from mine three years ago.”

Men Za-Hel took in his father’s words, and solemnly nodded.