Nareen walks quietly beside his Uncle Skara, his thoughts a nervous jumble as recent events replay in his mind. After he alerted his parents to the threat of the 'creature' he saw with his Aura Vision, and convinced them that he needed to join them so they could find it discreetly and safely, he thought he was prepared for anything they might find. He'd steeled himself to face a towering, bloodthirsty abomination straight out of his nightmares.
Instead, that monstrous aura he'd sensed belonged to a being that, by all surface appearances, looked like an innocuous human teenager. Realizing that they weren't dealing with a mere beast, hearing 'him' converse politely with his father like 'he' wasn't a nightmare incarnate, unsettled Nareen at first.
That feeling was only exacerbated when 'he' casually spoke directly into Nareen's head in a tone that was almost playful. It isn't lost on Nareen that he and he alone was included in the secret conversation despite the fact that 'his' words were addressed to Nareen's father.
'Clearly, he wanted to send me a message...to let me know that I didn't escape his notice.'
That fact is like a cold grip around Nareen's heart, and he subconsciously glances over his shoulder, where 'him' and 'his' two traveling companions are following several meters behind. Mizuki immediately notices his gaze, and gives him a small, knowing smirk.
Feeling a shiver run down his spine, Nareen quickly averts his gaze towards his mother, who's leading their strange group towards Mane City. He's still slightly bewildered by her sudden decision to dismiss the cat-kin warriors and personally lead the outsiders into their home. Alas, he's handling the shock better than his father.
"Lyra, what the hell are you doing!? {lion-kin tongue}" (King Mufaza)
Mufaza quietly growls the question at Lyra, his frantic tone clearly mirroring his anxious expression. However, Lyra merely frowns and gives him a disapproving glare. She responds calmly with an even quieter tone, clearly not wanting to alarm Nareen or the outsiders.
"Calm yourself, Mufaza. I'm merely doing what you should have found the sense to do as soon as that young man introduced himself. {lion-kin tongue}" (Queen Lyra)
Mufaza stares at her incredulously, but he lowers his voice nonetheless.
"What!? You heard Nareen! Whatever that thing is, it's sure as hell not human! More importantly, it's dangerous! Just before you decided to invite it into the city, it spoke directly into my mind! It already knew about Nareen's Aura Vision, and it practically threatened me to stop asking it questions! {lion-kin tongue}" (Mufaza)
Nareen spots a flicker of surprise in his mother's expression following his father's words, and she falls silent for a moment. Then, she unexpectedly turns her intense gaze onto Nareen, nearly causing him to stumble in surprise. His mother speaks, her voice gentle but insistent.
"Nareen, I saw you react strangely along with your father earlier. Did that young man speak to you as well? What did he say? {lion-kin tongue}" (Lyra)
Nareen sees confusion register on his father's face as he turns to stare at Nareen, clearly unaware that his son was included in the telepathic conversation. Nareen nods subtly at his mother, equally surprised that she pieced that together so quickly.
"Yes, Mother, he spoke to me and Father in our minds right before his comment about being smelly from their travels. He just said that he suspects Father's accusation about him not being human came from an ability of mine, then asked Father if the both of them should continue interrogating one another about their respective suspicions. {lion-kin tongue}" (Nareen)
Lyra's expression turns thoughtful, while his Mufaza's voice rises an octave.
"See!? Dangerous! {lion-kin tongue}" (Mufaza)
Lyra sighs quietly.
"Yes, so it seems... {lion-kin tongue}" (Lyra)
Mufaza's eyes widen, pleasantly surprised at his wife's apparent concession. However, he's swiftly disappointed when she continues speaking.
"But what you've said only makes me more relieved that I intervened as I did. {lion-kin tongue}" (Lyra)
Mufaza glares at Lyra in bewilderment, but Nareen can't help but look at his mother curiously.
"Mother, why do you say that? I understand being polite, and avoiding confrontation with him, but I can't see the wisdom in inviting a potential threat into our home. {lion-kin tongue}" (Nareen)
His mother gives him a small, patient smile, seemingly pleased that he's at least open to listening to reason.
"Because that young man is clearly not the mindless beast we assumed, and their group appears to have come to us in good faith. Tell me, my little king, if the Elf Queen were to personally travel all the way to your city and speak of diplomacy, would it be your decree to refuse her at the gates and cast her back into the Great Forest? {lion-kin tongue}" (Lyra)
Nareen balks at the sudden hypothetical question, and his mother's casual mention of the Elf Queen. Legends of the elves are well known even among the isolated cat-kin – beings of advanced knowledge and daunting longevity who have guarded their lands with absolute authority through all of Azura's known history. It's said that their Queen has already reigned for hundreds of cat-kin generations, and can single-handedly defeat an entire group of warriors with ease.
The cat-kin have no interest in seeking out relationships with other races, but Nareen would consider it the height of stupidity to rebuke a relationship with the elves. Much less cast their visiting Queen out on her ass in the Great Forest without even meeting with her. Such disrespect would be nothing short of begging for calamity to befall the cat-kin.
Somewhat realizing his mother's point, Nareen shakes his head respectfully.
"Of course not, Mother...I'd never be so foolish. But this isn't the Elf Queen. While the elves' good nature is well known, this...Mizuki, is an unknown element. His intentions cannot be taken at face value. Besides, he hasn't actually expressed any diplomatic intentions, identified himself as any kind of ruler, or even shared his race. {lion-kin tongue}" (Nareen)
He lays out his concerns to his mother, and he catches his father nodding along insistently, clearly in agreement. Lyra merely smirks, her tone becoming coy, surprising them both.
"How do you know he's not at least affiliated with the elves, hmm? His relationship with the other demi-humans is clearly recent, or else they'd have never been exploited by humans with such a powerful ally. And if he was an ally of the humans, they'd have used him for conquest. Plus, his companions are clearly aligned against the humans. He's not from our lands, not from theirs, and I doubt he hails from the dwarves. So, where do you suppose he came from? Might it be a certain advanced, mysterious country of elves? {lion-kin tongue}" (Lyra)
Nearby, and unbeknownst to the others, Mizuki's steps falter ever so slightly as he eavesdrops on the lion-kin's 'private' conversation, not even realizing how strange it is that he can pick up on their faint whispers over the sounds of the forest from several meters away. Lyra's logic is quite flawed in his opinion, but he still can't help but be flabbergasted that she's even (correctly) considering his potential connection to the elves.
Meanwhile, Nareen is struck by his mother's strangely compelling argument, and he falls into contemplative silence. Mufaza, however, locks a serious gaze onto Lyra.
"You really think this creature might be an emissary of the elves? {lion-kin tongue}" (Mufaza)
Lyra sighs quietly, her tone mildly disappointed as she glances between her husband and son.
"No...not particularly. We can't be sure where he's from, just that it's not somewhere simple, and that's exactly my point. Consider the other humanoid races – the Fey, the Sea Folk, the Demons – would you really want to offend a high-ranking member of their societies? I've even heard that Elder Dragons can take human form, and legends say that Halzar of Wind and Nedonera of Earth live in the Delmura Forest south of demi-human lands. What if this young man is their offspring, or even Halzar himself using a fake name? How do you think an Elder Dragon might respond to being disrespected? {lion-kin tongue}" (Lyra)
The sudden mention of an Elder Dragon in human form snaps Nareen from his contemplation, just in time to see his father's eyes widen in a rare display of fear. However, Nareen's thoughts are immediately occupied with a kind of paranoid certainty about Mizuki's identity. The terrifying power, the unfamiliar aura, the incredible traveling speed that looked suspiciously like flight, the telepathic messages – upon hearing his mother say they can take human form, Nareen is now convinced that Mizuki is an Elder Dragon.
As for having doubts why an Elder Dragon would associate itself with weak demi-humans, or why Mizuki's aura lacks the Elder Dragons' expected color of an elemental class, neither he nor either of his parents even consider these things. Even if there are some inconsistencies, it's not like they consider themselves experts on the Elder Dragons, and they can think of no other beings of such overwhelming power.
He glances towards his Uncle Skara, who has simply been listening to their conversation with an increasingly serious expression as he covertly keeps an eye on Mizuki. Nareen whispers to his uncle.
"Uncle, what do you think? {lion-kin tongue}" (Nareen)
Skara briefly glances at him, before returning his gaze to Mizuki's group. He's silent for several moments, then he responds, his voice somber.
"I think the details are irrelevant. He's here, he's intelligent, and according to you, he could wipe us out on a whim. When someone like that is politely asking for something reasonable, you shut up and make yourself useful. {lion-kin tongue}" (Skara)
His uncle's bleak words are like a shock to Nareen's system. Is this really the same man that was lecturing him about fighting the 'creature' whose aura he sensed to the death, even if their chances were slim? As if sensing the reason for his nephew's shock, Skara gives him a tired sigh.
"What did you expect, Prince? If I was in the habit of provoking people more powerful than me, I'd have challenged your Father to a Pride Trial all those years ago. Fighting superior beasts in a losing battle is one thing – they don't negotiate or show mercy, and the worst they'll do is kill you. But people...they're both more reasonable and more sinister. {lion-kin tongue}" (Skara)
Though he doesn't fully understand what his uncle means about people being more dangerous than beasts, Nareen's familiar with the Pride Trial. A rite of combat that would have allowed his uncle to challenge his father for the throne. Knowing how prideful the lion-kin are, Nareen's always found it strange that his uncle didn't at least try it. He doubts his father would have actually killed his uncle.
Before he can contemplate too long on the deeper meaning behind his uncle's words, though, his father's voice interrupts.
"So, what exactly do you expect to happen after you've led us all back to the city? He doesn't seem like he's the one interested in diplomacy. Do you intend for us to actually foster relations with the wolf- and fox-kin? {lion-kin tongue}" (Mufaza)
Nareen looks to his mother, curious about the answer. Lyra simply nods, not missing how Mufaza has shifted from referring to Mizuki as an 'it' and 'creature' to respectfully gendering him, and she's relieved at the shift in attitude.
"Why not? Such arrangements have been unappealing in the past because our isolation in the Great Forest deters invaders and makes regularly interacting with other demi-humans too costly. The fox- and wolf-kin must be aware of these challenges, and yet they came. If they can make an alliance worth our while, why not hear them out? Even if this 'Mizuki' himself doesn't seem interested in diplomacy with us, he clearly cares for the interests of the two leaders with him. He's their ally, and if we become their allies as well, do we not establish a similar relationship with him by proxy? {lion-kin tongue}" (Lyra)
Mufaza falls silent, mulling over her words. Eventually, he becomes more comfortable with her reasoning, and he responds in a subdued tone.
"So, you are taking us all to the Temple for a diplomatic discussion? {lion-kin tongue}" (Mufaza)
Lyra's expression seems to become conflicted.
"No...not all of us. Ideally, I want to separate him – see what he's willing to share about himself, while securing us some collateral. Perhaps we could treat him to a tour of our city while the other two engage in diplomatic talks. My only concern is who should accompany him...tactful conversation being a must. {lion-kin tongue}" (Lyra)
Lyra glances at her husband and son, as well as her brother-in-law, her dilemma evident to inquiring minds. Clearly, both the diplomatic talks and chaperoning Mizuki are important, requiring a keen, tactful approach and a high level of standing among the cat-kin, making herself by far the most suited for both tasks. Yet, she can't be in two places at once, thus leaving her with the tough decision of which task to attend herself, and who to assign to the other.
Fortunately or unfortunately, an amused, unexpected voice echoes in the heads of all four lion-kin, offering Lyra a solution.
[What a lovely thought. Why don't you and your husband attend these diplomatic discussions that my friends Zara and Teyla are so invested in, while your son and I tour the city and talk?]