Ishiki was silent for a long time, before he blinked and came back to his senses. "I see."
"This kingdom," Ishiki said eventually.
Sael's eyes moved down from the canopy.
"Tell me about it."
A pause. Sael looked at the trees around them instead of at Ishiki — the reflex of someone organizing information before offering it.
"There's no name for it," he said. "Not anymore. The old texts just call it the Kingdom."
"Why no name?"
"Because it was never meant to be a kingdom." Sael shifted his back against the birch. "According to the old texts, this place was once part of the Juebish Empire, that controlled the whole western continent." He paused. "Then, about 250 years ago, the war started."
Ishiki went still.
'250 years ago.'
"What war," he said. Carefully.
"The war between the five continents." Sael looked at him. "Each one wanted control of the central continent. There's something there — something at the center. The old texts call it—"
