Even the Assassin insignia was shaped from an eagle's beak. Eagles soared high above, watching their targets, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.
After completing a kill, Assassins would take an eagle feather and dip it in blood to prove the mission's completion.
In Origins, the protagonist even raised an eagle, using it to scout targets, track prey, and harass enemies.
When Shaun Cole had first transmigrated into Origins, he had sought out Bayek, earned his trust, and learned his method of dealing with eagles.
Bayek didn't tame eagles.
He made them acknowledge him.
Unlike modern methods—starving an eagle, exhausting it, forcing obedience—those practices were nothing more than cruelty. As the saying went: An eagle must not be full; once full, it flies far away.
Such training broke an eagle's spirit.
But Bayek's way was different.
Shaun Cole still remembered seeing Bayek seize an eagle, stare directly into its eyes, and utter strange sounds. Five minutes later, the eagle's once-ferocious gaze softened, filled with warmth.
That was Bayek's method—
inviting the eagle to become a partner.
Only then could one earn an eagle's true loyalty.
The gyrfalcon's diving speed exceeded three hundred kilometers per hour—nearly three times faster than a cheetah.
In less than a blink, it was already upon Shaun Cole, its beak stabbing straight toward his eyes.
At that exact moment, Shaun Cole's hand closed around the gyrfalcon's neck, lifting it effortlessly into the air.
Caught in his grip, the gyrfalcon beat its wings furiously, struggling with all its might—but no matter how it fought, it couldn't break free.
Gradually, the bird stopped struggling.
Its sharp eyes locked onto Shaun Cole. Its head leaned forward slightly, waiting for the perfect chance to strike him viciously with its beak.
After a thousand years with eagles, Shaun Cole understood their thoughts all too well.
He smiled faintly. Then his lips moved, chanting in a strange, ancient language.
"Биднайзууд…"
As his voice echoed, the fury in the gyrfalcon's eyes slowly faded.
A trace of human-like doubt appeared in its expression—then vanished.
When it looked at Shaun Cole again, its gaze had softened, filled with warmth.
After finishing the final phrase, Shaun Cole set the gyrfalcon back onto the rock.
The bird immediately flapped its wings and hopped onto his shoulder, affectionately rubbing its head against his face while chirping softly.
"Heh… my friend,"
Shaun Cole said with a smile, glancing sideways.
"How about I call you Xiao Bai?"
The gyrfalcon shot him a look full of disdain.
"…You don't like it?"
Shaun Cole asked.
The gyrfalcon nodded.
"My name is Shaun Cole,"
he continued.
"Then how about Snow?"
The gyrfalcon tilted its head, then nodded enthusiastically, chirping happily.
The decision was made.