The following morning…
Lucian stepped out of the main hall and onto the temple courtyard.
The freezing mountain wind swept across his face like countless tiny blades.
Taking a deep breath, he slowly exhaled.
A cloud of white mist drifted from his lips.
“The air here really is wonderful…”
A contented smile appeared on his face.
It had been a very long time since he had enjoyed such peace.
During the thousand years he had spent inside the Assassin’s Creed world, he had lived every day under pursuit by the Templars and countless knightly orders.
Only after obtaining the legendary Isu artifacts had he finally gained the strength to fight back.
“Still…”
“It’s a little too quiet.”
“I should find a way to bring a few more people here.”
He chuckled to himself.
Walking behind the temple, he sat on the edge of a massive stone ledge jutting out over the mountainside.
Silently…
He gazed across the endless snow-covered peaks.
Lost in thought.
Screee!
A sharp eagle’s cry echoed from the distance.
Lucian’s eyes immediately lit up.
A look of pleasant surprise crossed his face.
After spending nearly a thousand years alongside eagles, he had recognized the claw marks carved into that rock the previous day.
An eagle lived here.
And not just any eagle…
A particularly fierce one.
Now, as the cry rang out once more, he looked toward the sky.
Flying toward him…
Was a gyrfalcon.
Interesting…
Gyrfalcons were normally found much farther north.
Yet this was the Himalayas.
How could one appear here?
The bird dived lower.
Its plumage was almost entirely pure white, broken only by a few small brown markings.
Its wings stretched well over two metres from tip to tip.
Its talons were black as forged iron…
Each claw gleaming with deadly sharpness.
Anyone caught by those talons would undoubtedly be left with bloody holes.
“A mutated gyrfalcon.”
Lucian muttered excitedly.
An ordinary gyrfalcon was already regarded as the king of birds of prey.
This extraordinary specimen…
Could easily be called their emperor.
The gyrfalcon’s eyes burned with fury.
That rocky outcrop belonged to it.
From there, it could oversee every inch of its territory…
And spot prey from miles away.
Now…
Another creature had dared occupy its throne.
Whoosh!
The massive bird shot toward Lucian.
Its iron-like talons slashed directly at his face.
Clang!
Lucian calmly raised one arm.
The razor-sharp claws scraped against his bracer, producing the unmistakable sound of metal striking metal.
Sharp.
Very sharp.
His free hand immediately reached toward the bird.
Sensing danger, the gyrfalcon beat its enormous wings.
It shot backward into the sky before circling high overhead, patiently searching for another opening.
Watching it circle above him…
Lucian simply sat back down.
Then he lay comfortably across the stone.
Both hands folded behind his head like a pillow.
He quietly watched the great falcon soaring overhead.
Eagles…
Were proud creatures.
And a gyrfalcon stood among the proudest of them all.
To be ignored by the creature below…
Was an unbearable insult.
Screee!
The bird cried out angrily.
Its wings folded tightly against its body.
Its hooked beak pointed directly at Lucian’s face.
Like a bolt of white lightning…
It plummeted from the sky.
A faint smile appeared on Lucian’s lips.
Slowly…
He extended one hand.
Anyone familiar with Assassin’s Creed knew the significance of eagles.
They were the symbol of the Brotherhood itself.
Even the Assassin insignia resembled the beak of an eagle.
An eagle perched high above…
Watching its target below.
Waiting patiently…
For the perfect moment to strike.
There was another tradition as well.
After completing an assassination, Assassins would use an eagle feather to collect their target’s blood as proof of the mission’s completion.
Back during the events of Assassin’s Creed: Origins, Bayek himself had raised an eagle to scout enemies, locate objectives, and track prey.
When Lucian had first entered that era centuries ago…
He had sought Bayek out.
After earning his trust, he asked how he had trained his eagle.
Bayek’s answer had surprised him.
“It isn’t about taming them.”
“It’s about earning their recognition.”
Modern falconry often relied upon harsh methods.
Keeping birds awake…
Forcing water into them…
Never allowing them to eat their fill.
There was an old saying:
“A full-fed hawk flies away.”
In many ways…
Modern training was simply breaking an eagle’s spirit.
But Bayek’s method was different.
Lucian had watched as Bayek gently held a wild eagle, looked directly into its eyes, and spoke in an ancient language.
Five minutes later…
The savage hostility in the eagle’s gaze had vanished.
In its place…
There was trust.
That was Bayek’s true method.
Not domination.
Acceptance.
You invited the eagle to become your companion.
Only then…
Could you truly earn its friendship.
A diving gyrfalcon could exceed 300 kilometres per hour.
Nearly three times the speed of a cheetah.
In the blink of an eye…
The bird reached Lucian.
Its hooked beak thrust straight toward his eye.
But at that exact moment—
Lucian’s hand closed around its neck.
He lifted the massive bird effortlessly into the air.
The gyrfalcon beat its wings violently.
It struggled with all its strength.
Yet no matter how fiercely it fought…
It couldn’t break free.
Eventually…
It stopped struggling.
Its sharp golden eyes remained locked on Lucian.
Its head leaned forward ever so slightly.
Waiting…
For the perfect opportunity to peck this strange creature.
Having spent a thousand years living alongside eagles…
Lucian understood exactly what it was thinking.
He smiled.
Then softly spoke an ancient, unfamiliar tongue.
“Бид найзууд…”
As the ancient words echoed through the air…
The hostility gradually faded from the gyrfalcon’s eyes.
A surprisingly human look of confusion appeared on its face.
Moments later…
Even that disappeared.
What remained…
Was warmth.
Recognition.
Friendship.
After speaking the final words of the ancient phrase…
Lucian gently set the bird back onto the stone.
Instead of flying away…
The gyrfalcon immediately flapped onto his shoulder.
It affectionately rubbed its head against his cheek while chirping happily.
“Heh…”
“My friend.”
“How about I call you Little White?”
Lucian asked with a smile.
The gyrfalcon immediately gave him a look of obvious disdain.
“Oh?”
“You don’t like it?”
The bird nodded.
Lucian laughed.
“My name is Lucian…”
“So how about…”
“Snow?”
This time, the gyrfalcon tilted its head thoughtfully.
Then…
It nodded happily.
“Chirp!
Chirp!”