"I see." Damien exhaled slowly, his expression unreadable.
After the luncheon, the youth with the lion's tattoo on his forehead shifted the topic. "Clan Head Singer, I'm here to invite you to the Beast Alliance Summit. The details are in this." He reached into his robe and pulled out a thick scroll made of animal hide before casually tossing it toward the gray mockingbird perched on the branch.
The scroll glided through the air, carried by the wind, and landed smoothly near John's feet.
"What's this?" John tilted his head, curiosity flickering in his black eyes.
"Open it and see for yourself."
John unfurled the scroll, his feathers twitching as he scanned the contents. A moment later, he shut it and scoffed. "Not to offend, but I don't have a single clue what this says."
Damien tensed slightly.
John continued, "I don't read this script. Not that I can't read—I've studied hundreds of other texts. Just not this one."
