Fire Emblem Fan Fiction ❯ Fire Emblem Tellius Saga: Book 3 ❯ CHAPTER 79: QUEEN ELINCIA ( Chapter 13 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

When Soren awoke, sunlight was streaming through the window and Ike was gone. It was still early, however, so he decided to turn over and go back to sleep. He slept until noon, which was quite unlike him. When he finally got out of bed, his mouth was dry and his bladder was full, but he didn’t have a headache, nausea, or any of the unpleasant symptoms of a hangover. In retrospect, last night seemed like a bad idea, but nothing that had occurred had been so terrible that he actually regretted it.

He washed, dressed, and ate lunch with the other mercenaries. He was certainly not the only one for whom this meal was actually breakfast, but he was the best-looking of the late risers, many of whom were still wearing the same clothes as last night. Gatrie hadn’t even wiped the dried drool from the side of his mouth, and Shinon was banging his mug on the counter, demanding more coffee from the Gallian servant glaring at him.

Ike finally appeared, and although he yawned groggily, he was at least clean. “Did you go back down to the feast last night?” Soren asked when Ike sat down near him.

“Yeah, for a little bit—long enough to see Skrimir dance,” he added with a smirk.

“It was very traditional,” Mia added, “and very awkward.”

“Did you sleep alright?” Ike asked in return.

“Yes,” Soren answered. “And…thank you.”

Ike waved his hand as if to say he should forget about it, but Soren didn’t think he could. He finished his meal, and so began the first of many pleasant days in the Beast Kingdom.

 

For three months, the Greil Mercenaries stayed in Gallia. Other than a couple trips to check the defenses around Susa, they mostly stayed in Zarzi—training, sparring, attending meetings, and spending their free time however they saw fit. Most of the mercenaries reclaimed hobbies they’d abandoned before the war, and in this way, they found some much-needed peace.

Tibarn and his hawks flew back to Phoenicis for a few weeks to determine that everyone was safe and life was returning to something close to normal after the massacre. Then he returned to Gallia, bringing with him over a thousand fresh recruits—most of whom were young men and women seeking revenge after losing loved ones to Begnion’s dracoknights.

As summer drew on, scouts and spies eventually reported that the senate had firm control of the Imperial Army, which was now dividing into two main groups. One was sitting on Mugill and Flaguerre, ready to launch an invasion at a moment’s notice. The other—which consisted of a large portion of the Central Army—had passed through Daein and was currently marching through Crimea to attack Gallia’s northern border.

Ike and Titania were clearly shocked when they received the news, but Soren had feared something like this might happen. Elincia had repeatedly refused offers to join the Laguz Alliance, which meant Crimea was fair game for Begnion to exploit. Gallia’s northern border was wider, more open, and far more difficult to defend. If Begnion struck from the north, signaled their forces in the east, and coordinated their attacks, Gallia wouldn’t stand a chance. Needless to say, the Greil Mercenaries’ vacation was over.

The messenger who’d brought the news led Ike, Soren, and Titania straight to Caineghis’s chambers. Giffca, Tibarn, Nailah, Skrimir, Ranulf, and the three heron siblings were already here, sitting around a long stone table. Maps were laid out on it, and marble statuettes showed where various forces were deployed.

“According to our scouts,” Ranulf began, “the enemy has split into two forces. One is east of the Ertz Mountains. The other is approaching from the north by crossing through Crimea.” Soren listened while skimming through the stack of reports someone had left in front of his seat. 

“So they plan on flanking Gallia from the north and east?” Tibarn noted grimly. “If we don’t stop them, this is gonna hurt.”

“Agreed,” said Caineghis from the head of the table. “What is the Crimean Army doing?”

“From what the scouts have said, nothing at all,” Ranulf admitted, “I’m guessing they’re waiting to see how everything pans out.”

“Crimea let Begnion pass without a fight?” Skrimir growled. “What about their alliance with Gallia!”

“It’s not that simple, Skrimir,” Ranulf explained with a shake of his head. “Begnion is Crimea’s suzerain state. It’s difficult for Crimea to refuse their demands.”

“A suz-what?” Skrimir repeated grumpily. “Someone, explain to me what that means.”

Soren wasn’t interested in playing the role of Skrimir’s teacher right now, so he focused on the reports while leaving someone else to answer. According to the one he was currently reading, Begnion was raiding Crimean towns for supplies as they marched. But Elincia had deployed the Royal Knights to do little more than repair the damage.

“Hmmm, how can I explain…” Ranulf massaged his temples. “Alright, how’s this? Begnion still holds political power over the countries that won independence from them.” When Skrimir didn’t reply, Ranulf looked beseechingly at Ike. “Anything you want to add, Ike?”

“Don’t look at me.” Ike pressed his back into the chair. “I’ve always thought the whole idea was ridiculous.”

Soren agreed with Ike’s assessment, but the situation was more complicated than merely winning independence and being free to self-govern. He could point out the fact that many of the Crimean noble houses shared blood and a history of marriages with Begnion noble families. Even Elincia’s grandmother had been a pegasus knight in the apostle’s Holy Guard. But now wasn’t the time to complicate matters, and as Ike had said, Crimea pretending its hands were tied by obligation now was, indeed, ridiculous. There had to be another reason Elincia wasn’t acting.

“Never mind what it means,” Skrimir finally decided, moving his fists to the table. “Has Crimea broken its treaty with us?”

“Not…as such,” Ranulf answered uneasily. “I didn’t say it was right, just that it was complicated…”

“It’s not complicated at all! Crimea has betrayed Gallia! We cannot let this pass! How dare-”

“Control yourself, Skrimir,” Caineghis warned in a soft yet powerful voice. “You’re acting like a fool.”

“My apologies, Your Majesty.” Skrimir was obviously trying to control his rage. “It is just-”

“I doubt Crimea has sided with Begnion,” Caineghis continued. “Queen Elincia is very clever, and I will not stop trusting her judgement just yet. She most likely allowed the Imperial Army to pass through her lands in order to avoid a slaughter.”

“Who is this beorc queen who warrants so much trust?” asked Nailah from her position at the corner of the table. “Please enlighten us.” She gestured smoothly at Rafiel and herself.

“She is a delightful woman,” Caineghis replied, “both in manner and in reign. Her late father, King Ramon, and I forged an alliance between beorc and laguz. We sought to bring our peoples closer. She has taken her father’s ideals as her own and strives to create a country where anyone, beorc or laguz, can live free and in peace.”

“How times have changed…” Rafiel murmured, and Soren was fairly certain this was only the second time he’d ever heard the heron speak. “I never could have dreamed of a time where such a beorc ruler would exist… I must admit, I still have doubts.”

“I don’t blame you, my brother,” Reyson replied, not nearly as soft-spoken as Rafiel. He had one arm on the table, and his wings were bunched tightly. “Change has been slow, but the circle of acceptance in Tellius has been widening. As you can see, both Leanne and I have many beorc friends.” He jerked his chin toward Ike, Titania, and Soren. “Queen Elincia of Crimea is one of them.”

“Both the King and Reyson speak well of this woman!” Skrimir observed, aghast. “Is she truly so special?”

“She truly is,” Ike promised. “But right now, that’s beside the point. The most important thing is this: Elincia will never betray her allies in Gallia.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Ranulf agreed, his inner turmoil apparently alleviated. “We can trust her.”

“Alright.” Caineghis drew his fingers together and stared at the map closest to him—a map of southeastern Crimea. “Let’s assume for now that Crimea will not aid the empire in any military fashion during this conflict. Hawk King, let’s hear your thoughts.”

“Well, if Crimea won’t make a move,” Tibarn sighed, leaning back so he could kick one leg over the other. “Then I see no reason to wait until the empire reaches Gallia. I’d prefer to take an army up north and end this mess for good.” He didn’t seem concerned with the details outlined on the map, but Soren was rushing through the reports trying to find out who was leading that hefty force of statuettes.

“Very well.” Caineghis nodded. “Ike, do the Greil Mercenaries have anything to add?”

In answer, Ike just gestured to Soren, which startled him at first. But he wasted no time answering: “I agree with Tibarn’s idea. We should strike while their army is split in half… But I am fairly certain General Zelgius will be there. We had better be careful.”

“Very well.” Caineghis turned to Tibarn. “Hawk King, may I ask that your forces protect the eastern border? While they do that, I would like you to lead our strike force to the northern border. Take Ranulf with you as well.”

Tibarn was smiling and about to answer when Skrimir cut him off: “Send me too, Your Majesty!” He pushed back his chair so he was standing. “Please, let me reclaim my honor! I beg you.”

Caineghis didn’t seem convinced, but before he could decide, Ranulf spoke up: “I second that, Your Majesty. Skrimir is perfect for this mission.”

“Ranulf?” Skrimir turned to him, looking immensely grateful.  

“Very well,” Caineghis consented. “Will you look after him, Tibarn?”

Now the Hawk King’s grin grew wider. “Sure, I can handle him,” he said with a wink. “He’s easier to keep under control than you, Beast King.”

“Hmph,” Caineghis scoffed, while Giffca chuckled farther down the table. “He’s all yours them. Prepare to leave before daybreak. We are all depending on you.”

 

Five thousand troops marched out of Zarzi with Tibarn, Skrimir, Ranulf, and the Greil Mercenaries in the lead. Two thousand more joined them when they passed Susa, having been replaced on guard by Tibarn’s hawks. A couple days later, Caineghis and Giffca (both of whom evidently had incredible speed and endurance when running in their beast forms), caught up to them. The king escorted them the rest of the way to the border, saying he wanted to be able to monitor the war more closely.

Once they actually reached the border, the army took a day’s rest before crossing. Ranulf had sent a messenger ahead asking Elincia for permission to enter her lands, but so far, no reply had come. Now they were just doing some last-minute reconnaissance before heading out. Zelgius’s Central Army had made a lot of progress these past two weeks, and Soren estimated they’d be facing them in just a few days.

When it was finally time to move out, they encountered no resistance at the border. The tower they passed appeared empty, and there were no Royal Knights or soldiers posted on the road. Soren wondered if Elincia had called back her guards to get them out of Begnion’s way, to get them out of Gallia’s way, or simply to amass her troops elsewhere, for her own purposes.

  

Four days later, they still hadn’t met any resistance from Crimea, and it was today they would meet the Imperial Army in battle. Their enemy numbered ten thousand, and the field between the two armies was wide open, offering little cover or terrain advantage. Soren was certain this was going to be a bloodbath. Each army would fight their hardest, decimating the other until one side lost too many soldiers to continue.

Although Zelgius must have known the direction and speed of their approach, Soren was surprised he hadn’t picked a more advantageous battleground or taken the time to establish fortifications. For a man who claimed to dislike pointless bloodshed, he wasn’t doing anything to prevent it. This lack of good judgement made him doubt Zelgius was truly in charge, but numerous scouts had confirmed it.

Then again, those same scouts had also reported that a senator was traveling with the army. It was quite possible the overeager politician had forced Zelgius to choose this battlefield. If so, the senator could prove to be a vulnerability in the general’s defense, like at the Ribahn River. Soren just didn’t know how to exploit it yet.

And he didn’t have much time to figure it out. The two armies were face to face now. Zelgius had positioned longbowmen on the hill to the north, so Tibarn stopped the Laguz Alliance army such that the front line was just a hairsbreadth beyond their range. For now, no one moved, but that could change at any second. To settle their nerves, the soldiers on both sides started yelling at each other.

“Insects of Begnion!” roared a Gallian soldier. “We’ll show you the power of the beast tribe!”

“Beorc scum!” cried one of the few Phoenician soldiers in Tibarn’s personal guard, “For the razing of our homes, we’ll make you wish you’d never been born!”

“Filthy subhumans!” returned a Begnion halberdier at the base of the hill. “This war ends now. Prepare yourselves!”

The shouting and jeering continued until Soren couldn’t tease apart the overlapping voices. The seconds ticked by, but Tibarn didn’t give the order to attack. Soren knew why—the second they were within range of Begnion’s archers, they would be at a disadvantage. However, neither was Zelgius ordering his troops to charge. At this rate, the battle would begin when either the laguz or beorc soldiers on the frontlines finally lost their patience and ran first.

But just then, Soren noticed movement in the west. Something massive was cresting the hill: another army. For a moment, the worst-case scenario leapt into Soren’s mind and he feared they were being broadsided by a secret force. But if that were the case, this third army had aimed their attack all wrong. They were heading straight for the intersection of the two armies, not for the Laguz Alliance’s western flank.

By now, everyone was shouting about the new arrivals instead of at each other. “A beorc army is approaching from the hill to the left!” cried a Gallian soldier. “That flag… It’s the Crimean Army!”

“Crimea has sided with the empire after all!” despaired another.

Tibarn gestured that the Laguz Alliance should move back a few yards but stay on guard, and a cat laguz with a drum repeated the order for everyone to hear. “Elincia,” Ike muttered under his breath, while the entire army shuffled backward. “What are you doing…”

Even while he said it, Elincia’s pegasus leapt into the sky, and the young queen came gliding down the aisle between the two armies—entirely alone. She stopped in the middle and dismounted. “I am Queen Elincia of Crimea!” she declared, moving her neck so she could project her voice to both sides. “I have a message for the commanders of both armies!”

Tibarn flew to the front, where he landed and strode up to her with his hands on his hips. His Phoenician guards (including Janaff and Ulki) stayed behind. Meanwhile, commotion arose within Begnion’s ranks as a nobleman with curly brown hair moved to the frontlines while encased in a wall of his personal guards. In fact, the man’s hair was all Soren could see past the red-armored knights.

When he was within earshot, Elincia continued her announcement. “I am here to declare the will of Crimea and its people!” she said, looking from Tibarn to the senator. “Crimea has been ruled under the ideals of peace and equality since the reign of my father, King Ramon. As such, I cannot and will not allow you to spill blood upon our land! Therefore… I demand that both the Laguz Alliance and the Imperial Army leave Crimea at once!” She cast out both of her arms, indicating which direction she would like them each to go.

“Withdraw our troops?” repeated the senator in a high, reedy voice. “You foolish girl! We will not be ordered about by the proclamations of a peasant like you! Puppet rulers such as yourself should stay inside their pretty castles and play dress-up. Begnion’s patience has worn out. After we finish slaughtering the subhumans, we’ll be coming for you in Melior.” He seemed worn out by his own tirade, and his voice lapsed into an angry wheeze.

Elincia had listened to him speak with a calm, patient expression. Now that he was finished, she turned to Tibarn. “Commander of the Laguz Alliance, how do you respond?”

Tibarn crossed his arms and leaned back as if assessing Elincia. “You have some serious guts, jumping into the middle of a battlefield all by yourself,” he said with grudging respect. “But your high-and-mighty beliefs don’t change the fact that Begnion must answer for its crimes. Step aside.”

Elincia’s face was as untouched by his judgment as it had been by the senator’s threatening. “…Very well,” she declared, “I have heard from both commanders. In that case-” She drew her sword—the holy blade Amiti, if Soren remembered correctly. Taking a deep breath, she closed her eyes, and when she opened them again, she chucked the sword carelessly into the field. It sailed gracefully, and where it landed, the long grass swallowed it whole. “This is Crimea’s answer!” she declared, holding out her arms as if to display her empty palms. “We will not sway from our ideals. My countrymen stand united. We will not use force. But we are willing to do whatever it takes to end this here and now.”

“What!” squeaked the senator. “Have you lost your mind?”

Tibarn, on the other hand, starting laughing. Moving his hands to his stomach, he leaned over, his entire body shaking with the guffaws. Then, righting himself, he twisted to look straight at Ike. “Ike!” he called, “I thought you were the craziest beorc I’d ever met, but you have some serious competition! Queen Crimea is one tough gal!” Wiping his eyes, he turned back to her. “Your Majesty, I like your style,” he declared with a nod. Then he raised his hand and turned to look at Skrimir this time. “Skrimir! I can’t let such a brave woman down. Let’s get out of here.”

“Of course,” he agreed. “The beast tribe will not use our claws against unarmed beorc. Soldiers, back to the forest!” At his urging, the vast majority of the troops retreated. But Tibarn hadn’t moved, which meant Reyson, Janaff, Ulki, and the rest of his guards were lingering too. Ranulf had elected to stay as well, so his entourage (including Kyza, Lyre, Lethe, and Mordecai) hadn’t budged either. Ike gestured for the mercenaries to standby—not that they were about to go anywhere if he wasn’t.

“Thank you, King Tibarn,” Elincia said when she must have judged Skrimir and the army were far enough away that this wasn’t a trick.

“This is only temporary,” Tibarn warned. He raised a finger as if to show he was serious, but it only made him look like an old man trying to reprimand a young woman. “The war between the Laguz Alliance and Begnion isn’t finished yet.”

“Yes, I understand that,” Elincia admitted, but her proud bearing didn’t waver. “Even so, I want you all to know where Crimea stands in this.”

“Well, maybe you and I can get together and chat sometime soon,” Tibarn offered. “I’ll be seeing you again.”

With that, he started walking away, and the remaining laguz and mercenaries went with him. But Soren was one of the last to turn, because the Begnion army hadn’t moved at all yet (except for the senator and his guards, who’d left the frontlines without giving Elincia an answer). Soren didn’t like exposing his back to the enemy, and he knew the others didn’t like it either. Tibarn threw an arm around Ike and Ranulf’s shoulders, but his own shoulders and wing plates were visibly bunched. He was only pretending to relax (and not even convincingly). “Ike, Ranulf, I’m going to catch up with Skrimir,” he said in a lowered voice, “You take Reyson and the others and hide behind that stretch of trees.” He pointed, but it wasn’t necessary. There were few trees anywhere on the field, and only one copse near them.

“Um, I think she’ll see us,” Ranulf countered.

“Doesn’t matter,” Tibarn growled. “Elincia has grown into a damn good queen, but she might still need her friends’ help.” He jerked his head toward the Crimean Army in the east. “If Begnion doesn’t retreat, they’ll be crushed. Help save her if you can.”

“Can do,” agreed Ike.

“We’ll keep an eye on the situation,” promised Ranulf.

With that, Tibarn knocked their heads together like an older brother and took to the sky with one massive thrust of his wings. He shrank into the south, but the mercenaries and remaining laguz tucked themselves less-than-covertly behind a copse of birch, elm, and willow. Then they moved as close to the Imperial Army as the trees would allow.

Peering between the trunks and branches, Soren waited to see what Begnion and Crimea would do. Elincia had not yet retrieved her sword, and her full attention was on the red-armored troops. The senator was gone, and Zelgius hadn’t come forward to treat with her. The soldiers in front looked confused. Some were tapping the butts of their spears against the ground while others shifted their weight from foot to foot. Still others were twisting to look behind them, clearly desperate for orders. Meanwhile the Crimean Army was keeping its distance. Geoffrey was visible at the front, his steed prancing nervously. Soren had no doubt he wanted to be at Elincia’s side.

Then, finally, Zelgius called a retreat. The soldiers in the back started moving first, but soon everyone was climbing the hill or walking around it, showing their backs to the Crimeans. The mercenaries breathed a collective sigh of relief, and out in the field, Elincia looked relieved too. She didn’t pick up her blade, but she walked over to her pegasus. Taking its head in her hands, she pressed her forehead against its cheek. 

“I guess we weren’t needed after all,” Ike noted contentedly.

“I don’t want to go back yet…” Mist admitted, glancing at where Skrimir’s army was almost out of sight. “Do we have time to talk to Elincia?”

“It has been a long time since we last saw the Queen,” Titania agreed. “We should at least say hello.”

“Sure, sounds great to me,” Ranulf answered, addressing Mist. “There’s probably only time for small talk, but we’ll see.”

Just then, a shrill voice called from the north: “Soldiers! Kill the queen of Crimea! That girl is a traitor to Begnion!”

Soren wasn’t the only one who heard it, and a moment later, everyone was pushing to the edge of the trees to get a better view. The senator was standing atop the hill, pointing straight at Elincia. His long, curly hair and frilly robes were waving in the breeze, and he might have cut an impressive figure if not for his eccentric outfit. Soldiers were spilling around him, flooding back down the hill.

“Woah, this isn’t good!” Ranulf transformed suddenly, as if startled into it. “The army is on the move. They’re after Queen Elincia!”

“So much for imperial honor,” Ike growled. “Greil Mercenaries! Looks like we have our old job back! Protect Queen Elincia!” He drew his sword and started running at the same time the mercenaries—and even the hawks and beasts among them—cheered and roared in agreement. They burst through the trees a moment later, heading straight for Elincia.

Meanwhile the queen had hopped onto her pegasus. She agilely dodged volleys of arrows while Geoffrey, Lucia, and the rest of the Crimean Army charged down the western hill to reach her. But Elincia couldn’t get away fast enough. One arrow caught her in the shoulder, and her pegasus’s wings were shredded by three more. Feathers sailed to the ground, and she was losing altitude.

“Kill every living thing that stands in our way!” screamed the senator. “Show them that I—no the Senate—controls this pathetic land!”

With Elincia riding the wind southeast, the mercenaries were able to intercept Begnion’s charge, thereby breaking their momentum and distracting their aim. Dozens, even hundreds of troops were still coming back to the field, and Soren didn’t know if the entire army was attacking or simply a faction that had split from Zelgius’s command. Only time would tell, but Soren truly hoped it was the latter. A thousand they could handle; ten thousand they could not.

Just then, the Crimean Army finally arrived, and the Begnion soldiers fanned out. No one seemed to be leading them except for the senator on the hill, but even he had suddenly disappeared. Confusion reigned for several minutes while the soldiers tried to remember their training and consolidate into more sustainable attack formations. Some field marshals eventually took charge, but in the meantime, the Crimean Royal Knights were able to surround and protect their queen.

Now that Elincia was in good hands, Ike changed the trajectory of the mercenaries’ attack. “Let’s find who’s in charge here and crush him!” Ike shouted, pointing the tip of his blade to the top of the hill. The mercenaries bellowed their agreement while charging straight into the nearest platoon.

Titania, Oscar, and Mist were the only ones on horseback, but they did a good job breaking the Begnions’ line and trampling them under-hoof. Mordecai, Kyza, and a couple other tigers were right beside them, also plowing through the soldiers before they could get out of the way. Ranulf, Lethe, and Lyre went to the left while the other cats when to the right. And Haar, Jill, Janaff, Ulki, and the hawks flew over the platoon, penning them in from the back. Finally, Ike led everyone else straight to the center. Like the tip of a spear, be plunged deep within Begnion’s ranks, and from here he spun outward, twisting and turning, slaughtering soldiers left and right, left and right, left and right. Around and around. Soren was mesmerized, imagining Ike had been cultivating a strange power since their defeat at Gaddos—vengeance.

The other mercenaries were right beside him, drawing strength from his vigor. Reyson floated above their heads, dodging arrows and javelins. Wreathed in golden light, he chanted ancient songs that fell from his lips like curse. The galdr strengthen the mercenaries it fell upon, and Soren couldn’t tell if he or Ike was having the more exhilarating effect.

Although he was relatively far from Ike and Reyson, Soren could still feel their power distinctly. He, Rhys, and Ilyana had resisted the temptation to charge into the middle with the others, because it was simply not where they were most valuable. Shinon and Rolf had held back too, and they were firing arrows alternatingly into the fray and at any stray soldier who was came scuttling around the outside. Soren had a similar job: summoning the winds to take out any stray attackers, stop any members of the besieged platoons from escaping, and watching out for another platoon coming to the rescue. When this inevitably happened, Soren, Ilyana, and Rhys were the first to confront them. Rhys’s increasingly frequent pops of light and Ilyana’s whip-cracks of lightning were a signal to the rest that the enemy was approaching, even if their shouts were lost in the crush of noise.

“*Spirits of the wind, rip apart these skies, lay waste to my enemy!*” Soren chanted a Tornado spell, willing it to become vast enough to keep the approaching platoon at bay while the rest of the mercenaries and laguz could reorganize themselves for the next strike. Wind magic always worked best in wide open places like this, and the spirits were strong here. Soren threw out his arms, commanding the swirling torrent to spread wider. Soldiers screamed and scattered, and Soren ended the spell with one final burst of energy, sending spikes of wind into anyone still caught within the spell’s radius.

By the time this was done, he heard a stampede of hooves and paws behind him. Titania flew past on his left and Oscar on his right. The laguz repeated their coordinated attack, and then Ike was running past—clapping him on the shoulder as he went. Soren saw blood in his teeth in the split second their eyes met, but Ike was grinning widely. When he reached the soldiers, he smashed open their helms and rent their breastplates with brute strength.

Turning to a page of Elwind spells, Soren was intent on helping him. Right now, that meant not allowing the mercenaries to become surrounded. Brom and Nephenee had split off to guard Shinon and Rolf, who were now firing frantically into a column of soldiers circling around from the east. Soren was determined to stop as many of them as possible before they arrived.

While he sliced and divided their snake-like column, Soren cast his gaze around the battlefield and ascertained that the Begnion forces had ceased arriving. It seemed only three thousand had followed the senator’s order to attack. The rest (Zelgius included) were already far away, nothing but a smudge on a distant hill, about to be swallowed by a green cornfield. As for the senator, he’d disappeared, and Soren could only assume the man had never had any intention of actually putting himself in danger.

The soldiers reached him, and Soren began weaving more defensive wind spells instead. Slowly he walked backward, ducking and dodging attacks until more of the mercenaries came to help. Eventually they did, and together they killed the remaining soldiers on this side.

Turning his attention to the west, Soren could see that the Crimean Army was handling the majority of the Begnion forces. However, true to Elincia’s ideals, they weren’t trying to gain an inch of ground. The army was merely staying in place where they’d first reunited with their queen, and here they maintained a defensive circle, slaughtering the soldiers trying to attack them from all sides. Number-wise, they were evenly matched.

Since Elincia was clearly not going to do it, Ike ordered his troops to push ahead. The distance between them and the Crimeans grew, and this made the mercenaries more vulnerable. On the other hand, since the Crimeans were luring away most of the Begnion forces, neither were the mercenaries being entirely overwhelmed.

Ike pushed up the gently sloping hill, apparently unconcerned that the mercenaries were massively outnumbered. They fought relentlessly to stay by his side, and Ike didn’t slow down until he set eyes on a bow paladin who appeared to have taken charge of the Begnion assault. “That’s him,” Ike decided and signaled Ranulf to attack from the opposite side. The rest of the mercenaries spread out, clearing and defending the top of the hill from the angry soldiers they’d just blown past.

When Soren had a chance, he assessed the man in charge. Judging by his simple armor and minimal badges, he wasn’t anyone important, perhaps only a rear-guard commander. But he was sitting his horse with pride and had refused to call a retreat, which meant he was certainly an overconfident, overambitious idiot. “Fools! How dare you fight my master?” he demanded when Ike and Ranulf stalking toward him on either side. “He is Senator Valtome, Duke of Culbert!”

His horse pranced nervously, swaying left and right as if debating which was more threatening: the large cat or sword-wielding human. When they were within range, the paladin started firing arrows at both of them. At the same time, he kicked his horse into a canter and, using his knees, guided it in a circle around Ranulf. But Ranulf chased him back, avoiding the arrows and nipping at his horse’s hindlegs until it was heading straight for Ike. The man changed direction again, but the pair kept coordinating their attacks, tiring the horse and confusing its rider. Then, finally, Ranulf pounced. He knocked the man from his saddle, and both tumbled through the field. Ike struck down with a killing blow before he could rise.

Soren watched all of this while shooting sporadic Wind or Thunder spells into whatever soldier felt brave enough to try to intervene. But in truth, there were few left; most of the survivors were running north now, probably regretting their decision to follow the witless senator. 

“Phew!” Ranulf stretched his back and reverted his form. “Begnion’s finally given up,” he sighed, watching the soldiers run for their lives. “That took some doing.”

“Tell me about it,” Ike agreed, plunging his sword into the scabbard on his back. “But we did get some good information out of all this. Now we know for sure that there are some serious leadership problems in the Imperial Army. I’m glad General Zelgius was honorable enough to withdraw. If the full strength of the two armies had clashed, Elincia’s effort would’ve been wasted.” Ike turned around, and it was just in time to see Geoffrey trotting up the hill.

Ike and Ranulf went to meet him, and Soren and Titania followed.

“Sir Ike!” Geoffrey called when he arrived, “Sir Ranulf! Thank you for helping to save Queen Elincia.”

Ike crossed his arms and leaned back with a small smirk. “Geoffrey,” he greeted him in return, “I’m really surprised you let her do such a dangerous thing. You must be more relaxed these days.”

“It wasn’t easy for me, as you could guess,” Geoffrey admitted with a shake of his head, “But I can never really say no to Queen Elincia. What choice did we have?”

“You didn’t have any,” Ike agreed, “and you all did what needed to be done.” He turned his gaze to the Crimean Army, which had spread out now. Most of the cavalry had dismounted, and Elincia and a couple of bishops were using Heal staves on the injured. “I’m really impressed,” Ike finished, his voice becoming quieter. “Crimea’s become quite strong.”

“Don’t talk like such a stranger,” Geoffrey replied. “The Greil Mercenaries are also from Crimea. You’re part of that strength.” He bent his neck respectfully.

“True,” Ike said, his voice returning. “I am very proud of my homeland.”

“Let us go see Her Majesty,” Geoffrey suggested, pivoting his steed in a tight circle. “You do have time to speak with her, correct?”

“Sure do!” Ranulf agreed. “In fact, we were hoping to do that before all this mess with the senator’s forces.”

“I think Tibarn wanted to speak to Elincia too,” Ike added.

Geoffrey nodded. “Let us see what she says.”

The mercenaries followed him down the hill and across the valley to unite with the Crimean Army. When they arrived, Lucia was returning Elincia’s sword, saying, “Try not to lose this again! It’s a royal heirloom. Really!”

Elincia just laughed and slid the sabre into the sheath hanging against her hip. The wound on her shoulder had been healed, and she seemed no worse for her ordeal. “Ah, if it isn’t the brave Greil Mercenaries,” she greeted them when she saw Ike and Geoffrey approaching. She inclined her head slightly, and Titania and some of the other mercenaries bowed. But Ike and Soren did not. “I had heard you were serving with the Laguz Alliance. I’m glad to see you well, and I am grateful that you stayed to help. Did the enemy commander say anything of value?”

Ike shook his head. “Not really.”

Elincia set her mouth in grim line. “I am disturbed by Begnion’s actions,” she declared. “If the Laguz Alliance is willing to share any information they have acquired, I would welcome you in Melior. Crimea will not fight in this war, but perhaps there is some way we can work together and put an end to this conflict.”

Ike was clearly taken aback, and Soren was pleasantly surprised. “Okay,” Ike said simply.

“Convey my invitation to King Tibarn and send word to King Caineghis as well,” Elincia added. “I want everyone together if we are to discuss a peaceful resolution.”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Ike promised.

With that, Elincia mounted her pegasus. “We leave for Melior now. I hope you will catch up to us by tomorrow.”

“See you soon,” Ike replied, raising one hand.

With that, Elincia turned to her troops and ordered them to move out. While they trotted away, the mercenaries and laguz headed south, eager to share Elincia’s invitation.

“Looks like Crimea is still our ally after all,” Ranulf sighed happily.

Ike frowned at him. “You really doubted that?”

“Er, I mean, of course not, but, well, for a little bit there…” Ranulf blushed, and Ike chuckled, waving his hand to let him off the hook.

“There is the still the question of what Crimea can actually do for us,” Soren pointed out. “Elincia’s good intentions aside, her nation does not actually have the clout to broker a peace deal.”

“Well, I suppose time will tell,” Titania countered optimistically, “But I trust we may find a way out of this yet.”

“Me too,” Ike agreed, but Soren wasn’t so sure.

 

When they reached basecamp, Tibarn readily agreed to Elincia’s offer and immediately sent his fastest messenger to Gallia. “That old rascal will want to be here for this,” he said (referring to Caineghis). Soren just hoped the Begnion forces in Mugill wouldn’t attack while the king was gone.

The Laguz Alliance caught up with the Crimean Army the next day, and Caineghis and Giffca caught up five days later, bringing with them Nailah, Rafiel, Leanne, and all two thousand of Tibarn’s hawks. Soren wondered what information or instinct had inspired the Beast King to bring reinforcements. (And although she must be wondering too, at least Elincia didn’t seem offended.)

The bolstered Laguz Alliance and Crimean Army marched side by side, and they were just two days from Melior when Elincia’s scouts returned saying that the entire Central Army was no longer on course to leave Crimea.

“Did Zelgius lose control of that senator again?” Ike asked no one in particular

“No one could be foolish enough to attack us at the capital with those numbers,” Geoffrey said with a shake of his head.

“We must wait and see what Begnion will do,” Elincia declared. Then she turned to the scout: “Tell us everything you saw.”

According to the scout and his comrades, the Central Army had met up with a battalion of two-thousand pegasus knights: the Holy Guard. Now those two thousand pegasi, plus fifteen hundred infantry and five hundred cavalry were marching toward Melior. Meanwhile Zelgius and the five thousand remaining troops appeared to be returning to Begnion as instructed.

If the entire Holy Guard was in Crimea, Soren could only assume the empress was here as well. This could be a very good thing or a very bad thing, depending on the conditions under which she left Begnion and what she hoped to achieve when she reached Melior.

Whatever the case, it was certainly an interesting development, and Soren wondered what might happen if the empress of Begnion, the queen of Crimea, the king of Gallia, the king of Phoenicis, the queen of Hatari, and the princes and princess of Serenes sat down in the same room.