"Are you with me?" the voice was kind and gentle. Boyd's eyes opened. "Hey little buddy, you took quite a blow back there, are you alright?" Boyd stood up, "Yeah, I'm fine, it was just a little knock!" Oscar looked at him in disbelief, "For once in your life can you tell the truth instead of letting your pride get in the way." They both laughed. "How long was I out?" Boyd asked quietly. "Only a couple of hours, you did take a training lance to the head," Oscar replied, holding back a laugh. "While you were out Commander Greil came over to ask how was your training was coming, I put in a good word for you," Oscar smiled gently. Just then Deputy Commander Titania appeared in the doorway, "Could the both of you please report to the mess hall, the Commander would like to make a speech and you both need to be present."
Greil stood at the front of his mercenaries, looking at every one of them. "Thank you all for coming, I have a lot of news, some happy, some definitely not. Shall I start with the good news? I have decided that after several months of training, our young friend Boyd is ready to join us in the field," Greil paused for applause, "However, I have some very upsetting news, our first archer and most experienced mercenary, Shinon, has decided to leave us for a life under the Royal house of Gallia!" Soren spoke up, "Shinon? Leave us for the laguz? Are you pulling our legs Commander Greil, sir?" "I only wish I were Soren, but as we speak, Shinon is in the barracks packing his bow and arrows."
The news of Shinon's departure hit all of the Greil Mercenaries hard; more were shocked at his sudden and unexplained alliance to the laguz. "He was tolerant of the laguz at best," Soren remarked, "But to go and fight under the flag of their king, he must have been offered a fortune in gold and…" Titania cut in, "Now Soren, we mustn't be judgemental, this is his decision, and we should support him" "I apologise Deputy Commander, it just makes no sense." At that very moment, Rhys, the staff-wielder flew through the door. "We just got word from reconnaissance, a band of thugs are trying to wipe out a small town near the capitol, except apparently they have stronger troops than ordinary thugs and they may be coming this way." Titania jumped up, "We need to get over there to have a look, I'll ready the horses, Rhys, get the men ready, Boyd, get your axe, you're coming too."
In the blink of an eye, the Greil Mercenaries were on their way out toward the capitol, leaving Ike to care for Rolf and Mist. As they trekked out, Oscar spoke to Boyd, "Are you nervous bro?" "Me? Nervous? Pfft, whatever?" "You're terrified, aren't you?" "Yes, I'm afraid I'll forget everything." "You'll do fine, it all comes back once you get into the action and just remember, you are not alone out there, you have all of us with you." "Thank you Oscar," replied Boyd as his muscles became a little less tense. Titania raised her hand, "We're approaching the town now, doesn't look like they have done too much damage yet, we may be just in time."
As they got closer, Boyd could see a large tower and a courtyard, the thugs caught sight of them and readied their arms. "All right, we need to protect Rhys, as our only staff-wielder, and Soren, he can attack from behind us. GREIL MERCENARIES ADVANCE!" Boyd felt a rush of adrenaline and flew from the ranks, his axe high in the air and as he swung it at a lance-wielding thug, it flew from his hand bounced off a tree and smashed as it hit a wall. "You're mine now you little punk!" As the thug took a step back so as to dig his lance into Boyd he saw a glint of golden armour and red locks, "Get back with Rhys!" it was Titania, "NOW!" Boyd rushed back in the ranks as he ran he heard Titania, "Boyd is disarmed, we need to cover him!" Then out of nowhere a swordsman appeared and as he swung at Boyd he heard hooves then felt himself being lifted onto a horse, was it Titania again? No, it was his own flesh and blood. "You'll be fine for now," Oscar tried to calm him down as he drove his lance into another thug. Oscar then threw Boyd down next to Rhys and then flew back into the battle.
From across the courtyard Boyd heard the thug leader, "There! Across there! The healer and the boy! Unprotected! Surround them!" They were cornered in between two houses; thugs on either side, Boyd closed his eyes, wishing that he were not there. Then without warning, it was like a tornado except it did not touch Rhys or Boyd but picked up all of the thugs. "What the…?" From on top of the house Boyd heard a laugh, it was Soren, "Try to keep out of trouble, we need the two of you alive. Hahaha" At that, he flew off in the wind. "Is it always this fast paced?" Boyd inquired. "Not always, there were more than we anticipated this time." Rhys replied. Then the thug leader walked across the courtyard, though masked, Boyd thought he recognised those eyes, he left it thought… Assuming that it was just all they excitement, and as the leader lifted his hand to reach for his bow, Titania rode past on her horse, picked up Rhys and Boyd then rode off.
Later, back at the hold, "Such accuracy, such power, I have only seen it once before!" Titania exclaimed. "Where exactly was that Titania?" asked Gatrie, who had just returned from a mission in Begnion. "Shinon!" "Surely not!" cried Gatrie, who had been friends with Shinon for an age. "He would never stoop so low as to plundering towns." "I never said he was!" shouted Titania, "I simply said that the masked leader had skills with a bow comprable to Shinon." Greil walked in, "Whats with all the commotion, the children are trying to sleep." "My apologies commander, I was simply informing Gatrie of our most recent mission." "Well you were doing it extremely loudly…" "It was my fault Commander," cut in Gatrie, "I misunderstood the Deputy Commander, my deepest apologies."
The following morning, Boyd woke early, to his amazement, so did everyone else. "We are needed by the King of Gallia," stated Oscar when Boyd walked into the mess hall. "Apparently small thriving towns within Gallia have been attacked by bands of powerful thugs, lead by a masked archer of great power. King Caineghis has requested that we assist his arms." "Does that mean we will be reunited with Shinon?" "Possibly Boyd, we'll just have to wait and see." Despite everything, Shinon was always the one who Boyd looked up to and aspired to be like.
As the group approached the Palace of King Caineghis of Gallia, Boyd felt a slight fear in the pit of his stomach. Every night since that first battle, he had had nightmares, and they were always the same, first he broke his axe, then silence, then those piercing eyes. It was like he had looked death in the face and survived, the fear made him shudder again, "What if I do it again?" he thought to himself, "What if I screw up again and it costs me my life, or worse, one of the others." Oscar, who had been paying particular attention to his brother's expressions and shudders attempted to comfort him, "It's okay Boyd, it only happens the once, I remember my first battle I fell from my horse and had a hand axe thrown at me. Only to be saved by Gatrie over there." "Really?" "Yes, really, and if you stop worrying about it and just use it as a learning curb, it'll be fine." This cleared Boyds mind a little about the broken axe at least. But he just kept seeing those piercing eyes, they were fully burnt into his memory and no amount of reassurance would remove them.
King Carneghis woke them early in the morning, "Quick, we've found their hold, we need to take action now! We can get them unprepared and unawares." As the mercenaries prepared themselves for the battle ahead a familiar face walked into the room. "You'll have to be careful, they have Ravens eyes." That voice, that stern and blunt voice, Boyd swang around and just as he suspected it was the long stern face of Shinon. "King Carneghis has requested that I lead his squad of sub-huma… I mean laguz, into battle side by side with his Calean mercenaries that he has hired," a small smile spread across Shinons face, if only for a moment. "We have been following these guys for a while and established that they are not common thugs infact they are far more dangerous, they are of the bird tribes of Phoneicis." Boyd and Rhys both rose simultaneously, "But the warriors we face used weapons!" they both shouted in perfect unison. "Yes, they have taught themselves to use beorc weapons, as well as transform and use their claws, beaks, tallons or whatever the hell else they have."
The Greil Mercenaries marched along a path to the hold of the enemy, along side them, running through the trees and bushes was a small troop of laguz of the beast tribe, lead by the most experienced archer in all of Calea, Shinon. As they got closer to the hold, Boyd couldn't help but see a glint of what looked like magic. "I think they have mages," Boyd stated to Oscar as they marched. Suddenly Shinon stopped them all, "If we get any closer, the filthy flying rats will see us, their eye sight is impecible. My… um… er… 'troops' already know this, but you need to be informed, these are no ordinary raven-men they walk around dressed and armed like ordinary warriors, they have their strengths and weaknesses just like any warrior, so treat them as normal warriors, however, do not for one instant forget that they are laguz, with the ability to transform through and thorugh."
As they reached the gates of the hold, a large beast from the back of the ranks sprang forward, tearing down the door of the hold with his obvious brutal strength. Amazed, Boyd stared for a moment then the group continued into the hold. The inside was filled with ravens, which amazingly all transformed back into their human form all at once and fell into a fighting pose, each with their own abilities and weapons, just as Shinon had said. Then across the room Boyd could see the masked archer and for a moment, made eye contact and he felt a chill right down to his bones. Standing along side the masked archer was what apeared to be a mage. At this moment the masked archer spoke, "Ahhhh, Shinon, how nice of you to bring me some reinforcements." Shinon stared at him blankly, still trying to work out what he meant. Then the mage rose his hand and a cold chill filled the room, every single laguz in the room got in formation. The mercenaries were surrounded, birds on one side, beasts on the other. Shinon still staring at the masked archer, began to speak, "Stop this madness, Hasinon! What evil have you enslaved to allow this?
The total shock that filled the mercenaries sent a cold chill down Shinon's spine, he knew that they were all staring at him. "You are aquainted with this…this aweful man?" asked Boyd. "Yes, ashamed as I am, he is my own life blood, this man, the masked archer, Hasinon is my brother!" This news struck every one of them like a lightning bolt, digging into the heart of all who thought they knew him. "But…but I thought your mother died at birth?" Titania said, puzzled by this revelation. "That is true, my mother did die, but not before she gave birth to twin boys. When Hasinon and I were born, my mother, who was a raven laguz, passed. I came out looking more or less like a human, with the exception of my keen eyesight. Hasinon on the other hand looked very birdlike indeed, with slight human tendancies, he could not only bear a weapon, but teach others to do the same. My father, who did not wish to be constantly reminded of my mother sent Hasinon off to be adopted by the ravens, whilst he kept my as his only child."
At that moment Hasinon lowered his hood, to reveal the face of a reven laguz, then he screeched, "Nice to see you have spoke so much of me in the past Shinon. But now, with the power of the Hypno-laguz spell, you are surrounded, and there is nothing you can do." Faster than light, the mage standing next to Hasinon had an arrow through his heart, "Not anymore you foul bird, this is why I never did trust the laguz, they are too simple to manipulate. I never thought I'd join forces with these beasts," making a jesture at the beast tribe, "But whin King Caineghais contacted me and said a red-haired archer with eyes of darkness was attacking their tribes, I knew it was my chance to finally rid this world of you." Although Hasinon raised his bow with a speed comperable to Shinon's previous shot, it was too late, a hand axe was cast straight into is head. Not from Titania, but from Boyd, who felt it was what he should do. By this point all the laguz had snapped out of the spell and were very confused.
Shinon lept to where his brothers body lay and spoke, "This creature, was like you, however, he had an evil in his heart and at his disposal, he hypnotised you all and used you to get to me. Now that he has passed though you all may return home, Mordecai, can you inform the King that we were victorious and that I have decided to return to the service of the Greil Mercenaries and I thank him for his hospitality." The ravens flew out of an opening in the roof. The beasts fled out of the hold and then Shinon turned to Greil, "As you heard, I would like to rejoin with you, Commander." Greil smiled, "It would be an honour to have you back in our ranks Shinon." Shinon walked over to Boyd, "Thank you Boyd, I do not think I would have been able to do it, so it was the right thing to do." He turned to the rest of them and with a smile said, "Shall we flee this sub-human infested hell hole and return to Crimea? My work here is done." As the Greil Mercenaries returned to be greeted by Rolf, Mist and Ike, Boyd knew that he had done the right thing, but despite all the revelations, his dreams are still haunted by the eyes of a raven.