Chapter Two: Mysterious Banners

Ike-

Several weeks had passed, and I'd adjusted pretty well to mercenary life. I'd even done well at overcoming my squeamishness for killing and the sight of corpses. My father had set me on a pretty stable schedule. I usually worked five days a week doing jobs, and I had two days off, which I usually spent training or taking over the trading for the company. Today was an early Sunday morning in mid-October, where I had the day off, and I'd decided to head to nearest town to do some trading. The nearest town was Yamsterstead, and it was in this vibrant little village where I'd done most of my trading for the past few years. Even before I was a mercenary, I often took over the trading duties for the company.

I casually strolled down the pathway that led to Yamsterstead, as the October breeze rolled through the trees, raining vibrant red and yellow leaves in my midst. I'd always thought fall was beautiful. It was my favorite time of year, and I felt at peace with life as I strolled into town. The town was eerily quiet as I made my way to the market stalls, and I approached a petite, blonde woman who I often traded with because she sold a lot of general goods like vulneraries and fresh meat.

"Well, good morning, cutie," she greeted, and I blushed slightly. She was always very friendly to me.

"G-good morning," I greeted with a stammer, "Can I get ten pounds of fresh pork?"

"Oh, that's quite a bit of pork, hmm?" she inquired in a sultry tone, wrapping up the meat. "But I'd guess you know all about large amounts of meat, hmm?"

I instantly felt nervousness and awkward for some reason, and I managed a laugh. "Ha, I guess?" I handed her the coins, as she handed the pork to me. "Well, have a good day," I stated, turning on my heel.

"You too, sweetie," she said, and I continued about the market, finishing up my trading for the day. After an hour or so, I had everything the company would need, and I was strolling for the pathway to lead me back to the Fort, when I noticed something black pinned to the wall of a building. I stopped to survey it for a moment and noticed it to be an ominous, black banner with a silver, intricate insignia on it. The banner had no words, but for some reason I felt like it was a message of some kind. A very important one, although I didn't know what. I decided it was probably nothing and headed back to the Fort.

Once I arrived, I quickly packed away the new supplies into their places within the supply room and set to sharpening and polishing my sword. I knew a man's weapon was half his strength, so I always took the time to keep my sword battle-ready. I spent the day cleaning all my armor, weapons, and eventually set to cleaning the entire Fort. I didn't believe in wasting my time and relaxing on days that I had off. Evening approached, and soon my father, Titania, and everyone who had taken a job this morning had returned, and dinner was underway. After dinner, I skipped out on the festivities and settled in my room, reading an old book about war heroes and adventure. I'm sure it was well after eleven, and most of the company was probably asleep by now. I was scheduled to work in the morning, but I was too restless to sleep.

I made my way to the mess hall to make some hot tea, when I heard hushed voices coming from the briefing room. The door was slightly cracked, and I couldn't help but overhear the conversation.

"...You've seen them too, Titania?" I heard my father's voice.

"Yes, there were three of them tacked to buildings in the town Gatrie, Shinon, Rhys, and I visited today," Titania replied.

"Hmm, did they have affiliation to the bandits?"

"No, I asked the town's people afterwards. They said they didn't know where they came from, and that they were there before the attack this morning. They even said the bandits were scoffing and spatting at them after they'd raided the town."

"Hmmm, most troubling, indeed," my father replied, deep in thought. "I saw them on the job today as well. Solid black, with a strange silver insignia on the front, correct?"

"Yes, that's them," Titania replied, and my heart sank. The banner. I'd seen one too, but just what were they? What did they mean? "What do you think it means?"

My father paused for several moments. "It's probably nothing."

"Come now, Commander," Titania began, "I know you better than that. Don't lie to me, you should know I won't jump the gun nor breathe a word of this to any of the others."

"Well, when I lived in Daien many years ago, there were many bands of vigilante-type, bandit groups that worked under different insignias such as that one. They would hang their banners throughout towns they were planning to invade, and then invade several days later. These weren't your typical bandits though, and they weren't 'city protectors' as vigilante's claim to be. They were highly trained, killers that worked for hire. Almost like a mercenary group, but they were more like gangs, hired to destroy towns not save them. They were wiped out many years ago by a revolt, however. It took nearly a full-fledged rebellion of the Daien people to get the army involved. I'm sure it's not the same thing, though. It's most likely a child's prank, and I've never seen an insignia like that one. The one's from Daien were less intricate," my father explained.

"I see," Titania replied.

"But it's nothing to fret about, Titania. Those died off long before I left Daien," he replied.

"Yes, I'm sure you're right, Commander," she agreed.

I'd heard enough, and I quickly shuffled into the mess hall, hanging a kettle full of water above the fire pit. I knew I wasn't meant to hear that conversation, so I decided it was best not to think about it.

...

Soren-

I sat in the Melior public library browsing through several old volumes on war tactics, ancient magistry, and topics of the sort. I'd spent hours here already today, just like I had done every other day on my visit to the Crimean capitol. I'd taken my leave of the mercenary group for a few months to study up on various topics before returning to strengthen our tactics. It wasn't that our company was lacking in any department, per say, but it never hurt to touch up on knowledge, and after the Commader had given me permission to take this voyage, I'd been more excited than I had in a while.

I enjoyed my company very much. Greil had taken me in a time of need, when I had no one else to turn to, and for that, I owed him. It was almost like a family of sorts, although I didn't trust most of the mercenaries. No matter how heroic or dashing any of them were, they were still humans, and if any of them were to know the truth about me, their opinion would change substantially. The only one in the company I really trusted was Ike. He was the one who had always treated me like an equal since day one, but I still wondered if his opinion of me would change if he learned the truth about me.

Several hours passed, and I briefly glanced out the massive, paned windows of the library, seeing that the Sun had already begun to set. I strolled casually out of the library doors, when I heard something disturbing down the street. I crept down the cobblestone walkway, until I found the source of the disturbance, of which was coming from a back alley. I glanced down the alleyway to find an ominous man, dressed from head to toe in black leather armor. He held a knife clasped in his hands behind his back. He had a small boy with green hair and a thief-like garb pinned up against the wall.

"Why are you following us, boy?" the man questioned with an icy tone.

"I'm not," he countered.

"Don't fool me. I'm several times more intelligent than you ever thought about being," he stated. He grabbed the boy's wrist and twisted it behind his back. "Now, talk."

"Agghhhh, ahhhh!" he screamed, and the boy quickly pulled out a knife, aiming it for the man's torso. The man caught the knife with his free hand and slammed the boy against the wall.

"Do you want to test my patience, boy?" the man inquired. He twisted the boys wrists, and the boy screamed in pain. I surveyed the situation, wondering what would be the best way to intervene. I didn't know the situation at hand, or who either of these people were, and it probably wasn't in my best interest to get involved, but something inside me tugged and ordered me that I had to help the child. I decided on a plan of action and called up a wind spell, aiming it for the leather-clad man, knocking him off his feet. To be honest, I was surprised it worked. I could tell the man was extremely powerful and intelligent, just by looking at him.

"This way!" I yelled to the boy, dashing down the alleyway and deeper into the darkness. I heard light footsteps as the boy followed, and I heard heavier footsteps, whom I assumed belonged to the mysterious man. We wound through the alleyways attempting to escape the man, but to no avail. The man seemed very prone to the shadows, and I assumed the best recourse would be to run into public. We arrived at a busy market street and weaved through the crowd, the boy close on my heel. I didn't hear the footsteps of the mysterious man any longer, but I would be stupid to assume we had outrun him.

I headed for the city gates and exited quickly, the boy still on my heel. After we'd made it a few miles out of town, I stopped for a breather, and the boy stopped behind me, eying me with scrutiny. "Thank you. You're not one of them, are you? You're dressed in black, but you seem different. I can feel it." he questioned.

"No, you can believe me when I say I'm not," I replied. "Who are they?"

"They are trouble. That's all I really know. I've been following them for months because I believe they know the whereabouts of someone I'm searching for, but I haven't been able to learn much about them. The only real thing I know is that they leave black banners with a silver insignia pinned up on building walls all over the continent. I still haven't learned why, though," the boy stated.

"Really? I did notice a few banners like that within Melior walls..."

"Yes, they're occupying Melior heavily right now, but I've followed them all over the continent just about. They scare me, but I don't know much about them because they stick to the shadows and keep a lot of secrets. I've seen them standing on street corners, and I look away for a split second, and they're gone. The most they ever show themselves is by hanging up the banners, but no one takes that seriously, so the group knows they're safe. They discovered I'd been following them, though, and they don't take too kindly to anyone who gets involved in their business," he continued.

"Hmm," I began, pausing in thought. Should I help this boy? What would I have to gain? Regardless of all that, I had an eery feeling about this group, and I knew the Commander would most certainly want to hear about something like this. "Well, I don't know if following them alone would be the best recourse for you, especially considering your age. I work for a mercenary company, and they may be able to aide you. They will undoubtedly be interested in the tale, although I think it not wise to get involved in such things. Would you like to visit them?"

"If you wouldn't mind. I'd like help, if you can. I know they're beyond me, but they must be stopped at all costs. They're up to something bad," he stated.

"Well, I was going to go alert them of this either way. Feel free to tag along," I stated, turning on my heel. "What's your name?" I inquired.

"It's Sothe, and yours?" he asked.

"I'm Soren," I stated. After that, our conversation ceased. I glanced frequently at the boy from the corner of my eye, focusing on his knife. I knew better than to trust the boy, and I would be ready if he tried an attack.

...

Ike -

It was late one Tuesday night, and I was settled in the mess hall chatting with Boyd. Boyd kept chatting about girls, especially one in a nearby town who he was thinking of taking out, but I really couldn't care less. Girls were the last thing on my mind, as my main priority was improving my strength. Suddenly, the doors of the mess hall burst open as Soren entered, followed by a small, green-haired boy, whom I'd never seen before.

"Soren, what-" I began.

"Where's the commander?" Soren asked, cutting me off.

"He's in the briefing room with Titania... What's... going on?" I asked. He didn't reply, he just motioned for me and Boyd to follow. So we did, and the strange boy followed along too. Inside the briefing room, my father and Titania were discussing new jobs, when we entered.

"Soren, welcome back," my father began. "Who is this?" he inquired, staring at the boy.

"This is Sothe. He has some news you may like to hear," Soren stated.

"Well?" Father inquired.

"Hello-o, sir. I'm sorry to bother you. Soren said you may want to hear about something that's happening in Melior," Sothe began.

"Well?" my father repeated.

"Right, sorry," he began, obviously taken aback by my father's bluntness. "You see there's a strange group of people taking hold in Melior..." The boy told us the story about the strange group of leather-clad fighters, prone to the shadows and secrecy, that had been moving across the entire continent. He told about their banners, which was the same description of the one I'd seen and the ones my father and Titania had described. He told about how he'd been following the group, but they'd discovered him, and one had nearly killed him earlier that evening.

"I... see," my father stated, running a hand across his face.

"Do you know who they are?" Sothe inquired.

"No, but I've known of similar groups in the past. Yes, this sounds all too familiar, and if it's even close to the same thing, Crimea is in trouble. Tell me, boy, what is your reason for following them?" Father inquired.

"I'm pretty sure they know the whereabouts of someone I've been looking for. I need to know for sure, but they caught me."

"I see. Do they know who you are?"

"No, they just discovered me the other day, and there's very little record of me anywhere, so unless they're just that smart, there's no way they could know. Still, they could find us. I just know it. I'm sorry if I put you in danger by coming here," Sothe apologized.

"Oh, no, thank you for informing me. This is serious, whatever it may be. I'd like to investigate them further. I need to speak to my company first, but if I were to investigate this group, would you like to join, boy?" Father inquired.

"More than anything," Sothe replied.

"Very good, now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to meet with my company. We'll return shortly. Ike, go wake the others and tell them to meet here," Father ordered. Sothe excused himself and headed out the door. I quickly dashed around the upper floor, where the bedrooms were and began knocking on each door.

"What the hell is it this time, boy?" Shinon's deep, sleep-ridden voice inquired. He appeared out of his room, looking like he'd just been woken up from hibernation, with the attitude to match.

"There's troubling news. Father wants everyone to meet in the briefing room," I stated and dashed off to knock on more doors. After I'd woken everyone up, and we'd all assembled in the briefing room, Father quickly brought everyone up to speed on the current situation, detailing Sothe's account and the threat that this new information may pose for the country.

"How would you all feel about transferring our practice to Melior for a few weeks. We can still take jobs to earn extra money, but our main priority would be understanding what's going on with this strange group. Titania, I'd like to hear your opinion first," Father stated.

"I think it wise to investigate a little further. This group seems to be destructive in some way, and if it is indeed some sort of gang, it will only be a matter of time before they begin killing," she stated.

"Pah, I think this a waste. Why the hell should we involve ourselves? Are we getting paid for this? No. We shouldn't concern ourselves with some dark little clan in the streets of the capital. That's the royal court's problem, not ours," Shinon countered.

"I have to agree with Shinon here," Soren began. "This is a national issue, and whatever the verdict may be, we shouldn't get involved unless there is coin involved. If it were to turn into revolt, we'd be swept up right in the thick of it."

"I'd kinda' like to go to Melior," Gatrie began. "So many beautiful, young, unwed women, but I mean it's completely up to you, Commander. I'm fine with whatever."

"I think it's worth investigating," Oscar began. "If they threatened this boy just for being curious, who knows what they're capable of."

"Agreed," Boyd stated. "We can't let a little group of thugs start a massacre in our homeland."

"Yeah!" Mist added.

"Yeah!" Rolf added.

"I agree with Oscar," Rhys began. "This group sounds very suspicious to me, and we've already seen their banners out this way, so they're spreading fast."

"And you Ike?" Father questioned, turning his steely gaze straight at me.

"I think we should investigate it," I began. "I saw one of the banners in town the other day, and I felt very ominous about it. Almost like a premonition of great evil. I think it's worth investigating at least, and there would be plenty of work in Melior, that's for certain."

"Very well," Father began. "I've reached a conclusion. We'll investigate the mysterious group. I'll set out for Melior first thing tomorrow morning to find us dwelling within the city. Titania, you'll be in charge of running the jobs we currently have while we're gone. Finish out the ones we've already accepted, but take no more. We'll have plenty of coin in the city, and we'll need to be recharged to go up with an intelligent group such as this," he ordered. "Dismissed!"

Everyone scattered after his speech, murmuring to one another, and I was instructed to find dwelling for the boy. I showed him to his room, and he thanked me. According to father, the boy would be helping out around the Fort with cleaning, stocking, and duties of the like for the time being, and he would be a paid employee of the Greil Mercenaries, but he wouldn't be allowed to go on any jobs as father believed he was too young.

I headed back to my room and settled in for sleep. As I drifted slowly away, I could feel a strange tide of darkness rolling in.