Chapter 6: Bloody Ambush

Private First Class Neil

Entry 4

Tuesday, 20th

June, 685

So, yesterday. Crimea's neighboring country, Daein laid siege to and took control of the capitol of Crimea, Melior. I did not participate too much in the battle there, just enough to make my way to General Geoffrey. Our orders were clear: Princess Elincia needs safe passage to Gallia, where she will meet with the King there.

This garnered a lot of resentment from some troops, but no one voiced anything on it. I'm slowly piecing things together here. People like me, who are normal humans, we're the beorc. This kingdom of Gallia is run by laguz, changelings who, while human, are able to transform into a variety of beasts.

And the result of all this, a LOT of prejudice between the laguz and beorc. I know not what is the cause of the hatred here, but I don't plan to get caught in any of it. If anything is well known of the laguz, they are fearsome in battle.

We spent most of today getting as far away from Melior as possible, but we're in hot pursuit. The lead paladin who is carrying the Princess has split the guard into 2 groups, his group which is a bare minimum crew of himself, the Princess, a myrmidon who I hear is absolutely deadly fast (and is described as a swordmaster by Mia), a spear man who is much more decorated than me and generally a better fighter than me (and I've also learned a spear man of his skill has earned the title of Halberdier), and 2 mounted units, one who specializes in bows and the other a swords woman who can heal people.

Sidenote: I was taught in boot camp that all mounted units are seperated based on how they fight. Mounted Axe, Sword, Bow and Lance users, all called Paladins once they have proven themselves thoroughly in battle. Certain Mounted Swords are also skilled in the healing arts and are titled Valkyries. Airborne units follow a slightly similar system.

I have personally been assigned to a Mounted Axe, Kieran, who is the leader of the 5th Platoon. It's our duty to scout the area south of the Princess's group as they ride. Right now, however, everyone is resting, hence the journal update. This may be my last one for a while. While I have heard nothing official, I feel as though we're losing ground to our pursuers.

After writing down the last paragraph, I skimmed back through, completely impressed with how much I wrote this time. It took up 2 pages in the journal... or diary... whatevs. But as I was saying, 2 pages and easily my longest entry to date. It was the kind of detail I wanted to write with, as I had resolved to do so after rereading my older entries.

Shutting the book and putting it in the pocket inside my armor, I started suiting up and going through some quick dynamic stretches to limber up. I glanced around at the 5th Platoon before me. We were rather small, but considering we split up about 40 people into 4 groups, we kinda have to be. Kieran was already up and swinging his axe around for some practice. His determination actually made mine pale in comparison, and his patriotism was a hundredfold mine.

Funny, I still wonder why Geoffrey chose me to be part of the guard. I wasn't the most skilled, and definitely not the most patriotic, but I didn't question the general's belief that I had a chance in it. I definitely hope he survived the battle at Melior, 'cause I really want to know why he chose me.

I digress; 5th Platoon. Aside from Kieran, Mia was also suiting up. Me and her haven't had a chance to chat since departing from the castle, but every once in a while, we'd trade glances and she would smile warmly at me.

The rest of the platoon were faces I didn't recognize but, I could tell they were not new to battle though the ranks of everyone suggested they haven't been in service but for so long. And then Mia, who was actually a mercenary... huh, why was she picked? Man, Geoffrey didn't put together an honor guard as much as he did a ragtag group of people who could fight.

"Something on your mind?" I heard a voice say to me. It was Mia. Oh hi Mia. Wait... actually say it to her dumbass.

"Oh hi Mia. And not too much, just spacing out." I replied.

"Don't space out too much, we have an important job on our hands, we can't let the Princess down." Mia told me. "But it's good that none of it is getting to you."

"Yeah, I s'pose. You seem to be rather calm and collected, compared to your normal hyperactivity."

"I've been thinking too. Crimea has been my home. I'd always help protect villages and towns in trouble from bandits, but to have another nation bring war. It's just so... drastic and different."

"That it is."

At that point, Kieran announced to the group at large. "Alright everyone, pick a partner fast and spread out and check the area. Once we have an all clear, start moving west. Stay within ear shot of another group, but stay out of sight as best you can."

With those orders, I look at Mia and asked "Well, shall we?"

She grabbed her sword leaning on a tree and together, we made our way through the trees heading as south as we could, and at about 500 paces, I whistled the all clear signal after Mia nodded to me that she didn't find anything.

After hearing 2 other whistles (which was the only other 2 groups besides Kieran's) we made our way quickly to the west, eyes scanning as much as possible and ears perked for any noise we weren't making. It is was easy going for about an hour. Then it happened.

My ears picked up on a whistling and without waiting to figure out what it was, dived to the left. And not a moment too soon as an arrow came whistling right through where my face was a second ago.

Registering the situation fast enough, Mia yelled "CONTACT! Enemy contact to the west!" before taking cover behind a large oak tree.

I was lucky enough to dive into a few bushes. Using them to conceal myself, I quickly pulled out my lance and crawled towards the nearest tree.

I hope the other groups could hear our warning. It would get relayed to Kieran who would warn the Princess's guard and from there... well, I guess they would immediately take off away from the enemy while moving as west towards Gallia as possible.

However, while that was happening, it would up to me and Mia (and if we were lucky enough, whoever could find us in time) to draw the groups attention away from the princess's group which would mean we would have to use guerrilla tactics to draw the enemy east and probably south as well. If at all possible, rout the enemy.

I originally did not see that happening.

What I did see now were 2 enemy archers and a soldier like me, except all black armor. I also saw the archers let fly 2 more arrows at us before I quickly pulled my head back behind the tree.

"Must be a scouting group, like us." Mia said to me, as if she were reading my thoughts.

"Yeah, I think we can take them, I'll go for the soldier, if you can take one of the archers. Keep an eye on that other one."

Mia nodded and after we heard another couple of arrows smack into the trees we were covering behind, both of us jumped from behind the cover and took off towards the enemy group.

"Dammit" I cursed as I quickly realized the archers would have another shot at us before we could reach them. Worse than that, I saw both the archers aiming at me as the soldier ran out to meet Mia. In my peripheral vision, I saw them trade blows before they fell outside my sight.

The archers both fired simultaneously at me, and instead of trying to dodge left or right, I rolled forward and under the arrows, coming out lance swinging wildly. The archer closer to me got swiped on his thigh and fell to one knee. I hesitated for a split-second before I ran the lance through his center mass. Immediately after I did, I felt like retching again but manage to hold it this time. Kill now, get sick later.

Unfortunately, that hesitation gave the other archer enough to time take a couple steps back and let loose another arrow at me. It pierced my light armor covering my torso and sunk into my stomach almost half a foot.

"FUCK! OW, OW OW OW." I yelled, but somehow, I charged the archer and drove my lance through his chest, dead center. A perfectly aimed stab, despite my body shaking violently from pain, and tears blinding my vision. Oh irony. How've you been good buddy?

I didn't even notice the second archer die, but I wasn't in too much pain to hear Mia's yell of pain. Turning to their battle, I saw that Mia had been swiped on her sword arm but miraculously held onto the blade. The soldier himself seemed to have several wounds in the openings of his armor and was fatigued enough to not be land a second blow on Mia

Or at least, enough to not a land a second blow before I stabbed him through the back of a knee- sinking that knee to the ground- grabbed his helmet, and pulled it back to let Mia slash at his throat.

For the next couple of minutes we didn't say anything to each other while we addressed our injuries. I didn't pack a vulnerary while I at Melior, though I wish I had now as I broke the shaft of the arrow sticking out of me, flinching and cursing vehemently the entire time.

"Here, use the rest of this." I heard Mia say to me and, looking up, I saw she was offering the rest of her vulnerary to me.

"Thanks a bunch." I said as I applied it to my wounds the way boot camp had taught me to. For a split second, it stung- causing me to continue cursing- before the pain subsided a little bit and the wound stopped bleeding, even after I got the arrowhead out.

"Not use to pain are you?" Mia asked me as I quickly disabled the 2 bows the archers were using while she sliced through the supply of arrows.

Since we were being chased, the enemy didn't need to have the extra supplies, and we weren't really able to use them.

"Not really, no. My tolerance is sadly absolute crap." I replied while grabbing the soldier's steel lance and strapping it to my back.

Wasting no time, we hurried on west. While he may have been separated from the rest of the guard, we knew where to rendezvous at days end. There were predetermined locations explained to us earlier yesterday where we could meet up in case of conflict, and an informant would show us where to go.

As we made fast time towards the next town (where, on the outskirts, was the rendezvous location), Mia told me,

"As bad as this sounds, you're pain tolerance will get better as you deal with it more."

I couldn't help but chuckle to that as I replied "Yeah, there's something bittersweet to look forward to."

"Don't worry, you keep training with me and I'll toughen you up." Mia said actually laughing now.

"That's if you can match me. I thought I had beaten you last time we sparred?"

"Nuh uh, I was holding back after our first match when I beat you!"

Oh is that your excuse? Or is that a challenge? Either way, I am not going to stood up like this, not by Mia. "Well, I think you just earned yourself a rematch missy. No holds bar next time, when we arrive in Gallia."

"You're totally on, and so going down!" Mia said to me.

I didn't exactly have a retort ready, but it wasn't quite needed at this point. The both of us cam out into a small clearing as a shadow passed overhead. Wyvern riders had been flying directly behind and we had no idea because of the trees and our conversation.

Five wyvern riders flew past us before circling around and touching ground to face us. I part of me hoped that me and Mia could beat them, but... well... a saying I had remembered from home: Hope drives people into the worst of corners.

And with that thought in mind, I actually noticed the riders. They weren't like the wyvern riders that laid siege to the capitol. The wyverns were heavily armored; the riders were more so. And each one was armed with a silver axe or a silver lance ready to take us down.

"Crimean soliders, throw your weapons down and surrender, or face death." The lead wyvern, who wielded a wicked looking blue axe, called to us.

"Ummmm... Mia... I don't think I arrived here on Tellius ready to die only a couple weeks later. Both of us are injured, and I would go so far as to say clearly outmatched." I told Mia, my voice as straight and firm as I could hold it. I still wasn't use to this real fear of death, it was a confidence shattering, mind blowing fear that I've never had to deal with before, and, well... I wasn't ready to die here.

"You're right... there's no way we can win this." Mia replied reluctantly before tossing her sword down in front of her. I tossed away both of my lances I had with me. The Daein riders must have not expected us to surrender so easily as some of them looked surprised. But before they reacted to anything, cavalry in more of Daein's black armor rode into the clearing. The obvious leader of the group was a female, who was armored from shoulder to foot in black and gold armor and wielded a red lance. So... why was it red? Is that s'posed to make it stronger or something?

(Yes, yes it is, but I wouldn't actually learn that for awhile yet)

"Haar, what is this? Your orders were to find the group escorting the Princess, NOT a couple ragtag scouts!" The lead Paladin called out to the lead wyvern rider.

"My sources indicate these two were a scouting party for the main group with the Princess. I have scouts out surveying the area as the guard cannot be too far away."

"Hmph." Was all the female Paladin said before a lone wyvern rider in bright pink armor flew in from the west and yelled before ever making to ground, "Commander Haar, sir! A well armored group of soldiers with someone fitting the description of the Princess was spotted about a mile due west from here! Troops are moving in to engage now!"

Shit, I thought. Not good.

It was the female Paladin who spoke again, "Well Haar, looks like you manage to be a slight help to us after all. Your orders are to get these 2-" she pointed to us as she said this, "-out of here to a prison camp. I will personally be overseeing the capture of the Princess." And with that, she took off west through the woods, the rest of the cavalry right behind her.

The one called Commander Haar looked us over quickly before turning to his crew and saying, "We're scheduled for Port Toha in one weeks time, orders from the top. So let's take these prisoners to a camp close to there, maybe near Gallia if we have to."

And with that, the chick in the ridiculous pink armor flew over and bind my arms behind my back with some rope and was surprisingly strong enough to pick me up and toss me over the wyvern's back. If I wasn't scared shitless right now, I'd crack a kinky joke somewhere in the recesses of my mind.

But actually, I'm freaking out right now, 'cause me and Mia could've possibly been killed right then, and we definitely let the Princess down... that's a sinking guilt if I've ever felt one.

And well, there's the whole both of us are POWs now, to a nation which mercilessly ravaged a country with no declaration or even need to. As far as I can understand, Daein had no legitimate reason to invade Crimea...

Yet here they are. If there's one thing that cannot be as clear as possible is the fear and the pure terror that Daein successful instilled into me at this point. At home, near death experiences, while definitely scary, absolutely paled in comparison to what I was going through now.

But yeah. Crazy shit is going down. At some point in time, I realized the wyvern I was on was moving around and before I figure out why, it bucked and the pressure nearly knocked the air out of me as I realized we had taken flight. I was able to move my head around enough to actually have quite a view.

Despite the aforementioned crazy shit going down, moments like these still manage to get to me. On Earth, I only remember traveling by plane once about a year or so ago. The memory was hazy, but I remember it enough of it.

Flying on a wyvern was much MUCH cooler by any standards.

Even if those standards involved being a prisoner in a war. The view, the rush of air, the very feeling of it... man, it felt pretty good. Almost like riding a motorcycle...

Still... sucks to be a prisoner of war.

Author's Note: Yay long chapter. I actually manage to write in 3 sittings in between playing a ridonculous amount of Maplestory. Crazy stuff. I wanted to fit a bit more in there, but my brain is fried and I feel this is good enough for now. I'm really sorry for whatever typos crop up here and there. I do my best when I proofread, but sometimes I still miss stuff and things.

And I really want to go back and rewrite the first few chapters, I'm not really happy with them at all after reading them. None of the detail I strive for is there, and I feel like I skipped over so much. I dunno, hopefully I'll find time for it. I will see this through to the end, but dang if this isn't time consuming to hell and back.

Review if you'd like, and hope you enjoyed the chapter. I plan on getting this much and even much more detail in every time I sit down, and any constructive advice is much obliged.

After thought: I have NO military experience and very minimal understanding, so if you happen to read this and think something like "This is not how the military works" or something very vaguely resembling that... bear with me. Or leave a review pointing things out and offer a different approach! Please and thank you.

So, until chapter 7... strength and honor. (Gladiator reference from the last chapter d= )