Chapter Eight. A Despairingly Hungry Mage and a Hopefully Tolerant Couple of Myrmidons
This chapter is boring until the part when Ilyana meets Lenora and Mia. Hence, the name of the chapter.
Lenora, Soren, and Mia were assigned to patrol the castle the next morning. "…I just can't believe he's dead…" uttered Lenora.
"I didn't really get to know him, but the way he fought with that general and by the way he talked, he didn't seem like the kind of person who would suddenly just die." Mia piped up.
"Ike told me that the one who killed his father was that same huge knight in black armour who stopped General Petrine from attacking us. He's The Black Knight. Like Petrine, he's also one of The Four Riders." Soren informed them.
"Wow, really?" asked Mia, "No wonder… But still. I just can't picture Greil getting killed!"
"Well he was!" Soren retorted.
"Hey, what's that there?" Lenora pointed at a haze that was moving through the trees.
"They're Daein soldiers." said Soren as he immediately made his way to the main room of the castle.
"Again?!" cried Mia as she and Lenora followed Soren.
Ike, Titania, Mist, Rhys, Boyd, and Oscar were in the main room when Soren and the two myrmidons rushed in. "Ike, I've got bad news! Look out the window!" Soren exclaimed.
"That's not what I think, is it?" Ike dreaded.
"If I'm not imagining things, that's a squad of Daein soldiers. Why do they have to show up, now?" Rhys sighed.
"What gives? We're inside Gallia's borders, aren't we? They must be out of their minds to pursue us this far!" Boyd shouted. After a bunch of minutes of planning, the mercenaries went out to meet the Daein soldiers, who looked like mean ferocious dogs to them.
"Aaahh! Don't hurt me!" yelled Ike, "Um, okay here's my plan: Oscar, Lenora, and I will go to the right side, Soren and Mia will go guard the main entrance, and Titania and Boyd will guard the left side. All right. Greil Mercenaries, move out!"
"All right, let's kill these stupid scumbags!" said Lenora as she took two soldiers out with a gigantic ice blade that she shot with her sword. She then sparred with a 'golem'. "My gosh! You people are like miniature versions of The Black Knight!" Soon Ike came to Lenora's aid and started to spar with an enemy myrmidon, and Oscar began to throw javelins at enemies.
Meanwhile, Mia sparred with the horse-riders and wounded them and then Soren would finish them off with magic spells.
Boyd sparred with enemies while Titania threw battle axes at them.
Rhys watched his comrades battle when a sickly-looking mage girl stumbled into the guarded area from where Ike and his group was. The frail girl reminded Rhys of himself. "Uh…" he said.
"I-I'm on your side. I'm Ilyana. I was press-ganged into the Daein army but you're leader Ike saved me. I will fight with you. Which area needs me the most? …Oooh…"
"Um, are you sure you're in the condition to fight? You seem sick. I can heal you and then you can go into the castle with Mist and Rolf."
"No, I'm fine. It's just the rain. C-cold rain always does this to me."
"Well, Soren and Mia over there look like they need the most help. Be careful, now."
"Th-thanks." And then Ilyana opened her lightning tome and chanted a few words. A bolt of lightning shot out of the sky and killed a soldier that was about to hit Mia. Soren spun around and saw the stranger. "Ah! You're from Daein!" cried Ilyana.
"No, I'm not. I'm wearing black but I'm with the mercenaries. Who are you?"
"Ilyana. I was s-saved by Ike. I'm helping you."
"I'm Soren. You seem sick, so don't make me catch your cold. But let's continue in fighting the enemy. Mia! This girl Ilyana is on our side!"
"Okay." Mia replied as she stabbed an enemy. Soon, the only enemy left for Mia, Soren, and Ilyana to fight was General Kamura.
"Ike, we could use some help fighting this general!" Mia yelled.
"Okay!" said Ike. (And yes, he said it in that stupid voice just as always) Soon Lenora came to assist them.
"Oh, my gosh it's another golem!" she exclaimed.
"What did you call me, you Crimean brat? Your commander is stupid to send stupid little brats like you into battle!"
"What did you say, old man? I'll slaughter you!" Lenora declared as she shot a wave of water at Kamura. His armour immediately rusted.
"Oh, no! My thousand carat gold armour is ruined! You damned bitch!"
"Oh shut-up, you filthy-rich bastard!" Lenora retorted as she slashed at his shoulder, only to be blocked by his lance. While Kamura was distracted, Soren and Ilyana both shot a wind and a thunder spell at him, killing him.
"Urgh…aaa… Glory to…to…Daein…" Kamura mumbled, coughing up blood, then dying. Lenora, Soren, Mia, and Ilyana quickly went to go help the rest of the mercenaries. But then even more Daein soldiers arrived at the castle. Things became hopeless, Mist even came outside so that she could die with her brother. None of the mercenaries were killed yet, but most of them were wounded and fatigued. But then in an instant, each and every one of the enemy soldiers were lying dead and there was an orange-haired Cat and a vivid blue-haired Tiger.
"Gasp! Hi, Auntie Lethe!" Mist waved at her like an idiot.
"Hiss! I told you not to call me that!"
"Mist, you know this Cat?" Ike inquired.
"Uh-huh! Rolf and I both met her at Gallia castle!"
"So, uh… Are you two from the palace? Did the king of Gallia send you?"
"He did. I am Mordecai, warrior Gallia. Your hair is blue. You are Ike. Is this correct?"
"That's right- I'm Ike. You saved us back there. Thank you."
"Ranulf told me Ike is not a bad stranger. Mordecai and Ike… We will become friends."
"You don't know that. You don't know if we can trust him. It's too soon to tell. He's a Beorc. A human. You know all humans have two faces."
"Lethe!"
"Beorc? What's that?"
"Ike, you idiot! Beorc are what we are!" exclaimed Lenora.
"Ha, we with the power are Laguz. You soft, hairless things with no power at all, you are called Beorc."
"What did you say?"
"Lethe! You are being bad. The king forbids this. We cannot fight with Beorc!"
"Most beorc call us by hated names, look at us with eyes filled with scorn. "Sub-human"? Hss! Is that how beorc treat their friends? Is that how beorc treat their allies?"
"You're right... Some of us use that name far too readily. I guess if we had thought about it, we'd have realized it's not a polite term, but we didn't know you by any other name. I'm sorry." Ike apologized.
"You know no other name for us? Are we really so little to you, human? You, who forced us into slavery? How easily you forget. But we laguz! We remember. We remember how we have suffered at your hands. The king can say whatever he likes, I will not trust you. I warn you now...never speak to me in such a way!"
"Lethe…" Mordecai sighed.
"What's your point?" scoffed Soren, "Did you come all the way to complain to us? Ha-ha… Typical sub-humans."
"Soren! You damned fucked up SHITHEAD!!!!" Lenora snarled.
"I know, Soren! What's wrong with you?!" Ike yelled. "Uh, Mordecai, Lethe, I apologize on behalf of my company. Please forgive Soren. It's a poor excuse, but we recently lost…some companions. We're tired, and we're not thinking clearly."
"…I apologize as well. My behavior has been unkind I forgot our mission, and I have blundered terribly." replied Lethe.
"Mission?"
"The king wants to see you. We are here to guide you to the royal palace."
"Okay!" Lethe and Mordecai both raised their eyebrows at him.
Lenora just said, "You'll get used to his idiocy."
At the fort, Ike and his mercenaries were given a few hours to rest from their huge battling and traveling. Mist and Rolf kept bothering Lethe, and Ilyana went to go bug Lenora and Mia: The two myrmidons were in the courtyard conversing when Ilyana approached them. "Hello, Ilyana. You're that new girl!" greeted Lenora.
"Hi…"
"What's wrong? Are you sick?" Mia queried.
"I'm just hungry. My stomach is so huge I have to eat five helpings… I'm hungry… So very hungry… Hey, that pillar looks tasty…"
"Whoa!" Lenora exclaimed as she and Mia pulled Ilyana away from the stone column.
"Stop trying to eat the castle! Come on, Ilyana! we're taking you to the mess hall!" said Mia, "…Though…I really don't know were it is. And besides, if you eat that much, then you shouldn't eat too much of our supply of food so I think we'd better just go and hunt the food ourselves."
"Okay…but where's the exit?" Ilyana asked.
"Oh, crap!" Lenora sighed, "…Um…I know! Let's climb over to the forest!"
"Are you crazy?!" exclaimed Mia.
"Heh, I do crazy things all the time. Sort like Ike, except I actually know what I'm doing. Just trust me and let's climb over this hunk of rock!"
"What makes you think we'd be able to climb over a castle?" Mia replied.
"Come on! Look, all we have to do is climb onto the roof and down the outside wall!" Lenora replied.
"ARE YOU DAMNED CRAZY?!?!?!?!" Mia shouted.
"Suit yourself! I'm going into the forest the easy way! You coming, Ilyana?"
"Um… I think I'll just go with Mia…"
"Fine, then!" Meanwhile I'm gonna climb over the castle!" declared Lenora as she went over to the edge of the courtyard and started to climb up the stone wall.
"Hey!!! Get off of there, you human!" shouted Lethe, who started throwing cleavers at Lenora.
"Ah!" Lenora yelped as she jumped down from the wall. "YOU COULD HAVE KILLED ME, YOU INSANE MORON!!!" she screamed.
"I'm not about to allow a human to climb on the walls of our forts! Go outside the long way!"
"Hmph. Damn bitch…" Lenora muttered as she joined Mia and Ilyana.
"I heard that!" said Lethe.
Lenora, Ilyana, and Mia all ran as fast as they could through the hallways. They bumped into a bunch of the mercenaries. "Hey! Watch where you're going, you damned bitches!" snarled Soren.
"What's the rush?" exclaimed Oscar.
"Aaah!" screamed Mist and Rolf.
"Hss!" Lethe bared her teeth. (Whoa! How did Lethe get over there already?)
"OH MY GODDESS!!!" Rhys screamed. Then, Ilyana collapsed.
"Ah! Ilyana!" Mia cried.
"Don't worry… I'm so…tired and hungry…"
"Ilyana, you stay here while Lenora and I go and find you some food." Mia replied as she and Lenora finally found the main entrance.
"Okay," said Lenora, "let's go find some food!"
"Right… Ohmygosh I see an elk!"
"Let's go kill it!" Lenora exclaimed in a crazy-sounding voice. And so she threw her sword at the elk, killing it. She and Mia went over to the giant dead creature and tried to lift it up.
"My gosh! This thing's heavy!" exclaimed Mia.
"I now! We should have asked someone to come with us!"
"And it already smells!"
"I know, what the hell?"
"Holy shit!"
"What is it, Mia?"
"I think the thing just grunted!"
"What?!"
"Oooh…please…take that sword out of my flank…please…" the elk groaned in a deep, rich, mellow voice.
"Oh, sorry about that!" Lenora said as she took her sword out of the elk and cleaned it in the grass. She then put it in its sheath.
"Oooh…thank you very much…"
"You're welcome! Come on, Mia. Let's pick this elk up again." Mia groaned at this as she and Lenora lifted the elk up and continued to carry it to the abandoned castle.
"Oh… Where are you taking me?" asked the dead elk.
"To Ilyana's stomach." Lenora replied.
"That sounds like a nice place…"
"Urgh… We're almost there…" mumbled Lenora. A few minutes later they found Ilyana. "Hey, we have some food for you!"
"Oh…thank you." Ilyana replied.
"Hold on!" exclaimed the elk, "Are you saying that she's going to eat me?!?!?!?!?! Aaaaaaaahhh!!!!!" the elk started to gallop away.
"Hey! I already killed you! You shouldn't be talking or moving at all!" Lenora yelled.
"Oh! Oops! My soul forgot to leave my body and go to Ashera's realm!" And then the elk fell dead for real.
"Well Ilyana, dig in!" said Mia.
"Mmmmm. Thank you." Ilyana ate the entire elk in one second. "I'm still hungry…"
"What the crap?" said Lenora.
"Oh, well. It looks like we'll just have to hunt for more food!" Mia tried to stay positive. But in her thoughts she was thinking, Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck… So she and Lenora went back into the forest and found a deer.
"Hopefully this will fill her stomach." said Lenora.
"It better!" And it took an entire hour of tramping around the forest and dragging dead carcasses to Ilyana.
So after an hour she said, "I've had enough of animal meat. I'm gonna eat some dirt now. Don't worry. I'm immune to dirt so I can just eat this jar of dirt that I was carrying with me."
"WHAT??!?!?!?!?!" screamed Mia.
"YOU DIDN'T THINK TO TELL US BEFORE?!?!?!"
"YOU DAMNED MOTHERFUCKER!!!!!!!!!!!"
"I'm… I'm sorry…"
"Oh, I am sooooo out of here!" declared Lenora as she tramped off.
"See ya 'round, fucker." Mia said before angrily stomping off.
When no one could hear her, Ilyana said to herself, "So I once again claim two more victims! Ha-ha-ha…ha-ha-ha…MUAH-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
Sorry, Ilyana fans, but that's right, Ilyana is going to be Lenora's and Mia's enemy in this story. In the game portrait of her, she looks evil! Evil! EVIL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
