Chapter Nine - Despair

The sound of breaking glass echoed in the fort. Scowling, Shinon picked up the next bottle of liquor and took another swig. It burned going down, much too strong for the normal human. Courtesy of the blasted sub-humans, of course, Shinon thought. Just thinking of the stinking creatures made his hand tighten around the bottle. If it wasn't for those beasts…

With a growl of frustration, Shinon threw the bottle still half full against the wall. The sound of breaking glass helped to calm him for a moment. Out of liquor as well as bottles to throw, Shinon fell silent for the moment as his mind began to replay the past few events, despite his best attempts to forget.

Gatrie sat beside him, staring blankly at the wall. He had had little to drink himself, still in shock. Their commander, their leader, their role model…he was gone. Their whole world was turned upside down, and with just one incident that had been expected sometime in the future, just…not now.

"Who do you think will be Commander, now?" Gatrie asked, breaking the silence. "Titania?"

Shinon snorted in amusement, though he didn't look amused. "She passed by earlier. That idiot pup is going to be taking over. A few days out of the nest, and he's to lead us."

Gatrie grimaced, having expected the news. "Well, we all knew Commander Greil would want Ike to-"

Shinon interrupted him with a curse. "Gatrie, that boy doesn't know the first thing about running a mercenary company. Just think about what will happen now."

Shinon paused to let Gatrie answer, but continued when he didn't.

"He's going to lead them to their death, that's what!" Shinon shouted. "He's new, scared, and inexperienced. He'll take the group back to the fort, and immediately try some rash move to start a rebellion against Daein's occupation. You know it!"

Gatrie stayed silent, seeing the very real possibility.

"And there's his inexperience in running the company as well," Shinon added. "How can that boy cope, huh? This group is going to the ground." After a few more seconds of silence, Shinon stood up, suddenly determined looking.

"Where are you going?" Gatrie asked, getting up.

"Anywhere but here. I'm leaving," Shinon said, grabbing his weapons up. Other than a small sack, he had nothing else to take. "You're fine to come along. You know there's no future without Commander Greil here."

Shinon was almost to the entrance when he ran into Titania, Soren, and Boyd. "What's the rush?" Boyd asked.

"Leaving," Shinon said shortly. "Ain't nothing left here now."

Titania, previously depressed, suddenly looked up in surprise. "What do you mean?" she asked.

Shinon shrugged, not needing to say anything else.

After a few moments of dead silence, Boyd exploded. "WHAT!" he yelled. "You can't just go and leave your family! You're just going to walk out after all we've been through all because…well…"

"Exactly," Shinon said, stopping him. "I have no family here. We're mercenaries, and I'm moving on to other things."

Boyd gaped for a few moments, unable to articulate any words. Finally, he let out a curse and turned away, teeth gritted.

"Thought so," Shinon muttered, heading on.

"Gatrie?" Titania said, noticing him standing at the entrance of the room. He had a small bag over his shoulders and his armor on.

"I…I…" He bit his lip and looked down, unable to tell them.

"Leave," Soren said, getting exclamations out of all of them. "Like Shinon said, if there's really nothing holding you here, just get out of here and don't, come, back." A steely, cold tone had entered his voice, unnerving the others.

"I…" Then Gatrie sighed and walked on past them, head lowered in shame.

"Yeah, just get out of here, you…" Boyd choked back tears of anger as he stormed out.

"Will it never end?" Titania murmured, sighing in defeat.

Titania sat against a wall, quietly questioning herself. Soren sat against the opposite wall, completely silent.

"Why, Commander Greil?" Titania whispered. "Why is this happening? Why is any of this happening? Why now? Why here? First, Crimea and King Ramon…and now…you…"

The sounds outside of the night were subdued, letting her words still reach Soren. He closed his eyes briefly, trying to keep composed himself. He stood up at the sound of footsteps approached.

"Ike," Soren said simply, trying to gauge his mood. He was strangely calm, emotionless.

"Oh, Ike!" Titania exclaimed, getting up quickly. "Where's Mist?" she asked, her voice barely steady.

"She's resting in her room," Ike replied. "Rhys and Rolf are with her."

"That's good," Titania murmured. "She needs to sleep. We all do, really. She's been through too much…us of all. You should rest too, Ike."

Ike shook his head. "I'll be alright. Grief won't bring my father back to life, and the morning won't make the work disappear. I know I've been a burden on the both of you. Titania, Soren, I just need to thank you both for staying here with me."

"Not at all," Soren said.

"There's no need," Titania replied. "Don't trouble yourself."

"So…where is everyone?" Ike asked.

Titania looked uneasily at Soren. They were interrupted as Oscar and Boyd came in, looking rather unhappy. "I'm back," Oscar said.

"How did it go?" Titania asked.

Oscar shook his head sadly. Boyd beside him spoke up, "I can't believe it! They still just left, and they didn't take one look back! Heartless scum! I'll never forgive them!"

"Boyd? What's going on?" Ike asked, confused.

"Oh, Ike! Uh, are you alright?" Boyd asked, dodging the question.

"I'm fine," Ike said, taking a sterner tone he didn't know he had. "Tell me what's happened. Start talking."

"Well, uh, it's…what I mean to say is…uh…"

"Shinon and Gatrie have left us," Soren stated.

"Soren!" Boyd exclaimed.

"What? There's nothing to hide, is there?" Soren asked.

"They left?" Ike asked, more confused than ever. "Both of them? Why did they-" A look of revelation dawned on his face. "Oh, I see. They left because of me, didn't they?"

Titania placed a hand of comfort on Ike's shoulder, but he shrugged it off. "Ike…"

"Titania told us you were going to be the new commander. Shinon just about exploded, and…he and Gatrie left not long ago," Boyd explained.

"I went after them and tried to talk things out, but it was a waste of time," Oscar admitted.

Soren spoke up, stopping Boyd from making some other smart remark. "We all knew that Ike was going to inherit command of the company, didn't we? It just happened sooner than we wanted. It was Greil's decision. If some of us aren't satisfied with that, there's no reason we should stop them from leaving. As far as losing strength is concerned, we can solve that by adding new members. Shinon and Gatrie had decided their path, just like us."

"How can you say that!?" Boyd asked. "After all the battles we've been through together, how can you say that so…so…calmly!?"

"Forgive me, Ike," Titania said, stopping the argument. "I wasn't able to stop any of this-"

"It's not your fault, Titania," Ike interrupted. "It's no one's. They did what they felt they had to do. They felt that they didn't want to lose their lives to an inexperienced commander."

"Don't talk about yourself like that," Titania reprimanded.

"I'm not saying that to gain anyone's pity," Ike said. "It's the truth. But even so, I have no intention of giving up command of this company."

"Then what will you-" Titania started.

"I'm going to follow my father's wishes. I'm going to assume command," Ike said, standing a little straighter. "If everyone will accept me, that's what I'd like to do."

"Of course!" Titania said. After a pause, she saluted and added, "Commander."

"I'd already made up my mind," Oscar said. "That's what I was going to do all along."

"What, so now you want me to start calling you Boss? Is that it?" Boyd asked, crossing his arms. Before Ike could reply, Boyd's face broke into a grin. "Well, I can do that. Boss it is!"

"I'm in, too." Ike turned to find Rhys walking in. At Ike's unspoken question, Rhys added, "Mist's asleep. I know I missed most of the conversation, but I have a good idea of what you've been discussing. Commander Ike. Yes, it does have a nice ring to it."

"What about you, Soren?" Ike asked, turning to the silent mage.

"…Ike. I'm not sure what help I could be to you," Soren admitted. "What place is there for me in a mercenary company, anyway? I'm not that much of a fighter."

Ike snorted and clapped a friendly hand down on Soren's shoulder. "You are so weird sometimes. I've always depended on you, haven't I? I need your tactical knowledge. I need your objectivity, even if it is bad sometimes. You're not going to leave me now, are you, Soren?"

Soren looked relieved, though he quickly hid it. "Then, I'll…. Don't worry," Soren said. "I'll be here, watching over you."

"Thank you, all of you," Ike said. "I know I'm not as experienced as most of you. I'm going to make some mistakes, probably big ones, but I'll try not to let you down."

"Well, you're going to have a lot to learn about being commander," Titania said. "I'm glad you're serious, because it's a lot of work."

"Tell me everything," Ike said.

"First, you'll need to understand company expenditures," Titania began. "Then we'll talk about ensuring that everyone is properly outfitted. And we can't forget the need to gather good intelligence. Oh, and you'll want to know everyone's abilities and relations to properly manage them.

"Earlier, I spoke with a merchant caravan that's taken refuge here in the castle. They fled Crimea at the same time we did. I told them who we are, and they asked if they could travel with us. I think they're worried about protection from Daein. In exchange, they've offered us a good rate on items, weapons, and other essentials. They'll also able to forge items for us and said we could use their wagons to store our goods. That's one more worry off our minds. So anyway-"

"Titania!"

"Yes?"

"I know I said tell me everything, but…this is just too much," Ike admitted. "I can't keep up. Maybe I shouldn't learn everything in one sitting. Can you just show me the ropes along the way? Is that alright?"

Titania rubbed the back of her head, embarrassed. "Oh…yes, of course. Sorry, I got a bit carried away."

"I'll take over for now. Why don't you all get some rest?" Ike said, addressing them all.

"But I'm alright-" Titania disputed.

"No," Ike interrupted. "You worry too much. Get some rest. That's an order for all of you. I'll do my best to manage."

"Yes…Commander," Titania replied.

Ike walked down the hall toward the merchants. Their room was deeper in the fort than the few the mercenaries had taken. Knocking on their door, Ike found himself welcomed in a lit room. Inside, four people sat around, all eyes now on him.

The only woman among them stood up and approached him first. "Well, hello there," she greeted. "You must be the young commander I've heard so much about. My, and you are a young one, aren't you?"

"And you must be from the merchant caravan Titania told me about," Ike responded. "The one that asked to travel with us?"

A man nearby nodded and held out a hand. The man was even larger than his father had been, with a few large scars showing up his arms. "Yep, that's us. It must have been fate that brought us all here together," the man said. "We travel all over trading our goods and such, but with Daein's recent war, it's no longer safe on the roads, if you know what I mean. If it's not bandits, it's soldiers, and it's exceptionally more difficult with the recent loss of one of our caravan.

"If you'll offer us protection, we'll supply with the provisions you require as we travel together. At a reasonable price, though, of course, because this is how we make our living. What do you say? It's for the greater good of us all, wouldn't you agree?"

"Well…" Ike said, unsure what to say. Before, his father would have dealt with this, but now he would have to step up and make the call. "It is a sound proposition," Ike finally said.

"Excellent! Then we have an agreement," the man said. "I'm the weapon merchant, Muston. I'll be sure to stock the weapons you prefer."

"And I am Aimee," the woman said, curtseying, "a vender of…various goods. I have a wide variety of items for sale. I hope you'll stop by soon."

The other two men stood up and bow. They looked almost identical except for the color of their jackets and hair. The blonde man spoke first. "The name's Jorge. I'm the procurer of the caravan, and I'll buy anything, really. If you have weapons or items you don't need, you can bring 'em to me."

The other man, who had brown hair, was the next to speak. "My name's Daniel. I'm a craftsman. I specialize in made-to-order items. If you need anything forged, just ask."

Ike nodded silently, trying to keep them straight. If they really did travel with them, then the mercenaries wouldn't have to worry about much in the way of supplies.

"There's one last item to cover," Muston said. "Since we will be traveling together, we will be able to carry your items and gear in our wagons to help lighten your load."

"That would be fantastic," Ike replied. "We recently left our stronghold, and I was afraid we'd have to carry our goods ourselves! I'm happy to take you up on your offer."

"Very good," Muston said, dipping his head to Ike. "Well then, may our enterprise be profitable for us all."

Ike shook hands with the man one more and headed back toward where the mercenaries' rooms were. In the hall, Rolf and Boyd were quietly arguing. "What's going on, Rolf, Boyd?"

"Hey, Ike," Boyd said. "Nothing really."

"Oh, Ike, um…" Rolf didn't seem eager to talk about it either. "Oh, if you're wondering about Mist, she just fell asleep."

"Really? She'll be awake soon if you guys keep arguing," Ike pointed out.

"Oh, sorry," Rolf said. Boyd stayed silent, though he did guiltily look away.

"It's getting late. You two should get yourselves to bed," Ike said.

"I will, but…" Rolf paused, unsure how to say it.

"What is it?" Ike asked.

"Mist is just fine," Rolf said. When Ike gave him a confused look, he explained, "You're here, Ike. So she's fine. I mean, she's going to be just fine."

"Huh?" Ike muttered, still confused.

"That's all! Well, good night," Rolf called, running away to his room.

After a moment of silence, what Rolf meant hit Ike. "Rolf…thank you."

"He's been acting strange ever since we entered Gallia," Boyd murmured, looking serious for once."

"Boyd, how do you feel about this?" Ike asked.

"About what? Rolf?"

"About me being the new commander," Ike explained. "Before, you hated the idea, right? So, I want to know the truth. Will you really take order from me?"

Boyd looked away, looking conflicted. "Well…I know what you can do and what you can't…. You've changed a lot recently, but I don't know if I want you in charge if things get really dangerous. But on the other hand, this is what Commander Greil wanted. He had faith in you, and I've got faith in him.

"The commander hired both Oscar and me," Boyd continued. "When our dad died, I was the one who had to care for baby Rolf…. I had no clue what I was supposed to do. Oscar received a discharge from his military service and came home to help, but life was still hard. That's when Commander Greil found us…. He gave us jobs, a place to sleep, food on our plates…he gave us our lives back."

Boyd was still looking away, not meeting Ike's eye. "Boyd, we both know you've all worked off any debt you may have owed him. You don't have any obligation to me."

Boyd finally met his eye, looking determined. "This isn't about obligations anymore. Commander Greil always said we were all part of one big family, didn't he? I'll do anything to protect my family. That's why I got so mad when Shinon and Gatrie would just…up and leave like that. That's also why you can always count on me. Family first."

"I see," Ike replied, not really knowing what to say to that. Boyd rarely got serious, but when he did, he got serious.

"Anyway, that's all I wanted to say," Boyd said, his serious moment leaving. "But don't you ever try to hold us at arm's length, you got that? You're the commander now."

"Don't worry about that. I'm going to work you to the bone," Ike replied, grinning.

"Oh, really? I'll take whatever you can dish out! Try me!" Boyd taunted, grinning as well. The two clasped arms and parted.

Ike continued down the hall, but stopped as he passed Rhys' room. Through the open door, Ike saw that Rhys was kneeling beside the bed, his shoulders shaking slightly. Rhys seemed to notice the attention and got up.

"Rhys?" Ike murmured, hoping he hadn't disturbed him.

"Commander Ike," Rhys replied, inviting Ike in. Ike could clearly see the wetness around Rhys' eyes and the redness in them.

"What were you doing?" Ike asked.

"I was praying to Ashera," Rhys answered.

"For my father?"

"Yes," Rhys replied, his voice still quiet. "You see, the commander…he…he…" Rhys broke off as he tried to stifle his sudden sobs. "I'm sorry…I…I know this must be…so much harder on you…and here I am… Forgive me," Rhys said, still trying to compose himself.

Ike stared at the floor for a moment before replying. "A long time ago, my father told me a story. It was about the dead. He said the more tears we shed…the more blessings they receive in the hereafter…. I envy you, Rhys, really. I…I just…for some reason, I can't seem to cry at all…I…Rhys, if you could…shed a tear for me as well, I'd be grateful."

Rhys seemed surprised. "I…Ike, I would be honored," he finally said.

"And thank you Rhys, for caring so much about my father," Ike added, before leaving the room. Even faced with someone open to crying, all Ike still felt was emptiness inside him. Shaking his head in confusion, Ike stepped over to a window for a breath of fresh air. It was then that Ike caught the glimpse of red slipping into the forest. "Who…?"

Titania laid curled against a tree, finally letting out her pent up grief. "Why…Gre-Greil…Why? Why you? Why did you…have to… Why…?"

"Titania."

Titania's head snapped up as Ike sat down next to her, looking worried. "O-oh, Ike, I…"

"You loved him, didn't you?" Ike asked suddenly.

Shocked, Titania didn't get a chance to say anything before Ike continued.

"Perhaps I'm wrong," Ike said, "Regardless, I…I want to know I'm thankful for you. You've help my father lead this company for a long time, and you've always been there for me even though you're not my mother. Even now, you've chosen to stay and help me, probably when I need you more than ever. Thank you."

"Ike…I…You're welcome," she finally said.

The two sat there, silent for a long while, the sounds of the forest taking over. "Titania?" Ike murmured. Glancing over, though, he found that she had fallen asleep against the tree. "Maybe another time, then," Ike murmured, getting up.

"So hungry," the girl murmured, holding her stomach as she stepped through the forest. "And…where did the…others go?"

She had been wondering through the woods for the last day with nothing to eat, separated from her companions by an attack from Daein soldiers. To top it all off, she was completely lost, and… Oh, she thought. That's a fort over there…food.

Ilyana quickened her step as she headed for the fort. She quickened it even more as a steady drizzle began, soaking her to the bone. Now she was cold to add to all her problems.

She was walking so quickly, she didn't notice the black figures till it was too late.

"Hold it!" a voice commanded.

Surprised, she stopped and looked around. About ten Daein soldiers were surrounding her, their allegiance apparent from their ebon armor. Muttering under her breath, she got prepared in case things went bad.

"Looks like we found ourselves a Crimean runaway," one called, readying his lance.

"W-wait!" Ilyana called. "I-I'm not Crimean."

"Of course you are!" another soldier called.

"N-no, I'm from Daein, really," Ilyana said, hoping to stop any fight.

The first soldier snorted. "Yeah, that's likely," he replied.

"Will you really kill a fellow Daein citizen?" Ilyana asked.

That made them pause for a moment. "We don't have time for this," a third soldier said. "We have to get in position."

"Alright," the first said, addressing Ilyana again. "If you're Daein, then prove it. We have to capture some wanted Crimean fugitives. Join us, and we'll let you free later."

Ilyana jumped as he tossed a worn sword into the ground in front of her. "I…Alright, but I'm a mage. I don't need a sword."

That got a reaction from them. "Oh, uh…alright then, let's go men! …And, um, woman," the soldier said, leading them toward the fort Ilyana had been trying to go to anyway.

"I'm so hungry," Ilyana murmured, her stomach growling loudly.

"Good morning, Ike. How are things going? Does everything look good?" Titania asked, braiding her hair even as she came up.

"You look better, Titania. Did you get enough rest?" Ike asked.

"Enough as could be expected, I guess, given everything that's been going on," Titania admitted. "But now, we've got some business to deal with. First, we need some new recruits. Oh, wait, our audience with King Gallia comes first. Any word from the palace yet?"

"No, nothing yet," Ike admitted. "According to the laguz who brought us food earlier, we should be receiving word sometime soon, but nothing yet."

"They already arrived? My, how I must have slept in," Titania said. "I apologize for my laziness, Commander."

"It's perfectly alright with all that's been going on, as you said," Ike said. "Besides, the dark clouds has made most of the others late risers as well. In fact, I believe it's began to rain."

"Well I-"

"Ike, I've got bad news!" Soren stated, striding up to them. "Look out the window!"

Ike gave him a confused glance, but obliged him. At first, nothing seem to stand out, until he saw black figures darting around outside the fort walls.

"Daein soldiers," Ike murmured. "That's not what I think it is, is it?" Ike asked, turning back to Soren. Most of the mercenaries had already gathered around appearing to have noticed as well.

"If I'm not imagining thing, that's a squad of Daein soldiers," Rhys commented. "Why do they have to show up now?"

"What gives?" Boyd asked angrily. "We're inside Gallia's borders, aren't we? The laguz will never let them leave alive."

"If they've come this far, I'm sure getting out of here alive was never one of their priorities," Oscar pointed out.

"We're in trouble," Soren said. "They have us completely surrounded. We cannot escape, especially with the merchant caravan here."

"So many of them," Titania murmured, looking at the window to gauge their numbers, "…and so few of us…it doesn't look good, does it?"

"Doesn't matter," Ike stated, getting all of their attention. "We have to fight. Greil Mercenaries, ready yourselves!"

"Yes, sir!" they shouted, running to grab their weapons and gear.

Soren, always having his tome on hand cleared off a table and pulled out a map. "I found a map of the fort's layout earlier in the archive room. I'll begin formulating a strategy immediately."

"Alright," Ike replied.

"Commander," Mia said, approaching. "What do I…?"

"We're surrounded, so we'll have to fight, Mia. I know you're not officially a Greil Mercenary, but we'll need every fighter we've got," Ike explained.

Mia grinned, pulling her sword out. "Don't worry, boss, I'm ready to dice up some Daein soldiers," she replied.

Nodding, Ike turned to get his weapon, when Mist ran up to him. "Ike! Brother!"

"Good, I wanted to talk to you," Ike said. "I want you and Rolf to go in the back and hide. I'll be sending the merchants back there as well soon."

"But, Ike-"

"Just do it now!" Ike commanded. Dropping his voice a level, Ike dropped down and lifted her chin to look her in the eye. "Everything will be fine, but I need you to do this, alright?"

"…Alright. Be careful," Mist murmured. As Ike walked away, Mist dropped her head again and then noticed a soft blue light. "My medallion's glowing again," Mist commented, pulling it out slightly to look at it. Holding it close, she said, "Mother…Father…if you can hear me, please watch over Ike. Please, will you protect him?"

"Is everyone ready?" Ike asked as the others gathered in front of him. "Remember the plan. Alright, mercenaries move out!"

The fighters immediately scattered to head out to their locations. Soren had planned out several chokepoints in which to force the Daein soldiers to completely lose their advantage in numbers.

Boyd charged up to one such spot with Mia beside, both preparing to ambush the first few soldiers. The old fort was in complete disrepair, but the ruins and what was left made a perfect spot to fight in. It wasn't long before the Daein soldiers came, making a lot of noise despite apparently trying to be quiet with their wrapped gear.

Nodding to Mia, Boyd jumped out between the first two soldiers and hacked into both with an axe each. Continuing, Boyd split the helm of the next soldier and then threw his other axe at the first ranged unit he saw. The man's flashy robes became the end of him as the axe landed accurately in his chest.

Mia quickly skewered two soldiers before stabbing a third right in the face. Screams filled the air as the surprise of the sudden ambush passed and chaos promptly ensued. As the soldiers scrambled to unwrap weapons and shields, Mia sent another two to their deaths.

With the enemy finally fighting back, Boyd and Mia moved next to each other and began to cut the enemy, though their ambush didn't seem to have thinned the enemy at all as more and more came.

The horsemen were trying to keep their mounts as quiet as possible as they entered the courtyard of the fort. Though coming straight to the front of the fort, it was also the path that provided the closest route without stones to announce their coming.

They began to pass the first wall into the courtyard when two lances shot out and went right through the necks of the first two riders. Silence lasted for a few seconds in which the lances withdrew and the riders fell off the horses. Then, somewhere, a voice screamed, "Ambush!"

A javelin flew through the air and sunk into another horsemen. As the rest of the troop began to become chaos, Titania and Oscar flew out of the shadows and fell upon the confused enemy. They raced down the length, hacking and stabbing at as many as they could as they passed the stunned riders. Then, they turned and made and a quick second pass as they headed back to their chokepoint. Many dead horses and men were left behind them as they took control of the chokepoint and forced the riders back.

Soren slowly gathered power as the soldiers approached, completely unaware of his presence. Normally, charged magic was easy to detect, especially with wind magic, but the enemy seemed to be putting the strong wind down to the storm, which would be their undoing.

Ike stood across from him on the other side of their chokepoint, keeping an eye on the progress of the soldiers. His hand was raised, ready to give the signal. When the pathway was full and the enemy almost upon them, Ike let his hand fall.

Calling upon all he knew about his magic, Soren let a blast of powerful wind rip right through the first few ranks of soldiers. The blast of air was so strong, it forced Soren and Ike to crouch in order to keep their balance.

"Alright, have at them," Soren said, sitting down to rest after the powerful magic had been unleashed. He would have to rest a moment, but the force of the destruction had been more than enough to throw the troop into complete disarray.

Ike charged out and immediately began to cutting down all who had survived the first blast. Then, he moved on to attack the farther back units, who were still shocked at the suddenness of their companions deaths. Most gave barely any fight and none were in the presence of mind to collaborate against him.

Cutting down another fighter who had left himself completely open, Ike moved toward the last figure nearby, only to find a tired, poorly dressed woman shivering in the cold and looking completely miserable.

"Who are you?" Ike asked, keeping an eye out for more enemies.

"I…I…I'm a traveling mage," she responded, looking faint. "My name is Ilyana. I…"

"Hey, are you alright?" Ike asked, concerned.

"I'm sorry…" she murmured. "This rain is so c-cold. I feel like I'm f-freezing…"

"Here, come back began these walls. There's less wind there," Ike said, leading back behind the chokepoint. Away from the enemy for the moment, Ike continued, "You don't look too good. Are you sick? How did you end up with those soldiers?"

"You're awfully kind, aren't you?" Ilyana commented. "I was traveling with some merchants, but we got separated. I came here to escape the rain, but those soldiers said they would put me to the sword if I didn't help fight you. I'm…very sorry…"

"Don't apologize. If it had been me, I'd have done the same," Ike said. "I believe I know what merchants you mean, though. There's a weapon vendor named Muston, and I think a woman named Aimee or something who sold items."

"That's them!" Ilyana exclaimed. "Where are they?"

"They're traveling with us now," Ike explained. "They're in the fort, so get on in there. If you're with them, we can protect you from Daein as well."

"Thank you, but…no. I'll fight, too," Ilyana said.

Soren, who had been listening, snorted. "You're probably sick, you don't even have a weapon, and look ready to faint already," Soren commented. "You'll only be a hindrance to the battle."

"Then why did I survive your charged spell? Anyone should have been able to see that a long way off," Ilyana replied. "I'm a mage, not a soldier. I'm versed in thunder magic, but more importantly, this isn't the full force of Daein soldiers. More of them are waiting in the forest. This was only the first wave to attempt to surprise you. You need me."

Ike and Soren paused as that information slowly sank in. "…Well, I wish you weren't right, but it does sound like we will need your help," Ike admitted.

"I'm ready, just…please have food ready later. I'm so hungry right now," Ilyana said.

The screams from the other areas ended quite suddenly. It wasn't long afterward, however, that they could hear marching from more troops approaching. "We'll have to conserve our energy more," Soren murmured, slowly getting up to fight once more. No more charged spells out of him.

Boyd hurled on the ground from his most recent blow to the stomach while Mia finished the unarmed fighter who had got him. Wiping his mouth with the back on his hand, Boyd got up as the clanging of metal approached them. Two large, heavily armored knights stepped toward them, their bulk forcing one slightly in front of the other.

Mia stepped back, her skills limited with such heavy armor and such a large target. Grabbing up the heavy war-hammer he had brought just in case, Boyd rushed at the knight. Boyd ran up the pile next to Mia and jumped past her into the air. Bringing his hammer down onto the knight, Boyd crushed the man's helm, splattering himself with the man's blood.

Taking the advantage of the other stunned man, Mia ran up and stabbed the man below his arm, but not before taking a nasty cut on her left arm. The knight collapsed on the spot next to the other one, adding to the body pile already there.

"We need to head back," Boyd shouted, seeing that was the end of the second wave.

"No! We can keep going!" Mia shouted back, pulling her arm close to herself.

"You need to get that healed," Boyd retorted.

"It's fine!" Mia stubbornly replied.

"Come on," Boyd said, grabbing her right arm and pulling her back.

Giving in, Mia went with Boyd back to the inner courtyard. It was a small space with only three entrances if one didn't count the fort's large opening. These three were the backup chokepoints Soren had devised, as well as where Rhys was operated in.

Rhys rushed over and began to treat them without a word. The rest of the inner court was empty, so they were the first to fall back then.

"Have you heard from the others?" Boyd asked.

Galloping hooves answered him as Titania rushed in, Oscar's reins to his horse in her hand. Oscar lay slumped in his saddle, blood covering him, and though Boyd knew not all of the blood was Oscar's, his heart still sped up at the sight of it.

Titania silently left Oscar to be tended by Rhys as she rushed back to the entrance she had come in. She was met by two horsemen she quickly dispatched before dismounting and pulling out a long halberd to fight with.

Boyd and Mia turned as they realized there were more soldiers approaching their chokepoint. "For Oscar!" Boyd shouted, countercharging them.

The air lit up every few moments as Ilyana cast her spells, the lightning arcing over into her targets, the swarm of soldiers making it almost impossible to miss. However, her usual edge was dulled by hunger and, well, she probably was sick, despite her denial.

Ilyana's spells were growing weaker and weaker, but were still effective as Ike cut down the momentarily immobilized individuals. No matter how weak, electricity running through one's system would be a painful shock, especially to these metal lightning rods.

Meanwhile, though, Ike's arms grew tired, he kept his retreating to a minimum as he kept the stream of fighters at bay. Several were knocked off balance by blasts of wind or stunned by lightning, but the two mages had lost their initial effectiveness, and now Ike was feeling the effects of being the only melee fighter of the group.

Dashing at another poorly trained soldier, Ike slammed his sword into the man's helm, denting it heavily enough to finish the man off. The blow finished his sword as well as the blade snapped in the middle, leaving him weaponless. Ike reached back to his belt to grab his extra, only to find it missing.

Seeing a chance, an opportunist soldier rushed Ike, planning to skewer him with his lance. Sidestepping the expected stab, Ike grabbed the shaft and yanked the soldier forward straight up into his fist. Dazed, the soldier dropped his weapon as he grabbed his bloody face, leaving himself completely open as Ike stabbed the end of his broken sword into the man's throat.

Shoving the dead man back into the next soldier, Ike stooped down and snatched up another blade, having to rely on the two mages to cover him as he lost precious seconds getting ready. Finally finding a sword, Ike jumped back into the fray, the new heavier blade helping his ever more sloppy style as Ike began to simply brawl through the enemy.

A pause ensued as Ike hacked another opponent to death and no other soldier was close enough to immediately take his place. Ike took the moment to catch his breath, only to quickly fall to avoid several arrows that clattered around him.

"Fall back to the castle!" Ike shouted, backpedaling without removing his eyes from the enemy. They tried to push the advantage and charge, only for Ilyana to zap a wild tree nearby, which promptly split and fell in front of the soldiers. It wouldn't stop them, but it gave the three enough time to retreat to the backup chokepoint Soren had designated.

Rhys came over to check on them, not even mentioning Ilyana's appearance as he healed their minor wounds and rushed back to a prone figure nearby. Their rest didn't last long as more soldiers came toward them. With the new smaller chokepoint, Ike held them back easier, but with a possible casualty on his mind, it didn't give him much hope.

The third and fourth waves came, forcing the group into a tired mess. Mia was the next to go down as a falling soldier crushed her sword hand under his armor. Ilyana fell taking down an archer as his arrow hit her shortly afterward in the shoulder. Then Boyd went down as a soldier stabbed him in the side.

"Regroup!" Ike shouted, his voice hoarse.

The wounded companions had been taken inside out of the rain and out of danger, and Rhys had gone in as well to treat them. Ike and Titania moved back to cover the entrance, while Soren systematically took out the worst threats such as archers and mages from behind the two fighters, unable to do anything else with what he had left.

"Blast!" Ike cursed, as yet another soldier replaced his downed opponent. "Not yet…not yet…we will not fall!" He defiant shout was little more than a coarse scream, but he forced his arms to move a little more and take down the next soldier. He had long ago stopped focusing on swordplay and precise movements, and was down to a simple, savage fighting work of hacking each opponent to death.

After a while, the wave stopped, and the three last fighters were able to take a breather for a moment and hope, beyond all hope, that that was the last of it.

"Brother!"

Ike turned to find Mist standing next to an exhausted Soren. "Mist? You're not supposed to be out here! I told you to stay-"

"I don't care!" Mist screamed.

"Mist?"

"There's no way we can escape! This is it, isn't it? We're all going to die here, aren't we?" Mist accused.

"Don't be foolish!" Ike retorted. "No matter what happens, I'm making sure you and Rolf get out of here alive! Once you're out of danger, you go straight to the palace and stay with Princess Elincia, got it?"

"No!" Mist immediately said. "I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying here with everyone! I'm staying with you! I won't leave again!"

Ike paused, unable to work up the effort to argue.

"As long as I'm with you, I'm not afraid to die. We'll see Mother and Father. We'll all be together again. So, please…stop telling me to leave you. I can't. I can't leave any of you again. Alright?"

Ike paused, but finally gave in, unable to turn her away. "Alright. Don't leave my side," Ike said, sighing.

"Thank you, Brother," Mist said.

"But one thing…you're not going to see Mother just yet," Ike added.

"What do you mean?" Mist asked.

"I'm going to protect you no matter what. I'm not going to let you die. I gave Father my word," Ike said.

Mist nodded and hugged him, before standing safely beside Soren once more.

Another wave of soldiers came, pushing them to the limits. Even Titania, known for her endurance, was exhausted, though practice kept her blows well aimed. The wave seemed more thinned than the last, but the soldiers still seemed endless.

Ike swung his sword to end yet another soldier's life, only for the soldier to stab him in the side with his lance before he died. Barely keeping back a cry of pain, Ike pulled back some. Still fighting, the wound kept Ike slower, and soon he acquired a few more various cuts as he became more and more wounded.

Then, during the middle of the wave of black armored soldiers, they stopped and pulled back. A larger figure in black armor approached, with small tell-tale signs labeling him as the Daein general. He came just out of range of Titania and Ike and stood there a moment, as though appraising them.

"You took on the Daein army with meager numbers, and you've fought impressively well. My compliments to you. However, it ends now. Prepare to die, Crimean scum!" the knight said.

He raised a hand and several archers appeared nearby on any raised platform they could find. They had obviously been preparing for this moment a while. The archers trained their weapons on the stubborn mercenaries, ready to end their lives.

"Yes, this all finally ends now," the general said, lowering his arm.

Author's Notes: My biggest battle scene yet. Also largest chapter. I enjoyed writing in the mercenaries' responses to Greil's death, and this chapter was also one of my favorites. Not much to say otherwise, except I've finally got some rest now that my siblings are in school again. See you all next Thursday.