Path of Time

Author's Note: Sorry to have kept anyone waiting, but you know how school work is... anyway, I guess this story isn't turning out as great as I had originally thought... oops. Oh well. Regardless... I'm continuing, and there's nothing anyone can do about it! The few who did take the time to read and review, I thank you. Once again, I had thought that Marcia would appear in this chapter, but I guess not. No, I'm doing to the laguz first, THEN the real fun will start. This might be short compared to the other chapters, but once again, I have to get this whole thing out of the way. Just bear with me, okay? I don't really like to do excessively long chapters if I can help it.

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Chapter Four

"Some job you're doing serving as a look-out, Link."

The blond man was startled awake by a voice. He blinked his eyes tiredly before turning to look at Boyd and Oscar. Boyd was leaning his back against the tree, smirking at him. Oscar smiled in greeting.

"Oh, good morning," he greeted.

Link blinked again before looking up at the sky. It was late in the morning, and he realized that most of the members of the mercenaries must have overslept from the hectic night. His eyes widened as he bolted up and jumped to his feet. Oscar chuckled.

"Don't look so worried, Link," Oscar assured him, "Titania and Soren had to wake all of us up, too. Boyd and I just thought we should get to you before they did."

Link looked at the older man.

"Thank you for your consideration."

Boyd shrugged.

"Don't mention it, slacker," Boyd said, "I mean, it's a miracle we didn't get attacked during the night by any more of those zombie creatures or any surprise Daein soldiers."

Link rolled his eyes.

"Just ignore him, Link," Oscar advised. "I would have the feeling you would have stayed awake if you had thought we would be attacked otherwise."

It was then a horse rode up to them. The rider looked at them.

"You're lucky the brothers woke you up first," Titania said sternly.

Despite the seriousness of her tone, she was actually smiling in greeting.

"Anyway, Commander Ike wants you over there as soon as possible," she informed them before riding off.

Oscar rubbed in his chin in thought.

"I wonder if the commander has come to a decision about what to do," Oscar murmured. "We were supposed to have waited at Gebal Castle for a messenger, but under the circumstances..."

Oscar trailed off and began heading for the other mercenaries. Boyd yawned and rubbed his eyes before following his elder brother. Link, who had nothing else to do, followed the brothers to see what Ike was meeting them about.

When he entered the crowd, he saw two beings that were unlike any he had seen before. There was a cat woman with light orange hair and green shirt, and there was a tiger man with pale blue hair and a blue shirt. He decided not to draw attention amongst himself and stood in the back of the others.

The cat woman looked at the mercenaries rather impatiently.

"Which one of you is the commander?" she demanded.

The others drew back, seemingly in fear, but Ike stepped forward.

"I am," he answered. "I apologize for leaving Gebal Castle, but under the circumstances, we couldn't because we were-!"

The woman hissed.

"I know that! I could hear the howls of those strange creatures, and Mordecai and I had even ran into them on the way out, but they were nothing we couldn't handle."

She squinted.

"You beorc, on the other hand, couldn't even effectively fight against them, could you? No, it's all because you're weaklings."

Ike looked confused.

"Beorc? What are they?"
The cat smirked.

"That's what you are," she answered, obviously proud of herself, "you soft hairless things with no power are beorc, and we with the power are laguz."

The tiger man shook his head at her.

"Lethe, now is not the time..."

"Humph. Sub-humans... you have to utter that hateful word," she growled, "Are we really so little to you?!"

Ike sighed.

"Yes, I'm aware that people say that word far too readily," he said, clearly trying to disperse the situation, "if we knew any other word for you, we would call you by the name you prefer."

Lethe squinted her eyes in anger, and Link was getting agitated.

"Are we really so little to you, human?"

Mordecai sighed.

"Lethe..."

Just when Link thought it couldn't be any worse, Soren then stepped up.

"So what's your point? Did you come all this way to complain to us?" Soren asked impatiently.

Then he smirked.

"Ha ha ha... typical sub-humans."

Link gawked.

What in Din's name does he think he's doing, his mind screamed frantically, horrified.

Lethe growled.

"Anyone who utters that word is an enemy!"

When Link looked at Mordecai, to his horror, the seemingly gentle giant was baring his fangs, which seemed to elongate from his mouth.

"Enemy..." he growled. "He is enemy..."

With a howl, he then transformed into a giant blue tiger. The giant tiger growled, and saliva dripped out of his mouth as he stared dead at Soren.

"Mordecai, kill him!" Lethe shouted, and the tiger, eager for blood, then bounded straight for the frail mage. Ike ran out in front of him, but in the creature's berserk rage, Link knew that with one swipe of a paw, Mordecai could easily break a bone. Link readied his shield.

"Look out!"

He charged forward, straight at the tiger and raised his shield just as the creature smited the shield from Link's hand. Link gasped as the shield flung from his fingers and slid away. Link had thought that the creature would stop, but instead, in sheer rage, the tiger turned to him.

"L-Link! No!" Mist was heard screaming as the tiger began charging for him.

Mordecai pounced, but Link rolled out of the way with his lithe and small body. He picked up his shield just in time to avoid the brutal swipe, but this time, with his own might, he pushed against Mordecai's paws and then tossed him aside. Mordecai slid on his feet as he scooted backwards.

Lethe was shocked at the sight of a small human easily shoving Mordecai aside.

Mordecai quickly reverted back to his humanoid form, clearly horrified by what he had tried to do.

Ike rushed over to Link.

"Link, are you all right?" he asked.

"Yes, I'm unharmed."

Ike then turned to Mordecai.

"I-Ike... I had tried to kill one of your friends... and he has done nothing to me. I am so sorry."
Link stepped forward.

"First of all, know that I'm not here to cause any conflict between the beorc and laguz," he said, "the situation had gotten out of hand, and I was simply diffusing the situation. No one was harmed. So all is forgiven, Mordecai."

It was then both beast tribes noticed that there was something different about Link. He was no beorc, nor did he appear to be a laguz.

Lethe sighed.

"I apologize as well," she said reluctantly. "We had digressed long enough."
Ike looked interested.

"Yes?"
"King Gallia would like to see you, and we are your guides."

Link quickly walked away to take a rest. He knew that he had done his part.

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Yeah, I changed that part a little. If Link can pick up an impossibly huge boulder, then I'm sure he can pick up Mordecai and just throw him, and he's got the biggest build (except Nasir when he's transformed). Anyway, I'm sure Marcia will appear next chapter for sure! Once again, read and review.