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PG

Chapter 16 Preparing for Gallia

The three hawks and heron glided evenly above the clouds. The chill bit at their feathers and the wind was blowing against them. Above the ground it was just the endless scape of aqua and the white cotton. Janaff's eyes kept watch of the ground below to keep track of where they were flying.

Reyson enjoyed the open air and getting to stretch his wings; he couldn't remember the last time he left the Phoenicis cast;e. Though the travel was long and tiring, he felt more at ease now that he was no longer cooped up in a castle.

Janaff let out a high screech before slowly beginning his descent with Ulki. Tibarn glided next to Reyson before tilting up and brushing Reyson lightly with his wing tips. The two birds dipped down below the clouds behind Ulki and Janaff.

As the laguz circled down a forest came into view. The sound of rapidly beating wings filled the forest and whipped up a gust of leaves that startled more than one sleeping bird from its tree. Ulki and Janaff we already in their more beorc looking forms, resting from the extended period of flying. In a flash of white light Tibarn's hawk form changed. He stretched his arms and grunted. "How are you feeling Reyson?"

Reyson cracked his neck from side to side and gave his wings two quick flaps, "I'm alright." He said, though his eyes slanted sleepily and a yawn escaped. He covered his mouth quickly, in slight embarrassment at his obvious exhaustion, "Maybe a little tired though." He finally admitted.

Tibarn nodded with understanding; they were flying for almost a whole day. It was no small feat, even for a hawk; but Reyson was quite a trooper. He didn't complain the whole trip, no matter how hard the wind blew or how cold the passing breeze was. Suddenly there was a gurgling sound that interrupted the laguz.

Tibarn laughed at his own stomach's lively chatter. He brought his hands to his abdomen and gave it a quick pat. "Well you can rest while I go get some dinner." He said, finally noticing how late in the day it was. Night had long since taken over leaving only the hum of cicadas and crickets to fill the silence.

Reyson nodded, once again letting a yawn escape, completely content to relax while Tibarn hunted.

"Should I bring you back a nice slab of meat?" Tibarn teased.

The prince shook his head emphatically. The last time he ate meat he nearly died. It was one of those times when curiosity almost did kill him. He always wanted to eat meat like his hawk brothers; but the food didn't agree with his delicate heron stomach.

Reyson gave a pat to the pouch around his shoulder, "I brought my own food, thanks."

Tibarn chuckled at his friends response then turned to his subbordinate. "Janaff, with me. I'll need your good eyes to hunt in the dark." He ordered firmly. Janaff perked up and gave a quick salute, "Yes my lord."

"Can you transform yet?" the king questioned.

Janaff rubbed the back of his head bashfully, "Well I won't try to pretend I can change as easy as you my lord." He said through a smile, "But I'll be ready soon."

"Good, keep your eyes sharp." The king easily took on his beast form again in a swirl of light. He let out a sharp cry and stretched his wings before taking flight. Reyson watched in awe at the strength of the hawks. He felt a twinge of jealousy grow in his pit as he watched the bird laguz effortlessly climb higher and higher into the sky.

"Wait for me my lord." Janaff called as his king left him behind.

When Tibarn and Janaff were out of sight Ulki spoke, "You should rest prince." Reyson turned to Ulki. The dark-haired hawk stared at him with his deep brown eyes.

"We still have a way to go. Sleep while you can." He flew to a tree branch and stood there as he scanned the area, ever alert, and ever focused.

"I'll keep watch so you can rest easy."

Reyson nodded, knowing that he'd be safe under the watch of the "king's ears." Ulki crossed his arms over his chest, his ears twitching at all the sounds only he could hear. The heron slowly made his way to a particularly large tree and sat down. He leaned against its wide trunk letting the soreness of his tired wings take over. "How much longer would they be flying?" he silently complained.

With a heavy sigh his lids slowly closed and he drifted to a sleep filled with dreams of familiar little hands and blue eyes.

)(

The blanket of night was disturbed with the sounds of battle. Clashing iron, creaking armor, and the cries of wounded or dying soldiers filled the dark sky. Indistinct yelling was heard as soldiers called to each other. A hidden general, cloaked by darkness, barked orders as his underlings scurried towards the fort, grunting from exertion. Their blades and spears shined in the moonlight, looking like stars on the ground that flashed then quickly faded away.

A whirling tornado descended from the sky and tore through a line of four Daein soldiers. Their screams were barely audible against the clashing of swords and spears from the battle. Soren watched as his wind tome plowed through the men then disappeared. He held his hand to his book again and focused his energy. His eyes locked on a particular soldier that fell the farthest from the group.

The wind tome enveloped the stumbling soldier; it glowed eerily against the unlit backdrop. The soldier's wails were swallowed by the vortex that darkened as the man's blood mixed with the razor-sharp winds. As the wind disappeared his ravaged body swayed, its flesh covered in gashes, until he crumbled with a weak moan.

Soren took no time to enjoy his small victory as he looked at the troublesome situation. He could see the field before him dotting with orange torches moving closer to the fort. From all sides the mercenaries were surrounded by the Daien dogs.

As another Daien soldier cried out and heaved a javelin at the mage he jumped easily to the side before casting another spell of wind that quickly consumed the body. The Daien stood there, his steps wavering slightly and saliva and sanguine liquid dripping from his mouth, before growling and swinging fruitlessly at Soren again with an iron spear he quickly equipped.

Soren scowled at the battered body still trying to fight. The moans of the soldier grew more frequent and desperate and his strikes more radical. Each swing, more speratic than the last, kept Soren on the defense as he weaved out of the way.

A loose stone on the ground caught Soren's foot and he stumbled. He watched the spear dive toward his face as the murderous eyes of the soldier burrowed into him. A sudden rush of wind buzzed past his ear and a second later the Daein before him gasped.

The spear clanked as it hit the ground and the soldier fell back with an arrow protruding from his head. Soren slowly turned and saw Ikyna poised with her bow still in hand; he could faintly make out a triumphant smile through the darkness.

"You almost hit me." He said.

Ikyna shook her head and wagged her index finger at him, "The words you're looking for are thank you.

"Thank you."

He saw a flicker of white teeth smiling and then a hand reached for him. Soren grabbed it and groaned as the impact of falling on the stone turned to soreness.

"You're welcome." She said then quickly sighed as she looked towards the battle field. Her home, the place where she grew up, was the spot of war now. Shaded figures moved in on the small group of nine mercenaries holding the front entrance of the mercenary fort.

"I knew helping the princess would be trouble." Soren said with irritation as he targeted a lone heavily armored soldier with his winds. He called forth a gust that ripped past the man, but did little to slow down his advance. The knight trudged closer to the entrance then kicked into a steady sprint.

The metal of his armor clinked loudly as he charged. "Let it go!" Ikyna said as she let off an arrow that stuck to the shoulder-blade of the oncoming enemy. There was a grunt of pain but the Daien did not slow.

Ikyna cursed and quickly aimed another arrow, trying with every effort to steady her shot. Her arrow flew and stuck between the neck plate of the soldier, but still he advanced, his ax held menacingly in the air. The female archer's eyes widened as she realized she wouldn't be able to stop such a thickly clad soldier in time.

He was running towards them like a stampeding animal, grunting with every heavy step. Soren raised his hands again, the soldier just a few feet away, and readied himself for another attack.

"Move!" Ikyna tackled Soren just as the knight plowed past the two mercenaries with a loud cry. His ax came down on the exact spot Soren stood just seconds earlier. Stone splintered under the force of the ax's strike sending chunks flying through the air and a loud ping of steel against rock.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" Ikyna asked in exasperation as she held herself above the mage. He stared back at her, unwavering and not blinking, "You put your life in danger to save me." Was his emotionless reply, "You should not be risking your life for me."

Ikyna clicked her tongue and lightly pinched Soren's cheek, "This is another instance where a 'thank you,' is all that's necessary."

"But if you died trying to…" Soren continued to reprimand Ikyna for risking her life but before he could finish she shoved him away from her and rolled out of the way of the returning knight. The ax came down in the space between the mercenaries with another loud clank. Broken rock shattered again and grazed Ikyna's cheek.

She clutched her face as the warm liquid dribbled down and cast a wicked glare at the soldier. He was panting from exerting himself so vigorously in his heavy armor, but still managed to hoist up his ax again and point it at her.

His black armor caught a glint of moonlight that bounced off his steel ax as he raised it above his head. He growled through his swing but still missed Ikyna as she rolled backward, scraping her knee in the process.

She threw her knife towards the soldiers face and it grazed the side of his helmet, deflecting of the side and disappearing into a shadow. Ikyna groaned again, disturbed that the dark was hampering her aim so greatly. Suddenly her view was obstructed by a darkened cape. The clank of sword and ax sent a sliver of light shooting into the pitch darkness.

It was Ike that now stood between his sister and the Daien enemy. He held his sword laterally to the knight's ax. Ike struggled to fend of the weight of the Knight; his sword was slowly moving towards his chest. His boots scraped against the ground as he was pushed back. The young mercenary clenched his teeth as his muscles strained themselves to the point of shaking. Sweat trickled down his youthful face despite the cold night air around him.

He tried to block out the surrounding noises, the clanking of weapons, the agonized cries, or plodding of horse hooves, and put all his energy into pushing back his large opponent. The weight of the knight pressed harder down, making Ike feel as if his back would break as he bent farther backward. He could hear his own voice groaning, struggling, almost wailing in pain.

The enemy soldier leaned his face in until he was just a few inches away from Ike's, their weapons the only visible barrier between them. Ike could smell the stench of blood and dirt mixed with sweat wafting from the knight. Through the holes in the armor, sinister eyes flickered in front of him and a nasty smile shone in the night.

"Having trouble there boy?" The man said in a husky voice. He leaned harder onto Ike; growing more and more confident with himself. Ike swallowed the thick glob of cotton-like spit collecting in his throat and inhaled deeply, noticing the one vulnerable space of human flesh between the helmet and breast-plate of the soldier.

Swiftly he spun to his right, turning himself sideways. The Daien man gasped in surprised as his built up inertia pulled him tumbling forward. Ike jammed the pummel of his sword roughly into the man's throat. The gravity of the fall and Ike's brutal jab jarred the knight's helmet loose; it fell to the ground and rattled as it rolled away.

Long dark hair shook free and burst out over the man's agonized face. Ike felt sticky saliva fly into his face as his enemy gagged and choked. He reared back in pain as Ike went to one knee, his other leg slanted forward and his regal sword held with its tip angling towards the ground.

He could hear his opponent's ragged breathing and coughing. For a quick second he glanced up at the Daien man with one hand on the axe and the other over his throat. With a pained cry he trudged forward again, the sound of his boots scraping against rock as he ran.

Ike readied his legs and leaned back on his bent knee as the man quickly approached, his ax swinging wildly as he growled like a caged beast. When he was close enough Ike sprang up, driving his sword towards the black sky.

Ike felt it, the tug of sword making contact with flesh. It lasted for just a split second as it quickly began to glide through skin and muscle. Finally the sword broke free, released from soldier's head where it ripped through.

Ike couldn't see in the night, but he heard it, the anguished cry and light squirt of a liquid spray arching into midnight and the thud of the fallen body. His face suddenly dampened with the warm mist of blood; Ike quickly wiped himself, no doubt smearing the problem more than cleaning it.

His sister arrived, panting heavily beside him. "This is a mess." She said with a sigh as she watched the fight before her.

Ike nodded, also mesmerized by the battles. Boyd was brutally hacking away at soldiers, grunting as he brushed away a spear then kicked its owner. Shinon and Gatrie made quick work of the enemies; snapping spears in half or stabbing a soldier with an arrow before shooting it into another's heart.

Ike couldn't see Titania or Oscar, they were probably further out general hunting on their quick steeds, but he heard the whinny of horses and clashing iron just beyond the fort front gates. Two beams of bright light lit up the battle one after the other. They shot to the ground making small blasts where they hit. Aeyori was illuminated by her own tomes for a split second as they fired and Ike was glad to see her safe; or at least as safe as she could be in a fight.

"Daein has lost its mind." Ike said bitterly recalling how the army demanded Elincia be turned over to them or else they would attack the mercenaries. It was a blatant lie however. Before the mercenaries even made their decision, Daein surrounded the fort and made ready to kill all but the princess.

"Yeah, and sour face over there wanted to hand the princess over." Ikyna said while flicking her thumb in Soren's direction.

"It was a strategically sound plan to not make an enemy of Daien." He defended.

"They made us an enemy on their own." Was Ike's simple reply.

In the distance a loud uproar began, voices joined together mixed with disarray and panic.

"The general is dead!"

"We must retreat!"

"Run for your lives!"

Daein soldiers dropped their weapons and began retreating at the sound of their fellow Daiens orders. They fled desperately, though many were cut down by Shinon's pursuing arrows. Ike could hear the sound of fleeing footsteps grow fainter and fainter as the enemy retreated into the night.

"I bet Titania got that sneaky Daein general." Ikyna said triumphantly.

Ike nodded and sighed in exhaustion as he placed his sword back in its sheath. "It seems we have survived another battle." He fought the urge to sit and rest, knowing that staying in the fort would not be an option for long.

"Ike, Sprouts, are you alright?"

The twins turned to a tall running figure. Greil made his way from previously guarding the back entrance of the fort. He didn't look tired in the least as he looked at his children with a grave expression. They nodded to confirm they were and Greil duplicated the action.

"We don't have any time to rest." His features hardened in the dim light of the night's stars, "Daien will call for reinforcements soon. We need to leave quickly to deliver the princess to Gallia."

The commander immediately began giving orders to his team, sending Titania, Shinon and Gatrie ahead to secure a path to Gallia, Boyd and Oscar were to gather equipment, Rhys and Ikyna were to gather documents with Greil, while Mist and Rolf began preparing food for the long trip.

The mercenaries hastened to their tasks, each hurrying in different directions. "Now you Ike." He said directing his attention his son, "You're in charge of the princess."

"Yes sir."

Elincia appeared from behind Greil, her amber eyes locked on Ike and hands clasped together. Ike rubbed the back of his head, feeling awkward as the princess focused on him.

"I can get a horse for you, but you should help Mist in the mess hall."

Elincia tilted her head, not fully understanding the young man's orders. "It's just, you can probably be more help to her then if you're out here standing with me."

The princess gave a quick nod and smiled sweetly, "Of course, I can do that." She eagerly complied and ran into the fort.

Ike sighed again, it was becoming a common action for him as the battles with Daein kept coming and this war slowly engulfed him and his fellow team members. "Ike." Aeyori's soft voice met his ears. He turned to see her tightly clutching her book and looking to him timidly.

"Is there anything I can do?" she said, her scarlet eyes flickered in the moonlight as they studied him and waited for an answer.

"I think everything is taken care of; after I get a horse for the princess, I don't even know what I'll be doing." He admitted.

Aeyori exhaled softly then looked out towards the darkened field before the two. She brought her hand to her head then grimaced at her own touch.

"Did you get hurt?" Ike inquired as he bent down towards the shorter mercenary.

"I was pushed into a wall, but I'll be alright."

Ike stood up, satisfied with her answer, glad that she wasn't badly injured. "It seems that you can't get away from Daien." He said, his voice airy and distant as he stared the same direction as her.

"We can't get away. After all, I'm a mercenary like you guys now, right?"

Ike nodded with a smile but did reply.

The once buzzing night was filled once again with the sounds of only insects. Aeyori spoke once more, "So…to Gallia?"

"Yep, Gallia." Ike replied while trying to chase away the uneasy feeling of dread as he stared into the sea of trees before him.

)(

See you next time. I'm so excited I'm almost to the Gallia part! That means Ranulf is coming soon!