CHAPTER 8

In a stronghold in the laguz country of Gallia, which is home to the beast laguz, Petrine, a Daein paladin who rides to battle on an ebon black horse and one of King Ashnard's finest, and strictest soldiers, was in the middle of interrogating one of her own men for letting the Greil Mercenaries get away. However, the soldier claimed that the mercenaries defeated the general. But nonetheless, the soldier was put to death by another soldier under Petrine's order.

"Dog's breath, that is! Worthless piece of scum!" said Petrine. "Ena! In here, now!"

"Yes, General Petrine?" asked the dragon tribe laguz Ena. "You call?"

"Yes, I did." Petrine said. "Please, explain to me where I can catch these mercenaries and the princess."

"Well, Melior, the Crimean capital, is already taken by King Ashnard, the elite thirteenth king of Daein." Ena said. "So, as a result, the mercenaries may have turned south to the Kingdom of Gallia, land of the Beast Tribe Laguz."

"Damned hairy and furry sub-humans… World of stupidity, eh?" asked Petrine to herself. "Go on." she later said to Ena.

"Well, there's more. The mercenaries that are escorting her to the kingdom are strong, powerful, and courageous." Ena mentioned. "Still, there's a difficulty in capturing the princess if she claims sanctuary in Gallia."

"I see…" said Petrine. "Organize an army at once." she later ordered.

"Yes, ma'am." Ena said. She later marched on to gather a troop of Daein soldiers.

Back with the Greil Mercenaries, they had just left their fort, and now they are a mercenary camp on the run from the clutches of Daein. However, when they reached the kingdom of Gallia, Gatrie claimed it was blazing hot. So hot in fact that he could strip off his armor and relax in the humidity. However, Titania, deputy of the company, denied Gatrie's approval for him to take off the blue armor he was wearing.

"Remember, if you've got time to waste, you've got time to get moving right along on the roads!" Greil said as he walked past Titania and Gatrie. Shinon was even sweating from the heat too. And so was Ike, Samantha, and Ross. However, Samantha and Ross had worse things to worry about: their parents and Lorriane, their ten-year-old sister.

"I'm pretty sure they are safe here." Ike said. "You said they were in Gallia right?"

"I think our mother said that…" Ross said.

"Right…" said Ike.

"Let's go, you two!" Greil said. "...Rolf!"

"I'm eating a small little bag of jellybeans, Commander!" said Rolf with a mouthful of jellybeans. "Mist gave them to me!"

"Will you just get over here?!" asked Greil in an orderly fashion.

"Alright." Rolf said after he swallowed the jellybeans. "Come on, Mist."

"Ugh… fine." said Mist.

"Alright, people!" Greil exclaimed. "This is where we as mercenaries part ways on the road. Shinon, Gatrie, you're with me. The rest of you, with Ike. He's got direct orders with you as mercenaries. Remember: you've only got one life. I don't want any of you dying on me. I'm ordering it! And remember–we are family. If you don't want to cause your family any grief, then live! That is my iconic message to you! See you all in Gallia!" Greil later remarked. Ways were later parted.

Back with Ena, she sorted out a patrol team to hunt down the Greil Mercenaries and Princess Elincia Ridell Crimea. However, one of the men that was about to get involved in the scouting was getting tired. Petrine was not having any of it.

"Don't you pull your shit in front of the strategist now!" said General Petrine.

"Just teasing…" said the soldier. The soldier, though, was later put to sleep permanently after joking around more.

"Now will I be tolerating shit from the rest of you?!" asked Petrine. "...No? GOOD! Now go! And don't come back until you have the princess!"

Back at the Gallian border, the soldiers got there before the Greil Mercenaries did. However, Ross and Samantha were met with an unfortunate message from one of the female Gallian tiger laguz. She asked if the beorc siblings were by any chance with the Greil Mercenaries of Crimea.

"Yes." Ross said. "We, Ross and Samantha of Crimean territory, are with the Greil Mercenaries. Why ask?"

"Your parents..." said the tiger laguz.

"Are they safe?" asked Samantha.

"They are inside a stronghold locked up in a prison cell." the tiger laguz said. "If you are against the Daein army, then I am on your side. Oh, my name is Luganda."

"King Caineghis must have gotten to know you, then." said Ross.

"Um… I serve King Caineghis." said Luganda. "And your parents and I met not too long ago when their house burned down."

"What's going on here?" asked Ike when he walked over to the group of three.

"Ike, may I introduce Luganda the tiger laguz?" asked Samantha.

"Oh, my…" Mist said as she showed up before her brother and the rest of the group.

"You are a laguz…?" Ike asked in question as he himself had never seen a laguz before.

"Yes, I am." Luganda said. "New friend of Ross and Samantha's parents. And about them, like I said to Samantha, they are trapped in a stronghold. They… are not expected to survive." Samantha was shocked.

"Damn!" said Ross.

"Daein soldiers must have them then." said Oscar.

"Will you take us to the stronghold?" asked Ike.

"Certainly." said Luganda. "This way." Luganda later transformed into her tiger form with gold fur galore, and made her way to the stronghold where Ross and Samantha's parents were being held. Ross and Samantha were even suspicious about their sister ten-year-old Lorriane, who was not mentioned at all by Luganda.

"So amusing…" one Daein soldier said back at the stronghold where Ross and Samantha's parents were being held. "These humans are traitors to the Daein army and must be made into examples for us."

"Let us go!" said Ross and Samantha's mother.

"You can't do this to me!" said Ross and Samantha's father.

"Oh, shut your trap, you filthy wastebags!" said a Daein Halberdier. Then, someone halted the group. It was Titania.

"Oh, well, well, well… the red-tressed knight from earlier, eh?" said a Daein myrmidon.

"How do you know me?" asked Titania.

"Don't act like we of the Daein army don't know you." said the myrmidon. "You have killed our general in a clearing in Crimea. Therefore, I can't allow you to pass through here alive."

"Well…. You're screwed then." Titania said. "I shall take you out in a swing of my axe!" she later said as she ran on her white horse towards the Daein soldiers. Ike and the group later showed up afterwards.

"Titania!" shouted Ike. "How'd you get here before us?"

"No time to explain." Titania said. Then, a shadow was seen, Ike and Titania went to investigate under Titania's recommendation. However, the Greil Mercenaries were later spotted by Petrine and her troops. They were also keeping hold of Ross and Samantha's parents. But they were not the only people being pursued by Daein troops. Ike even saw a blue-haired swordswoman in their grasp. Her name was Mia. Ike went up to Petrine and gave her some words about Princess Elincia.

"So, you are saying that Princess Elincia is not HERE ?!" asked Petrine. "Ugh! Dog's breath!"

"Shame on you, then." Kamaria said as she appeared with Rhys and Soren. She later swooped down and rescued Mia from the clutches of Petrine.

"Gee, thanks!" Mia said. "I'll have to repay you someday!"

"Talk to Greil." Kamaria said.

"OK!" Mia said. "Will do! …Gee… this is fun!" Mia said as she held her arms out while flying on the back of Kamaria's pegasus.

"Ugh! You ignorant bastards and bitches of the Crimean bunch!" said Petrine. Later on, Greil, Shinon, and Gatrie later appeared. Greil even killed a Daein lance-wielding soldier.

"Father! Boy am I glad to see you safe and alive!" Ike said.

"The heck are you doing back here, you dumb pup?" Greil asked.

"We… were… looking… for you." Samantha said. "And, I was told my parents were being kept hostage in here."

"I got this one, Samantha!" Luganda said. "You just go!" Samantha and her brother later ran away to the back side of the fort, where they fought off Daein forces.

"What am I to do with these people?" Greil thought to himself.

"Hey, the guilty one did a good job at least." said Shinon.

"...Well, you're right on that." Greil said. "But you and Gatrie work on getting Ike and ther others out of here."

"What about Ross and Samantha's parents?!" asked Ike in panic.

"Find them and take them with you!" ordered Greil. "And do it quickly! We'll regroup in Gallia!"

"Alright!" Ike said. "Everyone, we have to flee the fort! Now!" Suddenly, the roar of the beast laguz was heard.

"Dog's breath! Those filthy scumbags will not escape my wrath!" Petrine said.

"General Petrine! B-b-beasts!" said a Daein halberdier in a scared manner.

"Don't you dare be scared of some sub-human scums!" said Petrine. "We can easily fight them off with ease, right?"

"No you will not! You shall die!" Greil said. "I may fight like a demon, but trust me, I was the strongest man on the continent in my prime years!"

"Hmph. Like I will believe that, mister scum." Petrine said to Greil. Soon after, laguz of the Beast Tribe entered the fort. The laguz group consisted of a blue tiger named Mordecai, two orange cats named Lethe and Lyre, a blue cat named Ranulf, and a set of two generic tiger laguz and two generic cat laguz. Ranulf, who was transformed into his cat state, untransformed to his human form, and ordered the Daein soldiers to leave the fort. Then, Lyre and Lethe untransformed from their cat states, and quickly turned to Luganda, the golden-furred tiger laguz.

"Luganda!" said Lethe. "Thank heaven you are alright!"

"...Pathetic." Lyre said. "Daein scum insulting our kind of people… how rude of them."

"Sub-humans!" a Daein soldier said. "Filthy, dirty, freaking sub-humans!"

"Leave here at once!" said Ranulf to the Daein soldiers.

"You think you can tell us to leave here at once?! NEVER! " yelled Petrine. Mordecai, who was still transformed, wanted to charge at Petrine. But he roared instead. Then, a knight clad in black armor and a red cape entered the room, forcing everyone to leave. When the beast laguz and the remaining Daein soldiers left, Ike noticed the suspicious-looking knight staring at his father Greil. However, Greil later left with his company. When he stepped outside, a lion named Skrimir, who was the nephew of King Caineghis, was waiting there with Elincia, Mist, and Rolf.

"I am pleased to see that you are all well." Skrimir said.

"You are quite the bunch as always, Skrimir." Greil said. "How've you been?" he later asked.

"I've been alright, Greil." Skrimir said. "But we'd best better get you to safety."

"I do know of somewhere they can rest for the night." Ranulf said. "Luganda, do your part for Gallia. Take our allies to Gebal Castle." he later ordered.

"Yes, Ranulf." Luganda said.

"Good service for your days, huh?" asked Greil. "Again, thank you for your assistance. We really appreciate it."

"Anytime, sir." Ranulf said. Everyone in the Greil Mercenaries, even the newbies and the princess of Crimea later left for Gebal Castle. However, fate would soon be met for the company.