CHAPTER 12

When the mercenaries and their friends and their fellow laguz allies started the journey to the empire of Begnion, the oldest and largest nation on the continent of Tellius, Ranulf, the blue cat laguz, decided to stop them midway through the journey. Ike asked Ranulf why he stopped the group. Wehen Ranulf answered, he stated that there were prisoners imprisoned in a Crimean castle called Canteus Castle who may be willing to join them as Ike did state that he was short on soldiers. However, there would be a one hundred percent chance of running into Daein forces as the group would have to turn back to Crimea to catch a ship to Begnion due to the mountain ranges from Gallia to the empire. When Kamaria the Pegasus Knight heard that the group was going back to Begnion, she knew she had one more chance to look for her brother Kito. If she found Kito, then her personal peace would be restored. However, little did Kamaria know that it would take a while before she could get Kito onto Ike's side.

"So, you said that Kito is in Begnion?" asked Ike.

"Right." said Kamaria. "I hope he's okay and not jailed by Daein soldiers."

"I hope so too." said Ike. "We are keeping prayers for you, Kamaria. Don't worry. You'll be okay."

"And I hope we get to find my brother too." the pink-haired pegasus knight Marcia said.

"Don't worry." Ranulf said. "Keep in mind that your respective families of brothers will be reunited soon." he later said. Kamaria sighed in sorrow.

When the group reached Canteus Castle's downstairs dungeon, a bunch of Crimean soldiers were being held as prisoners. The question of the day was how to open the cells. Then, some strange shadow dashed through the castle. A voice even echoed.

"Excuse me!" said the thief who appeared from behind a Daein soldier. "I've seemed to have business with Sir Greil. Where is he?" asked the thief who happens to know the name of Greil.

"I'll tell you where he is." Ike said to the thief. "My father is sadly dead."

"Ah, so you are his son, I see." the thief said. "He who stands before you is the Fireman. Volke is the name." the thief said as he introduced himself as the FIreman, Volke.

"Now hold it!" said Kamaria. "What business do you have with our deceased, ceased-to-be, no-more-existing Commander Greil?" asked Kamaria.

"That's not nice, Kamaria." said Ike.

"Now, hold on." said Volke. "Let me explain."

"Explain what?! Your reason to intrude our little… damn… what was that word I was looking for?" asked Samantha.

"Sissy!" yelled Ross.

"I am in… intelligence." said Volke. "Now, tell me right now; spark one deal with me. Just. ONE ."

"What's the deal?" asked Titania.

"You let me travel with you… you pay me the price for each lock I pick for you that you yourselves encounter." Volke said.

"How much for each lock?" asked Soren.

"One Hundred pieces of gold." Volke responded.

"Well…we DID receive twenty-thousand gold from King Caineghis." said Ike. "Alright. I'll do you well."

"Alright. Deal then." Volke said. "Now, I hear there are prisoners locked up in this castle that need freeing. Want them? Six Hundred Gold." Ike then gave Volke six hundred pieces of gold coins. Volke thanked Ike for the service.

"Wait!" said Volke turned around, Ike asked if he would travel with the group.

Additional Fifty Gold then." Volke responded. Ike then gave him fifty gold.

"He gets paid well for his business, huh?" asked Kamaria.

"Kind of…" said Ross.

Meanwhile in the prison cells, Six Crimean soldiers were being held prisoner. Two of the prisoners were a light magic-wielding Bishop named Isaac and his dark magic-wielding Druid student named Izzy. The other three soldiers were a green-haired soldier named Nephenee, a brown-armored knight named Brom, and an red-armored axe knight named Kieran. Brom was worried that something might have happened to his friends. Kieran wasn't even worried one bit as he was a Crimean Royal Knight.

" STOP IT! I'm no professional soldier! I'm just part of the freakin' militia!" yelled Brom.

" HEY! " said a Daein soldier. "Keep your freakin' mouths shut in there before I whip the shit out of you damned Crimeans!"

" EEK! " Nephenee shouted.

"Did you hear that, Isaac?" Izzy asked her teacher. "They're going to whip the freakin' shit out of us if we don't keep our mouths shut!"

"You wanna be the first to get whipped by my ropes?!" asked a Daein Halberdier holding a rope. "No?! THEN SHUT THE FRICKIN' HELL UP! " This immediately scared Izzy and Nephenee the soldier, who was in the cell next to hers. When Volke came over to murder the Halberdier, he picked the locks of the cells and told the three of the soldiers to go with Ike, whom he called the "blue-haired ranger".

"Izzy!" shouted Isaac. "What the hell?!"

"Flux Ք! Cast now!" said Izzy as she cast a complicated dark magical spell on a Daein halberdier. She later cast the same spell on Brom and Kieran's cell doors. Kieran, who was mounted on his horse, trotted out of the cell. Brom was moving very slowly, but he still managed to get to Ike in a somewhat quick manner. Volke later picked the last lock, in which a Bishop named Sephiran was locked inside. All of the prisoners were later set free with no injuries. But Ike was later confused about Izzy's powers.

"First of all, what is Flux… whatever you said?" asked Ike.

"That is the letter 'keh'." said Izzy. "Sorry if you are not used to my language or teachings yet." she later apologized. "You see, I am of an outland race known as the Yerekhaner, we are ancient children-like people descended from Dark Dragons, hence my child-like appearance. Oh, sorry! I have to introduce myself first. My name's Izzy, and that's my teacher's Isaac."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Izzy, and we look forward to having you in the army." said Titania.

"Not me." said Soren.

"Why, Soren?" Boyd later asked.

"Yeah. She's no laguz." said Ike.

"You never might know if we can trust this girl." said Soren.

"We'll discuss this later." said Isaac. "Commander, take the lead for my people!"

"Yes!" Ike said.

"I shall not falter before the dawn of Tellius and for the sake of my Begnion people!" said Isaac. And so, Ike and his group headed for Port Toha, where they were to board their boat to the Begnion Empire. However, there, they would face a serious threat from the village people, who seemingly did not care about the war with Daein. All they cared about was living in happiness and living away from the laguz changelings. Something was definitely fishy in Ike's stead.