CHAPTER 6

Greil was busy in his office writing. However, someone knocked on the door. It was his son, Ike. When Greil turned around, he was in nothing but a furious state.

"Ike, didn't I tell you to get to work?!" asked Greil angrily.

"Someone is here to see us about a job request." said Ike.

"Job request?" asked Greil.

"Come with me. There's a young lady at the door waiting for you to speak to her." Ike later said. Greil later stepped out of his office.

When Greil saw the young lady, she said to him that she was looking for a band of mercenaries to take care of pirates at Port Talma. The lady even handed Greil the notes she had written down.

"I may not be available with others right now, but I'll tell you something. I'll send out my deputy commander and my son as well as some others to deal with the pirates." Greil said. "Will you show them the way?"

"Sure." the woman said.

"Come inside." Greil said. The woman later came inside. Greil later gathered up all of his mercenaries, except for Mist, Rhys, and Rolf, and declared that the mercenaries had a job to complete, which was taking out the pirates at Port Talma.

"So, who's going to be at the ready here, Commander?" asked Titania.

"Well, Titania," spoke Greil, "I am going to have you at the ready with Ike, Shinon, Gatrie, Ross, and Samantha."

"No fair!" Kamaria yelled. "I wanted to go too!"

"Oh, alright, you can go!" Greil exclaimed. "Sheesh… all of you are giving me a migraine… … OSCAR! Fetch me chicken soup, will you?!" requested Greil in question and exclamation.

"Yes, sir!" Oscar responded.

"At least people will leave me alone for the time being." said Greil.

"You know where Port Talma is, right?" asked the woman to Titania.

"Yes." Titania responded. "Don't worry, though. We will do the best we can to rid of the pirates."

"Thank you so very much. My mother will be sure to pay you whatever she can afford to you." the young woman said.

"OK." said Titania. "Greil Mercenaries, ready yourselves for battle!"

"On my way, Titania!" Shinon said.

"Let's go!" Ross and Samantha shouted after high-fiving each other.

"Here we go!" said the knight Gatrie.

"Ready as I'll ever be, Titania!" said Ike.

"Then it's time to move out!" proclaimed Titania. And so, everyone moved out for Port Talma.

Meanwhile, on the Riven Bridge, which was a bridge that crossed from Crimea to Daein, soldiers from Daein clad in black and grey armor were marching into Crimea as ordered by Ashnard, the thirteenth king of monstrous and cold-blooded nation. Wyvern Riders as well as Wyvern Lords were flying across the waters that separated the two nations. Little did everyone in Crimea know that a war would be under way.

Back at Port Talma, Marcia the pegasus knight and Evelyn the dark flier were scouting the skies watching the pirates from above the ship on their respective mounts. However, once Marcia flew to her right side, Evelyn was left all alone in the skies. However, a loud and harsh roar was heard in the distance. Thinking it was the roar of the tiger laguz of the beast nation of Gallia, Evelyn went to check it out. However, it was not a tiger laguz's roar. It was a wyvern's roar. Knowing that wyverns were associated with the Daein army, Evelyn feared for her life.

"Give it up!" said the soldiers of Daein once they showed up before Evelyn.

"Never!" Evelyn shouted. She later cast the Rexcalibur wind spell before the wyvern lords that were swooping down before her, killing them in the process. However, one of the wyvern lords struck her ebon black pegasus, killing it in the process. Evelyn was later taken hostage by Daein soldiers, and wyvern riders brought her back to Ashnard. When Marcia returned, she noticed Evelyn was gone, and even wanted to find her. The Greil Mercenaries later arrived after Marcia made her exit looking for some help to find Evelyn.

"Well, this is it. Port Talma. And I suggest that the pirates are on that ship docked right there." said Titania.

"Yes, they are." the Port Talma woman said. "A man even refused to help us."

"Well, lucky for you, you've found the right person." said Titania. "Alright, Greil Mercenaries, get into your positions, and move out!"

"Yes! Let the arrows rain on the pirates! Perish by steel arrow tips, and die a bloody death!" Shinon proclaimed.

Suddenly, Marcia knew something was going on. When she saw the Greil Mercenaries, she flew down to Ike, despite the fact that she did not know him. She asked him if they saw a black and dark green-haired tome and sword wielding Dark Flier around Port Talma.

"Nope." Ike said. "Haven't seen her. What's your name?" he later asked.

"Oh, my name is Marcia. I'm a pegasus knight of Begnion." Marcia said as she introduced herself to Ike. "I'm also… uh… looking for my brother too. Besides, were you hired by the villagers to get rid of these scumbag bastards?"

"Yup. We sure were hired." Ross said after noticing Marcia. "Oh, my name's Ross by the way. And my little sister Samantha is fighting off some pirates."

"I see, I see." Marcia said. "Whelp, Tacheerio! I'm off!" Marcia later said as she made her exit.

"Gee, I hope she finds that Evelyn girl…" said Ike. Suddenly, Samantha's screams were later heard.

"Samantha!" Ross shouted. Ike later ran to assist Shinon, and Gatrie, who were busy attempting to rescue Samantha. However, Samantha cast a magical fire spell that immediately created a shockwave, sending the pirates into the ocean's bright azure blue waters.

"Damn scallywag mercenaries! I'll show them who gets the prize for being the best person in this area!" said the pirate leader.

"That won't happen, lad." Shinon said. "It's time for you to die a sad death." He later shot the pirate in the chest. The other living pirates later made a getaway. Samantha, however, would not allow it.

"Arcfire, cast now!" Samantha said as she cast her Arcfire spell. The ship was later caught on fire, exploding in the process.

"Let's get back to the fort!" said Ike.

"He's got a point!" said Titania. "After I accept the payment from the villagers, let's ride!" The mercenaries later headed back to the fort after accepting payment from the villagers. Kamaria the pegasus knight did her best to catch up after her arm was bleeding.

Back at the Greil Mercenaries fort, Soren, an old friend of Ike, was speaking to Commander Greil about the soldiers of Daein invading Crimea. He found out after witnessing several acts of kidnappings and killings and the fact that he heard from other people that Daein soldiers were crossing into Crimean territory.

"I will be sure to warn the other mercenaries to be cautious." Greil said.

"Thanks, Commander Greil." Soren said. Greil later used a ram's horn to call out for his mercenaries.

"That's the ram horn!" Kamaria said. "Quick! Back to the fort!"

"Kamaria, you act like you run the company out of all things!" said Titania. "You need to understand that I am the one running the company as the deputy commander serving under Greil!"

"Sorry, Titania…" Kamaria apologized.

"Everyone, Soren has arrived with some news for us! Everyone, in the briefing room now!" Greil exclaimed. Everyone later dismounted their respective mounts, headed on into the briefing rooms, and sat down.

"What happened, Father?" Mist asked.

"Yeah. Are we being interrogated again?" Rhys asked.

"No." Greil responded. "Daein is invading Crimean territory. Soren has just told me after he found out from the mercenary company he was training with."

"That's right." Soren said. "They are moving quickly and rapidly as we speak of the invasion now."

"No…" Samantha said.

"What's wrong, Samantha?" asked Titania.

"My mother… my father… my ten-year-old sister…" Samantha thought to herself.

"Yeah… our family will be in danger!" Ross said. "We… we have to go back and see if they are okay!"

"I'll take them, Commander Greil." Titania said.

"Have them mount on their own horses and they can check on their family." Greil stated.

"Yes, sir." Titania agreed.

Back at Ross and Samantha's family household, Daein soldiers were surrounding the family home. However, the mother, father, and the ten-year-old sister of Ross and Samantha, Lorraine, could not escape the clutches of the elite Daein army. They were cornered. Then, a Daein Halberdier found something hidden among Samantha's belongings.

"Hmm…" thought the Halberdier. "A talisman… have you been harboring anyone suspicious?"

"No… that's our daughter's talisman!" Samantha and Ross' mother said. "My mother gave that to her!"

"Mother? Father?" Ross questioned as he asked for his parents.

"Ross! Samantha! Save us!" yelled Lorriane.

"Attention, soldiers of Daein!" Titania said. "Leave here at once! This peaceful and humble Crimean family does not deserve to be treated like this!"

"...General… what should we do?" asked a soldier.

"Burn it." said the general.

"What the hell are you even saying?!" asked the soldier.

"Until this house and its inhabitants are nothing but goddamn ashes, these people are to be made examples of the Daein army by us showing them who is to be the top nation of Tellius."

"...Fine." said the soldier.

"Come on." Titania said to the family. "We'll send you somewhere else."

"Oh, don't mind us, Titania. We'll flee to Gallian territory and request housing from King Caineghis." said the mother. "Samantha, Ross, you'll be safe with Commander Greil, right?"

"Yes, Mother." Samantha said. "My brother and I are sure to be okay."

"Very well." said the Daein general controlling the army. "Kiss your precious home goodbye, you pathetic pieces of shit!" The house was later set on fire. Ike and the rest of the company, except for a few people like Greil, Mist, and Rolf, later arrived.

"Was that Samantha and Ross' house?" asked Ike.

"Yup." Ross said.

"They're already requesting housing from the king of Gallia. Caineghis will assist them." Samantha said.

"That's a shame you lost your house, Samantha." said Ike.

"I know." said Samantha.

Suddenly, a voice was heard screaming for help. Then, a thud was heard. That thud turned out to be a falling tree branch that later struck the person screaming. Then, Ike went to see what happened along with Rhys and Soren.

"It's a woman…" said Rhys.

"Is she wounded?" asked Ike.

"She;s merely fainted, that's all." Rhys said. "Let's take her back to the fort. Mist will be sure to cure her."

"...I don't even like this idea out of you, Rhys." Soren said.

"Hmph." Rhys said.

"What happened?" Boyd asked. "Everything… oh, my… never mind then." Boyd later said.

"Boyd, enough." said Oscar.

"Hey, we heard about your house, Samantha." Boyd said.

"Don't mention it." said Samantha. "But… what happened here?"

"No time to explain!" said Ike. "Give us a hand!"

"...Oh… alright." said Samantha. "Brother?"

"I'm on it!" said Ross. Everyone did a little bit of teamwork into carrying the woman back to the mercenary fort. However, little did the company know that the woman they rescued would become a key figure during the bloody violence Daein was committing on Crimea, which was also known as the Mad King's War. It had just started its harsh, cold, and bloody beginning.