CHAPTER 25
By leaving Palmeni Temple, the Crimean Liberation Army was just about to cross the Riven Bridge, which was a stone bridge that went from Crimea to Daein. By crossing the bridge, Elincia would finally see her homeland again, after being apart from it for nearly a year. But it was spring when Ike had left Crimea. The snow was melting, and the weather was growing mild at the time. Days were even getting longer too. Then, as Elincia and Ike were talking about the country of Crimea, Ranulf and Luganda appeared before them.
"Ranulf! Luganda! Long time no see!" said Elincia.
"The beast fang tribe nation of Gallia has finally decided to lend full support to the Crimean Army during the Mad King's War." Luganda the tiger laguz said. "But I would like to introduce you to someone that will be joining alongside me and Ranulf."
"Who is it?" asked Ike.
"Meet Daelyn." said Ranulf. "A tiger beast laguz of orange color upon transformation. She specializes in fang attacks, so she's not really a beast fang aguz who puts her claws to use."
"I see." Ike said. "We certainly could use some more laguz strength at our side, Ranulf. Welcome to the Crimean Liberation Army, Daelyn."
"I thank you, milord." Daelyn said. "I am guessing you are the army's general, right?"
"I am." Ike said. "My name's Ike, by the way."
"Oh, my!" Daelyn said. "Ranulf has told me all about you and Princess Elincia Ridell Crimea. He's also told me you were stocked up thanks to Lethe and Mordecai at your sides."
"Oh, I see…" said Ike to Daelyn.
"Whelp, allow me to demonstrate the usage of my fangs, Lord Ike. For as I, Daelyn of the Tiger Tribe, shall use the skills to roar at my enemies of the damned Daein Army!" Daelyn said as she transformed after finishing her sentence.
"...OK." said Ike.
When Ike went back to the tent where he was going to sleep, Shinon was there acting drunk, saying expletives about Ike's "phony" nobility and how he should not be leader of the Greil Mercenaries. But as Shinon was not feeling so good, he threw up on beer.
"Gosh, Shinon!" Ike said. "I can't believe you threw up all over this place! Unless you learn not to be drunk, you will not be joining us for this battle."
"Blah, blah, BLAH! Whatever, Ikey-poo." Shinon said drunkenly.
"Bah." Ike said disgustingly as he walked away.
Meanwhile, with Petrine of the Four Riders of Daein, she was talking with a soldier about trap work being done on the Riven Bridge. When the tiger-branded general was responded with a yes by the soldier, she said that sometimes the simplest of traps offer the best results. That was when she wanted the enemy lured in to the traps placed on the Riven Bridge.
"Yes, ma'am." said the soldier to General Petrine.
"Listen up, dogs of Daein!" said Petrine. "The Crimean army will be stopped here! Here and now, that is! Never will they be able to see their homeland again!" she exclaimed to the enemy army on the bridge. Feral Ones, which were laguz who remained in their animal forms permanently, were also under control of the army too. While all Daein soldiers knew exactly where they came from, the Feral Ones made Ike and the Crimean Liberation Army question themselves about where they came from.
When Ike and the army reached the bridge, it was time to march. But not before Ranulf asked where exactly Nasir was and what had happened to him. Ike answered, saying that he was declared by the Crimean Liberation Army as an enemy combatant and a betrayer and was locked up for siding with the enemy the entire time by giving them information. Ranulf was shocked and gasped.
"Nasir was a Daein spy?!" asked Ranulf after he gasped in shock. "He was OUR spy though! How could that man betray us like this?!"
"So you're telling me he was a Gallian spy? Now none of this makes any sense to me." said Ike.
"He worked for us on behalf of our great and gracious King Caineghis. But for him to be a laguz spy for Daein?! This is just…crazy!" Ranulf said.
"That's not all. There's more." Ike stated.
"There's more?!" Ranulf asked.
"There was a Goldoan Red Dragon with pink scales named Ena who was working as a general for the Daein Army…and Nasir let her get away." Ike said.
"Are you frickin' serious?!" asked Ranulf.
"Yes, I am serious." Ike said to Ranulf. "We were forced to fight her in Nevassa, Daein's capital. We attempted to kidnap her, but Nasir betrayed us, intervened, and allowed her to escape."
"Then let me speak to Nasir in prison." said Ranulf.
"Uh…after this battle Ranulf." Ike said. "We have arrived at the bridge."
Back at Riven Bridge's opposite side where Petrine was, Haar was sleeping on his wyvern. When Petrine attempted to wake him up, she slapped him across the face. "What an absolute fool you are, Haar." Petrine later said after the great big slap. Haar then asked the troops if the enemy arrived.
"They have." said a horse riding Daein Lance Paladin. "So, General Petrine, what is the plan?"
"The plan is when the soldiers of Crimea get into the trap, we slice their heads off." said Petrine.
"Oh, I see." said the horse riding Daein Lance Paladin.
"You see?!" Petrine asked. She had her own soldier beheaded for joking around. "EVERYONE GET TO WORK NOW!" she later hollered. All the soldiers later got into the positions. Crimea's army started to march to the other side of the bridge. However, Haar noticed Jill Fizzart.
"Jill Fizzart, have I should have known it was you." sad Haar.
"Captain Haar?" asked Jill. "You survived! How pleasing." said Jill after making an exclamation.
"Yaaaaaawwwwwnnn…" Haar said as he yawned. "Yeah, I suppose you're right."
"Come on, haar, come on our side now." said Jill. "I know you have your reasons."
"...Fiiiiiiiiiine…." yawned Haar. Haar then happily joined the Crimean Liberation Army.
Back with Ike, he had pulled Petrine off of her ebon black horse. Knowing that Ike was going to kill her, Ike didn't want to. He let Ross team up with him in order to finish off Petrine's terrorism on Crimea. She died soon after Ike stabbed her with his knife.
"RETREAT! General Petrine is DEAD!" said a soldier. All the soldiers retreated.
"Ohmigosh!" said a Crimean soldier named Lucy.
"I know, right?!" said another Crimean soldier named Rita. "The fearsome General Petrine is dead!"
"It's appreciated that she is dead, but Mad King Ashnard still has to be defeated." said the swordmaster Lucia. "Bastian!" she later said as she called out for the wind sage Bastian.
"Yes, gracious Lucia?" asked Bastian.
"Tell me what you see." ordered Lucia.
"I see… hm… O gracious Lady Elincia! She has returned!" said Bastian.
"Elincia is back! Elincia is back!" yelled Rita and Lucy.
"Woohoo!" said an unnamed Crimean soldier.
"I'll go greet her back home." Lucia said. Lucia then went to greet Princess Elincia.
When Elincia was greeted by Lucia and the soldiers, they were happy that Elincia made it home safe and sound. Elincia then asked who else was with them.
"Rita and Lucy as well as General Tagio are with us too." said Lucia. "The soldiers we have contacted have not reached one hundred."
"I see." Elincia said. "I know that my existence is not noted to the general populace."
"I understand, Princess, I understand." said Lucia. "Don't worry about anything, though." Elincia then walked back to Ross and Samantha who were busy talking with Ike, who was busy talking with Ranulf about Nasir. But as Ike tried to bring the dragon scale tribe laguz prisoner lunch after his return, he dropped it after discovering he was gone. Something was indeed really fishy in Ike's mind. But he had not a thing to worry. He decided to march on to Castle Delbray in Crimea to greet some new people. Little did he know that he would come across his father's killer yet again.
