Chapter 3: Roadside Battle Part 3
Maijin couldn't believe what he was witnessing. A group of aristocrats and their retainers were fending off his forces. Every time they attempted to approach or reach for the defenseless or weaker women, they were promptly killed. A solid defense against the Daein forces was utilized, protecting non-combatants from harm.
The blue-haired noble swung his axe with the strength of many men while supported by his red-haired companion, who thrust his rapier at the Daein forces with the best fencing maneuvering anyone had ever seen. All the while, a brown-haired thief used his knife to swiftly dispatch soldiers by targeting vital areas or attacking men with less armor. The blonde-haired boy was not as skilled as the red-haired man, but he wielded his blade like any noble given formal fencing training. The one beside him was more extraordinary, cleaving away at the Daein soldiers with a single stroke like the blue-haired noble. The majority were all skilled, likely as strong as many of the higher-tier generals of Daein.
Moreover, they were supported by an extraordinary enchantress. At first, the light blue-haired woman revealed herself as a dancer, which made the Daein forces scoff and laugh mid-battle. However, it was apparent that the dances held mystical value by empowering and energizing her allies. All the while, they were supported by a chatty, pink-pigtailed cleric.
At any rate, Maijin's forces were being decimated and were cut down by a third. Even as reinforcements came in from the North to assist Maijin's platoon, the nobles remained strong. Judging from the progress of the battle, Maijin was far from confident in eliminating this group.
"Damn..." He muttered with a furious expression. He readied his javelin and stared down at the enemies before him. "These Crimean nobles are better than I expected. We didn't think they'd put up this much of a fight. Even so, they'll not prove a match against Daein's finest!"
As Maijin aimed his javelin at the group, he heard the flapping of wyvern wings from the south. A pair of wyvern knights was coming their way. Maijin rejoiced at the sight as he assumed they were from another platoon arriving to support them.
"Finally, these fools won't know what will hit them. Prepare to face Daein's finest wyvern rid- Huh!?" Maijin was cut off and let out a surprised sound upon seeing what appeared to be a spear launched in his direction. He quickly shifted to the side to avoid the projectile, watching it hit another one of his men behind him. "What in the..."
"Tch," The blonde woman with a scar on the left side of her face and thigh clicked her tongue in frustration. "You looked like the leader. If only you could have been impaled by my spear... A thousand lances wouldn't have been enough..."
Maijin was visibly shaken by the attempt on his life. "Y–You! How dare you! Which platoon are you from!?" He shouted after the quick ceasefire between the two parties was enacted upon the arrival of the wyvern riders.
From what he could tell, these fliers wanted to take his life and possibly take the glory of accomplishing the goal of exterminating these foes and capturing their target. However, based on some of the nobles smiling, this was not the case.
'They're allies?' He thought to himself. 'Crimea has no wyvern riders in their army. Based on their attire, they might be knights. Could it be...?'
Why would they attack their own army unless they were never affiliated with Daein? Some of the Daein soldiers were confused by this act. Upon getting a closer look, the wyvern riders did look rather distinct, as the two would be recognizable based on their physical traits. The silver-eyed man with white strands of hair on the left side of his green hair was readying his javelin at the Daein troops.
Moreover, the blonde woman with very short hair wore burgundy attire akin to a pegasus knight. She wore a split miniskirt and long knight boots, contrary to wyvern riders' typical attire of wearing plain pants to ride their mounts with ease, which are said to be far less comfortable than riding a pegasus. Unless she liked the chafing of her legs against a wyvern, she would stand out as an oddity in the Daein army or just outright crazy.
It was abundantly clear they were not fliers under the Daein banner... They would have been a very discernible wyvern duo had that been the case. Maijin turned to the group they attacked with an incredulous look.
"All of you, you're not envoys, are you!?" Maijin asked with desperation in his tone.
The only other explanation was that they were from Begnion noble houses. An idea that was dismissed earlier. That was the only reason Maijin and some of his men could come up with, as these people had dracoknights as their guards. They weren't ready to pick fights with the nation of Begnion at this time. Not yet.
"Ha!? We told you that we weren't Crimeans in the first place!" Hector exclaimed with a vein popping up on his head.
"Not like they'll know where we came from, Sire..." Matthew added while readying his knives once more.
The fact that they even mentioned the names of their homelands went completely over the Daein forces' heads. They had just assumed everyone was from Crimea hoping to flee from the invading army. In any event, everyone from Elibe wasn't ready to bother explaining their origins.
In any event, whatever their homeland's given names were, they were considered a noble house by the Daein forces. They did not anticipate getting into an altercation with supposed foreign envoys, possibly from Begnion. Maijin clicked his tongue over this misunderstanding that they could no longer amend. The only thing he could think of was erasing their involvement by killing everyone. But that was a task becoming more impossible by the minute.
"None of you should have crossed us and dared to harm our people..." Heath shook his head as he spoke. He then focused his attention on the troops below him and aimed his javelin at his enemies with eyes narrowed. "Farewell..."
Heath and Vaida had just met with Rath, in which the nomad went to get the others. It didn't take long for the pair to realize that they were in Ike's homeland for whatever reason that was concocted by the Eight Legends. With familiar reinforcements on the way, they were confident in being able to prevail against this predicament and return home.
For now, they needed to wipe out these offending soldiers who dared to even attack in the presence of women and children. They were to be granted no mercy. The Daein forces were visibly confused by this turn of events.
"No need to waste your breath on these imbeciles. They dared to raise a hand against his Highness and the princess... A thousand deaths wouldn't be enough, Heath!" Vaida twirled her spear as she trailed off; with a bloodthirsty grin, she stared down at the prey below. The Daein forces were confused by some of the words she spoke while Murdock raised his axe once more with his liege behind him. "You all stand before Bern's Wyvern General and me, the Dragon Fang General! Say your prayers!"
'Highness?' 'Princess?' 'Bern?' 'What generals were they, again?' Various thoughts and questions went through the minds of the Daein platoon. The only princess they sought out was the Princess of Crimea...
Their thoughts were cut off by the wyvern riders swooping in to deliver judgment upon the troops. Their confusion was used against them as they quickly panicked under the wyvern duo's onslaught.
"Protect His Highness!" Murdock declared while charging. The Lycian group was not idle, as they quickly charged at their enemies.
Those from Bern quickly picked up the pace. Murdock displayed the might befitting of his title as one of his homeland's elite generals. Heath and Vaida impaled infantrymen and knights with ease as they skillfully rode their wyverns, weaving through any attempts of a counterattack. There were little-to-no openings to exploit as the fliers could not be shot down by Daein archers with Matthew targeting them. Confidence turned to uncertainty, as Bern and Lycian forces were successfully fighting back against Maijin's regiment.
Just as one soldier had the opportunity to attack Zephiel from the side, an arrow was shot from a distance, hitting the Daein infantryman straight in the neck. Zephiel turned his head to see what appeared to be a nomad, someone from Elibe based on the Sacaen garb he wore. Vaida held a smirk while her subordinate held a slight smile as they knew he'd arrive eventually.
"It's about time you showed up!" Hector said with a smile.
Everyone from Elibe took a glance at their familiar ally in a nearby thicket. The latter once again placed his arrow on the nock of his bow. Ready to fire at the Daein soldiers. Maijin and his men once again felt confusion over a new unknown horseback archer that arrived.
"That archer..." Murdock muttered to himself as he recognized the one who saved his prince. From the valley and mansion where he saw the nomad traveling under the young mercenary commander.
"Heh, I could have easily saved His Highness back there..." Vaida boasted as she once again gave a vicious grin to the Daein forces. It was then that Heath added, "But we both knew you'd arrive eventually, my friend. Thank you for assisting our prince..." Rath nodded to the pair with a slight smile.
Once again, the Daein forces found themselves dumbfounded by what was said by the wyvern knight. They had just found out that the group of nobles they attacked were not Crimeans. Various unknown names or houses were mentioned that Maijin and his men had no prior knowledge of. On top of there being a supposed princess, there was a prince that the felled soldier attacked.
What kind of assortment of aristocrats or actors did they come across? Then again, if they were the latter, then how would that explain how powerful this group was with even wyvern riders at their service? There were no princes in Begnion, as there was just the Apostle or Empress of Begnion. Even if they looked the part of royalty, the only royal they were searching for was of Crimea, not of this supposed house of Bern or any other. The Daein forces had no time to mull over this matter, as the skirmish continued with a new enemy in their midst.
"Sorry, I'm late... Rath of the Kutolah Tribe, at your service!" Rath announced to everyone. He then readied another arrow onto his bow as he spoke. "For attacking my allies... my friends! Under Father Sky, may you face a thousand curses!" Releasing his arrow, it found its mark on another soldier.
Rath quickly hid in the trees, with his horse galloping through the forest as if there was no impediment. Every couple of seconds, a new arrow found its way into the Daein infantry. Even if there was an attempt to fire at the plainsman, the trees provided protection and cover, making the guerrilla tactic effective at hindering any forms of counterattacks from Daein forces.
The battlefield became more chaotic from there on. The Daein forces were quickly becoming overwhelmed. From a third of their forces to half, their platoon was ready to collapse.
"It seems like just yesterday we all fought together," Eliwood added, as he felled a soldier with a single thrust of his weapon.
Unfortunately, his rapier stabbed its last as it broke while partially lodged into an armored knight. At first, it made his enemies relieved that he no longer held his weapon of choice. Only for it to be short-lived, as Eliwood quickly grabbed a lance from a fallen foe and masterfully twirled it before finally pointing it at his encroaching foes. After all, what kind of marquess and knight would he be if he did not know how to properly wield a lance?
"Heh, show-off." Hector quickly took down another soldier as he made his remarks. "Can't say I didn't miss fighting with you, Eliwood." Eliwood reciprocated with a nod at his best friend. He turned to the Daein forces with a determined gaze and confident smile, befitting a lord who protects his domain and people.
The pair quickly sped up their attacks, felling men by the second. Desperation and fear struck into the hearts of the Daein forces. This group was too strong... Maijin knew he had to retreat and inform his superiors, even if it meant certain death. He could be potentially spared if he brought invaluable information, no matter how minuscule and incomplete it was. The subjugation of the capital was known to the generals and higher-ups to have resulted in some of Maijin's superiors falling in battle and two of their riders having met their match in combat. There was no time to hesitate. At the same time as Maijin made a decision, something sped past the Daein soldiers to where the commander was.
"Men, we must—huh!?" Maijin let out a sound of surprise as he found his abdomen sliced open. He coughed out blood as he rapidly lost the strength to stand. "Gwaa haa... Blast..."
Ready to collapse, he turned back to see the one who assaulted him. It was a new fighter with blue hair like the axe-wielding noble. A young mercenary who held a broadsword with a red handle and crossguard. The remaining men found themselves terrified as their commander was swiftly defeated by someone who managed to reach him so quickly.
Those from Lycia were ecstatic at the reinforcements they received. While they certainly could have handled the rest themselves, it was good to see a familiar face assisting them.
Zephiel's eyes widened in recognition of the one who helped save his life months ago. "It's you," he muttered. Murdock anticipated his arrival upon first seeing Rath, but it was nonetheless a moment to be reminded of the young man who fought for the sake of many, including Zephiel.
It was Ike, who had just performed a quick-draw attack on the Daein general. His weapon was a gift from his family and Guy after pitching in to get him a new blade for his birthday. It was an exquisite weapon that could cut through heavy armor with ease. It was a fine weapon that the young mercenary appreciated with all his heart and was used to protect his friends in this situation.
"I didn't think to encounter a Daein platoon that dared to pick fights with a neutral party." Ike slowly turned his head at the man who received his surprise attack with a glare. "You should have never attacked these people..."
As he spoke, two more beautiful figures came, one blonde and one with green hair in a ponytail. Both were ready to attack the Daein troops, with the pair wielding a light tome and bow, respectively. Just like Ike, they were pleasantly surprised to see their former comrades once again. Serra gasped in surprise to see and reunite with the monk she adored.
"Lord Lucius!" Serra gushed at the appearance of the acolyte. The man in question gave her a fond smile back to her, to which she barely kept herself from fainting. Some things never change, including Serra.
While the trio of reinforcements did not appear strong, looks were deceiving. After all, it took only a single decisive strike against the armored general to defeat him. With that in mind, Maijin and his men were not ready to take the chance to prolong this battle. The former was already at death's door.
Struggling to get one last word out despite his fatal injury, Maijin ordered, "Men... retreat! Report to General Petrine!" With that, the troops scrambled and ran north as their general fell. They left without a second thought as they were greatly overwhelmed by the strength displayed by those from Elibe.
Some of the group thought of pursuing the platoon, but there were more urgent things to worry about. Besides, none of the group was planning to stay in Crimea for long, even Ike. Even if the soldiers relayed everything that happened, it would only be fragmented and obscure information known fully only to Ike and those from Elibe. No one from Daein would know or comprehend who the people they fought with were.
The battle was finally over. Zephiel let out a breath of relief, as this was arguably his first baptism of battle, outside of dealing with occasional assassins. He turned to see Guinevere running up and embracing him.
"I'm glad you're alright, Big Brother..." Guinevere murmured as she pressed her face against Zephiel's clothing. Zephiel gently patted her head and held her tightly.
It was the first battle she witnessed. Her brother killed people for her sake. She didn't want to see or be in this place anymore. She wanted to return home to their father, alongside her brother.
"It's OK, Guinevere... It's OK..." Zephiel then let go of Guinevere. He turned his attention to the blue-haired mercenary with an expression of uncertainty. "I didn't believe we'd meet like this."
No one could have anticipated this turn of events. No one from Elibe or Tellius could have believed that they would cross paths in this war-torn country. Moreover, to see everyone in another world like this. Ike said nothing in response but sighed and nodded.
They never had the chance to properly speak with one another since Zephiel's rescue. At best, Ike spoke with Queen Hellene, and that was that. The blue-haired mercenary hoped to meet with everyone he left behind in Elibe again someday. He didn't think some of them would end up in Tellius right in the middle of Crimea's invasion.
"Ooh... To think we'd be in your homeland, Sir Ike..." Merlinus said with a sense of wonder, only to realize they were still on this bloodied battlefield. He shivered to know that some of the enemies they fought against were included among the casualties of the fallen. "If only we'd chosen a better setting..."
Rath came out from the trees with his horse and nodded. He agreed there were better places to reunite. If only it hadn't been a battlefield.
"Yeah, talk about a crazy reunion," Matthew added as he watched Serra still swooning over Lucius and sighed. "I'm sure Serra feels the same way."
From what people could see, Lucius was slightly sweating with a nervous smile, as he was being bombarded with various questions from Serra. Mostly to tell Lucius how well she was doing or ask Lucius how he was. At least the cleric was still enthusiastic as always.
"Right..." Ike nodded with the pair, as this wasn't the best setting to be catching up.
At the very least, Lyn was seen at the side conversing with Ninian. Probably to inform her of her brother's safety and wellness. Ninian gasped in relief knowing Nils was back at the fort. They needed to wrap up and know the gist of everything that occurred.
"When I said we should celebrate, I didn't mean it like this..." Hector surveyed the surroundings with a repulsed expression as he spoke. "This is your homeland, Crimea. Isn't it? What about the rest of your company? The others... They didn't get caught up in this mess, did they?"
There was a sense of worry for their former allies. The ones who followed Ike to Tellius were still here in Crimea (to the knowledge of the ones who just arrived, not knowing the whereabouts of the Davros at the moment). So there was some concern for everyone's safety.
Ike scratched his head at Hector, making the latter grimace in response. "Everyone seems OK for the most part. Whether we might be involved... is tentative..." Ike answered vaguely. He then shook off such thoughts to address the situation. "The books, I noticed Merlinus carried them, and who I assume to be... Princess Guinevere carrying one." Guinevere sheepishly hid behind Zephiel upon being named. She was still unsure of everything and everyone except her brother and Murdock.
That was the biggest clue that told Ike what may have happened. There was no way for the lords to be present altogether unless Hector or Eliwood visited each other and Zephiel conveniently arrived where the Lycian group was with his sister and vassals. Unless there was an Elibean diplomatic meeting that Ike was unaware of, it was highly unlikely for everyone to be in the same vicinity when the phenomenon that brought them here occurred. Something or someone must have summoned them here, to which the books that were the same as Ike's and the ones to be presented to the Laguz royals were likely the answer.
Eliwood stepped forward to address Ike. "Hector, Ninian, and I received our copy from Bramimond." He then turned over to Vaida and Heath, who kept a neutral expression and a watchful eye on their surroundings. "Vaida and Heath mentioned that the book that arrived with them was 'given' by Bramimond as far as we can tell."
Ike wasn't aware Bramimond was involved. He assumed that he retired after the battle in Valor. Ike turned to the wyvern duo to be informed.
"The Enigma must have brought the Fire Emblem at the time of the ritual. Using both the book and artifact, Bramimond enacted the spell that sent us here... Just like you..." Heath elaborated. Vaida also added, "We were helpless against that sorcerer. I supposed only those of Eight Legends possessed that ability to confine us generals of Bern... and send us to this unknown land of yours... I know you went through similar circumstances when coming to our land, but this is a tad excessive to gain your perspective."
At the very least, Vaida could say it was a blessing and a curse to be summoned alongside her liege. While it was unfortunate to be in another unknown world, at least she could protect Prince Zephiel. Moreover, her former associates were present, who could have Anna send everyone back to their respective worlds.
Murdock, Zephiel, and Guinevere had no idea that they were in another world. They may as well assume that Ike's homeland of Crimea is within another undiscovered continent. That was what the majority of the people Ike met, including himself, assumed for the most part during his stay in Elibe.
Ike nodded in understanding. Not once did they blame him for this incident despite there being a precedent for people being sent to Tellius. All the more reason he needed to send people back to Elibe.
Moreover, the Fire Emblem... Ike was suddenly reminded of the last words he heard from Athos. Is this what he meant by "binding" everyone to a possibility? If so, this was far from ideal. He had essentially plotted with his fellow legend to send everyone to Tellius. They already had enough problems with the dragons from Elibe, but now Athos added to the problem by sending people here, all with responsibilities and families to deal with, to a place where war was taking place.
"Do you have a solution to this mess?" Murdock stepped forward, demanding an answer and snapping Ike out of his thoughts. His expression was a severe one, staring intently at Ike as if expecting him to solve the problem. "Whatever warp spell enacted by the Eight Legends, believed to be long-deceased, brought us to what I assume is your homeland. If so, I expect you to bring the prince and princess along with the rest of us back to Elibe. Whatever war your country or continent is experiencing, it has nothing to do with us."
From the conversations Ike had with everyone else, as well as the facts and assumptions spoken previously since their arrival, Murdock surmised that everyone was brought from the continent of Elibe to Tellius through mysterious means used by the supposedly alive Eight Legends. An unknown continent that was currently undergoing war. This place was far too dangerous for his lords to be. Even if the Eight Legends wanted them here, Murdock was adamant about ensuring the safety of the future of Bern, even if it meant defying the intentions of the heroes who paved their way into Elibean history, most of whom were founders of their countries across the continent.
Moreover, with Princess Guinevere away from the castle and present with Prince Zephiel, it would surely sour what little (very little) relations King Desmond had with his son. By now, there would be an uproar everywhere in Bern over their disappearance. It would put Zephiel's position as heir in great jeopardy and would likely have him shoulder all the responsibility. Murdock believed that they urgently needed to return with haste. To that end, he would go by boat or warping just to bring back his lords.
Ike agreed with him on that fact. As soon as he could get into contact with Anna, multiple people can be sent back to Elibe. Everyone from Bern looked at the mercenary with expectant eyes while those from Lycia held not as much urgency within their expressions.
"We need to find Anna... and fast," Ike answered promptly. Lucius and Lyn gathered with him as he spoke, with Rath at the front. "Follow us."
There was no time to argue. Despite many grievances Murdock had against the young man for being involved with very questionable people and odd circumstances, he had to accept the Greil Mercenaries' help. Zephiel would have wanted to say something, but only turned to his scared sister and gave her a reassuring smile. Guinevere nodded, knowing her brother was beside her.
Just as they were ready to depart, something caught the eye of the nomadic trooper. Something rustled within the sea of trees.
"Ike, something moved in the far side of the thicket..." He told his leader. He then noticed the details that made the figure conspicuous. "It's a woman, wearing an orange dress..."
"Rath's right," Matthew added. "Don't know if she's badly hurt..."
Murdock appeared impatient while Heath looked worried. The former felt there was no time to give hospitality to others while the royal family was at risk. Vaida saw the look between the pair and shrugged at Murdock, making the latter sigh.
This time, Hector took the initiative to look ahead with Eliwood following suit. Her orange dress was stained with blood as she held a double-edged blade with a curved crossguard and dark handle. Likely a ceremonial blade by the looks of it. Some of her green hair was tied up in a bun. She was slightly injured, likely from the skirmish that occurred before the group's arrival. She was likely a Crimean noble, as the Daein army wasn't likely keen on bringing women in dresses to the battlefield. The Crimean soldiers fallen were likely protecting her while she struggled to defend herself.
"Oooh..." she moaned.
She was still alive and well. Eliwood and Hector let out a breath of relief. They were still noble lords and knights to their core.
"Thank goodness she's alive. She's just fainted." Eliwood told everyone. Serra and Lucius quickly went to the side of the stranger, while Lyn, Matthew, and Rath served as lookouts.
"Who knows if the Daein army is pursuing her?" Lyn voiced her thoughts.
"They thought we were Crimean nobles; maybe she's one of them," Hector replied. "Was probably in a similar situation as us..."
They had just been in an altercation out of suspicion for being nobles of Crimea. Based on the woman's dress, she might be one. Nevertheless, they wouldn't leave a woman defenseless, regardless of her status.
"If you need Hyperion, let me know..." Heath offered to the group treating her.
Vaida sighed at how helpless her underling was. He couldn't help but defend and assist helpless civilians in need. The one who was most apprehensive and hesitant about giving aid was Murdock, her fellow general.
"Ha..." Murdock sighed and turned to Ike. "We are in a hurry. Can you afford to give aid to others at this time?"
"Murdock..." Zephiel softly voiced his concern for his vassal.
He knew his bodyguard hoped for his safety. Still, Zephiel's kindness hoped for the woman to receive the aid. Guinevere felt similarly, as the woman was beside herself.
Ike closed his eyes to contemplate. He reopened to address Murdock. On second thought, perhaps the others already left the outpost...
"We have a base; maybe the others we're looking for have returned."
"I can't believe it... I can't believe it..." Shinon's expression twisted into frustration and anger as he repeated his words. "You're telling me you all got involved and offed some of their generals!?"
Everyone returned from the outposts after Legault led some of the company with him to find the others. Although they returned without much struggle, what was relayed to some of the officers put Shinon in an exasperated state. The ones who went to Melior wiped out some of Daein's platoons and their generals. Raven and Jaffar notably engaged with two of the best elites and lived to tell the tale.
While certainly impressive, it was beyond the point of no return. The Daein forces would want payback in the form of more generals and perhaps entire legions to attack the company. They wouldn't ignore such an unknown force that could resist their conquest of Crimea at any rate.
His commander, Greil, was still discussing with his second-in-command, and it was notably concerning considering the latter sometimes raised her voice as if to plead with Greil. Shinon couldn't fault Titania, given how bad the situation was. Their company was likely to be targeted by the Daein army and was likely marching as they spoke.
The rest of the company was currently packing away their things to leave. Leaving Shinon with Soren on the lookout for others returning and Daein forces. Ike and the others were on a scouting mission and went to retrieve the others who returned from the trading outpost.
Shinon turned to Soren with a furious expression. "You're supposed to be the big-brained one and prevent this!" He shouted, with Soren sighing and somewhat agreeing with the one yelling at him.
"Before I knew it, the others were committed to fighting back the Daein troops and helping refugees escape the capital..." Shinon then pinched in between his eyebrows. "What irks me more is that we'll have to leave for Gallia..."
Shinon gave a disgusted expression and pointed stare at the young mage. He never thought he'd have to hear such a thing from Soren.
He loathed the idea of interacting with Laguz. A sentiment that Soren shared. There was no personal grudge, as Shinon didn't like Laguz just in general. Soren's reasons, however, did involve personal grievances. Not that he would let Shinon know...
"Why the hell do we have to go to stinking beast country?" Shinon prodded with his unpleasant expression evident on his face. "Why can't we just find a route to Begnion?"
Soren closed his eyes and took a deep breath. As he exhaled, he looked Shinon in the eye. The latter looked impatient as he expected an answer. But he could tell from Soren's eyes that it was unadulterated rage seething within him.
"You cannot fathom how much I abhor the idea of being in the presence of sub-humans..." Soren voiced his hatred in his tone. "However, being in Daein's good graces was never an option. We must hurry down to Gallia because it is of the utmost importance. It is the only country we can reach that can act as our intermediary for Goldoa..."
It was then that Shinon became confused. What did the country of dragons have to do with escaping to the beast tribe country? Moreover, why was the idea of having Daein as their ally not an option?
Unbeknownst to Shinon, Soren briefly spoke with Sophia upon his return. What was revealed was nothing less than preposterous. Then again, she was correct in many of her predictions, and he'd rather avoid being burnt to cinders by the Goldoa's army of dragons if Daein was on the path of suicide... Whoever the source was that told the identity of the dragon in Melior, they fully deterred and convinced Soren from the idea of having the company work under Daein. After all, no sane person would willingly work under the king who kidnapped and forced the prince of Goldoa to become his mount.
The supposed source was said to also be a dragon Laguz. Sophia had also informed Soren shortly before that the presence of a dragon not far from their position was coming their way. Whoever it was, she noted it was a calming presence. Soren only hoped it was the informant, as they needed to press for more answers.
Just as Shinon was about to inquire on the matter, the growling of a wyvern could be heard from a distance. The pair on lookout duty immediately became alert.
"Damn, did they follow us?" Shinon clicked his tongue as he honed his sight on the wyvern rider coming their way.
"Not good..." Soren added with a sense of dread in his tone. Soren frowned as he looked further ahead. "Wait..."
It was two wyvern riders arriving at the fort by ground. One of which was a notably scarred rider who dressed like a pegasus knight. With them was a heavily armored man coming up the hill. All while accompanied by a familiar nomad on his steed, making the pair lose their sense of cautiousness.
"Why on earth are they making friends with Daein dogs?" Shinon questioned with a sour expression. His expression soon turned into a scowl as he noticed the rest of the group arriving with well-dressed figures, likely nobles. "Are. You. Kidding. Me?" Shinon facepalmed himself as he grumbled and gnashed his teeth. "For the love of Ashera, why did the whelp bring back a bunch of blue bloods!?"
Meanwhile, the others in the base spotted the same group approaching. Those from Elibe were left speechless at seeing familiar faces. One nomad swordsman was awestruck by the green and white hair of the wyvern rider coworker.
"Heath! And..." Guy immediately paled upon seeing the rest of the group in tow. "Oh, Father Sky..."
"H-how...?" Priscilla voiced out. Raven's mouth gaped open in shock at seeing the Elibean lords and royals.
Florina and Fiora blinked repeatedly to make sure that they weren't imagining that the marquesses and their vassals were here in Tellius. This was no dream; it was real. Canas was also astounded by this turn of events and turned to Sophia, who was oblivious to this twist. She felt that a dragon would arrive at their fort but did not expect Ninian.
Nino covered her mouth in shock at seeing the young blonde man while Jaffar's eyes widened. Lloyd, Legault, and Linus's faces lost all color upon witnessing Murdock and Zephiel arriving at the fort. The young girl was unknown, but based on how close she was to Zephiel, it was likely the Princess of Bern.
"No... how could he be here...?" Nino voiced out. Jaffar said nothing, only silently sharing the sentiment.
Linus rubbed his face in frustration. "For the love of Elimine, why did she have to leave us here...? 'Wait for me back at the mercenary fort,' she said..."
Linus grumbled in frustration, with anger stirring up within. Lloyd closed his eyes and said, "Perhaps whatever she had to deal with, it was related to this..."
Anna was nowhere in the fort. She just vanished with Jake and promised to come back as soon as possible to deal with a business matter. There was no way for any objections, as she just took off with even the Black Fang underlings in tow. By the time Legault found everyone at the outpost, the Anna Merchants were nowhere to be found except for the bodyguards, who were Lloyd, Linus, and Jaffar. All that was left was a letter informing them of the issue.
It was then that Oscar, Boyd, and Rolf came to check on the visitors through the windows. It was a relief that Ike came back, but there were many new faces, including a wyvern rider duo. Who were these people?
"They all look so important..." Rolf commented.
"The others are back... but why did they bring back a bunch of nobles?" Boyd asked to which Oscar looked at their latest members' expressions.
It was clear based on the murmurs that they recognized the new faces. Some of them seemed more of dread and worry.
"The others seem to know them; are they also from Elibe?" Oscar pondered the matter with a neutral expression.
"Hey, I want to see! Stop hogging the window, you guys!" Mist tried to cut in between the three brothers as she hoped to get a glimpse.
How this group arrived is the real mystery. Something to inquire about when everyone has settled into the fort. It was then that Gatrie arrived with Erk, Nils, and Rhys. Gatrie appeared delighted to see new female faces, even if one of the women had noticeable scars.
"Hmm...? The pink-haired one looks rather lively," Gatrie remarked with a smile. "We seem to be getting a lot of pink-haired lasses lately. Not that I'm complaining... And that lovely light blue-haired one seems slightly familiar..."
"It's my sister!" Nils exclaimed, causing Gatrie to be surprised and slightly depressed right after being reminded that Nils's sister was engaged. "I knew I felt something... Why is everyone here?"
They were never supposed to come to Tellius. Unless Anna's sisters helped bring them over, there was no way to arrive in a new world. Nils even noticed those unfamiliar to him, likely from Bern, based on the appearance of the Vaida, Heath, and Murdock surrounding and protecting the blonde pair. How did they get involved with those from Lycia to be summoned here?
While Nils and many others mulled over the matter, Rhys noticed Erk standing still as a statue. He spoke nothing and had nothing but a look of horror. He was rendered speechless and in a state of shock.
"Ummm... Erk, are you alright?" Rhys asked with concern. He then looked in the direction where Erk stared to see a pink-pigtailed cleric. The acolyte immediately looked delighted to see the wavy-haired mage at the entrance.
"Ooohhhh Eeeerrrrkkk!" She called out in a shrill voice.
It was then that Erk paled and his eyes rolled back. He slowly leaned and collapsed backward, fainting upon hearing the voice of the cleric. Leaving those around him, especially Rhys, to panic upon his suddenly unconscious state. The brown-haired thief sighed and nodded with a sense of empathy. Yeah, he'd faint too after undergoing a long period of refuge from the pink-pigtailed menace, only for the reprieve to be stripped away.
From that moment, the Greil Mercenaries received familiar companions and a new mission. One that would determine the fate and history of the two worlds forever...