Prologue: Mercenaries Part 1
In the bustling streets of Melior, a green-haired teenager with a headband on the top of her head paced herself on the road to the library. Glancing to the side of one of the street stalls of the bazaar, she stopped and waved to two people manning the stall. One had spiky blue hair and the other an older-looking gentleman with red hair.
"Morning Uncle Jan. You too, Igor!" Nino called out to the two men. The pair smiled as the girl appeared before them.
"Hi there, lass!" Jan smiled as reciprocated the gesture with his own wave.
"Going off to study this early in the morning?" Igor queried the girl who nodded in response.
"Yeah, my brothers and Jaffar went off early to work. And I'm heading to study with Uncle Canas and the others!" Nino announced with a smile.
Jaffar was currently assisting Anna alongside Jake in a business transaction to ensure nothing went wrong. And by ensure, to guarantee that Anna wouldn't be cheated by unscrupulous nobles or fellow merchants with the help of a former assassin. It's only been several weeks since she arrived in Melior with Jaffar and the others and she was surprised that the former was put to work immediately. Jake alone wasn't enough without Lloyd and Linus occasionally assisting at times.
Lloyd and Linus were off assisting knights to get rid of bandits accosting travelers and merchants on the outskirts of the capital. One of the nobles contacted the pair to assist in the task of clearing the bandits. Unbeknownst to Nino, it was strange for the pair to be contacted by a noble to do this task as the knights could easily accomplish it.
"Well, take care, lass!" Jan waved goodbye to the girl as she nodded and went her way.
A moment of silence permeated the area after she left. Other stall owners stared at the scene and went about their own business. It was only just recently that the Anna Merchant Company opened up for business and while Jan looked relatively harmless, Igor and some of his cohorts looked like marauders. Luckily, Lloyd and Linus were seen talking to the employees often and their reputation around the city was decent.
The fact that Nino came recently helped ease the suspecting gazes of townsfolk except for the silent fellow, Jaffar. He was seen assisting the stall at times which unnerved the other merchants in the area. Why the girl happily hung around the silent and strange fellow, no one in the capital knew. It was a very bizarre sight of the girl eagerly speaking often to the taciturn man whenever they went shopping for food or raw ingredients. The man was responsive to the girl, but whenever he or her stepbrothers were present, no male could appreciate her cute appearance.
"I can't believe she's going to marry Jaffar, are you OK with this, Jan?" Igor whispered to Jan who shushed at his associate.
Jan was considered a senior and veteran of the Black Fang since its founding. But he was still close to the Reed family enough to be considered a relative. Nino considered Jan to be a family member and kind uncle (alongside Legault, much to his dismay).
Igor's remark was met with a reprehensive stare from Jan.
"It's not our business, Igor... You want Linus to get angry again?" Jan warned Igor in a whisper. "Or worse, Lloyd?"
Igor remained silent for a moment to ponder before fervently shaking his head. He could maybe handle Linus getting mad, but Lloyd becoming angry was something he wasn't ready to endure. From what he heard from Hurricane, while Linus hit harder, Lloyd tended to strike at the most painful places that would make a man roll on the floor if Linus hadn't already caused the act...
The pair and other cohorts shivered at being reminded of the Reed brothers' anger. They didn't want to incur the wrath of Mad Dog or White Wolf. It was a sensitive subject to touch upon and something that the siblings had to accept reluctantly... At least Nino was happy.
With that, they just went about their business selling high-quality wares as the Anna Merchant Company. As long as Lloyd and Linus were not within the vicinity to hear their whispers, everything was fine...
A young man with raven hair and a young woman with long and braided violet hair sat at a table reading various books about the Laguz countries and the history of Begnion. There were patrons of the library who glanced at the pair pointing to one of their books and writing down on a journal. Some of the subject matter they were studying was a rather controversial subject that the Crimean royal family would encourage along with certain loyal nobles and knights.
Melior's royal library held various accounts and recorded history that even Soren wasn't aware of. While it was a subject that he begrudgingly was forced to study, it was something that he had to do for Ike to not be mauled, torn apart by beaks/talons, or face the mighty breath of a dragon. With that, he had to gain as much knowledge of Gallia, Phoenicis, Kilvas, and Goldoa since Ike was likely going to be involved with the most powerful Laguz country just to retrieve Sophia's friend. Since then, he took long hours to read up even on the mannerisms and gestures of the beast tribe which was arguably akin to animal behavior seen in the wild.
Sophia read up on the history of Tellius, the Goddess Ashera, and the history of the Begnion empire. There were times when she seemed to frown when looking at certain records that contradicted one another like if a Laguz king was the ruler of Begnion at one point or not. She would hope to inquire more from a less biased source.
Hearing rapid footsteps approaching the pair, Soren turned to the source of the noise.
"Oh, you've arrived, Nino," Soren greeted the girl in a soft tone in the library. It was best to keep a low indoor voice while in the building.
"Good morning, Soren," Nino replied with a smile. She looked around to see if the others were present. "Where's Priscilla, Erk, and Uncle Canas?"
"Erk and Priscilla decided to assist in a job request with Fiora and Raven. Canas had just gone out to eat and discuss with another mage," Soren promptly replied while sighing. "I suppose he does deserve a break after putting in long hours of studying and perusing the library..."
Sophia also slowly nodded, agreeing with Soren's assessment. The way Canas juggled between assisting in their magical studies and studying the history of Tellius was awe-inspiring. His lessons bolstered Sophia and Soren's understanding of the magical arts as well as their preliminary understanding of elder magic.
He was a very good tutor, all things considered. It unnerved and made Soren visibly uncomfortable with the man being the best mentor he's had in his entire life. His kindness was too genuine... but that was also a flaw in itself. The mage he went with made Soren narrow his eyes upon inquiring from a certain source... That, and the ones Raven and the Nino's brothers may have made contact with...
Soren could have come with the group as support but he was no healer like the other two magic users. That, and the fact it was better to keep watch and be updated by some informants.
"Oh, Uncle Canas made a friend?" Nino said with a tone of astonishment in her voice. "I'll go off to get a book until he gets back."
With that, she went to peruse the contents of the archives. Soren sighed at the innocence of the young girl.
There were times he occasionally helped her with her literacy skills or had trouble understanding a word. He occasionally got frustrated but his feelings quickly went away after hearing she was illiterate until just recently.
"I only was able to be a family with my brothers and their father just recently. The... woman who raised me... she never taught me nor did she consider me or my brothers to be her family... not even father..."
The revelation certainly made Soren become reminded of his unpleasant childhood. The fact Nino didn't consider the person who was assumed to be her mother to be anything resembling one was a curious detail. Nino's family consisted of her stepsiblings and her fiance, Jaffar (which made him blink repeatedly at the fact upon hearing it).
It was a strange parallel... He was taught to read but not learn to speak. She learned to speak but not read. The majority of the time she cast magic, she just memorized the chants.
Soren wondered if there was some strange irony that made him meet people similar to him in certain aspects. It was as if there was some cosmic entity out to get him...
"... Should we tell her...?" Sophia asked the young mage who snapped out of his musings.
Soren looked at Sophia for a moment before taking a glance at his surroundings and shaking his head.
"No," He whispered. Her other "uncle" was in the area. He informed Soren of who the mage Canas went off to speak with was...
The company or the newest members were being investigated by the nobility. He was sure Anna made proper arrangements for the new members to obtain appropriate visas and paid taxes along with the toll. Sure, they were admittedly more powerful than most mercenaries and would likely gain honor and rank within most of the Beorc countries. But they haven't done much to warrant a wary eye except for people like Jaffar. Why would people of the likes of Count Fayre and those of the House Delbray be investigating them? Unless...
Soren furrowed his brows. There was one group that came with the new members and escorted them. Pirates despite being of the less-harmful type...
The one group whose crew included the middle sister of the Fiora and Florina. He assumed the Davros would be out of trouble and likely be within the ports of Crimea with good behavior. They had enough to pay the town in human currency (which uses the Begnion-issued gold currency used throughout Tellius in Beorc countries (as they are all originally from Begnion) which was converted from Elibe's standard gold currency) to pay a toll.
Soren then turned to Sophia with a suspicious gaze and asked: "... What did the Davros do...?"
Sophia became speechless and kept opening and closing her mouth. She then sighed and closed her eyes. She had hoped to keep the matter private. To be frank, it troubled her if the Davros soured what little relations she and the Goldoans had.
"Let's... speak outside... privately..." She replied as she stood up from her seat to which Soren followed suit.
What was revealed to Soren a few moments later almost made the mage yell out in exasperation. Needless to say, it made Soren the most frustrated against the people Ike associated with for the first time...
"Are you quite sure you will let me have this book?" The strangely dressed man named Bastian asked the druid at a table in an expensive restaurant who nodded.
They had spent time discussing the various volumes on Crimea's history and theories of magic. There were times when Canas made notes when Bastian clarified his experiences and various formulas related to Anima tomes. Bastian could tell he was no native to Crimea or other Beorc countries.
While he could proudly proclaim his beloved Crimea had the best library in the world, even he was curious about this book he was given.
"Of course," Canas replied happily to the Count. "Please, take it. I love to share knowledge with people."
Bastian looked curiously at the book in front of him and skimmed through the contents. The subject matter was considered a forbidden one for the average person. Dark magic. Yet he could great passion in the purple-haired individual's eyes. He couldn't ascertain if Canas had dubious intentions.
While he was a respectable mage of the court, he admittedly had very little knowledge of the subject. It was said that it was a tremendously difficult element of magic to master which required more wisdom or allowing spirits into one's being. Not something you would hand to a fellow mage scholar...
"My, tell me, good sir," Bastian politely beckoned to Canas. "Are you a user of dark magic?"
Canas nodded without hesitation. "Well, the word 'dark' is considered a tad bit stigmatizing. We call it elder magic where we come from. My family comes from a long line of elder magic practitioners. Although my wife is an Anima magic user, we married, much to the chagrin of my mother..."
Bastian raised a brow to the scholar in front of him. He was assured that the man in front of him was certainly not from Daein or Begnion based on his usage of the term he assigned to dark magic. To think this man was also married...
"Elder magic you call it?" Bastian repeated curiously. "The fruit of knowledge whispers through the night, its tempting taste invites a world of fright. In shadows deep, where wisdom stirs with doom. Is it not perilous to seek ahead?"
From what Bastian knew about this field of magic, it was to invite darkness into one's being. Darkness tempts, it allures those with dubious intentions and goes down the path of notoriety.
Yet this man in front of him displayed none of those traits. He was kind and cordial. A man who is most curious in more ways than one. It took a moment for Canas to contemplate Bastian's words and open his eyes with a bright smile. Wiping his monocle and affixing it back in front of his right eye, he opened his mouth.
"To seek out wisdom is to court the dark. Though I may fade, my curious heart sways. The road to knowledge winds through peril's hold, yet yields the gifts of wisdom's guiding clasp. While true to kin and friends who stand with me, I'll find the strength to walk the path set free..." Canas responded confidently and softly, matching Bastian's diction with his own.
It took a moment for Bastian to process Canas's words before jovially chuckling to himself. He was genuinely amused by the man using his way of speech against him. He truly is a scholar, not immersed in politics but in knowledge.
But he couldn't be rest assured. This was merely a test or introduction to gauge what kind of people lay before him. He had hoped to inquire more through the "Fireman" but it is said he is busy with his ongoing task. The "Fireman" never takes on two jobs at once.
With that, the two stood up from their seats and shook hands.
"Well met! Let's discuss more another time, Canas!" Bastian said in a genuinely happy tone.
"You as well, Count Bastian of House Fayre," Canas responded happily. He was glad to have another noble mage scholar interested in his field of specialty.
While they said their goodbyes, a man with his long darkened hair tied up in a ponytail sat at a table outside drinking tea. He grimaced as he was tempted to wipe away the makeup on the left side of his face and wash away the temporary dye on his hair. His left eye twitched in pain occasionally without people noticing his habit.
"I hate it when I have to hide my scars and hair..." Legault muttered quietly as he sipped on his tea. "And there were more eyes on the two without a single gossip... It's as if he bought out the entire restaurant inside..."
Not a single worthwhile chat was exchanged by the other diners as Canas and Bastian were being watched the entire time. Count Fayre's eyes occasionally glanced at the people at the other tables with a repeated blinking of the eyes and tapping of the fingers in a specific pattern whenever Canas wasn't looking. To avoid suspicion, there were still seats available, just outside the establishment. Legault could tell there was a higher ratio of strong men in the eatery, likely knights.
He'd have to report to some of the others which included members of the Greil Mercenaries. Luckily, he wasn't suspected due to his disguise. Now he was relieved to finally get rid of the makeup and hair dye. The makeup stings his left eye...
WIND
The piercing gale flew out from a wavy purple-haired individual's hand and landed at the brigand before him. He then shifted the winds to where a group of other ruffians surrounded and leered at a horse rider with fair countenance. They found themselves swept away into a pile and riddled with cuts from the magical winds. The valkyrie, Priscilla, was not idle as she quickly chanted her tome's verses:
Oh flames that sear through all of creation, lend me strength!
FIRE
With her chant, a fireball above her head launched itself towards the piled-up bandits. The impact blew away the bandits or turned them to ash. However, one individual armed with an axe slowly went his way to the red-haired spellcaster.
Another red-armored knight fighting alongside the mercenaries on his horse took notice of this and yelled out: "Dame Priscilla! Behind you!"
Just as Priscilla let her guard down, the brigand menacingly raised his axe and ran towards her. However, his attempt was cut short by a fellow red-haired lad who threw his hand axe straight into the chest of the marauder.
"Lord Brother!" Priscilla spoke with relief in her tone. She knew that her brother would have her back.
"Focus on the battle, Priscilla," Raven replied as he quickly focused on other enemies.
Fiora flew from above with her pegasus and threw javelins at the ruffians who were scrambling to retreat. The yellow-green and red armored cavaliers used their lance and axe to deal with the stragglers. There was no escape for the brigands. It was either surrender or die.
The battle was done before the pair of knights being assisted realized the outcome.
The rest of the bandits who surrendered were carried off by underlings. The people involved in the battle approached the lone leader with a smile. The other mercenaries assisted in escorting the apprehended ruffians. The leader's sister, Priscilla, looked back at her brother with worry before being rest-assured by Raven's smile and nod of the head.
"Well met!" The red-armored knight announced as he took off his helmet, revealing his reddish auburn hair. "Are you sure you're mercenaries? I admit I was a tad bit worried when we would work together to protect our capital and travelers from ruffians, but worries have been put to rest!"
His boisterous voice echoed in the vicinity as Raven's eye twitched from the loud noise coming from the Crimean Fifth Platoon Captain, Kieran. He made his rank and name very clear several times throughout their encounter.
His superior came beside his underling as he also revealed his cyan hair and handsome disposition.
"Indeed. Our evaluation of your skills has been preceded," Geoffrey aptly replied with a welcoming smile. He then held out his hand to the red-haired mercenary. "I'm sure you will do well as fellow knights under our fair nation."
Not every day you come across a group as skilled as the young people before him. Especially when it was a group that included a pegasus rider. Fliers were in high demand and it was rare that the one named Fiora was not from Begnion. It was a genuine invitation offer to have the group join the ranks of Crimea's royal army.
Geoffrey's offer to Raven was met with an eager nod of approval from Kieran. What initially surprised them was that it was just two women and a young mage accompanying the admittedly stern-faced leader. Their expectations were exceeded after seeing the group in action.
"Sorry," Raven replied politely with a shake of the head. "We decided to remain as mercenaries. My family aren't cut out for the military life..."
What Raven really wanted to say was: "I want to call you out on your wyvern shit. Stop skirting around the issue and admit that you want to know more about the Davros and their relation to us..." But such disrespect was likely going to garner hostility and further suspicion against the company. He knew the Crimean general and his underlings were observing their group with generous pay to gauge their performance. The knights could have easily undergone the task of clearing bandits on the highway, especially with a general riding with them.
For now, he had to remain cordial and non-hostile against the suspecting pair... or rather, just the general. There was no way the loud knight could attempt to hide his own thoughts. He was reminded of Oscar's warning of a self-proclaimed "eternal rival" before he arrived in Melior. It went along the lines of:
"If you come across a knight with a loud voice and announces himself with his rank and name repeatedly... It's likely Kieran... Maybe it's best if you don't mention my name or location. Knowing him, he'd probably ride to our fort and cause a ruckus by challenging me."
That was a warning Raven would heed. The less he heard this knight speak, the better. It was like undergoing Bartre's incessant requests for spars all over again...
Unbeknownst to him, Kieran inwardly cursed that his chance at rekindling his lost passion through a new rival in the Crimean Knights was refused. If Raven knew, he would be relieved to not have accepted the offer (not that he would have in the first place).
"I see..." Geoffrey sighed out at the refusal but still smiled. "No matter, our offer still stands. We will continue to request your services in the future..."
With that, they went on their horses to ride back to Melior. All the while Raven let out a deep sigh. Why did things have to get so complicated the moment they arrived? It was like dodging political intrigue all over again back in Lycia when he was forced to meet with various lords and be tutored on various sociopolitical matters. At the very least, his family was happy and away from such complicated matters.
"Care to explain your lack of tact, Geoffrey?" Bastian said while reading the book he received from Canas. His reprimand was met with a twitch of the eye from the Crimean general. "Introducing yourself as the general and requesting the services of mercenaries is not very subtle... Our citizens or political rivals may see you as too incompetent or lacking should they find out..."
Certainly, a Crimean general personally enlisting in the services of a mercenary when they could easily have done the job themselves was not something to be smiled upon. At the very least, he did pay out of his own pocket and fight alongside them instead of leaving the mercenaries to do their job. Geoffrey could be somewhat honest and say it was mostly a recruitment offer for the impressive group but he was at a loss of words.
Just as he was about to reply, another familiar voice called out.
"What a coincidence, similar words have been spoken to me."
A long-haired woman with bangs covering the left side of her eyes. The color of her hair matched her younger brother.
"Lucia!" Geoffrey exclaimed.
"Oh, lovely Lucia!" Bastian excitedly stood up from his desk and put Canas's book down gently. "Coming to my estate to proudly admit your burning passion for me, I presume? Come, let us-"
Bastian's attempt at wooing was met with a raise of the hand from Lucia. At least her expression remained a smile despite the awkward courting from Count Fayre.
"I've met the Reed brothers... Before I came to assist in their task, they already presented the bandits to me and our soldiers," Lucia reported to the pair who looked at one another.
"You couldn't ascertain their skills?" Geoffrey inquired to which Lucia shook her head.
"On the contrary, I sparred with the eldest brother," Lucia remarked which caused widened eyes from the pair.
"Egad!" Bastian hurriedly went closer to Lucia and checked every part of her body for visible scratches or bruises (with no illicit intentions). "Did those brutes hurt you? Say the word and-"
"No, no, Bastian," Lucia interrupted the man's panic-filled words. "I requested a private formal spar to which Lloyd Reed, the eldest brother of the Reed family, obliged."
The Bastian and Geoffrey looked curiously at one another before turning back to Lucia.
"Did you achieve victory?" Geoffrey queried to his sister to which she shook her head with a smile.
It shocked the pair as evident from their widened stare at the woman.
"Sadly enough, I have much to learn..."
Lucia found her neck near the tip of the blade as her own was underneath one foot of the Reed brother and plunged into the ground. It was fortunate that everyone else was dismissed to take care of the bodies of the bandits or prisoners. Whoever was to draw first blood or make a maneuver to cause the opponent to be completely defeated, won. And it was the latter for Lucia in the middle of a clearing where they fought.
"Well met, you're very skilled," Lloyd concluded as he sheathed his blade. His brother Linus was off to the side with arms crossed patiently waiting for the mock battle to end.
Lucia sighed as she sheathed her blade. The man in front of her was stronger, just as swift as her, and more experienced in the way of the sword. She assumed the brother named Linus also matched his sibling's prowess.
The battle was filled with tension as both sides clashed blades and each fighter evaded each strike by the hair. It was almost as if she was sparring with Prince Renning, who reigned as the strongest knight of Crimea. With such strength and skill, it would be a boon for her nation to have them join the knights.
"I thank you for the opportunity to assess your skills..." Lucia respectfully bowed to the pair as she said those words. "If you ever wish to enter the royal guard, please give word."
It was a genuine invitation. Despite certain misgivings, they could be easily accepted into any country with their skills. However, Linus was not buying the gesture based on his raise of the eyebrow.
"Cut the wyvern crap," Linus replied curtly which garnered a stare from Lloyd but he ignored it. "You hire us to take care of a job that you or some other knights could have easily done. As a high-ranking member of the Crimean army, that's frowned upon. People could see you as lazy or worse, weak. Especially in front of the people and your political opponents..."
It was a good point. Bandits near the capital were best dealt with by the knights, not mercenaries. Some fraction of the Greil Mercenaries that were stationed near Melior were best left near the countryside where there were fewer knights or be contracted to a noble. Lloyd and Linus often assisted the citizens without regard to pay and cleared away bandits plaguing the poorer areas near the capital. Places where the knights were less likely to reach in time.
"Linus..." Lloyd wanted to refute his little brother and scold him. But they needed to get to business. Based on the neutral expression from the woman, and the lack of simmering emotion in her eyes, she took no offense to the statement. He then sighed as he then looked at the woman in the single visible eye."Let me guess, you want to know our connection to the Davros and if there's any ulterior motives in their voyage to every Laguz country, correct?"
Lucia's eye flickered from being found out by the suspects. But it seems as though there was no hostility emanating from the Reed brothers aside from the scowl on Linus's face. At least they used the proper respectful term for the race of people.
"We were... concerned..." Lucia admitted to the pair.
She couldn't reveal the people involved in this case despite their investigations being made abundantly clear to the former Black Fang and Greil Mercenaries.
Lloyd nodded in understanding. "Well... We'll set the record straight: they were indeed our escorts to Crimea. But their intentions and actions are completely separate from our own as well as the Greil Mercenaries."
Lucia was aware they were not natives of Crimea. No prior records revealed the new members of the Greil Mercenaries, Anna Merchants, or the former Black Fang. While they held appropriate visas and business licenses, there were no traces of their identity or fame before they entered Crimea. It's as if a group of skilled people who were unknown to the rest of Tellius entered Crimea.
"Forgive me for asking, but assuming that is the case, what is this pirate group's real goal?" Lucia asked the pair who looked at one another.
Much of the problems came about from the Davros's actions and intentions. They were afraid this matter could lead to an international incident. That was the crux of the issue.
The pair of brothers who stared at one another shrugged and looked back at Lucia.
"I heard one of the mates on the ship wanted to bury treasure in every one of those countries for some grand treasure he was going to hide away," Linus answered truthfully. It certainly stupefied Lucia based on the widening of her visible right eye.
"That, and the captain wanted to find new drinking partners. I assume our dragon friend is too young to take alcohol (despite being about a millennia years old), making him seek other fascinating people to drink with. Plus, it's something no one on the continent thought of..." Lloyd added as he trailed off to list the reasoning behind the Davros's actions. The pair soon walked off leaving behind an astounded Lucia.
All that trouble, just to find people to drink with? Wait... what was that about a dragon friend? Lucia's dumbfounded state remained even after the pair had long gone from the area. She wanted to inquire about the matter more but they went off to do their errands.
"So there was nothing worthwhile we could find on the motives of the pirates..." Geoffrey sighed as he became more cautious about the mysterious group of people that came to their country.
He couldn't believe a reason that simple to be the goal of the pirates. Most of his actions including the invitations stemmed to gain an insight into what group of people entered their homeland and who the Davros were. Even if their skills were genuinely praiseworthy, such power was best left in check.
Moreover, what was that about dragons? Had the group already met a Goldoan dragon? Various questions remained in Geoffrey's mind as he continued to mull on the matter. While Geoffrey was preoccupied with his own thoughts, Lucia looked curiously at the book that Bastian was reading.
"Oh, interested in the book I've received from one of our targets of interest, dear Lucia?" Bastian asked the cyan-haired woman. "It's an often forbidden subject, pertaining to the dark arts..."
It was then that Geoffrey snapped out of his thoughts along with his sister. They both held an incredulous look at the count, wondering why he received such a forbidden book.
"Bastian..." Lucia said in an almost scolding tone. "You would read something so offending to the Goddess?"
Geoffrey nodded with his sister, looking at Bastian with a reprimanding gaze.
"Well, based on the book I've received from Canas, a scholar of elder or ancient magic as they call it where he comes from," Bastian's words made the pair raise an eyebrow at the unfamiliar term but he ignored their pointed gazes. Dropping his eloquent speech and speaking frankly on the matter, he continued: "It's a very intriguing book that sheds light on the dark element and the benefits of the wisdom it provides. Those with weak hearts or dubious intentions will undoubtedly contribute to the notoriety of the art itself. Is it not best to keep an open mind before judging the matter like much of the populace against our Gallian neighbors...?"
Geoffrey wanted to retort along with his sister. They could easily dismiss and rebuke the subject altogether based on the association of it potentially being related to the "Dark God" of legend. The pair sighed as the answers they sought became farther away.
For now, they'll have to keep an open eye on the group and hope their "escorts" do not cause trouble in the Laguz nations... At least this entire debacle would be an interesting tale to relay to their liege...
"Finally, we made it to land!" Dart happily exclaimed as he first walked onto the shores of Tatana.
"Finally," Farina groaned as she stretched and reigned in Murphy. "It was tough riding on that ship for weeks..."
Dart ignored Farina's complaints and wondered about a perfect spot to bury treasure in Gallia. Geitz looked at his surroundings and spotted a fort located Southwest and houses close to the shore West of their position. Not a place to live especially if high tide comes...
The Suicide Squad disembarked first onto land and soon the rest of the crewmates followed with Fargus taking the lead.
"Man, I wonder how their cuisine is..." One pirate remarked.
"And how pretty the ladies are..." Another Pirate added.
"Hahaha... That, we shall find out on our own, lads!" Fargus announced to his crew.
Farina sighed at some of the crew's fantasies of meeting beautiful animal ladies. While she was admittedly pretty, the crew knew to be respectful towards women and herself (as she was with Dart). Her thoughts snapped upon hearing a voice from one of her crewmates the next moment.
"Captain! Look to the West!" One mate pointed to the house inhabited by a woman with dark brown hair and two stripes on her face. She froze with horror at the group of pirates from a distance.
"Well isn't she a fine lass?" Fargus remarked with a hearty laugh along with his crew.
"Eeeek! Hu-hu-humans! Yaaaaah!" The woman Laguz fell into the sand and crossed her arms over her chest. She closed her eyes and prayed the group of humans would go away.
The crew looked at the scene in silence and looked at one another. Was this some sort of tradition?
"What is she doing?" Geitz remarked with a grin and raised an eyebrow.
"She playing dead?" Farina guessed as she stared at the downed female Laguz who twitched and stood up from her dead act.
"Oh, come on!" She cried out as she angrily stared at the group of pirates. "You are so rude! If you can't tell, I'm playing dead. So go away!"
The crew of the Davros looked at one another before laughing out loud. Their laughter was met with a confused stare from the Gallian civilian.
"While I like that reaction, lass..." Dart replied with a mischievous grin. "Don't expect a pirate to assume yer dead. Best to run away."
"Who taught you to play dead?" Farina frowned at the woman before them. "Works with snakes maybe but not for people unless they look like they're close to death."
"Huh...?" The Laguz woman voiced out. "My mother told me, that's how. 'If you ever meet a beorc, play dead, and it will leave you be.'"
Her recalling of her mother's words was met with chuckling from the pirate crew. She soon gained a reddened face from the embarrassment she felt. They were all laughing at her except for the sigh coming from the pegasus rider.
Farina was reminiscing about all the times she gave useless or misleading advice to Florina (much to Fiora's chagrin). And she believed in every one of them...
"It's not true, is it? Hsss! I knew it wasn't true! I knew it!" She cried out in a miserable tone.
She didn't want to be humiliated by these Beorcs. But all they did was laugh at her. She only hoped she could escape from them and avoid being taken into slavery. But there was no avenue to escape them.
She only hoped her fellow brethren would hurry and come to her rescue.
"Don't worry your pretty little head, lass!" Fargus replied with a hearty grin. "I'm sure yer mother meant well!"
"I HATE humans!" She replied. "I don't want to talk to you! Hsss! SHOO!"
Her hissing was met with a smile or amused look from the Davros. They thought it was adorable. The woman remained hostile to the pirates and ready to transform as a way to escape them despite the odds being against her.
"I'm reminded of the cats back in Port Badon..." "She's pretty cute, I wonder if touching their tails would be rude..." "I wonder how soft those ears feel..."
The woman paled and was alarmed by the last two comments she heard from some of the crewmates. Oh Goddess Ashera, she encountered deviants...
"Ahhhhh!" She screeched out. "These human pirates, they're perverts! Keep them away from me!"
Her panic caused the rest of the crew to search for the last two pirates who scared her. Farina and her steed, Murphy, gave a pointing gesture to the pair who wanted to cop a feel for the Gallian Laguz's animal parts. Dart and Fargus's fists came down on the two individuals as they quickly passed out from the impact. They didn't want to scare the girl or have the rest of the crew be considered perverts.
They turned back to the panicking female Laguz only to hear another voice call out to the pirate group.
"Best to avoid harassing our civilians while you're here..." A man's voice called out through the woods.
The crew turned their heads East to see a group of cats and tigers of various colors on standby, carefully watching the pirates. Geitz whistled at the impressive row of felines watching the crew's every movement.
The blue cat who called out in a human voice soon flipped himself backward and turned into a more human form. His eyes were heterochromatic with the color of amethyst and green in the other. All the while he wore a brown vest, blue pants, and orange flapping headband.
The group marveled at the sight rather than being disgusted or terrified. No pirate that has sailed their waters ever came close to a curious gaze outside of greedy glances or disgust. The blue cat, Ranulf, noted this peculiarity as the pirates appeared to have whistled at the sight of his transformation.
"Now then..." Ranulf voiced out. "Care to introduce and explain yourselves, Davros pirate crew?"
These corsairs were lucky after the King received a missive from his old friends. A group of Beorc pirates arriving in their country to drink... What was their true motive for entering this land...?
The captain of the crew raised a book in the air with a grin. The rest of the crew followed suit with a grin of their own.
"I'm Captain Fargus of the Davros Pirates. I came here to drink with your king and deliver a book."