Crimea attacks
Ike and Elincia had met with Sanaki, Sigrun and Tanith in the throne room. The empress wanted to discuss in detail what was going to happen now.
"As promised, I will lend Princess Elincia my help in reclaiming and rebuilding Crimea. Deputy-Commander Tanith will accompany you, along with two platoons of soldiers. Unfortunately, most of the senators do not believe in your victory, so that is all I can do for you at the moment."
"No, you have my sincerest gratitude", Elincia replied. "The Greil Mercenaries still lack the numbers to form a mercenary army."
"It seems that's all that concerns me", Ike observed. "In that case, I'll just go - "
"Wait, I'm not done with you yet!", Sanaki interrupted.
"What? What did I do this time?", he complained.
"You are as impatient and impolite as always. Listen, if a commoner like you was to be made general of the begnion army, it would cause – trouble. Therefore you will accept a title from Princess Elincia."
"Wait, if you're talking about making me a noble, count me out. That's not my thing."
"You are in no position to refuse this."
"That's just ridiculous!"
"I won't force you, if you are absolutely against it, mylord Ike", Elincia interjected.
"No, if it helps you, I'll do it", he replied. "So, what should I do? Should I start wearing a strange hat or something?"
"Would you lend me your sword?"
Ike handed Elincia his sword.
"Thank you. And now – would you kneel before me?"
Again, he did as she asked.
"Th-thank you. Now, let us begin..."
She touched first his left and then his right shoulder with the blade.
"In the name of House Crimea, I, Elincia Ridell Crimea, hereby name you Lord Ike, with all the rights and privileges belonging to that title. Rise, Sir Ike!"
Ike slowly got to his feet. He didn't really feel any different now.
Elincia handed the sword back.
"You will receive some new clothes", Sanaki said. "So you look a bit more like a noble. But don't worry, it's not too fancy."
"Thanks."
Sanaki smiled. "Well, I trust you have some preparations to take care of, general. If you have any questions, Tanith will help you."
"Hey, wait up, cousin!"
Nasir turned to see someone running towards him.
"Nala? Is that you?", he asked in disbelief.
"Yes! So you remember me... We haven't seen each other in a long while."
Nasir looked her up and down. They both had curly white hair, bright eyes and a mark on their forehead. Nala was wearing clothes very similar to Nasir's granddaughter Ena's, but hers were black.
"What have you been doing all the time?", Nasir asked.
"Well, I travelled a lot until I was caught by some slave traders... Senator Maian rescued me and ever since that I've been working for her. What about you? How's your family?"
"My children have both died... but their daughter, Ena, survived."
"So you have a granddaughter now."
"Yes, but I don't know where she is right now. She notified me some time ago that she had left Goldoa. I haven't been there myself for over hundred years..."
"Hm. But I hear the king's as stubborn as ever."
"Yes, he certainly is", Nasir replied, smiling.
The sound of quiet footsteps made him turn his head. A woman approached them. Even though she looked young, Nasir could tell by looking at her eyes that her appearance belied her age. But that wasn't all...
"You're - "
"Please keep your thoughts to yourself, the walls have ears!", the girl hissed.
Nasir stared at her.
"She's always a bit fussy about that", Nala explained.
"Did you – did you just read my mind?", he asked.
"I did. I thought it would be better to know how you would react before you did – you might have attacked me as well."
"I understand. I will not talk about it."
"Thank you. You are Nala's cousin, correct? I am Senator Maian."
"Pleased to meet you. And now I understand why you rather keep to yourself..."
"Please do not pity me. I am in a much better position than others."
"Of course, but still..."
"Ah, it is good to see a compassionate soul... Thank you."
"Are you going to accompany the crimean army, Nasir?"
"Yes. I have to look for Ena – besides, King Caineghis paid me a large sum to look after them."
"I see. Take care."
Nasir smiled. "You too."
As Ike was walking down a corridor, a young woman came towards him.
"Greetings, commander. Or should I call you "general" now?"
"Anything's fine as long as you don't call me "Sir" or "Lord"."
She laughed. Ike noticed that she strongly resembled Princess Leanne, except for her eyes. They were brown, not green. And she didn't have wings.
"Since you apparently know my name, I'd like to know yours."
"Of course. I am Senator Maian, Second Duchess of Idras."
"Ah, you're the one who's been playing hide-and seek-with us."
"Do you mind?"
"Not particularly. I believe you have your reasons – I won't ask."
"Thank you for your understanding."
"Well, senator, you needed something of me?"
"Yes, I wanted to talk to you before you leave for Daein. Sanaki told you the senators do not believe in you being victorious, but I wanted you to know that I do. And Sanaki hopes you will win. You may be young, you may be mercenaries, but your minds are strong and your hearts are pure. Always trust in yourself and your abilities, and listen to your heart. Focus on your goal and let nothing distract you."
Maian placed a hand on his head, as if she wanted to bless him. It was a very motherly gesture.
"May your strength never waver, may your courage never fail you and may your blade be sharp. May your dreams and hopes come true. I pray for your success."
She pulled her hand back. Ike blinked.
"Thanks. That was just – for someone so young you sure say strange things."
"Hm. You think I am about your age, correct?"
"Of course, why?"
"How old are you, if I might ask?"
"I'm seventeen."
"I am more than twice your age – 36, in fact. I could be your mother."
Ike stared at her.
"I wouldn't have guessed."
"I know. It is always like that. Oh, I have to say one more thing – about your little mage."
"Soren?"
"Yes. I understand that you are his only friend – please take good care of him. He is very much like me – and people like us need someone we can trust."
"Soren's my friend. I'd never desert him or anything – besides, my company would be lost without him – he's a genius."
"I am glad to hear that. I have another question – I heard that you have met Prince Kurthnaga of Goldoa."
"Yes – but that was by accident. And I was lucky I got out of that alive..."
"Would you tell me what happened?"
"Some kilvas-pirates were chasing our ship and it collided with a reef. We couldn't get it away from there anymore, we were stuck. We drove the ravens away – that's when Jill joined us."
"The young daein soldier."
"That's the one. Nasir told us that the damage wasn't so severe, but we still couldn't move. So I went ashore although the others tried to stop me. I ran into some goldoan soldiers who told me to return to my ship because they didn't care about what would happen to us. That made me angry and I shouted at them..."
"You seem to have a habit for doing so."
"Well, yeah. The dragons transformed. I had no idea they would be that big. That's when Kurthnaga showed up. If he hadn't... well, I certainly wouldn't be talking to you right now. Anyway, Kurthnaga listened to our story and ordered his men to free the ship. That was amazing... They simply lifted it off the reef. He also supplied us with food and water. He was a very kind and friendly person... I liked him."
"I see. You have had quite an adventure, I must say. Goldoa normally does not interfere with other nations whatsoever... You were lucky indeed. Well, that is all. I do hope we will meet again."
"So do I, senator."
A few weeks after the crimean army's departure, Sanaki received the first report from Tanith. She read the letter to Maian.
"We have gained some unexpected allies. Prince Reyson joined the army, along with two hawks. Tor Garen has fallen. The King of Kilvas caused us some trouble, but the White Prince managed to stop him. We are already marching towards the daein capital, Nevassa."
Sanaki looked up from the letter.
"Why is Prince Reyson going to war? I thought herons detested violence."
"He probably wishes to repay his debt to Ike", Maian replied. "Herons cannot fight, but they can strengthen others and heal their wounds."
"I see."
Ike stepped into the building and stopped dead.
"Oh my – I don't believe this!"
"Nice", Soren commented. "I haven't seen so much money in my life."
"What should we do with it?"
"Keep it, of course. We've conquered this area, so everything is ours. And we're going to need the money."
"In that case, I'd like to borrow 50.000", Ike said.
"What do you need so much money for?", Titania asked.
"That's private."
"I'm sorry, I forgot you're not a child anymore, commander. And you're not going to borrow the money, you're going to keep it."
"Right, then. Excuse me."
Ike left the house and walked a few steps away from the others. He knew Volke had to be somewhere close.
"Volke? Where are you? I need to talk to you!", Ike shouted.
"Behind you", a voice said.
Ike spun round to face the thief.
"Don't sneak up on me like that!"
"Sorry. What do you want?"
"Here's the money you wanted. 50.000 gold. Now, give me the report you made for my father."
Volke took the purse and weighted it.
"There is no report."
"What?! Then what were the 50.000 for?!"
"I just wanted to know whether you would be clever enough to get it."
"Why you - "
"Before you get mad at me, pay attention. I have information for you, but it was not to be written down. Come away from the camp. What I am going to tell you now must be kept secret at all cost."
Puzzled, Ike followed Volke away from the others.
"I'm going to tell you something about your father you probably didn't know. His real name was Gawain and he was one of the Great Riders, a general of Daein."
"My father was?!"
"Yes. He was said to be the strongest fighter of his time, no-one could match his power. 20 years ago, Gawain and his wife Elena mysteriously disappeared. Shortly after that, a man named Greil appeared in Gallia. King Caineghis already told you that your parents were being persecuted, but Greil never said anything about it. I later found out that those men were daein soldiers working for Ashnard."
"Why was Ashnard after my parents?"
"The reason was Lehran's medallion, the medallion your sister is wearing."
"That old thing? I always thought it to be just our mother's memento. Is it more?"
"Oh yes. Because Greil didn't tell me anything, I investigated on my own. And what I discovered – I wish I hadn't. Lehran's medallion is host to an evil god."
"A god? You've got to be kidding."
"I'm dead serious. The Dark God within the medallion is pure chaos. If someone touches it, this person immediately loses his mind. Do you know how your mother died?"
"No... I can't remember that day. And father never talked about her either..."
"I'll tell you. That day Ashnard's men found you. I don't know if your mother was just careless, but Greil touched the medallion. They said that he didn't shed a drop of sweat while he cut down their assailants. Twenty well-trained knights. But after he had killed them, he turned on his friends and neighbours, those who had given you shelter and kept your identities hidden... Your mother stopped him. She was only trying to protect her husband from himself... She took the medallion from his hands. They say she smiled when he pulled his sword from her chest and forgave him as life left her."
Horrified, Ike closed his eyes.
"What – what happened after that?", he asked as soon as he trusted his own voice again.
"Your father gave the medallion to your sister and you left for Crimea. After that, he went looking for me. He offered me a well-payed job, but at first I refused. But he managed to persuade me. Greil wanted me to stay close to him so that if he should go berserk again I could stop him. My job would have been to kill him."
"What?!"
"I knew that even with my skills I couldn't possibly defeat someone as strong as him, and that's what I told him. So Greil cut the tendons of his right hand, which made him unable to wield a sword any more. Although he was still stronger than most men, now I would have been able to defeat him. But that was only one part of my job. The other was that in case Greil was ever killed by those that searched for him, I should tell his son everything once he was ready, and watch over him. Your father was killed because of the medallion, just like your mother."
"So that Black Knight was after the medallion? But there's something I don't understand. If my father knew how dangerous that thing was, then why did he allow Mist to wear it?"
"All beings are made of balance and chaos. Your sister is a very balanced person, just like your mother was. She is the only one who can touch the medallion without losing her mind. You? Me? I think we would both go insane the moment we touched it. You want a proof? Have you ever touched it before?"
"No. I once tried to, while Mist was holding it. My father got very angry... Then I thought it belonged to my sister alone, that's why I didn't try to touch it again."
"King Ashnard is after the medallion. The thought of what he might be planning to do makes me shiver... Your sister must keep the medallion. Ashnard mustn't get it."
"Right. I'll protect her. She never lets it out of sight, anyway."
"Good. That being said, I don't have to hide my true identity any longer."
"What do you mean?"
"I'm no thief. I'm an assassin. From now on, I will take on any assignment you give me, no matter how – dirty it might be. As for the payment – I'll use the 50.000 you just gave me. Sounds fair?"
"Agreed. I'm glad to have you on our side."
The next report arrived a month later. Apparently, Tanith hadn't had much time for writing.
"We have repeatedly clashed with the daein army, but no battle was as fierce as that in Talrega. The enemy general opened the floodgates to stop us. General Ike tried to persuade him to surrender, because he was the father of a friend, but General Shiharam refused. The damage the water had caused was terrible. We had to wait several hours until the road was cleared. The general ordered us to give supplies and vulneraries to the locals.
When we reached the capital, we found out that King Ashnard was in Crimea, preparing his attack on Gallia. And the general who was in charge of the capital, Ena, turned out to be a goldoan dragon. Fighting her was tough, but we managed somehow. But she wasn't ready to surrender and tried to escape. When the general ran after her, Nasir knocked him down and helped Ena escape. It turned out that Nasir had been a daein spy and that he stole something valuable from the general's sister. Nasir didn't resist when the general ordered him to be arrested. But he refused to talk about his motives. We have brought Nevassa under our control, but it appears that neither General Ike nor Princess Elincia wish to rule the country. So it is for Your Majesty to decide what should be done about Daein."
"That does not make any sense", Maian said, frowning. "Why would a Goldoan work for Daein, the country that despises laguz most?"
"That Nasir – wasn't he Captain Nala's cousin?"
"Yes."
"He must have some kind of relationship to that Ena, there is no other explanation."
"We need to inform the senators about this", Maian said. "Now that Crimea has conquered Daein, they might not be so hesitant any longer."
To Maian's and Sanaki's great relief, Lehran returned the same day. With his help it wasn't difficult to persuade the other senators into helping the princess out. They decided to deploy several large platoons under the command of General Zelgius.
Letting out a sigh, Maian leaned back on the couch and covered her face with one hand.
"Are you alright?", Lehran asked, concerned.
"Yes... just a little tired."
"It was a hard day... And it appears that I pushed you too far. My apologies."
"Never mind that... I want to become stronger, after all. I think I need some fresh air..."
Maian got to her feet with the intention of going out onto the balcony, but she had only taken a few steps when she stumbled. Her legs wouldn't support her anymore.
Lehran caught her.
"Careful! You are exhausted. Come, you need to rest."
He supported her on her way back to the couch and helped her sit down next to him. Maian felt so tired she leaned back against his chest and closed her eyes. Lehran started to carefully massage her temples.
"Relax... it was a long day. Just sleep..."
He started humming a melody. Maian recognized it as the Galdr of Slumber. Although the magic no longer worked, it still calmed her. Maian's consciousness faded away.
Lehran waited until Maian's deep breathing told him she was sound asleep so he wouldn't wake her while moving her. He gently eased her into his arms and stood up.
I am lucky she is half a bird. Otherwise I would be unable to carry her.
Lehran used magic to open the door leading to the guest room. He carefully placed her on the bed and removed her sandals, then he sat down on the bed. Maian turned her head and mumbled something. For a while, Lehran just sat there and watched her as she slept.
"Master?", Zelgius' deep voice called.
"In here", Lehran answered.
Zelgius entered and stopped dead when he saw Maian.
"What happened?"
"She fell asleep", Lehran replied. "She was exhausted."
"But she will be alright?"
"Yes. This is nothing serious."
"I see... You have grown attached to her, as well as to the empress."
"It would appear so", Lehran said quietly, turning back to watch Maian.
"We don't have to do this", Zelgius said.
"We have to. We owe it to them", Lehran replied firmly. He turned back to the general. "Are your preparations concluded?"
"Yes. I am ready to leave."
"Good. One more thing – it appears that young Ike is determined to avenge his father."
Zelgius turned his head away. "I feared as much. But I do not believe I will be able to stop him. If he wants to fight the Black Knight, then this is going to happen. And the boy is nothing compared to his father."
"I see... Well, it can't be helped. Come, let us talk outside."
An hour later they were joined by Maian. She still appeared to be tired, but was at least able to walk on her own.
"Senator." Zelgius stood and bowed to her. "I heard you were not feeling well."
"Thank you for your concern, general, I am feeling better now. But I really have to leave now – otherwise my sister will get all worried."
"She still treats you like a child, does she not?", Lehran said, chuckling.
Maian didn't seem to find that amusing.
"Yes, she does. That can be very trying. Perhaps I should try dyeing my hair grey..."
"Please refrain from doing so", Lehran replied. "I do not believe that would befit you."
A slight smile crossed Zelgius' face. "Should I accompany you, Senator?"
"No, but thank you for your kind offer, general. My guards will be sufficient."
"I understand. Please send my regards to the duchess."
"I will. Good night, general, prime minister."
