Chapter Text
Lord Ike of the Greil Mercenary Company never felt at ease in Sienne, the illustrious capital of Begnion.
The polished marble floors only proved to highlight the dirt on his plain leather boots and the silken robes of the inhabitants made him constantly aware of the tattered, bloodstained hem of his cloak. He much preferred the grit and gore of a battlefield, but plenty of practice allowed him to hold his head high as he entered the audience of the apostle of Begnion.
Sanaki Kirsch Altina, the empress and apostle of Begnion, had not grown much since Ike had seen her last. Perhaps it was the scarlet rug she had constantly draped over her tiny shoulders or the fact that she wore flat leather sandals that did not offer even an extra half inch of height.
She turned her elfin face to him, eyes narrowed, and Ike wondered for a brief, heart-stopping moment if he had been making such astute observations aloud. She sighed deeply.
“You have grown, Commander.” She said in her reedy voice.
As always there was an element of wickedness to her and Ike realized everything he had been thinking was broadcast across his face. Titania and Soren were always warning him about his honest face and he scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. “Erm…yes I suppose I have.”
It would make sense then that she had remained small.
Ike had grown an extra ten inches and filled out into his armor in the five years since he and his mercenary team escorted Princess Elincia into the capital to hold audience with Apostle Sanaki. Where he had once been a twig of a youth, green and inexperienced, he now walked through the elegant gilded halls and people moved from his path, bowing respectfully to the boy who had become a general and the man who had slain a king.
Only a few people knew he wore his titles with a great deal of self-consciousness and he wished at least one of them was here with him. Sigrun, Sanaki’s loyal pegasus knight, smiled at Ike in that reassuring way of hers and he steeled himself.
“My lady. You summoned me here for a matter of great urgency. And,” he cleared his throat wishing Soren was here with him; he was never good when it came to matters of money, “you said that you would be paying--erm, handsomely for my company to deal with said…problem.” Once again he wished for Soren or Titania who were infinitely more eloquent than he was. “I am here to answer said summons.”
Sanaki looked at him levelly, her expression unreadable, before she snorted.
“You have grown but your tact has stayed the same. Wine? Should we have the servants fetch you a chair?”
Sigrun began to move and Ike panicked a little.
“No no. That…won’t be necessary.” He assured both Sigrun and Sanaki. He also left it unsaid that he did not want to stay longer than was absolutely required. His company was camped half an hour’s ride outside the city and they were awaiting his command. “Please, I await…further command. The erm…the faster we hear what it is that plagues Begnion, the faster we can help you.”
Sanaki giggled again and tossed herself back into one of the elegant high-backed chairs that surrounded her strategy table. “Very well. You’ve made your point clear and you and your men have travelled quite a long way. We also wish to have this matter dealt with immediately.”
Ike, curiosity aroused, walked to the table.
The map and the accompanying figures carved stone figures across it were of the finest craftsmanship and likely worth half of his Ike’s home in Crimea. He let his fingers trail along the edges of the map, afraid the roughness of his hands would mar the surface.
Empress Sanaki tapped her bottom lip, perhaps deciding where to begin.
“Sigrun, fetch Tanith and Zelgius.” She commanded without looking up. She did not have to; Sigrun inclined her head and immediately left Sanaki alone with her guest. She cleared the indigo bangs from her eyes before she began again.
“Do you recall five years ago when I sent you to the desert to deal with the illegal cargo that was being trafficked through Begnion?”
Ike thought back. “Yes. That was where we met Tormod and Muarim…and all of those laguz who were,” he remembered what it was exactly that had spurred the fight and his brow furrowed, “angry over laguz being sold to your senate members.” After spending so much time in laguz company, Ike felt acidic fury pooling in his chest at the thought of them being drugged and kept as pets.
“Good to see your memory is as sharp as your blade.” Sanaki said and Ike could not tell if she was being sarcastic or not. “And it is my great shame to admit that something similar has been brought to my attention again. With improved relations between Gallia and Begnion, I had thought…” She shook her head in disappointment, “Senator Sephiran has told me that he has overheard talk of trafficking both laguz and branded.”
Ike would have liked to say that he was surprised.
But with Begnion’s increasing power and the general haughtiness of the wealthy and powerful in the city, Ike was unfazed by this pronouncement. “Has Senator Sephiran said why?”
“There is a lot of wealth flowing into Begnion with our new alliances and our hand in the ruling of Daein,” Sanaki said, her cheeks flushing a little at Begnion’s ambitious reach within Tellius, “but also most of our attention has been diverted to diplomacy and infrastructure. I take full responsibility but in my neglect, I believe the senators have once again been left too long to their own devices and now they shirk my decrees. It is shameful.”
Ike nodded.
“Your company has helped us with this discreetly in the past.” Sanaki continued. “And I would like to extend a similar offer to you and your mercenaries to find proof of the trade, eliminate the traffickers, and provide a list of names of any buyers.” It sounded like a lot of reconnaissance and work but it also sounded like something his laguz-friendly team would be passionate about.
And Begnion paid well.
Ike kicked himself; he was beginning to sound like Soren and the thought made him smile.
“Normally I would be able to assign some of my own knights to investigate.” Sanaki added quickly. Perhaps she thought Ike’s smile meant he was not taking her offer seriously. “But with all of our resources being stretched across so much land…it would just be easier to take this course of action. And also many are still unfamiliar with your mercenary company.”
The reappearance of Tanith, Zelgius, and Sigrun gave Sanaki pause. Tanith inclined her head. “Commander Ike, well met. Has the Apostle let you know of our problem?” Her speech was stilted in spite of the fact that she and Ike had shared a battlefield several times.
“Deputy commander.” Ike said. “Indeed. It sounds like a lucrative contract for our company and I believe we are interested in accepting such a generous offer. I am a little confused about one aspect: you say that branded are also being targeted?”
Tanith nodded. “May I explain?”
“Go on commander Tanith.” Sanaki said with a wave of her slim hand.
Tanith cleared her throat, clearly pleased that she was allowed to speak. “It is all about the rarity you see. Tigers, cats, hawks, crows and the like are now a common sight after the alliance with Gallia, Phoenicis, and Kilvas. Goldoan dragons are all but impossible to capture and herons are too hard to find, making them the rarest prizes. However, it can be easier to find and capture branded; they maintain their rarity due to the laguz’s old habit of culling them. It is a boon for slavers but a problem for us.”
“Villains.” Zelgius said. “There are even dark spells now to discern a Branded’s laguz heritage.”
Ike nodded. “The herons are safe in Phoenicis. What would be the fate of a Branded of Goldoan lineage?” He took care to keep his tone calm but his fists were shaking.
Zelgius perked up but Sanaki was too quick for him. “Do you know of such a person?”
“Goldoans so rarely interact with humans,” Zelgius murmured to himself, “a child born of such an unusual union would be a rare prize indeed for any collector.”
“If such a person is in your acquaintance,” Sigrun spoke with one of her gentle smiles, “then you would do well to keep them close.”
Ike nodded.
He did not need to be told such a thing. Keeping this hypothetical person close was already second nature to him and if anyone were to attempt to enslave him? Ike suddenly had some very dark thoughts swirling about in his mind.
“I will accept this mission, Empress Sanaki.”
“Excellent!” The apostle stood and waved her commanders to her side. “Please brief Commander Ike on all your men have heard regarding this matter and make sure his mercenaries are properly equipped for the task. This must be done with all secrecy so make sure no nosy senators get wind of his true purpose here. We would hate for those involved to get fair warning.”
“Empress.” All three Begnions spoke at the same time as Sanaki passed.
“Farewell, Lord Ike.” She responded and Ike inclined his head.
He tried to get his head clear to properly understand all the other information Tanith, Sigrun, and Zelgius could supply but his thoughts were elsewhere. He felt cool waves of concern as he thought of the Branded he knew. Particularly the one person that was very precious to him and the bright red brand emblazoned on his forehead.
Ike wanted to be back at Soren’s side as quickly as he could.
That morning, just like any other, Soren had risen before the sun. Ike woke to find him poring over expense reports with a small furrow between his brows as the first rosy slices of morning cut through the flaps of his tent.
Soren did not acknowledge Ike waking, though he did jump as Ike padded over and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Come with me to Sienne.”
“Thank you, I’d rather die.” Soren’s tone garnered no argument.
“There’s such a nice library there and you are…better with these types of people than I am. I always…say the wrong thing.”
“Please do not misinterpret my eloquence for diplomacy.” Soren said, still refusing to look up. “I hate those ‘types’ of people: spoiled, self-centered, and hopelessly arrogant. If Begnion were a person, you’d step on toes but I’d crush the whole foot. You know I’m not the type to suffer fools.”
“No.” Ike sighed but then smiled. “And yet you suffer me.”
Soren paused and Ike waited for the witty response. “You’re a bit of a special case.”
Not exactly what he had expected but Ike was pleased by the response. “Fine, fine. I’ll go to Sienne on my own. But if I commit some grave error of decency, then I’m placing the blame directly on your shoulders.”
“I’m pissing in my boots.” Soren said, unperturbed.
Ike rolled his shoulders, feeling warmth moving back into his cramped muscles and began to itch for something to do. Of course his first instinct was to bother Soren and his attention was first taken by Soren’s veritable river of long black hair.
Usually he kept it tied back, but this early in the morning, he had left it unbound down his back.
Soren jolted as Ike gathered it in his hands, the fine strands like black silk or water. “What are you doing?”
“Braiding. Used to do it for Mist.”
“I’ve noticed she ties her own hair now.”
“I never said I was good at it.”
“Gods save me.” Soren groaned. Still he did not put up a fight as Ike expertly wove his hair into a single long plait. He placed the coil over Soren’s shoulder and noticed that the flesh was raised on Soren’s neck.
“You’re cold.” Ike said.
“I’m not.” Soren argued, tensing as Ike wrapped his own blanket around Soren’s shoulders. His friend was so slender, it was probably hard to fight the chill. And the blanket was still warm from Ike. “Thank you.”
“Told you so.”
“How right you are, General.” Soren’s tone was drier than ever and Ike smiled; Soren only ever called him ‘general’ when he was irritated. “Now if you are quite finished bothering me, you might want to locate a shirt and a horse. Unless you plan to walk to Sienne and wish to cause offense by blackening the Apostle’s eye with your bare chest.”
“Tempting. I don’t suppose that would entice you to come along?”
Soren blinked as Ike lifted the tent flap and early morning light spilled in. He clutched the blanket closer to himself. “Safe travels, Ike.”
By the time Ike had dressed and made himself look presentable, Mist and Titania were already waiting for him by where the horses were grazing and they had already saddled his dark brown horse, Eng. Titania handed him the reins, beginning to speak the moment he made eye contact.
“There is a fair-sized town ten miles to the southwest of our camp. Kieran, Oscar, Rhys, and I will be going to procure supplies once Soren has approved the budget. I have instructed the others to stay within three miles of camp to await further orders though we may need to find new grazing area for the horses by midday.”
“I’d be lost without you, Titania.” Ike said as he hoisted himself up into the saddle. “Mist, try to stay out of trouble while I’m gone.”
Mist smiled at him, still good-natured in spite of her brother’s teasing. “Come back safe, Ike.”