Awake in a New Light, a fire emblem fanfic

Blood of Naga: Nah arrives from the future, prepared to do whatever it takes to prevent Grima from ravaging her world. Morgan wakes up in Regna Ferox, remembering nothing but his name. The other children of the future, led by Lucina, arrive with one goal in mind: bringing about the apocalypse. Rated T.

Oh holy Naga, I beseech thee. Grant me strength to endure the trials ahead.

Oh holy Naga, I beseech thee. Grant—

Before Nah could finish her third prayer, the endless darkness around her vanished, replaced by a forest that seemed to have been taken over by Hell itself. Fireballs rained down on the canopy below, flames spread for miles, and the very earth itself was tearing apart. This sight had her so taken aback that she nearly didn't realize that she was plummeting down to the ground below. After everything she had been through, dying from a fall was a downright humiliating thought, especially when she had wings.

Nah reoriented herself, using her wings to slow her descent and lessen the impact of the landing, though it still hurt like hell. Her claws dug into the ground below, keeping her in place, facing the gigantic eye in the sky. The portal must have shut in time. It had to have shut in time. But even if it did, how would she know? She knew her landing location was up to a roll of the dice, and if it was the same for the others, then she had no way of knowing how many of them made it back. Hopefully as few as possible.

"A Manakete!?" A voice from behind Nah made her snap her head back, ready to strike whoever it was who had spoken. Upon seeing the man's blue hair, branded shoulder, and unmistakable blade, any notion of attacking vanished from her mind. It seemed that the dice had rolled in her favor; she had landed right next to Exalt — no, Prince Chrom. He was no Exalt yet, not in the time she had arrived in.

Nah was about to speak in order to assure Chrom of her goodwill, but Princess Lissa, standing behind him, pointed right up at the eye. "Chrom, something else is coming!" Nah didn't take these words lightly, looking right back to the eye, seeing a human figure emerge. It must've simply been another Risen; she could handle that, she could defeat that.

Of course, it was no Risen. It was Luci. She and Chrom were only separated by Nah herself. Nah intended to keep it that way. With a defensive snarl, she braced herself for an attack. Instead of attacking, Lucina laughed, holding her hands out in faux friendliness. "Did you think I wasn't going to make it? Did you hope, even for just a moment, that you were the only one?" Nah didn't speak, growling and snapping her jaw. "My my, you're so big and scary! Why, you could tear me in half with just one bite!" Lucina's eyes narrowed, her voice losing its friendly tone. "But you won't. I know you won't. You're too soft to even consider it. Now get out of my way."

As if that was ever going to happen. Nah had gone through too much to give up now. Everything was riding on her success. If she didn't save Chrom, all would be lost. Threats from Lucina did nothing to instill fear in her; they only made her guilt return. Still, she remained steadfast, readying herself for a fight. Even if Lucina didn't have Falchion anymore, Nah was fully aware that she could do serious damage if given the opportunity. She took a deep breath, uttering another prayer in her mind.

Oh holy Naga, I beseech thee. Grant me strength to endure the trials ahead.

Assuming her offensive stance, Lucina tightened her grip on her blade, its blackened hilt making it almost look charred, though the blade itself was pristine. That image seemed to fit Lucina to a tee. Nobility and regality still existed, but the corruption of Grima had created a sadism that became just as prominent, if not more so. It made Nah feel sick. Lucina charged, moving at a dizzying speed, and Nah braced herself. But before Lucina could reach her, a flash of lightning struck her, sending her flying.

It was Queen Robin, a thunder tome in hand, sighing relief upon hitting her target. Her gaze turned to Nah, her eyes showing her hesitation. "You're the good guy, right? Because I really do not wanna find out that I just hit the good guy." Nah gave a nod of confirmation, making Robin sigh happily once more. Lucina staggered up to her feet, hissing as she felt the burn on her side.

"It's hopeless. You know that. Next time we meet, give up and make it easier for me, and I'll kill you quick." Lucina began to retreat, her threat lingering in Nah's mind. Or was it a promise? Nah almost pursued, but she knew that keeping Chrom and his sisters safe was her priority above all else. She turned to look at Chrom, Robin and Lissa, closing her eyes and letting herself revert back to her human form. The three of them seemed equally shocked by her appearance, and as much as that annoyed her, it was hardly unexpected.

Nah gave a curtsy in an attempt to reduce the tension in the air. "Your highness." Perhaps that level of respect was a bit much, especially for Chrom, who was known to loathe formalities, but she felt it was due, nonetheless. "My apologies for the confusion that encounter must have caused you. My name is Nah, and I am—" An arrow lodged itself into her back, making her wail in pain, crumpling to the ground. She could see the others frantically looking for the source, with Robin eventually identifying it and giving chase. Chrom ran over to Nah, trying to hoist her up, but before he could grab her, she felt her consciousness slip away, darkness overtaking her, nightmares returning to plague her mind once again.

Nah's subconscious was quick to show her memories of her friends back when they were small children, laughing and playing together without a care in the world. Birds chirped, the sun shone down, and a cool breeze swept through her hair. Owain tagged her, and she chased right after him, growling like a dragon to try and scare him. As they kept playing together, she felt a strange buzzing in her ear. It grew louder and louder until she managed to tag Laurent. "You're it," she said with a giggle before realizing that he was now gone without a trace. "Laurent?" There was no response.

In her dreamy haze, Nah tried to find another friend to tag, though she still worried for Laurent. The next person she found was Noire, who vanished the moment Nah laid a finger on her. The next one was Brady. One by one, all of her friends disappeared, leaving her all alone. The birds were silent. The sun was gone. There was no wind anymore. It was just her, alone, in a pitch-black nothingness.

Dread chilled Nah to her very bones as the overwhelming emptiness seemed to close in on her, squeezing her, stealing her breath away, drowning her in tar and mud, silencing any screams she tried to voice. With her breath gone, she couldn't even sob. She could only stand there, choking and fading away with nothing to comfort her, no one to save her.

Robin let out a long sigh; she had been doing that quite a lot as of late. Of course, it's not like she didn't have any reason to. It was doubtful that anyone wouldn't be sighing if they woke up in a field with no memory, fought off a bandit attack, then watched a dragon fight a crazy woman in the span of less than a day. And of course, there was also the fact that this dragon seemed barely even of age, and that she was currently in one of the rooms at the local in, fast asleep after having been hit by one of those walking corpses wielding a bow.

"Everything alright, Robin?" Chrom sat down her bar table, looking at her from the other side. "You seem a bit tired. I hope everything isn't wearing you down."

"You kidding? 'Wearing me down' would be a nice way of putting it." She took a small sip from her mug of ale, not wanting to risk getting drunk this early in the morning. Later, though, she'd definitely try and get drunk to take the edge off things. "My memory may be gone, but I'm pretty confident that this has been the most eventful couple days of my life."

"I'll be honest, this ranks pretty high up there for me. It's the first time I've seen a Manakete, and her entrance was…troubling." Chrom stared down, rubbing his temples.

"What part? The giant eye in the sky, the miniature apocalypse, the walking corpses, or the psychotic girl?" Robin's quip earned a chuckle from Chrom, something she found herself enjoying more than she thought. The way his expression softened when he laughed was relieving, in a way. Though, it wasn't enough relief to get her to stop worrying about the situation at hand. "Still, it could be worse. We're here eating deer meat rather than out in the cold eating bear meat again."

"I will never understand how Frederick can stomach that. Nor you, for that matter."

"I was…ah, really hungry. In reality that meat settled in my stomach like a bunch of rocks." Another chuckle and another wave of relief. "What are we gonna do about that girl, though? She's a bit of a conundrum."

"Well, she seems to be here to aid us. What we need aid for, I'm not sure. She trusted us enough to give us her name, and go to a human form, which made her weaker. I think we can trust her in return."

"It could've been a fake name. And she still had her dragonstone, which means she could've transformed back into a dragon at any time. I'm not saying we can't trust her, but a degree of caution should be maintained." Chrom nodded. Suddenly, a faint echo of Lissa crying out could be heard above them, where their room was. They were both up on their feet and sprinting up the stairs the second they heard.

Chrom opened the door, greeted by the sight of Nah pinning a terrified Lissa to the wall. "Where is it!? Give it back!" Nah screamed at the trembling princess. "Where did you hide it!?"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" Lissa's response went ignored by Nah, who kept screaming at her, demanding to know where 'it' was. Robin reaches into her coat pocket and pulled out a smooth, gray stone, holding it up.

Robin spoke to get Nah's attention. "It's right here, Nah. It's your dragonstone you want, right?" The second Nah's eyes locked onto the stone, she let go of Lissa. It was odd; what initially looked like an expression of anger and fury started to look more like one of desperation and crippling fear. Robin decided to take a gamble and toss the stone at Nah.

The Manakete caught her dragonstone and collapsed to her knees, holding it tight against her chest. "Oh, oh thank goodness…" The girl looked as if she was about to burst into tears. She took a few slow breaths before looking back up at the three of them, Lissa having dashed behind her brother. "I am…terribly, terribly sorry for what I did. I was not in a right mind. I'm afraid that without my dragonstone, I begin to act like that. I suppose I just…rely upon the safety it guarantees me."

Chrom raised an eyebrow. "So you're not going to turn into a dragon and burn us alive?"

Nah gave a shocked look. "Oh, heavens no! No, I would never dare. Not when you're the person I'm here to protect. Oh, right, I've yet to explain. I suppose now is better than never. Though, ah, I must preface that you are unlikely to believe my story. It's quite the farfetched tale."

Robin crossed her arms. "I would've believed last night's events to be a lie if I hadn't seen them myself. I'm more open to strange truths right now." Nah nodded at that.

"I come from a different time. Around two decades from now, the world will fall into a state of disarray and chaos. I have come here to prevent that tragedy from occurring. That, and the death of the Ylissean Royal Family."

Lissa looked even more terrified. "D-Death?"

"Yes. You two, as well as your sister Emmeryn, are all dead in my time. Your deaths did not all occur at once, but the outcome was the same. I believe that if even just one of you survives, then we can avoid my dark time. Of course, I wish to keep all of you safe."

There was concern on Chrom's face. "And what of that girl, and the creatures that accompanied her?"

"Those creatures are known as Risen. They were once human, but all that remains now is a husk infused with the desire to wreak havoc and serve their masters. That girl is one of them. Despite my best efforts, she was able to follow me to the past. Believe me when I say that she wants nothing more than to achieve the same future I escaped from. If she made it through, it's possible that her comrades got here as well."

"Well then, who are they, and why do they want that kind of future to happen?" Chrom's question made Nah visibly nervous, something which Robin took note of.

"I'm afraid I can't say too much. If I reveal enough too early, then my knowledge of future events will be meaningless. However, I'll tell you what I can. The girl is named Lucina. She, along with her brother Morgan, lead that group. Their goal is now to stop me from changing the future. If they fail, they will likely work to change the future back to their vision. They are fanatics of the Grimleal, with the ultimate goal of reviving the Fell Dragon."

Chrom and Lissa were equally mortified by the revelation, and Robin felt suddenly much more conscious of the tattoo on her hand. Nah continued. "They were also once my friends. There was a time when they were all good people, and I truly believe that there is still good within all of them. If we encounter them again, I beg of you not to kill them."

"Well," Robin began, "I hope you understand that your words are certainly hard to believe. The idea of you being from the future is a hard enough pill to swallow. Do you have any way to prove this?"

"Yes. I thought you might ask, so I prepared information to show that my claims are legitimate. However, the only person I can confide this in is Princess Lissa. The information pertains to the two of you," she pointed at Robin and Chrom. "so you can't know. Otherwise it won't happen."

Lissa wasn't too keen on getting close to Nah again, but she reluctantly agreed, leaning in. Nah whispered something in her ear that made her face flush a bright red. She nodded and pulled away, holding her hands together in front of her, keeping her eyes glued to the ground. What could Nah have told her?

He woke up in rather cozy bedroom, containing little save for the large bed he was in and the roaring fireplace crackling in the corner. His first instinct was that he was in danger, despite not being able to come up with any good reason as to why. Getting off of the bed and brushing his dark hair from his eyes, he got to work looking around the room, checking for…what, exactly? Weapons? Escape routes? Whatever it was, he didn't seem to find any. His gaze stopped on a window, the view past it being almost nonexistent thanks to a massive snowstorm. This kind of snow was something he knew one could only find in…where? The name sat on the tip of his tongue but he couldn't seem to get it.

At the base of his bed, he spotted a dark coat that he immediately recognized as his own. Strange, since he couldn't remember ever wearing it. The warmth it cast upon him as he put it on granted him an indescribable comfort that helped lower his anxieties almost immediately. When he tested the door, he found it curiously unlocked, leading into a hallway decorated with weapons and suits of armor that seemed almost ancient. The cold was much more prominent when there wasn't a fire nearby, making him pull his coat tightly in an effort to stay warm.

It wasn't long before he could hear voices. They were coming from behind a closed door, the only other indication of people within being flickering shadows under the doorframe caused by a fire. He crept to the door and pressed his ear against the wood, trying to listen in.

"—could be a threat. I don't think we should ignore that," a small, feminine voice spoke. "He could be here to harm you."

A gruff voice responded. "If he does, I'll just kill him. Don't see what's so complicated about that. Besides, he looks trustworthy enough to me."

"He was unconscious when you saw him."

"Exactly! Can't lie if you're too busy sleeping!

"Milord, I-I just believe caution is necessary."

A third voice, cold and stern, objected. "There's someone watching us." Despite trying to step away from the door, it was too late for the boy, who quickly found himself facing a man with an eyepatch, a nervous girl, and another man with a long, sharp blade. They all looked at eachother, then back at him.

"Um…" The boy tried to think of something to say. "Hello?" The attempt at a friendly greeting didn't seem to work out well. "You were talking about me, weren't you?"

The man with the eyepatch narrowed his brows. "What gave you that impression?'

"I dunno, just a feeling…" Well, that certainly do much to help earn any trust. "If you'd like, I can be right on my way. I'm sure hosting me here must be quite the hassle for you."

"Oh, you can be on your damn merry way, so long as you tell us who you are."

"Who I am?" He stopped. He tried to recollect. And he failed. "I'm…" He tried to find a reason for being here, or even where 'here' was. Nothing. Next, he tried to think of his home, his family. Nothing there, either. He couldn't even think of a single detail about himself, save for his name. It was better than nothing, he supposed. "Morgan. My name is Morgan."

"Well, Morgan, as nice as it is to know your name, you know there's something more important I'm wanting to know." The man leaned close, his presence now all the more threatening. "What exactly do you Grimleal scum want with me?"

Kat had an admirer. She had seen him smiling at her from across the tavern all night, his silver hair and dashing eyes lending an air of mystique to him. Her sisters in arms kept trying to convince her to talk to him, but she brushed them off every time, not wanting to open herself up to potential embarrassment. But that didn't seem to bother him. He just kept watching.

Eventually, the others left, heading home for the night so that they could be well-rested for another day of guarding the Exalt and her palace, but Kat stayed behind, deciding to treat herself to a few more drinks. That was when he made his move, sitting down next to her and footing the bill. He spoke with an accent that sounded more akin to one from Themes, or one of its neighboring territories.

Conversation between the two of them was soon struck up. He called himself Laslow, saying that he was a wanderer who often took up mercenary work to make a living. Apparently, he was in Ylisstol to deliver some family heirlooms to a nobleman. Kat was listening to every detail of his story, finding it fascinating to hear of a man who lived so free. Here she was, stuck in the capital for the rest of her life, while he got to roam the land, seeing sights, meeting people, experiencing the world.

The small band in the tavern had been playing music all night, and while it had become nothing more than background noise to Kat, Laslow was enthralled by it. He noted the strange time signature, how the tempo changed as different instruments took over as the focus of the music. She didn't understand a lick of it, of course, but she listened to him explain regardless. Eventually, he even convinced her to dance with him, the two of them gliding along the tavern floor as the man, a clear expert dancer, made her feel like a giddy little girl from the excitement. He was dashing. There was no other way to put it. Like some knight in shining armor from a fairy tale.

How much did she have to drink, though? Her head felt heavy. No, her whole body felt heavy. It was like she was now swimming instead of walking, having to force herself through the air around her. Laslow looked concerned, deciding to take the liberty of bringing her to his house for the night. In her dazed condition, she didn't even think to ask why a vagabond like him would have a house. She passed out at some point along the way. Not like staying awake the whole time would've done anything. The result would've been the same.

When Kat awoke, her wrists were chained to a stone wall, bound tight enough to hurt like hell. She tugged, but the steel showed no signs of even beginning to wear down. The noise brought in Laslow, who got down on one knee and gave her that same smile he had given her all night, only this time there was something wrong about it, something sinister hiding just behind his eyes. "Good morning, darling. How was your sleep?" Kat responded by trying once again to struggle out of her chains, something he seemed to find rather amusing. "Apologies for the charades last night. Perhaps reintroductions are in order; my name is Inigo, and I'm quite curious as to what you know about the royal palace. Serving in Phila's guard must make you privy to all sorts of juicy little details." A spy. She had been fooled by a spy. How much of a damned fool was she?

"Go to hell!" Kat's snarling voice gave Inigo a disappointed frown. He moved his hand to his belt, grabbed a knife, and plunged it into her side. She screamed as he began to slowly twist it, digging deeper into her.

"Now, now. No need to be so rude. I never said anything so vulgar to you, now did I? Some women carry such a double standard." The knife came out, and his free hand pressed against her wound, his thumb digging into it. She hoped that her screaming would get somebody's attention, but she doubted he was foolish enough to do this near anyone else. "Please, just tell me what I want to know. I'd hate to hurt a pretty face like yours."

Kat answered Inigo by spitting in his face. His answer to that was to grab her hair, yanking her head back and pressing the knife to her cheek. "That wasn't very nice, Kat." The blade slowly and carefully began to break skin. It slid close to her lips, only leaving the shallowest of cuts along the way. "Know that I take no enjoyment in this. But that won't stop me." He lined up the blade to her upper lip, holding her chin to keep her from pulling away. "We'll see how long it takes for you to talk."

Ylisstol in its prime was something Nah couldn't quite fathom, even when she was walking through it. The amount of people, the food and the plants and the sunshine, it was all like something out of a storybook. She kept her hood up to hide her ears, not keen on random individuals noticing a Manakete walking through the streets. Though having the prince and princess walking with her attracted plenty of attention regardless.

Other Shepherds had met with them on the way to Ylisstol, and already Nah was recognizing a few names and faces. Kjelle had always idolized her mother and sought to be just as strong as her, and now here this woman was, just as she had described. It broke Nah's heart, knowing Sully might end up fighting her own daughter. The best she could do was keep her and the other Shepherds in the dark about her former friends' true heritage to spare them the pain. If they cared at all about their parents, hopefully Lucina and the others would keep quiet as well. They weren't that sadistic; at least, hopefully not towards the parents they loved.

Despite the lack of guards compared to what Nah remembered from her childhood, Chrom had commented on the increased activity. When he managed to find Emmeryn, walking through the streets as she often liked to, he inquired about it. Nah found herself trying to pay attention to that, rather than the fact that she was actually walking next to Exalt Emmeryn herself. "Ah, yes, the increased patrols. I wish I could say it was meaningless." She looked somewhat worried. "One of my guards has gone missing. Phila's been trying desperately to find her, but to no avail. Security has been increased as a precautionary measure, in case this signals ill intent."

Chrom gritted his teeth. "I bet it was a Plegian spy. The dastards are probably looking to make some kind of attack on Ylisstol. The intelligence one of your guards could provide would be invaluable."

"Chrom, it would be wise to avoid jumping to hasty conclusions for the time being. If we have reason to believe she was indeed kidnapped, we'll make the effort to prevent her knowledge from revealing gaps in security. But Phila has trained her soldiers well; they certainly wouldn't break under interrogation, even with Plegian tactics." She seemed to only just now notice Robin and Nah. "Oh? And who are these two?"

The group passed through the palace gates, stepping out of the crowded city streets and into the relatively empty courtyard. "Oh, this is Robin and Nah," Lissa cheerily exclaimed. "Robin's an amnesiac, and Nah's a dragon from the future!" Both Robin and Nah immediately looked away, their faces flushing a gentle red.

Chrom cleared his throat. "Perhaps this would be best discussed in private." Nodding in agreement, Emmeryn took into the palace, leading them into a private chamber so that they could explain what had happened. The story caught her attention and never let it go, something which only made Nah feel more nervous.

Once the explanation was over, Emmeryn put a thumb to her chin. "That is quite the concerning turn of events. Unfortunately, we've been receiving reports of these creatures you mentioned. Soldiers have taken to calling them 'Risen'. It seems the incident was not isolated." Hearing that scared Nah. If they were popping up across Ylisse, then more people than just Lucina must've come to the past. "It's fortunate that you've discovered such a talented tactician." She gave Robin a smile, now speaking to her. "If Chrom trusts you, then I trust you as well."

"Thank you, milady." Robin gave a quick curtsy, trying not to look too nervous. Emmeryn's gaze then shifted to Nah.

"So, you say that our lives are now in danger? Yet you withhold information about the people who threaten our lives. Why?" Emmeryn didn't sound accusatory; rather, she sounded concerned, even a little curious.

Nah did her best to not give away any sense of emotional fragility, despite the subject matter. "As I explained to Prince Chrom, the future events that I am aware of will only occur if no or minimal changes are made. This knowledge is the most valuable asset I have brought, and the more I reveal about it, the less likely that it will occur."

Surprisingly, Chrom was the one to respond. "But you said that these people were not here in your time. Doesn't their very presence threaten to change these events?" Nah mentally cursed, trying to think of a way to counter that. It was true that Lucina and the others being here would almost certainly change major events, but that didn't necessarily mean that none of these events would happen the same way they did.

"You are correct. However, the chance remains that my knowledge will positively impact the situation. Therefore, I feel it's best to keep the information on a need-to-know basis."

Robin chimed in as well. "But couldn't the argument be made that the odds of your knowledge being shared helping us is higher than the odds of keeping it to yourself helping us?" Once again, Nah felt herself being trapped. The important information she gleamed from the conversation was that nobody trusted her as much as she had hoped. "And excuse me for doubting your words, but I can't help myself from feeling as if there's another reason you haven't explained as to why you're hiding this information."

"I'm not saying that you won't know this information, but you won't know everything right now. In due time, if the situation calls for it, I'll tell you what you need to know."

Emmeryn cleared her throat. "If Nah believes this to be the best course of action, then that will be her decision. I trust that she is doing this with our safety in mind." At least she trusted Nah well enough

Nah kept her hood up whenever she was around others, even in the safety of the palace. The only other people who knew were the other Shepherds. Meeting them was still a surreal experience, seeing the similarities between them and her friends. Sumia was just as much of a klutz as Cynthia, and Miriel was cold and intelligent, like Laurent. Nah tried to picture her friends when they were still allies, as opposed to the monsters they had become.

After the introductions were finished, Nah managed to find the time to enter the palace chapel, feeling comfortable immediately upon stepping inside. There were a few priestesses, but aside from that it was devoid of people. She was thankful that she had arrived at a slow point. She knelt down at a statue of Naga, placing a few gold coins in front of it as an offering before clasping her hands together and closing her eyes. "Oh holy Naga, I beseech thee. Grant me the strength to endure the trials ahead."

"You've been saying that a lot, huh?" Lissa's voice startled Nah, who quickly stoop up and turned around. "Is that like, your mantra or something?" She walked next to Nah, kneeling down and setting a flower in front of the statue of Naga.

"Ah, I suppose you could call it that. It's the prayer I offer up to Naga every day." Nah paused, a bit uncomfortable. "Princess Lissa, I must apologize again for what happened at that inn. I was…not myself."

Lissa was a bit uncomfortable at the mention of it, but she shook her head. "It's alright. You must've gone through some horrible stuff where you came from." Nah nodded. "I'll be honest though; I don't actually believe in Naga. I mean, I know I'm supposed to, but I dunno, I guess I just never bought it. I'm only here so Chrom and Emm don't start suspecting."

"Bold of you to tell me that," Nah said, "considering I could tell them what you just said."

"Well, I've found the best way to make new friends is through sharing secrets! Besides, I trust you." Hearing Lissa say that was relieving for Nah, even if the trust was unwarranted. Especially considering how many secrets Nah was still keeping. "So, that secret you told me to prove you're from the future — that's really gonna happen?"

Nah nodded, and Lissa stifled a giggle. "Oh my gosh, I can just imagine the look on Chrom's face when he walks in on Robin bathing. He'd be like, 'blaaaah!'"

Giggling, Nah nodded. "It was quite the infamous tale. It was all told in good fun, though, even if Chrom and Robin were always embarrassed by it."

"Well, that's gotta be the one piece of news I'm looking forward to. Everything else's been all doom and gloom. Not that I mean your news is unwelcome, or anything. Knowing about these future people is pretty important." Nah nodded at that, offering up one last prayer before standing up and giving Lissa a farewell. She exited the room, feeling somewhat better than she had when she entered.

"So you're telling me," Basilio said, "that you've got no memory? Not a lick of it?" Morgan shook his head. "You realize why that's a bit hard to buy, right?"

"I understand fully, milord." Morgan looked down at the mark on his hand, now aware of its meaning. He was a cultist. "However, it's the truth. I remember nothing."

Olivia sighed. "How awful…" Lon'qu said nothing. "I can't even imagine what that must be like."

Morgan shrugged. "It's not as bad as you might think. Mainly just an empty feeling. It's hard to mourn for lost memories when you don't even know what made them worth mourning. It's more discomforting than anything."

Olivia shifted a bit in her seat, nervously twiddling her thumbs. "Khan Basilio, I think we should trust him. I-I don't see any reason not to."

Lon'qu grunted. "He's Grimleal. That's reason enough."

Sitting up, Olivia summoned a bit of courage. "B-but he doesn't remember any of that! For all we know, he didn't even want that brand! Maybe he was forced to do it, or something! Besides, he's clearly a good person!"

"Olivia, you can not be so naïve to truly believe he—"

Basilio interrupted. "Lon'qu, Olivia. Peace." His eyes bore holes into Morgan, who felt like he was about to find himself in a world of trouble. "I want Morgan here to tell me why I should trust him."

All eyes turned to Morgan. He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment. "You can't trust me. I bear the mark of a cult of fanatics. I claim to have lost all my memories, which is highly suspicious. I could be an assassin, or a spy. I have done nothing to earn your trust." Olivia looked at him with sadness on her face. "But," Morgan said, "I'm prepared to earn your trust, however that may be. Whatever it takes, I want to prove to you that I have no ill intentions. You mentioned Regna Ferox speaks through battle? Then let me speak. Let me fight to prove my word."

The silence that followed was positively deafening. Then, it was broken by Basilio's rough laugh. "I like the way you think, boy! Very well then. You can prove your word through combat against my best man. Lon'qu." The warrior turned his attention to Basilio. "Prepare for battle."

When Morgan was given weapons to arm himself with, he found himself strangely drawn to the swords and tomes. There was nothing flashy — the best weapons had to be saved for war, after all — but it caught his eye nonetheless. He grabbed a bronze sword, feeling its peculiar weight in his right hand. He enjoyed how light it felt in comparison to the iron weapons available for selection, even if it was less powerful. With his left hand he grabbed a wind tome, and almost upon contact he could feel its power ready to be unleashed by his will.

Lon'qu held a sword that Morgan recognized, though he knew not from where. It was a Killing Edge, famed for its lightweight design and a blade that was designed with the express purpose of finding critical weak points and obliterating them. Morgan had chosen to wear his coat, which wasn't much defense, but it was all in the purpose of strategy; underneath were a few carefully selected plates of armor, protecting his heart, right shoulder, and stomach. These were the weak spots that he thought were most likely to be targeted.

Lon'qu offered no words as his opponent stepped into the arena, which was devoid of life aside from Basilio and Olivia, who were watching from the sidelines, as well as a healer on standby. Ferox duels could go south fast, and they preferred to prevent death (though it wasn't illegal to kill in the arena), so there was always a healer ready to step in as soon as the match was over.

Morgan was confident that he had retained some understanding of combat. After all, he knew what a Killing Edge was, he knew what the different tomes did, and the bronze sword he held felt natural to swing. He just had to hope that he still knew how to properly dodge.

There was no movement at first. Neither combatant wanted to be the first to strike. Morgan knew that going on the offensive immediately would give Lon'qu plenty of time to counterattack. There was too much on the line to be brash about this. He could afford to wait.

Lon'qu took a single step forward, bracing his other foot for impact. With his attention now more focused on defense than movement, Morgan opened his wind tome and sent out a gust of air, strong enough and sharp enough to cut like a blade. The horizontal arc of the wind forced Lon'qu to make a wide movement to avoid it and gave Morgan time to close the gap between them.

Not letting his guard up, Lon'qu parried a strike from Morgan's blade, thrusting his sword towards his face. Morgan only barely tilted his head away, feeling the very edge of the sword leave a small cut on his cheek. Lon'qu had intended for that to miss…right?

Lon'qu twisted his Killing Edge, facing the blade to Morgan's shoulder and swinging down. Morgan ducked down and rolled behind him to avoid the blow, holding up his sword reflexively in case another attack came. Just like he predicted, Lon'qu spun around and attacked, his blade connecting with Morgan's. The boy gripped the blunt end of his blade with his free hand, using the extra strength to shove Lon'qu back. With his Killing Edge held up high, Morgan grinned, opening his wind tome once again and aiming for the blade.

The wind sliced through the Killing Edge, splitting the blade in half and knocking it out of Lon'qu's hand. Morgan used the moment of surprise to slam himself into him, sending them both to the ground. Morgan held his bronze sword with both hands now, ready to use his advantage to draw a surrender.

Then, Morgan wasn't looking at Lon'qu anymore. There was a girl laying there, her long blue hair spilling out across the ground. She looked at him with terror in her eyes. There was something in one of those eyes. That brand, the mark that slightly discolored the eye, seemed so terribly familiar. And suddenly, Morgan didn't want to win a surrender. He wanted to end her life with a desire that overcame him in an instant. She needed to die. For what reason, he couldn't remember, but he knew that she needed to die.

Morgan tightened his grip on his blade, pulled slightly up in preparation, and—

"That's enough!" Basilio shouted, snapping Morgan out of his daze. There was no blue-haired girl, only Lon'qu, looking at him with an unreadable expression. "The victor of this battle is clear." What was he about to do? Did he really almost just kill that man? That wasn't what he wanted, and it certainly wasn't what he intended, so why did it almost come to that? "Lon'qu no longer has any weapons to fight back with. Therefore, with him now defenseless and pinned to the ground, Morgan is our winner. Stand up, boy."

Still confused and somewhat delirious, Morgan staggered to his feet, dropping his sword. "Y-yes, milord." His voice was more fragile than he expected.

"Drop the 'milord'. It's just Basilio. You've earned that much, at least." The Khan stepped up to Morgan. Lon'qu got up behind them and walked to Olivia, who was already fretting over him. Basilio's voice went low so only Morgan could hear. "You very nearly killed my best man. I could see in your eyes that you wanted to."

"B-Basilio, I—"

"Don't talk, just listen. I still don't fully trust you, but I also follow the adage of keeping your friends close and your enemies closer. So I'll let you stick around." Hearing that was a relief, though it still left Morgan nervous. At the very least, he would have a place to stay in for the time being. With not a coin to his name, he wasn't sure he'd be able to survive the Feroxi cold on his own. "Besides, you're my champion now, and there's no way I won't at least give you room and board for that."

"Champion?" Morgan asked, but Basilio just gave him a rough but affectionate slap on the back, any sense of a threat in his voice now gone. He laughed and walked out of the arena, leaving Morgan confused and more than a little bit scared. He looked to Olivia. "What does he mean by that? What's a champion?"

Kat was having trouble seeing through her left eye. Inigo had done something to it as some point, though she had trouble remembering what. He had unchained her from the wall a while ago, confident that she wasn't in any condition to escape anymore. Besides, not being bound to a wall let him get more creative with how to torture her.

However, Kat wasn't a royal guard for nothing. She had been biding her time, acting more beaten down than she truly was. Of course, she was beaten down; a few of her ribs were definitely broken, and she had very nearly lost a finger, but she could still put up a fight. She just had to pretend she couldn't for a little while longer.

Entering the room and giving a friendly wave, Inigo seemed rather pleased with her current condition. "I am amazed by how many beautiful women there are in this city. Nothing like how I remember it."

"Grew up here, then?" Kat tried to get as much information as she could; Inigo seemed to be quite the cocky type of man, after all.

"Yes, actually. I had to watch this place fall into ruin. It's so nice to see it in this state." Inigo sighed nostalgically.

"Fall into ruin? Ylisstol's been healing for decades now." Every single time Inigo talked, it was like he was speaking utter nonsense. Kat somehow found that even more aggravating than the torture.

"Oh, nothing to worry your pretty little head about. What you should be worrying about…" Inigo approached and paused to deliver a swift kick in the ribs, knocking the air right out of Kat. "is telling me everything you know about palace security for the Exalt." She coughed up a wad of blood that had been caught in her throat, silently thanking him for managing to knock it out of her. "Come on now, I know you don't want this. Neither do I, in fact. I hate bruising up pretty faces like yours. So just tell me." He kicked her again. "I said, tell me." Another kick.

Kat lifted her head up, looking at her torturer with contempt. "Go to hell." The insult was petty, but she was in no mood for being polite, and even low blows would have to suffice for her. It was funny; she remembered being a little girl, chastising her friends for saying things like that and trying to encourage them to be more polite.

"Cooperation really isn't your strong suit, is it?" Inigo shook his head in disappointment. "Fine, then. You're clearly a lost cause. I suppose I'll just have to kidnap one of your other comrades. It'll be tough, considering there's likely quite the heightened caution due to your disappearance, but I'm sure I can figure something out. Maybe my next target will be more vocal."

Kat stumbled up to her knees, her head heavy and pained every time she moved it. "No, don't! Don't hurt them!" She could take torture, she knew that, but she couldn't take the idea of one of her friends getting hurt because of her. Inigo grinned, and she knew she had played right into his hands. "Please. I'll tell you what you need to know."

Inigo grabbed Kat by the torn collar of her shirt and hoisted her up to her feet, bringing her face a little too close to his for her comfort. He saw an opportunity in her, she knew, and he was ready to take it. Unfortunately for him, she now saw an opportunity of her own. She slammed her knee up right into his crotch, taking great satisfaction in watching his face twist and contort into an expression of bewildered pain. He let her go, and for a second she was scared that she was going to lose her balance and fall. But she managed to stay upright, and once her balance was sure, she punched him in the face, sending him stumbling back.

Running past Inigo and out the door he had left open, Kat tried to find a way out of the house they were in. There were windows with precious little light coming through them, which meant she had chosen to escape at night, the worst possible time. The odds of her getting lost were infinitely higher, but she supposed his were just as bad.

Eventually, Kat found a door, twisting the knob and pushing it open, running out of the building. Soft soil pressed against the soles of her feet, and she found it to be the most refreshing thing she had experienced in a long time. Still, she couldn't stop to savor the moment, knowing that Inigo couldn't have been far behind. So she ran, heading into a forest, still with no real idea where she was, or if she was even heading in a good direction. She just had to keep running, sparing no time to cover her tracks or figure out a sense of direction. Hesitation was death. And she wasn't ready to let death catch up to her just yet.

Lucina felt the cold night's breeze run past her cheeks, tickling the very edges of her skin in a way that she found oddly comforting. Seeing the world like this, full of life and potential, was foreign to her to the point that she felt like she wasn't in the world at all, but somewhere else, somewhere wrong. Yes, this world was wrong. No matter how comforting the wind was, no matter how much she enjoyed its melody, howling through the trees, it was still wrong. As she focused on this, the comfort of the wind left her, replaced by a feeling of alienation. This world didn't want her here, because she did not belong here. Her world was one of rot, of barren wastes littered with unmarked graves and animal scavengers, digging up the bodies laid to rest underneath.

Where were the others? Lucina knew they were here; she had watched every single one of them go through the portal, wanting to make sure they made it before she went through, but none of them were where she arrived. None of them except Nah. That bitch, that disgusting spawn of Naga, that filth-ridden germ who deserved nothing more than a blade piercing her heart. She wasn't going to win, Lucina wouldn't let her, she wouldn't let her beat her, wouldn't let her take Morgan away.

Where was Morgan? The thought dug into Lucina's mind like a scalpel, carving out every other worry and leaving her with that creeping sense of dread. Her brother, her family, the one who she wanted to protect. She had to protect him. If she had to let all of her friends die to keep her brother safe, she'd kill them herself to make sure. Her father made her promise to keep Morgan safe no matter what, and she'd failed, hadn't she? She'd failed before, and she'd suffered the consequences. She was still suffering those consequences.

Letting Morgan get hurt was not an option. Lucina had to find him, no matter what. She knew that mother wanted her to kill the Exalted bloodline first, to kill her father and aunts, but she needed to make sure Morgan was safe. Once she had him with her, once she could wrap her arms around him and keep him safe, she would be able to carry out her duties. It didn't matter if Morgan tried to kill her again, just like he had done every time she embraced him, she needed to protect him. No, it was because he would try and strike her down that she had to find him. She had to make things right. She had to. No matter what.