~ Chapter 4 ~
The scent of brine and the sound of crashing waves greeted Morgan as she stepped out of her conjured rift and onto a small grassy ridge by Gallia's western coast. She was the first to arrive, and at the sound of more rifts opening behind her, she began to turn to greet her friends. She stopped abruptly, though, when she caught sight of the relatively large seaside city that Kurth had directed them to, lying less than a quarter of a mile away.
Or the remains of such a city, at least.
Morgan scanned the ruins carefully, ignoring the nauseating feeling that welled up within her. Not a single building had escaped untouched, and only a few lonely walls of planks and cobblestone had been left standing, swaying defiantly in the light sea breeze. The city's destruction was complete, but it brought Morgan some relief to see that no bodies lay amidst the debris.
That relief lasted only until she turned her attention to the ravaged beach lying beyond the devastated city. The fine golden sands were speckled with driftwood and the wreckages of many vessels, ranging from meager rafts to fishing ship. Waterlogged Laguz corpses lay scattered densely around the rubble, their damp, vibrantly-colored fur marking them clearly even from such a great distance.
Further past the war-torn battlefield, across the sparkling and seemingly tranquil waters of the distant horizon, was a familiar and most unwelcome sight: a massive cetacean creature composed of a mysterious black substance, with a skeletal head and flickering golden flames shining ominously from the creature's otherwise empty eye sockets.
Fixated upon the gruesome scene, Morgan barely noticed the rest of her companions arriving and moving to her side. "Maelstrom," she whispered hollowly, watching as the colossus gradually drifted to the north.
Kurth's attention remained fixed upon the unfortunate city. "Arlen was one of the few longstanding and populous cities in Gallia," he murmured. "This is just like Port Toha all over again."
"Worse," Harmony corrected with a grimace. "The storm Relic inadvertently unleashed upon Port Toha was brutal, but this... this is just…" She seemed unable to complete her thought, and her voice trailed off as she eyed the carnage along the beach.
"To think we traveled so far in search of this," Lucina mumbled.
At Lucina's words, Severa rounded upon Owain challengingly. "So, we found your monster. What's next?" she asked, elbowing the young swordsman.
"M-My monster?" Owain stuttered. With an audible gulp, he peered out at the massive eidolon. Their gazes met, and he felt as if he was sinking into the depths of Maelstrom's swirling, flaming eyes. With a shudder, Owain tore his gaze away, and stared at Severa helplessly.
"Figures," Severa grumbled discontentedly.
"You guys managed to chase this thing away from your homes, then you decided to go looking for it, Owain?" Valent asked, sounding awed. "That sounds like something I'd do. You should've been born a hawk, my friend."
Severa remained unimpressed. "Morgan, you have a plan right? Please, tell me you have a plan," she pleaded. "One better than Owain's."
Morgan held her silence, for while she desperately wanted to comfort her sister, she had no answer to give.
But someone else did. "If not, I have one," a familiar voice answered.
Upon hearing the calm and assuring voice, Morgan spun to face the speaker, any semblance of fear swept cleanly away. There stood her father, accompanied by her younger sisters and Queen Carina of Gallia. Even the queen's tormented and weary expression could not dampen Morgan's delighted smile.
"Or I had one, at least," Robin corrected himself. "Though I think it can be salvaged still."
"Dad!" Severa and Morgan cried out together.
Unlike her older daughters, Cordelia was horrorstruck to see her husband, and more importantly, her younger daughters, so close to the recent battlefield. "Robin!? What are you doing here?" she demanded, terrified.
Though the two girls looked tired, neither seemed to share her concerns. They both beamed at their mother happily, and the younger Severa hopped up and down, waving at her.
"I was hoping to help, but I couldn't leave the girls alone in Begnion," Robin explained quickly. "Don't worry, we're safe out here. The eidolon can't reach us, and the water is too shallow for him to send a tidal wave this far inland."
"But…" Cordelia began.
"How did you find Queen Gallia? And us?" Morgan interrupted curiously.
Robin smiled at her appreciatively, grateful for the timely change in subject. "I knew the Gallian army would need ships to do battle with the eidolon. That meant their army had to be moving towards a port of some sort. One of the archivists from Emperor Yashiro's court helped me narrow it down to just a handful of villages and cities," he explained, nodding deferentially towards Yashiro.
"His arrival came only moments too late," the queen added mournfully. "My people launched their counterattack as soon as they saw my entourage and me approaching the ruined city."
"I tried to ask them to withdraw, but by the time I finished explaining myself, the battle was already ended," Robin said, indicating the distant beach.
Morgan looked past her father and the queen, noticing a large host of Laguz waiting a short distance away. Though she could not tell the refugees and the soldiers apart, it looked as if a good number of Laguz had survived their terrible ordeal. However, as she watched them pace about restlessly, she sensed that each and every one of the once-proud Laguz felt thoroughly defeated.
"Dad, you said that you had a plan, right? One that might still work?" Morgan asked hopefully.
Robin nodded slowly. "I brought the parts to assemble four more of the magical ballistae you used against Extinction, and if we can distract the eidolon long enough, I have another weapon that may work. The problem lies in approaching Maelstrom. Back in Ferox, we had an entire squad of Pegasus knights. Even if it were safe to approach by sea instead of by air, all of Gallia's ships have been destroyed."
"Then we'll build more ships," Carina declared.
Robin looked at her skeptically. "We don't have the time to build another fleet, Your Majesty," he reminded her.
"We certainly do," Carina insisted stubbornly. "How many ships do you need, Tactician?"
Seeing that Robin still looked unconvinced, Kurth did his best to explain. "Gallia's people rarely venture far from shore," he said. "Their ships are similar to Beorc rafts, and can be quickly built."
"We can't approach Maelstrom safely aboard rafts," Morgan protested. "One splash would sweep us all away!"
To her surprise, Robin disagreed. "Actually, rafts might be perfectly suitable for our purposes," he said thoughtfully. "But even as slow as the eidolon is currently moving, by the time we've built our rafts and recovered from using warp powder, he'll be long gone."
"How long will it take for you to recover?" Carina asked, eyeing Maelstrom calculatingly and measuring the eidolon's progress.
"Six to eight hours, perhaps?" Robin guessed.
"That sounds about right," Morgan nodded.
"You'll have your eight hours and your fleet," Carina promised. "Come along." She then set off to rejoin her people without another word of explanation, leaving her puzzled allies wondering what she had in mind.
Eight hours later, three dozen crude rafts bobbed up and down atop the mild waves, just off the Gallian coastline, about fifty miles north of Arlen. Several hundred Laguz, soldiers and refugees alike, lay sprawled on the beach, looking weary yet satisfied.
Robin wore a similar expression as he and Morgan made the finishing touches on the last of their four ballistae. "There. That should do it," he said, nodding approvingly as he inspected their handiwork.
His daughter didn't share his enthusiasm. "I don't like this," Morgan mumbled. Carefully maintaining her balance aboard their wobbling craft, she glanced at each of the other three ballistae, similarly mounted upon separate vessels.
"Really?" Robin frowned. "I thought you and your mother said they worked fairly well last time."
"Not the ballistae. The ballistae are fine," Morgan clarified hastily. She tapped her foot lightly against the raft they were standing on. The raft rocked gently in response, as if to reaffirm her doubts. "It feels like these rafts could fall apart any minute now."
Her father shrugged helplessly. "Fine by us, as long as that minute comes after the battle is over," he said.
"But they won't last a second against Maelstrom," Morgan reminded glumly.
"Even a Valmese warship wouldn't last very long against him," Robin reasoned. "Given how little time we gave the Laguz to race up here and build these rafts, they actually turned out pretty well. If anything, I'm more worried about the Pegasi."
Morgan looked towards shore again, past the many weary Laguz to where her mother and sisters were waiting beside the exhausted Pegasi. "They'll be alright," she said in a rather unconvincing manner. "We were flying quite slowly. They should rested in time for tonight's battle."
"They're strong enough to pull through," Robin agreed. "I just feel awful for pushing them so hard. First the warp powder, and then flying us so far and so quickly. But it looks like we were only just in time." He pointed south and further out to sea. A shadow could be seen on the distant horizon, growing larger as Maelstrom drew steadily closer.
"He's moving faster now than when we left Arlen," Morgan observed. "It's a good thing we planned for that." She then turned her attention back to the shoreline, where she quickly spotted the rest of Gallia's army approaching from the south.
"It looks like the others are here," Robin remarked, mirroring Morgan's thoughts. "Come on. Let's regroup and prepare for battle."
The two of them set off, hopping carefully from raft to raft as they made their way back to shore. Once there, the two of them trudged across the sandy beach to meet with the rest of their allies.
As Morgan approached the Gallian army, many Laguz streamed past her. Several took the form of large cats, while others transformed into even larger tigers and lions. The Laguz paid Morgan little attention as they raced down the sandy beach, reverting to their human forms as they neared the vessels. Then, in a shockingly orderly manner, the Gallian soldiers boarded the rafts in groups of four, quickly claiming their oars and pushing their shoddy vessels out to sea.
Impressed, Morgan continued watching until the last row of rafts left the shore to join the rest of the fleet, floating about fifty feet out to sea as the Laguz awaited further instruction. She then turned to check on the worn Laguz laborers, and was glad to see them retreating further inland, understanding that their part in the battle was over.
Not all of the Laguz were as accepting of their assigned roles, however. Like those who had been charged with sprinting north and constructing the fleet, the Laguz who had been tasked with bearing their non-Gallian allies north began moving inland, but many looked disgruntled, and a few even paused to scowl at Morgan as she approached.
Morgan averted her eyes uncomfortably. The proud Laguz were understandably upset, for at their queen's behest, their part in the battle had been reduced to that of common beasts-of-burden. In fact, the young tactician suspected that had it not been for the earlier disaster at Arlen, some or all of the Laguz would have revolted openly upon receiving such orders.
Morgan understood then that Queen Gallia had staked her reputation and the trust of her people on the outcome of the coming battle. Thanks to the Laguz, the rest of Morgan's forces had reached the battlefield in time without further use of warp powder, but many of the Gallian people were now unfit for battle. If they triumphed over Maelstrom, the queen would be proven right, but if they lost...
"Well, if we lose, I don't suppose it'll matter what they think," Morgan muttered aloud, as she looked out towards the Gallian fleet, knowing that Queen Gallia herself was floating aboard one of the flimsy rafts. "I guess we'd better not lose, then." With that said, she approached the nearest cart, offering her hand to Lucina, who was struggling to climb out from it.
"Thanks," Lucina said gratefully. Once her feet found solid ground once more, she hobbled around stiffly, trying to stretch her limbs.
"Are you okay?" Morgan asked worriedly, her gaze sweeping across the princess's bedraggled form.
"I'm fine," Lucina answered tiredly. "I'm just a bit sore. These carts were meant for moving goods around, not people."
"Ow," Owain complained, rubbing his rump gingerly after Morgan helped him out of the cart as well.
"Maybe you two should sit this fight out," Morgan suggested weakly, though she suspected it was already a lost cause. She winced as both Lucina and Owain stared at her, horrified that she had even suggested such a thing.
Severa, who had snuck up silently behind Morgan, burst out laughing. "Did you really think that would work, Morgan?" she teased.
"Nope," Morgan freely admitted. "But the Laguz already launched their fleet, so it might already be too late, anyways."
"You can ferry us over to them, right?" Owain asked.
"I'm also not sure if the rafts are really safe, especially since you two are weighed down by your weapons and armor," Morgan added.
"I'll just ride behind you during the battle, then," Lucina offered.
"I'll be the one flying," Severa said. "Morgan's riding with me. That way, if any of the ballistae get within range without being destroyed, I can fly her over to them."
"Then I'll ride with Aunt Cordelia," Lucina said stubbornly.
"Then what about me?" Owain whined.
"Hmm… I have a better idea," Severa said thoughtfully. "Do you think you could fly Catria yourself, Lucy?"
Lucina hesitated. She had flown her sister's Pegasus a few times, but she was far from an expert Pegasus handler. "I think so. Why?" she asked.
"Because Mom's still worried about our little sisters," Morgan explained, catching on right away. "She might prefer to stay behind and keep an eye on them."
"She's certainly not about to leave them here alone," Severa reasoned. "Maybe she'll let you fly in her place. What do you think?"
"Then I can ride with you, Lucina," Owain added eagerly.
"That's not a bad idea," Lucina said, though she still didn't sound entirely comfortable with it.
"Umm… not to rush you or anything, but we don't have much time to think it over," Morgan said, looking over her shoulder to where Maelstrom was fast approaching.
"It'll work," Lucina decided, any trace of hesitation quickly evaporating. She, Severa, and Owain set off in a hurry.
Morgan wasn't left alone for long, though, for her other companions began to crowd her right away, evidently with the same question. She bit back an exasperated sigh as she caught a glimpse of Symphony's determined expression. "This may just be harder than the battle itself," she muttered.
At first, Maelstrom didn't even take note of the army assembled nearby. The mighty behemoth swam on, and though he still moved relatively slowly, he left a wake so great that it nearly overturned the meager Laguz rafts.
Though it looked as if Maelstrom would simply pass them by, Morgan knew that the eidolon would have to notice them soon. Even if he didn't, they would soon draw his attention forcibly. A familiar sense of dread gnawed at her as the enormous creature neared them, and she felt as if she couldn't wait for the battle to be over with. From the way Lucina tensed up, Morgan knew that her companion felt the same way.
The young tactician knew that all of her allies were in position, but found herself looking around one more time, checking on each of them. She had been overruled again and again, and nearly every one of her friends remained close by. The nearest was Severa, and riding behind her, Owain. Cordelia had willingly relinquished her Pegasus's reins to her daughters, but had advised against Lucina and Owain riding together, for neither were particularly experienced with Pegasi.
Kurth had already assumed his dragon form. He hovered above them with Yashiro and Felicia clinging tightly to his back. Nasir and Amr waited below aboard one of the rafts, for they could not fly without transforming, nor could they maintain their transformations indefinitely.
Unlike the others who were content to maintain their positions, Valent and his friends soared around restlessly, awaiting their signal. Two of the hawks carried Harmony and Symphony, while Iris flew alongside them under her own power.
"How much longer, Morgan?" Lucina whispered anxiously.
Morgan knew then that the appointed time was upon them. She hesitated, briefly entertaining the idea of letting the mighty eidolon swim past them and away from them unmolested. "That would be the sane thing to do, wouldn't it?" she whispered to herself, smiling faintly.
"What do you mean?" Lucina asked, bewildered.
"Never mind," Morgan said quickly. She drew her tome and looked up. Shimmering golden lights greeted her, swirling gracefully across the night sky above them. Enthralled, she paused for the briefest moment, temporarily distracted. "A good omen," she finally decided, as she loosed a small fireball up into the air, carefully steering it clear of her allies.
The Laguz below followed her signal with their war horns, a bold, rumbling noise that was quickly reciprocated by the many Laguz waiting ashore. As one, they started rowing forward, advancing fearlessly.
King Goldoa let out a mighty roar then, one that drowned out the war horns completely. Nasir and Amr echoed his battle cry, transforming and soaring up from the fleet to join their king. The three dragons glided ahead, with the hawks and Severa following close behind.
Not a single person cowered when Maelstrom's gargantuan, skeletal head swiveled to face them, but as the eidolon shifted in the water, the slight flexing motion alone sent a massive wave rushing towards the Laguz fleet. Morgan cringed as she watched the brutal tide swallow one row of the Laguz vessels after another. When the powerful waves withdrew, it looked as if more than two thirds of the Laguz soldiers had been swept overboard.
But the simplicity of their rafts worked to their advantage. Most of the vessels remained intact and stayed afloat even after being flipped over. Though a few unfortunate passengers had been crushed, most of the Laguz were already scrambling aboard once more. Almost immediately, Morgan saw that two of the ballista-bearing rafts remained intact and right-side up. A third had been overturned, only to be quickly righted by its Laguz protectors.
It took every ounce of discipline Morgan possessed to keep herself from asking Lucina to fly her to the nearest ballista. In order to keep her mind from dwelling on the ballista they had already lost, Morgan kept her attention focused on her flying allies.
Kurth was the first to strike, and breathed forth a whorl of raw, black energy to form a nearly-invisible pool on the eidolon's back. Two streams of white mist followed, as well as a fierce torrent of flames as Begnion's emperor joined the fray. Maelstrom reared up and let out a roar of its own, dwarfing the dragons' battle cries and sending another wave outward to crash into the Laguz fleet.
Morgan cringed again, and could only hope that that wave would be the last, for when the waters began to still once more, only two ballistae remained.
Though the very air seemed to tremble from the eidolon's roar, Severa surged ahead and past her allies, guiding her Pegasus towards the behemoth's fins. "Are you ready?" she called to Owain.
"What!?" Owain hollered back, unable to hear her over the din. As they continued to speed up, he wrapped his arms around Severa's waist, clinging tightly.
"Oaf," Severa groaned in dismay. She had finally found what she had sought: a section on Maelstrom's fin that appeared cracked and vulnerable. They were close enough now for Owain to drop onto their enemy's back, but he didn't seem interested in doing so.
And truthfully, Severa wasn't sure she wanted him to. There was simply no way for Owain to maintain his footing while standing atop of the thrashing behemoth. Silently apologizing to her sister for deviating from her orders, Severa pulled away instead, slowing her Pegasus and hefting a javelin. Her throw was as accurate as she could have hoped for, driving the javelin's head deep into the eidolon's fin.
"Pass me another javelin!" Severa ordered, raising her voice in hopes that Owain would hear her.
Owain opened his eyes cautiously, but instead of reaching for Catria's saddlebags, he began measuring the distance between them and their target. "We're too far! I can't jump from here!" he cried.
"You don't have to shout in my ear," Severa informed him irritably. "And he's moving too much for us to get any closer," she lied.
"Well… what are we going to do, then?" Owain asked in a small voice, now so quiet that Severa could barely hear him.
"Just pass me my javelins," Severa repeated flatly. A moment later, she resumed her barrage, hurling javelin after javelin at the eidolon's fin.
"I think this is about as much of an opening as we're going to get," Morgan declared. "Let's go, Lucina."
"Are you sure?" Lucina asked, eyeing the Laguz rafts fearfully. The eidolon continued to thrash and writhe, rendering the waters hazardously turbulent. Few, if any, of the rafts remained under control. Some of the Laguz were still struggling for control over their vessels, but many more had abandoned their efforts and were trying to swim back to shore.
And even more had disappeared beneath the frothing, deadly waves.
"There!" Morgan said, pointing towards one of the rafts below. Two Laguz were standing by one of the magical ballista, signaling towards them frantically.
Lucina shelved her doubts, trusting in Morgan, and urged their Pegasus into a dive, gliding towards the indicated raft. Once they were floating only a few feet above it, Morgan carefully slid down from Catria's back. Despite her small stature, the added weight caused the raft to rock uncontrollably. A strong wave struck the raft a split second later, and the Laguz soldier who had been in the process of loading a bolt lost his footing, sliding overboard. As he fell, his projectile slipped from his grasp, tumbling after him.
"No!" Morgan cried out in protest, diving to catch the bolt. She fell flat on her stomach against the raft, and felt only a rush of air as the bolt slipped past her fingertips. There was an audible, haunting splash, disproportionately loud over the crashing waves, as the heavy projectile fell into the ocean's waiting clutches.
Forcing herself back to her feet, the young tactician raced towards the raft's edge, meaning to fish out the bolt before it sank too far. She had only gone a single step when something forcefully pushed her aside, and she looked up to see only a blur of motion as the other Laguz leapt overboard.
"Wait, don't!" Morgan cried, though she knew she was far too late. The waters churned violently, and the young tactician was thrown to her knees, grabbing onto the ballista to keep herself from sliding overboard, too. She clung on desperately, fighting off a sickening feeling as she tried not to think of the Laguz who had just almost certainly leapt to a watery grave.
Then there was another loud splash, and Morgan nearly lost her grip as the thoroughly soaked Laguz stubbornly clawed herself back onto the raft, the lost ballista bolt clamped tightly in her jaw.
"Start casting, Morgan!" Carina ordered, transforming back into her human shape before rushing forth to load the bolt once more.
"Queen Gallia?" Morgan gaped in surprise, having entirely forgotten that the queen had taken it upon herself to safeguard one of the ballista-bearing rafts.
"Hurry!" Gallia's young queen pleaded. The ballista clicked loudly as she locked the bolt into place.
Without another word, Morgan retrieved her light tome and placed it atop the lectern. The bolt began to shimmer brightly with magically conjured light as Morgan took careful aim, then fired.
There was another bright flash from somewhere nearby, and Morgan's magic-infused bolt was followed by a second shining projectile. The two bolts sliced through the air, leaving trails of sparkling light behind them before burrowing into Maelstrom's nigh impenetrable hide.
The massive eidolon reared up suddenly, and a deafening, unearthly wail poured forth from its gaping skeletal maw. The aerial combatants closest to the beast recoiled as bolts of crackling, cursed lightning rained down around them, and another wave rose around the eidolon and gushed outward, greater than any that had come before.
"Get out of here, Morgan!" Carina instructed, eyeing the wave fearlessly.
"But…" Morgan began to protest, as Lucina swooped towards them, her hand outstretched.
"Don't worry about me. Just go!" Carina demanded.
Obediently, Morgan took Lucina's hand as she approached. Lucina pulled her swiftly aboard, then soared up just high enough to avoid the gigantic wave as it rolled past, swallowing the remaining rafts. When the ocean calmed once more, less than a quarter of the rafts remained, and the rest of the Laguz had surrendered their fight for the battered vessels, instead swimming frantically away from the eidolon.
A flapping sound drew Morgan's attention away from the escaping Laguz. "I'm sorry," Iris gasped apologetically, shifting back into the shape of a winged human as she approached. "We managed to get one shot off, but we didn't have time to load a second bolt."
"It's okay," Morgan said comfortingly. "We only got one shot off, too, but I think that was enough. Look!" She pointed towards Maelstrom. The colossus eidolon had noticeably slowed, as if the magical bolts and the continual aerial onslaught had left him crippled, or at least winded. Though the waters continued to churn around him, the ripples faded quickly. "Nice shot, Iris."
"I didn't… it wasn't… one of the others aimed the bolt, not me," Iris stammered.
"Good spell, then," Lucina congratulated, smiling warmly.
"Get yourself to safety, Iris. We'll see you later, once the battle's over," Morgan promised. "Come on, Lucina. Let's end this."
"This isn't working," Owain noted dully.
"Really? You don't say?" Severa snarled angrily as she embedded yet another javelin into the eidolon's fin. Though Maelstrom was either too weary or too lazy to move, the air was suddenly permeated by the stench of burning ozone. Severa instinctively urged her Pegasus into a steep dive a split second before a crackling bolt of lightning arced through the air, narrowly missing them.
Shaken by the rolling thunder, Owain pressed himself tightly against Severa's back. "We can't stay here!" he cried, though his voice was so muffled that his words were barely discernable.
"Good idea," Severa acknowledged, noticing that Maelstrom's magical lightning seemed to shoot forth from his fins, and always traveled outward. Instead of reaching for another javelin, she drew Passion instead. "Hold on tight," she warned.
Without any further warning, her Pegasus swerved in towards the eidolon, flying too quickly for Owain to even consider letting go. "Slow down!" he cried, realizing that he was close enough for a jump.
Severa ignored him and leveled her lance carefully towards Maelstrom's fin, slicing a deep gash between where her javelins protruded. As she spun away, her lance's shaft clipped one of the javelins, driving it deeper.
"I can't jump when you're flying so fast!" Owain complained as Severa banked hard, soaring away from their enemy once again.
"That's the idea," Severa grumbled quietly. She readied herself for another pass, but stopped as she saw another Pegasus soaring towards her. "Lucy! Morgan!" she called, relieved.
A quick glance at the eidolon's wounded fin told Morgan everything she needed to know. "Perfect," she concluded. She drew a second tome, one that she had borrowed, bound in fine green cloth. A vicious gale spun forth, more powerful than any wind spell the young tactician had previously conjured, ripping into the eidolon and tearing the javelins aside, widening the wounds.
The eidolon shuddered, and though it had clearly felt the violent blow, it remained relatively still.
A shadow fell over them, and Morgan glanced upward to see Kurth flying overhead.
"Closer, Lucina," Morgan urged, exchanging the tome she had borrowed from Soren for a staff.
Lucina obeyed, bringing Catria right up to the wounded fin, and Morgan gestured with her staff, her mind reaching out to shore.
There was a sudden flash, and Robin appeared beside them, perched atop another lectern. This lectern had been outfitted with a long and heavy iron spike, and as soon as it materialized, it plummeted down, burrowing deep into the eidolon's back. It, and Robin, came to a rest beside the cracked fin. Kurth descended quickly, allowing Yashiro to step down onto Maelstrom's back beside Robin.
"Good luck!" Morgan called to them, as Lucina began flying towards the eidolon's skull.
"You too!" Robin acknowledged, saluting casually as he brandished his own tome.
Further down Maelstrom's back, Morgan came across Valent and his friends, who were still frantically tearing at another of the eidolon's fins. Harmony was with them, alternating attacks with her sword and her tome, though her blows seemed equally ineffective. "How's this?" Valent called when he saw Lucina and Morgan approaching.
Morgan frowned, unable to tell that the fin had even been wounded. The large, shallow crack that ran the length of the fin remained, but any other damage inflicted by the hawk Laguz and Harmony was undiscernible. "I don't know," Morgan admitted. She glanced at the eidolon's side, where Kurth, Nasir, and Amr had struck. The eidolon's hide there was cracked, too, and looked far more vulnerable, but the young tactician couldn't see any way of embedding another lectern in Maelstrom's side.
"Where's Symphony?" Lucina asked with a frown, noticing that Harmony's brother was conspicuously absent.
"He went down that way," Harmony said, gesturing towards the eidolon's skull. "He said he was looking for another weak point."
"Let's see if he found what he was looking for," Lucina suggested. Morgan reluctantly agreed, and they set off once more, flying along Maelstrom's back. Finally, they came across Symphony, standing at the base of the eidolon's skull.
"Hey there," Symphony greeted them. "Did Harmony and the others break through the fin?"
"Not really," Morgan said, glancing at the gaping hole at Symphony's feet.
"Damn. Will this work, then?" Symphony asked, jabbing the head of one sickle into the wound. There was a horrible squelching sound, and Maelstrom seemed to tremble as the sharp blade bit in.
"Absolutely," Morgan said, grinning ear-to-ear. "You head on back to shore; we'll be right behind you."
"Wait. Have you two seen Iris?" Symphony asked.
"She's fine. We asked her to withdraw once we lost the ballistae," Lucina assured. "She's waiting for you back at shore."
"Alright. Good luck," Symphony said, invoking his warp powder and leaving Lucina and Morgan alone.
Only for the briefest second, though, for after another pass of Morgan's staff, Soren appeared beside them along with a second lectern. Morgan's aim proved perfect, and the lectern's spike fell directly atop of the gaping wound Symphony had left.
"My tome," Soren requested, reorienting himself quickly.
"Here," Morgan said, leaping down and passing the tome over. She watched, fascinated, as Soren set to work, first invoking a light rune to create a cage of shimmering white energy around the base of the lectern, then wielding his tome to fill the magical prism with whirling winds, crackling with glowing viridian light.
When he was finished, he looked expectantly towards Morgan. "Your turn," he prompted her, when she didn't move.
"Oh, right!" Morgan said, blushing. She hastily set her light tome into the lectern, and prepared to add her magic to the impending blast.
But then she heard a familiar melodic voice, singing words that meant nothing, yet everything, to her. She hesitated, and glanced down to Eternity, sheathed and belted at her hip.
"Hurry, Morgan. We don't have much time," Lucina urged.
Soren eyed her curiously, following the direction of her gaze to the sword, and understood. "Trust her," he said.
"You can hear it? The voice?" Morgan asked, shocked.
Lucina looked at the two tacticians, bewildered, but neither paid her any attention. "Of course not," Soren said. "But if you can hear her, then do as she wishes."
Morgan eyed him calculatingly for a few seconds before complying. She removed her tome from the lectern and drew Eternity, resting the blade's tip in her tome's place.
Sapphire flames swirled within the light rune, joining Soren's conjured winds to form a compressed, blazing vortex. The magic within the rune shined brighter with each passing second, bathing the area around them in a soft blue light, overshadowing the reflections of the golden lights above.
"Good enough," Soren interrupted, seizing Morgan's arm and pulling her away from the lectern.
"But…"
"The signal, then the warp powder," Soren instructed firmly. "Before your father's rune fades, killing him, Begnion's emperor, and Goldoa's king."
With that ominous possibility looming over her, Morgan fumbled with her belt, sheathing Eternity. She emerged with her fire tome and warp powder in hand.
Less than thirty seconds later, everyone present, even those capable of flying under their own power, had vacated the eidolon's back. Joined by those who had not participated in the battle and those who had been forced from the battlefield earlier, they stood atop a wide ridge, watching from a safe distance as the first rune collapsed.
Flames exploded outwards from the center of the eidolon as the first light rune collapsed. Lightning sprayed erratically in every direction, crashing thunderously against the behemoth, eliciting another agonized wail.
And then the second light rune, too, expired. Azure flames spread from just behind the monstrosity's skull, dragged along by howling winds and lining the creature's ebon flesh. The holy blue flames collided with the emperor's crimson embers, consuming them and spreading even further, until the entirety of the eidolon's back was covered in a raging, cerulean wildfire.
Maelstrom let out another agonized wail and bowed his back, caving beneath the devastating magic. Morgan's shimmering flames continued to spread, flaring out from Maelstrom's skull, the wounds along his side, and the cracks on his unwounded fins, until they completely engulfed the dire eidolon.
In his desperation, Maelstrom turned to sea, diving as deep as he could in the shallow waters. Even the ocean could not quench the sacred flames, though, and the sea itself began to glow as the flames crackled hungrily beneath the water's surface. Then, with one final shudder, the eidolon went still, and its horrid form began wilting and flaking away.
"Show-off," Chrom said, though he couldn't hide his broad smile.
"I thought you could use some good news," Robin replied nonchalantly, though he had to practically scream to be heard through the enchanted mirror over the chorus of cheers.
"It makes for a nice change in pace," Chrom admitted. "The blue flames were a nice touch. Did you actually bring your flame-coloring substances with you, or did you find some there?"
"Neither, actually. I'm not sure where they came from," Robin admitted.
"They were Morgan's doing," Cordelia said, remembering the same flames from the battle against Extinction.
"Nice. Once we track down that damned dragon, do you think she'd be willing to blow him up for us, too?" Chrom asked.
"You still have no idea where he is?" Robin asked, surprised. "How could such a large creature disappear unnoticed?"
"No idea. Then again, we only just returned to Ylisstol and sent out Cynthia's Pegasus knights. Maybe they'll have some information for us when they get back," Chrom said with a shrug. "Or maybe Ferox knows something about it. Frederick says Feroxi messengers arrived about half an hour ago, and are on their way to the palace now."
"A Feroxi messenger, eh?" Robin mused.
"It might just be one of the khans looking for a champion again," Chrom pointed out.
"Probably," Robin conceded. "Oh well. We won't hold you up. Let me know if you learn anything, though."
"Of course. You and Cordelia have better things to do, anyways. Like enjoying your little celebration," Chrom teased.
Robin groaned, but before he could remind Chrom that their problems were far from settled, the mirror went dark. "Very funny," he remarked anyways.
"He's right, though," Cordelia said, clasping Robin's hand in hers. "We might not have very long to celebrate."
"We might be out of time already," Robin said, nodding towards the beach, where some of the Laguz were already hard at work, pulling survivors and fallen friends alike from the tides and wreckages. "Cordelia?"
"Hmm?"
"I'm sorry," Robin apologized. "I know I shouldn't have brought the girls out here. I didn't want to do it. I wish I had time to come up with something else, and I know…"
"It's alright," Cordelia interrupted. "You were right. We did need your help, and the girls are safer here with us than, well, anywhere else."
"Maybe, but I think it's time for me to take them back to Begnion," Robin said. "I don't want them to see us cleaning up after the battle."
"Okay, but you get to convince them that it's time to leave," Cordelia said, smirking as she drew Robin's attention to where Lucina, Severa, and Owain were playing with the two younger girls.
"That's fair," Robin surrendered with a deep sigh. "You'll stay and look after the others?"
"Of course. We'll be back soon, too," Cordelia promised, pulling her husband into a tight embrace. "Take care of yourself, too. Alright?"
"I'll try, but no promises," Robin said playfully, pulling away quickly and answering her sudden scowl with a disarming smile.
Just below the ridge, Soren leaned against the mossy stone, watching as the Laguz labored over their fallen friends. His distant stare bore past them, and out to sea, while his mind raced furiously, pondering their next move.
Until he heard the soft footsteps atop the ridge and realize he wasn't alone. "Looking for me?" Soren called out.
The footsteps paused for a moment. Then Morgan carefully climbed down the ridge, landing beside him. She said nothing at first, and like Soren, found herself watching the Laguz soldiers at work. "We should help them," she finally said.
"We just used warp powder. We don't have the strength to help them, and would only get in their way," Soren reminded.
"Oh. Right."
"Did you want to ask me something?" Soren prompted when Morgan fell silent.
"Earlier… you asked me to trust her," Morgan said. "Ashunera, right? Tellius's goddess?"
"I did," Soren confirmed.
"But you said you couldn't hear her. How did you know she was talking to me? If that's what she was doing," Morgan asked.
"Your expression made it quite clear," Soren said. "And it wasn't unexpected, after our battle in Daein."
"I guess," Morgan said. She struggled for some time to phrase her next question. "You and the Radiant Hero fought against her, right? Or her light half, at least.
"Light half? Not exactly," Soren mused. "Ashera was the goddess of order and stability, opposite to Yune, the goddess of chaos. Old Dheginsea, Kurth's father, labeled Yune a dark god, but that was only a myth."
"But Ashera was your enemy once," Morgan pressed. "And if Yune was the goddess of chaos, why are you so sure we can trust them? Her?"
"Blind faith, I suppose. What else can it be when there's a goddess involved?" Soren answer evasively.
Morgan eyed him thoughtfully, recognizing his deflection for what it was. "You're not a priest, Soren," she said slowly.
"And never has anyone mistaken me for one," Soren replied.
"This isn't just about faith," Morgan continued, undaunted. "You know something about her. Something that I don't know, not that that's difficult, since I don't know anything about her, really. But something's convinced you that she's on our side. Right?"
"And if that's true?" Soren asked.
Morgan shrugged and smiled. "Well, that's good enough for me."
At last, Soren turned to face the younger tactician. He said nothing, though, and only stared at her, torn between curiosity and incredulity.
"What is it?" Morgan asked, her smile fading slightly.
"That's all you wanted to hear? I didn't even answer any of your questions," Soren pointed out disbelievingly.
"You're not that hard to read," Morgan said, unconcerned. "Besides, I figured as much already before I came over to talk to you. I was just curious… I still am, really. But you don't seem to want to talk about it, and I'm sure you have a good reason for that."
Soren looked towards the sea once more, deliberately avoiding Morgan's gaze. "You're far too trusting," he chided gently.
"You're probably right," Morgan agreed, thinking of Lunete. "But after these past couple months, I think we're safe to trust each other. I hope so, anyways."
Though she didn't realize it, her rambling struck a chord within Soren. He didn't really have a good reason for keeping Morgan in the dark, not when, unbeknownst to the younger tactician, he had already entrusted his life to her.
"Priest or not, it really is about faith," he finally said, making up his mind. "Maybe not completely blind; back in Daein, I saw a miracle with my own eyes, after all."
Morgan shot him a quizzical look. "And you're sure it was from her?" she asked.
"As sure as I could hope to be," Soren said. He paused for a moment, searching for the right words. "She… spoke to me. Or, at the very least, I thought she was standing before me, and thought I could hear her voice. At the time, we were on the verge of losing everything, and yet, we still managed to find our way."
"You spoke with her, huh? I guess that explains a lot," Morgan said thoughtfully. When she saw the odd look Soren leveled her way, she laughed. "Yeah, I know. I'm too trusting, right?" she teased.
"Accepting a story like that without question? Maybe just a bit," Soren said dryly.
"Listening to you seems to be working for me so far," Morgan pointed out cheerily. "You even tried to warn me about Lady Lunete, only I didn't understand until it was too late. I'm sure you're right in trusting this goddess, too. You'll see."
