The Shape of Things to Come

It's time to continue the journey of terror throughout an altered Archanea. Is Merric truly dead, or was that violent experience just a disturbing dream in his head? Let the true terror begin.

"Merric…"

The familiar voice echoed throughout the blackness that was Merric's mind. As opposed to the piercing pain from the earlier attack by those monsters, he now felt numb.

"Merric…"

It was not Princess Elice who was speaking to him. No, this was the voice of another woman—a woman who had aided him, Marth, and the alliance in the struggle against a certain dark pontifex. Slowly opening his eyes and hurriedly sitting up, he examined the room to realize what had become of him following the attack, only to then be coaxed into relaxing by one of his friends, Linde.

"L… Linde?" he muttered confusedly. It came to his attention that his current location was inside a small medical house, presumably in Altea. Unused healing tomes were located off to one side of the room, arranged by order of effect on three shelves. As well, physical healing supplies of various colors and effects were present on additional shelves located closer to Merric's bed. While the overhead chandelier was not active, the two open windows allowed light to splash onto the walls and the floor, alongside the two mages. An illuminated oil lamp on a small table supplemented the outside fog's dim atmosphere. The tan-colored walls of wood clashed with the colorful items with its monotonous tone.

"Relax, Merric," the brunette mage demanded. "Don't push yourself too hard." The daughter of Miloah was clothed in her usual pink dress but lacked the usual tiara on her head. Only her flats shielded her feet from the cold ground, and her hair was fashioned into a ponytail. "How do you feel?"

"My body feels like it's been broken by a boulder, but I should be fine for now. How did you find me?"

"I was on my way from the beach to visit the Altean royal palace and have some tea with Lord Marth, but just when I was ready to leave, a strange fog began to spread across the area. I suspect that this new weather is something unusual."

"And you found me along the way?"

Linde increased the intensity of the lamp's fire. "You were inside a broken chariot, which looked like it had experienced a serious crash. The driver and his horses were dead, but you were lucky enough to have survived with relatively moderate injuries."

"Really? So, what I had experienced earlier was…" Merric was noticeably hesitant to reveal his frightening encounter with those monsters, fearing embarrassment as well as a possible accusation of make-believe.

"What's wrong, Merric?" The flustered expression on the young man's face did not escape Linde's eyes. She knew that he wanted to explain something, but something was restraining him. Was embarrassment the main problem, or could it be something else?

"Oh, nothing. I was just veering off-topic for a second there. So, after finding me, did you meet up with Lord Marth?"

"Even with the sudden disappearance of everyone in this town, I hoped that he would be in the palace, preferably trying to resolve what has happened here. For some reason, though, he was not there…"

"And what about Caeda?" Merric stared from the open window to verify that his colleague's description of the environment was true; not only was the fog still there, but there did not seem to be anybody in the town aside from him and Linde.

"Caeda?" Linde initially exhibited a look of confusion on her face, but it did not take long for her to recognize the woman to whom Merric was referring. "Oh, you mean Shiida? She wasn't there, either."

The student of Wendell frowned slightly upon remembering Caeda's original Talysian name. "Right, I can never get myself to remember the slight dialect differences… Still, given what you've said so far, there is something strange that's going on here. We don't know what is causing this fog or the disappearances, but-"

His tongue suddenly froze upon remembering his dream. Princess Elice was in that chariot with him, and if she was currently missing like she was during that twisted chain of events…

"Oh, no… Lady Elice!"

"What's wrong?" Linde asked gently.

"Elice was with me in that crashed chariot. We were traveling towards a beach to spend some time together and perhaps expand upon our love. Did you find her?"

"Unfortunately, I have not. Are you implying that she could be in danger?

"It's possible, but in any case, I can't just abandon her. I need to find her!" Merric was ready to depart from the room, but Linde was quick to stop him.

"Wait, you need to rest for a while. Your injuries may not be too severe in general, but you aren't ready for long-term travel just yet, even with the treatment for your bruises. I understand that you care deeply for Princess Elice, but it's unwise to exacerbate your current condition."

"Can't you use a healing tome on me?"

Linde lowered her head in disappointment. "That's the problem; I can't. I've tried using multiple healing tomes in here, and none of them worked. Perhaps the fog is responsible for the interference, but in the meantime, I'll try to find help wherever it's available. I also promise to find Elice for you, so don't get too stressed out over her disappearance."

Merric, his numbness now succumbing to pain—specifically from injuries not felt in the dream—was tempted to argue against his friend's position. However, it was clear that she was firm in her instructions to him and that arguing would lead him nowhere. Disappointed, he pretended to make a promise to her. "Fine… I'll stay here and keep watch over the building. Oh, and how do you intend to defend yourself if you run into danger?"

"I found an unused spear in the armory. Now, get some rest." Linde exited the room and left Merric by himself. With nobody else to observe him, he removed his robe and the underlying shirt to reveal that there were indeed bruises on his body; additional dark spots were located on his legs when he rolled up the legs of his trousers. Each bruise was covered by a semi-adhesive cotton pad with a soothing gel placed on its underside. Furthermore, there was some minor damage to his overall clothing in the form of small holes and dirt. While sitting up, he reflected on the events that had transpired so far.

The horrific descent into a dark world could not have been real, given the lack of any wounds inflicted by the monsters, yet the fog and the deserted state of the town were still around. Linde's mention of non-functional tomes added yet another layer of mystery, for there was no clear explanation. It was reasonably plausible that the fog could be responsible, but unless hard evidence came to light, such a position was only weakly defensible. On top of everything else, Elice was still missing. In Merric's mind, she could be stuck in deep danger…

And those monsters… Even setting aside the fact that they were only present in an apparent nightmare, their characteristics stood out with their hellish and gruesome aura. What could have provoked the mage's mind to imagine anything that would have been far more horrific than even the vile Gharnef and his servants, to say nothing of the dark dragon—the one called Medeus? Anything of that sort would have been surrealistically ugly.

And the transformation in the forest was not forgotten, either. There was no clear mechanism on how a fog-filled forest could switch to a decaying and blackened version of itself.

Left with more questions than answers, Merric slowly stood up and exited the room. He found himself in the main hall of the building, a single-floor structure with multiple rooms for those with ailments or physical injuries. Empty chairs were arranged in a rectangular pattern, positioned in front of a large table with lists on its top. The fireplace on the south end—towards Merric's left—was covered with ashes that had ceased to smolder long ago, and near that place was an old shovel with a steel handle. All the windows were open and allowed light to illuminate a room that would have otherwise been jet-black. The western exit was decorated with an unused magical staff. Despite Linde's warning about staying here, Merric was determined to reunite with Elice. Doing so would be an obligation of love for the innocent princess and a strong sign of friendship towards Marth.

Stretching his spine to avoid discomfort, Merric fastened his shirt and the blue robe, keeping Excalibur in a handy bag under the latter piece of clothing. After rolling down his trouser legs, he was about to leave for the outside world when a new event abruptly froze him in place.

Bzzzz…

"What the…?" The golden warp staff in front of the mage unexpectedly emitted a strange buzz of the low-pitched variety, complete with a slight flickering in the blue gem. This sight would have been interpreted as a flaw in the staff's composition, but Merric remembered that the object was not buzzing beforehand. Therefore, he suspected that something was triggering a reaction from it. He exited the building and traveled to the left, noting that the buzzing was weakening with each centimeter traversed. Conversely, his stroll towards the right agitated the staff just enough to increase the buzzing's volume. With his eyes now peering north, Merric progressed in that direction but suddenly halted himself when a chewing sound echoed from a nearby alleyway.

"Huh?" Construing the noise as a possible indicator of another person in the town, the student of Wendell reduced his walk cycle to a slow creep without loud footsteps. Perpetual buzzing vibrated his eardrums to such a degree that he felt like it would echo in his mind for a long time if he kept the staff close to him for another minute. As he dragged himself around the corner, the flickering also intensified. His hope initially remained strong about discovering someone in the misty world aside from Linde, but it was suddenly dashed when the end of the dark corridor contained not what he had expected to find. No, it was something much worse.

"…!" Within the shadows was something that would have been more adjusted to the terrible world of Merric's nightmare. The creature closely resembled a dog, but there were many alterations that far separated it from ordinary members of the canine family. Its teeth, currently chewing on a slab of rotten meat, were extraordinarily sharp; in fact, they seemed strong enough to rip through flesh if they so desired. Much of its skin was missing, and this lack of outer covering exposed pale bones and decaying internal organs. Even the few bits of furry skin that were clinging to the body were stained with old blood, blended partially with the exposed muscle. The mutilated dog's eyes were eerily white, devoid of even the smallest of blood vessels. Overall, the hellish creature was enough to provoke Merric into fleeing, but before he could follow through with his plan, it rotated and caught him within its sights. He had not the time to react when the monster swiftly charged at him.

Whoosh…

The mage had the reflexes to swipe at his new adversary with the buzzing staff, but even with the force he had exerted into the attack, the dog proved to be more resilient compared to ordinary creatures. After his second attack, he received a near-chomping at his right arm, which he barely parried with the staff. While defending himself, he noticed an axe outside the woodchopping place, placed next to an unused pile of chopped logs. The building itself was directly behind him.

"Gah!" Merric sprinted towards what could be a useful weapon for the upcoming journey—all while evading the faster monster behind him—and leaped over the fence prior to lifting his desired item. However, his effort at raising the axe left him vulnerable to two rows of sharp teeth at his left angle.

CHOMP!

On top of the lingering effects of the bruises, a deep pain infected his leg as his free foot continuously kicked the monstrosity at the ribs. Merric refused to scream, but not even his willpower could prevent him from whimpering and grunting. It took multiple blows to remove the sharp teeth and leave the dog open for a subsequent attack. The mage raised his axe and swung it down…

SPLACK!

The first blow shattered the deformed dog's skull into pieces and ripped through the flesh, and every one that followed it inflicted severe damage onto many other parts of the deformed body. For good measure, Merric stomped on the creature's head twice. With the creature's life signs having faded into memory, the staff ceased its persistent buzzing.

"Where did this thing come from?" Merric questioned, examining the slain dog. "More importantly, since this is no dream, what is happening to this place?" Now knowing that Elice and possibly all his friends could be in even greater danger than he had realized, he obtained a sheath on the chopping table and became more determined than ever to execute his self-imposed mission. The sheath, originally meant for the axe, soon became the resting place of the magical staff. Merric noted that the staff had reacted to the horrific monster's presence while the beast was still living, so if he carried the magical object with him, he could be better prepared for incoming threats. The axe remained in his hands.

"I need to get some healing supplies from the medical house, then I should check that forest trail in the dream." After retreating to the house and obtaining as many medical supplies as his bag could carry, Merric exited the town and recalled the trail taken by Elice during the unnerving nightmare. He treated his bite wounds first before leaving, utilizing bandages and some disinfectant.

She took the trail towards the lake. Perhaps I can find her there, but if I don't, I must search for her elsewhere. There could be a clue to her whereabouts.

He slipped past the gate and into the open field, a place where the staff detected more monsters in the vicinity. These enemies simply consisted of more deformed dogs and pterodactyls, but they were predictable enough to let the speedy Merric slip past them without major issues—even with the bite wounds. One pterodactyl tried to catch the mage with its claws, but it was greeted with a fast axe to the head.

CRACK!

The winged beast plummeted from the sky instantly and was stomped by its opponent. Two dogs tried to chase their intended victim down, but Merric proved to be too swift and forced them to abandon their pursuit. The chilling atmosphere and the subdued look of the forest were the same as they were in the dream, but the sky did not descend into darkness this time. Merric was expecting the trail to be unaltered, but a high stack of fallen trees blocked access to the lake. In front of the stack was a small book that, at first glance, appeared unremarkable.

"There's something here," the green-haired man, while catching his breath from sprinting towards the clear body of water and carrying the heavy axe, noted. He lowered his weapon momentarily and dusted the book clean before peering into its contents. Upon reading through the first few pages, the writing soon alerted him to what the book truly was.

"Is this… Elice's diary?" Merric felt a slight rush of deep embarrassment in his mind as the fact that he had unintentionally peered into the princess's private thoughts, especially on more taboo subjects, slammed into him like a hard brick. He was about to seal the book shut when he received the small view of a red marking on the side of the pages, which almost seemed picayune. He opened the diary to the marked portion and soon grasped the presence of a new message, painted with red ink:

TO MACEDON

"Macedon? What could she be doing out in Macedon?" He flipped to the next pair of pages and found another message, also in red ink:

MAGIC ACADEMY

"I didn't even know that Macedon had a magic academy. I should go over there as soon as possible, but a travel to Macedon on foot will be grueling. And there are no horses to use…" Merric turned to the next page as he contemplated his decision to travel across numerous misty lands to Macedon, unaware of a small gem that fell out of the diary prior to a small tap. When he finally noticed the fallen object, he examined its orange structure for anything unusual about it, albeit to no avail. The next pair of pages read:

USE WITH WARP STAFF

I should head back to the town. Keeping the gem close, he retreated to his original location.

Minutes later…

"Hmm… Let's see what happens if I use this gem with the staff." After having traveled back to the central town of Altea while avoiding more monsters along the way, Merric stood silently at the town square and fastened the gem onto the staff with a necklace-like chain that was attached to the former object. He pointed at the ground and concentrated his willpower on the staff, hoping to execute something beneficial for his journey. An orange glow emerged from the tip and soon covered the ground immediately in front of him with a portal that, through visual magic, created an image of the entire Archanean continent. The map came with borders that distinguished each of the old kingdoms, those that had existed prior to the War of Heroes. Merric did not hesitate to select the region of Macedon with the tip of his staff, the result of which was a portal with a gloomy image of the once-prosperous capital town of Iote's kingdom.

Whoosh…

The world around him fell silent as the portal forcefully dragged him to his destination, which served as a stark contrast to the physical forces that battered him until the transfer quietly ended. The area around him was a swirl of brown, black, red, and orange lights—a better representation of the dead forest in Merric's nightmare than of the fog that pervaded the continent. When he finally exited the dark passage, he found himself in Macedon's capital town. As with Altea, the area was swallowed by a heavy fog that seemed endless. There was nobody in clear view, neither human nor monster, but the mage suspected that the scenario could change in a flash. Nevertheless, he was still determined to search for Elice in this surreal world.

"Elice, I will find you by any means necessary. I will not let you die…"

And Merric's ready to dive into the heart of the horror. Macedon will be his first stop, but will he find Elice there? We can only hope that he does…

A/N:

-To reconcile the differences in some of the characters' names—such as with Caeda/Shiida—I figured that it would be appropriate to propose a theory which involves slight differences in some Archanean dialects, as was noted during the conversation between Linde and Merric.

-The monsters so far are—excluding the hatchling in the first chapter—the same ones that are found in Silent Hill, but I will bring forth creatures that are based on the psychologies of some of the Fire Emblem characters. There may also be creatures from other games in the Silent Hill series, but that's not guaranteed.

-While Merric is the main protagonist of the story and the character who will receive the most attention, some chapters will focus on other characters as they try to battle the nightmare, with Linde being one such example.

Read, review, wash your hands, and stay tuned for the next chapter.