Chapter 42: Sea Skirmish


Gangrel paced the ship cabin. The ship groaned around them, complaining over the weeks spent at sea. The remnants of the pirate fleet limped after them, and Aversa could only tsk over how ragged they all looked, through the cabin windows. And Gangrel decided to give her a good, sharp glare.

"Well, we've done as you wished. Melted into the waters… Now are you going to favor me with some information, in exchange for sparing AND saving that delicate neck of yours?" He didn't care that his voice sounded somewhere between a threat and a sulk. After having to separate yet another head from the body of a mutineer, Gangrel wasn't in the mood to bandy words.

Aversa laid a hand on his, favoring him with a smug smile and her touch almost a patronizing pat. She led him to the window of the ship cabin, sitting down by the window seat and motioning out towards the waves.

Gangrel scowled, failing to see the point of watching the ocean.

'The damn waters won't keep us from Walhart for too long.' The ship was showing signs of wear and tear, from the storm and the forced flight… And it wouldn't be long before they picked up battle scars.

"We can't hide from Walhart forever. And who knows if he's decided to torch Wreckage."

"Not interested in being the king of burned buildings and more flotsam, are you?" Aversa gave a light chuckle. "Well… I promise you this much, Walhart is likely most interested in chasing us down, to make an example out of us for his other privateers."

"And how are we supposed to face his fleet when we DO meet with him?"

"With more than swords and the simple magic your crew uses. You haven't forgotten that spell we worked to the smash Emmeryn's fleet already, have you?"

He paused at that, and looked at the waves.

"…And how pray tell do we use that? You know how to call it again?" He'd be lying, if he said there wasn't some appeal to that thought. Even Walhart's fleet would be hard pressed against power like that.

"But of course. You know, as fellow Plegians, our birthright lurks beneath the waves."

"Old tales." Gangrel spat. Aversa's smile broadened, infuriatingly smug.

"Old… But time hasn't made them any less true."

Gangrel rolled his eyes at that… But still found himself listening to Aversa.

"Do you think the greater part of Plegia's civilization truly died, when it sank beneath the waves? There were too many mages and priests to Grima to allow such an ignoble end." Aversa pressed… And she sounded oddly sincere, considering the nonsense she was spouting.

"Their secrets didn't die with them. They transformed, into beings that could breathe water like air… And sometimes they are willing to share their power, through blood gifted to those worthy and ready to further their goals." She glanced at Gangrel, measuring him. And no matter how he wanted to sneer, he couldn't forget that strange, red elixir, she'd offered. "Are you willing to carry out the glory of Plegia?"

He wanted to shut out her words, dismiss them as nonsense… But he also remembered the vials of blood. Now he had an answer for where she'd found them. He also couldn't forget the way it burned down his throat and surged through his veins. If he had more of that… He could measure up to Walhart, and wouldn't need to run scared.

"…If it bleeds Ylisse and cripples Walhart, then yes."

-o-o-o-

This made for an alarmingly quiet life and routine, Lucina thought to herself. Her day always involved waking up to the morning mists, hours spent doing repair work on the fleet, taking meals of fish and supplied rations, before finally falling back to sleep and doing the same on the morrow.

Gradually as the days stretched out, she also learned names to assign the faces.

Stahl was the one who worked on carpentry the most, treating the tools like they were extensions of his hands. He was an expert with laying down the ship planks, and it seemed like each time Lissa asked him when the Shepherd would be finished, the estimated time was a few days shorter.

"Any day now," he assured them all. Granted, he may have been moving quickly because Sully kept breathing down their collective necks; always ready to be on the move, or doing something. She leant her hands eagerly to any task.

Kellam was a quieter presence, but offered his own support. Maribelle, Sumia and Virion were both more likely to be in the kitchen, keeping people fed, while Vaike treated fishing as a competition. Miriel was the one who studied everything… Including Lucina and Morgan. They seemed to be never ending curiosities to her. At least at the moment, Miriel was out on the fishing trip with many of the other Shepherds.

And there was something familiar to all of them; something that almost felt like she'd spent more time than just this, living among them.

Then there were the other faces, hundreds of people that didn't tug at her memory in quite the same way… But all of them citizens of Ylisse, or soldiers of Ferox. And all of them still adapting to being adrift. Lissa seemed to feel the eyes of the refugees on her, with how she tensed every time she stepped outside the castle; like the spectators were all waiting for her to step up and take command.

But still, none of them had replaced Morgan, when it came to Lucina's own trust. She doubted any of them ever would.

"So… Have you remembered anything?" She whispered to Morgan. He kept his hands busy, and his feet were surprisingly adapt on land. Particularly when compared to Lucina. He had none of her clumsiness, and did most of the work they were assigned to, easily fitting the boards back into place on the ship hull.

"Just a vague feeling of seeing this before." Morgan answered, pounding nails into a board and somehow missing all of his fingers in the process. "Like some of the faces here are right on the edge of my memory, and bringing things to mind… And this feeling that I've been on the surface before."

Lucina froze, a board stuck in her hands when she stared at Morgan.

"You're sure? That you've walked on the surface before this?" With a grumble, Lucina continued. "That explains why you're so much more sure on your feet, compared to me."

"Thanks, I guess." Morgan answered, giving Lucina a measuring look; like he wanted to argue with her over her lack of abilities, but also didn't want to let go of that compliment. "I just… Sort of have these weird images in my head, and I feel like they didn't happen too long ago." He shut his eyes, trying to concentrate. "And… I get these vague memories of gray skies and a place built from darker stones than this."

"I don't have much compared to that," Lucina murmured. "Just… Dreaming about something terrible. Boiling seas, and falling through air and water before waking up and finding myself in the ocean… And needing to follow the Shepherd, above all else."

"And now we're working on that same Shepherd, huh? The world sure has a weird sense of humor." Morgan stopped his laugh short. "Well, the only other thing I can remember is a name… Ferox-" Morgan stopped short as he hammered on the board, staring over Lucina's shoulder.

Lucina twisted around to see Lissa standing nearby, staring at them. With a jolt, Lucina realized they hadn't kept their voices as low as she'd thought.

"F-Ferox? You've also been to Ferox? What on earth are you-?" Lissa started to say… Only for a blast of lightning to steal her words and turn the world white.

'But there wasn't a hint of storm until now!' However that didn't seem to matter, with how thunder snarled across the sky and rain came down. Within moments they were all soaked to the skin. The waters of the harbor churned, and the roar of waves almost drowned out the cries of the other sailors.

Over the howl of the gale Frederick raised his voice, calling the others to rush back in and seek shelter from the storm. Across the white caps, Lucina saw the fishing fleet trying to row to shore in the smaller boats-

Only for a hand to reach out of the waves, and sink dripping claws into the side of the lead boat. Vaike stood at the prow, and almost pitched head first into the ocean, as scaled forms hauled themselves out of the waves.

"Mer-?" Morgan whispered, shock freezing him in place on the docks.

"What's going on!?" Lissa blurted out. "I thought the fog was supposed to protect us!"

"Protect us from pirates maybe," Frederick growled. "But I doubt it can protect us against something equally mythical."

Across the waters Vaike slashed down at the Mer. But while one invader shrunk from the attack, several more lunged forward, all grasping and trying to overturn the boat or drag everyone out into the tides. Maribelle was in the same ship and tried to call magic down on them, but it was like trying to hold back the tides with her bare hands.

"Frederick, quick! With me!" Lissa called out, throwing herself into a smaller ship to try and meet the attack. "They need our help!"

Lucina and Morgan followed, rushing into the boats. They weren't alone, with how the other Shepherds jumped into the spare ships. The waves turned into a battleground; the fishing fleet fighting their way towards the safety of the shallows, Lissa's smaller forces battling the rough surf, and the Mer slicing between them all.

The Mer creatures were already giving out shrieks, calling up magic even as they fought talon and blade against the fishing fleet. At their screams, Lucina felt something throb in her veins, like her blood was trying to sing out as well. She wobbled, almost ready to fall off the side of the ship, and the waves in turn reached out for her-

"H-hey!" Lissa snapped her arms around Lucina's shoulders, pulling her back in. "No falling overboard, please! We need all the fighters we can get."

Lissa pointed as she spoke. Far worse was happening to the other ships. Those at the spear point of the fishing fleet were quickly swamped by the growing storm.

"Maribelle!" Lissa cried out. Maribelle's ship thrashed almost like a wounded animal. The waves washed over the side, biting into the planks and drawing hairline cracks.

Maribelle's ship crackled like an egg, its mast crashing over, before the hull broke apart and tossed Maribelle into the waves. Vaike followed her, trying to fight against the currents. Other, older wreckage seemed to be called up by the storm, and bobbed in the waters.

The wreckage littered the harbor, the broken planks and spars almost like stepping stones.

A mad idea entered Lucina's mind as she watched. And with the other ships struggling, it felt like the best way of reaching the fight. She slipped from under Lissa's hands, and threw herself onto the first collection of planks. Lucina left that wobbly sensation behind as she danced along the lines of broken wood, unafraid of falling.

The chunks of ship barely dipped underneath her weight, and Lucina jumped to the fallen mast. She felt tremors run along the planks, and a quick glance over her shoulder showed that Morgan followed her. She ran towards the cross spars, reaching towards the Mer as they dug talons into the sinking crew. Maribelle's silks were going dark, soaking up the sea water as she fell into the grip of the sea creatures.

"Let. Go." Lucina hissed out, and lashed out with a borrowed steel sword. And just like that, the weapon suddenly fit into her hand, like it had always belonged there; like this was what she was meant to fight with, more than with talons or song.

She glimpsed an almost memory, flashing before her eyes right before the blade struck home. It was an image of a tall man, draped in a white cape and watching her, holding a practice blade in his own hand.

"The blade is an extension of your arm. Of your will… And so, you can't falter in your strikes. Never attack, unless you mean to fight to the bitter end. And never flinch from your strikes."

'I won't.' Lucina thought, right as the sword hit and carved scales and flesh from the Mer. It flinched back with a screech, leaving Maribelle to fight free from its grip.

"Morgan!" Lucina shouted out, and he took advantage of the gap. When the Mer let go of Maribelle, Morgan grabbed her by the arm and yanked her to the mast. Maribelle threw her arms over the spar, and clung to the ropes.

"S-sorry, just hang on a little bit longer." Morgan told Maribelle. Behind them all came a crash. Lucina almost lost her balance on the mast, feet slipping from the impact. Another glance over her shoulder showed that Lissa's ship had followed them, only to tangle with the wrecked debris. And now it had drawn the ire of the invaders.

"Help Vaike and the others!" Lucina ordered Morgan, eyes already glaring at the new threat.

She rushed back to Lissa's breaking ship and braced her feet on the mast, slashing her sword in a gleaming arc and driving the Mer soldiers back. Fierce as their magic was, it couldn't match against the strike of swords at close range. One of the Mer cut off their spell with a scream, and lightning snarled past her face, electricity kissing and singeing her hair.

Lucina grit her teeth against the spell, and cut the screams short with another slash. The Mer sank beneath the waves with a bloody cloud, and she turned to the remaining forward soldier, the one grappling with Lissa. The Mer tried to dive with her, but Lissa kicked out, struggling to keep her head above the water.

She was already drifting wide from the mast, towards the struggling fleet. The fishing boats were still woefully equipped to deal with the invading Mer. Their crews clutched fishing spears, or a handful of worn iron swords; barely enough to drive the Mer off and keep them afloat. But never enough to form an offensive, and Lissa was in danger of slipping past them, into the open seas.

Lucina's answer was running to the tip of the mast, and throwing herself forward. Her legs lost any leftover weakness and she almost flew, launching from the mast. The Mer holding Lissa barely had time to lift his eyes, before she crashed into him, driving the sword through his neck. His scream turned into a gurgle, and his hold lessened. Lucina left her sword embedded in the Mer, turning her attention to Lissa. She held onto the girl, trading her sword fighting to battling the waves instead.

"H-hang on!" Lucina sputtered out. Lissa only stared at her, going limp in her grasp. But it wasn't terror that lurked in Lissa's eyes; instead she seemed to analyze Lucina, measure her up against some thought she held in her head.

Lucina didn't have time to figure out what was on Lissa's mind; her own focus was in kicking towards the first fishing boat that had shrugged off the attackers. Gaius blinked down at them in surprise, but still stretched out a hand, grabbing onto Lissa and pulling her up.

Morgan surged close by, dragging Maribelle with him… And doing a slightly poorer job of keeping her head above the waves. The girl was soaked through, her hair plastered to her head, and gasping for breath.

"Oh… Morgan, give her to me, if you can't hold her up!" Lucina kicked out, taking Maribelle onto her other arm. Morgan still tried to cling on and help, for what little good it did.

"H-hey! In my defense, you lost your sword! So that means you can focus just on swimming!" Morgan shot back. For his part, he was busy clinging to the handle of his own sword. He tried to keep the blade clear of the waves, brandishing it against any Mer that would even consider closing with them.

The Ylisseans were slowly pulling together now; Vaike clung onto the mast now, easily laying out with his axe and cutting a circle around him. Gregor was trying to pull the fighter into his own ship, while shouting orders to nearby boats.

Lucina wrenched Lissa upright, all the way into the boat. Maribelle clung onto her other arm, leaving it up to Morgan to watch her back. He lashed out with the sword he'd borrowed, driving a new wave of Mer back. Lucina caught glimpse of Lon'qu standing watch… And how his eyes widened when he saw Morgan fight.

"…Impossible." He growled. "You can't be the same boy-"

Lissa cut him off, coughing up water with a wheeze and a gasp… But Lucina didn't miss the way Lissa's eyes rested on her. Like she recognized this situation, and Lucina's face.

"Dwell on it later!" Lissa shouted, both to herself and the others. "We've got more pressing things to worry about right now!"

Like the next wave of Mer. They rode the waves in, still trying to swamp the boats and docks. The Ylisse ships were running for solid ground, where they'd hopefully have an upper hand. And to cover their retreat, Virion fired arrows from his spot on one ship, bracing his foot against the stern. On the next boat over, Ricken did the same with spells, his face going pale from effort and the sight of so many foes.

"Get them back to the shore!" Lucina shouted at Lon'qu. "We can handle ourselves!" She didn't give the swordsman time to argue, kicking off the side of the ship and swimming back for the wreckage and the mast. She'd make her stand there, Lucina decided; buy the others a little a more time-

The Mer weren't willing to give her that time. A set of them darted under the ships, not even bothering with the crew. Instead their eyes, and their rage, were all focused on Lucina.

They swarmed her, and Lucina's eyes widened as she picked out their features; at least one carried a similar face. An echo of the patrol that had captured her, at the base of the lighthouse. The eyes of the Mer recognized her, with how they first widened and then turned into a murderous glare.

Her head was yanked underwater. And with the waves churning in her ears, she heard the Mer's snarl.

"Fugitive!" He snapped. "I'll spill your blood into this bay, you freak!"

The look in his eyes promised that there would be no repeat; no miracle that would spare her from his talons, this time.

A cut opened along Lucina's arm, as the Mer dragged her to bottom of the bay.

A faint stream of bubbles left her mouth, mingling with the waves. Lucina stared up at them, the way lightning brightened the waters. The bright flashes and bubbles all blurred together… And slowly formed into something else. Something that had to be a vision.

A massive black shape rose from the waves. It was a monster, bigger than any sea serpent, and the war ships she'd glimpsed would be little more than a mouthful for the beast. And when it opened its maw to roar, it seemed to shake the world… And raise the sea, as the dragon fanned its wings.

It rose into a storm wracked sky, putting every other tempest they'd faced to shame. Lightning flashed as a constant pulse point, illuminating the scales on a silver dragon; one equal in size and might to the black dragon.

'Grima… And Naga…' Lucina knew their names, even as she stared. The waters surged around the dragons, flooding the city beneath them, as the earth gave a groan. Towers sank below thrashing waves while mortals caught in the path screamed, struggled… And vanished beneath the waves. Lucina followed them, watching some drown-

But in others, a glowing change overtook them, fusing their limbs into tails and opening gills along their necks… And with a start Lucina realized she was witnessing the origin of Mer-

A taste of copper flooded her mouth, and she blinked her eyes again to see a faded, aquatic world. The hostile Mer drifted away from her, and a sword sprouted from his ribs. Morgan kicked off from where he'd stabbed, reaching out to her. Lucina launched herself up from the sandy floor. Morgan dove, grabbed her by the arm and hauled her back towards the surface.

Their heads broke the water, right as the storm quieted. The last of the Mer had melted away with the loss of their leaders and taken the foul weather with them.

"Did you forget about not being able to breathe underwater anymore?" Morgan gently admonished her and kicked back towards the docks.

Lucina lifted her head to see everyone alive and accounted for, even if some of the crew were nursing wounds. But they could all still stand… And some of them could stare at Morgan and Lucina. With looks of recognition and curiosity.

"What did you say about breathing underwater?" Lissa asked them, even as Morgan dragged Lucina onto the sands.

"…And that explains where I knew you. You were the one who plucked me out of the sea, once those pirates captured us." Maribelle's eyes widened as well, as she looked at Morgan.

Lucina had to fight back a groan, and tried not to shiver as Lissa stared at her in turn.

"You're right! It IS them… Though there's also something different about them." Lissa said.

"More than that." Grumbled Lon'qu, and motioned to Morgan. "I've seen that boy. Fighting for his life, and for Ylisse and Ferox, in the arena. This hasn't been your first time warring against the seafolk, has it boy?"

"N-no…" Morgan admitted, slumping. "I-I was in Ferox. Before."

'Oh dear…' Lucina's thoughts managed.

"I guess… We owe an explanation." Lucina said at last.