Chapter 46: Return to Wreckage


"This place…" Chrom trailed off, tilting his head and wondering at the broken shapes outlined against the surface. He'd seen shipwrecks before, had even hidden among them with Robin… But they had always been underwater.

This collection of broken ships defied what he knew, and stubbornly clung to the surface. The underside was a mess of broken boards, shattered beams, and long, reaching wooden fingers. All of it was roped and tied together to form a strange lattice work of wood. Ships floated next to the platforms, unloading cargo and humans.

"It's familiar… But also strange looking." He had the feeling that wherever he dwelled before, it wasn't anything like this. For an instant, a flash of green and high, reaching cliffs visited his thoughts… But on the next breath, it popped out like a bubble.

"We were here before, once." Robin told him. "I just hope this visit goes a little bit better than our last one."

'Which makes me wonder what the Shepherd needed here.' Chrom thought, searching for the ship but finding nothing.

Robin led the way forward, darting past fat groupers and flat fish, gone plump from eating the refuse of the city, and with a dusty coating to their scales. It was like the wear and tear had jumped from the wreckage, to the fish.

The two slipped through the murky waters, invisible to any land dwelling eyes. The moon had already risen, drawing shadows across the town, and the lamp lights further blinded the pirates to anything lurking in the growing dark.

The docks were a mossy, waterlogged forest to dart between. Chrom kept his eyes to the surface, feeling his way through the shrouded waters with his hands. The surface was broken up with dark shapes and ship prows, ones that set his teeth on edge; they looked like the same, predatory shapes that had tried to fall on the Shepherd-

And there at last was one more familiar ship, lurking on the very edges of the town. It froze Chrom for a moment, before he picked his way forward, staring at the vessel. He drifted upwards, surfacing but keeping his head low to the waves.

"I wish I could spirit that ship out of here…" Chrom whispered to Robin. They dove again and kept close underneath the waves, masked by the reflection of the lamps. Robin didn't answer him, instead taking them in close to the docks… And there, they spotted her. The gold of her hair was clear against the lamp lights.

"L-Lissa!" Chrom blurted out. He was half amazed that he could pick her out, considering how odd her outfit looked in his eyes. She favored an odd, patch work dress with brilliant scarlet sashes.

But even with the strange clothes, there was something familiar about her. Something important. Chrom was half ready to swim out of the waters to reach out to Lissa-

But the next moment, Lissa slipped out of sight, dodging any prying eyes from the pirates. And getting well out of sight from Chrom.

"Th-that was Lissa, wasn't it?" Chrom managed, wondering at the burning settling along his sides. It was like with each memory, his body fought against him, protesting at the shape it was in. His gills squirmed at each word.

"Peace." Robin tried to calm him. "It was her… And hopefully we'll be able to reach her."

Just then, he wasn't sure on how that would work. Their tails weren't suited to the ragged wooden docks overhead, and already Lissa was lost amongst the other sailors and pirates. A part of him wanted to swarm up the dock pillars and into the crowds, and drown whatever chaos or violence that would incite.

Instead, he forced himself to still, and listen to Robin.

"Don't forget, we've still got a piece to play." She told him. The currents bumped Robin into his side, and her hand found his, clutching at his wrist and the crude pouch tied to his hand. The gemstone bumped into his skin, and he gave a quick gasp, understanding flickering through him.

"We need to get closer, before we try anything." Robin said, a strained note seeping into her voice. He winced at it, realizing just how much of a toll the swim had taken on her; clumsy as he was, it didn't change that he had more stamina than her.

"I don't think I'll have a lot of strength, once I finish pulling the magic from this thing." As she spoke, she rested half against his shoulder. Chrom stilled from the contact, and the chill from the nighttime waters seemed to lessen a little. He didn't even mind when her elbow bumped against his ribs, as she dug into the fabric pouch. But at last she drew away something; at first it was hard to pick out from the ocean, until a stray beam of moonlight caught a curved surface, and made the gemstone gleam like a blue star.

"R-right, I'll get us closer." Chrom replied and pulled her towards a dip in the wrecks. Above the waves, the wooden planks took the form of a side street, almost an alley, that spilled directly into the ocean. Rickety, waterlogged steps tumbled into the waters, and it was the easiest thing to hoist themselves onto the half submerged steps. Robin weighed almost nothing in his hands, though she gave a little gasp when he pushed her upwards. Water ran in orange rivulets off her scales, shimmering in the torchlight. The fires were wane and guttering, but gave just enough light to see by.

"Here goes…" Robin murmured. She held the gemstone aloft, catching the glimmer of the moon and the waves inside the surface. She let a soft note out of her throat, and the note had an almost magnetic pull; like the thin sliver of moon overhead and the very tides were shivering in response. It pulled at Chrom as well, and stirred a strange need in him. It didn't take much beyond that, before Chrom added his own voice to the note. The gemstone seemed to resonate, magnifying the note… And making every scale on Chrom's tail shiver.

Chrom's voice gave a waver, but the magic was already wrapped around them, weaving through their forms… And separating their tails into legs with a quick flash of pain. The next instant it was gone, leaving him with a strange pair of limbs that felt half like water, with how they rippled and shivered. Robin gave a gasp as she almost sank beneath the waves. Chrom tightened his grip on her, hoisting her out of the water and completely up onto the half sunken dock.

"Are you okay?" Chrom whispered, and in the faint oil lamps, he could just make out Robin's face. Her neck lacked gills, and her head lost the fins that had adorned it like a crown.

She managed a shaky nod in answer to his question. Her legs stirred, as she stretched them out, and brushed against his skin… And against his own legs. His skin gave another odd shiver, like his body was taking stock of all the changes.

"It looks like the spell worked, and we-" Then he took in the rest of the changes, and all his words left him.

-o-o-o-

Robin found herself staring at Chrom.

He'd broken off with a sputter, flinching away from her. Robin blinked at him, half terrified something had gone wrong with the spell. Her mind flashed through images of him drowning on either air or on sea water, thanks to a mistake in her magic... But as looked at him, she picked out a flash of motion where his feet kicked out on reflex, and felt her own do the same. The spell itself had worked wonders, giving them back their legs.

'So then what's wrong with-? Oh.'

There was, however, one notable absence. Something that was lacking, even with all that magic she'd woven. Something that Chrom realized at the same time Robin did, judging by how his face went bright red. There wasn't a scrap of clothing on either of them… And Robin remembered how their clothing had dissolved away to bubbles, the first time they'd sunk beneath the waves.

All at once she was very glad that they'd opted for a secluded portion of the city, without any prying eyes. It meant she only had to worry about her own wandering gaze.

"W-well… At least we've got legs now," Chrom managed, keeping his eyes fixed squarely on her face, or on a spot directly above it.

"We'll need a plan on how to get into town, though. W-without getting any undue attention." She forced herself to continue, to keep thinking.

"T-trust you to focus on the immediate problems." Chrom told her. "But you're right, we need a plan… And not thinking about how-"

He snapped his mouth shut. And for her part, Robin tried to keep her eyes locked to Chrom's face, instead of his toned stomach, or-

'Stop thinking of that!' Robin snapped to herself.

"S-sure. You've got the right idea." She tried to say instead. And keep the blush out of her face.

"We could find something to use for a disguise, I'll bet." Chrom told her. "As soon as I get used to having feet again."

He flexed his toes, frowning at them; Robin could tell he was trying to figure out how they were supposed to hold his weight. When he pushed against his feet, his new knees almost buckled and dropped him back into the water with a splash.

"Steady, now… I can already tell you there's a learning curve for figuring out how to walk on two feet." Robin told him. She stretched a hand out to him, determined to help pull him upright-

"Wait… What on earth is this?" Chrom held a hand out, and in the faint moonlight Robin saw a glimmer of blue. With a shock she looked at her own arms, and a ripple of violet. When she spread her fingers, a touch of violet webbing showed… And she felt a ripple of pain along her sides. When she blinked down, it was to see a set of gills still struggling for breath, looking like red cuts against her ribs.

"I think there's still some hiccups that I need to work out of this spell." Robin muttered. "But it doesn't look like we're going to drown in the open air… And we can still walk, can't we?"

Chrom tested that claim out, gripping Robin by the shoulder and fighting his way upright. The water splashed around him and ran off his legs with droplets. He slumped against her, his hand shaking in its spot on her shoulder.

When Robin stood, their balance wobbled, and the town went sideways.

"Woah, wait!" Chrom snapped his arms around her, holding her upright. Robin blinked at him, surprised at how fast he moved. And how he'd managed to find his balance, and hold them both upright.

"Looks like you still instinctively know how to walk on two feet after all." She murmured, trying not to focus on just how much skin was touching. Chrom gave a strangled "y-yeah," as he helped her up. Robin's legs wobbled, forcing her to lean against him.

"You know the water, but I still know my way around land. I'll worry about walking for now, and… Um…" He turned a little from Robin, so they were shoulder to shoulder. "See about finding some clothes. Though it might help if you've got a plan on what to do."

He shivered and Robin echoed that; without any covering aside from water droplets, it was more than a little bit chilly.

"Well, actually,"

'Don't look down, and ESPECIALLY don't look towards the waist!' Robin told herself, still blushing furiously. She wrapped an arm around his shoulders, and tried to keep it so that just their sides were touching. Chrom reacted by squeezing at her, his hand trembling where it touched her.

"I think I have a plan for getting some sort of clothing… If you don't mind things getting a little bit rough."

-o-o-o-

Chrom gripped the wood plank they'd scrounged up from the docks, watching as Robin stood just within the lamplight. She kept a bit of half tattered sail draped about her torso, acting as a make shift dress.

He grimaced as he watched, considering how little coverage that thing gave her… And also considering the leering remarks that reached his ears. She'd finally caught the eyes, and seemingly undivided attention of Plegian pirates.

"You have a bit too much to drink, girl? You're looking a bit wobbly on your legs." Robin slumped against the wall in answer, stepping a little further into the shadows. "And you're missing some clothes too… Well, we can help you get warmer, and work off that drink-"

Chrom thankfully didn't have to listen to much more, once they stepped into range. He darted out of the shadows and caught the first pirate across the head with the plank… And his motions were forceful enough that it shattered on impact. The pirate slumped forward, while his companion gave a startled noise-

Only for Robin to slam him hard into the wall. A blow against his temple from the stump of plank had him down for the count as well. Chrom looked over the two sailors, and their salt stained clothing. He picked out grime half hiding the colors, and felt his skin already itching at the prospect of putting it on.

"Sorry I couldn't catch the attention of better cleaned pirates," Robin offered. "I guess we could try again-?"

"N-no! No need. This will do." Chrom answered. And worked on divesting the pirates of their clothing.

The stuff was ragged, and was almost shucked off like dead skin. Chrom fought down a shudder, and tried not to think about how long the clothing had gone without a wash.

"Musty, but it'll fit." He muttered to himself, and worked on making himself decent. His legs got a little more exercise, as they kicked through the pants legs, and he finally got some covering around his waist.

Chrom tugged the sleeves down next, feeling a touch odd over having his arms both covered. But the tunic sleeves, rough as they were, covered the worst of his scales and masked his changes. With the shirts soaked in sea water, they also kept the gills at their sides satisfied, and the aches to a minimum.

Robin stayed at his side in used leathers, Chrom's arm giving her more balance. Her hat and bandana were both a little askew on her head, while Chrom tried to match her for a roguish appearance. The scarlet sashes around their waists felt and looked odd to his eyes, after staring into blue for so long... But they at least looked like they belonged in this town. Together they took to the streets of broken ships and rickety docks… And no one much commented on Robin's swagger, considering how much rum stained the air.

'I… I remember a little more now.' Chrom must have whispered that aloud, with how Robin turned to him.

"You know that you've been here before?"

"Yes… And that I stuck out even worse than I do now. A-and that we had to gather information about…" He trailed off, fighting back a growl. "…Gangrel."

"Let's hope that we don't run into him here." Robin told him, her eyes scanning the alleyways and streets while Chrom took care of walking.

-o-o-o-

Their search for Lissa took them through winding streets, until they finally found themselves in the tavern district, Robin was certain that was the name of this place, since that was all that seemed to line the streets. The smell of alcohol turned stronger, burning at Robin's nose. And no matter how she searched, she still couldn't find a trace of Lissa, or any of the Shepherd crew-

Robin's head yanked up at the thud of an arm getting slammed into a table.

"HAH! That is making three for Gregor!"

"Oh gods…" Robin whispered, while Chrom murmured that he thought he knew that voice. And as they walked closer to the doorway, Robin certainly recognized the sight.

It made for a curious scene. Gregor sat at one of the tables, taking on all challengers in arm wrestling. Gaius was across from him at the bar, and for a moment Robin worried over the amount of empty glasses next to him… Until she realized he wasn't the one drinking.

"Now c'mon… Surely you can tell a friend over drinks a thing or two!" He cajoled one of the pirates sitting next to him. Nearby Robin saw to familiar faces both framed with blonde hair, and with a jolt she realized that Maribelle and Lissa were both present. Chrom saw it at the same time. His voice was almost a whisper as he repeated Lissa's name. He started forward, intent on reaching them, and Robin was forced to dig her borrowed boots into the floor.

"W-wait Chrom… Don't interrupt them." Robin hated the way he flinched, and turned on her with shock written across his eyes.

"Why?" His voice was so desperate, his body straining to go to his family and friends.

"Because it looks like they're on the cusp of finding out something… Which might also explain that naval battle we witnessed, and aided." Chrom paused, fighting between the need to know more and the need to go back to his people. With regret, Robin found herself adding.

"And besides that... If we cause too much of a commotion here, we might be dealing with another brawl. I don't think any of us will stand a chance if a fight breaks out, and we're like THIS." She gestured to their wobbly legs. Chrom looked down as well, dipping his head in a reluctant nod.

"Gods… You're asking the near impossible of me, and yet-" Her back went completely rigid when his hand found hers. He almost crushed her fingers with how desperately he clung to them, only relenting when she made a pained noise.

"S-sorry. I just… I hope you'll forgive me, if I need some help to stand back."

This time, it was her turn to squeeze at his hand. It was the best she could do; Robin led him to the far end of the tavern, before they could draw any attention and interrupt Gaius.

-o-o-o-

Lissa sat back, watching the chaos of the bar unfold and staying well out of the way. Gaius laughed, clearly in his element as he put down another coin on the table, and offered another round of drinks.

"How on earth is he paying for that?" Maribelle grumbled to Lissa. "It has to be costing you a fortune."

"Um… Actually it isn't." Lissa informed her. "Watch his hands when the next one comes by." It was just a flicker of motion as Gaius clapped a hand around the pirate's shoulders… But the pirate was now lighter by one money pouch, and Gaius had a ready supply of coin for the same man.

"C'moooon, buddy! Haven't seen you for months!"

"You haven't BEEN here for months." The pirate pointed out. Gaius just rolled his shoulders in a shrug.

"What can I say, I've been going where the wind and waves take me. But now that I'm here, how about you join us for some more drinks?" He grabbed a few other pirates off the bar, sending them staggering over to where Lissa and Maribelle were both seated. Nearby Gregor shook his head when other pirates collapsed against a table, balance made wobbly by wine.

"And you've found some drowned lovely wenches here!" One of the pirates blurted out, staring at the two. Gaius rolled his shoulders in an easy shrug, rolling with the change in conversation.

"Yeah, but to be honest they're a little bit nervous. Half worried the docks will explode if they don't know what's going on-"

"Yes, but Gaius has told us plenty about YOU," Maribelle cut in. Lissa tried not to stare at how coquettishly she looked at the pirates. Or how quickly Maribelle had settled into the role of tavern beauty. "He says you're very well connected indeed."

The pirate seemed to puff up a bit over her words. He lost his wariness, trading it out for a knowing grin. Lissa had to keep her own smug smile from showing. 'Come on, buddy. You KNOW you want to share some juicy secrets, right?' And it seemed he listened to her thoughts.

"A pair of lovely ladies like you need a strong man," The pirate continued.

"Such as you." The man was too well lubricated to pick up the sarcasm in Lissa's voice.

"Oh aye; just like us. We can keep you out of any crossfires that happen, after all!"

"What sort of crossfires? Are you saying this place is in danger?" From more than drunk pirates, Lissa half wanted to ask.

"Well, we can tell you this much. Gangrel's gone rogue from Valm… And where a pirate king goes, the rest of his subjects have to follow. We ARE a pirate brethren, y'know."

"Aye, and only a few here have decided to cut their losses…" Said another. "And the ones who are going to cut off on their own better do it quick, before he turns up with the next set of orders. That going to include you, sticky fingers?"

"Depends on what sort of orders Gangrel has, I guess." Gaius was clearly trying to sound half intrigued, and half non-committal. "And what he has to offer."

"Sorcery, from the sound of it… Aye now, don't roll your eyes at me, lest one of Gangrel's core crew sees you and decides to pluck them eyeballs out and offer 'em to his pet sea witch."

"S-sea witch?" Lissa asked.

"Aye. Aversera is her name… And word is she drowned most of Ylisse already. Gangrel says there's even better victories ahead… And he'll hint at what some of those are, tonight."

"T-tonight." Maribelle kept her voice carefully blank, the same as her face. "I must say, that's unexpected."

She shot a quick side glance to Lissa, and let some worry show in her eyes.

'We need to leave this place before that happens.' Her expression said… But Lissa couldn't quite bring herself to agree. Instead she thanked the pirate, while motioning for Gaius to draw all the attention back to himself. The former corsair followed that order with glee, challenging the pirate to a game of dice.

"Sounds like it's worth looking into. I-I'm pretty curious on just what Gangrel has to say." Lissa said… And could already feel Maribelle wincing from her words.

"…Have you lost your mind!?" Maribelle hissed at her, once the man's back was turned.

"No, I just have a plan."

"I was hoping you'd have more sense than Robin did." Maribelle grumbled. A second later, she realized the pain behind her words with how Lissa narrowed her eyes and tried to blink away a stinging in them. "…My apologies, that may have been untoward. What I meant was... I feel we can't take the same risks we used to. We've already paid for those gambles."

Lissa could only shake her head at that, letting the grief wash out of her and determination taking its place. She rose from her sitting place, turning to the entrance. A growing storm waited outside the tavern… And if she was lucky, Gangrel would ride in on it.

"Look, it's worth the risk! We came here for information, didn't we? We need to figure out what's going on with Gangrel, what he's going to do next-" Maribelle shot her a sympathetic look, even as she followed Lissa.

"I know. But I just hope he won't be three for three, with attacking Exalts."

-o-o-o-

The first drops of rain nipped at their skin as they waited near the tavern. Lucina tried not to slump under the storm, knowing she had no reason to shy from the water. Hopefully the rain would give them a little more cover. And a little more leniency when it came to sneaking around. Lissa had ordered Lucina and Morgan to scout the town, to observe the pirates... And above all, to remain undetected. Now, Lucina found herself wondering if walking the roofs would give them better vantage.

She clambered upwards through ruined ships and old rotted rigging. With each hand hold she found, Lucina could pull herself further up and left Lissa's people to search on the floor level.

"Ah… No one's going to look up when it's raining. I get what you're thinking now. But it's pretty slippery-!" Morgan followed her upwards, his feet scrambling against the wet wood. He skid on the next set of handholds, sliding backwards. Lucina snapped out a hand, and dug her fingers into the sleeve of his robe. He gave a quick "ulp!" as she yanked him up, skidding onto the sloped roof.

"No falling off." She half chided him.

"Yeah, yeah…" He whispered. "I'm still just not sure about this."

But despite his words, he still followed Lucina in a scramble across the roofs, whispering all the while. "We haven't been on legs for that long, you know."

"Unfamiliar territory isn't an excuse." This time her chiding was in full force. "We have a job to do."

Together, she and Morgan crept across the upturned hull of a ship.

"Right, right. We just need to keep an eye on everything…" Morgan muttered, scanning the pirates moving below. Their faces all looked indistinct to Lucina, bowed against the rain and storm. Most of the hair was black or brown, with no hint of the more vivid colors from the Shepherd crew.

"Lissa's probably still under the awnings, and out of the rain… So is there anything we can do? I wouldn't like to slip across the roofs for nothing."

"…There's something else going on here." Lucina answered, leaning forward and almost losing her balance. "Look at how these pirates are moving… Or rather, how they aren't moving."

"…You're right. You'd figure that they'd be trying to get into the bars and out of the rain. Maybe show a little more sense than us. So what are they waiting for?" Morgan asked.

Lucina had a feeling they'd find out soon enough.

The lightning strike almost threw her out of her skin. And the thunder tried to push her off the edge of the building. She only stopped short thanks to a hand gripping her cape and yanking her back. She blinked up at Morgan, trying to clear the rainwater from her eyes.

"…I… I really don't like where this is going." Morgan pointed out again, wincing from the next crackle of lightning. "It feels like the rain is going to melt my skin off… That or I'm going to shiver out of it."

With a queasy feeling, Lucina realized that the same was true for her. With each drop that spackled on her skin, it squirmed in response; almost like it wanted to shuck human flesh in favor of Mer scales.

'Keep it together.' She ordered herself, and dug her fingers into her palms; almost hard enough to draw blood. The pain gave her something else to focus on, while Lucina forced deep breaths. 'Focus on what you need to do, not what some stupid storm is trying to push into you.'

But it was easier said than done. There was something to this storm that called out to her, and a part she thought had been sealed up in her heart ever since she and Morgan left the waves. A faint hum built in her throat, which she could only pray was lost against the rain and thunder. And still, the pirates didn't budge; like the storm was a herald of some sort.

And in the back of her mind, Lucina was terrified of whatever they were expecting.